Meshell Ndegeocello is: a fearless songwriter, an outrageously funky bassist, and a groundbreaking producer who knows just how to get the most out of each musician she hires. On this episode, Kirk takes a deep dive into "The Way," the second track off of her 1996 record Peace Beyond Passion, and shines a light on some of the things that make her one of the greats.

Written by: Meshell Ndegeocello

Album: Peace Beyond Passion (1996)

Special Guest: Sam Howard

Listen/Buy via Songwhip

ALSO DISCUSSED:

• "The Womb," "Ecclesiastes: Free My Heart" "The Way" by Meshell Ndegeocello from Peace Beyond Passion, 1996
• "Wild Night" by Van Morrison recorded by John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello on Dance Naked, 1994
• "Who Is He And What Is He To You" by Bill Withers and Stan McKinney from Peace Beyond Passion, 1996
• "Birdland" by Weather Report from Heavy Weather, 1977
• "Computer Blue" by Prince and the Revolution from Purple Rain, 1984
• "Cat Battles" by Joshua Redman from Freedom in the Groove, 1996

----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

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

APRIL 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Robyn Metcalfe
Brian Templet
Cesar
Bob Tucker
Corpus Frisky
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SEAN D WINNIE
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Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
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APRIL 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Mordok’s Vape Pen
Inmar Givoni
Michael Singer
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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
Sean Murphy
Thirteen71
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
Carrie Schneider
Richard Sneddon
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
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
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nell Morse
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Damian Brady
Angela Livingstone
Sarah Sulan
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Wen
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Mel D
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Michael Flaherty
Caro Field
michael bochner
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Brad Callahan
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Earl Lozada
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

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!
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART 
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

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

FEBRUARY 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Robyn Metcalfe
Brian Templet
Cesar
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
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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
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Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
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Dave Florey

FEBRUARY 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Suzanne
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Thomas
Anthony Mentz
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Ethan Laser
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Chris Remo
Matt Schoenthal
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Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Christopher Bruno
Chris Kotarba
Callum Webb
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Susan Green
Sean Murphy
Thirteen71
Alan Brough
Randal Vegter
Go Birds!
Whit Sidener
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Nick Galloway
Heather J
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
Meghan O'Leary
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
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Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Charles McGee
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Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
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Jeff Ulm
Jamie
Deebs
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Richard Sneddon
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
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
Matthew Golden
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
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Damian Brady
Angela Livingstone
Sarah Sulan
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Wen
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Mel
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Michael Flaherty
Caro Field
michael bochner
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Earl Lozada
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

Kirk digs into the work of master composer Antônio Carlos Jobim via his timeless 1974 duet with Elis Regina on his song "Águas de Marçco," known Stateside as "The Waters of March." He's joined by special guest Frederico Barros, Professor of Musicology at Federal University of Rio De Janeiro.

Written by: Antônio Carlos Jobim

Performed by: Jobim and Elis Regina

Album: Elis & Tom (1974)

Listen/Buy via Songwhip

ALSO DISCUSSED:

• "The Girl From Ipamena" and "Desefinado" by Tom Jobim from Getz/Gilberto, 1964
• "Corcovado (Quiet Night of Quiet Stars)," "Triste," and "Bigras Nunca Mais" by Jobim from Elis & Tom, 1974 and Getz/Gilberto, 1964
• "Felicidade" by Jobim recorded by Vince Maggio and Mark Colby from Reunion, 1999
• Chega de Saudade by Jobim as recorded by the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet

----LINKS-----

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

Fred's Brazilian music playlist on Spotify and YouTube Music (Notes on each song further down)

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_Hamilton

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

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

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

MARCH 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
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

MARCH 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

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
Christopher Bruno
Chris Kotarba
Callum Webb
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Susan Green
Sean Murphy
Thirteen71
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
Carrie Schneider
Richard Sneddon
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
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
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Damian Brady
Angela Livingstone
Sarah Sulan
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Wen
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Mel D
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Michael Flaherty
Caro Field
michael bochner
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Brad Callahan
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Earl Lozada
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

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

FRED'S PLAYLIST NOTES:

• 1 x 0 - traditional choro, Pixinguinha playing sax and sort of inventing “Brazilian counterpoint” - in the second part of this piece, when it modulates to G major, you’ll hear the sax play a rhythmic figure important to Aquarela do Brasil (see below);
• Espinha de Bacalhau - choro, played by an orchestra that was created with the aim of playing Brazilian music in the manner of American Big Bands;
• O Relógio da Vovó - the Trio Surdina was comprised of musicians who worked at the Radio Nacional (where Jobim would also work as an arranger) and whose compositions and way of playing were fundamental to the development of “modern” Brazilian music - yes, Desafinado!;
• Aquarela Brasileira - Radamés Gnattali was an arranger at Radio Nacional and this arrangement of Ary Barroso’s Aquarela do Brasil is kind of an inflexion point - the story is (always) more complicated, but the TL;DR is its importance lies in the use of samba rhythm in the orchestral parts, not only in the percussion section, as was previously usual (attention to the long notes in the melody accompanied by the same chromatic figure played by the tenor sax in 1 x 0 above);
• Copacabana - there are two versions of the song here, both sung by Dick Farney (Sinatra’s influence on him is pretty clear). The first one was arranged by Radamés Gnattali and was a huge hit at the turn of the 1940s to the 50s. The song is kind of a symbol of the stylistic change from live music in cassinos (closed by the government in 1948) to small clubs in Copacabana where Bossa Nova and Samba-jazz would eventually be born;
• Copacabana (second version) - also sung by Dick Farney, but recorded much later (couldn’t find the exact date) now in complete Bossa style - I thought it could be interesting to be able to compare both versions;
• Chega de Saudade - João Gilberto’s 1959 recording of Chega de Saudade. Considered by practically everyone interested in music at that time as sounding absolutely novel and unprecedented: the singing, the lyrics, the arrangement, the guitar playing. Kind of Bossa Nova’s inaugural moment, the song has kind of a choro form and I once saw Jobim say in an interview that he had the idea when he saw his mother’s housemaid singing the choro Sonoroso and he thought something like “well, it seems people can remember a long melody and all these lyrics, after all…”;
• Chega de Saudade - following the commentary I made about Chega de Saudade and the choro, here a 1963 version - right in the period where it was all happening - by the old-school mandolinist Jacob do Bandolim;
• Estamos Aí - sung here by Leny Andrade in her debut album, totally positioned as “Modern Popular Music”, as they would define it, it shows very clearly the new style that was emerging - the whole scat singing section in the middle is really pointing to jazz and the lyrics talk about Bossa Nova itself;
• Rapaz de Bem - Johnny Alf is one of the unsung heroes and precursor of Bossa Nova: the singing, the harmonic language, the compositional aesthetics… it was all there;
• Embalo - a typical example of what was called samba-jazz back then;
• Influência do Jazz - by one of the early Bossa Nova composers, Carlos Lyra, the song talks about how samba was influenced by jazz in a somewhat ambivalent manner and has acquired sort of a symbolic, manifesto-like status - we hear a younger Elis Regina singing it here, in the famous program/series O Fino da Bossa;
• Preconceito - two versions, first Orlando Silva’s old school version (1941), then João Gilberto singing the same song years later (2003) and doing his thing;
• Aos Pés da Cruz - one of the classic João Gilberto recordings. I added it to the playlist just because it’s so beautiful;
• Elis’ first recording of Águas de Março is interesting because the guitar “levada” is sort of middle ground between the “modern samba” that will be so characteristic of her band’s playing and the more subdivided earlier style of playing samba;
• Coisa N. 1 - Moacir Santos was also an arranger (they were called maestros, actually) at Rádio Nacional, where Jobim, Radamés, the Trio Surdina guys and many other important musicians worked. Moacir was the only black maestro of the time and had studied with classically-trained composers like Guerra-Peixe (also a maestro at Rádio Nacional) and H. J. Koellreutter (German composer who fled Germany during the rise of the Nazis and is credited as having introduced dodecaphonism in Brazil). He wrote the “Coisas” (Things) and numbered them as if they were “Opus 1”, “Opus 2” etc. Moacir is an entire chapter in itself and unfortunately one can’t find the original 1966 recording of the Coisas on Spotify, which used practically all important “modern” musicians living in Rio de Janeiro at the time. This recording was made in 2001 with Moacir’s approval and is true to the original arrangement, though the solos were improvised by the musicians;
• O Mestre Sala dos Mares - written by Elis’ contemporaries João Bosco and Aldir Blanc, we first listen to Bosco’s recording of this samba, more in the traditional style, with percussion, cavaquinho, 7-string guitar and all, and then Elis’ version with most of the band that recorded Elis & Tom - sorry for insisting with the comparison thing, but I think it’s instructive and it takes a lot of examples to start grasping some subtleties;
• É Com Esse Que Eu Vou - first listen to Elis’ version and then the traditional one. This is carnival music, really, and they did this wonderful modern, samba-jazzy version;
• Como Nossos Pais - another, arguably as important, side of Elis. From 1976, this is perhaps her most famous recording and serves here to show that her repertoire was considerably wider than samba. People get really moved by this recording (understandably, at least to my Brazilian ears) and despite the stylistic differences, this is also the same core band we hear in Elis & Tom.

