Buzzed Out On YouTube....150 Tunes I Highly Recommend For Your Listening Pleasure

When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s in Montreal, every now and then my father would suggest that that one of his kids go and look something up in The Encyclopedia Britannica. His version of the books was from 1928. A lot had changed in the world between 1928 and 1958 including the names of a number of countries, The Great Depression, and WW2.

These days we can find just about anything on the net. People can now tell us to go screw ourselves with just a few keystrokes. Sometimes we have to fight our way through ads to get the info we want. Many of us have accepted Wiki as the absolute truth. Personally I’ve seen enough dangling cats on Facebook to last several lifetimes. It’s a wonder that we just don’t go and hang ourselves in a closet after reading one bad bit of news after another. How can we save ourselves? Where can we hide out? Is there a place where things make more sense?

Several years ago I discovered something called YouTube. It isn’t perfect. What is? Sometimes you can skip an ad after 5 seconds and other times you have to put up with a 30 second ad. For some reason some of the ad people seem to think that everyone in Canada is French or speaks French. Considering I’m not paying any money to listen or watch tunes on YouTube I can put up with that.

About once a week I light up a fatty and take a wander through YouTube for a few hours, usually on a Friday or Saturday night. You may be thinking to yourself “What’s an old fart like you doing smoking pot? Aren’t you ever going to grow up?”

What was I talking about?.........oh yeah……so…….

I like a wide variety of music. Sometimes I’ll pick up on some kind of theme like soul music and 20 minutes later find that I am listening to a completely different genre. I kind of go with the flow. Every now and then I’ll see a song that has say 30 million hits that I’ve never heard before. I’ll give the song a go. Why not? 30 million people can’t be wrong? Oh yes they can!

I’ve found some really interesting tunes from the 1930s. The Boswell Sisters were the 30s Andrews Sisters. I found Harriet Nelson of the 50s TV show Ozzie & Harriet singing with Ozzie’s orchestra. Ozzie was an orchestra leader who couldn’t read music. Go figure! I read somewhere that old time actor George Raft could neither read nor write but was a pretty good dancer in his earlier years. I found him on YouTube doing the rhumba in some 1930s film clips. Watching Ginger Rogers sing We’re In The Money in Pig Latin is worth a look see.

One of the strangest clips I found was rock and roller Roy Head doing a somersault off of a stage. You can see Paul Revere introducing Bobby Rydell singing Volare if you’ve a mind to. You can watch Jools Holland and Doctor John both playing pianos or the cool chubby Latino violin player With The Steve Miller band. There’s something for everyone I say! You can slow it down with Art Garfunkel singing I Only Have Eyes For You or speed it up with Smash Mouth doing Walking On The Sun.

So kick back and relax….shut off your cell phone….if someone has died it while you are listening to tunes it can wait for a few hours…..light up a joint, break open a bottle of wine, or blend yourself a smoothie…..loosen the belt on your pants if you are wearing any….slouch back in your computer chair….put your feet up on the table….and get ready for a wild musical ride.

 

150 Pretty Cool Songs

1. Kate Bush….The Man I love….Gershwin tune.

2. Jully Black….Seven Day Fool….Canadian gal.

 

3. Sugarbabes….Push The Button…..Brit pop.

4. Marvin Gaye….What’s Going On….a lot of things were.

 

5. Buckwheat  Zydeco….Hard To Stop….a slice of New Orleans. Shook his hand in

Nanaimo a few years ago.

