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21st century music that may not be widely known to some MLT club members
I think that it is common knowledge that the twins love the music of the sixties and in particular the Beatles but are not wildly enamoured of the majority of current day music, so I thought that it might be interesting to shine the spotlight very briefly, on here, on the music of 21st century artists who may have only had hit singles one side of the Atlantic or who maybe haven’t yet achieved singles chart success either side of the pond. Who knows, many of us (maybe even including Mona and Lisa) may, in this way, find a new artist or two that we might like!
So, the idea is just for each poster on this thread to briefly mention the 21st artist that they like and post a video or two of their music. Then another poster can do the same with an artist that he or she likes and we might end up with some “new” singers or groups to like. That’s the plan, anyway. What could possibly go wrong?!!!
I’ve got a few in mind, but I’ll kick off, quite aptly, with a duo consisting of twin sisters from the south of England who, coincidentally, were born in the same year as Mona and Lisa. They are known as Ward Thomas (which is their actual surname) and they write all or most of their own work. I first heard them on the radio a few years ago and quite like what I heard. They’ve now released 5 albums and a number of singles but have only had 2 singles charting in the Scottish (!) charts.
These are 2 songs of theirs that are my favourites:
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140 Replies
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I enjoy the music of the late Amy Winehouse , local Ottawa area singer named Gin Bourgeois formerly of the band ” Le Meow ” another local Ottawa singer musician ( now living in USA as her hubby is from USA ) -April Verch, and my fave Canadian band though not exactly 21 st century but certainly still rockin – n- rolling in 21st century — Glass Tiger …. as I’ve mentioned previous , the new music landscape in most genres do not interest me, and/or not particularly keen on …. but whom I mentioned outside Team MLT, I do enjoy the music of …. Kelly Prescott –country music , her Mom was part of a famous local country band that had their own TV show — Family Brown– back in the day …
I’ve not posted YouTube links on here because, awhile ago, there were issues concerning the website when too many YouTube links were being posted and/or some other issues so, instead I just listed in my commentary here , hope that’s okay …. there’s probably a few more I could list, but whom I mentioned here in my reply are whom came off top of my head …. There are still old school bands/singer’s who still perform and I may/may not like their newer stuff……🤘🏻☮️
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Thanks for your post, Jacki.
I have briefly checked out the acts that you mention (apart from Amy WInehouse who I know well and love too!) and I may explore Gin Bourgeois and Kelly Prescott further.
I note your comment about youtube postings, but there seem to have been quite a few on here receently, apparently without any issues, so unless the girls or Michaela advise us to stop posting them, I think that will continue to post them where it’s helpful.
Moving on to my next offering now, I quite like the music of a young British singer/songwriter by the name of Emily Burns. Coincidentally again, she was born in the same year as Mona and Lisa and I first came across her work a few years ago when I heard Is It Just Me? on the radio, which I thought was excellent. See what you think (small warning: the F word is used once near the end of the song):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltZ2bP9GLKM
And this one is a more up-tempo song of hers:
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Hi Paul
I have found a lot of great bands and solo artists in the last few years. Problem is you have to dig for ones you really like because they are not getting played on radio or TV or being promoted by major music outlets. You have to go down rabbit holes on YouTube and sometimes at 2:00 in the morning you come across a great band you’ve never heard of. Kind of like how I found the MonaLisa Twins. I always liked the good old Rock n Roll so it’s even harder to find any new good stuff. That love for rock n roll eventually led me to the Cavern Club videos and I was instantly hooked on MLT. My favorite new band before I found MLT was a rockabilly band from Finland called the Relax Trio. Even though I don’t understand all the vocals I love the beat and the energy and the unique voice of the singer and bass player, Linda Teranen. I think this is their only song that has more than a million YouTube views. A song called You Drive Me Nuts.
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Hi Tim,
I thoroughly agree with you that you really have to dig around for singers/groups that you might like nowadays although occasionally a radio station that I listen to has played a song by a previously unknown artist that I like, but it tends to be once in a blue moon these days. So youtube definitely is your friend in that regard.
I liked that clip that you posted and it’s interesting to see a double bass being used, which tends to be a rare occurrence these days. The last group that I recall regualrly using one was The Seekers, well over 50 years ago!
I’d next like to mention a “band” that I have now seen 4 or 5 times and they’re always very enjoyable (IMO). They are a group of ukulele players who cover well-known songs or music from films, but always add in a bit of humour. They’re known as the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) and the first video is their version of The God, The Bad and The Ugly. The “incident” at 3.40 always amuses me!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLgJ7pk0X-s
The next one is their recording, during one of the Covid lock-downs in the UK, of The Cure’s Lovecats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqbmZhd1ZFo
And, as a small bonus, a joke-off between two band members:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUZoygKH7RE
I would add, that the UOGB do perform in the US as well and, having just checked their website, they are curently doing concerts there for anyone who may be interested.
youtube.com
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Ukes perform Ennio Morricone's classic, from the DVD 'Anarchy in the Ukulele'. Another upload of exactly this clip received over 2 million views, but was...
