Strong Songs

Kirk Hamilton

1 Creator

Music: it's good. On each episode of Strong Songs, host Kirk Hamilton takes listeners inside a piece of music, breaking it down and figuring out what makes it work.

#29 in the Top 100 Indie music commentary All time chart

...more

13 Listeners

All episodes

Best episodes

Seasons

Top 10 Strong Songs Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Strong Songs episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Strong Songs for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Strong Songs episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire

Strong Songs

09/21/21 • 55 min

Ba de ya! Say that you remember! Ba de ya! Dancing in September! Ba de yah! Musical analysiiiis!

It's finally time for Strong Songs to take on one of the strongest bands of all, the great Earth, Wind & Fire. In honor of September 21, Kirk does a deep dive on EWF's timeless tribute to the end of summertime - those layered grooves, those funky bass parts, and those glossy, effortless vocals.

Written by: Maurice White, Al McKay & Alee Willis

Produced by: Maurice White

Album: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1, 1978

Listen/Buy via Album.Link

ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:

“Shining Star” and “Way of the World” by Earth, Wind & Fire from That’s The Way of the World, 1975
“Serpentine Fire” by Earth, Wind & Fire from All N’ All, 1977
“In The Stone” by EWF from I Am, 1979
“Easy Lover” by Phillip Bailey, Phil Collins and Nathan East, 1990
“Neutron Dance” by Alee Willis performed by the Pointer Sisters on Break Out, 1984
“Celebration” by Kool & The Gang, 1980
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973

OUTRO SOLOIST: Erik Elligers

Erik is a Connecticut-based multi-instrumentalist and music educator. He plays saxophone with the New London Big Band and sings and plays guitar for the fabulous band Goodnight Blue Moon - check them out, you won't regret it: https://www.goodnightbluemoon.com/

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal

🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

SEPTEMBER 2021 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Rob Bosworth
Josh Pearson
Kyle Cooke
Donald Mackie
Melissa Osborne
Christopher Miller
Tim Byrne
Jamie White
Christopher Kupski
Christopher McConnell
Joshua Jarvis
Niko
Joe Laska
Laurie Acreman
Ken Hirsh
Jez
Jenness Gardner
Simon Cammell
Guinevere Boostrom
Narelle Horn
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Bill Rosinger
Anne Britt
David Zahm
Erin
Aidan Coughlan
Jeanneret Manning Family Four
Doug Paton
Robert Paul
Viki Dun
Dave Sharpe
Christer Lindqvist
Sami Samhuri
AccessViolation
Ryan Torvik
Merlin Mann
Glenn
Jim Chokey
Andre Bremer
Mark Schechter
Dave Florey
Dan Apczynski

SEPTEMBER 2021 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

kurt wendelken
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Stefan Niebrügge
Jason Reitman
Karen Liu
Greg Burgess
Ailie Fraser
Simon Prieto
Breck Jones
Paul McGreal
Karen Arnold
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Phino DeLeon
Schloss Edward J. MD
Rhyanon Murray
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Stephen Rawlings
Ben Machta
Victoria Yu
Kevin Rivers
Gray Dyer
Brad Clark
Christopher
Michael J. Cunningham
Kari Kirk
Mark Boggs
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
Mary Schoenmaker
Sarah
David Joske
Emma Sklar
Bernard Khoo
Marc
Robert Heuer
Matthew Golden
Brian Meldrum
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Richard Cambier
Madeleine Mader
Fernando Rodriguez
Timothy Dougherty

6 Listeners

1 Comment

A Jazz Mystery, Solved

Strong Songs

07/29/22 • 12 min

After more than two years, a Strong Songs jazz mystery is finally solved.

Thanks to listener (and outro soloist) Jeff Bean, who finally cracked the case of the mysterious lick played by Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and may others. I can finally sleep at night.

