Monday's Music Moves Me

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HANDS #songs featuring #handclaps or #fingersnaps

October 8, 2018 /
Hop over to see Sandee for more Awww Mondays fun-spiration!

Good morning, Kittens and Dawgs!  We’re beginning the second week of October.  I know this month will fly right out the door before I even catch my breathe.  Before I slip on my dancin’ shoes allow me to share with you the results of last week’s “Look of Love” #BoTB Showdown.  I featured two outstanding artists with accompanying female vocalists.  This battle surprised me just a bit going one way before pulling the other, but what amazed me is my assessment of the two and how I went this round.  The first contender, Chris Botti featuring Chantal Kreviazuk was beautifully smooth almost flawless to the ear.  That’s a good thing, no?  Well…it has it’s moments and normally speaking this would be sound I’d go with 110% of the time but it was Grover Washington’s silky, sexy sax with the less polished more heartfelt vocals of Jean Carne that sealed the deal for me.  I could hear the ‘look of love’ in this cover!

with a 11 to 7 sweep!
When time permits, you may want to listen to Grover Washington Jr’s Strawberry Moon album on YT.

Next Monday, you’ll get another double dose of mewsic with my second BoTB showdown & 4M post! Now, are you ready to groove to this week’s theme songs featuring hand claps/finger snaps?

I totally expect some of my selections to get repeated but that’s okay, right? Are you ready to get this party started? Hit play to boogie to my 10 song handclapping, finger-snapping playlist and if you want to do a little toe-tapping that’s alright, too. 😉

Private Eyes the 1981 #1 hit by pop artists Hall & Oates. Dick Clark Five (DC5) is an oldie band that I had forgotten about but reintroduced after entering the blogging community.  The UK band hit the US pop charts at #4 in 1965 with Catch Us If You Can.

A song I misplaced in my mind or perhaps it was a new discovery altogether I stumbled on during my research That Thing You Do by the fictional 60s style band, The Wonders. The lead vocals from this track sung by Mika Viola (The Candy Butchers) who’s friends with songwriter and bassist, Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne). The song bears a heavy resemblance to the Beatles style featuring a heavy three clap rhythm throughout the song. This was a new discovery in my search for today’s theme.

My next pick I thought of straight off  Fever Peggy Lee. Something I learned is Lee’s rendition is basically rewritten lyrics and mewsic arrangement of Little Willie John’s original. Peggy’s version is the most famous (topped #5 on the charts; nominated in three different categories in the very first Grammy Awards in 1959) and became her signature song.

One of my favorite 60s dueling acts is Simon & Garfunkel.  Cecilia released in 1970 on their 5th album, Bridge Over Troubled Water. It was a hit single at number 4 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and topped the leaderboard of Cash Box Top 100.

During my digging I came across a song I hadn’t heard in forever and day,  King of the Road by Roger Miller.  Although Miller’s song released and hit it big (#1) in 1964 when I was much too young to remember the song, it was still quite popular toward the end of the decade and well into the early 70s. There have been a number of artists to cover this song since it’s debut.

My 7th track on my playlist released in 2016 by the indie pop band, Fitz and the Tantrums. HandClap did well in the USA placing on several charts but its best position was at #2 on Billboard Hot Rock Songs. 

I discovered The Cranberries about four years ago but the Irish rock band formed in 1989. In my defense, I was a mother of a toddler and a baby on the arrive.  When You’re Gone is a rock ballad that the group performed for the first time on their last leg of their US tour in 1994 (DS’s birth year) but the song recorded a few years later and hit 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

At the onset of Taylor Swift’s introduction to the world, I watched listened to her blossom in the mewsic industry. I love her uptemp 2014 #1 hit and the inspiration behind Shake It Off. The message basically conveys you can’t control what others say about you but you can control your actions and how you feel about yourself. Bravo Miss Swift!

My final song released in 2013 after six-month medical hiatus following hip surgery for Lady Gaga.  What I found not only funny but ignorant to is that some fans thought she was singing “applesauce” instead of Applause. The electropop singer admitted that it was the applause of her fans that kept her going during her pain and it’s a song not just for her but for anyone who wants to feel that way.

You’re invited to step onto the dance floor with me and my fellow dance partners but please keep in mind that many of my co-hostess are on the mend from surgeries or other medical problems.  They will do their best to boogie with you.  Now hit the beat with my peeps… XmasDolly (Party Coordinator), Stacy, Alana,  Colette, and Michele (October honorary co-host).  Remember, this is a mewsic hop, please link your direct mewsic post below.

[tweetthis]I’m boogieing to “handclapping, finger-snapping” song picks with the #MondaysMusicMovesMe gang. Come hit the dance floor! @xmasdolly [/tweetthis]

Click button to visit Mary. I’m joining her linky party!

