by Kevin Burton How do you get to 50 years? It starts with a day, or a night. Then, you turn your heart toward the sunrise, again and again. There was a night when my parents put me into the family Delta 88 and drove me from our home in Yellow Springs …
Category Archives: music
“Best Of My Love,” Pure Joy In 1977
by Kevin Burton Their gospel wailing and harmonies brought out the emotion from listeners in their native Chicago. People confided as much to their mentor/father Joe. That’s why when the singing Hutchinson sisters needed a new name for the group, they called themselves The Emotions. Forty-five years ago, their “Best Of My …
Did Gilbert O’Sullivan Launch Disco Era?
by Kevin Burton There have been many theories to explain the rise and fall of disco music. Here’s a new one for its rise: Disco music exploded in the mid-70s as a direct result of “Alone Again Naturally” by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan. OK, so I can’t prove I’m right, but you …
The Bell Tolls For Olivia And For Me
by Kevin Burton There is a picture of Olivia Newton-John that haunts me. The picture is of her at the end of “Grease,” her character Sandy riding in the car with Danny, John Travolta’s character. She turns around and waves at the camera as they ride off into the high school and movie …
Belgian Pigs Get Their Groove On
by Kevin Burton Animal lovers, music lovers, rejoice and unite! Scientists in Belgium are investigating a farmer’s claim that different styles of music affect the behavior of his pigs. “Piet Paesmans first noticed the phenomenon when his son started singing a tune in the barn during a sluggish insemination session his sows …
Reality From Twila Paris, “All About You”
by Kevin Burton The starting pitcher in a major league baseball game sometimes gets to pick one or more songs to be played over the stadium’s PA system. Did you know that? I knew that but it wasn’t at the front of my mind one day, and it led an odd but cool …
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Drift Away: The Healing Power Of Music
by Kevin Burton Let me be clear: the beat, the rock and roll beat, does not free one’s soul. But in the secular sense it sure frees something. And that’s the heart of the great 1973 song “Drift Away.” Lawrence Darrow Brown was born in Simonton, Texas on this day in 1940. …
Mining For Radio Gold In Canada
by Kevin Burton The things we don’t say, can’t say, the things we won’t see and refuse to feel, these are the ghosts that inhabit a great 1971 song. I speak of “If You Could Read My Mind” by Gordon Lightfoot. The orchestration is good but it never gets in the way of …
Songs And Seasons In The Canadian Sun
by Kevin Burton Friday was Canada Day, which got me thinking about my favorite songs by Canadian musicians. The discussion started Saturday on Page 7 (“A Salute To Canada’s Greatest Hits,” July 2.) I have learned a few things just looking into it. For instance, Rush, a group I never listened to …
A Salute To Canada’s Greatest Hits
by Kevin Burton What in the world was “The Safety Dance” all about anyway? That’s just one avenue I walked down during my look into the best Canadian music in honor of Canada Day, which was yesterday, July 1. I set out to create a top ten list of favorite songs by …
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