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE:

"Moanin" by Bobby Timmons recorded by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers for Moanin', 1958
"Jordu" by Duke Jordon recorded by the Clifford Brown quintet, 1954
"Seranade to a Cukoo" by the Rahsaan Roland Kirk quartet from I Talk With Spirits, 1964
"All This and Heaven Too" by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Eddie Delange, performed by the Tommy Dorsey ORchestra feat. Frank Sinatra in 1940
“Fly Me To The Moon” by Bart Howard, recorded by Frank Sinatra with the Count Basie Orchestra on It Might As Well Be Swing, 1964

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal

🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

3 Listeners

1 Comment

Clave, Chorus & "Careless Whisper"

Strong Songs

09/08/21 • 61 min

Well, look at that - it's a mailbag episode! Kirk answers your questions on Bo Diddley, Minecraft, The Supremes, chorus guitar, XTC, Parquet Courts, and the mystery of the "Careless Whisper" sax solo.

REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:

“Wake Up” by XTC from The Big Express, 1984
“Waterfall” and “Don’t Stop” by The Stone Roses from The Stone Roses, 1989
“The Mind Electric” by Miracle Musical from Hawaii: Part II, 201
“Minecraft” by C418, 2009
The Minecraft episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz: https://www.20k.org/episodes/minecraft
“Briony” by Dario Marianelli from Atonement, 2007
“The Mayor” by Kirk Hamilton from The Exited Door, 2009
“Bo Diddley” by Bo Diddley, 1962
“You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes written by Holland-Dozier-Holland (and backed by The Funk Brothers), 1966
“Wake Up” by Arcade Fire from Funeral, 2004
“In The Heights” by Lin-Manuel Miranda from In The Heights, 2008 and the 2021 film
“Chinese Satellite” by Phoebe Bridger from Punisher, 2020
“Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo from Sour, 2021
“Time After Time” by Cindi Lauper and Rob Hyman from She’s So Unusual, 1983
“Wide Awake” by Parquet Courts from Wide Awake, 2018
“Careless Whisper” by George Michael from Wham!’s 1984 record Make It Big
Dan Forshaw’s video about Steve Gregory’s “Careless Whisper” sax solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UvoRqBDwsI

OUTRO SOLOIST: Luke Price

This episode's outro soloist is Portland fiddle player Luke Price. When he's not working as a side man in a variety of killer bands, Luke joins his wife Rachael to form the excellent songwriting duo DEAN!. You can follow them on Instagram and listen to some of their stuff on their website, wearedean.com.

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal

🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

SEPTEMBER 2021 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

SEPTEMBER 2021 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

2 Listeners

"Help Me" by Joni Mitchell

Strong Songs

08/12/22 • 55 min

There are few singer-songwriters as inimitable as Joni Mitchell, with her swirling song forms, leaping melodies, and that magical voice, untethered by the laws of gravity. On this episode, Kirk takes a deep dive into Joni's 1974 song "Help Me," a hummingbird of a tune hovering between commitment and flight, tumbling and falling past love and toward freedom.

Written by: Joni MItchell

Album: Court and Spark, 1974

Listen/Buy via JoniMitchell.com

Also featured:

“Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell from Ladies of the Canyon, 1970
“A Case of You” and "California” by Joni from Blue, 1971
“Coyote” by Joni from Hejira, 1976

OUTRO SOLOIST: Erik Elligers

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal

🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

AUGUST 2022 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Miriam Joy
Ronjan
SEAN D WINNIE
Daniel Hannon-Barry
RR
Elliot Rosen
Ashley Hoag
Mark and Michelle
Donald Mackie
Melissa Osborne
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joshua Jarvis
Niko
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Jez
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Simon Cammell
Guinevere Boostrom
Narelle Horn
Bill Rosinger
Erin
Aidan Coughlan
Jeanneret Manning Family Four
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
AccessViolation
Ryan Torvik
Glenn
Jim Chokey
Andre Bremer
Mark Schechter
Dave Florey

AUGUST 2022 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
GiantPredatoryMollusk
Casey Faubion
Luigi Boccia
Rob Albright
E Margaret Warton
Daniel Mosier
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Owain Hunt
Renee Downing
Drew
Rohan Latimer
KenIsWearingAHat
Tony
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Chad Hivner
Travis Pollard
Jeff Ulm

Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Adam Ray
Anupama Raghavan
Demetri Detsaridis
Carrie Schneider
Alenka Grealish
Anne Gerry
Richard Sneddon
David Judson
Julian Roleff
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Abigail Duffield
Raphadavid
Wendy Gilchrist
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Dennis M Edwards
Jeffrey Ferris
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
ben
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jason Reitman
Greg Burgess
Ailie Fraser
Von
Paul McGreal
Karen Arnold
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Phino DeLeon
Schloss Edward J. MD
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Stephen Rawlings
Ben Machta
Victoria Yu
Kevin Rivers
Brad Clark
Christopher
Michael J. Cunningham
Mark Boggs
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
Sarah
David Joske
Emma Sklar
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
Matthew Golden
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Richard Cambier
Madeleine Mader
Timothy Dougherty
Jason Pratt
S...

2 Listeners

"Just What I Needed" by The Cars

Strong Songs

03/11/22 • 52 min

It's not the perfume that you wear... it's not the ribbons in your hair.... I guess it's just the perfect blend of synths and electric guitars that you bring to every song.

Yes, it's time for Strong Songs to tackle The Cars, and their 1978 pop-rock classic "Just What I Needed." But while that song encapsulates everything that made the brilliant Boston five-piece great, Kirk decided to use his Walkman to occasionally fast-forward to compare and contrast with a second Cars classic from 1984.

Written by: Ric Ocasek

Albums: The Cars, 1978 and Heartbeat City, 1984

Listen/Buy to both albums on all platforms via Songwhip

ALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen from A Night at the Opera, 1975
"Drive," "Good Times Roll," and "My Best Friend's Girl" by Ric Ocasek/The Cars from The Cars, 1978 and Heartbeat City, 1984

OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ Cord

This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fantastic trumpet player based in Portland. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal

🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

MARCH 2022 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Daniel Hannon-Barry
RR
Prince M. Levy-Benitez
Elliot Rosen
Ashley Hoag
Mark and Michelle
Kelsair
Rob Bosworth
Kyle Cooke
Donald Mackie
Melissa Osborne
Christopher Miller
Tim Byrne
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joshua Jarvis
Niko
Joe Laska
Laurie Acreman
Ken Hirsh
Jez
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Simon Cammell
Guinevere Boostrom
Narelle Horn
Bill Rosinger
Erin
Aidan Coughlan
Jeanneret Manning Family Four
Doug Paton
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
AccessViolation
Ryan Torvik
Merlin Mann
Glenn
Jim Chokey
Andre Bremer
Mark Schechter
Dave Florey

MARCH 2022 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Max Dickstein
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Adam Ray
Anupama Raghavan
Demetri Detsaridis
Carrie Schneider
Alenka Grealish
Anne Gerry
Richard Sneddon
David Judson
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
mtwolf
David McDarby
Abigail Duffield
Raphadavid
Wendy Gilchrist
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Miles Forman
Dennis M Edwards
Jeffrey Ferris
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
ben
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jason Reitman
Greg Burgess
Ailie Fraser
Paul McGreal
Karen Arnold
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Phino DeLeon
Schloss Edward J. MD
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Stephen Rawlings
Ben Machta
Victoria Yu
Kevin Rivers
Brad Clark
Christopher
Michael J. Cunningham
Mark Boggs
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
Mary Schoenmaker
Sarah
David Joske
Emma Sklar
Bernard Khoo
David Blackman
Robert Heuer
Matthew Golden
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Richard Cambier
Madeleine Mader
Timothy Dougherty
Jason Pratt
Ste...

2 Listeners

"Fingertips" by They Might Be Giants

Strong Songs

08/25/21 • 59 min

Kirk picks apart not one, not two, but twenty one micro-songs by the great They Might Be Giants.

