Songs for Labor Day

A couple songs for Labor Day.

Dolly Parton - "9 to 5"

Natalie Merchant - "Which Side Are You On"

Last year's Labor Day post was all Woody Guthrie. I think that post contains all the performance video of him that is known to exist. So he is another one of his recordings that someone has created a video for—"1913 Massacre".

Joan Armatrading

I am following the Bruce Springsteen post with another artist that started out in the 70's, Joan Armatrading. I saw her a couple years ago at Ram's Head Live.

Going back 30 years, from the album of the same name, "Me Myself I".



A recent performance of "The Weakness in Me" from the 1982 album Walk Under Ladders.



"Back on the Road" from the 1995 album What's Inside.



From her 2010 album, This Charming Life, here is "Best Dress On".

Bruce Springsteen

Last year I did a post of Bruce Springsteen covers, but I have not done a post of The Boss doing his own songs. So here are a couple.

"I Wish I Were Blind" from the 1992 album Human Touch



"I Am On Fire" from his most commercially successful album, Born in the USA.




"Highway Patrolman" from his 1982 album Nebraska.



"Spirit in the Night" from his very first album, in 1973, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.

Percy Sledge

I found this first video looking for Sam Cooke covers, but decided that instead of including it in the last post, Percy Sledge should get his own post.

The Sam Cooke song "Bring it on Home to Me"



The song that Procol Harum is still remembered for "Whiter Shade of Pale"



One of the biggest hits of all time "When a Man Loves a Women"

Sam Cooke Covers

To follow up the Sam Cooke post I did earlier this week, here are some great covers of some of his songs.

Gavin DeGraw - "Nothing Can Change This Love"



Aretha Franklin - " You Send Me"



Adele - "That It, I Quit"

Sam Cooke

One of the greatest male voices of all time, Sam Cooke. Not that much live video of him, so only one live performance, but just the vocals are enough for the rest. Cooke wrote both of the first two songs.

"You Send Me"



"A Change Is Gonna Come" - This song was written and recorded by Cooke, but not released until after his death in 1964.



"Come and Go' - Prior to his solo R&B act, Cooke was in the gospel group "The Soul Stirrers". I don't think Cooke wrote this song, but he is listed as the arranger.

Ray LaMontagne

Ray LaMontagne released a new album this week, God Willin & the Creek Don't Rise. I have listened to a couple time, and think it may be his best. Here is some video of my two favorite songs on the album.

"Old Before My Time"



"New York City's Killing Me"



"Jolene" my favorite song from his first album, Trouble.

We Remember the King

Elvis Presley died 33 years ago today. To mark the date here is a 1985 video of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins singing "We Remember the King". Of these four only Jerry Lee Lewis is still alive. I guess his last album was appropriately titled Last Man Standing.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band

A couple videos from Robert Randolph and the Family Band's latest album, We Walk This Way.

First a promo video about the making of the album.



"Traveling Shoes"



"If I Had My Way"

Iris Dement

It has been several weeks since I posted anything on this blog. I am going to try to start back up again, beginning with some videos from Iris Dement. I have include Iris in the John Prine - Duets post, and Emmylou Harris - Trios post. But this is mostly Iris Dement solos.

"Whole Lot of Heaven" - I don't think this song has been released on any of her albums.



Here Iris sings a Steve Goodman song, "He's Not You". This also gives me an opportunity to mention that earlier this week Obama sign a law renaming a Post Office in Chicago after Goodman.



In this video Jacqui Abbott sing Iris' song "You've Done Nothing Wrong".



Here is a video from the closing of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival a couple years ago. Iris singing "Old Fashion Love".