Saturday, December 15, 2012

SURPRISE DUETS


When we're in the midst of an on-going series (like we have been for the past few weeks), it's sometimes hard to "capture the moment" of a given event without disrupting the continuity of what we're promoting on the website.
We tried to offer a mixture of the best of both worlds by letting the Garage Band Series run its course on the site while sending out email blasts featuring some of our regular comments and announcements and, from the sounds of things, you guys enjoyed the mixture.   

One thing we couldn't fit into the schedule last week was the fact that it seemed (for me anyway) to be filled with some surprising duets ... and truthfully, we couldn't have been more pleased as it gave us a chance to hear a few things we haven't heard in a while.  (Just another one of those enjoyable oldies happenstances!)

For starters during this year's Grammy Nominations Celebration Concert, they ran a vintage clip of Johnny Cash presenting an award back in 1973 ... which was then run right into a live performance of one of Johnny Cash and June Carter's best known duets, "Jackson", a #2 Country Hit in 1967 that never officially crossed over to the pop charts, yet was part of our pop consciousness anyway.


If you're asking why we didn't simply feature the Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood version, it's because the SECOND surprise of the week was the Glee-rendition of "Somethin' Stupid", the #1 Hit by Nancy and her Dad, also from 1967. (Now don't get me wrong ... you can absolutely turn "Somethin' Stupid" into the mundane if you overplay it ... this one can getting pretty annoying if you hear it too often ... but, by the same token, here is yet another #1 Hit that doesn't get played at all.  Somewhere in between is the proper balance for this one ... because it really DID sound good to hear it again ... in small doses.The arrangement to "Somethin' Stupid" hooks you right from the word go ... with that little flamingo guitar riff opening (I wanna say done by Glen Campbell, but I suppose it also could have been Tommy Tedesco) and then the tight harmony duet (which, admittedly, is a little bit creepy when sung by father and daughter) ... yet somehow the whole thing seems to work. America certainly agreed, taking this song all the way to #1.


Finally, I couldn't believe my ears when we stopped into Arby's for a quick bite to eat one night when, over their in-house music system, "sandwiched" in right between all the Christmas songs and smooth jazz instrumentals, we heard Chad and Jeremy singing "If I Loved You", a #20 Hit in 1965. (When's the last time you heard THAT one on the radio?!?!? Probably 1965!!!) 

Anyway, ALL of these experiences made for pleasant surprises this past week ... so we wanted to share them with you, too! (kk)