Holding onto Anger is Like Drinking Poison and Expecting the Other Person to Die.....

Howdy, fellow lovers of music. I have just returned from a little vacation and am now renewed, re-energized (is that a word??), and ready to devote more time to this blog.

If you've been paying attention, (and I'm sure you have), the heading of each post has an inspirational quote for you to think about. Some, more than others, may 'speak' to you, and that's my hope.

So, all that aside...there is another fantastic song that I've selected for you that 'speaks to me'. AND I know when the title is revealed, you are going to be very surprised, as I was. I thought it was just a great song from the early 70's. (Who knew?) This is actually a popular and well-known Christian hymn first published in 1931. It has words by English author Eleanor Farjeon and is set to a traditional Scottish Gaelic tune known as "Bunessan" (it shares this tune with the 19th century Christmas Carol "Child in the Manger"[1]). It is often sung in children's services.

This song was recorded in 1971 by Cat Stevens, who wrongfully is often credited for writing the lyrics. The song was recorded by numerous other artists such as Neil Diamond, Art Garfunkle, and Kenny Rogers to name a few, but none were as successful as Cat Steven's version.

Here is 'Morning Has Broken'.

 (PS I'm learning to play this on my mountain dulcimer. Beautiful tones!) So, sit back and enjoy!


             


Namaste, my friends.

Love Yourself For What You Are, Instead of Hating Yourself For What You are Not....

Happy, happy day, lovers of great tunes.  I  have chosen a song for today by Jefferson Starship that I haven't heard in FOREVER.  And boy, did it ever take me back to a time when life, well, life was just kind of groovy. (I bet you were wondering when I was going to throw that word in there!)

Jefferson Airplane was a San Francisco, California-based band who pioneered the American counterculture movement as well as psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success.

The origin of the group's name is disputed. "Jefferson airplane" is slang for a used paper match splint to hold a marijuana joint that is too short to hold without burning the fingers – an improvised roach clip.^[4] A popular conjecture suggests this was the origin of the band's name, but band member Jorma Kaukonen has denied this and stated that the name was invented by his friend Steve Talbot as a parody of blues names such as Blind Lemon Jefferson.^[5] A 2007 press release quoted Kaukonen as saying:

"I had this friend [Talbot] in Berkeley who came up with funny names for people," explains Kaukonen. "His name for me was Blind Thomas Jefferson Airplane (for blues pioneer Blind Lemon Jefferson). When the guys were looking for band names and nobody could come up with something, I remember saying, 'You want a silly band name? I got a silly band name for you!'"

They were headliners at the three most famous American rock festivals of the 1960s—Monterey (1967), Woodstock (1969) and Altamont (1969)—in addition to the first Isle of Wight Festival (1968) ^[1] in England. Their 1967 break-out record Surrealistic Pillow ranks on the short list of most significant recordings of the "Summer of Love". Two songs from that album, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", are among Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

The "classic" line-up of Jefferson Airplane remained stable from 1967 to early 1970, and consisted of Marty Balin, Jack Casady, Spencer Dryden, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen and Grace Slick. The group broke up in 1972, and essentially split into the two bands, Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship. Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. 

Today's selection is 'Runaway' recorded by Jefferson STARSHIP.

Hope you enjoy it.

And, as always, be kind to each other

Namaste.

Kimmie

The Mind is Everything. What You Think, You Become.....

Howdy, fellow lovers of great music.  I'm feeling very nostalgic today which is one of the reasons I chose this song.  This is just one of a series of great hits by this group.  The group is none other than (drum roll, please) 'THE TURTLES'.  These guys had a series of hits from the mid-60's on.

Some little known facts:

The band, originally a surf-rock group called the Crossfires, was formed in 1965 in Westchester, Los Angeles, by high school friends Kaylan, Volman, Al Nichol, Chuck Portz, Don Murray, and Jim Tucker.  Adhering to the prevailing musical trend, they rebranded themselves as a folk rock group under the name the Tyrtles, an intentionally stylized misspelling inspired by the Byrds and the Beatles. However, the trendy spelling did not survive long.  (Who knew?)

The first of several key Turtles singles co-written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon, "Happy Together", had already been rejected by countless performers.  "Happy Together", both their biggest hit and their signature song, signaled a turning point for both the Turtles and for Chip Douglas, who provided the arrangement. The single replaced the Beatles' "Penny Lane" at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1967. The Turtles' only No. 1 remained there for three weeks.

Kaylan and Volman sang backing vocals on several recordings, including the worldwide hit "Get it On (Bang A Gong)".  (Again, who knew?)

Without further adieu, I bring you 'HAPPY TOGETHER'.  This video is from their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.  There is NO ONE over 50 who doesn't know this song.  I want to hear some SINGIN'.  C'mon folks.  Let's be happy together.

A little something to think about:

Peace comes from within.  Do not seek it without.

Kimmie   

(PSSST.  I'd love to hear from you. Do you like this music, do you want some other genre, thoughts, comments, recipes (ha!).)