What's that blue thing doing here? Who's knocking on the wall? And for that matter, who's that standing out the window? It's time to answer those questions and many more, as Kirk delves into The Might Be Giants' singular collection of mini-songs, "Fingertips." It's a stylistic smorgasbord of sound, with everything from jazz to rock to lounge to... honestly, genre doesn't exist and "Fingertips" proves it. Each tiny song shines for its brief moment of life, and then lives on forever in your imagination.

Written by: John Flansburgh and John Linnell

Album: Apollo 18 (1992)

Listen/Buy via Album.Link

ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:

"Particle Man," "Birdhouse In Your Soul," and "Minimum Wage" by They Might Be Giants and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon from Flood, 1990
"Extra Savoir Faire" by TMBG from John Henry, 1994
The 2002 documentary Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)
“The Simpsons Main Title Theme” by Danny Elfman, 1989
“Joy To The World” - lyrics by Isaac Watts as performed by Nat “King” Cole

OUTRO SOLOIST: Kirk Hamilton

Kirk is the host of Strong Songs. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he likes to play the drums. He thinks he's getting good but he can handle criticism.

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal

🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

AUGUST 2021 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Rob Bosworth
Josh Pearson
Kyle Cooke
Donald Mackie
Melissa Osborne
Christopher Miller
Tim Byrne
Patrick Funston
Jamie White
Christopher Kupski
Christopher McConnell
Joshua Jarvis
Niko
Joe Laska
Laurie Acreman
Ken Hirsh
Jez
Jenness Gardner
Simon Cammell
Guinevere Boostrom
Narelle Horn
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Bill Rosinger
Anne Britt
David Zahm
Erin
Aidan Coughlan
Jeanneret Manning Family Four
Doug Paton
Robert Paul
Viki Dun
Dave Sharpe
Christer Lindqvist
Sami Samhuri
AccessViolation
Ryan Torvik
Merlin Mann
Fraser
Glenn
Jim Chokey
Andre Bremer
Mark Schechter
Dave Florey
Dan Apczynski

AUGUST 2021 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Andy Painter
Karen Liu
Greg Burgess
Ailie Fraser
Simon Prieto
Breck Jones
Paul McGreal
Karen Arnold
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Phino DeLeon
Schloss Edward J. MD
Rhyanon Murray
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Stephen Rawlings
Ben Machta
Victoria Yu
Kevin Rivers
Gray Dyer
Brad Clark
Christopher
Michael J. Cunningham
Kari Kirk
Mark Boggs
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
Mary Schoenmaker
Sarah
David Joske
Emma Sklar
Bernard Khoo
Marc
Robert Heuer
Matthew Golden
Brian Meldrum
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Richard Cambier
Madeleine Mader
Fernando Rodriguez
Timothy Dougherty
Jason Pratt
Stewart Oak
Caroline Miller
Abbie Berg
Sam Norton
Nicole Schleicher
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
stephen matthews
Bridget Lyons
Olivia Bisho...

2 Listeners

"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen

Strong Songs

06/28/24 • 60 min

In the season six finale, Kirk takes a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen's signature song, 1975's "Born to Run." It's all here: tremolo guitar riffs, glockenspiel arpeggios, endless sus chords, and a sax solo for the ages. Baby, we were born for it.

Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Produced by: Springsteen, John Landau, and Mike Appel

Album: Born to Run, 1975

Listen/Buy via Lynkify

ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:

"Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" and "Thunder Road" from Born to Run, 1975
Born to Run live at Madison Square Garden, 2000, and live in Belfast, 2024
Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run, 2005
Bruce Springsteen: All The Songs: The Story Behind Every Track by Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin

----LINKS-----

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

JOIN THE DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

JUNE 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Robyn Metcalfe
Brian Templet
Cesar
Bob Tucker
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
Catherine Warner
Damon White
Kaya Woodall
Jay Swartz
Miriam Joy
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Paul Delaney
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
AccessViolation
Andre Bremer
Dave Florey

