Tag: reflections

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Why I Switched from Sirius XM to Pandora for Folk & Country


I recently changed my music source from Sirius XM to Pandora. As an avid fan of Folk and Country Music, it turned out to be a wise decision. Now, I can listen to my favorite recording artists singing songs from the 60’s through the 90’s. And lately, several of those songs are appearing on this blog.

Like the previous song I posted here, “Silver Skies Blue” captured my attention almost immediately. I had never heard it before because, prior to Pandora, I had never listened to Judy Collins’ music the way I do now. In addition to Silver Skies Blue, I’ve posted several of Judy’s cover and original songs including: When I Was a Girl In Colorado, Suzanne, and Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.

The album “Silver Skies Blue” features songs by Collins and Ari Hest, who also performs with his polished guitar play and powerful, deep voice that complements Judy’s higher one perfectly. The album, released in 2016, earned Collins her first Grammy nomination in 40 years.

Here’s my cover.

Solo Version

Enhanced Version

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Acoustic Guitar Performances artist profiles Arts & Entertainment environment Folk Song Covers memories music poetry Song Facts songwriting

From Covers to Originals: Judy Collins’ Transformation in ‘Spellbound’


At 82 years young, Judy Collins used poetry that she had written and collected over the years to create an album of original songs named Spellbound. She used the isolation of the Covid Pandemic to write and perfect the music.

“Spellbound” broke new ground because it was the first album Judy Collins produced in her six decade career that contained all original songs. This is a remarkable achievement for someone who had made her name mostly by singing and playing cover songs from recording artists she admired.

The first song on “Spellbound” is titled “When I Was a Girl in Colorado.” I’ve changed it to “A Boy In Colorado.” In words and music, the song conveys a picture of the artist when she moved with her family to Denver, Colorado from Seattle, Washington as a young girl in 1949.

The song’s lyrics hearken back to the natural beauty of “rivers dancing on canyon walls,” “blooming paintbrush flowers,” and “bluebirds in the pine trees.” These images reflect Judy’s deep love for the wilderness, which at one point in her early life almost led her to become a park ranger.

Here’s my cover. Drop me a line if you feel moved to do so.

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How An 18-Year-Old Songwriter Became A Superstar


Cat Stevens wrote “The First Cut Is The Deepest” when he was eighteen. At the time, he had no intention of becoming a worldwide star performer. He sold the song for thirty pounds to P.P. Arnold, a soul singer who lived near him in London. She released “The First Cut Is The Deepest” on her first album. It reached #18 on the U.K. charts in 1967. Eventually, Rod Stewart and Sheryl Crow covered the song, making it a major hit in America.

Stevens released his version of the song on his debut album, New Masters. Because he never released “The First Cut Is the Deepest” as a single, the album went largely unnoticed.

Despite his shyness, Stevens’ songwriting and singing burst through to make him an international star in the music industry. I’m using Stevens’ version in my cover.

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment folk guitar Folk Song Covers relationships songwriting

Steve Gillette: Influential Folk Artist and Songwriter


Have you heard of Steve Gillette? If you were alive in the 1960s and liked folk music, there’s a chance the name rings a bell. Gillette never reached the top of the charts, but he’s a very talented singer/songwriter. Many of his songs have been performed by artists you have heard of, including John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia, Nanci Griffith, and Linda Ronstadt.

“The Bells in the Evening” appears on Gillette’s debut album, released in 1967. The album, simply titled “Steve Gillette,” stands as one of Steve’s finest recordings. “The Bells” is a bittersweet (actually sweet-bitter) song of love blossoming in the spring and fading away in the fall. I find the melody and lyrics deeply moving. Perhaps you will, too. The song is also replete with imagery. When you listen, what images come to your mind?

I’ve revisited “The Bells of the Evening,” adding a new background track by Giovanni Egusquista. Here’s my cover.