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Thanks Paul,
I really enjoyed those clips. I’m an old Rock n Roll fan but I really like any good entertainers, especially when a little humor is part of their act. I like western movies too so I am familiar with the Good, Bad and the Ugly theme. It really sounds good on ukuleles. I’m not familiar with the other theme but it was entertaining. They must have filmed that all separately during the lockdown and had someone put it together. Very nice job, even the cat and dog got in on the act.
I liked the joke segment too. Nothing better than corny jokes. The only one I’ve heard before was the one about the pirate turning 80. Mona told that joke during the Christmas Livestream, Lol. I’m going to use the one about the I.Q test coming back negative, that’s funny. If you like corny jokes look up clips from the old American TV show called Hee Haw. Maybe I’ll find a clip to share.
Here’s an Australian band I found on YouTube a while back called the Waifs that have been around for quite a few years but I only became aware of them recently. Maybe some of the Aussie club members know about them. I really like their energy and no this isn’t the Ozzy Osbourne “Crazy Train” but I do like that one too.
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Hi again Tim,
Really pleased that you liked the videos I posted on UOGB. They really are a great act to go and see live, with all the banter between songs to boot! To clarify, the second clip is not film theme music, but it is a cover of a single by the English rock band The Cure that charted in the 1980s. I’m sure you’re right about the filming of that clip; whoever put the end result together did a very nice job!
Glad that you enjoyed the jokes too – just my sort of humour, sadly! I’ll definitely look up Hee Haw at your recommendation. I liked your YouTube video of the Waifs too. I’d never heard of them previously, but they look a very good band.
My next 21st century artist is quite hard to pinhole into one genre, as I would say that she can be a mixture of jazz, pop, Latin and sometimes hip hop. I discovered her by chance a few years ago and she has become one of my favourite artists who has achieved some chart success in various European countries. She has not charted in the US, so I suspect that she is barely known there, but Bud (a US member on here) knows and likes her. She is Dutch and her real name is Carolina Esmeralda van der Leeuw but she was generally known, until recently, as Caro Emerald. I like her not only because of her music but also in view of her stage presence, which she has in abundance. The Caro Emerald “project”, as she calls it, is currently dormant as she is now onto her next project “The Jordan”.
Anyway, here are a couple of Caro Emerald songs that made the lower reaches of the British charts earlier this century:
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Paul,
YEAH! That’s a very good group, & that trumpet player does play some excellent solos! Collectively, they have kind of a Gypsy Jazz feel to it at times! — Bud
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Bud,
Yes, she certainly had an excellent band together for her songs. I believe that they were all Dutch, but I wouldn’t swear to it.
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Hi Paul, I never heard of Caro Emerald before but I enjoyed that. She has a very strong stage presence and her band is very entertaining as well. Looks like they are having fun, thanks for sharing those videos.
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Pleased that you enjoyed her, Tim. I’m biased because she’s one of my favourite acts, but I think that she’s great, as is her band. If you want to explore her more, I would highly recommend both of her albums Deleted Scenes From the Cutting Room Floor and The Shocking Miss Emerald. You can find all of her songs on YouTube but the singles from these 2 albums (other than the 2 songs already posted) are: Back It Up, That Man, Stuck, Riviera Life and Tangled Up, but I love most of the songs on her albums. YouTube also has her covers of La Isla Bonita, All About That Bass, You Don’t Own Me and others. Enjoy!
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Thanks Paul, I will check out some of her other videos. I don’t know if you have heard of Reina Del Cid but she is a young artist originally from Fargo North Dakota U.S.A. that has a popular YouTube channel. She is a singer songwriter that covers a lot of classic tunes. She now uses her given name of Elle (Rochelle) Cordova and partners with her friend Toni Lindgren from Fon Du Lac Wisconsin. They often collaborate with other YouTube artists like Joshua Turner and Carson McKee. They are all good to listen to individually too. I have shared some of their videos before and I know there are a few club members who have listed Reina and Josh Turner as favorites. I discovered them during the pandemic and they did a livestream every Sunday morning. I think that really helped grow their YouTube channel and helped them become well known. I still enjoy listening to them. Here is their latest video that hopefully Billy Joel fans will like and may even strike home with a certain pair of twins.
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I enjoyed that, Tim. Thanks for posting. I wouldn’t have known that it was a Billy Joel song, though, as I’d never heard it before. My favourite of his has always been Allentown. Nice outtake at the end too!
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I liked Caro Emerald too.
Since we all have a gene for music, I’ve often wondered what other people are listening to, so I find these songs very interesting. I had to look this one up to see it’s a concert from the middle of Hungary. Good size crowd too. And you’re right, I’d never heard of her before.
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Thanks for enlightening me, Chris. I hadn’t realised that the concert was in Hungary.
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Gal can really honk on that harp! Nice to see there’s still groups out there that can still make great “train” sounds with music. Reminds me a lot of early Alabama stuff.
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Hey Paul,
I really enjoyed the Ukulele group’s two pieces here! And the Joke Off was good too!
Once when I was teaching High School Band, we had a guest Uke group visit our class & play for us, & they were good! I think they were from a College in B.C. (British Columbia, Canada,) doing a little tour.They weren’t quite as good as this group here, but it was refreshing hearing a group like that!