JUNE 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Samantha Coates
James
Mark Nadasdi
Jeff
Dan Cutter
Joseph Romero
Ol Parker
John Berry
Danielle Kriz
Michael York
Clint McElroy
Mordok’s Vape Pen
Inmar Givoni
Michael Singer
Merv Adrian
Joe Gallo
Lauren Knotts
Dave Kolas
Henry Mindlin
Monica St. Angelo
Stephen Wolkwitz
Suzanne
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Thomas
Anthony Mentz
James McMurry
Ethan Laser
Brian John Peter
Chris Remo
Matt Schoenthal
Aaron Wilson
Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Chris Kotarba
Callum Webb
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Susan Green
Grettir Asmundarson
Sean Murphy
Alan Brough
Randal Vegter
Go Birds!
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Nick Galloway
Heather J
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Jeff Ulm
David Futter
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Richard Sneddon
Cliff Whitlock
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Miles Forman
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jeffrey Bean
Jason Reitman
Ailie Fraser
Rob Tsuk
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Victoria Yu
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
David Joske
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Madeleine Mader
Jason Pratt
Abbie Berg
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Linda Duffy
Bonnie Prinsen
Liz Seger
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Dall...

2 Listeners

"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys [Recast]

Strong Songs

04/07/23 • 59 min

The sleigh bells ring, the french horn solos, and The Wrecking Crew lays down the foundation for an immaculate collection of chords and melodies, all placed over a bass line that's as Bach as it is Beach-y. Turns out there's a reason so many people call this the greatest song ever written.

Artist: The Beach Boys

Album: Pet Sounds (1966)

Written by: Brian Wilson & Tony Asher

Listen/Buy via Songwhip

------

ALSO FEATURED:

"And Your Dream Comes True" by The Beach Boys from Summer Days (And Summer Nights), 1965
Discussion of Danny Tedesco's excellent 2008 documentary The Wrecking Crew

OUTRO SOLOIST: Luke Price

This episode's outro soloist is the wonderful Portland fiddle player Luke Price. When he's not working as a side man in a variety of killer bands, Luke joins his wife Rachael to form the excellent songwriting duo DEAN!. They've got a great album out, and you can follow them on Instagram and listen to some of their stuff on their website, wearedean.com.

-----LINKS-----

GET READY SYDNEY!
Come see Kirk with Chat10Looks3 at the Sydney Enmore Theater. June 17, 2023 - Tickets here.

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
@StrongSongs | @Kirkhamilton | IG: @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER
https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

JOIN THE DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

OUTRO SOLO PLAY-A-LONG:
https://soundcloud.com/kirkhamilton/strong-songs-outro-music-no-solo

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

---------------

APRIL 2023 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Catherine Warner
Damon White
Kaya Woodall
Dan Austin
Thomas Darst
Ed Rankin
Jay Swartz
Miriam Joy
Gareth Flynn
Ronjan
Kas
Patrick
SEAN D WINNIE
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
RR
Prince M. Levy-Benitez
Kathie Hullfish
Paul Mc
Elliot Rosen
Ashley Hoag
Kelsair
Rob Bosworth
Josh Pearson
Kyle Cooke
Liam Keogh
Per Morten Barstad
Christopher Miller
Tim Byrne
Jamie White
Johanna L. Branson
Angus McKimm
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Niko
Joe Laska
Laurie Acreman
Ken Hirsh
Jez
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Simon Cammell
Jill Smith-Moore
Rachel Rakov
Narelle Horn
Mickey Clark
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Rob S
Bill Rosinger
Anne Britt
David Zahm
Kyle Starr
Erin
Aidan Coughlan
Jeanneret Manning Family Four
Matt Butler
Doug Paton
R Watson
Viki Dun
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Craig J Covell
AccessViolation
Ryan Torvik
Fraser
andrew walters
Jared Norris
Elliot Jay O'Neill
Glenn
CALEB ROTACH
Andre Bremer
Mark Schechter
Dave Florey
Dan Apczynski

APRIL 2023 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Jake Yumatilla
Alan Brough
Randal Vegter
Go Birds!
Jeff Speck
Samuel Millett
Abraham Benrubi
Whit Sidener
Emlia Alford
Chance McClain
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Tim Rosenwong
Jason Morrissey
Nick Galloway
john halpin
Jennifer Kenner
Peter Harding
David
Jared
Anthony Mahramus
Ross Shain
Meghan O'Leary
Jeffrey Puzzo
John Bauman
Dax and Dane Huddleston
Martín Salías
Tim Howes
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
GiantPredatoryMollusk
Casey Faubion
Luigi Boccia
Rob Albright
E ...

