All posts by Dona

14. Sealed with a kiss covers

Song Blog, ,

I spent significant amounts of time with my grandparents who retired to Chetek, Wisconsin. This song transports me to a summer I spent with them, pining over a boy upon whom I had a crush while eying a couple of other guys in a bar.

I’ve had some fun finding versions of this song online, although the version I remember was Bobby Vinton, I cannot find him just singing this song (in 1972 or whenever he recorded it). Although there is a video of a depressingly old Vinton singing it along with other songs. Like a medley. Of old love songs.

I did however find a cover by Brian Hyland from 1966.

Interested parties may also want to check out this song covered by Sam Hui, Agnethe, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Jordan McCoy, Bird, a cute little girl, a guy on a cruise and some random woman.

Then there were the homemade music videos.

And it was even a movie!

13. I Like Olives

Music, ,

There are a few songs called Jerusalem. The first song I’d heard with that title was the one they sing in England – the hymn – which Wikipedia tells me was originally a William Blake poem. I probably initially heard it on Masterpiece Theatre, but was amused to discover, on my first visit there, that they actually do sing it in England.

The second song I heard called Jerusalem was by Dan Bern. It is not a hymn. Probably the opposite. If Dan has a signature song, Jerusalem is it. It is also another song of his that gave me belly laughs the first few times I heard it – and it is always received well at his shows. People used to bring him jars of olives when he toured after releasing this song on his first two albums.

Sometimes Steve Earle is compared to Dan Bern (or visa versa) and I think I knew before today that Earle had a Jerusalem too, but didn’t realize how much his voice was like Dan’s until just now. Here it is on YouTube too. Hmm, I like this.

It would be interesting to be able to hear all the different songs called Jerusalem by the various artists, but I’m getting a little Internet search weary this afternoon.

12. Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Music,

I don’t remember when I first read Jonathan Livingston Seagull, I think my mom gave it to me for Christmas one year – or maybe my friend Cindy introduced me to it. Perhaps both.

I must have liked the message in the story – although I’m not sure now what it was. These days I try not to get caught up in the philosophy du jour, but back then I was young and impressionable, I suppose.

Of course I saw the movie when it came out and had to own the soundtrack. I don’t remember if I was a Neil Diamond fan before this movie or not. I was a Neil Diamond fan for a while though – although thinking back, the only album of his I owned was JLS.

Listening to the music now, I can see why I liked it. It’s easy to listen to. I can also see why I didn’t bother digitizing it. The chanting is a little annoying.

It got me interested in seagulls – a bird rare on the US prairie back in the early 1970’s. And that might have been one catalyst that brought me to being a birder.

I mistakenly identified the dove of peace necklace given to me by Mr. Topolewski as a thank you for playing along with his birthday present scheme. I thought it was a seagull, and called it Jonathan when I wore it.

Gulls now don’t very often make me think of Jonathan. Unless they look like they are really enjoying their aerodynamic feats.