Song Stuck In My Head This Week - 30th April '11 - Fleetwood Mac - Need Your Love So Bad

The last few weeks have been some of the best of my life. I've met someone wonderful and I'm very much in love. It's a wonderful feeling. This song just makes me feel so romantic, and is also an amazing song.

Most people when they think of Fleetwood Mac tend to think of the era from the mid-70's onward when Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and John and Christie McVie joined up with Mick Fleetwood and released massively popular albums like 'Rumours'. However, many seem to forget the amazing stuff produced by Fleetwood Mac in the early years when legendary guitarist Peter Green was in the band.

Peter Green is one of the greatest guitarists of all time as well as being a great singer and songwriter. The band's fourth single release, the Green penned 'Black Magic Woman which later became a huge hit for Santana, was their first to hit the UK Top 40 singles chart. The follow up to this was the cover of the 1955 single by Little Willie John, 'Need Your Love So Bad'.

What makes the Fleetwood Mac version so good for me is how Peter Green oozes emotion out of not only his vocal performance but also his guitar playing. The combination is just magical.

I hope this song brings out the love and romance in you as it does in me and that you enjoy it!! Catch you all next week!!

Fleetwood Mac - Need Your Love So Bad

Need someone's hand to lead me through the night
I need someone's arms to hold and squeeze me tight
Now, when the night begins, whoa, I'm at an end
Because I need your love so bad

I need some lips to feel next to mine
Need someone to stand up - to stand up and tell me when I'm lyin'
And when the lights are low - and it's time to go
That's when I need your love so bad

So why don't you give it up, baby and bring it home to me
or write it on a piece of paper, woman - so it can be read to me
Tell me that you love me - and stop drivin' me mad
whoa, because I - I need your love so bad

Need a soft voice - just to talk to me at night
Don't want you to worry, baby
I know we can make everything alright
Listen to my plea, baby, come on bring it to me
'Cause I need - your love so bad
Baby, I need, I need - woman, I need your love so bad

Song Stuck In My Head This Week - 27th April '11 - Dionne Bromfield - Yeah Right

Goddaughter and protege of singer Amy Winehouse, Dionne Bromfield relesed her first album in 2009 at the tender age of 13. With a gorgeous voice it showed what she could be capable of in the future.

Two years on and she's just about to release her second album, 'Good For The Soul', and the lead single 'Yeah Right' recently came out and I can't stop singing it.

It's just so catchy and really has suited the summery weather we've had lately. How it's not been a bigger hit I do not know. That said it's left me impatient for the June release of the album.

I really love it and I hope you all do too!! Catch you next week!!

Dionne Bromfield - Yeah Right

Yo what up Dionne it's Diggy
I got erm caught up in the studio doing some things
So I'm erm a hit you later

Maybe you caught the train just like you said you did
Maybe it broke down but you didn't give up
Maybe you got pinned down by all the weight of gifts
That you were bringing me to show your love
Maybe you got lost on the way back to my house
Maybe you called and I was on the phone
Maybe you thought if you were late I'd throw you out
Maybe you think I like being on my own

Yeah right
Yeah right
I mean honestly
You lied to me like I'm not there
Yeah right
Yeah right
You must be mad you lied so bad
Just listen to yourself
Yeah right
Yeah right
You'll lose my love
If you keep it up
Yeah right Mmm

Maybe you got messed up by someone in your past
Maybe you give me what they gave to you
Maybe it all makes sense of why you run so fast
Acting like this is some police interview
Maybe you're waiting for my birthday to arrive
And then you're gonna tell me everything

Yeah right
Yeah right
I mean honestly
You lied to me like I'm not there
Yeah right
Yeah right
You must be mad you lied so bad
Just listen to yourself
Yeah right
Yeah right
You'll lose my love
If you keep it up
Yeah right Mmm


Girl I ain't trying to go there with you
But you full of drama - you motion picture
And I ain't really gettin' why you insecure
You're trippin' over this like I lied before
I never lied before, oh it's that paranoia
Look at all I gave you - didn't I spoil ya?
If I got it you got it don't I support ya?
You blind you can't see I sis it all for ya adored ya?
So now you're fancy huh...ha
But don't forget it made you fancy ma...ha!
But for you look what all I've done
Now I'm throwin' up the deuces minus a finger one. Dig?

Yeah right
Yeah right
I mean honestly
You lied to me like I'm not there
Yeah right
Yeah right
You must be mad you lied so bad
Just listen to yourself
Yeah right
Yeah right
You'll lose my love
If you keep it up
Yeah right Mmm

Yeah right
Yeah right
I mean honestly
You lied to me like I'm not there
Yeah right
Yeah right
You must be mad you lied so bad
Just listen to yourself
Yeah right
Yeah right
You'll lose my love
If you keep it up
Yeah right Mmm

Song Stuck In My Head This Week - 17th April '11 - Sam Cooke - Twistin' The Night Away

Sam Cooke, the King Of Soul, only lived a short life but produced some classic soul records that have stood the test of time. With his mainstream success only lasting for three years before his death in 1964, he still managed to release a series of great songs such as 'Chain Gang', 'A Change Is Gonna Come', 'Wonderful World', 'You Send Me' and this week's song 'Twistin' The Night Away'.