1 Listener

Strong Covers, Vol. 3

Strong Songs

04/05/24 • 57 min

For the third edition of Strong Covers, Kirk takes on two famous covers of two equally famous songs: Jimi Hendrix's 1968 cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," and The White Stripes' early 2000s cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene."

Written by: Bob Dylan & Dolly Parton

Albums:
Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding, 1967 — Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland, 1968
Dolly Parton: Jolene, 1973 — White Stripes: Live Under Blackpool Lights, 2004

Listen/Buy: Watchtower Original | Cover — Jolene Original | Cover

ALSO DISCUSSED:

Covers of "Hallelujah," "Respect," and "Gotta Get You Into My Life" featured on Strong Covers Volume 1 and Volume 2
"All Along the Watchtower" covered by Dave Matthews Band live at the United Center, 1998, and the cast of Battlestar Galactica
"Hey Joe" recorded by Jimi Hendrix, 1967
Nadine Hubbs' essay on Jolene and the "Other Woman Song"
Chip Young interview where he talks about recording the Jolene guitar part
Zac Childs shares the results of his digging into who played which part
Zac Childs' excellent YouTube channel
"Jolene" slowed down via Odinsvlog on Youtube

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal

🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

FEBRUARY 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Robyn Metcalfe
Brian Templet
Cesar
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
Catherine Warner
Damon White
Kaya Woodall
Dan Austin
Jay Swartz
Miriam Joy
SEAN D WINNIE
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Jez
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
AccessViolation
Andre Bremer
Dave Florey

FEBRUARY 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Suzanne
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Thomas
Anthony Mentz
James McMurry
Ethan Laser
Brian Johan Peter
Chris Remo
Matt Schoenthal
Aaron Wilson
Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Christopher Bruno
Chris Kotarba
Callum Webb
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben S...

1 Listener

The Music of The Legend of Zelda [Recast]

Strong Songs

04/21/23 • 57 min

From Zelda's Lullabye to Epona's Song to the Great Fairy Fountain and Dragon Roost Island, Kirk unravels some of his favorite Zelda music and explores how Nintendo's composers keep weaving them back together into beautiful new patterns.

Written by: Main themes by Koji Kondo, with additional compositions by Kenta Nagata (Wind Waker), Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, and Hajime Wakai (Breath of the Wild)

Featuring music from: The Legend of Zelda (1986), A Link to the Past (1991), Ocarina of Time (1998), Wind Waker (2002), Skyward Sword (2011), A Link Between Worlds (2013), and Breath of the Wild (2017)

ALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

Themes from Star Wars, Superman, and Jurassic Park by John Williams
The Super Mario Bros. theme by Koji Kondo, and the episode of Strong Songs discussing it
Kirk's weekly video game podcast Triple Click, which he makes along with Jason Schreier and Maddy Myers

OUTRO SOLOIST: Charles McNeal

Charles McNeal is a killin' Oakland-based sax player who plays all over the bay area. He's also a master jazz transcriber, and has chronicled tons of great solos. You can find him playing out in a variety of bands and settings; the best way to keep up with his music is to subscribe to his YouTube channel or follow him on Instagram @charlesonsax2.

-----LINKS-----

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
@StrongSongs | @Kirkhamilton | IG: @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER
https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

JOIN THE DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

OUTRO SOLO PLAY-A-LONG:
https://soundcloud.com/kirkhamilton/strong-songs-outro-music-no-solo

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

---------------

APRIL 2023 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS