5 on Friday -- Set 264 -- International Day of Happiness Edition

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.

Today is the International Day of Happiness.

This is only the third annual celebration of this initiative, which seeks to balance the persistent drive to measure a nation's or a people's success in terms of economic output, with its citizens' sense of wellbeing.

One could be extremely jaded and point to a deep savings in national spending for such a measurement. After all, when a population is unhappy, there is more individual use of alcohol and recreational drugs, more medical costs to treat addiction and its ripple effects, more lost days at work, and if the unrest is at high levels, more risk for riots, which adds to spending on police forces and infrastructure rebuilding.

I feel that the International Day of Happiness is a combination of those factors as well as the real desire for nations to recognize that higher individual happiness leads to a higher-performing nation, overall.

You may have encountered this line of thinking in the corporate world already. A happier workforce, as it turns out, is far more energized and of course profitable.

  

This year, the Day of Happiness is looking to build "the world's happiest playlist". Here is my 5 on Friday contribution. All of the tracks remind me of a time in my life when things were hopeful, even when there were mountain-sized obstacles to climb.

1 - Quantum Utopia - Goran Bregovic featuring Eugene Hutz 

2 - All This Time - Sting 

3 - E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite 

4 - Temptation Waits - Garbage

5 - Bliss - Muse 

5 on Friday -- Set 259

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.

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day! 

1 - Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley 

2 - Somewhere in Your Heart - Frank Sinatra 

3 - Shape of My Heart - Sting 

4 - Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake - Kate Bush 

5 - Two Hearts - Bruce Springsteen 

5 on Friday -- Set 210

Five on Friday

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.

Hope you're having a lovely Valentine's Day!

This week's set will take a look at love... 

  

1 - The Look of Love -- Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66

2 - Night and Day -- Frank Sinatra

3 - You're the First, The Last, My Everything -- Barry White

4 - Until (from the Kate and Leopold soundtrack) -- Sting

5 - You Made Me So Very Happy -- Blood, Sweat and Tears

5 on Friday - Set 186

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's set was also prompted by Promises, Promises.

Last week I focused on the subject matter of the song. This week I'm revelling in the joy of complex time signatures. Promises, Promises gets a second play, as it's the launch pad once again.    

1 - Promises, Promises - Dionne Warwick  

This song alternates between 3/8 and 4/8. 

2 - Good Morning, Good Morning - The Beatles

This song uses 5/4 and 4/4, with 3/4 to transition between the two!

3 - Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel

This song uses 7/4 while moving into 4/4 at the end of each chorus.

4 - Seven Days - Sting

This song alternates between 3/4 and 2/4.

5 - First Circle - Pat Metheny Group

Hoo boy, do I love this one.

Here's a bit of conversation about it in the user comments on You Tube:

"Someone who has experience as a percussionist told me the time signature was 22/8." -- Mark

"It is. It's easier if you break it down into 12/8 and 10/8 though. Count 3+2+3+2+2 and 3+3+2+2." -- Alex

5 on Friday - Set 139

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.

Here at A Piece of My Mind the mists of October have rolled in, heralding the approach of Halloween and all that goes bump in the night.

This week's set looks skyward toward the moon. Will it shine brightly enough to illuminate those shadowy figures darting for cover? Will it stay in front of the clouds long enough for you to make your way to the safety of your door? 

1 - Blue Moon of Kentucky - Elvis Presley

2 - Harvest Moon - Neil Young

3 - Drunk on the Moon - Tom Waits

4 - Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

5 - Moon Over Bourbon Street - Sting

5 on Friday - Set 111

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.





As I work hard on the pre-production for my Scorpius book cover / book trailer shoot coming up next month, my thoughts went to Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms. Which led me to this week's set.

1 - Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits



2 - Wild Theme / Local Hero soundtrack - Mark Knopfler



3 - The Road / Cal soundtrack - Mark Knopfler



4 - Storybook Love / The Princess Bride soundtrack - Mark Knopfler featuring Willy DeVille



5 - Money for Nothing - Dire Straits featuring Sting

5 on Friday - Set 107

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.





Here's a tiny sampler of Sting-y goodness.

1 - In Darkness Let Me Dwell - with Edin Karamazov



2 - Spread a Little Happiness



3 - All This Time



4 - Fortress Around Your Heart



5 - A Thousand Years

5 on Friday - Set 104

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.





Thought I'd showcase some of my favorite Police tunes this week.

1 - I Burn For You



2 - Regatta de Blanc



3 - Every Little Thing She Does is Magic



4 - When the World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around



5 - The Bed's Too Big Without You

5 on Friday - Set 90

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.

Susan @ West of Mars has been hosting Rocktober over at her blog, so for this week's 5 on Friday I'm taking part in the festivities.

Celebrate the collision of music and books however you see fit says the All-Access Pass on her blog. Susan invites us to share fiction, biographies or non-fiction that celebrates rock 'n roll in all its glory throughout the month of October. I'm sneaking in at the tail end, but the party's still in full swing. Let's rock!

Two of my dear blog buddies and writer friends have published stories set in the world of rock.


















Wylie Kinson's Law of Averages tells the story of British rocker Gabriel Law, known as the Dark Angel of Rock, who needs to reconnect with his missing songwriting spark and books a vacation spot in Bermuda to regroup.

For this week's first track, Jim Morrison from The Doors will stand in for Wylie's Dark Angel of Rock.

1 - Strange Days - The Doors



Megan Frost, worn-to-a-frazzle restaurateur - is already at the double-booked vacation home. When the Dark Angel realizes she doesn't know who he is, he's in no hurry to sort out the confusion.

I think if Gabriel dedicated a song to Megan on an upcoming tour, it would be this one:

2 - Little Wing - Sting



Wylie is giving away a free copy of Don't Ask, Never Tell, an anthology which includes Law of Averages to one lucky commenter.


















Hostess for Rocktober herself, Susan Helene Gottfried's Trevor's Song follows the story of a rock band whose sarcastic bass player finds it hard to weather the change in band dynamics when his lifelong friend and the band's lead singer builds a future with his lady love - especially when a secret Trevor keeps makes a friend's support even more prized.

Standing in for Trevor's bass playing in this next track is Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler.

3 - Supernaut - Black Sabbath



ShapeShifter front man Mitchell Voss is the rock god whose change in life path sets Trevor's equilibrium on edge. Standing in for Mitchell is Led Zeppelin's Uber Rock God Robert Plant.

4 - Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin



To finish out the set, here is my salute to Wylie and Susan and their fictional rockers.











5 - Paperback Writer - The Beatles

5 on Friday - Set 15

My love of world music brings me to today's set.

I realize I've been drawn to the sounds of other cultures for my whole life. I adore listening to people speak in other languages - just adore it. That's why I can't bear to listen to an English-dubbed foreign film. No sir. No way, no how. I need to hear the original actor's voice, his emotions, his phrasing - everything.

When I was a kid and listened rapturously to my Nutcracker full-length album, I loved the Arabian dance and Russian dance best.

And so it goes. I'm constantly drawn to pop music collaborations with world music. For today's 5 on Friday, I'm featuring two songs that embrace India, one that reaches out to Bulgaria, one that joins with Algeria and one that melds a Latin feel with a Russian Gypsy traditional folk tune.

To check out more great tunes, drop by Travis' blog at Trav's Thoughts.

1 - Within You Without You - The Beatles

Try to realize it's all within yourself
No one else can make you change
And to see you're really only very small
And life flows on within you and without you

- George Harrison, 1967



2 - Rocket's Tail - Kate Bush with Trio Bulgarka

And dressed as a rocket on Waterloo Bridge
Nobody seems to see me
Then with the fuse in my hand
And now
Shooting into the night

And still as a rocket I land in the river
Was it me said you were crazy?

I put on my cloudiest suit
Size 5 lightening boots
Cause I am a rocket on fire
Look at me go with my tail on fire

- Kate Bush, 1989



3 - Desert Rose - Sting with Cheb Mami

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love

- Sting, 1999



4 - La Isla Bonita / Lela Pala Tute - Madonna with Eugene Hutz and Sergey Ryabtsev from Gogol Bordello

I want to be
Where the sun warms the sky
When it's time for siesta
You can watch them go by

Beautiful faces
No cares in this world
Where a girl loves a boy
And a boy loves a girl

- Bruce Gaitsch/Madonna/Patrick Leonard/Susan Leonard, 1987
- performed at Live Earth, 2007

Lela lela lela
Lela pala tute
Giascanamés
Del balla late

Lela lela lela
Lela pala tute
Jas kana medess
Medess anda latay

Translation:

Get her, get her, get her
Get her for yourself

And then, when you die
You'll die for her

- Traditional Gypsy song, performed at Live Earth, 2007



5 - Chiggy Wiggy - Kylie Minogue with Akshay Kumar

Every man who ever sees me
Wants to hold my hand
And be the one to get me
To say, oh, I do

They swear eternal undying devotion
Yes, they swear that they will
Love me forever, love me true

But I don't need a shining star
And I don't want to be rescued
No, neither frog nor charming prince
Nor my summers barbequed

- Abbas Tyrewala, 2009



Naquility says Before hearing Chiggy Wiggy by Kylie Minogue I was going to say Desert Rose was my favorite of the five here. Can't say that now. I love Chiggy Wiggy.