Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Reminiscing" (Little River Band)



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Welcome to the last Tuesday of 2016 and the last Tuesday's Musical Note of 2016!  As is our practice at the end of the year, we have gone through the vaults of this past year to discover the particular Notes that were reader's favorites, basically the Best of 2016!!!.  So get ready to ring in the New Year by reliving the best of last year's blogs as the 2016 Tuesday's Musical Notes Greatest Hits begins...right...now!!! 


2016 was a year where history was made time and again.  And it was filled with its share of losses in the entertainment world.  Most recently the death of George Michael on Christmas Day. But, we finally made it!  With 2017 on the horizon and 2016 becoming a sunset, we couldn't think of a  better way to recap the year than to spend a late Friday night walking home dreaming of the night...

It would be the highest charting song for Australian group, The Little River Band, peaking at #3 on the US charts.  Written in 1978, "Reminiscing" would be given a Five Million Air award from BMI, the most ever for a band from down under.  This constant air play would propel The Little River Band into the 80's with a string of 10 top 20 hits. 

LRB has featured 31 different artists as members and released their latest album, Cuts Like A Diamond in 2013.  Touring dates include about 80 venues a year without any of the original band members as a part of the make up of the current incarnation of the band.  

Today's feature song kicks off our countdown of the 2016 most read Tuesday's Musical Notes, by speaking about remembering the past.  Appropriate for today's countdown, "Reminiscing" bespeaks of memories that bestow the best of what our pasts may be together.  We have often stated here at the Notes, that it is incumbent on us to learn from the past, but remember with a qualifier.  Many times our nostalgia of the past may not be the reality of our past, so be careful that as you try to remember the times that are afore, that you do so with as much clarity about what transpired as possible.  

Here are a few things worth remembering and pondering as we enter 2017:


Now, on with the countdown...

This year's Best of the blog is going to be a bit different.  Tuesday's Musical Notes is a cumulative blog, in that as each Note is read, even those from the archives, the total amount of "reads" for that individual song are recorded. So each Musical Note has a cumulative number of reads that continue in perpetuity, we hope!   Today's recap will however only be of the most read blogs from 2016.  If you would like to see some of previous years countdowns, which include the most read blogs ever, just check the archives for the last Tuesday of any given year.  Thanks again for reading!!!


With several ties, this years rundown will include the top ten, which winds up being more than ten, but let's not get hung up on a technicality...Casey never did!!


At number #10 is a tie between songs by a teen heartthrob and a bluesy band from California.  One a tribute to music, the other to a garden get together.  The 10th most read blogs of 2016 are:

#9 on this year's synopsis of singing includes 2 songs as well.  One, is 2016's first entry into this year's Tuesday blogosphere.  It featured a song that had been "Noted" in the original emails that began Tuesday's trips into tuneage.  The second, is the first in our countdown to highlight an artist who died this past year.  From the January 5th 1st Tuesday Musical Note of the year, and while not the Tribute Note to Eagle Glenn Frey, certainly one of his greatest songs, here are the 9th most read blogs at Tuesday's Musical Notes:

While many of this year's best read blogs resulted in ties, we do have a few rhythmic readings that are standalones.  Such is the case with our #8 entry into this year's countdown.  The feature song goes all the way back to 1967.  Here at #8 is:

Next up on the countdown, a brief riddle which you are sure to get!  What do an Eagle, a Beatle, a Jack-O-Latern, and a boy with a six pack in his hand have in common?  That's right!!!  They are the largest group in this year's compendium of choruses and they are tied for the 7th most read Note of 2016.  Also featuring the Notes tribute to Glenn Frey, here is #7:

NUMBER 6!!!

At #6, we find the song by one of the most iconic entertainer's on this year's countdown.  He went by many names throughout his career, and challenged the recording industry with new ways of determining artist remuneration.  He was incredibly talented and looked pretty good for 57.  He died leaving an incredible musical legacy and a throng of fans.  He had several songs break into the mainstream charts, this hit from the soundtrack of his popular film Purple Rain was one of thebiggest..."Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here to celebrate today, this thing called life...":


Tuesday's Musical Notes is going strong at just over 4 1/2 years.  Over the years we have featured multiple songs by individual bands and artists and we have noticed a trend with a particular band.  A year without a song by the Beatles as a feature has yet to exist at the Notes.  It seems each year there is a musical interlude by the boys from Liverpool to make its way for a treatment and twist on Tuesdays.  This year is no different as 3 songs by the Beatles or a band member made its way into the land of lyrical interpretation.  One was found in a tie at #7, this one stand's alone at #5.  The third, well...you can search the archives and see if you can find it...it's the one by the band member.  Here at the half way point of our year end look at the best blogs of 2016 is the classic:

You keep readin', we'll keep coutin' em down!!!


We're half way there!  As we reminisce about our past, many musical acts come to mind.  I have come to realize that I must be getting older because some of my favorite bands are finding their way to the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame.  On the flipside of that recognition, we also see many of our musical and entertainment icons have passed.  Some of the best of this year's Notes have been dedicated to the memories of those artists.  Here, from a youtube.com video is a tribute in memorium to some of those entertainers:

And now on with the countdown...

#4 features the only song in this year's compilation that poses a question.  When that question is asked by Janet Jackson, you can be sure that it is going to get an answer.  Given just a little bit of a Tuesday's Musical Notes Patriotic/political bend, here is Michael's baby sister with the feature song from March 1.

Only 3 more spots until we reach the top!!!  Let's continue down the pathway of pentatonics as we get closer and closer to the most read blog of the year 2016!!!

Number 3!  


The last tie of this "companion to the inbetween days of the holidays" features 2 songs from our month long salute in May to 70's and 80's hit maker Billy Joel, 90's superstar Sheryl Crow and 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's super group Chicago, who last year was inducted into the aforementioned Hall of Fame. 
As well they should be, but I digress.  Did we ever tell you that Chicago was our favorite band?   I thought so.  
 

Before we go to the top 2 of this year's countdown let's take Little River Band's advice and  go walking through the park, dancing through the dark and reminiscing.  Going online in May of 2012, Tuesday's Musical Notes made the digital migration from email to blog at the advice of friends.  4 1/2 years, 239 posts (240 if you count today!) and readers all over the world later, The Notes continues to exist to make music that we love have just a bit different and more meaningful interpretation.  We infer meaning that many haven't considered, and hopefully have been an encouragement along the way.  We exist first and foremost to tell the Good News (the Gospel) of Jesus in ways that are compelling and occasionally different.  We are very grateful to readers who continue to encourage by reading each weekly post with seeming enthusiasm.  Shout out to our reader in Ukraine, who consistently checks in with us each week (Спасибі за читання нотаток!!!).  Keep the faith friend!!!  Tuesday's Musical Notes have also been read in places one might not expect (Iran and many readers in Russia) as well as a few lands of which we didn't learn about in high school or college geography.  (Shout out to Mauritius, which we have found to be an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Thanks for helping us discover your country!!!).  

With today's Note, we reach the 240 mark.  That is a drop in the bucket to the number of songs ever written and recorded, so we look forward to many years continuing our quest to tell THE Story that changes lives and gives hope through the venue of popular music.  One such post has become the most popular in our tenure of blogging.  It has surpassed all of the other blogs 10 times over and continues to receive at least 1 read a week.  From February 18th, of 2014 here's Pete Townsend and the # 1 post of Tuesday's Musical Notes history...

Many thanks again for reading each week or as you get the chance!  


The blogs get bigger as the number gets smaller!!!


At #2, we find another iconic artist who passed away this year, Country music legend Merle Haggard.  He had 38 #1 hits on the Country charts and with Buck Owens helped define the "Bakersfield" sound of 1960's country music.  The Musical Notes paid tribute to this "Okie From Muskogee" on April 6 of this year:

One of the things about reminiscing is the caliber and number of people that you remember as you think about your past.  I have been truly blessed by having a vast array of personalities come through my universe as I travel down life's pathway.  With each passing year, it seems that more of the generation to which I belong succumb to the end of their time.  Some of those folks regretfully, have passed into eternity without the knowledge and relationship which will secure their joy and happiness forever.  With sorrow, I sometimes wonder if I could have been more overt in my approach in telling them about the love of Jesus and what He has done in my life.  Other folks have passed in this year that I know have taken their first breath of eternity in the presence of the Savior who died for their life.  It is with sadness, accompanied by great joy that I say "farewell, for now" to these saints who have been an encouragement and example to me.  That being said, we find our way to the #1 read post from 2016.

The #1 most read Tuesday's Musical Note from 2016 was dedicated to someone who I considered a Musical Icon.  As far as I know, she didn't  ever have a top ten single, nor did she record an album that made the Billboard charts.  She doesn't have a star on the Hollywood Sidewalk, nor was she inducted into any earthly musical Hall of Fame.  She did however leave a legacy of folks who could attest to who she was, WHOSE she was and to the fact that she really did have a way about her.  Our #1 Tuesday's Musical Note was dedicated to the memory of our friend Retha Kilmer,  Teacher, Musician, Friend, whose body gave way to cancer, but her soul had already given way to Christ.  We miss you still sweet friend!!!

There you have it.  The top ten read Tuesday's Musical Notes from the year 2016.  (Actually it was more than ten, but we thought you'd want to see the ties. and well it really didn't take that much effort to repost...yup that was a tangent...sorry)  Tuesday's Musical Notes is tabulated by blogspot.com and can be easily accessed anytime at tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com.  Check back each week as we feature songs with a twist in their interpretation!!!  We can hardly wait to see what God has in store for the Notes in 2017 and hope that you will continue to join us each week!  But for now, this is Randy letting you know that we exist to Serve HIM by serving you, as we look forward to each Tuesday with great anticipation!!!  Don't forget to search the archives for your favorite songs!!!  We hope you had a Merry Christmas and we wish you the Happiest of New Year's.  Thanks for reading!!!

'Til Tuesday 2017
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy

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