THANKS! — Bud
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Tim,
This isn’t something one would expect from Finland, but it shows how International Music is today! A very good group, & I liked seeing the lead female vocal playing upright bass too! — Bud
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To Paul et al,
Here are two groups today that I really like! I met Grace and saw her live, & she is amazing! I also really dig this New Orleans group. They have a wonderful ensemble sound, along with great collective improvisation and solos!
GRACE KELLY GO TiME: Fish & Chips Feat. Leo P #2Saxy (youtube.com)
Tuba Skinny – Jubilee Stomp – Royal Street I (youtube.com)
I just found a shorter version of the last one with solo transcriptions!
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Bud,
Grace and Leo certainly are great instrumentalists and know how to put on a performance!
My next offering is the English singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who will be well-known to most Brits and some Europeans as she’s had quite a successful singles chart history since the turn of the century, but she has not achieved similar success in the States.
She’s a bit of a mixture of pop, disco and electronic music but has a really distinctive voice. She first hit the charts (making no. 1 in the UK) when she collaborated with Italian DJ Spiller as the featured artist on a song called Groovejet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-XjUHr3hzU
And, always being a sucker for a beautiful ballad, there follows perhaps my favourite single of hers, which appears to have been her last chart success in 2013, Young Blood:
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Hi Paul,
Thanks so much for your comments and videos! I do like Sophie’s voice, & she definitely has some talent & I wish her success! I’m sorry to say this, & this is just my opinion, but I tend to not go so much for pop tunes such as these. I often check out what’s current & then I usually go back to some of my favorite music, & I’m really picky about what I listen to. But that said, I have a huge variety that I enjoy, & I frequently add on new musicians/singers to my list that I’ve never heard before.
Here’s an example of what I consider to be a great Pop Ballad arrangement. It was recorded about 50 years ago, but listen to how the singer really personalizes the phrasing, making you feel she’s singing to YOU only. You can feel the beauty & pain in her voice at the same time. (It’s Bonnie Bowden, with Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’77.) The arrangement is so good that every nuanced phrase from the strings, trumpets, flutes, bass, & percussion comes through with so much feeling! Then the simple but beautiful Synth keyboard solo by Sergio is just right! Every part of the arrangement is different, meaningful & propels the piece forward. It takes the right technique to make a Ballad interesting, & collectively, everyone does that here! And Bonnie has so much control & style in her singing! This is one of many albums that I’ve listened to over and over! The whole record is interesting & draws in the listener.
Here’s the same group but with different singers, from the late ’60’s, doing a Lennon/McCartney song! They completely change the beat, overall feel & the arrangement & make it their own.
I saw this same group in 1969, then didn’t see them again ’til the late 90’s. I’ve seen them live a bunch of times since then. The next time will be in October! Sergio has been going strong since the late ’50’s! I will see Lani Hall again in August with her husband Herb Alpert. She is the brunette singer in “Fool on the Hill.” I’ve spoken to her & she’s very nice!Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – The Fool On The Hill (1968) – YouTube
Overall, my feeling is that there are many good singers out there today, but the song choices & arrangements leave much to be desired. That’s why I appreciate Mona, Lisa & Rudi so much, because they have a very good musical sense about everything!
PLEASE don’t take my comments negatively! I try to check out most of the comments & videos from the MLT site, & there are many good ones! — THANKS AGAIN! — Bud
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Hey Bud,
No offence taken at any of your comments. We all have different likes and dislikes in music and, when I started this thread, I didn’t expect anybody to like all of my suggestions. In fact, I’m pleased that I’ve got any “hits” at all! If pop isn’t your thing, then no worries and I don’t blame you for being picky in your choices. The whole idea of this thread is for people to try and end up with one or two new 21st artists that they might like (even if it’s not as much as artists from other decades that they might already like). If that objective isn’t met, then hey ho, life goes on!
I must say that I REALLY like the Bonnie Bowden version of This Masquerade – absolutely fantastic, and I’ll certainly explore her some more on YouTube. The Carpenters (one of my all-time favourites) did a very good version of this song, but I suspect that you may already know this.
As for the Sergio Mendes at al version of The Fool On The Hill, I get the distinct impression that I’ve heard this before, but that too is excellent.
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Duplicate post! Can’t be deleted for some reason.
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Hello again Paul,
I thought you might enjoy this new interpretation of “COME TOGETHER” that Grace Kelly did 4 years ago. It’s a Jazz/Rock/Electro/Fusion version that is very interesting! Of course, I still Love the Beatles original version! AND I also love this completely different interpretation of this very cool Beatles’ song!
— Bud
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Thanks for posting, Bud. Grace and her band are clearly wonderful instrumentalists. Nice idea to get the audience to do the singing!!
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Hi Pete,
I do like these two song versions, & the street scenes where they were videoed! They must have used a previous recording in order to not have street/people noises, but that’s OK! That guitar player is SO good, that he must have started very young, practiced a ton, & had a strong talent & desire to play! Nice singing too!
Here’s another street group you might like called “Perkelt.” They’re from the Czech Republic, & have been based in London since I believe the early 2000’s. They call themselves a “Pagan Speed Folk Band,” & do updated versions of Medieval Music.
