Welcome to Tuesday! It's time for The Notes!!! The music you love with a message you long for...whether you realize it or not. Go ahead read on. You might be surprised...at least I hope you're surprised... you're trying hard not to show it aren't you? 
Regardless of your state of surprisedness welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! A plethora of pianos and pizzicatos awaits as we explore the best music of all time! It's Tuesday, time's a-wastin' and we've got things to do before the chance is gone, long gone..woah!
and for aficionados of the '80s...
finally, we would be remiss...
In November of this year, "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'", like a lot of us this year, turns 55. In its 55 year history, it has achieved a success that is rare in the music industry. It is listed behind "White Christmas" (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "White Christmas") and "Happy Birthday" as the 3rd most profitable song in history. BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) has listed it as the most played song on the radio in the 20th Century. (15 Million Plays as of 2011) It is listed at #34 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time listing and in 2015 was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. There really is a love for this song that you don't find every day.
The Righteous Brother's recording of the Phil Spector, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil song was the first song to which Spector's "Wall of Sound" was attributed. It became the standard for the recording process for the remainder of the '60s and beyond as stereo sound was beginning to be introduced into the marketplace. It featured studio musicians The Wrecking Crew, as well as other artists to lay down the instrumental tracks. The "Wall of Sound" procedure started in this song with recording 4 acoustic guitars. When the guitar track was ready they then layered 3 pianos on top of the guitars. The operation proceeded by the layering of 3 basses, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 3 saxophones, and then drums. After the instrumental tracks were finalized, vocals by Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley, and back up singers, The Blossoms, as well as other back up vocalists including a young Cher (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Beat Goes On") were recorded and dubbed. String arrangements were then placed into the mix and the rest, of course with a little reverb added, is history. The vocal tracks took 8 hours over 2 days of recording for Spector to get the desired sound. That's 8 hours vocally, and countless hours on instrumentals for a song with a total running time of...3:45. Much longer than most radio stations wanted to play due to the desire to get more advertising space.
Ultimately, the results were outstanding as seen by the song's 2 consecutive weeks at #1 in Billboard's Hot 100, #5 ranking of all songs in 1965, the continual covers, as well as usage in TV and the movies. It seems that no one has lost that lovin' feelin' for this smash hit!!
The first 2 weeks of February seem to be the part of the year where LOVE is celebrated...that would be the romantic kind of love. Tons of chocolate, bushels of roses, and let's face it, Hallmark makes a gazillion dollars during this season. (This is the only time of the year it seems that their actual CARD business competes with their MOVIE business).
While many folks express their love during this time, it is equally important to remember that there is much loneliness that seems to be amplified during the first half of February. Make sure yas you celebrate, you are considerate and sympathetic to those who have lost loved ones in this last year, to those who are currently experiencing difficulties with their relationships and to those who've lost that lovin' feelin'.
Have you heard of the church that experienced today's featured song? We read about it in the book of the Bible written by the disciple John called Revelation. Folks tend to shy away sometimes from this book, due to its symbolism, and apocalyptic prophecies, yet there are incredible truths regarding our culture, in the church and out, that should get a closer inspection. For example, Jesus Revelation to the disciple John, chapter 2, verses 1-7 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel
Ephesus was a huge deal in the Roman empire. Archaeologists have discovered roads going in a myriad of directions from this ancient city. As such, it isn't hard to imagine why God would want it to be the place where the apostle Paul planted his first church. Paul used the church at Ephesus, located in modern-day Turkey, as a home base when he went about establishing other churches through his 4 missionary journeys. Let's take a Drive Thru History and learn more about the city of Ephesus: Drive Thru History - Ephesus (partial)
And now back to The Notes!
Did you catch what Jesus said to John to tell the church at Ephesus? He could have very well sang our feature song's chorus to them! "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love." Jesus had just told the Ephesians that they were doing really good things in their community. They had discerned false teachers, hated the compromising religion of the Nicolaitans, worked really hard rooting out evil and presevered in their efforts for Christ. Yet, something was not right! Their motivation for doing all of these things had changed. They needed to bring back their lovin' feelin'!
You see dear friend, at the point in which you turn the administration of your life over to Jesus, you begin a process of growing to love God more and more every day. The reason you do the small or great acts of kindness to folks is because you love God and He has commanded you to express your love to Him by loving others. You may notice that when Jesus gave this commandment in The Gospel of Jesus written by the disciple Matthew, chapter 22, verses 36-40 NASB/The Message/KJV, He didn't qualify "who" we are to love. That's right. Jesus commanded us to love God and love others. Not the "others" who are most like us, and share our political beliefs, share our socioeconomic status, or even denominational beliefs. (When is the last time you told a Christian brother from another Christian denomination that you loved them?) Jesus commanded us to love and let Him be the judge. Jesus commanded us to do our "work" because of our love for Him. Jesus commanded us to allow love to be the motivation for everything we do. This immediately allows us to place the emphasis on other folks instead of ourselves.
Jesus was telling the Ephesian church, and more importantly believers today..."...if you would only love me like you used to do..."
There is a very churchy word that describes what happens when we bring back that lovin' feelin'...it's called revival and it is what we so desperately need in our time...woah!
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
No comments:
Post a Comment