Keep those tunes playing, your body swaying, and I’ll be boogieing over to see you soon.

McGuffy’s Reader is the brain-child behind “SPARKS” inspiration. We sure do miss you, McGuffy Ann!  Saying prayers all is well and sending ya hugs. 

Join me for over a cup of coffee tomorrow with Cathy Chats. Have a sparkletastic day! 😉

X💋X💋, Cathy

43 Comments

  • Stacy Uncorked

    October 14, 2018 at 12:01 am

    I love that we both chose Handclap by Fitz and the Tantrums – I almost chose the Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga songs, too! Two great minds! Great line-up as usual, Cathy! Thanks so much for the dance – and thanks for keeping the train moving smoothly! 🙂

  • Alana Mautone (@RamblinGarden)

    October 13, 2018 at 5:27 pm

    Nice list that made me think. The Wonders – I had never seen “That Thing You Do” and it has one of my favorite actors, Tom Hanks, so…one of these days. Cecelia – although I love love love Simon and Garfunkel, that’s one of their songs I was never able to get into, for some reason. The Cranberries – I discovered them too late because Dolores O’Riordan, their lead singer, passed away earlier this year – I discovered them listening to a cover of their song Zombie. O’Riordan was supposed to be the lead on the cover to be done by the band Band Wolves, but died just before the recording session was scheduled. So tragic (as is the subject matter of the song.) And Peggy Lee – that song is timeless.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 11, 2018 at 2:52 pm

      Lee,

      I was concerned from the beginning of how this battle went. It stayed heavy to one side before switching gears, just shows how these things can go sometimes.

  • G Dogg

    October 9, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    Chatty Cathy, I looked down your recent posts and selected the “read more” buttons and don’t see BOTB results. Of your choices, I like “Cecilia” the best. First thought – the Go Go’s “We Got The Beat.” Second thought, Richard Cheese’s “Friends,” third Sinatra’s “Nice N Easy” which is pretty cool. That’s enough, can’t think of anymore off the top of my head.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 10, 2018 at 4:30 am

      G Dogg,

      Thanks for mentioning a few song titles that fall in the theme. I’m going to have to scoot over to YT to listen to The Go Gos and Sinatra titles to jiggle my memory. It’s pre-coffee time as I reply this morning which I shouldn’t do but I’m heating DH’s breakfast so I have a few minutes to kill before he gets up. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

  • greyzoned/angelsbark

    October 8, 2018 at 11:18 pm

    Hi sweet Cathy!
    I read your comment on mine earlier and I had to laugh when I came over here: we sure did choose a lot of the same songs! haha. Even moreso, I ALMOST used Cecilia because that song evokes a great memory from the first time I heard it but I decided to save it for my other theme this month because it will also fit there. whew! 🙂
    Well hey, GREAT MINDS!

    I never heard of the Wonders, a fictional band. Was That Thing You Do a movie? I saw in the video Tom Hanks so I’m assuming it was a movie and the Wonders band is a focus of the film? I’ll have to go look it up. It’s a great song. But who really does it? Is it session musicians? It’s a mystery that I just must solve before I go to bed! 🙂

    That Cranberries song is really good. I’m not all that familiar with the band. I like their sound. So glad you included it.

    And I really love Lady Gaga “Applause”. I so appreciate her and her platforms and her empowering messaging. She’s the real deal. And I can’t wait to see her and Bradley Cooper in the new A Star is Born! I saw the Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson movie back in the 70s. Sooo good. I bet this new one is phenomenal too…

    Isn’t King of the Road fantastic?! As mentioned in my post, it was the very first song I thought of. I so remember hearing it when I was young and singing along to it, especially on car trips traveling from New York to Pennsylvania to spend time with my grandparents and aunts. And it definitely has wormed it’s way in because it’s all up in my head now. I can’t “shake it off”… Lol. I love that song too. Taylor Swift is another one, like Lady Gaga, that I have a lot of respect for. I admire her talent and the way she has built her career. She truly is self-made, writing her own lyrics and handling her own business all the way from when she first started out. She’s one smart cookie. Maybe not in the men department…but then a lot of us women have that affliction… 🙂

    Thanks for playing along with my theme. I hope you liked it and enjoyed putting your song list together. And thank you for doing such a great job while Marie has been out. You rock Sister! <3

    Michele at Angels Bark

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 9, 2018 at 6:12 am

      Michele,

      I knew if anyone would match me it would be you because you always do such an exhaustive job pulling together your marvelous playlists each week. “That Thing You Do” is a movie from 1996 starring Tom Hanks. I have not watched it but it could be a fun flick to see. The fictions singers did take lessons but in the film they actually mimed real mewsicians and as I mentioned Mika Viola a real life mewsician lent the vocals for the soundtrack. I think it’s a super catchy song and had I not read up on it would swear that it actually came straight out of the 60s. “King of the Road” is a furtastic song and is stuck in my brain!

