Songs of the month - October 2020

‌As October draws to a close, I'd like to share the top 5 songs that I've been listening to this month.

Take It Easy - The Eagles

Take It Easy was recorded in Olympic Sound Studios, London in February 1972, but still conveys the same country rock mood today; It reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart on July 22 1972. It was written by Jackson Browne and Eagles founder Glenn Frey and was The Eagles' first single. It refers to a time when Jackson Browne's car broke down on the infamous Route 66 in Winslow, Arizona. The town later made a park and life sized statue to commemorate the song.

American Pie - Don Mclean

American Pie is a song by singer-songwriter Don Mclean, released on his album of the same name in 1971. It reached the number-one US hit song for four weeks in 1972 and topped the charts in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Meanwhile in the UK, the song stayed as Number 2 for 3 weeks. Don Mclean, when asked what the song means, likes to say that it means he "will never work again"; But there are whole fan websites dedicated to understanding the lyrics of this song. The lyrics : "the day the music died" are assumed to refer to a plane crash in 1959, that killed musicians Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. The original recording was preserved in the Library of Congress in 2017

Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits

Sultans of Swing is a song in Dire Straits debut album, written by singer-songwriter Mark Knopfler and first recorded at Pathway Studios, London in July 1977. It was then played on BBC Radio London, at which point Dire Straits were offered at contract with Phonogram Records, which they took; They re-recorded the song at Basing Street Studios in February 1978. Mark thought that it sounded dull on a National Steel Guitar, but said "it just came alive" after playing the song on his first Stratocaster in 1977. The song was inspired by a jazz band playing in the corner of an almost empty pub in Deptford, London.

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) is a soft-rock song by pop-rock band Looking Glass, released on May 18th 1972. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box top 100 charts for one week. Billboard ranked it as the 12th best song of 1972. It tells the story of a barmaid called Brandy who lives in a harbour town. She still remembers a sailor who loved her, but left for the sea. There was a rumour that the story referred to Mary Ellis (1750) who lived in New Brunswick, New Jersey; this has been denied by Elliot Lurie, Lead Guitarist of Looking Glass. In the Simpsons Season 2 Episode 14, Selma is heard singing the song to put Lisa to bed.

Layla - Derek and the Dominos

Layla was written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon and originally recorded by their band Derek and the Dominos.

The song is inspired by a love story in 7th century Arabia which formed the 12th century Story of Layla and Majnun by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. The story was quoted by Lord Byron as "the Romeo and Juliet of the East". Ian Dallas, writer of numerous books on Islam, gave Clapton a copy of the book, which "moved him profoundly". It tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a young girl but cannot marry her because she was already married off by her father (to someone she didn't love).

Why did this strike such a deep chord with Clapton? Well... In 1966, George Harrison of The Beatles married Pattie Boyd. In the late 1960's, George and Eric became good friends, doing un-credited work on The Beatles' White Album. Eric, however, fell in love with Boyd. In 1977, Boyd divorced Harrison. She Married Clapton in 1979 during a concert stop in Tucson, Arizona. Harrison wasn't bitter about the divorce, and attended the wedding with the other Beatles Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. Ironically, Clapton divorced Pattie in 1989 and remarried in 2002.

The song is often hailed as being among the greatest rock songs of all time.

and one more thing; Thanks for Reading and have a great Halloween.