Careless Whispers

Okay -- I did that on purpose.  We ALL know that the name of this tune is "Careless Whisper" -- especially after all the recent attention it's gotten from "Sexy Sax Man."  Can you believe that when I was at the 2012 NAMM Show, "Sexy Sax Man" came by our booth and did his schtick right across the aisle?  I thought, "UGH."  Not sure if it was his sax playing or the fact that I was sick from the infamous salmonella incident.  I apologize -- please do not let me ruin your opinion of the song with that image.  I have to say that I do enjoy the song and feel that George Michael's voice is so smooth and beautiful -- and versatile.  I can't think of one George Michael or Wham! tune that I didn't like.  Yeah, I'm not embarrassed to admit it -- even "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."  I guess it all boils down to the fact that I was in middle school in 1984.  Can you believe George Michael and Tina Turner were on top of the charts at the very same time?  Amazing  And, just for the record, I titled this post "Careless Whispers" because that is what a caller on the Delilah show requested this evening.  We all know what he meant.  Seems kind of charming in a sense -- sort of like when you hear people say "Victoria's Secrets."

Anyway, George Michael had some terrific tunes -- "Freedom," "Father Figure," "Faith," and the list goes on.  Inspite of the extremely cheesy sax solo in this tune, there are some wonderful additional instrumentals -- like the beautiful acoustic guitar.  It compliments George's voice so perfectly, and I swear I even hear some soft bongos in the tune.  But that sax solo -- I guess we love to hate it and hate to love it.  I don't think I love it, although I do admit it's ensnaring.  Grabs a hold of your ear and won't let go!  Meanwhile, this is a simple tune about a man who cheated on his girlfriend/fiancée and now feels so, so incredibly sad and guilty.  "Guilty feet have got no rhythm..."  I never realized those were the words.  I always thought it was "guilty feeling's got no rhythm."  Makes so much more sense now!  I also hadn't seen the video in a long time -- maybe since '84!  Check it out.  George Michael looks terrific, and the ladies in the video are sporting some really '80s styles.  I don't think I have ever seen a more perfectly '80s swimsuit than the one worn by "the other woman" in this video.  Wow.  Don't see many like that on the beach anymore, but you also don't see many women who aren't pumped full of silicone in videos now.  Oh well...  Take a look at this video if you are longing for more natural times...

Urgent!

Tenor sax with fire in its veins...

Foreigner released the song "Urgent" in 1981, and I never realized until today that it has a huge sax solo in it!  In fact, it's really more than a sax solo.  The saxophone  (tenor by the way) is really an integral part of the song, which is great, because...well...  How can I saw this politely?  I think we all know what "Urgent" is about, and if you're not sure, take a look at the lyrics.  I admit that I not only failed to remember the saxophone part, but I had no idea about the lyrics.  All I remembered from the 80s about this song was, "urgent, urgent--emergency."  Although the lyrics are incredibly clear and straightforward in terms of their meaning, they are also extremely well-written.  Almost paints a picture of someone who is all over the place, which can make the listener feel frantic.  Actually, I think that frantic feeling equals urgency!  And, we are back to square one.  Awesome song with a totally kickin' tenor saxophone part that (thankfully) is not cheesy or "smooth jazz" sounding in the list.  No, folks, it is not a "careless whisper" solo in the least.  It is a rock saxophone solo.  Excellent.  Hope you enjoy this song.  Don't wait--listen now!  IT"S URGENT, URGENT!  EMERGENCY!