One-Mind Tracks: Open Your Golden Gates

2024 UPDATE: Ultimately, this was the last aired episode of One-Mind Tracks due to a dispute with the station it aired on. Maybe One-Mind Tracks will be revived at some point, but for now, all One-Mind Tracks editions will only be in print.

 I know it's rude of me to use a line from a song not included on this playlist as the title, but that's the decision I've made. 

The Golden Gate Bridge was opened on May 27th, 1937, so this week's One-Mind Tracks is all about San Francisco, the city that would be home to my alma mater had I graduated.

"San Francisco" by Scott McKenzie
San Francisco is still associated with flower children, love, and acceptance. In the '60s, the hippie movement found a home in the city, particularly in the Haight district. John Phillips (The Mamas and the Papas) wrote this song as a celebration of the city and as a means of promoting his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. With Scott McKenzie on vocals, the song ended up becoming something of an anthem for the counterculture movement in the late '60s.  

"St. Dominic's Preview" by Van Morrison
Van Morrison was living in San Francisco in 1972 when he wrote "St. Dominic's Preview" in a stream-of-consciousness writing session. The Troubles had been heavy in Morrison's heart as he had grown up in Belfast, Ireland. In 1972, things had gotten so bad in the conflicts between religious and political factions in the country that 500 citizens, mostly civilians, lost their lives that year. Morrison got homesick in the way that one might, but said he didn't long to go back with the prejudice that had become apparent. Still, while his heart went out to Belfast, his drummer Gary Mallaber longed for his home in Buffalo, New York. These thoughts, and Morrison's memories of his days in Paris as he tried to "make it" all made it into the song, with the overarching theme of prayer at Saint Dominic's. Morrison didn't realize that there was a real church in San Francisco called St. Dominic's, but thought of it more as an imagined church that would pray for peace in Ireland. Oddly enough, there is a St. Dominic's, which Morrison discovered weeks later when he picked up a paper advertising a mass being held there for peace in Belfast.

"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" by Tony Bennett
New York native Tony Bennet made this his signature song. The writers, George Cory and Douglass Cross wrote it from a genuine place of longing for their hometown, as they had moved to New York to further their careers. The song was first offered to Claramae Turner, who sang it as an encore song, but never got around to recording it. She recommended they give it to Tennessee Ernie Ford, who turned it down. In 1961, Tony Bennet debuted his version of the song at the Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco in front of the mayor and future mayor. He has since performed it every time he appears there. 

"San Francisco (In Situ)" by They Might Be Giants
In 2004, They Might Be Giants set out to write a song about every venue they performed at on tour (however loosely associated). "San Francisco" features a list of streets in the city (ones I used to frequent as a resident). It ends on the street that also lends its name to the venue at which they were playing; The Fillmore.

"Russian Hill" by Jellyfish
The Russian Hill neighborhood in San Francisco has always been prestigious. Jellyfish frontman Andy Sturmer and keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. were both born near Los Angeles, but were moved to Pleasanton, California by their families later on. Pleasanton is only about an hour from San Francisco. After the release of Jellyfish's first album, Sturmer got an apartment in Russian Hill- only to find that he had no time to spend there, as the band were so often touring. Still, Sturmer wanted the song to convey the beauty of the neighborhood with a touch of cynicism. 

"San Francisco" by The Mowgli's
The song "San Francisco" was one of the first songs written or released by The Mowgli's. It also became their first and most successful single, reaching #2 on the U.S. Adult Alternative Airplay charts. Much like the city itself, the song is full of love. It references the song made famous by Tony Bennett with the line "I lost my head in San Francisco."

"Step" by Vampire Weekend
Are there songs that fit this theme better? Probably, but none of them just so happened to be stuck in my head already when I started developing the theme. Many elements of "Step" are lifted from the demo "Step to My Girl" by Souls of Mischief, a band from Oakland.  Vampire Weekend secured rights for the sample and spoke to the group about the song. Souls of Mischief were blown away by the finished product, and expressed desire to work with Vampire Weekend in the future. "Step" name-drops cities in the bay area during one of the verses, and that's good enough in this case to make it onto the playlist.

"Piazza, New York Catcher" by Belle and Sebastian
In 2009, when I first moved to San Francisco, Belle and Sebastian were seeing a resurgence thanks primarily to the film Juno. "Piazza, New York Catcher" is partly about New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza, whose sexuality saw rumors swirl around it (Stuart Murdoch, frontman for Belle and Sebastian saw Piazza in a game and was himself drawn to the mystique of the man). The other part of the song, however, demands its inclusion on the playlist, as it tells the tale of Murdoch romancing his future wife in San Francisco. The tale of new, young romance is adorable, with lines like "I love you, my responsibility has found a place." While I still lived there (though it may have been 2010 or 2011), one of the free San Francisco newspapers featured Belle and Sebastian on the cover, and an interview with Murdoch in which all I can remember is that he talked about the impact the band's success in San Francisco had on them. 

"San Francisco" by Foxygen
I thought at first that I was hearing another Belle and Sebastian song when I first listened to this one. But that's offensive to The Kinks, who you can also hear the influence of in the song, and to the band Foxygen themselves. There does appear to be one more influence though, as the female voice pops in about halfway through the song with what I hear as an interpolation of a line from The Beatles' "Northern Song." Actually, there's yet another thing: a reference the aforementioned Tony Bennett song, this time manipulating the line to "I left my love in San Francisco." Don't let all this deter you- it's a great song that benefits rather than suffers from its influences. 

"San Francisco" by Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton may have had a couple of smash hits, but I've always felt she still deserved more than that out of her career. "San Francisco" hails from Carlton's second album, Harmonium, much of which she wrote with her then-boyfriend Stephan Jenkins, lead singer of Third Eye Blind, a band formed in the titular San Francisco. Though Jenkins had the connection to the city, "San Francisco" is one of the songs on the album that Carlton wrote alone. It ended up as the only love song on an album otherwise filled with dark, introspective songs from what Carlton called her "diary" phase of songwriting.