“Bells In The Evening” With Backup Instrumentation

“Bells In The Evening” Solo

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Heartfelt And True: “Everything I Do” Cover


A movie studio commissioned a composer to write a song for Kevin Costner’s Film, “Prince of Thieves.” He wrote the music for “Everything I Do.” Bryan Adams, with his producer Mutt Lange, wrote the lyrics, bridge, arrangement, and outro. Adams used a line from the movie for the song title.

The studio did not like the instrumentation in the finished product. They buried it midway in the credits, not anticipating what a huge hit the song would become.

“Everything I Do” is one of the most successful singles of all time, selling over 3 million copies. It was #1 for 16 weeks in England and seven weeks in the United States.

Enjoy my cover with background instrumentation by Giovanni Egusquiza. 

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Nanci Griffith’s ‘I Wish It Would Rain’: A Musical Treasure


Despite its somewhat foreboding title and subject matter, this Nanci Griffith song is upbeat and fun to play. “I Wish It Would Rain” was released by MCA in 1988 on Nanci’s 6th album titled “Little Love Affairs.” I hope you enjoy listening to the song as much as I enjoy playing it. I’m including a video of Nanci Performing in the late 1980’s. Just look at her beautiful smile. Here’s my cover.

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment country music songwriting

‘Born to Run’: The Country Music Version


While searching for a video of Bruce Springsteen playing his iconic hit “Born to Run,” I stumbled upon a video of Emmylou Harris singing “Born to Run.” Now, here’s the fascinating surprise: Emmylou is singing an entirely different song written by Paul Kennerly. And this song really rocks. Released in 1982 as the second single from Harris’ album Cimarron, “Born to Run” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Emmylou Harris sings like an Angel. She is a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. I put Emmylou into my Hall of Fame alongside other Angels by the names of Eva Cassidy, Nanci Griffith, Linda Ronstadt, and Kate Wolf.

Here’s my cover of Paul Kennerly’s “Born to Run.”

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment country music

Why Emmylou Harris Inspires Generations of Fans


“Long May You Run” is written by Neil Young. The song came alive for me when I heard Emmylou Harris and her band perform it. Now in her seventies, Emmylou is still beautiful and sings like an angel, as attested to in the video I’ve included.

After hearing Miss Harris’ version of the song, I began listening to many of her other reels on YouTube. She is a consummate, unique performer, not to mention beautiful. Emmylou’s music has remained consistently excellent throughout her forty-year career. Willie Nelson is quoted as saying, “There are two types of people in this world…those who love Emmylou and those who have not met her.”

Harris has released more than twenty-five albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Here’s my cover.

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Tequila Sunrise: A Cowboy’s Life in Music


“Glenn Frey and Don Henley wrote this song together, and Frey sang lead. Along with “Desperado,” it was one of two songs they came up with in the first week that they started writing together. The songs formed the basis of the Eagles’ second album, with Frey and Henley comparing the life of a cowboy to that of a musician. “Tequila Sunrise” shows the transient nature of each lifestyle, as the singer falls for a woman who just wants to use him and move on. The theme didn’t immediately connect with the buying public, but the songs and the album stood the test of time.” *

Here’s my cover.

*Excerpted from Songfacts®

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The Hopeful Essence in Cat Stevens’ Lyrics


In this song, (Yusuf) Cat Stevens is singing to a woman he yearns for in a Human form. On another level, he may be singing, aware or unaware, to the Divine Feminine. In either case, the object of Stevens’ love is unattainable in the present. Yet, I believe, that the admirer (Stevens) continues to yearn for his beloved in the hope that he will, one day, meet his perfect love, in either or both Human and Divine forms. There are many interpretations of “How Can I Tell You.” In my view, the song is hopeful rather than despairing.

However one interprets “How Can I Tell you,” I feel that the song is filled with incredible beauty that cannot help but shine through.

And thank you, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), for your always beautiful, wise, and inspiring music.

Here’s my cover.

With Digital Instrumentation Enhancement