'Twistin' The Night Away' is such a fun track reflecting the popular dance craze of the time, The Twist. Even today you can't help but dance to the song as it's so catchy that it's hard to stay still. This catchiness is probably what made it such a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

To this day his music is still covered by musicians, the most recent examply being Colin Meloy from The Decemberists who released a solo EP of Sam Cooke covers.

I believe everyone should have a little Sam Cooke in their lives. I hope you all enjoy the song and I'll catch you all next week!!

Sam Cooke - Twistin' The Night Away

Let me tell you 'bout a place
Somewhere up a New York way
Where the people are so gay
Twistin' the night away...

Here they have a lot of fun
Puttin' trouble on the run
Man, you find the old and young
Twistin' the night away

They're twistin', twistin'
Everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin'
They're twistin' the night away

Here's a man in evenin' clothes
How he got here, I don't know, but
Man, you oughta see him go
Twistin' the night away...

He's dancin' with the chick in slacks
She's a movin' up and back
Oh man, there ain't nothin' like
Twistin' the night away

They're twistin', twistin'
Everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin'
They're twistin' the night away

Let's twist a while!
Lean up, lean back
Lean up, lean back
Watusi, now Fly, now Twist
They're twistin' the night away

Here's a fella in blue jeans
Dancin' with a older queen
Who's dolled up in a diamond rings and
Twistin' the night away...

Man, you oughta see her go
Twistin' to the rock and roll
Here you find the young and old
Twistin' the night away

They're twistin', twistin'
Man, everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin'
They're twistin' the night away

One more time

Lean up, lean back
Lean up, lean back
Watusi, now Fly, now Twist
They're twistin' the night away

Song Stuck In My Head This Week - 13th April '11 - Def Leppard - Animal

Formed in 1977 Def leppard are one of the biggest rock bands of all time having sold over 65 million albums worldwide. Their peak years came between the mid 80's and mid 90's where they had worldwide hits with songs such as 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', 'Hysteria', 'Let's Get Rocked' and this week's song stuck in my head, 'Animal'.

'Animal' was the second single to be released from their 1987 album 'Hysteria' and became their first UK top ten single, peaking at number 6.

I totally blame my sister for this week's choice as she's been playing a lot of rock music from that era in the last few weeks which generally leads to me getting either songs by Van Halen or songs by Def Leppard stuck in my head.

For me 'Animal' tends to spring to mind (1) as it makes me think of Animal from The Muppets and (2) because it's such a great song.

I really love it and I hope you do! Catch you al next week!!

Def Leppard - Animal

A wild ride, over stony ground
Such a lust for life, the circus comes to town
We are the hungry ones, on a lightning raid
Just like a river runs, like a fire needs flame
I burn for you

I gotta feel it in my blood
Whoa-oh
I need your touch don't need your love
Whoa-oh
And I want, and I need, and I lust
Animal
And I want, and I need, and I lust
Animal

I cry wolf, given mouth to mouth
Like a movin' heartbeat in the witching hour
I'm runnin' with the wind, a shadow in the dust
And like the drivin' rain
Yeah, like the restless rust
I never sleep


I gotta feel it in my blood
Whoa-oh
I need your touch don't need your love
Whoa-oh
And I want, and I need, and I lust
Animal
And I want, and I need, and I lust
Animal

Huh!
Oh!
Cry wolf baby
Cry tough
Gonna hunt you like an, uh, uh, animal
Gonna take your love n' run

I gotta feel it in my blood
Whoa-oh
I need your touch don't need your love
Whoa-oh
And I want, and I need, and I lust
Animal
And I want, and I need, and I lust
Animal

And I want (And I want)
And I need (And I need)
And I lust (And I lust)
Animal (Animal)
And I want (Take me)
And I need (Tame me)
And I lust (Make me)
Animal (Your Animal)
And I want (Show me)
And I need (Stroke me)
And I lust
(Let me be your...)
Animal (Animal)
And I want (I want)
And I need (Ooh-ooh-ooh)
And I lust (Yeah Animal)
Animal
(Animal)
(Heh! heh!)

Song Stuck In My Head This Week - 5th April '11 - Janis Joplin - Me & Bobby McGee

Born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1943, Janis Joplin was the eldest of three children but always, according to her mother, demanded more attention than the others. As a teen she was often seen as a misfit at school and was bullied for her appearance and different personality - "I was a misfit. I read, I painted, I didn't hate niggers." She ended up befriending a group of similar outcasts and one of her friends introduced her to blues artists such as Bessie Smith and Leadbelly. This inspired her to become a singer and she joined the local choir while also expanding on her knowledge of blues artists.

After graduating high school in 1960 Janis spent time at both Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont, Texas and the University of Texas in Austin before dropping out and heading to San Francisco in 1963. During this first stint in San Francisco she made some of her earliest musical recordings, as well as acquiring a taste for psychedelics, amphetamines, heroin and heavy drinking and by early 1965 friends were so concerned about her emaciated state that they collected the money to send her back to Port Arthur for her own sake. Back home in Texas Janis didn't touch either drink or drugs, adopted a more modest appearance (even sporting a beehive hairdo) and enrolled in sociology major at Lamar State College. She did, however, continue her music aspirations and regularly commuted to Austin to perform solo shows.

