1972 was a good year for tunes! Here's a few of this editor's favorites. Email [email protected] and we will add your's, too.
"American Pie" was a cultural reference point for the Vietnam era--full of rueful self-examination, bittersweet nostalgia, and, of course, that indelible chorus lamenting "the day the music died." Based on the success of this song, McLean's artistic credibility flourished. He continued to tour and release albums into the 21st century, and had a 1980 hit with his version of Roy Orbison's "Crying." (Excerpt from biography)
Here’s what Justin told Performing Songwriter about the writing of “Nights in White Satin”:
At the time when I wrote “Nights In White Satin” I didn’t own many things in the world, but I did own something totally useless which was a set of white satin sheets that this girlfriend of mine had given me. Very impractical, particularly if you have a bit of beard growth and those sheets rub against your face (laughs). They looked quite nice, and they were quite romantic. It was really about that, about love and the end of one big affair and the beginning of another. It was about real things that were happening in my life. I suppose I always thought that I would call it “Nights in White Satin.” Now I think if I wrote it, I’d probably think of another title, probably go further into the song to look for a title. It wouldn’t be an obvious choice now, but it was right for the time. It sort of had that double meaning, which was intentional, of sort of medieval knights as well.
It was the first song I ever performed that really got right down to the bone. There was a kind of nakedness about it. It’s also very risky. I remember when we were making it thinking it’s kind of borderline being good, but if you just go over the line a little bit it would be really bad (laughs). A lot of really good songs are like that, they tread that line. People like that because there’s a kind of risk in that where it’s like, “Oh great, he pulled it off, he didn’t make it really stupid” (laughs). So I knew it was very powerful. (Excerpt from interview)
At the time when I wrote “Nights In White Satin” I didn’t own many things in the world, but I did own something totally useless which was a set of white satin sheets that this girlfriend of mine had given me. Very impractical, particularly if you have a bit of beard growth and those sheets rub against your face (laughs). They looked quite nice, and they were quite romantic. It was really about that, about love and the end of one big affair and the beginning of another. It was about real things that were happening in my life. I suppose I always thought that I would call it “Nights in White Satin.” Now I think if I wrote it, I’d probably think of another title, probably go further into the song to look for a title. It wouldn’t be an obvious choice now, but it was right for the time. It sort of had that double meaning, which was intentional, of sort of medieval knights as well.
It was the first song I ever performed that really got right down to the bone. There was a kind of nakedness about it. It’s also very risky. I remember when we were making it thinking it’s kind of borderline being good, but if you just go over the line a little bit it would be really bad (laughs). A lot of really good songs are like that, they tread that line. People like that because there’s a kind of risk in that where it’s like, “Oh great, he pulled it off, he didn’t make it really stupid” (laughs). So I knew it was very powerful. (Excerpt from interview)
June 5, 2017| « backElton’s 100th Rocket Hour Radio Show Airs This WeekBy the [email protected]
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This week, Elton celebrates the 100th episode of his Apple Music Beats 1 Radio show, Elton John’s Rocket Hour.
As he has every week since July 6, 2015, Elton puts together an eclectic mix of, “Music you know, music you don’t know, and music you should know” for the hour-long programme.
In the 1970s and 80s, listeners would only very occasionally be fortunate enough to hear Elton take over a radio DJ booth, usually in London, New York or LA, and play his current favorite records under the moniker “EJ the DJ.”
Now, with his weekly radio show, anyone world-wide with access to iTunes can listen to Elton share his love for music new and old every week on Mondays at 7 pm PST in the US and Tuesdays at 2 pm GMT (and relative times world-wide).
And people with an Apple Music subscription can also listen to every episode, going back to the very first, on demand at Apple Music.
Over the past two years Elton has championed artists like Christine and the Queens, The Weeknd, and Chris Stepleton and spoken about his personal and professional relationships with the likes of Lana Del Ray, Roseanne Cash and the Pet Shop Boys.
As we’ve come to expect from the last 99 shows, Rocket Hour 100 features a diverse selection of music chosen by Elton, with artists from Australia to Mali and spanning a selection of genres.
“It’s a fantastic world we live in, and the music that’s being made all over the world is really tremendous.” – Elton
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This week, Elton celebrates the 100th episode of his Apple Music Beats 1 Radio show, Elton John’s Rocket Hour.
As he has every week since July 6, 2015, Elton puts together an eclectic mix of, “Music you know, music you don’t know, and music you should know” for the hour-long programme.
In the 1970s and 80s, listeners would only very occasionally be fortunate enough to hear Elton take over a radio DJ booth, usually in London, New York or LA, and play his current favorite records under the moniker “EJ the DJ.”
Now, with his weekly radio show, anyone world-wide with access to iTunes can listen to Elton share his love for music new and old every week on Mondays at 7 pm PST in the US and Tuesdays at 2 pm GMT (and relative times world-wide).
And people with an Apple Music subscription can also listen to every episode, going back to the very first, on demand at Apple Music.
Over the past two years Elton has championed artists like Christine and the Queens, The Weeknd, and Chris Stepleton and spoken about his personal and professional relationships with the likes of Lana Del Ray, Roseanne Cash and the Pet Shop Boys.
As we’ve come to expect from the last 99 shows, Rocket Hour 100 features a diverse selection of music chosen by Elton, with artists from Australia to Mali and spanning a selection of genres.
“It’s a fantastic world we live in, and the music that’s being made all over the world is really tremendous.” – Elton