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Hi Bud–glad you like them. They are woefully unheard of and underappreciated nearly everywhere and I, like other fans, do try to Spread The Word. They are in the position the Twins were some years ago, slowly climbing the ladder. Several times now they have demonstrated their musical process. One at a time, the four, or five sometimes, step up to <the> microphone in the ‘studio’ which is about the size of my bathroom and sing/play their part. Andrei (big hair) and Robert are both computer science students at one of the local universities and they then approach a bank of equipment and meld the four-five tracks together so that everything happens at the proper times. The result is then transferred to a boombox and they head out to find a location. The boombox is set on the ground for the photographer to trip over and off they go. Lots of edits for when they bump into one another swaying around and, since all the women are very attractive partly due to being an average of age 18, there’s lots of people coming up into the filming field of view to try and clap hands, chat, hug, shake hands, etc. They really sing/play, just with mics off, so as to make it more authentic-looking. Andrei won a big award for his playing–Kids Got Talent or something like that, back when he was <ten>, before any English, before anything like this. I just love to see people who, like the Twins, simply have talent without artificiality.
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PerKelt sound very good!
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I wrote a whole bunch and posted that vid showing Maria at present playing the double bass with ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ and every word disappeared! Not going to repeat it all. But here’s a group which regularly uses that big bass. Enjoy!
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Pete,
I’ve had that happen to me too — several times! But someone in the MLT Club told me how to save my work. (I think it was Jung & Chris who helped!) Often, if you just touch something the wrong way, ALL your typed work will go away. That is VERY discouraging!
To get it back, go to the place of the person you were commenting on, & click on “Reply” again. Your essay will usually come up again, & you can finish it up.
I hope that helps! — Bud
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And what the hay, here’s more double bass from two years ago and this time you can actually hear it. Plus a brief touristy look at their surroundings. And simple words, so as not to strain their English! The lead is then age-17 Beatrice, whose name is of course pronounced ‘Batteries’, with then age-16 Giulia on her left. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na5EcmFXYew
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Pete, Paul & Bud
I like the vids with the double bass. I got on a rockabilly kick a couple years ago and really like the simple line up of guitar, a basic drum kit and the double bass. It turns out the rockabilly scene is very popular in Europe and the U.K. as classic rockabilly artists like Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran loved playing there and were always well received. I found a few good young bands I liked including the Relax Trio from Finland which I shared. They have a lot of great videos on YouTube. Another group I really like are called The Discoveries from Derbyshire in the U.K., The Discoveries are Paul Willmott on guitar and Donna Meszar on the double bass. They got married not long ago and have not uploaded any videos in a while so I hope they are still playing music. They are both very talented. The drummer’s name is Andy Carruthers who plays for a band called Black Cat Trio. From what I know, Donna and Paul were taught a lot from the guys in Black Cat Trio.
I shared a video of them in a different forum post so I hope it’s not the same one but here’s Donna, Paul and Andy playing All Messed Up And Down
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Here’s another video featuring Donna Meszar of The Discoveries playing with the Black Cat Trio. I believe Donna was taught how to play bass by Bob Mayson (guitar player on the right). You got to love a cute, casually dressed young girl playing a bass with a skull mounted on the bridge, Lol.
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and one more of young Donna learning the bass with Alan and Bob of the Black Cat Trio. She is so cute but a real beast on the big bass.
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Thanks for those, Tim. Donna has certainly mastered the art of playing that double bass of hers!
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Next up from me is an Irish folk rock/pop family band, consisting of 3 ladies and their brother. They’ve had a number of hit singles in the UK and Europe dating back to 1995, but appear to have only had 2 small hit singles in the US, so I suspect (although I’m not sure) that they are not that well known in the States (apologies if they are, though!).
The band is called the Corrs and here is one of their early charting singles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP4Cq3VTagU
And this is a more recent single (which only charted in 2 European countries), the cover of a Phil Lynott song, which is one of my favourites of theirs:
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Paul,
HEY! I really enjoyed these, especially the 2nd one! Very nice arrangement, & what? A Piccolo Trumpet solo? Great to see that same type of instrument as used by Dave Mason in “Penny Lane!” I like this group you posted! Great vocal sound, & very interesting arrangement!
Paul McCartney really liked the high trumpet sound in a symphonic group that he heard on TV.
So he got George Martin to find a piccolo trumpet player to play a solo on “Penny Lane!”
Here’s an interview about that. — Bud -
Paul et al,
I’ve been posting a lot this week because I’m on Spring Break from teaching Music. But tomorrow I go back to work, & I’ve got to get back to my practicing for me, & planning for school. I’ll be mostly out of the loop on all the conversations going on here!
Take care everyone! — Bud J.
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I wasn’t sure what type of trumpet it was, Bud, so thanks for enlightening me!
I liked the chat with the trumpet player, especially the bit where he said that he thought the Beatles were in fancy dress!😆
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Paul, I’m an American who’s familiar with the Corrs. I saw them on Saturday Night Live in 1999 singing So Young and What Can I Do. I was so impressed with both songs that I went out and bought their Talk on Corners album, which is still the most recent album (other than MLT’s stuff, of course) that I’ve purchased.
The things that impressed me about them as I watched them on TV were pretty much the same things that drew me to MLT: they were a family group, they looked like they enjoyed performing, and they played some instruments other than guitars and drums.
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Glad that you like the Corrs, David. I tend to agree with your reasons for liking them, especially the bit about playing instruments other than guitars and drums. For some reason, I often like other stringed instruments on songs, such as violins or cellos, which partly explains why I love ELO so much.
Did you know that at the end of last year, The Corrs recorded Everywhere, Little Lies and Songbird in honour of the late Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac, and those tracks now form part of a 2CD Best of The Corrs. If you want to, you can just download those 3 tracks in MP3 format from Amazon for a small fee (99 pence each in the UK).
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Paul & Bud, et al: no listen of the Corrs is complete without this cover from an MTV Unplugged session ten years ago: R.E.M.’s ‘Everybody Hurts’. It’s a must-listen! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GIT-ee4Pzw
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You’re absolutely right, Pete. That’s a great cover of Everybody Hurts. Coincidentally, I listened to that very song after posting on here about The Corrs!
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I love this lady and am still astonished that she has not achieved more success. She’s Irish and, apart from Ireland, she’s only ever had singles charting in the (obviously knowledgeable) Belgium. As far as albums are concerned, she’s sold well in the UK and other European countries, but only 2 of her albums have reached the lower reaches of the US album charts, so she may not be widely known there.
I am speaking of rockabilly musician and singer-songwriter Imelda May.
Here are a couple of her early singles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F2–6ygYTY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLzZUiwGi_k
And a more recent one, from 2017:
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Hi Paul,
I do like this Irish singer! She has a nice flexible voice with a hard edge to it, when she wants to show that part of it. It’s always nice to see horn players, & the trumpet guy here is good! I’m surprised they don’t have a tenor sax or trombone to thicken the sound, but the guitar or bass are doubling him! NICE!
And overall, it’s a great new trend that Musicians are now Self-Producing! It helps get us out of the tired old groove of big companies pushing all their musical garbage on the general public! It’s all about making lots of money, with the LEAST amount of creative effort!!
Sorry about my earlier comments on your other singer! I do like Pop Music very much, but I get really particular about what I listen to. It doesn’t mean it’s bad, I’ve just gotten used to hearing certain approaches to singing and playing, with either great arrangements, and/or great Improvisational techniques. But that said, she IS a good singer! I liked another more up-tempo live song she did!
I’m also a big fan of Karen & Richard Carpenter! They sometimes got put down for being “too commercial,” or “sugary sweet,” but they sure had a lot of hits! And her singing & the arrangements were like no one else back then, or sense!
You’ve probably seen this before, but this is one of my favorite Carpenter performances. There’s another concert version of it outside at a military school I believe. Her drumming is so interesting & musical, while she’s singing too!
(Surprisingly, the Clarinet player in this group was the judge once for my High School Jazz Ensemble at the “Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival” in Idaho, back in 2009!) — Bud J.
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Glad that you enjoyed Imelda, Bud, and I echo the comments in your 2nd paragraph.
There really is no need to apologise for any of your previous comments – I definitely took no offence, so don’t worry about it! Pleased that you found one of Sophie’s more up-tempo numbers that you liked.
As for Karen Carpenter, well, on hearing her voice for the first time, I was completely enthralled by it – it was so exquisite. I can distinctly remember when I first heard her voice. I was doing a Saturday job at Woolworth’s (there a name from the past for you!) when in my last year at high school (1973 or 1974) and somebody had brought in their Greatest Hits casette and played it in the staff room during our lunch break and I was immediately hooked! You are, of course, right about them being considered too sugary or commercial by some, but there’s no denying the superb quality of her voice.
Her early death was such a tragedy and could probably have been avoided if we’d known more about anorexia at the time. Also, I strongly suspect that her mother favouring her elder brother didn’t help matters either as Karen probably didn’t feel as loved as Richard was.
Thanks for the Bacharach medley. Yes, I have seen it before, but not for a few years. It’s definitely a nice arrangement by Richard and is, of course, included on their early eponymous album. I like your story about the clarinet player too!
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Paul,
Thanks for all your comments, & I agree with everything that you said! I’ve got to take off now for my K thru 5 Music teaching job. I’m enjoying it, but it’s also wearing me out! I need to get more rested up!
Have a great day! — Bud
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Happy teaching!😀
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Paul,
Thanks for getting back, & I’m glad that I didn’t offend you! I did worry about that, because I don’t want to come off as negative on Mona & Lisa’s Club discussions! I try to read many of the comments & watch some videos, but it is hard with my schedule! I have so much different music to keep with for our big band, the school classes, my own practice & then listening to a wide range of Music. But I do basically keep up with our forums here, & I enjoy reading members comments!
I don’t remember when I first heard Karen K, but she was all over the radio & TV. I used to watch all the Music & Variety shows growing up, & the musicians & singers were my favorites! I did, & still do love her voice! I remember reading recently about the media, or fans talking about her baby fat. As if she was EVER fat! Ridiculous! People in general & the media can be very cruel indeed!
