We're deep into summer, which can only mean one thing: we need hot tunes to cool off. Why? 'Cause I tell you, it's gettin' raunchy out there. Raunchy!
I don't know about you, but I bow in gratefulness to my (central!) air-conditioning every day and thank my lucky stars that I'm neither here nor here this August because both places sound nastier than balls on rye, as the kids say.
Speaking of hot, Felicia Sanders is here to bring the cool in this Fine Felicia Cheerful Exclusive! from 1958. She slays in her version of "Dancing in the Dark" - her vocals build ever so gracefully, then knock you flat - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. "That Certain Feeling" was her third LP, and tragically, she wouldn't release too many more. In 1975, cancer whisked her away at age 53. And yes, she was that great of a singer - and emotionally gripping, too. Did you know? Paul Newman, while watching her perform at a NYC nightclub, gave her a standing ovation and cried out, "You're a method singer!"
But back to the heat. What to do? There's always booze, and I heartily recommend ordering one of these or one of these during your next bar crawl. You won't cool down, but you'll feel so much better!
Remember the 1990s? When there were no "Social Media Influencers?" That alone makes the 90s seem twinkly and special-like. But it was also a time when the sun wasn't burning a
Well, guess what? They're still at it! And their spanking new collection is a retro-delight (yes, the '90s are retro now). So kick back directly in the sun, rub baby oil all over yourself, sip a cool AriZona or Cosmo, and chill, baby, chill.
I pity my friends in France, many of whom don't have air-conditioners in their apartments - and they can't put them in, because turning them on would blow-out their electricity. They must settle, as some cool cats are wont to do, with just a fan.
Perhaps this entry from this Paris-borne collection will ease the discomfort. And, yes, we're time-traveling back to the 90s - again! - to a series that's still putting them out as of 2016. Can you believe? Is there actually a market for compilations nowadays given Spotify 'n' such? Regardless, it's a winning assortment of electro-jazz ditties that just might remind you of the first time you heard someone say, "Yo," or received one of these.
When it gets so damn hot that you're all but immobile, it's time to put on something gentle, but emotionally stirring, and you can usually count on John Barry to deliver the goods in this vein. Even if it's music from a movie you've never seen.
To be honest, when I stumbled upon this soundtrack, I hadn't even heard of the 1997 movie "Swept From the Sea" (though I may get around to it because I'm a Rachel Weisz completist). Despite the movie's obscurity, and its less than encouraging reviews, I'd rank this score as one of Barry's best. No, really! And that's saying something. Bathe in the swooning strings and gorgeous, heartrending melodies. You won't be sorry, I swear.
But wait, if you want to cool off and re-energize, let's head back to the 1950s, when the skies were truly clear and the ozone layer wasn't yet decimated (okay, there was more industrial smog then) (but still!).
Ted Heath, a British trumpeter and popular bandleader, released "All Time Top Twelve" in 1957, and it's a brassy, wowza ka-pow of jazzy standards, like "'S Wonderful," "On The Sunny Side Of The Street," and more. Play it in the morning with your coffee when it's still cool out, and I swear, your java jolt with be that much more jolting. Wheeeeee!
This is my last post of the summer, but I'll cheerfully return after Labor Day (for those across the pond, that's after September 2nd). In the meantime, The Secret Song File wants to leave you with something fresh and airy. Times three. Because who wants just one when you can have a menage a trois?
Actually, scratch the menage a trois part, because in this case, that would be incest (and that's gross). On this spanking new CD, we're talking three singing sisters, one of them a Broadway starlet, who've joined together for a luffly collection of jazz and Broadway standards. The selections are eclectic; there's even a Madge cover tune (points if you can guess it from this image).
Now remember, I worry about you constantly, so do stay cool, stay hydrated, and dammit, stay away from pharmaceuticals. That stuff is narsty.
Have a wonderful summer!
Drop some cool beats in the comments, if you like!
