Strong Songs

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
Paypalme/kirkhamiltonmusic | 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

THE STRONG SONGS PLAYLIST
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

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: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

ALSO FEATURED/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.

STRONG MERCH

Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

KEEP IT SOCIAL

You can follow Strong Songs on Twitter @StrongSongs: http://twitter.com/strongsongs

And you can find Kirk on Twitter @Kirkhamilton and on Instagram at @Kirk_Hamilton: https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

STRONG PLAYLISTS

Kirk has condensed his Strong Songs picks into a single new list, which you can find on Spotify and Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

Thanks to all of Strong Songs' Patrons! You're the reason I'm able to keep the show going strong and ad-free. If you want to join the Patreon, go here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

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
D...

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

STRONG MERCH

Check out the Strong Songs merch store for some cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

JOIN THE STRONG SONGS DISCORD

The Strong Songs Discord server is now open to everyone! Come join the conversation and get (or give) some music recs: https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

KEEP IT SOCIAL

Follow Strong Songs on Twitter: @StrongSongs

And find Kirk on Twitter @Kirkhamilton and on Instagram at @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

STRONG PLAYLISTS

Kirk has condensed his Strong Songs picks into a single new list, which you can find on Spotify and Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!

Thank-you to all of Strong Songs' Patreon supporters! For more on how to support the creation of this show, go here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

You can also make a one-time Paypal donation here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kirkhamiltonmusic

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
Victori...

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

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, they're great: https://www.goodnightbluemoon.com/

-----LINKS-----

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS
Paypalme/kirkhamiltonmusic | 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

THE STRONG SONGS PLAYLIST
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

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

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
Stewart Oak
Abbie Berg
Sam Norton
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Olivia Bishop
John Gisselquist
Elaine Martin
Kouroth
Bonnie Prinsen
Sharon Tree
Belinda Mcgrath-steer
Liz Seger
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Pete Simm
Susan Plein
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nathan Gouwens
...