"We Built This City" by Starship
Jefferson Airplane was formed in San Francisco during the '60s. From there, the band became Jefferson Starship and then simply Starship. The three bands saw varying levels of success, but out of anything post-1970 (possibly even before that, I'm growing out of touch with what people remember of classic rock anymore), most people would be most likely to recognize "We Built This City." "We Built This City" was penned in part by band member Peter Wolf, along with Dennis Lambert, Martin Page, and none other than Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin. Taupin stated that the song was about the disappearing live music scene in Los Angeles. The song is formed as something of an open letter to corporate interests who were shutting down live performance clubs left and right. Since Starship and their predecessor bands were all based in San Francisco, the references to Los Angeles were changed to San Francisco. The music scene in San Francisco has always been strong, so it's fair to say that they also built their city on rock and roll.

"Grace Cathedral Hill" by The Decemberists
Very like "Russian Hill" in presentation, "Grace Cathedral Hill" captures the atmosphere of the places in San Francisco that it mentions, yet it still holds the typical storytelling and mystery of a Decemberists song.

Catch these songs on the One-Mind Tracks radio show this week! The show starts at 7PM EST on Thursday. You can catch it streaming over at 985winf.com. Or you can listen in for an episode of One-Mind Tracks any Thursday at 7pm!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have a song that fits the theme!

One-Mind Tracks: May Flowers

As promised by the "April Showers" playlist, One-Mind Tracks is now experiencing the joys of May flowers. So join us on this spring-ey playlist full of the flowers that bloom in the spring.

"Fresh as a Daisy" by Emitt Rhodes

The great, under-rated Emitt Rhodes recorded this flowery song at his home studio completely solo, which was a violation of union rules at the time. Albums were only supposed to be recorded at professional studios, meaning Rhodes' one-man accomplishment couldn't be mentioned on the album sleeve.

"Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James & the Shondells

Since it was originally leaked by a radio station, it seems only fitting that this one should play on an episode of One-Mind Tracks on the air. Tommy James was able to gain full creative control after the success of their single "Mony Mony." "Crimson and Clover" was a title before there was even a song to go with it. The "final" version we are all familiar with was not even intended as a final version, but a demo for the record label. Since it was leaked, that's what ended up being released.

"Sunflower, Vol. 6" by Harry Styles

Harry Styles set out to make a record with Fine Line. He wanted every track to be a worthwhile contribution to the whole. Thus, we get solid album tracks like "Sunflower, Vol. 6." I wanted this playlist to be a fun and romp-ey kind of floral, and this song does nothing but add to that vibe. Suggested by cohost, Erin Howard, this song is also a hint at a possible future playlist, dedicated solely to sunflowers.

"Tiptoe Through the Tulips" by Tiny Tim

After ties to the horror genre, it's safe to call this one infamous. Tiny Tim only intended his cover of a track from 1929 to be a lighthearted bit of fun. Tim used falsetto not just in his songs, but in public and in interviews throughout his career.

"Blue Orchid" by The White Stripes

Pumping up the energy a little bit, here's a song Jack White wrote about the complications newer entertainment industries created and how he wishes things were just the way they used to be. Rumors surrounding the song attributed the subject matter to White's breakup with Renée Zellweger, but he has always stated that that is false.

"Daisy" by Switchfoot

Jon Foreman brings us this sweet and lovely track from the album Nothing is Sound, an album which is beautiful, yet tainted by the Sony Extended Copyright Protection scandal. The band did their part to help out fans whose computers could otherwise be exposed to malware through the flawed attempt by Sony to protect their copyright, but they still feel like it ruined even their own perception of the album. Perhaps partly because of that scandal, Switchfoot have since chosen to work with smaller, independent labels. I may do a whole article on the Sony scandal at some point, so stay tuned.

"Wildflowers" by Tom Petty

For an album primarily about Tom Petty's divorce, Wildflowers is an incredibly comforting album for me, with the title track being not the exception, but the rule. Although it was never released as a single, "Wildflowers" managed to chart, making it to #16 on the Billboard Hot Rock charts and becoming his 4th most streamed song. Petty says the song came to him all at once in a stream-of-consciousness songwriting session of three and a half minutes. Petty kept assuming something was wrong with the track due to the ease with which it was written, but he found there was nothing wrong with it. I agree- there's nothing wrong with "Wildflowers."

"Daffodils" by Mark Ronson (Featuring Kevin Parker)

Of all the albums Mark Ronson has released, Uptown Special has the most perfect flow to it, feeling like a story. Part of this can be attributed to the involvement of author Michael Chabon, who cowrote many songs on the album, including this one, which he wrote with Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. Parker wanted Chabon to understand the feeling of coming down from a high in order to get the feeling he thought the song could have. He had Chabon listen to "Blinded By the Lights" by The Streets to get the correct vibe without doing drugs. 

"Orchids" by The Shacks

A fairly sad song about flowers, the quality of this song demands its inclusion. It does end on an upbeat note, with the implication that karma will eventually give the protagonist of the song the flowers she is due.

"Flowers on the Wall" by The Statler Brothers

This song has always reminded me of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." "Flowers on the Wall" was the winner of the 1966 Grammy for Best Contemporary Performance, and it's not hard to see why. The song has a lasting quality to it that also carried over to a cover version by Nancy Sinatra.

"Daisy Fingers" by Edu

After the breakup of Tally Hall, keyboardist Andrew Horowitz was quick to release an album on his own. Originally, Sketches was only available on cassette, intended to seem like a mixtape. In fact, Horowitz did produce this run of cassettes himself. My copy of Sketches is still the only cassette in my home music library. "Daisy Fingers" is both complex and childlike, making it perfect for this playlist.

