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Kirk Hamilton

Strong Songs

It takes an extremely strong song to top the charts three separate times in three separate decades, but "I Will Always Love You" is just such a song.

Written and recorded (twice) by Dolly Parton and then re-recorded in show-stopping fashion by Whitney Houston, the ballad has morphed from a fond farewell to a former mentor, to a theatrical goodbye to a lover, to a soaring ode to the very notions of love and loss. We follow that journey from the beginning, with all the vocal tricks, dramatic line-readings, and epic key changes that were added along the way.

Band/Artist: Dolly Parton & Whitney Houston

Albums: Jolene (1974), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), and The Bodyguard soundtrack (1992)

Composed by: Dolly Parton

Listen/Buy (Jolene): Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

Listen/Buy (TBLWIT): Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

Listen/Buy (The Bodyguard): Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

------

ALSO DISCUSSED/FEATURED:

 • The sensational new WNYC podcast 
Dolly Parton's America • "The Last Thing On My Mind" by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner
 • "Applejack" by Dolly Parton from 
New Harvest...First Gathering • , 1977
 • "Let It Go" from 
Frozen • performed by Idina Menzel

------

OUTRO SOLOIST: Dan Nervo

Mr. Dan Nervo has the tiller for this episode's outro solo. Dan plays guitar all around the San Francisco Bay Area in bands like Neon Velvet, and also teaches private guitar lessons. Hit him up if you want to get really good at guitar: https://www.facebook.com/DanNervoGuitarLessons/

----LINKS-----

RECAST RECOMMENDATION: "Stranded" by Sierra Hull from Weighted Mind, 2016

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

JOIN THE DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

NOVEMBER 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Elizabeth Culver
Meryl Allison
Robyn Metcalfe
Brian Templet
Cesar
Bob Tucker
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
Catherine Warner
Damon White
Kaya Woodall
Jay Swartz
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Paul Delaney
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
AccessViolation
Dave Florey

NOVEMBER 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Kevin Stafford
Lawrence
Sy Jacobs
irritable
Ian Pidd
Andrew Hofer
Jordan Gatenby
Melissa Kuhns
Ashley
Seattle Trans And Nonbinary Choral Ensemble
Kevin Marcelo
Samantha Coates
James
Mark Nadasdi
Jeff
Dan Cutter
Joseph Romero
Ol Parker
John Berry
Danielle Kriz
Clint McElroy
Mordok’s Vape Pen
Inmar Givoni
Michael Singer
Merv Adrian
Joe Gallo
Lauren Knotts
Dave Kolas
Henry Mindlin
Monica St. Angelo
Stephen Wolkwitz
Suzanne
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Thomas
Anthony Mentz
James McMurry
Ethan Laser
Brian John Peter
Aaron Wilson
Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Lee R.
Chris Kotarba
Callum Webb
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Susan Green
Grettir Asmundarson
Sean Murphy
Randal Vegter
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Tim Rosenwong
Alan Maass
Nick Galloway
Heather J
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Jeff Ulm
David Futter
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Richard Sneddon
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Miles Forman
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jeffrey Bean
Jason Reitman
Ailie Fraser
Rob Tsuk
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Victoria Yu
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
David Joske
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Madeleine Mader
Jason Pratt
Abbie Berg
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Linda Duffy
Bonnie Prinsen
Liz Seger
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nell Morse
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Angela Livingstone
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Melmaniac
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Caro Field
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Brad Callahan
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

"I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton [Recast]

Here comes that Santa Ana wind again, blowing us right into the slightly skewed world of Steely Dan.

It was never a question whether Strong Songs would do a Steely Dan episode, it was more a question of which song to focus on. In the end, Kirk chose "Babylon Sisters," a culmination of the band's incredible 1970s run that exemplifies Fagen and Becker's brand of pristine, laser-focused groove. It's also arguably the definitive recording of Bernard Purdie's signature Purdie Shuffle.

