As I keep saying, this stuff isn't mine and may very well be pulled for breach of copyright. You can, of course, go looking on YouTube, or its variants, for other copies. I'm sure you know how, but I have to emphasise - I'm not asking you to do anything wrong, ethically or lawfully. Just need to make that clear.
NB!: Why not try this yourself. A bit like music for life.
There is an understanding that this is a bit like a memory wall. You know, you have a largish picture frame with photos that mean something to you. Might be a type of toffee you had as a favourite as a child. A picture of the brand of tea you were brought up drinking. A holiday photograph from your childhood. Things like that.These are things that might help stave off dementia.
Something similar may happen with music it has been suggested. These songs and tunes I have linked to all mean something to me from sometime in my 60 odd years on this planet.
Last few letters, symbols and numbers to cover before I move to pastures new. Blog-wise, I hasten to add.
I am on to the letter U and I did think that this would be a difficult one to cover but when I sat down and thought it over, there were enough to give a selection into double figures. So without further ado, I'll start with an electronic band that go by the name of U-96. Now, for those that don't know it yet, I have a keen interest in U-boats. One of the better, if not the best, war/anti war movies is Das Boot. The boat in the book was U-A but was based on the author's experiences on the boat U-96 hence the link for this piece with the rest of the blog. The song I have chosen is a thumping tune Mr. DJ Put On The Red Light and is by U-96 Feat. Das Bo:
Switching languages and genres, next up in a cover of a CCR song, Up Around The Bend by Hanoi Rocks. I think this Finnish GlamRock band were brought to my attention by my little sister again. So many thanks should go to her.
Back to German with Udo Lindenberg. Yet again, this guy links with other stuff I'm keen on. He worked with Klaus Doldinger - he who wrote the music to my favourite U-boot movie. Udo played drums on the original soundtrack to a German TV krimi - Tatort. More of German Krimis at a later date. All very spooky, or very inbred. Whatever the case my Udo track is titled "unterm säufermond". I picked up the album Gustav when I was on holiday in Germany. You know some people visit "shite-shops" for holiday nick-nacks. Well I visit record stores. Very rarely do I come away with shite. When I stuck the disc into the player, after a few tracks, a familiar tune was heard, ears pricking up further when the sound of asdic came in. Another weirdness is that the tune was familiar. Although I recognised Windmills of my Mind, I'd never seen the Steve McQueen film, The Thomas Crown Affair. So maybe it goes back to the late 60s and Dusty Springfield, who knows?
Staying in the German I now give you Udo Jürgens. He first came to light in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 but I have to admit that I probably can't remember that. I do remember his winning entry for Austria though and I give you in one of the recordings below featuring Helene Fischer. She is singing it to Udo. This was made shortly before he died.
The second offering is a favourite of mine, Liebe ohne Leiden.
I might have mentioned Matt Munro on another part of this blog. He is a well known singer in my family back with my dad's brothers and sisters in that his songs were often a party piece at Hogmanay and he links to this next fella - Nat King Cole. My dad had a couple of singers that he liked, the other being Perry Como. So, raising a hat to my dear, long departed dad I will share this song, Unforgettable with you.
Let's heavy things up with a bit of metal, a nice by of rhythm guitar, a nice bit of UFO. Metal is one of the lighter shelves in my library (ha ha ha), in fact most of the metal is on compilation albums. This might be having a liking for a nice bit of rhythm, a nice tune. A guitarist who can hit every note on a fretboard in five seconds just doesn't do anything for me. Even someone playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D min on guitar at a hundred miles an hour. I really do prefer a nice tune. So here we have Doctor Doctor:
In the mid 70's there appeared a hiatus. Glam, Pop, Prog, Metal, Rock & etc were all given a kick up the arse by punk/New Wave. Given a bad press by the pearl set, we were given a host of classy bands: The New York Dolls and Ramones from over the pond to The Damned, Sham 69 closer to home and for the U's is a track called Alternative Ulster by Stiff Little Fingers.
Back to the B&W 60's for this next track. I like Engelbert Humperdinck. I also like his main rival from then - Tom Jones. It's a track from him that I have shared here. To fit in with the U theme, I have picked It's not unusual, not to get away from those that would be offended by Delilah but just because I'm at the U's.
If you've made it this far, I have a little surprise for you. I do like a jodel. Now these come in all flavours and I have no skin in this game. I like pop jodels, cowboy jodels, schlager jodels, volks jodels, the whole kit and caboodle. I also like this: Now, some would say that this is the only true jodel. This is De Bärge zue by Jakob Ummel - performed by Jodelduo Daniela & Marco Bühler, Peter Rymann
This last track is a bit sneaky, I have to admit. The link to U is tenuous. U96-Das Boot soundtrack - Erinnerung.
Forgive me, but I had to get this one in whilst I remembered about it. There is a quote attributed to Chopin:
“Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, except, possibly two.”
I'll leave you with Darko Nikcevic and Srdjan Bulatovic.
As usual, feel free to add your thoughts, whether you agree with me or not. It would be helpful to know what you think and if you want this to take any particular direction.