"A Rose For Emily" by The Zombies

The Zombies released Odessey and Oracle just after disbanding. The album is now widely regarded as a classic, and deservedly so. The songs throughout the album are unique and beautiful and "A Rose For Emily" is no exception.

"Lily" by Benjamin Gibbard

"Lily" is about a girl of that name (as some of the other songs on this playlist are), but the tone is perfect for this time of spring and a playlist with several other primarily acoustic tracks. 

"Throw Down the Roses" by Kate Pierson

Kate Pierson went hard for her first solo album, which included this upbeat track about someone who refuses to be a groupie. "Throw Down the Roses" was written as a collaboration between Pierson, Sia, and Dallas Austin.

Catch these songs on the One-Mind Tracks radio show this week! The show starts at 7PM EST on Thursday. You can catch it streaming over at 985winf.com. Or you can listen in for an episode of One-Mind Tracks any Thursday at 7pm!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have a song that fits the theme!

One-Mind Tracks: Mother's Day

This week, One-Mind Tracks celebrates Mother's Day with a playlist for the moms out there. 

"You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes

First thing, we're going to get some advice from Mom. Written and produced by the powerhouse that was Holland/Dozier/Holland, "You Can't Hurry Love" was partially inspired by the hymn "You Can't Hurry God (He's Right on Time)." Some of the lyrics are almost exactly the same as the song by Dorothy Loves Coates. It's nice to get advice like this. I think I got basically this advice from my mom, she just didn't phrase it this catchily.

"Mama Said" by The Shirelles

The next piece of advice came from five years prior to "You Can't Hurry Love," back in 1961. It's a similar kind of advice but sounds very different. Many have covered this track over the years, but there's something that can't be beat about the original.

"The Best Day" by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift wrote this moving song about her mother for her 2008 album Fearless (but of course, listen to Fearless (Taylor's Version)). The rerecorded song featured a music video consisting of old home movies. 

"Julia" by The Beatles

John Lennon had a complicated relationship with his mother. She often entered and exited his life, passing away in 1958 when John was seventeen. During the time The Beatles spent in India, Lennon decided to write a song for her. He learned "Travis Picking" from Donovan, who also claims to have helped him with the line "seashell eyes//windy smile." With the help from Donovan on the concept, "Julia" became the only Beatles song Lennon played alone on. 

"Single Mothers" by Young Beautiful in a Hurry

I interviewed lead singer/songwriter Brendan McCreary (now going by Bear McCreary) back in 2015 when the band was promoting this single. McCreary said it was a tribute to his own mom who raised him as a single woman. McCreary told me "it was about three years in the making, nearly. The inspiration simply just came from having a single mom that I loved very much and love very much. [...] There's not a whole lot of content out there for these women. For me, I was just really passionate about single moms and I think that came from working with so many of them."

"Veronica" by Elvis Costello

Mother's day is also for Grandmothers. Costello wrote this one with Paul McCartney, inspired by his grandmother, as he watched her suffer from Alzheimer's. Costello started the lyrics using his paternal granmother's first name, Mabel (or the more casual 'Molly"). Through his collaboration with McCartney, they decided upon using her Catholic confirmation name: Veronica.

The One-Mind Tracks Single of the Week: "Coat of Many Colors" and "Mama Say a Prayer" by Dolly Parton

One-Mind Tracks on the air does a weekly "single," where we play two related songs grouped together. It's not a real single, but pretend with us. This week, our single comes to us from Dolly Parton. "Coat of Many Colors" is an autobiographical track she wrote on one of Porter Wagner's dry-cleaning receipts. Parton appreciates her mother in the song for all of the love she passed on to Parton through her caring and through the coat. "Mama Say a Prayer" represents an older version of Parton, asking her mother to keep her safe and pure of heart though she went away to the big city.

"Mama You've Been on My Mind" by George Harrison

Though this song was written for Dylan's ex-girlfriend, the wistful tone could also apply to someone missing their mother. Dylan has performed his song live over 200 times, but it has never made it onto a studio album, instead appearing four times on Dylan bootleg releases. Likewise, another popular version of the song is by Jeff Buckley, who also didn't put it on an album, but it was released as a studio outtake. Some versions have made it onto albums, such as one by Linda Ronstadt (retitled "Baby, You've Been on My Mind"), one by Johnny Cash (who altered some of the lyrics), and a version by Rod Stewart. George Harrison played it as a jam with the other Beatles during the "Get Back" sessions before recording it himself. His version remained unreleased until 2012, when it was released on Early Takes: Volume 1.

"Loves Me Like a Rock" by Paul Simon
Paul Simon recorded this song in Muscle Shoals with backing vocals from gospel group The Dixie Hummingbirds. Though not outwardly a gospel song, The Dixie Hummingbirds were proud to be on the song and even released their own version of it. The song is about a mother's love transcending all kinds of things, including being the president when congress calls his name. This has been interpreted to be a reference to Nixon during the Watergate trials. Simon also states "she loves me like a rock of ages," which pushes the song closer to a gospel track. "The rock" is often used to describe God's strength and dependability in The Book of Psalms. God is also referred to as the "rock of our salvation." Jesus is the subject of a hymn called "Rock of Ages." Simon, however, was Jewish, so he may have been inspired by the title of the song or by a Hebrew poem "Ma'oz Tzur," which refers to God as "my refuge, my rock of salvation." Either way, Simon is comparing a mother's love to that of God.

"My Mother & I" by Lucy Dacus

Lucy Dacus wrote this both beautiful and heartbreaking song about her love for her mother and her struggles with body image because of her mother. She released the song for Mother's Day 2019, and has since performed it live with her mother multiple times. Their tender harmonies represent both love and acceptance of each other and of themselves. 

"Mother Stands for Comfort" by Kate Bush

Kate Bush sings of a mother's unconditional love. The character in this song is a son who has committed a murder, yet his mother shields him from the law because she loves him and will protect him from anything. Bush has also said of the song "in a way it's also suggesting that the son is using the mother, as much as the mother is protecting him."