Turns out some songs stand on their own, however memorable-slash-horrifying their music video might have been.

Written by: Chris Cornell

Produced by: Michael Beinhorn

Album: Superunknown (1994)

Listen/Buy via Songwhip

ALSO DISCUSSED:

• "Spoonman" and "The Day I Tried to Live" by Chris Cornell and Soundgarden from Superunknown, 1994
• Kim Thayil interview at Songfacts
• Norah Jones' cover of "Black Hole Sun," Live in 2021
• "In My Life" by Lennon/McCartney from Rubber Soul, 1965
• The 2021 Strong Songs interview with session guitarist Andrew Synowiec
• "Tom Sawyer" by Rush from Moving Pictures, 1981

----LINKS-----

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER
https://newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

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

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 Stein
Susan Green
Sean Murphy
Thirteen71
Alan Brough
Randal Vegter
Go Birds!
Whit Sidener
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Nick Galloway
Heather J
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
Meghan O'Leary
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
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Carrie Schneider
Richard Sneddon
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
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
Matthew Golden
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
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Damian Brady
Angela Livingstone
Sarah Sulan
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Wen
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Mel
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Michael Flaherty
Caro Field
michael bochner
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Earl Lozada
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

Strong Songs Season Six kicks off with a widely requested classic: Peter Gabriel's 1986 yearner "In Your Eyes." Because why hire one rhythm section when you can hire two for twice the price?

Written by: Peter Gabriel

Produced by: Daniel Lanois

Album: So (1986)

Listen/Buy via Songwhip

ALSO DISCUSSED:

• Rick Beato's Interview with So producer Daniel Lanois
• "DIY" by Peter Gabriel from Peter Gabriel 2: Scratch, 1978
• "Sledgehammer," "Don't Give Up," and "Big Time" by Gabriel from So, 1986
• Kwame Ansah-Brew demonstrates the Talking Drum

----LINKS-----

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @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

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
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Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
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Christopher Bruno
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Callum Webb
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Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
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Thirteen71
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Go Birds!
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Robert Granat
dave malloy
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john halpin
Peter Harding
David
Meghan O'Leary
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Jeff Ulm
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
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Richard Sneddon
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David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
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Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
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
Matthew Golden
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
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Damian Brady
Angela Livingstone
Sarah Sulan
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Wen
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Mel
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Michael Flaherty
Caro Field
michael bochner
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Earl Lozada
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

On this bonus episode from May 2022, Kirk goes through a handful of other covers of the three Beatles songs he recently discussed on the show.

• "Gotta Get You Into My Life" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McCartney as covered by Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers (1966) and Blood, Sweat & Tears (1975)
• "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McCartney as covered by Aretha Franklin (1968), Cody Fry (2021), Joshua Bell and Frankie Moreno (2009) and Zoot (1970)
• "Blackbird" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McCartney as covered by Crosby, Stills & Nash (1982) and the Brad Mehldau Trio (1996)

Also Featured/Discussed:

• "Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan from Can't Buy a Thrill, 1972
• The score video of Cody Fry's arrangement of "Eleanor Rigby"
• Bicycle Race by Queen from Jazz, 1972

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Kirk shares some details about the upcoming season of Strong Songs, which kicks off on February 9 in early access, and on February 23 in the main feed.

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS:

Beome a patron: Patreon.com/Strongsongs

Make a one-time donation: Paypal

(Originally recorded in May 2022) There's always more to say about Sonny Rollins, so Kirk shares a few of his other favorite Sonny moments, along with some additional love for Max Roach's drumming on Saxophone Colossus.