In 1966 Texan promoter Chet Helms brought Janis back to San Francisco to join the band he was managing at the time, Big Brother & The Holding Company. For the first couple of months Janis managed to stay drug free but shortly after the band were signed to Mainstream Records and they moved into a house in Lagunitas, California with the Grateful Dead and she relapsed back into hard drug use.

In August '67 the band's debut album was released on Columbia shortly after the band made their breakthrough performance at the Monterey Pop Festival where Janis's singing had blown people away, including Cass Elliot from The Mama's & The Papa's who can be seen mouthing "Wow! That's really heavy!" during the bands performance in D.A. Pennebaker's documentary 'Monterey Pop'. This rise in popularity, however, saw them end their management contract with Chet Helms and sign up with renowned manager Albert Grossman.

This deal, and the increase in popularity, seemed to be the beginning of the end for Janis's time with Big Brother & The Holding Company. They started to tour beyond the confines of California and also made three appearances on the Dick Cavett Show where they were billed as 'Janis Joplin & Big Brother & The Holding Company' which lead to resentment from the other members of the band and also for people to start to mention to Janis that maybe she didn't really need the band after all.

Their second album, 'Cheap Thrills', was release in August of '68 and gave the band their breakthrough hit single 'Piece Of My Heart'. However, within four months of the album being release Janis left the band.

In early '69 Janis recorded the album 'I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!' with her new backing band, The Kozmic Blues Band. During this time her heroin use had seriously escalated and she was allegedly doing $200 a day of heroin. Despite that and the slightly less favourable reviews than those for the 'Cheap Thrills' album it was still certified gold in the US and Janis and the band toured North America and Europe as well as appearing at the legendary Woodstock Festival, though it was only in the 25th Anniversary Directors Cut that any footage of her performing was included such was her drugged out and drunken state by the time she took to the stage. By the end of '69 The Kozmic Blues Band called it a day.

In '70 Janis formed the Full Tilt Boogie band and stated to her friends at the time that she finally had a band she felt totally comfortable with and that was hers. They spent the summer touring before returning to the studio in September to record what would be her biggest album, 'Pearl'.

Produced by Paul Rothchild, who also recorded many of the great albums by The Doors, Tim Buckley, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young to name but a few of the legends he worked with, not all of the tracks on the album were fully completed but were felt sufficient enough to warrant release after Janis's death on 3rd October. 'Buried Alive In The Blues', for example, was left as an instrumental as the vocals were due to be recorded on the day her body was found.

'Me & Bobby McGee' was written by Janis's friend and sometime lover Kris Kristofferson and had originally been recorded by country singer Roger Miller in 1969. The first time Kristofferson discovered Janis had recorded it during the sessions for 'Pearl' was the day after her death and, as well as the posthumous success of 'Pearl', Janis's recording of 'Me & Bobby McGee' went on to be her only number one single and became the second song to posthumously reach number 1 in the US (the first being '(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay' by Otis Redding).

Though it wasn't her song originally and she was not the only one to record it, Janis's version is seen to be the ultimate recording. The song has so much feistiness, passion, guts and emotion in it and I couldn't imagine it being any other way.

This week, for some reason, I've just really wanted to listen to it a lot and now I'm sharing it with you. I hope you all love it as much as I do & I'll catch you all next week!!

Janis Joplin - Me & Bobby McGee

Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train
And I's feeling near as faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained
And rode us all the way into New Orleans.

I pulled my harp on out of my dirty red bandanna
I's playing soft while Bobby sang the blues.
Windshield wipers slapping time, I was holding Bobby's hand in mine
We sang every song that driver knew.

Freedom is just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin', don't mean nothin' honey if it ain't free.
And feeling good was easy Lord, when he sang the blues
You know feeling good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.

From the Ken-tucky coal mines to the California sun
Hey Bobby shared the secrets of my soul.
Through all kinds of weather, through everything that we done
Yeah Bobby baby kept me from the cold world.

One day up near Salinas, Lord I let him slip away
He's looking for that home and I hope he finds it.
But I'd trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday
To be holding Bobby's body next to mine.

Freedom is just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin', that's all that Bobby left me, yeah.
But feeling good was easy Lord, when he sang the blues
Hey, feeling good was good enough for me, hmm hmm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.

La da da - la da da da - la da da - la la la da
La la la - la la da la da, Bobby McGee.

La - da la - da la da - la da da da da
La da la da la da, Bobby McGee

La da da - la da la - la da la - la da la
la da da la - la la la - la, hey now Bobby - lo na - Bobby McGee yeah.

Lo na lo na na lo na na - lo na na lo na na lo na na lo na na lo na na
Hey now Bobby, now my Bobby McGee, yeah.

Lord, Icalled him my lover, called him my man
I said I called him my lover just as fast's I can
C'mon, Where is Bobby now ? Where is Bobby McGee ? - yeah
Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lord
Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee, Lord!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Whew!

Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lord
Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee, yeah.