A Taste of Honey...

Yesterday, I was reminded of a cheesy song from the early 80s called "Sukiyaki".

This is a cover version done by a band called A Taste of Honey...

It was originally done in 1963 by a Japanese singer named Kyu Sakamoto.  I had never heard the original version of "Sukiyaki", but I well remember A Taste of Honey's version, which was all over the radio in 1981.

Kyu Sakamoto sings "Sukiyaki" in Japanese.

It wasn't until recently that I found out A Taste of Honey was behind the pop English version of "Sukiyaki".  I knew them from their big disco hit, "Boogie Oogie Oogie."

This runs for over ten minutes!

I confess that I loved "Boogie Oogie Oogie."  I also liked the background music on CHiPs.

And here's a song called "A Taste of Honey".  My parents owned this album on vinyl, so that's the version of "A Taste of Honey" that I remember best.  But this is an instrumental version.  There is also a version with lyrics...

I didn't know the Beatles sang it...

You learn something new every day, I guess.  

Gino Vannelli...

I have always enjoyed Gino Vannelli's elegant brand of adult contemporary music.  Born in Montreal, Quebec, Mr. Vannelli injects a sophisticated jazzy mood into his sound that has aged well over the years.

Gino Vanelli's 1978 hit, "I Just Wanna Stop"...

Not just a singer, Gino Vannelli learned percussion as a young boy.  As a teenager, he became a songwriter.  As a young man, he once waited outside Herb Alpert's locked gate for an audition.  Alpert was his last chance at making a go of a music career.  Fortunately, Herb Alpert liked what he heard and signed Vannelli to A&M Records...

An updated orchestral version of "Living Inside Myself"...

"People Gotta Move"

Gino Vannelli's music reminds me a little of Boz Scaggs' style.  It's definitely influenced by jazz and funk, but is right at home on an adult contemporary radio station.

"Appaloosa"

 
I may need to pull out my Gino Vannelli collection and give it another spin.  

Bonding over obscure game show themes...

My friend Amy was on Facebook tonight, lamenting that she had a game show theme from the 70s stuck in her head and couldn't figure out what it was.  I had a feeling I knew which one she was talking about, but I didn't remember the name of it or which show it was on.  I mean, like Amy, I thought it came from The Newlywed Game, but I got that wrong.

Then I thought maybe it was The Dating Game.  But that was wrong too.  Amy typed out the phonetics of the piece and I knew then that we were thinking of the same thing.  Then I realized the music sounded like Herb Alpert.  So off I went to YouTube and minutes later, I triumphantly posted this...

Amy was ecstatic.  And then she said I was a marvel for figuring that out...

Not really, though.  I used to wait tables at a restaurant that had a CD they used to play that had "Spanish Flea" on it.  It also had "Typewriter"...  You have to know how that kept me buzzing through a shift.



Anyway, now I've done my good deed for the night.  And now that I've figured out what that piece is, I will never forget it.  Might come in handy if I'm ever in a trivia contest.