REFERENCED:

• "St. Thomas" and "Blue 7" by Sonny Rollins from Saxophone Colossus, 1956
• "St. Thomas" as performed by Joshua Redman on Spirit of the Moment: Live at the Village Vanguard, 1992
• "Four" by Miles Davis performed by Sonny Rollins on A Night at the Village Vanguard, 1957
• "Without a Song" by Vincent Youmans recorded by Sonny Rollins on The Bridge, 1962
• "I Know That You Know" also by Vincent Youmans from Sonny Side Up, 1959

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Weird Al has been writing songs and recording parodies for four decades, and his musical footprint is unfathomably wide. In this minisode, originally released in October 2022, Kirk gets into a few things he didn't have room for in the main feed episode about "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota."

FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

• "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" by Yankovic, a parody of "Money for Nothing" by Mark Knopfler & Definitely Sting from Brothers in Arms, 1985
• A really interesting Sound on Sound article about the production of Brothers in Arms
• "Spam," by Yankovic, a parody of "Stand" by REM from Green, 1989
• "Smells Like Nirvana" by Yankovic, a parody of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana from Nevermind, 1991
• "Livin' in the Fridge" by Yankovic, a parody of "Livin' on the Edge" by Aerosmith from Get a Grip, 1993
• "Bohemian Polka," by Yankovic, a rearrangement of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Freddie Mercury and Queen from A Night at the Opera, 1975

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Recorded in August 2022 as an addendum to the main feed episode "Strong Grooves, Volume 1," special guest Russ Kleiner takes Kirk through the evolution of James Brown drummer Clyde Stubblefield's playing from 1967 to 1970.

FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

"Cold Sweat" (1967), "I Got The Feelin'" (1968), "Mother Popcorn" (1969), "Funky Drummer" (1970), all feat. Clyde Stubblefield on drums.

SPECIAL GUEST: Russ Kleiner

Russ is one of Kirk's oldest friends, a drummer and percussionist who currently lives, teaches, and performs in Connecticut. He has frequently offered drum insights to Kirk for various episodes of Strong Songs, and has been overdue for an actual appearance on the show. 

Additional thanks to Nick D'Errico for his help recording and overseeing the drum session for this episode - find Nick online at https://www.nddrums.com.

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

DRUM GROOVE QUIZ ANSWERS:

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-

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-

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-

-

-------- are you ready --------

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1. Mother Popcorn

2. I Got The Feelin'

3. Cold Sweat

4. Mother Popcorn

5. Funky Drummer

6. Cold Sweat

7. I Got The Feelin'

8. Mother Popcorn

For the Season Five finale, Kirk takes a look at The Band and Martin Scorsese's beloved 1978 concert film The Last Waltz - "The beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning."

Featuring music by The Band: Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Album: The Last Waltz (1978)

Listen/Buy via Songwhip

ALSO DISCUSSED/REFERENCED:

• "The Weight" by Robbie Robertson as covered by The Staple Singers and Aretha Franklin
• Studio versions of several songs from the show, featured on The Band (1969) and Northern Lights - Southern Cross, 1975
• A 2014 New Yorker interview with Mavis Staples
• "Rockin' in Rhythm" by Duke Ellington, first recorded 1931
• "The Next Waltz," a concert event held every November in Portland, OR
• The Jeremy Wilson Foundation, helping support local musicians in need

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--------------------
DECEMBER 2023 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

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

DECEMBER 2023 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

James McMurry
Ethan Laser
[email protected]
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 Stein
Susan Green
Sean Murphy
Jake Yumatilla
Alan Brough
Randal Vegter
Go Birds!
Whit Sidener
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Nick Galloway
Heather Johnson
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
Meghan O'Leary
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Jeff Ulm

Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Carrie Schneider
Richard Sneddon
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
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
Emma Sklar
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
Matthew Golden
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Madeleine Mader
Jason Pratt
Abbie Berg
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Olivia Bishop
Linda Duffy
Bonnie Prinsen
Liz Seger
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Damian Brady
Angela Livingstone
Sarah Sulan
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Wen
Geoff Golden
Rob F
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Mel
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Michael Flaherty
Jarrod Schindler
Caro Field
michael bochner
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Earl Lozada
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo