(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 343
Something Old
Our “something old” this edition is the classic cut “You Send Me” originally recorded by the “King of Soul” Sam Cooke. It was written by Cooke’s younger brother Charles and first released as a single in 1957. Cooke’s premiere single, it climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was later covered by (among others) The Steve Miller Band.
Something New
Our “something new” this time is the new cover cut “Broken Wings” by Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s own lap steel guitarist Sean Williamson a.k.a. Velocihamster. He briefly discussed the single in a recent email. He said:
“I'm hell-bent on extending steel guitar to musical eras, styles and genres you probably wouldn't expect to hear the instrument. I'm proud to add this '80s classic to an already diverse catalog of metal inspired lap steel mania. With this track, I've also earned my first credit as a drummer." The single’s release also marks Velocihamster’s “first entirely solo effort in instrumentation” with the noted exception of Matt Turner’s fretless bass work.
Something Borrowed
Our “something borrowed” for this edition is the 1972 song “Águas de Março” by Brazilian singer-songwriter and musician Antonio Carlos Jobim. This 2021 online cover is by American blues, soul, and rhythm and blues singer Whitney Shay and singer-songwriter and musician Israel Maldonado. If you’d like to see Shay perform live, you’re in luck! She is currently on tour. Check out the remaining November dates and locations.
Something Blue
Finally, our “something blue” this edition is the song “Perfect Blue” by the Seattle, Washington-based act Black Nite Crash. The track is off the group’s 2008 release titled simply Array. (Be sure to keep your peepers peeled for a possible piece on their upcoming new release, Electric, as well!).
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)