 

6. Timi Yuro….Hurt….the lady had pipes.

7. Elvis….Don’t Be Cruel….pure classic rock & roll.

8. The Cardigans….Love Fool….Euro pop.

9. Lover Boy….Working For The Weekend….great guitar rift.

10. Dwight Yoakum….A Thousand Miles From Nowhere….nice rail car video.

11. Sade….Smooth Operator….sultry jazz pop.

12. Steve Miller Band….Abracadabra….look for the video with the violin player.

13. Jr. Walker And The All Stars….What Does It Take…...cool sax playing.

14. Smokey Robinson….I’ve Been Good To You….. Smokey hitting the high notes.

15. Boz Skaggs…Low Down….I wonder, wonder, who?

 

16. Manhattan Transfer….Groovin….harmony doesn’t get much better than this. Saw them in Vancouver years ago.

 

17. Kenny Loggins….I’m Alright….high energy, bad looking jumpsuit.

18. Anita O’Day….That Old Feeling….one of the best female jazz vocalists ever.

19. Los Lobos….One Time. One Night….Latino rock.

20. Joe Walsh/The Eagles….Pretty Maids All In A Row…..from a guy who looked like death warmed over at times.

21. The Beach Boys….Darlin….California surf rock.

22. The Hollies….Long Cool Woman….underrated singer, CCR version is good too.

23. Roy Orbison…. Uptown….not the most handsome guy but what a voice.

24. Fleetwood Mac….Gypsy….it was the 70s man.

 

25. John Denver….Bet On The Blues….corny guy sings a good song.

 26. The Staple Singers….Respect Yourself….gospel/soul.

 

27. Carole King…..So Far Away….from one of the best albums ever, Tapestry.

 

28. The Allman Brothers….Jessica….great road trip music.

29. Conway Twitty and Sam Moore….Rainy Night In Georgia….older black and white guys digging each other.

 

 

30. Robbie Robertson….Somewhere Down The Crazy River….haunting.

 

31 Canned Heat….Goin Up The Country….Woodstock.

32. Blue Rodeo….5 Days In May…..lead singer Jim Cuddy once worked at the Banff Springs Hotel.

33. Bob Dylan….Positively 4^th Street….you’ve got a lot of nerve! 

34. Dire Staits….Walk Of Life….the boy can play.

35. Dion….I Wonder Why….2004 version.

 

36. Billy Idol….Eyes Without A Face….creepy looking guy who had some good tunes.

 

37. Paul Simon….Still Crazy After All These Years….4 in the morning, tapped out, yawning….

38. Kingston Trio….Scotch And Soda…..vuja de?

 

39. Robbie Nevil….C’est La Vie….funky.

40. Moody Blues….Go Now….early British Invasion.

41. Van Morrison….Did You get Healed?....no I didn’t but I love this tune.

 

42. Bobby Darin….Lady Came From Baltimore….Darin could be hokey but he could sing in various genres including pop, country, and folk.

43. Glen Campbell….I’m Not Going To Miss You….slipping into dementia. Sad.

44. The Mar-Keys….Last Night….great early 60s blues sax instrumental.

 

45. Al Stewart….Year Of The Cat…..Peter Lorre sighting?

46. Jimmy Johnson…..Take Five….great blues version of Dave Brubeck tune.

47. The Cars….Let’s Go…..I like the night life baby!

 

48. ELO…...Raining All Over The World….that’s a real submarine?

49. Leon Redbone….Shine On Harvest Moon….interesting voice.

 

 50. Willie Nelson….Nightlife….weed time!

 

51. Frank Sinatra….A Summer Wind….one of Frank’s best.

 52. Artie Shaw….Frenesi….Artie was an interesting guy. Check out his interviews on YouTube.

 

53. The Bolero….I wonder how many people have had sex with this playing in the background?

54. Kid Creole And The Coconuts….My Male Curiousity…..camp?

 55. Crosby, Stills & Nash…..Marrakesh Express……coosh coosh?

56. America….Tin Man….round, round, round, round.

 57. Cheryl Crow….All I Want To Do….this ain’t no disco….

 

58. Trini Lopez….America….Donald Trump’s favourite song?

59. Joe Jackson….Steppin’ Out….bright lights, big city?

60. The Drifters….On Broadway….when all you have is one thin dime.

 

61. Simply Red….Sunrise….nice techno beat.

 

62. George Baker Selection….Little Green Bag….turn to the left, turn to the right.

 

63. Joni Mitchell….Raised On Robbery…..I stayed at the Empire Hotel in Winnipeg a few times in the 60s while working for CNR.

 

64. George Harrison….What Is Life?....indeed what is it?

65. Hank Snow….I’ve Been Everywhere….Canadian born country singer with bad toupee had a lot of hits. How many of these places have you been to? I passed through Winnemucca once on a honeymoon. Lots of tumble weeds.

66. Harry McLintock….The Big Rock Candy Mountain….cigarette trees?

 

67. Bruce Springsteen….Dancing In The Dark….you have to wave your arms to dance to this.

68. Dr. John and Jools Holland….4 Hand Boogie….I love a piano. 2 are even better.

 

69. Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd….Jazz Samba….jazz with a Latin touch.

70. Bob Marley…I Shot The Sherriff….but I did not shoot the deputy.

 

71. James Taylor….Handy Man….a little mellower than Del Shannon’s version.

73. Santana…..Black Magic Woman….don’t turn your back on me baby!

74. Rolling Stones….Paint It Black….I see a red door….

 

75. Judy Collins….Send In The Clowns….sorry my dear….

76. Keith Carradine….I’m Easy….folksy.

 

76. Eurythmics….There Must Be An Angel….who can sing like Annie Lennox?

 

77. Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames….Yey, Yeh….that’s what I say.

78. Kyu Sakimoto….Sukiyaki….it’s all Japanese to me.

79. Heavy D And The Boyz….Now That We’ve Found Love….what are we going to do?

80. The Foundations….Build Me Up Buttercup….oooh-oooh, oooh-oooh.

81. Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs….Stay….your daddy won’t mind.

82. The Doors….Love Her Madly….looked for Jim’s grave in Paris once but it was kind of too out of the way.

 

83. Madeleine Peyroux….Dance Me To The End Of Love….a bit less somber than Leonard Cohen singing the song he wrote.

84. Mike Nesmith….Her Name Was Joanne….not bad for a Monkey.

85. Walker Brothers…..The Sun Ain’t Going To Shine Anymore….the moon ain’t going rise in the sky.

86. Green Day….The Time Of Your Life….on the last day my kids (twins) were in grade school they played a video of the class with photos over the years with this song in the background. It made me cry.

87. Chet Baker….Every Time We Say Goodbye….what a mess he was but what a soul.

 

88. The Tragically Hip….New Orleans Is Sinking….and Bush is doing a fly by.

 

89. Doobie Brothers….Jesus Is Just Alright….probably was but I’m not a believer.

 90. Guess Who….These Eyes….Canadian super band.

 

91. Sarah Vaughan….Broken Hearted Melody….catchy pop tune by a mostly jazz singer.

 

92. Hall And Oates….I Can’t Go For That….white soul music.

93. Billie Holiday….I’m A Fool To Want You….she had a hard life.

94. The Ronnettes….Be My Baby….Phil Spector’s wall of sound.

 

95. John Lennon….Imagine….you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one….

96. Robert Palmer….I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On….guitar props?

 

97. Brook Benton and Dinah Washington….That’s A Rockin Good Way….to mess around and fall in love.

98. Billy Joel….A Matter Of Trust….I know you’re an emotional girl….

99. The Kinks….Waterloo Sunset….the crazy Davies brothers.

100. John Mellencamp….Cherry Bomb….our hearts were really thumping….

101. The Animals….We’ve Got To Get Out Of This Place….1964 upstairs from the Café Andre in Montreal.

 

102. Wilson Pickett….Land Of 1000 Dances….do the whatever.

103. Roy Head….Treat Her Right….watch him do a somersault off of the stage.

 104. Al Green….Let’s Stay Together….sing it Rev!

 