Written by: Walter Becker and Donald Fagen

Album: Gaucho (1980)

Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

ALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

“Sloop John B,” Bahamian folk song as recorded by The Beach Boys on Pet Sounds, 1966

“Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations from Law of the Land, 1972

“Cousin Dupree” by Becker/Fagen from Two Against Nature, 2000

“Reelin' in the years” by Donald Fagen from Can’t Buy a Thrill, 1972

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” by Fagen/Becker from Prezel Logic, 1974

“Black Friday” by Becker/Fagen from Katy Lied, 1975

"Peg," "Aja," and "Home at Last" by Becker/Fagen from Aja, 1977

“Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing)” by Louis Prima performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra, 1936

“Cissy Strut” by The Meters from The Meters, 1969

 • "Rosanna" by David Paich as recorded by Toto on 
Toto IV, • with Jeff Porcaro on drums (and Tom Scott on alto sax!)

Rob Brown’s Purdie Shuffle tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g41Ab8iDaD0

OUTRO SOLOIST: Kyle Molitor

Kyle is a Portland-based trombonist who plays in all sorts of bands, and was also featured on the year three Strong Songs theme msuic. Find him on Instagram @tbonemolitor and check out his latest single here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kylemolitor/the-jazz-feat-toranpetto

----LINKS-----

RECAST RECOMMENDATION: "Nite Crawler" by Larry Carlton from Larry Carlton, 1978 and Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary streaming on Max, 2024

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

JOIN THE DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

DECEMBER 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Elizabeth Culver
Meryl Allison
Robyn Metcalfe
Cesar
Bob Tucker
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
Catherine Warner
Damon White
Jay Swartz
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Paul Delaney
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
AccessViolation
Dave Florey

DECEMBER 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Christopher Selby Spink
Philip Kelly
Daniel Nervo
Kevin Stafford
Lawrence
Sy Jacobs
irritable
Ian Pidd
Andrew Hofer
Jordan Gatenby
Melissa Kuhns
Ashley
Seattle Trans And Nonbinary Choral Ensemble
Kevin Marcelo
Samantha Coates
James
Mark Nadasdi
Jeff
Dan Cutter
Joseph Romero
Ol Parker
John Berry
Danielle Kriz
Clint McElroy
Mordok’s Vape Pen
Inmar Givoni
Michael Singer
Merv Adrian
Joe Gallo
Lauren Knotts
Dave Kolas
Henry Mindlin
Monica St. Angelo
Stephen Wolkwitz
Suzanne
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Thomas
Anthony Mentz
James McMurry
Ethan Laser
Brian John Peter
Aaron Wilson
Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Lee R.
Chris Kotarba
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Susan Green
Grettir Asmundarson
Sean Murphy
Randal Vegter
Kaya Woodall
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Tim Rosenwong
Alan Maass
Nick Galloway
Heather J
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Jeff Ulm
David Futter
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Richard Sneddon
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Miles Forman
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jeffrey Bean
Jason Reitman
Ailie Fraser
Rob Tsuk
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Victoria Yu
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
David Joske
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Madeleine Mader
Jason Pratt
Abbie Berg
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Linda Duffy
Bonnie Prinsen
Liz Seger
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nell Morse
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Angela Livingstone
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Melmaniac
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Caro Field
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Brad Callahan
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

"Babylon Sisters" by Steely Dan [Recast]

Kirk picks apart not one, not two, but twenty one micro-songs by the great They Might Be Giants.

What's that blue thing doing here? Who's knocking on the wall? And for that matter, who's that standing out the window? It's time to answer those questions and many more, as Kirk delves into The Might Be Giants' singular collection of mini-songs, "Fingertips." It's a stylistic smorgasbord of sound, with everything from jazz to rock to lounge to... honestly, genre doesn't exist and "Fingertips" proves it. Each tiny song shines for its brief moment of life, and then lives on forever in your imagination. 

Written by: John Flansburgh and John Linnell

Album: Apollo 18 (1992)

Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

ALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

 • "Particle Man," "Birdhouse In Your Soul," and "Minimum Wage" by They Might Be Giants and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon from 
Flood • , 1990
 • "Extra Savoir Faire" by TMBG from 
John Henry • , 1994
 • The 2002 documentary 
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) • “The Simpsons Main Title Theme” by Danny Elfman, 1989
 • “Joy To The World” - lyrics by Isaac Watts as performed by Nat “King” Cole

OUTRO SOLOIST: Kirk Hamilton

Kirk is the host of Strong Songs. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he likes to play the drums. He thinks he's getting good but he can handle criticism.