That's our playlist for mothers! Catch these songs on the One-Mind Tracks radio show this week! The show starts at 7PM EST on Thursday. You can catch it streaming over at 985winf.com. Or you can listen in for an episode of One-Mind Tracks any Thursday at 7pm!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have a song that fits the theme!

One-Mind Tracks: April Showers

This year's spring has been cold and rainy (with a few sunny, warm days sprinkled in). This week looks like it's going to stay warm and sunny but we do have to celebrate all that rain with a rainy playlist (that will hopefully lead to May Flowers...and like...crops...).

"Rainy Days and Mondays" by The Carpenters
Paul Williams and Roger Nichols wrote this rainy day sad song which came from a very personal place for Williams. He was hoping to have his Hollywood career take off so he could take care of his mother, but he continued to struggle. Luckily, 1971 saw this song reach #2 for The Carpenters and his acting career began soon after. Another song you might know that Williams co-wrote?: "Rainbow Connection!" It just goes to show you that rainbows really do come after the rain.

"Africa" by Toto
David Paich had never been to Africa when he wrote the song. He based the depictions of Africa on National Geographic articles. Yet somehow he was able to capture "the rains down in Africa" with such poetic language that we can all almost imagine ourselves being there. "Africa" became Toto's only #1 in the U.S.

"It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls
A novelty track with lasting impact, "It's Raining Men" was written by Paul Jabara and Paul Schaffer. It was originally intended for Donna Summer, who turned it down because she felt in conflicted with her faith. Diana Ross, Cher, and Barbara Streisand were also offered the song, but declined it. Several years later, in 1982, the song was offered to the duo Two Tons, who were also skeptical. Jabara's persistence with Two Tons finally resulted in a recording. After the song was successful, the duo even changed their name to The Weather Girls to make it less confusing for listeners who thought they were introducing the band name at the beginning of the song.

"Riders on the Storm" by The Doors
I don't know if I can honestly think of a better song to represent a dark, rainy night. The Doors came up with "Riders on the Storm" during a jam session in which the springboard was "Ghost Riders in the Sky." Morrison put many elements of his personal life into the song, including his experience hitchhiking as a teen. "Riders on the Storm" was the final song recorded by Jim Morrison before his death.

"Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin
"Fool in the Rain" was Led Zeppelin's last official U.S. single before they split up in 1980. Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were inspired by the samba beats they heard during the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina. Led Zeppelin never performed the song live, but Plant later performed it with Pearl Jam in 2005 for a Hurricane Katrina benefit concert. I don't know if it was in the best taste to sing about a "fool in the rain" during a destructive tropical storm, but at least his heart was in the right place. 

The One-Mind Tracks Single of the Week: "Ballet for a Rainy Day" and "1000 Umbrellas" by XTC
One-Mind Tracks on the air does a weekly "single," where we take two related songs and group them together. It's not a real single, but please pretend with us. This week, both songs on the single come from Skylarking, a 1986 album produced by Todd Rundgren. "Ballet for a Rainy Day" leads seamlessly into "1000 Umbrellas" on the album. Since they're both about rain, it only seemed right to keep them together for the single.

"The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" by Switchfoot
If you're hating the rain, don't forget that it just makes sunnier days all the more beautiful. That's what Jon Foreman sings about in "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine." The album it comes from, Nothing is Sound, was often perceived to be a darker album. The band has always felt that it's more of a hopeful album, with Foreman saying, "I may write about how everything is meaningless, but it’s a very hopeful thing for me to be proven wrong."

"November Rain" by Guns N'Roses
For that one person who was going to tell me I forgot this one: here it is. At almost nine minutes, Guns N'Roses held the record for the longest song to enter the Billboard Top 10 until Taylor Swift broke the record with her #1 single, "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)." According to Slash though, the band even recorded an 18-minute version before the final recording. Anyway, it's a classic song about rain. As Regina Spektor says, "the solo's awful long//but it's a good refrain." 

"Rain" by The Beatles
An under-rated Beatles track for certain, "Rain" was the first pop song ever released with reversed vocals. Ringo Starr considers "Rain" to be his greatest recorded work as a drummer. John Lennon said the song was about "People moaning because [...] they don't like the weather." Lennon has claimed to have written the song alone but Paul McCartney remembers it differently. His perspective on the song was that people shouldn't have such a negative perception of something that can be wonderful, saying: "Songs have traditionally treated rain as a bad thing and what we got on to was that it's no bad thing. There's no greater feeling than the rain dripping down your back."

"Who'll Stop the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival could have had the single this week with "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" but I decided to go with two that ran together better. "Who'll Stop the Rain" has been interpreted as a protest song and a song about Woodstock, with John Fogerty even stating as much, saying he went home and finished the song after he was at Woodstock.

"Purple Rain" by Prince
Another long rain song, "Purple Rain" is one of Prince's apocalyptical narratives, this one disguised by his favorite color raining down from the sky. In 2007, Prince performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. He closed his set with "Purple Rain" just as real rain began to fall from the sky.

Catch these songs on the One-Mind Tracks radio show this week! The show starts at 7PM EST on Thursday. You can catch it streaming over at 985winf.com. Or you can listen in for an episode of One-Mind Tracks any Thursday at 7pm!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have a song that fits the theme!

One-Mind Tracks: The Comeback Kid

 With Easter coming up, One-Mind Tracks is taking a look at songs that represent "resurrections" of artists into later work. The primary focus is going to be on younger artists "resurrecting" their musical heroes in one way or another, but there are a couple of exceptions to that rule that I feel still fit the general theme. 