105. Bob Seger….Still The Same….baby, baby still the same....

106. CCR….Have You Ever Seen The Rain….sung in every beer joint at some point.

107. Rod Stewart and Amy Belle….I Don’t Want to Talk About It….how you broke my heart.

108. Etta James….At Last….Lou Rawls does a nice version of this song too.

109. Jimmy Durante….Make Someone Happy….goodnight Mrs. Calibash wherever you are!

110. Julio Iglesias….Me Va, Me Va….Latin pop.

 

111. Bee Gees….Massachussetts….before the disco crap.

 

112. Spandau Ballet….True….I bought a ticket to the world….

 

113. David Sandborn….Comin’ Home Baby….cool jazz.

114. Steely Dan….Deacon Blues….learn to work the saxophone?

115. Candy Dulfer and David Stewart….Lily Was here….lady plays a mean sax.

116. Pet Shop Boys….Always On My Mind….maybe I never told you….

117. Barry White….You’re My First, My Last, My Everything….music Oprah makes love to?

 

118. Marty Balin….Hearts….the other Jefferson Starship singer.

119. Phil Collins….Do You Remember?...yes some of it .His ex-wife lives on Saltspring Island in BC.

 120. Johnny Cash….Orange Blossom Special….I don’t care if I do die, do die, do die!

121. Long John Baldry….Don’t Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll….Long John lived in Vancouver, BC for many years. Saw him many times at The Yale in Vancouver.

 

122. Leon Russell….Lady Blue….saw him once in Anacortes, Washington.

 

123. Elvin Bishop….I Fooled Around And Fell In Love….I must have been through about a million girls….

124. Mary Wells….You Beat Me To The Punch….but I beat you to the sandwiches.

 

 125. 54-40….Since When….steady beat.

126. Pearl Jam….Last Kiss….Better than the J. Frank Wilson version?

127. Smash Mouth….Walking On The Sun….This ain’t no joke….

128. Janis Ian….At Seventeen…. I understood and I’m not a girl.

129. Art Garfunkel….I Only Have Eyes For You…..this song was written in 1934.

130. Dave Clark Five….Because….Dave got all the money but Denny (on keyboard) was the talent.

131. Tower Of Power….You’re Still A Young Man….not any more.

132. Chris Rhea….Fool If You Think It’s Over….save your tears, you’ve got years and years….

133. The Pretenders….Don’t Get Me Wrong….Chrissie Hynde.

134. REM….Losing My Religion….that’s me in the spotlight….

135. George Thorogood….One Berbon, One Scotch, One Beer….blues rock.

136. Gino Vanelli….I Just Want To Stop….when I dream about those nights in Montreal….

 

137. Ace….How Long Has This Been Going On….well your friends with their fancy persuasion….

138. Louis Prima & Keely Smith….Just A Gigolo….and everywhere I go….

139. The Human League….Don’t You Want Me….you were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar….

 

140. The Jimmi Hendrix Experience….All Along The Watchtower….there’s too much confusion.

 141. Edith Piaf….La Vie En Rose….the little sparrow.

 

142. Stevie Ray Vaughan….Pride And Joy….she’s my sweet little thang….

 

143. Toni Braxton….Unbreak My Heart….don’t leave me out in the rain….

144. Paul Young….Every Time You Go Away….Peter Frampton’s version is good too.

145. Elmore James….Dust My Broom….old time blues.

146. Bruce Cockburn….I Wonder Where The Lions Are….above the Lion’s Gate Bridge?

 

147. The Four Tops….Still Waters Run Deep….walk with me….

148. Barbara Lewis….You’ll Lose A good Thing….if you don’t do right, I’m going to walk out that door…..

 

149. Downchild Blues Band….I Got Everything I Need Almost….but I don’t have you….

150. No Doubt….It’s My Life….don’t you forget?

Dave? Dave's not here!

 

 

 

Do you have any songs that you would recommend? Send them to me and I'll have a listen. I'm always open to something else when it comes to music.