Play us an old song for the first time
 

The other day I was driving to dinner with my gf and The Boxer by S&G came on a mix-CD I had. After a few minutes my gf remarked at what a beautiful song it was and asked who it was. I immediately stopped the CD and confirmed in disbelief that she had never, ever, heard the song The Boxer before in her life... even though she is a Paul Simon fan and has heard most of everything he has recorded solo.

I explained to her how lucky she was, and how jealous I was of her because she was about to hear one of the most perfect songs ever written for the first time, even though it was written over 30 years ago. I started the song over and we listened to it together. She was moved by the fluent, graceful melding of music and lyrics and the effortlessness of the recorded performance.

We agreed that in our opinions, there are few things in this world more pleasurable than listening to an old and brilliant piece of music for the first time. With over 10,000 songs from all genres on our collective iPods, it is a rare occurance though.

For myself the only example I can remember of simply missing a popular musical gem occured in 1993 when I heard a local cover band in San Diego perform Into the Mystic . I was with my college roommate and I remember remarking "holy [censored], this song is amazing... how are these guys not huge recording stars by now?!" He, of course, looked at me like I was retarded and began laughing as he asked me if I seriously had never heard of Van Morrison. Now, I HAD heard of Van Morrison and had probably heard half of the songs on Moondance... I just hadn't happened to hear that one song before.

So, members of the Lounge, bring us pleasure. Post an old, brilliant song that you think may have been missed by some of us. Clearly songs like The Boxer or Into the Mystic are not likely to have gone unnoticed by most of us, but I'm sure you have a few tunes in mind... amazing, old tunes that weren't quite hits that you think may have escaped our ears.

Also please tell the story of the hit song you never heard and your memory of hearing it later in life for the first time.

Irieguy

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Could we elaborate on the rules of the game here? I mean, I could totally rock this thread with jazz and blues made before 1950, and few people would have heard the songs even if they have heard of the likes of Duke Ellington and Muddy Waters, but I don't think that's what you're getting at here.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Great thread!

One famous song I can remember being amazed upon hearing it for the first time is Debussy's Claire de Lune. It's very well known, of course, and has probably been used and heard in various movies to the point of cliche, but it's still utterly gorgeous.

And a song/album I'd like to recommend is Hats, from 80s Britsters The Blue Nile. Beautiful, quiet songs that are best heard in one sitting as part of a theme. It's in that dream-pop, chill kinda way that also has a classical jazz sense to it. And singer/songwriter Paul Buchanan has an incredibly expressive voice.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P...2.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Here's a music video of one of their songs: The Downtown Lights

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
Could we elaborate on the rules of the game here? I mean, I could totally rock this thread with jazz and blues made before 1950, and few people would have heard the songs even if they have heard of the likes of Duke Ellington and Muddy Waters, but I don't think that's what you're getting at here.

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Just pretend like it is a contest and you have to pick the one song in the world that you think is perfect but that few of us have ever heard.

Irieguy

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Great thread Irieguy. I agree with you that The Boxer is a perfect song. I just listened to Dom's Downtown Lights and I liked it a lot.

I wish I could post a link to my perfect song nomination. My sister turned me onto Eric Clapton. I love his Thorn Tree In the Garden. If you've never heard it you should try to. I just really love it. (lol, now you guys will tell me you all know about this song [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img])

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

One lesser known song that I really like is Sunday Morning Coming Down. There are a lot of songs written by Kris Kristofferson that get very little love.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherezade, Symphonic Suite, Op. 35, has a number of pieces I really like. It's very dramatic and some supposedly think of it as a type of light or popular classical, but it did come to mind as very accessible and fun. As to the very best old thing nobody's heard of, I'm sure that's not it, but it was a nice discovery.

I mentioned in some thread the other day Joe Raposo's famous It's Not Easy Being Green. Everyone has heard that, but I don't think many of us have heard Ray Charles sing it. It's really great when he does it.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

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One lesser known song that I really like is Sunday Morning Coming Down. There are a lot of songs written by Kris Kristofferson that get very little love.

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Kristofferson's so awesome...my Dad used to play his albums all the time when I was a kid...

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

By the Way, The Boxer and Into the Mystic are probably my favorite songs by those artists!

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

I did four songs karaoke last week, and two of them have been mentioned in this thread. No kidding. WATFO?

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

My god, there are SO many, especially if one includes the "Classical" genre.

For right this second, two songs popped into my head immediately when I read this thread.

"White Bird" by It's a Beautiful Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt0oa4IqNqg

"Wooden Ships" by Crosby, Stills & Nash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh1pfg90GOk

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Cool thread.
Like Myrtle there are a few of songs that immediately come to mind when reading through this thread. I am liking everything that has been listed so far, most I know but a few I do not.

Here is what came to my mind.

Simon and Garfunkel April Come She Will
I always thought this song was pretty well known because of The Graduate but have been surprised that there are a lot of people I have come across that were not familiar with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A2G_yhIZ74


Elton John Come Down In Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e933I...ed&search=
(lol at the video montage)

Boz Scaggs Harbor Lights
http://www.last.fm/music/Boz+Scaggs/_/Harbor+Lights

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_/104-...o.y=4&Go=Go
(I wish I could find the complete song)

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Can't access mp3 sites at work, but here are the titles that came to mind. These are probably too common for the elder posters, but may be fresh for the younger crowd.

Carmelita by Zevon
Mississippi Queen by Mountain
Queen Bitch by Bowie
Pusher Man by Curtis Mayfield
The Loser in the End by Queen
More than this by Roxy Music
St. Thomas by Sonny Rollins
Rebubula by moe.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

This song is not very old (1999), but the first time I heard it was when it was linked in an ElD thread about songs to hear before you die. I was pretty happy to discover it, and have since become a Sigur Ros fan:

Staralfur

Irieguy

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Also, I've noticed that Reggae songs never get enough love in these music threads.

I first heard Destiny by Buju Banton in Jamaica sometime in the blur that was the 90's. I can't remember what year it was, but when I hear this song I remember the shirt I had on, the type of beer that was in my hand, and the expressions on the faces of my friends as we enjoyed a very irie moment in time.

Irieguy

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
Simon and Garfunkel April Come She Will
I always thought this song was pretty well known because of The Graduate but have been surprised that there are a lot of people I have come across that were not familiar with it.


[/ QUOTE ]

Really nice song, I love this one. Paul Simon is exceptional at doing this kind of song -- very wistful, a bit melancholy maybe, but the sentimentality is generally under pretty good control. It's hard to do something that's frankly emotionally evocative yet still under control and not either mawkish on the one hand or strident on the other.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

The whole of Avalon by Roxy Music, not just the gorgeous More Than This, should be included here. I would guess that most posters under the age of 35 have never heard it.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

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The Boxer

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DAMNIT. I was excited to listen because I have never heard of this song. However, upon clicking your link I realized I know every note and every word, I just never knew the name of it. This happens to me a lot.

Also, I think your girlfriend was messing with you; everybody knows this song, especially Simon and/or Garfunkle fans...

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

As for reggae:

War In Babylon by Max Romeo (produced by Lee Perry)
James Bond Theme by the Skatalites
Our Day Will Come by the Slackers with Doreen Shaffer (the first lady of ska, she of the lovely voice).

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
As for reggae:

War In Babylon by Max Romeo (produced by Lee Perry)
James Bond Theme by the Skatalites
Our Day Will Come by the Slackers with Doreen Shaffer (the first lady of ska, she of the lovely voice).

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If it's going to turn into a reggae thread..."Made Up My Mind" by Dread'I has a great, catchy groove.

*Edit* here it is

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

For an album, I'd submit My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Brian Eno and David Byrne. Adventurous, intense and even mesmerizing, beautiful, and full of surprises, this is some of my favorite work by two great talents at the top of their form. It was done about 20 years ago but would still be daring even today.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The Boxer

[/ QUOTE ]

DAMNIT. I was excited to listen because I have never heard of this song. However, upon clicking your link I realized I know every note and every word, I just never knew the name of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, Same thing for me.

I want to thank OP for starting this. It has given me an excuse to search out old and loved songs from the past that I hadn't listened to in a long long time. Most of these are old Todd Rundgren tunes like I saw the light and Hello It's Me . You HAVE to see the outfit he wears in this video. Going through a Ziggy Stardust phase. :-)

I was a huge Rundgren fan when I was younger and still am but haven't listened much lately. So here are a few of the gems I found.

The Want of a Nail ** I really like this song

Bang the Drum All Day

Can we still be friends

There are a lot more but I just don't have time to search right now.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

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One lesser known song that I really like is Sunday Morning Coming Down. There are a lot of songs written by Kris Kristofferson that get very little love.

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That's a beautiful and evocative song indeed. I always thought it was a Johnny Cash song though, but guess he just covered it.

Since both reggae and Paul Simon have been mentioned, how about Mother And Child Reunion from his excellent self-titled debut album? I feel it's one of those songs that most people know they've heard before but they're not necessarily sure who to attribute it to.

Gotta throw in a couple of favorites from one of the greatest punk rock albums ever too. Namely Television's Marquee Moon:

See No Evil
Venus
Marquee Moon

EDIT: For those wanting to contribute songs to this thread, I suggest using the site the guy I'm quoting used. To link a song, simply search for it, click "Options" and then "Embed" and copy the URL (link) from the bottom of the pop-up window. Youtube works too of course. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

early 70s Elton John is awesome...Burn Down the Mission, etc...

And Boz Scaggs was the Man.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

I'd seen Maynard Ferguson perform when he was past his prime and didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't until he died and I saw this performance of Round Midnight that I understood what a talent he had been.

Misty was my grandfather's favorite song. Just a beautiful melody.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

A couple of old ones:

Pancho and Lefty by Townes Van Zandt

Dylan's "Girl from the North County" as done by:


Dylan

Dylan and Cash

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
early 70s Elton John is awesome...Burn Down the Mission, etc...

And Boz Scaggs was the Man.

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When he was with The Brown Dirt Cowboy, he was good. Perfectly forgettable afterward.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

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The whole of Avalon by Roxy Music, not just the gorgeous More Than This, should be included here. I would guess that most posters under the age of 35 have never heard it.

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Good point!

Out of the Blue is my favorite Roxy tune.

Can't find the original album cut, which is a sonic tour-de-force, but found these live cuts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC8of...ed&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVkOV...ed&search=

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Going with the Paul Simon theme I would be obligated to mention Heart & Bones. It's my favorite by him. Sorry I couldn't find a link.

The other song I would think of is Jackson Browne's The Pretender. It's kinda my dad's anthem.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hlgmO1YQCIQ

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Some great choices so far. My pick is Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Aguas de Marco (Waters of March)". He's the guy who wrote and performed "Girl from Ipanema" and is something of the father of the bossanova sound.

A great litmus test for this standard is whether or not my grade school kids find immediate enjoyment in hearing one of these songs for the first time. If they do, I figure there's a certain timelessness to the song.

Other random picks that my meet the kid/parent visceral appeal standard...

Joe Jackson's "I'm the Man".
Elton John's "Where to now St. Peter"
Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Mr. Bojangles"
Eric Clapton's "Motherless Children"
Split Enz "Six Months in a Leaky Boat"
George Harrison's "Give me Peace"
David Bowie's "Panic in Detroit"
Cat Stevens' "Moon Shadow"
Blood Sweat and Tears "God Bless the Child"
Sarah Vaughan's "Send in the Clowns"

We could make a crazy long list.

My daughter and and I sometimes sit around with the headphones and hunt and peck around (while I play cards on the laptop).

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Well, I don't really get the rules. Guess we're looking at songs that are old, but not too old, and mostly in the popular rock genres. If we included jazz standards pre-1960, I'd be here all day long.

Anyway, you give me an excuse to mention some Stevie Wonder:

My Cherie Amour

accompanied by the great vocal group Take Six, an updated version of:

Love's in need of love

and try to resist smiling through:

Don't you worry about a thing

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'd seen Maynard Ferguson perform when he was past his prime and didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't until he died and I saw this performance of Round Midnight that I understood what a talent he had been.

Misty was my grandfather's favorite song. Just a beautiful melody.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, I am listening to Maynard Ferguson right now - La Fiesta. I saw him a bunch when I was a kid and loved seeing him with his big bands! If nothing else the bands were FANTASTIC! Thanks for finding that clip on Youtube. I had not ever seen that and it is great!!

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

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early 70s Elton John is awesome...Burn Down the Mission, etc...


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Totally agree!

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
Going with the Paul Simon theme I would be obligated to mention Heart & Bones. It's my favorite by him. Sorry I couldn't find a link.

The other song I would think of is Jackson Browne's The Pretender. It's kinda my dad's anthem.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hlgmO1YQCIQ

[/ QUOTE ]

This one got tons of radio airplay for decades though. Not that obscure.

I'll submit Bell Bottom Blues by Clapton when I think he was in his Cream phase, or maybe it was his Derek and the Dominoes phase. Good bleeding heart groveling shame, great sound.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Which song are you talking about? Or did you mean both. I didnt hear them until I was older so I guess I didnt know if they were radio plays or not. All I know is that I never have heard these on any radio stations today.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

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I'll submit Bell Bottom Blues by Clapton when I think he was in his Cream phase, or maybe it was his Derek and the Dominoes phase. Good bleeding heart groveling shame, great sound.

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It was in his Derek and Dominoes phase. I wore that song out for a couple of years in the 1970s. On the version off the Layla album, Clapton has one of the best, most succinct solos.

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[ QUOTE ]


My daughter and and I sometimes sit around with the headphones and hunt and peck around (while I play cards on the laptop).

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that's so awesome. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

From their album "The Village Green Preservation society" the albums about nostalgia and longing for the certaintys of childhood with one or two songs that deviate from that theme I really like the whole album but this is the song I find myself returning to again and again. My apologies if this was a hit when released.
Kinks starstruck

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

Check out this Scottish band called Texas, off of their first album in the late 80s:

I Don't Want a Lover

They later changed their sound completely and became a pop band...but their first few albums were great, bluesy, guitar driven country rock.

Re: Play us an old song for the first time
 

[ QUOTE ]
Check out this Scottish band called Texas, off of their first album in the late 80s:

I Don't Want a Lover

They later changed their sound completely and became a pop band...but their first few albums were great, bluesy, guitar driven country rock.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wasn’t a hit in the US I take it? Because for a UK audience this is a well known song that gets played on classic rock stations.