      Thanks for coming up with such a gem of a theme! I’m happy to lend a helping hand to our gal and am glad to hear that I’m not slipping on the job or should I say stepping on any feet. lol Party on, my friend!

  • Brian

    October 8, 2018 at 7:17 pm

    Those were great! Hey, my Dad and Mom saw Hall & Oates in concert way back in the day, but they’re old so they’ve seen lots.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 9, 2018 at 6:14 am

      Brian,

      I’m not a concert goer but if I were then I’d like to have seen Hall & Oates on stage. They had such wonderful hits in the 80s. Yikes if Mom and Dad are old what does that make me? Don’t answer that, the mirror tells me all the time. 🙂

  • -Eugenia

    October 8, 2018 at 5:59 pm

    Hey, finger snapping friend, love your mewsic selection. Hubby and I partied at our favorite piano bar last Fri. and they played “King of the Road” – love that song.

  • XmasDolly

    October 8, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    Well you really didn’t think I’d stop by everyone and not stop here did you??? My half hour is up though so great job… HEY CATHY YOU’RE SO FINE YOU’RE SO FINE YOU BLOW MY MIND!!!! hehehehe love ya gal… BIG HUGS

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 8, 2018 at 5:52 pm

      Marie,

      You’re such a sweetheart but honestly, take care of everyone else first and if you have extra time to spend then boogie with me. I totally understand, trust me, I understand. Hugs to ya, girlie!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 8, 2018 at 12:25 pm

      John,

      I did stumble on Jody’s song and I could’ve sworn I’d shared this on my blog but I can’t find it to save my life; unless my blog isn’t indexing properly and I’m beginning to think something screwy is going on with it. Thanks for the YT share for those not familiar with her song.

        • Cathy Kennedy

          October 8, 2018 at 2:04 pm

          John,
          I might be remembering wrong. I know I was thinking about doing a BOTB with her against Roger but I must have changed my mind. I’m stills poking around on my blog to see if I’m over looking it. If I find it then I’ll let you know.

  • 15andmeowing

    October 8, 2018 at 7:38 am

    Great choices. I forgot about Private Eyes and the rest are new to me. Have a great week! Thanks for hosting. XO

  • DrillerAA

    October 8, 2018 at 7:35 am

    Since I’m two days older than dirt, most of my selections pre-date yours this week. I had completely forgotten abut Roger Miller and “King of the Road”…shame on me. The Dave Clark Five’s hit came in my senior year of high school and I actually went to one of their concerts…shame on me again. Nice collection of songs. Have a blessed week.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 8, 2018 at 9:37 am

      Driller,

      If you’re two days older than dirt, then what does that make me…two days younger than dirt? lol We’re only as old as we feel, right? I know the mirror always tells a different story, so I refuse to listen to it. I gaze at it and say, “You liar, you!” before turning my back on it and leave the room. 😀 Thanks for joining me on the dance floor for my mix of oldies, some older than others for sure, and new tunes!

  • Thomas Anderson

    October 8, 2018 at 7:13 am

    Cathy, please check your email. I cannot get my entire comment published using either of my accounts. See if you can publish it. Thank you, dear friend!

    Tom sent this via email…

    Hi, Cathy!

    I see there were several early bird (or night owl) readers that commented ahead of me this time. First I want to express happiness that your ears matched mine in the band battle and that the majority of the others also voted for Grover and Jean’s soulful, saxy rendition of “The Look Of Love.”

    I am astounded by your hand clap/finger snap playlist. Last evening during my workout I used the thirty minutes to think of your hop’s theme and make a mental list of clapping or finger snapping songs that I could identify off the top of my head without doing any research. The generation gap is indeed showing here because there is not one song on my list that is also on your list. Here are mine:

    • “The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)” – Shirley Ellis (1965)
    • “Snap Your Fingers” – Joe Henderson (1962)
    • “Finger Poppin’ Time” – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters (1960)
    • “Shake And Fingerpop” – Jr. Walker & The All Stars (1965)
    • “Clap For The Wolfman” – The Guess Who (1974)
    • “Eyes Without A Face” – Billy Idol (1984)
    • “Flesh For Fantasy” – Billy Idol (1984)

    On that last one by Billy Idol, “Flesh For Fantasy,” I checked the video to make sure. Several times during the song the backing dancers clap their hands against their butts. I checked with the judges and they say the song qualities for this hop because, when recorded in the studio, the sound was made by actual hand on hand clapping or by a machine that produces that sound. 🙂

