(Note: this series was originally published elsewhere.)
Something in music: origin
One evening at a hot, trendy L.A. nightclub on a rare solo outing, yours truly found himself standing alone at the bar preparing to review the upcoming act. Before he had taken more than a few notes, however, he was bookended by a pair of vivacious vixens who insisted on engaging your rockin’ writer in cozy conversation. Strangely, the subject of “marriage” arose.
One of the young ladies noted that when a gal is about to get hitched, she needs “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Your provocative penman was immediately inspired. After all, those very same terms could be applied to music too: “Something old” or classic, “something new” or recently released, “something borrowed”, a cover, and “something blue”, a blues song or a song with “blue” in the title. The rest is history.
‘Something’ in Music 320
Something Old
Our “something old” in this edition is the classic cut “Pretending” recorded by Eric Clapton. Written by Jerry Lynn Williams, Clapton covered it for his 1989 disc titled Journeyman. It was the lead single backed with “Before You Accuse Me” It peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Something New
Our “something new” this time is the new single "What About Now" written and recorded by American singer-songwriter, certified sound therapist, and Reiki practitioner Annie Fitzgerald. In a recent social media message, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based artist briefly discussed the meaning of the new song. Fitzgerald said: “‘What About Now’ is about missed connections and the possibility of second chances.”
She added: “I love playing this song, and I am thrilled with how the recording turned out. So much gratitude to Matt Patrick, Steve Bosmans, DGS, and Rare Form Mastering for being the most amazing collaborators. I feel so fortunate to make music with you all.”
The track features Fitzgerald on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Steve Bosmans on electric guitar, David Gerald Sutton on strings, and producer Matt Patrick on synth bass, synthesizer, percussion and drum programming, acoustic and electric piano, and background vocals.
Something Borrowed
Our “something borrowed” for this edition is the song “Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie”, a 19th century cowboy folk song first recorded by Carl T. Sprague as a 10-inch single in 1926. In a recent e-communique, Sweeney briefly discussed the song and their choice of instruments. He said:
“This is a song of loneliness felt as you are dying. We tried to capture what was the reality for many: your body and the memory of you is left behind at death. We played a traditional American instrument (Fretless Banjo), a traditional Chinese instrument (Erhu), and a Native American Drum & Rattle to try to honor the history and cultures of the unmarked graves of the prairie.”
Sweeney plays the fretless banjo. Multi-instumentalist and recording artist Cathy Clasper-Torch plays an erhu, and Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson guests on drums and rattle. The song is the lead single off Sweeney’s upcoming album, A Sunday Drive. It features Cathy Clasper-Torch and has a drop date of October 6. Read more about the new release right here.
Something Blue
Last but not least, our “something blue” this time is the song “Blue Bird” written and recorded by Northern Ohio's Americana musician Ben Gage. The song is included on his new, upcoming album titled Two Singing Songs which drops on Friday, November 3, 2023. (Keep your peepers peeled for a full review of the album on this website!)
Did we mention your favorite “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? If not, let us know. Don’t forget to send us your bride photos too!
(Images courtesy of Rock n Roll Bride and/or original owners)