5 on Friday -- Set 291

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

This year I've been taking a once-a-month look at specific instruments and showcasing five songs or tunes which place that instrument front and center.

This year's feature is called Spotlight On...

...and for our eleventh installment, let's continue our look at tonal complexity by the addition of a horn section. Horns have traditionally heralded ceremonies and carry with them an association with celebration.  

We began the year listening to the primal body instruments of hand-clapping, whistling and vocal harmonies.

Moving on, we explored percussion with April's look at drums, May's look at the vibraphone or vibes, June's look at piano, and wrapping things up with cowbell in July.

In August I trained the spotlight on a favorite of mine, the bass guitar. In September we gave the stage over to that diva of instruments -- the lead guitar.

In October, I moved from stringed guitars to orchestral strings.

This month, the spotlight's on five songs where the horn arrangements are the prominent feature.

1 - The Cup of Life - Ricky Martin - 1998

2 - One Fine Morning - Lighthouse -1971

3 - September - Earth, Wind and Fire - 1978

4 - 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago - 1970

5 - Go Down Gamblin - Blood, Sweat and Tears - 1971

5 on Friday -- Set 209

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

It's February, and time for my newest feature for 5 on Friday -- The Hit Makers.

Once a month I'm going to feature the songs that launched careers. I'll be looking at different musical styles and the groups or singers from those styles who I love the best.

This month, let's get our groove on with funk. 

  

1 - I Got You (I Feel Good) -- James Brown -- 1965

James Brown is credited with actually starting the new genre of funk with this tune.

2 - Everyday People -- Sly and the Family Stone -- 1968

This group is much funkier than this song. Yet it was their big-selling hit which brought them to the greatest public attention. 

3 - I Can't Get Next to You -- The Temptations -- 1969

Although The Temptations were already a success in the rhythm-and-blues and soul categories, this song launched them as funk artists with a change in line-up and a new producer.

4 - Move On Up -- Curtis Mayfield -- 1971

An innovative Renaissance man, Mayfield was a soundtrack composer (Super Fly,) a multi-instrumentalist and a civil rights activist. 

5 - Shining Star -- Earth, Wind and Fire -- 1974

This song is the funkiest song in the set, as by 1974 the public appetite for true funk had warmed to a song like Shining Star.

5 on Friday - Set 173

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

My writers' group wraps up its winter/spring session with an all-day June workshop this Saturday, and I'll be co-presenting the first workshop along with a local Halifax actress I met at the Women Making Waves film conference in March -- Kirstin Howell. We'll be talking about which sorts of character-finding methods actors reach for in their technique toolboxes.

Our group is completely giddy to be meeting one of our long-distance members in person. Kate Robbins lives in Newfoundland and has joined our online email loop, has attended a few sessions via Skype and regularly interacts with us on our Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada Facebook page, as well as on our individual pages.

There will be a meet-Kate Friday evening dinner, a lunch break during the all-day session, and a Saturday evening dinner, with much laughter, conversation and wine-drinking anticipated.

So this week I'm celebrating friends.  

1 - Moy Drug (My Friend) - Igor Krutoy and Igor Nikolaev

This video is made from clips of the Russian historical series I fell in love with last year, Bednaya Nastya. It features besties Baron Vladimir Korf and Prince Mikhail (Misha) Repnin, played by Daniil Strakhov and Pyotr Krasilov.

Frequent visitors to my blog will know that the hunky Russian (dark-haired Daniil Strakhov) is the model for my captain of the guard character in Book 2 of my Dragonsfyre series, currently very, very close to being delivered to the first wave of critique readers.

Translation:

My Friend

How many people I've met in my life

How many guests I've let into my heart

How many times I have mistaken them

It didn't bring anything good

But it has happened so

That I withstood the attacks

And God gave me

My good friends

My friend, please forgive me

For everything we had to go through

My friend, at the twist of my days

I see clearer and clearer who is my real friend

A friend isn't someone

Who is valiant when sitting at the table

When drinking somebody's health

A friend wouldn't shout, "Bottom's up!"

A friend will sense

That it grew cold for you on this earth

And he will warm you

Without the wine

2 - I'll Stand By You - The Pretenders

3 - Reach Out (I'll Be There) - The Four Tops

4 -Shining Star - Earth, Wind and Fire

5 - Shout - The Isley Brothers

5 on Friday - Set 154

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

This week, it's time to get your groove on. Let's get funky.

1 - Funkytown - Lipps Inc.

I'm including a few disco tracks in this set, because disco is basically a popular off-shoot of hard-core funk.

2 -Love Rollercoaster - The Ohio Players



3 -Boogie Wonderland - Earth Wind and Fire featuring The Emotions

This one first appeared on 5 on Friday in Set 106 in February of 2012.

4 - Brick House - The Commodores

5 - Tower of Power - Loves to Do It

5 on Friday - Set 106

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

Jamie at Durward Discussion posted an interesting set a few weeks ago, prompted by a radio piece that talked about favorite musical memories from the formative 13-16-year age range.

A person's first forays into establishing his or her own cultural likes and dislikes coincides with this age. It isn't hard to see that my passion for dance drew me to dance music as a teeny bopper.

1977


















Check out my awesome homemade Roller gear.

1 - You Made Me Believe in Magic - Bay City Rollers



As much as that 13-year-old me dreamed of meeting my heart throb crush, Leslie McKeown, I never could have imagined that one day I would meet him.














That's just craziness.

But that's Les right there with my sister, myself and my cousin.

1978

Woo hoo! 14 years old and developing a major thing for Barry Gibb. I swear to you - just watching the way he moves ignites all of the best things about being a chick for me.

2 - Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees

CLICK HERE to watch the video













1979

Always loved the driving bass line in this song, little suspecting that in a few short years I would be going out with a bass player. At 15 I was drawn to Rod Stewart's delivery of these let's-not-mince-words lyrics.

3 - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? - Rod Stewart



4 - Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind & Fire

The intense joy that dancing brought me made this song a sort of precursor to the inner rave experience for me.



1980

16 and hanging out with my high school choir gang, going out with my first boyfriend and figuring it all out with my cousin Julianne, my sister Michelle, and most especially with my best friend Connie.

With this particular song, my cousin - who later became a club DJ in university days - used to replay the opening 'ba-DOOM-boom' notes over and over again until we were in hysterics.

5 - Ladies Night - Kool and the Gang