I read that she was trying to please people by losing weight, & it got to be an obsession! I’ve heard about her mother, & it’s hard to fathom how a parent could be like that. I’ve seen videos about Karen & Richard, explaining how they always overworked themselves, to ride the crest of the wave of fame they were experiencing. I know that she & her brother had a very close sibling relationship. But I personally doubt the naysayers who thought that Richard didn’t care about his sister!
It’s just that the whole entertainment system makes it hard on the artists, & they’ve often been exploited by the bigwigs in the recording industry. So I’m very happy that Lisa & Mona have been able to self-produce! I would NOT want to see them suffering at the hands of music industry giants, or callous, fickle fans! I hope they continue to avoid those mistakes!
Tonight, while looking for info on the Carpenters, I read that Paul McCartney said that Karen had the “best female voice in the world,” in the early ’70’s! Also, that John Lennon saw Karen in a club & told her that she had “one of the most beautiful voices that he’d ever heard!”
Hooray for Paul & John! They were decent blokes!Here’s maybe my favorite song that Karen sang! Every time I see this video now, I think of Mona! Although their voices are different, it’s hard to escape the fact that they’re both such fine drummers & singers! And often when I’m watching a video of Karen, it makes me cry! Not just for her, & what could have been, but for all the sadness & tragedy in the world! — Bud
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Bud,
Please stop beating yourself up about your comments – they didn’t upset me! I haven’t “known” you for long but it is pretty clear to me that you come across as a thoroughly decent bloke and I would just say that if your work doesn’t allow you enough time to post on here for a few days, then sobeit. Whilst it is nice to exchange thoughts/opinions with you, I won’t lose any sleep if you don’t post for a few days as life sometimes just doesn’t allow you to fit everything that you want to do into one day.
Looking back to when I first heard Karen’s voice, it’s amazing how their early work up to 1973/4 initially just passed me by, but I would probably put that down to being a teenager!!
I came across an article in a British online paper at the end of last year entitled “Was their mother’s undisguised favouritism for the son she called a musical genius the real reason Karen Carpenter succumbed to the anorexia that claimed her life?” and the part that struck me was this:
“In 1963 the family moved to California to help the teenage Richard’s burgeoning musical career. There, Karen found her first musical love, playing drums in her high school’s marching band. Karen was a typical, chubby teenager and Richard teased her, calling her ‘fatso’. Their mother described Karen as ‘hefty around the butt’ and when she was 17 took her daughter – then a healthy 10st and 5ft 4in – to see a doctor about her weight.
She was put on the Stillman water diet, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet popular in the 1960s, which involved vitamin supplements and drinking eight glasses of water a day.
After six months, Karen had lost 25lb, but her relationship with food, and her self-image, was irrevocably damaged.”
I’ve no doubt that Richard may well have teased her, as siblings often do, but why would her mother say such a horrible thing to a daughter and take her to a doctor when there was nothing wrong with her weight?
I agree with your comments about exploitation in the record industry and the fact that the Twins have been able to self-produce (kudos to Rudi!)
I had heard John’s comment about Karen’s voice before, but not Paul’s, so thanks for that.
Like you, I am often brought to tears when I hear one of their songs or watch them on YouTube. The one that tends to really get me going is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE5-qtTfF1I
Such a tragic shame that someone with her gift only lasted 32 years on this earth.
Oh, and of course, their first ever hit was Richard’s clever (re)arrangement of the Beatles’s Ticket to Ride!
As for your additional comment, the similarity that you menation between Karen and Mona and Lisa is spot on and I can only echo your final comment that “we would be super happy to have these girls as down to earth friends!”
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To Paul, Tim, Jung, Chris & everyone else!
Thanks again Paul for your comments!
I’ve enjoyed all the groups that everyone has posted here! I’m going to put up something completely different, yet still very good Music!
Here’s a Jazz Quartet minus a drummer, led by the famous American trumpeter & vocalist, Chet Baker; (1929 — 1988.) He was originally from Oklahoma and toured & recorded extensively from the early ’50’s ’till 1988.
This video is from a concert in Norway in 1979, with Chet’s European Quartet, consisting of Trumpet, Piano, Bass & Vibes. All the solos are very melodic & lyrical; masterfully improvised on the spot! They have a wonderful ensemble sound, also improvised. This is a fine example of a great acoustic Jazz group! Please take a listen. I think you’ll enjoy it!
THANKS! — Bud Jackson
Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise- Chet Baker Quartet 1979 (youtube.com)
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Thanks, Bud. They certainly are masters of their instruments! Have a great weekend and week ahead.
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Paul,
Here’s another thought. I believe that a similarity between Karen & the Mona Lisa Twins is that they all three have that appeal of the of the “girl next-door” that you admire, & kind of have a big crush on! They don’t need a lot of makeup, nor do they need to prove anything. They’re just nice & natural people, but also SUPERTALENTED!
And we would be super happy to have these girls as down to earth friends! (Am I right!?)
Have a nice week! — Bud
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I’d like to add to this discussion the wonderful Helen Sjoholm. No I will not pronounce her name. She was ‘discovered’ by and here appears with the Benny Andersson Orchestra. The piano player might look familiar. Helen is pregnant with twins here and she is a trooper, though her feet must really hurt! That just adds to the reason why she receives a kiss from Tommy Korberg at the very end. Stockholm looks beautiful in the summer, eh? What is this song which Benny and Bjorn wrote, about? I thought this upload was one where someone posted the lyrics but I guess not. As I recall, the sense is bittersweet: ‘Where are you, old friend? I haven’t seen you since student days together. We had wonderful times especially during the summer breaks. I miss you now greatly’. Something like that. Now often sung at funerals, I am told. Helen is a treasure.
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Very nice, Pete! Was the piano player thinking of forming Abba Mark II at the time that this was recorded perhaps? 😉 Yes, Stockholm looks lovely in that video. I really must go and visit it one day.
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Pete,
That was a beautiful piece! I’ve seen a few of Benny’s Orchestra videos before, & I like everything he does! The vocals & orch. were wonderful, thanks! (I met Benny once at a hotel where I was working at the time. Nice guy!)
ABBA was very much influenced by the Beatles & Rock in general, but also by traditional Swedish Music! — Bud
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After having recovered 😉 from being “discovered” by the man by the name of Mike Batt who wrote and performed music for the Wombles (fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures created by children’s author Elisabeth Beresford), the beautifully distinctive voiced British singer-songwriter Katie Melua (blues, folk-pop, jazz) has carved out a successful career for herself in the UK and Europe but none of her records have so far charted in the US.
Probably her most well-known solo hits are these two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrPUJsZQSkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-BnRZ52jHs
For anyone who likes these, she also, IMO, does a very good cover of Lilac Wine.
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Sorry to be my usual late to the party reply thing. These two gals (Ward Thomas) really have it happening! Going to have to look into their music a lot closer!
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No worries, Daryl. Better late than never! 😉
I would recommend also listening to Town Called Ugly, Don’t Be A Stranger and One More Goodbye.
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Here’s another British (Scottish this time, to be precise) singer-songwriter who has achieved singles chart success in the UK and Europe but not in the States.
These are two of her hits:
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Paul,
The first video is unavailable currently in the US. (Why do they do that?!) I saw the 2nd one. Very good upbeat stuff here, thanks! (I have mostly English, Scottish, Irish ancestry, so I dig all that music, traditional & current too!)
I’m sure most of you have heard this, but what the heck! — Bud
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Glad that you liked her, Bud – most of her work is pretty upbeat. And yes, it really is annoying when you can’t open a YouTube video in your country! Here’s another YouTube link for the first song (lyrics version), which hopefully you’ll be able to open:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uuZCaNU_-w
And here are a couple more of Amy’s songs that I like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYvuS9OxdA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGwXzrW5mFc
I think that you’ll be hard pushed to find soemone who hasn’t heard Mull of Kintyre before, Bud, as it reached no. 1 in 11 different countries, although it wasn’t a big hit in Canada for some reason! Never been there myslef, but it looks a lovely place!
I was going to put up a separate post for another Scottish singer-songwriter but I noted that she’d had a couple of hit singles in the US, so shouldn’t really be on this thread. Her name is K T Tunstall and, if you haven’t come across here before, I would suggest looking up Suddenly I See, Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, Other Side of the World and Mele Kalikimaka (A Hawaiian Christmas).
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Yeah, the first one won’t play for me either…(argh).
Definitely upbeat groove to it (Poison Prince) and reminds me very much of “Kryptonite” by Three Doors Down. I’ll look for more of her music for sure. -
Daryl,
Sorry about that, but, as I mentioned in my reply to Bud (which is immediately above your post), I have posted another link to the same song (Mr Rock and Roll). Hopefully that will work for you. I have also mentioned, in that same post, some other songs of hers that I would recommend.
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The American singer-songwriter Gregory Porter must be at least fairly well-known in the States, but he doesn’t seem to have achieved any hit singles there although two of his albums made the lower reaches of the albums chart. Over this side of the pond, two of his singles just got into the UK singles charts and four of his albums made the top 10 in the UK albums charts.
These are his two UK hit singles:
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Hey paul,
I’ve never heard of him before, but I really enjoyed these two videos you put up, so thank you! I’ll check out more of his music! I like his deep rich voice & his Jazz renditions here!
You might also enjoy another Musician/Singer that I found on YouTube several years ago. Troy Andrews, aka “Trombone Shorty” from New Orleans, started playing trombone at age 4! He’s also a great trumpet player and singer. Check out these two videos!
Trombone Shorty – Fire And Brimstone (youtube.com)
Trombone Shorty performs ‘St. James Infirmary’ at the White House – YouTube
Hope you like T. Shorty! — Bud
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Yes, Gregory has got a lovely rich voice. I’m a bit surprised that he hasn’t been more successful in the charts TBH, but I note that he’s won 2 Grammies, so his talent is clearly recognised by the music industry. Another of his songs that I like is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmYAi0e0AGg
I really like Trombone Shorty. He’s got a really good voice and he can certainly rock that trombone! Thanks a lot for posting.
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Paul,
I’ll try to comment later, but thanks for your reply, & and all your videos! As they say in the US — “Have a good one!” (A good WHAT? — OH, just whatever!)
This is an amazing example of “Circular Breathing” on the trumpet! He plays for a full minute & 1/2 by blowing the air out while taking a series of “nose breaths!” Not easy to do.
Take care! — Bud
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Thanks, Bud. I wish you a nice day too!
As for the circular breathing in that video, I would just say WOW, it’s utterly mesemerising. How on earth does he do that? (it’s a rhetorical question, you don’t have to answer!). Incredibly impressive. I wish that I had learnt to play a musical instrument, but it never interested me when I was younger, although I’ve always loved listening to music.
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I saw Trombone Shorty live, a few years ago. And we talked to him for a bit after the show.
Great on trombone or trumpet. My brother had discovered him at JazzFest in New Orleans, so when he came up north we had to see him.
I definitely like him, he puts on a show.
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Paul,
Thanks for another Grogory P. video! — Bud
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My pleasure, Bud.
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Being an old “slushpump” honker I really like that! Never got anywhere near that style in our stage band back in high school though. Great groove to it really.
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Daryl,
Thanks for your comment, & glad you liked it! — Bud
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Next up from me is Pakistan-born British singer-songwriter with the stage name Rumer. She has a nice velvety, mellifluous voice that sometimes has a hint of Karen Carpenter about it.
She’s only had 2 hit singles in the UK, both off her first album in 2010, but she has continued having UK album chart success throughout her career as Rumer. Her first album also did fairly well in the US, but futher chart success there has eluded her to date.
This is probably her most well-known song from her first album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvYUfwMBCrU
And this one is from her Bacharach and David Songbook album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZVwkeoW_Xs
IMO, other nice tracks on that album are her covers of Close To You and Walk On By and her cover of the fabulous Anne Murray’s Songbird is, in my view, well worth a listen too.
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She’s very smooth. The first song sort of reminds me of Sade, only better…much better. Not so edgy and very clean. Bacharach and David were such a formidable duo, such brilliant writers and arrangers.
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Cheers, Daryl. Some people have said that she sounds a bit like Karen C ., others that she is reminiscent of Sade or Dusty or even Sandie Shaw. She definitely sounds very much like Karen C. in one particular song (I think that it was a Christmas song around the time of Slow), but I can’t find it at the moment. I’ll keep searching though!
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Hi Paul,
Very nice voice, strings & brass! I’ve always liked that song too! — Bud
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Glad that you liked it, Bud.
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When I first heard this lady’s voice, I thought that she would be as big as Adele, which is slightly ironic really, as her real first name is Adele, which she decided to change to an adaptation of her middle name, Emily, because of the other Adele’s success. I am referring to the Scottish singer-songwriter Emily Sandé, who had limited success in the US with her early single Next To Me making no. 25 in the charts there, and her first two albums achieved moderate success there too, but she is probably much better known in the UK with a number of her singles charting, together with all of her albums (to varying degrees). Her chart success since 2019 seems to have been more limited and she seems to have to gone off the radar to a degree in recent years, which is a bit surprising to me, given her talent.
It’s not easy to classify her into one genre, which is indeed a problem that Amazon seems to have found too, as three of her albums are classified alternately as pop, soul/R&B, and alternative rock! And it is difficult to post just two YouTube videos here because of this, so I’ll post two that I particularly like and then recommend a few other singles of hers should anyone want to explore her music further.
Firstly, the beautiful ballad, Clown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx5nN5jrafA
Next, the gospel-sounding You Are Not Alone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bQdBxfuHFU
Others songs of hers worthy of note IMO are Next To Me, My Kind Of Love, Highs and Lows, Shine, Read All About It and Sparrow.
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I’ll have to try and find “Clown:” as it comes up in that pesky “unavailable” category for me. But I loved You Are Not Alone. I really enjoyed how it deepened with the vocal choir/ensemble as it built into a full compliment of voice accompaniment.
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Sorry about “Clown”. I don’t know if you’ve found it yet, but, if not, here is the official music video for it, so hopefully it will work for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OHX_PA25Ok
Glad that you loved the other song of hers that I posted. You might also want to look up her other songs that I mentioned in my previous post.
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Hi Paul,
The first video wasn’t available, but the 2nd one was great! I really enjoyed her voice, style & all the vocal accompaniment!
My problem now is that I’m working more, but enjoying it less! So there’s no way I am able to watch all these videos and comment. But I’ll do it when I can!
Have a nice weekend, & I hope your weather is good, like it finally is here!
— Bud
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This reply was modified 1 month ago by Bud Jackson. Reason: Didn't capitalize name
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This reply was modified 1 month ago by
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Hi Bud,
Sorry to read that your work situation isn’t good at the moment and I sincerely hope that this will change in the near future for you. I’m very lucky in that, as a freelancer, I have a big say in what work I do and don’t do, so I am currently in the process of winding down to retirement, which means that I will have more time on my hands, which can only be a bad thing for MLT Club members 😉
Regarding the first video, I have posted another link for that same song (Clown) in my post immediately above yours. If you have the time, feel free to check it out. In the meantime, I wish you a very pleasant weekend.
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