Across the 110th street

Today during my walk I was listening to the soundtrack of the movie Jackie Brown (by Quentin Tarantino) and realized again that how cool is the song Across the 110th street by Bobby Womack. It has a very nice lyrics which I hadn't noticed before. Again about the poor childhood, the circumstances, "anything I had to do to survive..."

First it was written for the 1972 crime-drama film Across 110th street but had become much more serious. Later it was also used for Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown.

Across 110th street:

Hear the original version with the opening of Across 110th street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qXhFag9BVU

See the opening of Jackie Brown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BWA1T78WpI

Bobby Womack - California dreamin' / Across 110th street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD2fTiwclMM

À Paris

Summer is trying its forces here, and for me the warm weather makes me listen not only to jazz, blues and nostalgic pop/rock songs related to summer, but also chansons. My favourite is an essential, À Paris by Yves Montand.

If a chanson can contain all of the emotions of the universe, it's one of those.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryH39k-Md54

(live) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0do-UYWZKoY

Also about Paris: Sous le ciel de Paris, Un gamin de Paris

Inner city blues

Inner city blues... when I first saw these words but haven't heard a second of it, I had been fascinated already. I didn't doubt about that I would like it. It was then when I got to know the genre soul, especially Marvin Gaye's What's going on, and see this song amongst the tracks.

Now it's one of my favourite songs and an always-coming-back melody in my head, during walks, on public transportation, etc. Those monotonic rhythms and its cool words are fantastic. Recently it didn't want to disappear from my mind, it was constantly floating there. Using this situation, I did a little research.

Inner city blues (Make me wanna holler) was written by Marvin Gaye in 1971 - the song depicted the ghettos of inner-city America as it discussed how the bleak economic situation would lead to someone wanting to holler and throw ones hands up (Wikipedia). The first adaptation is by Grover Washington Jr. on his album Inner city blues in 1972. Next, for example, by Sarah Vaughan on the album A time in my life in 1972 and by Gil Scott-Heron on the album Reflections in 1981.

Start to feel it:

the original, by Marvin Gaye:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeWF0LC3R2o

by Grover Washington Jr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk2-w2JMBIY

by Reuben Wilson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRfeFaCHOdU

by Sarah Vaughan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0hQ2vuUiFc

by Gil Scott-Heron:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drTjTE8MCBU

Pulp fiction - Music from the motion picture

Quentin Tarantino reinterpreted film music. His flicks wouldn't be those movies without those songs. He always chooses older songs, not actual hits. Well-known songs and less well-known ones which create perfect atmosphere for his films. What is this atmosphere like? Funny. Cool. Loose. Entertaining. Nice. Nostalgic. Romantic... and so on.

If you hear Pulp fiction, you immediately start to hum Misirlou in your head, but the soundtrack is much more. For example, I was introduced to the genre "surf" by Tarantino soundtracks. Bustin' surfboards and Surf rider are surfing with you for a short time, but there're Let's stay together by Al Green, Jungle boogie by Kool & The Gang, Girl, you'll be a woman soon by Urge Overkill, and the classic twist contest song, the You never can tell by Chuck Berry. And I haven't talked about the film excerpts which paint even more colours on this album. It's not a coincidence that Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta have been chosen for one of the fifteen greatest pairs of pop culture by Entertainment Weekly. Their memorable dialogues will always be with us, for example talking about the burgers in America and France, the morning scene when they murder the boys having breakfast, and Jules's monologue quoting from Ezekiel 25:17 which is the closer track of the album. Don't say what again, listen to this album...

...and if you liked it, start with the Jackie Brown - Music from the Miramax motion picture. That's my favourite Tarantino movie music.

Misirlou:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIU0RMV_II8

Jungle boogie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgynbFoA9to

Let's stay together:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COiIC3A0ROM

Pulp fiction trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZBfmBvvotE

Summer things

Summer just walked in - but I didn't realize it, because the weather is very strange in Hungary. But if I glance at the calendar I can remember that in one simple moment the 31st of May turned to the 1st of June and yes, that was the first day of summer. It's always an important day to me: the first and last days of each season. Now I just slipped into the summer. I regret.

But we don't have to wait long, summer will be here in its whole reality, and I can't help proposing albums which are connected to this season in my mind.

1. Pop: Pet Shop Boys - Actually
2. Pop: Roxy music - Avalon
3. Pop: Wham! - The final
4. Jazz: Modern Jazz Quartet - Porgy and Bess
5. Jazz: Dizzy Gillespie - Jambo caribe
6. Blues: Lightnin' Hopkins - Country blues
7. World/folk: René Aubry - Invités sur la Terre
8. Progressive rock: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Love beach
9. Progressive rock: Camel - Breathless
10. Reggae: Bob Marley and the Wailers - Rastaman vibration