"What Have I Done to Deserve This?" by The Pet Shop Boys (with Dusty Springfield)
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?" was the first time The Pet Shop boys worked with another recording artist. They wrote the song with Allee Willis (Co-writer of "September" and "Boogie Wonderland"). Many contemporary artists were considered for the other half of the duet, but it wasn't until their manager's assistant suggested Dusty Springfield that there was a clear path ahead. Neil Tennant often mentiond Dusty in Memphis as his favorite album. As Springfield hadn't had a top 40 hit since 1970, EMI pushed for a different artist, such as Tina Turner or Barbara Streisand. Tennant remained steadfast in his decision to get Springfield on the track, meaning the song failed to make it onto their first album. Springfield's manager sent word that she was not interested in recording the duet, as she wasn't familiar with the band. Months later, Springfield heard "West End Girls" on the radio and changed her tune. "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" was the first, but not last, collaboration between Springfield and The Pet Shop Boys. After the song caused a resurgence in Springfield's career, Tennant and Lowe were also able to write and produce "Nothing Has Been Proved" and "In Private" for her next album, Reputation. 

"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" by Aretha Franklin (Featuring George Michael)
This duo may have seemed a strange choice, but after the song was pitched to Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin, Arista Records head Clive Davis suggested that Franklin and George Michael should sing it as a duet. Franklin was a musical hero to many, including Michael. Franklin was also very impressed with everything she heard from Wham! By the late '80s, Franklin's popular appeal was fading, but this collaboration with Michael in 1987 gave Franklin her first #1 since "Respect" in 1967. 

"Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money
After years of controlling and abusive behavior from Ronnie Spector's ex-husband Phil Spector, she considered herself to be fully retired as a singer. Eddie Money was also experiencing a slump in his career brought on by several years of drug abuse. His producer, Richie Zito played him a demo of "Take Me Home Tonight." Money was initially unimpressed but liked the catch line. He suggested they get Ronnie Spector to sing the snippet of "Be My Baby" but was told that would be impossible. Instead, Money invited Martha Davis of The Motels to sing on the track. Davis told Money he should try to recruit Spector on his own. After some persistence, Money was able to speak with Spector, who told him "I'm doing the dishes, and I gotta change the kids' bedding. I’m not really in the business anymore, Eddie." Money explained that the song was something of a tribute to Spector and shared his excitement about doing the song with her. Spector finally agreed and the success of this single actually convinced Spector to resume her singing career. 

"On the Wings of a Nightingale" by The Everly Brothers
In 1984, The Everly Brothers released EB 84, their first album in 11 years. The track listing contains a variety of top-notch songwriters including Jeff Lynne and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay." Paul McCartney (for whom The Everly Brothers had always been a strong influence) wrote and recorded a demo of "On the Wings of a Nightingale" specifically for The Everly Brothers, even playing guitar on the final track (Jeff Lynne also performed bass and helped with arrangements in addition to contributing "The Story of Me"). It's a great example of people helping keep their musical idols alive and making great music. 

"You Got It" by Roy Orbison
Speaking of Jeff Lynne, he and Tom Petty wrote this song with Roy Orbison for what would become his posthumous album Mystery Girl. The whole album is relevant to this playlist with another single written by Bono and The Edge and songs by Elvis Costello and cowritten with Albert Hammond, with musical contributions from The Heartbreakers, George Harrison, Jim Keltner, and T Bone Burnett. The album was intended to represent Orbison's comeback into the music world. However, Orbison passed away before the album was fully complete, just 17 days after his only live performance of "You Got It." Thanks to Orbison's work with The Travelling Wilburys as well, Orbison became the first artist since Elvis to have two albums in the top five after his death. As for "You Got It," it peaked at # 9 on the singles charts in 1989, making it his first top ten single on the hot 100 since "(Oh) Pretty Woman" in 1964.

"Drop Down and Get Me" by Del Shannon
Now that we've been talking about Tom Petty, let's discuss his assistance with Del Shannon's 1981 comeback album Drop Down and Get Me. The Heartbreakers acted as Shannon's backing band and Petty produced the album by one of his musical heroes. Petty also references Shannon in his song with The Heartbreakers, "Runnin' Down a Dream."

"This Little Girl" by Gary U.S. Bonds
Bruce Springsteen and other members of The E-Street band contributed to Bonds' album Dedication. "This Little Girl" acted as his comeback single, reaching #11 in 1981. Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt went on to work with him on his next album, On the Line.

"Chinatown" by Bleachers (Featuring Bruce Springsteen)
Just as Springsteen got to work with one of his influences, Gary U.S. Bonds, Jack Antonoff got to work with fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen on "Chinatown." Antonoff said of Springsteen: "He is the artist who showed me that the sound of the place I am from has value and that there is a spirit here that needs to be taken all over the world." Springsteen's inclusion on the song is played as organically as possible, with his voice appearing subtly in the background. While I don't think The Boss needs to revitalize his career, support from Bleachers may introduce his work to a whole new generation of fans.

"Smooth" by Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas)
The concept for "Smooth" was developed by Itaal Shur as a song called "Room 17." He gave the lyric-free version of the song to Rob Thomas, who rewrote the lyrics and renamed the song. Thomas excitedly demoed the song for Santana, who insisted that Thomas should be on the final track (although Thomas was hoping to get George Michael to record the vocal). It would be Santana's first single in 14 years. The finished song spent 12 weeks at #1, meaning it charted higher than Santana's second biggest hit, "Black Magic Woman" from 1970. 

"Walk This Way" by Run-DMC (Featuring Aerosmith)
Aerosmith weren't well-known in 1975 when "Walk This Way" was originally released as a single. It failed to chart. After a bit more commercial success, Aerosmith rereleased it as a single in 1976 at which point it peaked at #10. By 1986, however, the band hadn't even been in the top 100 for years. Run-DMC were introduced to the song by producer Rick Rubin. They had rapped over a loop of the first ten seconds of the song at live shows before they even heard the rest of it. Joseph Simmons and Daryl McDaniels were unaware of Aerosmith but Rubin suggested they do a version of the song. Jam Master Jay was open to the idea, though the other two members of the group were not initially on board. They recorded their version with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry and did not plan for it to become a single. However, the single ended up charting higher than the original, reaching #4, receiving play on both urban and rock stations. The Run-DMC/Aerosmith version ended up being one of the leaders in the emergence of rap-rock as a genre. It also revitalized Aerosmith's career, opening the way for their future multi-platinum albums and more top 40 hits.

"Wipe Out" by The Fat Boys (Featuring the Beach Boys)
Directly inspired by the success of Run-DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," The Fat Boys decided to recruit The Beach Boys to do a cover of "Wipe Out" with them. The song reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and inspired them to work with Chubby Checker on a cover of "The Twist."

"Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre (Featuring Snoop Dogg)
After seven years without an album release, Dr. Dre wanted something big for his comeback solo release. He recruited Jay-Z to write the lyrics and Snoop Dogg to feature on the song just as he had also been featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single "Deep Cover." The song peaked at #93 upon initial release, bringing Dre back to the forefront of the hip-hop scene. Surprisingly, the song actually reached #23 this year after its inclusion as the finale of the Super Bowl halftime show. 

Sorry! No official One-Mind Tracks single this week. But I think we can agree that there are a few potential ones on this list!

Catch these songs on the One-Mind Tracks radio show this week! The show starts at 7PM EST on Thursday. You can catch it streaming over at 985winf.com. Or you can listen in for an episode of One-Mind Tracks any Thursday at 7pm!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have a song that fits the theme!

One-Mind Tracks: We Don't Have to Grow Up

A common criticism of my generation is the idea that we all have Peter Pan syndrome. Supposedly, we all want to stay children forever, no matter how full our facial hair is. Now, I'm not going to blame all of this on the generation before us, but I do distinctly remember every '90s commercial being about how awful adults are and cartoons with parents who were completely devoid of personality. We grew up thinking that being an adult was boring and so it's no surprise that we're reluctant to "grow up." Heck, even this ad for Toys 'R' Us (rest in peace) was telling us not to grow up. 

I think my generation is learning to excel at something special though; we are staying young at heart. The term "adulting" is everywhere and some people really hate it. I've done a 180 about the phrase. At first I didn't like it because I dove headfirst into adulthood as soon as I could...but I've also never felt like an adult. Not even now, at 30. "Adulting" speaks to a larger topic than just doing things the grown-up way or being over an age line. "Adulting" means doing the mature and responsible things you have to do. It implies that you have other times when you can embrace things not considered to be mature. Maybe you're skateboarding, building a Lego masterpiece or just hanging out with your friends and playing video games until late at night. That's perfect. My favorite thing about being an adult is getting to combine traditional "adulting" with a continued love for the things I've always loved. I don't have as much time as I used to, but I love wearing bright, silly outfits. I love having Barbies and toys. They might not be used as much as they used to be but it's all part of just staying young inside. Like what you like, do what you do. That's what this playlist is about also.

"Stay Young, Go Dancing" by Death Cab For Cutie
I picked this track very early on in my planning process. Lead singer/songwriter Ben Gibbard has stated that this track was partly inspired by his then-wife, actress Zooey Deschanel. The declaration of "life is sweet in the belly of the beast" is a reference to him coming to enjoy Los Angeles, a city he nicknamed "the belly of the beast" previously. "Stay Young, Go Dancing" is most likely about a long-term relationship. Yet, it says so much more than just that they'll grow old together. "Through winter's advancing//we'll stay young, go dancing" is a promise that the couple will stay young together even as they age. It's a beautiful sentiment.

"Forever Young" by Bob Dylan
Dylan wrote this one in Tucson, Arizona as a lullaby for his eldest son, Jesse. He had been missing his son, but didn't want to get too sentimental. His album Planet Waves contains two versions of the song: one fast and one slow. "Forever Young" is a lullaby. but also a blessing. Dylan is calling for his son to have many grown-up attributes while still holding onto his youth.

"Patience" by Tame Impala
Kevin Parker of Tame Impala sings of the persistence of time and that "time takes from everyone." His version of staying young is "growing up in stages." Adulthood isn't a black-and-white instant transition, it's a series of decisions. One of those decisions can always be to stay young or to keep some forms of childishness as you gradually add adult responsibilities on.

"Innocence" by Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne begs us (or rather, herself) to hold on to innocence. Too often, this is the first thing we lose in our adulthood. Obviously, there are elements of innocence that we typically don't keep forever. "Innocence" isn't about those things though. It's about the appreciation of simple things, giving ourselves the ability to feel truly happy. Adults can be jaded by so many things. Lavigne (and Evan Taubenfeld) just remind us to keep our feelings of positivity close. They remind us to appreciate beautiful and wonderful things in life (which is always a huge element in staying young at heart).

"I Don't Wanna Grow Up" by The Ramones
The long list of things The Ramones don't want to do includes growing up. Tom Waits wrote and originally recorded this song. The Ramones covered it three years later for their final album, ¡Adios Amigos! It totally fits their style, but of course I do want to talk about Waits' songwriting here. Waits has always been a non-conformist so his assertion that he doesn't want to grow up is almost like a mission statement. Not growing up can sometimes just mean not conforming to what society thinks you should do because you're over 18. As long as it isn't hurting anyone, you can do whatever you want to as an adult. It doesn't mean you have to grow up though!

"Give Yourself a Try" by The 1975 [explicit]
The 1975 wrote this track with both autobiographical and fictional elements in an attempt to capture social anxiety and pressure as millennials experience it. The overall message of the song is to have a little faith in yourself. To me, a big part of why my generation doesn't want to grow up seems to be the fact that many of us have low self-esteem and are afraid of failing if we trust in ourselves enough to go for the big, adult life. 

"Alright" by Supergrass
It's amazing that this 27-year-old song seems both more modern and more retro than it is. Lead singer Gaz Coombes stated that the song was not intended as an anthem, but a message to the age group they had recently left, young teenagers. Coombes was nineteen when the song was written, and it was intended as a playful song for those just entering their teen years. In defense of its inclusion on this list, however, I present to you the lyrics, "Are we like you?//I can't be sure//Of the scene, as she turns//We are strange, in our worlds." It seems these teens Coombes imagines are already unsure of their place in the world. They don't know if they're "adults" or not. Of course, we know they aren't, but if we imagine the song being about older people, it does speak to the vulnerability and uncertainty one can feel when not feeling as though they're quite "grown-up."

The One-Mind Tracks Single of the week: "Colorful" b/w "Boring" by Jukebox the Ghost
One-Mind Tracks on the air has started doing a weekly "single," where we take two related songs and group them together. It's not a real single, but please pretend with us. This week, both songs on the single come from Off to the Races, a 2018 album by Jukebox the Ghost. Much of the album explores the topic we're discussing. These two songs are the most relevant to the playlist. "Colorful" says "work hard, play hard//we don't have to grow up" while "Boring" bemoans the fact that the people around the vocalist (Tommy Siegel) are all growing up and "getting boring." He realizes that it's inevitable to "get old and boring" and his best defense is to embrace it. He suggests that the object of his affection is not boring, but even at that, he is fine getting old and boring with her. "Colorful" is the thesis of this whole playlist. We can do all of the adult things required of us without "growing up."

"Changes" by David Bowie

David Bowie wasn't speaking on this theme per se, but the lyrics see a man looking at his younger self and his ideas of success that never panned out. Lines like "don't tell them to grow up and out of it" imply a defense of the young dreamers. Bowie also uses the line "time may change me//but I can't trace time." To me at least, that line says that he recognizes that he's grown older and more mature, but he still doesn't view himself differently because he doesn't even register that a great deal of time has passed. 

"Forever Young" by Rod Stewart

This Rod Stewart track closely follows the formula of the Dylan song from earlier. I think each of these songs are beautiful, even if they serve essentially the same purpose. Stewart doesn't hope for them to "stay forever young" as Dylan does, but he does say that if they follow his advice, they will be forever young in his heart. Stewart wrote this song with his bandmates: guitarist Jim Cregan and keyboardist Kevin Savigar. Like Dylan, Stewart wrote this song for his children. 

"Child" by Lights

Lights wrote this song while pregnant with her first child. The song is an expression of her anxiety leading up to becoming a mother while still feeling like child herself. She sings "what do I know//I'm just a child//trying to talk like a mother does." Lights ends the track with "maybe I'm still trying to see like a child does." Lights is struggling with both ends of the "growing up" in this song. She worries about her ability to "adult" while still hoping that she'll be able to hold onto her childlike qualities.

"Unbelievable" by Owl City (featuring Hanson)

The main theme of "Unbelievable" is nostalgia, which the song relies on heavily. That said, the chorus keeps bringing up the line "you haven't seen nothing yet." To me, that line expresses Owl City's trademark optimism that no matter how awesome the past may have been, there are great things still to come in adulthood. 

"No Guilt" by The Waitresses

Though it's primarily a break-up song about getting on fine without your ex, "No Guilt" makes it onto the list because of how proud the narrator is of her adult responsibilities and handling her life herself. Finding joy in your life is a big part of staying young at heart. 

Catch these songs on the One-Mind Tracks radio show this week! The show starts at 7PM EST on Thursday. You can catch it streaming over at 985winf.com. Or you can catch an episode of One-Mind Tracks any Thursday at 7pm!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have a song that fit the theme!

P.S. I didn't watch the video for Rod Stewart's "Forever Young" at first but I kept looking at the video's thumbnail. It wasn't until I put it in this article that I realized that's a real kid and not a ventriloquist dummy. I thought it was set to be a really strange video.

One-Mind Tracks: Creepy Age Gap

Rock songs have a storied history of some super creepy references to enjoying the company of people much different ages than the singer. Below are just a few of those tracks.

"Sweet Little Sixteen" by Chuck Berry
Long before Ted Nugent was being creepy with "Jailbait," etc., Chuck Berry was singing the praises of sixteen year olds. Which would have been way less creepy had he not been arrested for transporting a minor across state lines for allegedly "immoral purposes."

"Younger Girl" by The Lovin' Spoonful
Much as The Beach Boys would steal "Sweet Little Sixteen" for "Surfin' U.S.A.," "Younger Girl" is an uncredited adaptation of "Prison Wall Blues" (by Cannon's Jug Stompers). This creepy piece found its way onto the very first Lovin' Spoonful album.

"Outside Villanova" by Eric Hutchinson
What is there to say about this song that it doesn't say itself in "she's getting older and legal soon" and "some girl that I'd be forgetting by the time the cops came by that afternoon"?

"Lolita" by Miniature Tigers
Loosely based on the most creepy age gap story of all time: Lolita, this track seems to be based more on the 1997 film than the book, but it can't be left off of the playlist.

"I Saw Her Standing There" by The Beatles
No, I don't know what you mean about her being seventeen. Please elaborate. Okay, so in it's original context, there's nothing wrong with this song, since Paul McCartney was around that age when he wrote it. But I really don't enjoy hearing men 25+ asking me if I know what they mean about the underage girl they saw standing there.

"You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful And You're Mine)" by Ringo Starr
Speaking of which, why Ringo? I understand that this song is a classic written by The Sherman Brothers (the Mary Poppins guys) and originally recorded by Johnny Burnette when he was 26. No one was anywhere near sixteen when this song was written and recorded. But still, Ringo was thirty-three when he recorded it. Ick.

"Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
Gary Puckett sings this song about a man who decides to blame this girl for seducing him despite her age, although it's still pretty obvious that they were lovers. Let's just hope composer Jerry Fuller didn't write it from experience.

