Good morning, Kittens and Dawgs! It’s fabulous to see you! This week Joyce from Catch My Words is our Spotlight Dancer and she had the privilege of submitting a “Happy Birthday” theme to honor her daughter, Erika, on her 25th birthday. Let’s get this party on the road! Are you ready to groove to some mewsic?
I’m not in to astrology but I find the information sort of fun and since I’m looking for inspiration to honor the birthday girl that’s what I’m doin’ now, pulling out my creativity of sorts. Erika you’re born under the Aquarius sign making you an intelligent and creative gal inspiring me to send you warm wishes today with these song picks on your special day.
- “Age of Aquarius” written in 1967 for the Broadway mewsical, Hair and released by the American R&B group, The 5th Dimension. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles charts for 6-six weeks in 1969. The lyrics based on the astrology beliefs that the world would be entering an age of love, light, and humanity “Age of Aquarius”. Wikipedia reports Neil Spencer denounces the lyrics, when the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars as astrological gibberish because Jupiter aligns with Mars several times each year and the moon is in the 7th House two hours every day. He believes the words are merely a poetic expression and not some sort of prophecy. Interestingly, the “Age of Aquarius” presumably would take place at the end of the 20th century but Astrologers widely disagree, somewhere between the years 2062 – 2680, when this will occur. At the earliest possible date most of us won’t be here to see the “Age of Aquarius”.
- “ABC” released in 1970, taking the number one spot on the charts away from the Beatles’ “Let It Be” recorded by Motown pop artist group formed by brothers known as The Jackson 5. It became the bands’ signature song. Did you know this is one of the shortest song titles to hit #1?
- “Just My Imagination” Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong penned the words for this 1971 #1 hit for The Temptations. It tells a story of a guy who’s madly in love with a girl he sees from a far who doesn’t know he exists and imagines his life with her.
- “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” sounds like Huey Lewis & the News but actually released by Timbuk 3 in 1986. It’s the only mainstream hit by the group, peaking No. 19 in the US and it’s a new-to-me tune. I like the uptemp composition and the positive flow of the lyrics. Listeners heard this song as “graduation theme” but songwriter, Pat McDonald debunks the positive message with a gloomier picture of the author’s intent. I prefer to think happy thoughts, thank you and will keep that in mind when I listen to this song. Hopefully, you will, too!
- “Sayonara Aquarius” released in 2015 from Album the Third by Lars Sorensen is a piano arrangement. I don’t know much about the artist or the song but I think it’s very lovely.
- “Dream Weaver” written and released by American singer Gary Wright in December 1975; it peaked #2 in the US while reaching the top of the Cash Box charts. Songfacts reports when asked about the meaning of this song, Wright responsd… I really wasn’t sure myself and would answer ‘it was about a kind of fantasy experience… a Dream Weaver train taking you through the cosmos.’ But I was never satisfied with that explanation, and as years went by I began to reflect on what the song actually meant and then it came to me: ‘Dream Weaver, I believe you can get me through the night…’ was a song about someone with infinite compassion and love carrying us through the night of our trials and suffering. None other than God Himself.
- “Rainbow Connection” Paul Williams and Kennth Ascher wrote this song for the 1979 The Muppet Movie and sung by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson). This song stayed in the top 40s for several weeks. Who’d believe a frog would make the Billboard charts? I guess there’s hope for me yet. Anywho, Williams and Ascher won Best Original Song at the 52nd Academy Awards. The American Film Institute named this as the 74th greatest movie song of all times and I’d have to agree it is one of the best. This song drives some to do the craziest things for instance in 1996, a young New Zealand man burst into a radio station taking the manager hostage and demanded Kermit’s “Rainbow Connection” be played.
- “Weird Science” is the theme song for the 1986 movie written and sung by Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo) and released on the films’ soundtrack. I recall going to the theatre to see the flick and totally forgot about this sung until several years ago when it surfaced on a fellow blogger’s site. The song was #45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #21 on the US Dance Club charts. I get a chuckle every time I hear this song and think about the scene of those two crazy high school boys inventing a beautiful woman.
- “Daydream Believer” written by John Stewart shortly after leaving the Kingston Trio and recorded (1967) by The Monkees lead singer Davy Jones. It was the last number one US hit for the band and perhaps one of my favorites by the group. I loved watching the Saturday morning sitcom! It was a silly show with a lot of groovy mewsic.
- “Aquarius Star Sign” This is a clever little ditto of characteristic traits of an Aquarius by Just Peachey. I couldn’t resist including this in Erika’s birthday tune mix.
- “Classical Music for Brain Power Mozart Effect” People born under the Aquarius sign are supposedly intelligent and while there is no scientific proof, studies indicate that listening to classical mewsic stimulates short-term improvement in certain mental tasks called the Mozart Effect. What a better way to round out this playlist but with an hour plus of beautiful, mind enriching Mozart compositions by Halidon Music.
Please read….This is a weekly hop for mewsic enthusiasts regardless if you follow our weekly theme if you have tunes to share then we’re ready to dance with you. Otherwise, I ask that you do not link non-related posts below to boost traffic to your site. You’re welcome to leave your URL in comments with a brief description inviting me (and others) to check it out. Thank you!
I invite you step on the floor with my dance partners: XmasDolly, Stacy, & Colette!
What music moves you today? I’m sure many of you know but if you don’t this isn’t Audrey Hepburn. I liked the image so I borrowed the quote from Brainy Quote to add to the picture to create today’s inspirational meme contribution. 😉
I invite you to plug-in with the “Sparks” community hosted by good pal, Annie at McGuffy’s Reader where you can energize your soul and make the world a little better with sparks of encouragement. Let’s make the world a nice r place starting with onself and passing it on! 😉
Keep those tunes playing and your body swaying, I’ll see ya around the cyber block! Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for another issuse of “Get to Know Me 2018” on Cathy Chats!