    Great pick with Hall & Oates “Private Eyes”! I forgot all about the clapping sound in it. “Catch Us If You Can” is an oldie that didn’t come to my mind last night – great “catch”! Regardless of the Boomer band theme, I never got interested in the film That Thing You Do and I didn’t know that song by fictional 60s band The Wonders. Peggy Lee’s “Fever” is a classic in this category and I should have thought of it. “Fever” played heavily on the radio when I was a boy and I saw Peggy perform it live on several music variety TV shows. “Cecelia” is another song that should have popped into my mind last evening but it didn’t, perhaps because it is my least favorite S&G composition, one that I find annoying. “King Of The Road” is another famous finger snap song that should have entered my mind but didn’t. As usual my brain was tuned to R&B/soul and rock. I never heard of Fitz and the Tantrums. I love Lady Gaga and enjoyed “Applause.” Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” immediately reminded me of another one I missed that is also not on your list – another hand clap song. I think I will post the iconic video for you. It’s actress/singer/dancer Toni Basil with her chart topping 1982 new wave – bubblegum hit “Mickey.” In the official mewsic video you can see the cheerleaders clapping.

    Thank you very much for the mewsical claps and snaps, dear friend Cathy!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 8, 2018 at 9:13 am

      Tom,

      Thanks for bringing to my attention that you comment wouldn’t go through. I have no idea why that is especially since you were able to comment with a short response. I initially tried adding your response through the ‘Quick Edit’ feature but I got an error but I was able to use the ‘Edit’ feature to add it, though. Oh well…the good mews is it’s now here.

      At least you came up with a list of songs on your own. Me? Well, the only song that instantly came to mind is the children’s ditty, “If You’re Happy and You know it”. That certainly brings back sweet memories but I wanted to connect with mewsic from my from my early adult years. I was surprised by the number of songs featuring handclaps & finger snaps. How is it I couldn’t remember these but I didn’t. So, I’m very glad Michele threw this challenge our way today. Thanks for stepping onto the dance floor with me this morning, my friend.

      • Thomas Anderson

        October 8, 2018 at 9:44 am

        Hi again, Cathy! Thank you very much for helping me out with my comment. Here’s what I think happened. My comment got so long that, to play it safe, I copied and pasted it in a word document. It was early in the morning and sometimes when I am not fully awake I do something stupid and wind up losing a long comment before I can submit it. Anyway I wound up finishing my comment offline in word document then copied and pasted it in your comment form. That might have triggered your anti-spam technology and blocked me from publishing my comment. Either that or the “bullet points” I used on my song list might have been interpreted as spam. Even a link to a YouTube video is sometimes interpreted as spam. Whatever the case, I am very thankful that I didn’t need to write my comment over again from the beginning. The funny thing is that I used that same method to post my comment on Michele’s WordPress blog and had no problem doing so! The gremlins are out in force! 🙂

        • Cathy Kennedy

          October 8, 2018 at 10:05 am

          Tom,

          I don’t know what went wrong but if you got a 404 Page Not Found error then I’d have to wonder if my site has something wrong with it. I will look into this matter but at least we have a workaround for the moment. I found an article which points to my blog might be at fault, so let me double check my settings to see if I have something screwed up on my end. Thanks again for bringing this to my attention.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 8, 2018 at 4:49 am

      Red,

      Man, what a bummer my YT playlist won’t work in your country! These are all tunes you probably know, too. The good mews is you can see the ones I used just reading what I said about each below my playlist in case you want to search & boogie. 🙂 Thank you for trying to dance with me this morning. I’ll scoot over to see you visit you in a few seconds!

  • Michelle

    October 8, 2018 at 1:57 am

    I did not pick a single one of your songs. You have great selections as always. You have done a great job while Marie was on the mend. Kudos for the mewsic!
    Come by.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 8, 2018 at 4:52 am

      Michelle,

      Thankfully I’m not doing it alone while Marie recovers. The whole mewsic crew from hostesses to dancers are making this an easy and fun job but you’re very sweet to say so anyhow. I’m heading over to see you!

  • Mary B

    October 8, 2018 at 1:16 am

    Great selection! I had a really hard time coming up with something this week. It was truly challenging. So I’m really glad that the ones I did come up with were not on your list.

    Thank you again for joining in my RocktoberMusicFest. Looking forward to tomorrow’s selection.

    ~Mary

    • Cathy Kennedy

      October 8, 2018 at 4:58 am

      Mary,

      This was a hard mewsic challenge. Naturally, I turned to Google for suggestions. It was worried that I might not hear the hand claps or finger snaps in my songs discoveries but I believe I did detected in all. I’m glad you to be apart of your RocktoberMusicFest. Thanks for having me! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the dance floor with me, my dear!

  • Kim

    October 8, 2018 at 12:19 am

    Sweet, none of yours got repeated by me 🙂

    I enjoyed your selections this week and can’t wait to come back for your next battle!

    Kim

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