We All Shine On

John Lennon would've been seventy today, but you probably already know that. It's a major media event around the world. He's been dead for nearly thirty years, and that's longer than he was active as a musician and a songwriter. He was only forty when he died from gunshot wounds inflicted on him by a crazed fan, but you probably already know that too. For me and people my age, too young to remember Kennedy's assassination and the ensuing craziness of that very decade that Lennon is most associated with, it's a moment we'll never forget. At least I won't, and I can only speak for myself. He's best known as a member of The Beatles, but in his solo career, as spotty and short as it was (it includes a five year break from recording), he wrote more great songs than most songwriters could hope for in a lifetime. He was prolific and the good far outweighs the bad. Below, are some of his songs performed by other artists, and a few by him. All but one are from his solo career. The exception being "The Ballad of John and Yoko," and although it is a Beatles song, it does mark the beginning of Lennon's departure from the Beatles.

Happy Birthday John Lennon.

Download:

"The Ballad of John and Yoko" mp3
by Teenage Fanclub, 1990.
available on Deep Fried Fanclub

"Nobody Told Me" mp3
by The Flaming Lips, 1995.
available on Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon

"Jealous Guy" mp3
by Donny Hathaway, 1972.
available on Live

"Mother" mp3
by Shelby Lynne, 2001.
available on Love, Shelby

"Happy Xmas (War is Over)" mp3
by Lorette Velvette, 2000.
available on Rude Angel

"I Found Out" mp3
by Nathaniel Mayer, 2004.
available on I Just Want to Be Held

"Imagine" mp3
by Neil Young, 2001.
available on America: A Tribute To Heroes

"Working Class Hero" mp3
by Marianne Faithfull, 1979.
available on Broken English

"Gimme Some Truth" mp3
by Generation X, 1978.
ripped from vinyl
alternate version available on Generation X

"Instant Karma!" mp3
by Chris Stamey, 1984.
from Instant Excitement
ripped from vinyl
out of print

***********************

"Isolation" mp3
by John Lennon, 1970.
available on Plastic Ono Band

"God" mp3
by John Lennon, 1970.
available on Plastic Ono Band

Peace on Earth

Editors Note:

I'd like to thank all of the contributors for their thoughtful posts here this week at the Boogie Woogie Flu. As I sit here on the eve of the last night of Hanukkah, trying to write something about today's selections from the songbook of Gerry Goffin and Carole King, I am, perhaps at a loss for words, but more than likely, humbled by the quality of writing turned out by everyone's entries. I'm really floored, thank you. It's hard to keep this thing going, and to have such generous and talented friends and cohorts makes it much easier.

The idea for this week's Hanukkah posts was simple: first night - one song, second night - two songs, etc. Some of these were assigned, and some not. I tried to get everything up at sundown each night, and miraculously, like the oil in the temple - it all worked out. All the writers and all the subjects are Jewish, but as Alex so poignantly pointed out in his post, we'd all be better off by a softening of these distinctions. Does it really matter what we are? We're humans, and from the look of things in the news right now, we don't treat each other very well. These very distinctions are the basis for most of the the hate and war we inflict on one another.

So, excuse me while I break free of format, and play one by a non-jew: Steve Earle, who introduces the following song every time he performs it by saying that he's "gonna keep on playing it until there's peace in the Middle East." I think it fitting that we listen to it today.

"Jerusalem" mp3
by Steve Earle, 2002
available on Jerusalem

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And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming: Eight songs written by the Jewish songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Happy Hanukkah.

Spin your dradles and rock.




Download:

"Long Way To Be Happy" mp3
by Darlene Love, 1965.
available on Back to Mono (1958-1969)

"Don't Bring Me Down" mp3
by The Animals, 1966.
available on Animalisms

"Is This What I Get For Loving You" mp3
by Marianne Faithfull, 1967.
available on Marianne Faithfull's Greatest Hits

"Halfway To Paradise" mp3
by Nick Lowe, 1977.
available on Jesus of Cool

"Let Me Get Close To You" mp3
by Alex Chilton, 1987.
available on High Priest/Black List

"Goin' Back" mp3
by Nils Lofgren, 1975.
available on Nils Lofgren

"Wasn't Born to Follow" mp3
by The Byrds, 1968.
available on The Notorious Byrd Brothers

"I Can't Make It Alone" mp3
by The Continental Drifters, 1994.
available on Continental Drifters

dradle photo by Lincoln Barron © 2008