----LINKS-----

RECAST RECOMMENDATION: "Samba Party" by Matteo Mancuso from The Journey, 2023

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_Hamilton

NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

JOIN THE DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

DECEMBER 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Elizabeth Culver
Meryl Allison
Robyn Metcalfe
Cesar
Bob Tucker
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
Catherine Warner
Damon White
Jay Swartz
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Paul Delaney
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
AccessViolation
Dave Florey

DECEMBER 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Christopher Selby Spink
Philip Kelly
Daniel Nervo
Kevin Stafford
Lawrence
Sy Jacobs
irritable
Ian Pidd
Andrew Hofer
Jordan Gatenby
Melissa Kuhns
Ashley
Seattle Trans And Nonbinary Choral Ensemble
Kevin Marcelo
Samantha Coates
James
Mark Nadasdi
Jeff
Dan Cutter
Joseph Romero
Ol Parker
John Berry
Danielle Kriz
Clint McElroy
Mordok’s Vape Pen
Inmar Givoni
Michael Singer
Merv Adrian
Joe Gallo
Lauren Knotts
Dave Kolas
Henry Mindlin
Monica St. Angelo
Stephen Wolkwitz
Suzanne
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Thomas
Anthony Mentz
James McMurry
Ethan Laser
Brian John Peter
Aaron Wilson
Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Lee R.
Chris Kotarba
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Susan Green
Grettir Asmundarson
Sean Murphy
Randal Vegter
Kaya Woodall
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Tim Rosenwong
Alan Maass
Nick Galloway
Heather J
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Jeff Ulm
David Futter
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Richard Sneddon
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Elliot Rosen
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Miles Forman
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jeffrey Bean
Jason Reitman
Ailie Fraser
Rob Tsuk
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Victoria Yu
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
David Joske
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Madeleine Mader
Jason Pratt
Abbie Berg
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Linda Duffy
Bonnie Prinsen
Liz Seger
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nell Morse
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
Cookies250
Angela Livingstone
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Melmaniac
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Caro Field
Naomi Watson
David Cushman
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Brad Callahan
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

"Fingertips" by They Might Be Giants [Recast]

In light of Janis Stockhouse's unexpected death at the tail end of 2024, we're re-posting Kirk's 2019 interview with her for anyone who might want to listen to it.

Janis started teaching at North high school in Bloomington, Indiana, in the early 1980s. It was a time when "jazz education" as a concept was still a relatively new thing. She retired 38 years later, having grown the North band program into a well-known Midwest institution, winning countless awards at festivals around the world and regularly turning out graduates who would go on to become professional musicians, as well as many others who would simply have a lifelong love of music.

On this episode she tells the story of starting out at North and developing the program, along with her thoughts on how to get students to practice, which composers she prefers for student groups, women in jazz, funding for the arts, and some good old-fashioned album recommendations.

REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:

Janis's 2004 book Jazzwomen: Conversations With Twenty-One Musicians, which she co-wrote with Wayne Enstice - there are used copies on Amazon, and you should really track down a copy and read it

The late great jazz legend David Baker, whose NYT obituary captured at least some of his legacy: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/arts/music/david-baker-who-helped-bring-jazz-studies-into-the-academy-dies-at-84.html

MUSIC ON THIS EPISODE:

 • "IU Swing Machine" by David Baker as played by 
the 2016 IU Celebration Big Band • "Don't Get Sassy" by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band
 • "Hang Gliding" by Maria Schneider from 
Alegresse • "Bright Eyes" as played by the Bill Holman big band
 • "Take the 'A' Train" by Billy Strayhorn as performed by the Duke Ellington orchestra
 • "Vol. 6: All 'Bird' - Now's The Time" Play-A-Long by Jamey Aebersold (featuring Kenny Barron and Ron Carter(!!))
 • "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" by Abbey Lincoln from 
Abbey Is Blue • , 1959
 • "Song Patrol" by Jane Ira Bloom from 
Early Americans • , 2016
 • "Lingala" by the SF Jazz Collective from their 2005 self-titled album
 • "So What" and "Flamenco Sketches" by Miles Davis from 
Kind of Blue, • 1959
 • "My Favorite Things" as performed by John Coltrane on 
My Favorite Things • , 1966
 • "Mercy Mercy Mercy" by Josef Zawinul as performed by the Cannonball Adderley quintet on 
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy • , 1966

OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORD

This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fellow Bloomington North graduate and fantastic trumpet player based in Portland. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

Remembering Janis Stockhouse, The Great Band Director

This is the trailer for Strong Songs, recorded in June of 2020. Hope you give the show a listen!

Trailer

On the first episode of Strong Songs, Kirk breaks down Toto's hit song "Africa," a single so good that it still lights up the Internet today.
 
Band/Artist: Toto
 
Album: Toto IV, 1982
 
Composed by: David Paich and Jeff Porcaro
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"Africa" by Toto

This week, Kirk breaks down one of his favorite songs from one of his favorite albums.
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
IF YOU'LL BE MY BODYGUARD
 
Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" was a single from his incredible 1986 album Graceland, and its music video introduced a generation to the wonders of goofy lip-synching and fretless bass solos. It's a harmonically simple tune with a cleverly dense arrangement, and brilliantly uses musical layering.
 
Band/Artist: Paul Simon
 
Album: Graceland, 1986
 
Composed by: Paul Simon
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon

On this episode, Kirk dives into one of the greatest pop songs of all time.
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
UP IN THE CLUB
 
Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is arguably the defining song of the last decade, but it's far from your average pop tune. With its unusual tensions and unstoppable groove, it defies safe harmony and resolution, and its composers were more than happy to flip the beat and leave their audience searching for the downbeat.
 
Band/Artist: Beyoncé
 
Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce, 2008
 
Composed by: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Thaddis Harrell 
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"Single Ladies" by Beyoncé

Ever wish you could just be a kid again? Stevie does.
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
THE JOY THE DAY WOULD BRING
 
Kirk breaks out the bass and digs into what makes Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" swing like it does, then looks back to some earlier Wonder tunes to guess at why his funkiest stuff tended to be in E-flat.
 
Band/Artist: Stevie Wonder
 
Album: Songs in the Key of Life, 1976
 
Composed by: Stevie Wonder
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
------
 
ALSO FEATURED:
 
"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, from Talking Book, 1972
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, from Innervisions, 1973
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Wild Wild West" by Will Smith, Moe Dewese, Rob Fusari, and Stevie Wonder, from Willennium, 1999
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
Classic Albums: Songs in the Key of Life: Amazon
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"I Wish" by Stevie Wonder

Darkness falls across the land, and it's the right time for Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com
 
IT'S CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT
 
Kirk picks apart Rod Temperton's dance floor classic in all its groovy, corny, sound effect-y glory.
 
Band/Artist: Michael Jackson
 
Album: Thriller, 1982
 
Composed by: Rod Temperton, produced by Quincy Jones
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
------
 
A NOTE FROM KIRK:
 
It’s been a couple months since I produced this episode, and just a few days since I watched the first part of “Leaving Neverland,” a devastating new HBO documentary in which two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, detail their alleged childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Michael Jackson. It’s an intense and difficult documentary to watch, but I recommend that everyone listening to this episode do so. Jackson’s estate denies it all, but watching people on camera relaying such painful memories, in such excruciating detail, is both wrenching and convincing.
 
It’s impossible to separate an amazing song like “Thriller” from the man who sang it. I still think Thriller is a great song and admire the many people involved in making it, but hearing Robson and Safechuck’s accounts, on top of the similar stories I and the culture at large brushed aside or shrugged our shoulders at when they first surfaced many years ago, has certainly changed the way I hear Jackson’s voice. I’m leaving this episode as is, but I wanted to add this note, as well as to link to this New York Times editorial on Jackson’s legacy by Wesley Morris, which says so much, so well.
 
~KH 3/6/2019

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