Where Is My Mind? - California Dreams

I googled California Dreams and this appeared. Yep, I need to go to Cali...

Dreaming Of Cali..

by Jo Michelmore

There's been something I've been dreaming about. While some of my friends have been having unusual dreams lately, involving the end of the world, high rise living and the man of her dreams (hi Katie), my dreams don't involve the apocalypse, living in an apartment or Johnny Depp. My dreams are a little more simple than that. They involve a holiday.


I know, didn't I just finish a holiday? Yes, an amazing European holiday, but that was three months ago now, c'mon! That's a lifetime ago. The post travel depression has started to ease, but now the itchy feet have begun! I wanna go somewhere else! There's so many places in the world I've never been! There's so many things I need to see! Iceland! Croatia! Siberia! Thailand! Vancouver! Egypt! Mauritius! South America! Chicago! Slicklizzard! (It's a place. It's in Alabama. Don't tell me you don't want to go there.) Idyllwild! So many places I need to see...


So where is my mind this week? Another place I've never been but desperately want to go. Last time we left on Janes Addiction, one of my favourite bands from California, so where does that take me? To that place I've never been, but must visit someday...
 

California Gurls 

by Katy Perry

I don't know about Katy Perry. I'm happy to sing along at karaoke or in the car, but I've never been completely convinced. She's just full of mistakes. The song about last Friday, this Friday, next Friday, who can tell, the song about kissing a girl with the lyric about cherry chapstik and well, we all know there's nothing sexy about the word chapstik, the sing about peacock cock cock cocks that's just a bit weird and clearly not referring to beautiful birds and then she's got this, which, if she hadn't had all those other annoying songs, I would be fine with, but this is just the cherry on top of the annoying Katy Perry cupcake. California Gurls. It's my duty to now direct you to the educational urban dictionary, which states this;

'Gurl': "A way of spelling 'girl' practiced by people who will become victims of natural selection sometime in the future."

California Girls

by Beach Boys

I've never been the biggest fan of this song, but I must give credit where credit is due and I'm not sure I would have thought of this had it not been for Katy Perry, but congratulations and thank you to Brian Wilson and friends for spelling girls as girls and not gurls. This may be nerdy, I don't care. Girls has an 'i' not a 'u'. Take that Perry.

California Love

by 2Pac

It's by 2Pac, but it's credited as 2Pac featuring Dr Dre and Roger Troutman. Poor Roger. Why didn't he get a cool name? No wonder no one's heard of him. Roger Troutman just doesn't have the same ring, does it? Every rapper should have a cool name. Roger Troutman, just not so cool. Why didn't he just put his name in the rap name generator and come up with something better? I've got mine prepared for when my hip hop single finally drops. One day you'll be chanting it at me "Jo M Sharp a.k.a. Brotha Beats". Actually, that's my boy rap name. I'll need to change that to a sista, won't I? Either way, you're going to know it once that single is released...

Hotel California

by Eagles

Let's just get this out of the way now, because everyone knows I like to admit my secrets on this here blog. The Eagles, they bore me. For me, they are probably one of the most boring bands in the world. Ever. Seriously. Who likes these guys? People with insomnia? This won a Grammy Award, which is a good indication of what I think of the Grammys. I know there's a whole story going on here with this song, but I get a minute or so in and can't be bothered anymore...then there's something about checking out any time you like but never leaving and I think "god, will this song ever end, maybe I'm stuck in the hotel California" and it goes on a bit more with one of the most boring guitar solos ever and my point is proven again. Eagles = boring. Please, I hope California is not this boring when I finally get there. I suspect it won't be.

Goin Back To Cali

by Notorious B.I.G.

Let's end on rap, because it's much more interesting than boring 70s middle of the road rock and you need to know something. This song was co-written by our old friend Roger Troutman. Seems he didn't have the rap name but he must have done alright for himself, I guess. More about me and my rap name now.  If I don't go with 'Jo M Sharp a.k.a. Brotha (Sista) Beats' then I'm going with Mad Jo M Cherry. Or Missy J Jo Gravy. Or JM Face. Or Jo J Tang. Or Dizzy Sweet J Jo Squeeze...oh get me off the rap name generator. I could be here for hours...


Where will my mind take you next week? Who can say, I could still be here, creating thousands silly of rap names, or I could be in California...

Top 100 Songs of the 1960s, #10 - 1

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... welcome to the final issue of our swingin' sixties countdown! Today we unveil the top 10 songs of the 1960s and they are pretty damn incredible (but my gosh don't you know it!). We've got a great mix of music and artists that defined the decade, forging legacies that have kept them respected for over fifty years. The greatest girl group of all-time, the most successful band of all-time, the Queen of Soul, the Lizard King, Ziggy Stardust... and that's only half the acts we're going to be hearing from. Let's get to it!

#10 - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (1964)

by Nina Simone (or The Animals, if you'd prefer)

If I seem edgy, I want you to know,

I never meant to take it out on you.

Well, I can get away with letting both Simone and The Animals get a nod here, can't I? Watch me. Two fantastic versions of the one song; Simone's slow, emotional R&B ballad and The Animals rock anthem. It's too hard to pick just one, so you get both. How. Lucky. Are. You?

#9 - Will You Love Me Tomorrow (1960)

by The Shirelles






So tell me now, and I won't ask again,
Will you still love me tomorrow?

'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' would mark the first time that an all-girl group took a song to the top of the charts in the United States of America. With that landmark achievement, the doors were opened for The Supremes, The Ronettes, The Crystals, Destiny's Child, Spice Girls, TLC and En Vogue. That's such a Halle Berry thing to say. The song holds up pretty well, no? It also scores points for inspiring delicious covers by artists such as Amy Winehouse, Roberta Flack and most recently, Lykke Li!

#8 - Crazy (1961)

by Patsy Cline

I knew, you'd love me as long as you wanted,
And then someday, you'd leave me for somebody new...

Urgh... you should know the go by now. Country music is the music of pain. Patsy Cline had a penchant for releasing songs that could almost literally tug at your heartstrings, with 'Crazy' being not only the best, but the song that has defined her as an artist since its release. Without question, the greatest country song of all time (and it was written by Willie Nelson!).

#7 - Space Oddity (1969)

by David Bowie

And the stars look very different today...

Oh, come on. How can you listen to this and not want to have been around to enjoy it as the 60s came to an end? Bowie? Love.

#6 - Eleanor Rigby (1966)

by The Beatles

All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?

The quintessential Beatles song that pushes what 'pop' music can be further than any song before it. I've previously posted that 'Eleanor Rigby is It's My Kind of Scene's favourite song by the fab four and nothing's changed. Amazing. Outstanding. Perfection. With eight songs, The Beatles place more on the countdown than any other act. Surprised? You shouldn't be.

#5 - God Only Knows (1966)

by The Beach Boys

I may not always love you,
But long as there are stars above you...

Finally, a Beach Boys song that wasn't simple, lame 60s pop-rock. While the title was controversial for its time, the song has nothing to do with the man in the sky, so it gets bonus points for that too! Pitchfork named it their greatest song of the decade and made an excellent case for it being #1. But there's four more songs that I believe deserve some more love...

#4 - Respect (1967)

by Aretha Franklin

What you want, baby, I got it,
What you need, Do you know I got it?

I've been trying really hard to better my maths skills lately. So let's try some simple equations. If Rolling Stone places 'Respect' at #5 on their list of the greatest songs of all time and then put Aretha at #1 on their greatest singers of all time countdown, where will It's My Kind of Scene put 'Respect' on their Top 100 Songs of the 1960? 5 - 1 = 4. The answer is 4. See, maths is easy. Now to study logic.

#3 - Light My Fire (1967)

by The Doors

Girl, we couldn't get much higher...

Yep, The Doors. No big deal, right? Except yes, yes it is. 'Light My Fire' deserves to be ranked higher on practically every 60s slash music list ever. Except it doesn't have to be ranked higher than #3. Because there are two songs that are better.

#2 - Stop! In The Name of Love (1965)

by The Supremes

But this time before you run to her,

Leaving me alone and hurt,

Think it over...

Speaking of songs that don't get the love they deserve, it's 'Stop! In The Name of Love!' Performed by, "good looking youngsters with long hair and on them it looks good because they're girls." Music may have been good in the 60s, but comedy... not so much.

#1 - Be My Baby (1963)

by The Ronettes

So won't you say you love me?

I'll make you so proud of me.

I believe this is the only decade countdown we've done in which a female fronted act has taken the top spot. No one deserves it more than the Ronettes for the groundbreaking 'Be My Baby,' but it should be pointed out that behind every great woman (or women), there's a great man. In this case, it's our favourite looney-tune, Phil Spector. His 'Wall of Sound' recording technique realised its full potential on 'Be My Baby,' instantly securing its respected place in music's history. Even Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys agrees that 'Be My Baby' is the greatest song ever. While I wouldn't go that far, I'd certainly say it's the best of the 60s!

And with that, we're done. Peace out, groovers! Oh, and Blogger... sort your s**t out. Using this old blog editor has been the most painful experience of my life.

Top 100 Songs of the 1960s, #100 - 91



Frank and Nancy: Normal...


Dance crazes, country standards, rock and or roll, surfer pop and a duet that makes you a little uncomfortable. You've got all that (and more) to look forward to as we kick off the Top 100 Songs of the 1960s! Early top ten guesses can be submitted now. Who's going to make it to the top? We've got nine posts to get through before we hit the top ten, so let's get to it. The countdown starts now!

#100 - Somethin' Stupid (1967)

by Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra


As long as you don't think about Nancy being the Frank's daughter, 'Somethin' Stupid' is actually quite a lovely ballad. Of course, now you won't be able to think of anything other than the fact that Nancy is Frank's daughter. Try not to be too creeped out... it's just a song.

Top 100 Songs of the 1960s, Honourable Mentions



The Beatles: Not likely to make many appearances... ... ... ...


Have you lost that loving feeling? Can you get no satisfaction? Do you find yourself questioning where did your love go? Well, this is the countdown for you. Welcome to the swinging sixties! Our latest decade countdown (and last for now, unless you really want to see the 50s or the Baroque era) takes us back to a time where rock and or roll music reigned supreme, the talent of a girl group far exceeded their skank factor and unattractive people with bad teeth could be really famous. I'll let you figure that last one out. This was music that shaped not only a generation of far-out guys and gals, but the direction popular music would take for the next fifty years. Around the world, The Vietnam War was all the rage (quite literally) and anti-war protests would result in the rise of the (dirty) hippie, the promotion of 'free' love and a whole lot of recreational drug use. 1960s music was defined by one major music festival that ended the decade (and was the last great moment for psychedelic rock), Woodstock. Three days of peace and music, it brought a close to ten years of amazing music.


To prepare you for the Top 100 Songs of the 1960s, today we'll be looking at ten songs that narrowly missed out. Get decked out by putting on your hippest threads, sip on a coke (or root beer float) and prepare yourself for some real classics. Enjoy!

Honourable Mentions:

Chain of Fools (1967)

by Aretha Franklin