My friend Larry Haley is running a music sharing project he calls “a virtual record haven” – The Bop Shop. Every day Larry or another contributor posts a link to a favorite song, along with a short appreciation. Here’s one I contributed: Taking Larry’s cue re: musical married couples — Judy Henske needs no introduction; husband Jerry Yester (they were married in 1963) is probably best-known for replacing Zal Yanovsky in the Lovin’ Spoonful after the infamous drug (pot) bust. Their 1969 album Farewell Aldebaran includes some of Judy’s finest vocal performances… but the lead singer on the title track is Jerry (boy, he can really hit those high notes). I think this is one of the earliest throughly “electronic” pop songs — others had used the Moog synth for ornamentation, but here it’s the backbone of the song, and even the vocals are processed throughout (to an extreme in … Read more

Here’s another post of mine from Larry Haley’s The Bop Shop. By the late 90s the days of mega-hits like “It’s a Heartache” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart” were in the past for Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, but she continued (and continues) to release some fine music. I especially like her 1998 album, “All In One Voice”, which features this heart-wrenching version of “I Put a Spell on You” (recorded earlier that year for Mike Batt’s “Philharmania”). Pretty sure it’s Chris Spedding on guitar. She’s not trying to out-scream Jay Hawkins (who could?); rather she uses her signature rasp to keep things just below the boiling point. Whereas Jay Hawkins’ “spell” sounds like a threat, Bonnie Tyler’s feels like it comes from a place of despair. play Bonnie Tyler’s “I Put a Spell on You” (1998) on YouTube

Here’s another post of mine from Larry Haley’s The Bop Shop. The under-appreciated Timi Yuro could do a heart-wrenching Johnny Ray-style ballad (“Hurt”), a soulful standard (“Smile”), or a blue-eyed soul rocker (“What’s a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You)”) with equal authority. To me one of her greatest strengths was that she knew exactly how to use her voice to convey deep emotion — as in this theme for the 1968 British film, Interlude. She actually recorded the song twice: the film soundtrack version is more emotionally restrained than this version from Ms. Yuro’s 1968 album, “Something Bad On My Mind”. A meditation not only on love, but on time itself. play Timi Yuro’s “Interlude” (1968) on YouTube

Here’s another post of mine from Larry Haley’s The Bop Shop. I was hipped to this (and so many other great jazz songs) by the late great Eric Jackson on his ‘GBH evening show. It’s a beautiful ode to Doug and Jean Carn’s daughter — lyrics by Doug, set to Wayne Shorter’s music in 1971. It has that magic early 70s black jazz-soul vibe that never gets old. RIP, Wayne Shorter play Doug & Jean Carn’s “Infant Eyes” (1971) on YouTube

Here’s another post of mine from Larry Haley’s The Bop Shop. New York City-based Leni Stern — singer/songwriter/guitarist (both she and her husband Mike Stern studied the instrument at Berklee) — collaborated with Larry John McNally (you’ll know his “The Motown Song”, a big hit for Rod Stewart) on this song of resignation and defiance. It’s based on the Roma (Gypsy) proverb of Manush Romanov: “Bury me standing. I’ve been on my knees all my life.” Very nice Hammond B-3 work by George Whitty! play Leni Stern’s “Bury Me Standing” (2002) on YouTube

Here’s another post of mine from Larry Haley’s The Bop Shop. The too-brief 2012 collaboration between San Francisco guitarist Jane Woodman and cellist Zoë Keating (now a Burlington, Vermont resident) gave us this great Psychedelic Furs cover. Swooning flanged and layered guitars with cello slithering in and out, seasick lyrics — hothouse flower decadence for when you’re in that kind of mood… play Jane Woodman & Zoë Keating’s “Sister Europe” on Bandcamp

My friend Larry Haley is running a music sharing project he calls “a virtual record haven” – The Bop Shop. Every day Larry or another contributor posts a link to a favorite song, along with a short appreciation. Here’s one I contributed: Amanda Marshall, born in Toronto in 1972 to a mother from Trinidad and a Canadian father, has called herself “a woman who looks white but is actually black.” I don’t know how closely this song portrays her actual personal story, but it’s a powerful portrayal of a mixed-race kid in a racist society. play Amanda Marshall’s “Shades of Grey” (1999) on YouTube