"The Man With The Child In His Eyes" by Kate Bush
As with many songs by Kate Bush, the exact meaning of this song was unclear for years. In 2010 however, it was revealed that it was (at least in part) about her relationship with Steve Blacknell, a man six years her senior (they dated when she was around seventeen), that she evidently saw childlike qualities in.

"Don't Stand So Close To Me" by The Police
All I can say is, it's a lucky thing Sting had The Police on his side when he wrote this song about a young teacher's inappropriate relationship with a student. Ecspecially seeing as he was a young teacher before the band took off. He even name checks Vladimir Nabokov, author of Lolita. Yikes.

"My Sharona" by The Knack
Doug Fieger met a girl named Sharona Alperin when he was 25 and she was 17. After a year of courtship (and getting rid of his girlfriend and her boyfriend), the duo dated for four years. In the first few months of knowing her, he was inspired to write many songs and to "get it up for the touch of the younger kind." Bandmate Berton Averre didn't want to use Sharona's real name, but Fieger insisted that he wanted it to relay exactly how he felt.

"Maggie May" by Rod Stewart
Alright, here's a song that's pretty much the opposite of every other song on the list. Instead of a creepy older dude, it's a creepy older woman seducing a young schoolboy Rod Stewart who is also narrating the song. According to Stewart, "Maggie May" was based on the real woman he lost his virginity to.

"She Doesn't Get It" by The Format
The main focus of this song seems to be the fact that the guy has an emotionally difficult time having a one-night stand, but why is "New Religion" familiar to the narrator and yet long before the girl was born? Granted, lead singer Nate Ruess was born the same year that song came out, so it's probably more of a cultural thing.

"Sweet Young Thing" by The Monkees
This one isn't that creepy...well, he's yielding before the wisdom of a "child." But there are definitely creepier songs than this Carole King, Gerry Goffin, and Michael Nesmith-penned piece. Still, the narrator is way too obsessed with the "Sweet Young Thing."

"Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" by Neil Diamond
Should we worry about the fact that Gary Puckett also did a cover of this song? Neil Diamond wrote it to his young fans, but something seems a little off about the sentiment to me.

"Infant Kiss" by Kate Bush
Award for creepiest song goes right here. Kate Bush wrote this song based on the movie The Innocents. In the film, a young governess is putting a child to bed and he kisses her passionately because he's possessed by the spirit of a man who haunts the house.

Find them all below:

Know any more songs about a creepy age gap? Tell me what they are in the comments.

One-Mind Tracks: Songs of Positivity

It's been a while since the last "One-Mind Tracks" here on No More Blood From a Clone. But the journey continues each week on 97.5 WDIF here in Marion, Ohio and streaming online. Since not everyone can clear the 7 o'clock hour on Thursday necessary to hear the show, here's a throwback to the original days of "One-Mind Tracks."

This week, we're featuring songs with some positive messages and attitudes.

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen
One of my favorite Queen songs, this track is full of positive energy, even if it does seem to wind down in a somewhat melancholic manner toward the end.

I Can See Clearly Now By Johnny Nash
It's hard not to think of this song in a positive light, since not only is it about the rain stopping (usually a metaphor for coming out of depression), but it's ingrained into my childhood. Jimmy Cliff covered it for Cool Runnings, a Neil Finn cover was used in Antz, and even the three blind mice sung it in the Shrek: Far Far Away Idol bonus feature. Incidentally, that terrible joke about the three blind mice isn't as bad when you realize the Neil Finn cover was originally recorded to benefit an organization that treats blindness.

Hold on Tight by Electric Light Orchestra
Soon to be featured in an advice playlist also, "Hold on Tight" encourages us to never let go of our dreams. And that's a darned empowering message.

Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac
There are too many negative break-up songs, and a few of them can be found as fellow songs on Rumours. But not this one, in which Christine McVie says goodbye to her eight-year marriage with a smile on her face and only thoughts for the future. Bill Clinton used this as his campaign song multiple times, and even convinced the group to reform at his 1993 inaugural ball to perform it.

Don't Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin
The first acapella song ever to reach #1 on the Billboard charts is this easy-going message of positivity. But speaking of what I just mentioned with Fleetwood Mac, and what I've discussed in the past, this song has also been used in a political campaign. It was a slightly less harmonious marriage than the Clinton/Mac one however, when George H. W. Bush decided to use this as his campaign song in 1988. Bobby McFerrin publicly protested the use of "Don't Worry Be Happy," saying that he was going to vote against Bush, and even discontinuing performance of the song to be clear about where he stood on the topic.

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
This song has always reminded me of the very end of the third Back to the Future movie. Aside from that though, and even though it was the most played song in the U.S. in 2006, I love the positive message of "Unwritten." I hope it doesn't end up lost in the entrails of time eventually.

I Am Woman by Helen Reddy
What's more empowering than the track that became the theme song for the woman's movement? Helen Reddy felt there was a need for an empowering song for women and so she decided to start writing "I Am Woman." It was the first song by an Australian artist to hit #1 in America, and the first song written in Australia to win a Grammy.

Everything is AWESOME!!! by Tegan and Sara (Featuring The Lonely Island)
This collaboration between Tegan and Sara, The Lonely Island, and Mark Mothersbaugh bleeds positivity.

Carry On by fun.
My favorite track off of fun.'s sophomore album Some Nights is about strength against adversity. "Carry On" is a power ballad and pop tune that can't be left off this list.

Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
The oft-considered annoying "Tubthumping" drives the point of positivity home. A "tubthumper" is someone who jumps on the bandwagon, and really the song is a political message. But at face value, this song couldn't make me happier.

We Are the Champions by Queen
The be-it end-all of songs about winning, "We Are the Champions" is the champion of positivity songs. It's also the b-side to "We Will Rock You" so...heck yeah!

Find these songs and more on the playlist below:


What song gets you feeling great? I'd love to hear!