Feel Good Friday – That Old Black (Friday) Magic

On this day after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday, how about some Louis Prima and Keely Smith

doing That Old Black Magic for our Feel Good Friday offering.

For all you brave shoppers out there today, may the Black Friday Magic smile upon you. May everything you seek still be in stock and your bank account be full too.

Soccer for Halloween

I had to go to Jackson to cover soccer for work last night, therefore no Halloween partying for me.

During my drive, I did take pleasure in looking for spooks and haunts out scavenging for candy. I made a mental list that included, in order of appearance, an adult scarecrow riding as a passenger, a convict and a skeleton trick or treating together, an uncreepy clown, a sexy pink bunny, a fairy and a monarch butterfly riding with a ghoul who looked a lot like a zombie Uncle Fester, and a cowboy.

However, I did not spot this awesome family of Wild Things riding the subway.

As posted on BuzzFeed.

Rock Band The Beatles Version

I have about as much musical ability as the average doorknob.

As a child, my grandmother taught me how to peck out a few beginner tunes on a piano. I’m sure I drove her nuts because once I learned them my goal became to see just how fast I could blaze through them note for note instead of actually counting the time.

With the introduction of Guitar Hero to my home, I learned that the pinky on my left hand is apparently not connected to my brain. For as soon as I advanced beyond the beginner phase of the game, I could not command my tiniest finger to strike the keys when called upon. FAIL!

I didn’t even try to jump in and play Rock Band when it arrived at my homestead at Christmas since there was no plastic recorder to butcher play. No vocal skills, no rhythm, and already a failure at guitar, I opted to not humiliate myself in front of the nieces and nephews.

Now I’ve learned via the LA Times music blog Pop & Hiss that the upcoming version of Rock Band will feature The Beatles. With several fans of their music at my address, I’m guessing I’ll be hearing the nieces’ adaptations of tunes from The White Album ASAP.

Here’s a Beatles trailer  from the Rock Band web site for the for the Sept. 9, 2009 release of the Beatles game.

And for those suddenly  jonesing for an online version of one of the games, I’ve previously written about online Guitar Hero.

Feel Good Friday – Hey Ya Charlie Brown Style

It’s Friday. It’s July. Time for a summer song.

Let’s kick it with Outkast andCharlie Brown.

Happy Friday everyone.

Feel Good Friday – Fever

I’ve been puny this week with some sort of crud so for Feel Good Friday I present a bit of Peggy Lee.

I think her high temps arose from a different source than the one I’ve had, but be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade what a lovely way to burn.

It’s a snap-a-rific version of Fever.

Feel Good Friday – Hi De Ho

Of course, yesterday was Elvis’ birthday, but  I took care of a tune from the King then, so I’ll move forward while moving even further into the past for Feel Good Friday.

It’s Cab Calloway’s Minnie the Moocher.

This version is a tad slower starting out, but well worth a listen.

Here’s another Cab tune for you – Jumpin Jive from the movie Stormy Weather.

I have to include this one specifically for the Nicholas Brothers’ split-tastic finale.

Happy Birthday Elvis

January 8 is a hip wiggling, lip curling, scarf flinging sort of day.

It’s Elvis’ birthday.

He would have been 74 today if he’d laid off the deep fried foods and slowed up on the pill popping

What’s your favorite Elvis song?

It’s so hard to choose, but I’m a bit partial to Blue Moon of Kentucky. I think it’s the simplicity of the whole thing. It was on the flip side of his big debut – That’s All Right Mama – on Sun Records. Of course Bill Monroe does a pretty fair non-rockabilly version of the tune as well.

If you want another video of the King singing about the moon, click here for his rendition of Blue Moon.

Feel Good Friday – The Times They Are A Changin’

We’ve turned the page on the calendar and changed from 2008 to 2009.

Hopes, wishes, dreams, resolutions, potentially life-altering decisions.

For changes …

Feel Good Friday – Winter Wonderland

Last week I opted not to use a Christmas song for Feel Good Friday.

With this being the final Friday before the big event, I’ve chosen my Christmas Feel Good Friday tune – with a twist of course.

It’s the Del Rubio Triplets  doing their version of Winter Wonderland with a bonus dash of Pee Wee Herman and Cowboy Curtis.

An early Merry Christmas to all of you!

Murderous Feel Good Friday – Mack the Knife

Is there a sunnier, more swinging song about murder than Mack the Knife?

I don’t think so. No matter how gloom and doom the storyline, you can’t help but snap your fingers, tap your toes and sing along.

Check out Bobby Darin live in Las Vegas (of course) and below that one a version sung in German by Lotte Lenye, wife of the song’s writer Kurt Weill, who helped compose The Threepenny Opera along with lyricist Bertholt Brecht.

Suddenly, I want to watch the movie “Cabaret”.