When saxophones roamed the earth

 

When I began listening to popular radio in the early 80s, there was about a 1 in 3 chance that any given song was going to feature a saxophone. Saxophones have long had some presence in pop music, but in the 80s, the sax – if not quite king (that was the guitar) – was royalty.

Nowadays, not so much. I like a lot of today's music, but at best you'll hear a sample of a sax every once in a great while.

This was brought home to me recently when I was listening to Huey Lewis' "80s Radio" show on Apple Music. Huey hosts this hour-long show once a week, and as you might imagine, it focuses solely on songs from the 80s...well, there are a few very late 70s and very early 90s tunes thrown in there, but you get the gist.

Huey will often organize these shows around a theme, and this morning I listed to his saxophone-themed show.

I still have 20 minutes more to go through, but so far I like his selections. Men at Work's "Who Can It Be Now" was in there, as was Hall and Oates' "Maneater." "Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash was a nice surprise, and it was good to hear "Smooth Operator" by Sade.

One selection that baffled me was Rick James' "Super Freak." Great song, but the sax solo at the end is incidental at best. Certainly not an "iconic" 80s saxophone song like the others.

Still, on balance, it's a fun listen, as it hearkens back to my favorite era of pop music AND features the instrument I've played for more than 40 years.

When the saxophone becomes cool again, I'll be ready to lay down some cool licks in the studio. I'll be 90 years old, of course, but when a modern artist comes looking for that 80s sax sound, trust me, I'll be everyone's go-to.

Bringing back the iPod shuffle

On two previous occasions, we played the iPod shuffle game on this blog (here and here). The idea, as you may recall, is to put your iPod or other MP3 device − we're not Apple-specific here at They Still Call Me Daddy − on "shuffle" mode and post the first five songs that pop up, no matter what they are.

I'll give you my list here, and you're welcome to offer up yours in the comments below. Here goes:

Scott's iPod shuffle results - 3/20/13

(1) David Francey - "Red-Winged Blackbird"
I love me some David Francey. He's a Canadian folk singer-songwriter who looks like he should be the guy who comes over and remodels your kitchen. And in fact he DID used to be a carpenter/laborer. I highly recommend his stuff.

(2) Sting - "St. Augustine in Hell"
Have I told you guys about the time I met Sting? I can't remember if I've relayed that story here. I probably have. Two or three times. I forget these things. Anyway, Sting is my all-time favorite. I've seen him play live nine times in 25 years. This song isn't among my top Sting tunes, but it's enjoyable.

(3) The Police - "Can't Stand Losing You"
Speaking of Sting...One of his better songs with The Police. I think the BBC once banned it because it dealt with the topic of suicide. But that was more than 30 years ago. No one would even think twice about the subject today.

(4) Sheila E. - "The Glamorous Life"
Yay, a woman! Sheila E. is extremely talented. And she's still out there making music. She was in Cleveland a few months ago with Dave Koz's band, and I'm sure she sang this, her signature tune.

(5) Quarterflash - "Harden My Heart"
Yay, another woman! Well, the lead singer/sax player in Quarterflash, Rindy Ross, is a woman. Always liked the tenor sax part she plays in this song. As I understand it, Quarterflash is still going strong, but they'll forever be filed under "One-Hit Wonders" on the strength of this little ditty, which hit #3 on the Billboard charts back in 1982.