Here's one not quite as funny

A nice rendition of "Both Sides Now" by a girls' choir associated with the Danish public broadcasting company.

That's a beautiful rendition of  "Both Sides Now".  Hope to find some other videos by this Danish choir.     

On a lighter note, I found this. British humor at its finest, though you probably couldn't get away with this today ("Two-twenty pounds is a lot to carry 'round, you could even say she's fat, roly poly..." among other things).

This one too.

              Or ---
           

And this classic

In late 1957, country singer Don Gibson recorded a song he wrote called "I Can't Stop Loving You". In mid 1962, Ray Charles made it his own, and his version was a huge international hit (peaking in the top 10 in the US, UK and numerous European countries

Today, June 25, is Carly Simon's 81st birthday!    This song,   Where or When,  is in the top ten of my all time favorites.  It was written by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart for their Broadway Musical, "Babes in Arms".   There is something hopeful and mystical about the lyrics,  which is why I never tire of listening to it.   This is a good rendition, by Carly,  but I think my favorite is  the one recorded in 1940, by Peggy Lee, and Benny Goodman.  I plan to post it soon.

One of my favorites from her.

A great doo-wop version of the classic "White Cliffs of Dover" from 1953.

"... in her one-piece topless bathing suit, and she's only 94 years old!" 

This was originally recorded by The Rip Chords (of "Hey Little Cobra" fame) and released as a single in July of 1964. 2 months later, Jan and Dean released their own version on the Little Old Lady From Pasadena album and changed the subject of the song from a 4-year-old girl to a 94-year-old woman.

Remember Your Hit Parade?

Back in 1962, surf guitarist Dick Dale got hold of an old middle-eastern folk tune called "Misirlou" and promptly turned it into one of the most famous instrumental recordings of all time.

That was not a version of Misirlou that I cared much for. Not liking electric guitars very much, not on that one. I had a recording which was orchestral, but cannot remember who recorded it. I had several albums including Arthur Lyman's version (not so great), but the one I remember probably came from one of the oriental focused albums. I remember the flute (or was it clarinet) that slid through the notes. Can't find the like right now. Martin Denny did a nice version, but he used a piano.

But here is another version I never heard. In fact, I never heard it with words. Supposedly, one of the originals.
.

Now for something different, on a spiritual note, and with its peaceful scenery, a panpipe version of...The Sound Of Silence...

Quote from: MarsGal on July 01, 2024, 08:33:39 AMThat was not a version of Misirlou that I cared much for. Not liking electric guitars very much, not on that one. I had a recording which was orchestral, but cannot remember who recorded it. I had several albums including Arthur Lyman's version (not so great), but the one I remember probably came from one of the oriental focused albums. I remember the flute (or was it clarinet) that slid through the notes. Can't find the like right now. Martin Denny did a nice version, but he used a piano.

But here is another version I never heard. In fact, I never heard it with words. Supposedly, one of the originals.

.

Maybe this one? Esquivel was quite popular around the same time as Arthur Lyman and company. This is from 1959.

Nice version, but not quite there. Wish I could remember what album it was on.

I have several Kitaro's CDs from when I was into early new-age and meditation type music. I don't think this is on the ones I have. Nice pairing of scenery to music.

Well, now I am going to have to drag out my CD cases and find some of my early new-age/space ambient stuff. Mine are mostly previous to the incursion of Irish type music which somehow, more or less, took over the title new age offerings. I was an avid listener to the Hearts of Space program on PBS Radio featuring such artists as Raphael, Constance Denby, Robert Rich, Steve Halpern, Steve Roach, John Serrie among others. Trying to find one of these that is relatively short is a trial. This one is new to me and not so very old, it appears.

Mars, I do remember the New Age style music, but nothing specific like Space or space travel.  Was this around the time of the Moon Landing, or related more to "2001, A Space Odyssey"?     I just looked up "Space Odyssey", and see t hat it cam out in  1968,   so actually  a year before  the moon landing.   

I never equated the "space" ambient/new age music with a movie, Marilyne. I think it had a lot to do with the invention of the MOOG and subsequent electronic music keyboards and various strange contraptions. Example:


I can see where moviemakers would like something like that. They are always inventing strange "music" and sounds. Remember the old coconut shell halves to make galloping horse sounds?

Oldiesman, I think I've seen you post a few music pieces with strange contraptions in the past. Some of these unusual "instruments" have been around a long, long time. Singing glass, glass harp, showed up on the scene way back in 1750. 

Music history and the development of musical instruments can be a festinating read. Okay, so which came first, speech or music? When did ancient man discover making music by rhythmically beating a stick on a hollow piece of wood or using a piece of grass or reed. In fact, when did they discover they could put holes in hollow piece of bamboo (or facsimile) to make different notes?  I've never been much for anthropology, but have read a few bits on music history. Can't remember that it ever went back to prehistory speculations or discoveries though. Just musing here.

Music history - none of it is in my memory, but I appreciate that it all happened.

On the subject of new-age/space type music, here's a good one from Mike Oldfield's 1993 album The Songs of Distant Earth. This album is apparently based on a science fiction novel of the same name.

Interesting. I only have Oldfield's Tubular Bells album. I looked up the title and discovered that the book was an Arthur C. Clarke novel. It should be on the audiobook I have of his complete works. My favorite Arthur C. Clarke is his short story "A Meeting with Medusa". It was the first of his works I ever read, and was published in, believe it or not, Playboy Magazine sometime back in the early 60's.
Here is a list of other music inspired by books. https://www.writerswrite.co.za/songs-inspired-by-literature/ I would never have guessed some of these. Here's another list.
https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/x-lists/books-that-inspired-musicians/

Another list and I found one of my very favorite Alan Parsons songs. Wonder what book inspired this.

79-year-old Frank Sinatra and 53-year-old Neil Diamond doing a duet from a TV special called Sinatra: Duets, which aired in November of 1994. Frank Sinatra died just 3½ years after this was recorded.

Rick, I like the two July 4th video's you posted. The first one, "You're a Grand Old Flag" is featured in the old movie, "Yankee Doodle Dandy", with James Cagney.   I recorded it off of TCM, and plan to watch it tonight.  (Still only 7:30 here).

It's one of those days ---

A classic from the late great Boxcar Willie.