Season 302 - Bobs & Bills

Guys, I had no intention of only doing one song this week. If I had known, I would not have chosen Achy Breaky. Anyways, life took an unpleasant turn this past Monday, and We’ve been in the hospital ever since with a sick baby. We’re hoping to go home today and maybe I can get a song in later this week, so we can try forget about Billy Ray.

Oh, so sorry to hear that. Hope you get everyone back home, and if you do find time for another song, that's a bonus.
 
Steve, never knew much of Tom Russell before, thanks for that. Been listening to some fantastic stuff just now. Just checked out his remaining tour dates, bit short notice to get to Oxford tonight, and the last two are also down South. Never mind, will keep an eye out for when he returns to these shores.
 
Phew...caught up...the video count now stands at 60, by 33 wonderful people. :)
 
Guys, I had no intention of only doing one song this week. If I had known, I would not have chosen Achy Breaky. Anyways, life took an unpleasant turn this past Monday, and We’ve been in the hospital ever since with a sick baby. We’re hoping to go home today and maybe I can get a song in later this week, so we can try forget about Billy Ray.

Sure hope baby Martin makes a speedy recovery. Stressful times I know.
Billy Ray is doing a concert at one of the wineries here in Australia......
 
Sure hope baby Martin makes a speedy recovery. Stressful times I know.
Billy Ray is doing a concert at one of the wineries here in Australia......

Pa, if you go, go for the wine, not the Billy Ray ☺️ And thanks, we’re encouarged because she’s starting to act like her normal self. First time in days.
 
Bobs & Bills week, perfect for a song about Ben. A quick and short version of "Benjamin" (1971) by Bobbie Gentry. Any similarity to the original is entirely coincidental. :) I remember radio playing this song in 1980s, but had no idea who wrote it before this week.

Here is a fine ukulele version by Matilde Rudolph.
 
On the radio this morning they were extolling vitamin C and Zinc Acetate for the prevention of winter flu,
but you have to catch it at the onset before the symptons set in. I take vitamin C on a daily basis to keep
away the sniffles. Link to meta analysis on the use of zinc acetate for speeding up recovery from flu.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170511095151.htm

I am a big believer in Sambucus and have been making my own for a while now. I took it deligently before we were exposed. When we arrived to Utah and I could see how very sick the grandkids were I knew we would take it home with us. In fact my daughter said she has never seen her kids so sick. We turned right around and went home two days early for fear we would have to drive home with it. It wasnt 24 hours after getting home that my daughter and granddaughter got it, then my husband ( who claims he never gets sick and has never taken a day off work). There was no denying it this time but, off to work he went.
As soon as I had that first wave of weakness (not weekness) washed over me I started taking Tamiflu along with the Sambucus.

When ever I see a child sick and out and about, or playing like nothing is wrong my bones ache. Children are so much more able to handle a virus. They can so easily act better than they really are. My heart goes out to the Martins at this time. I hope today they are home. RSV is a very scary experience to go through with your babies. Prayers go out to them while they go through this.

<Big Hug Benji, Ashley and little one>
 
One of the few big rockstars of the 80s who naturally sang in a bass range was a Billy! Here, transposing nothing, is my take on a Billy Idol song (and stripping it down reveals it to be a much bleaker song than I remembered).


 
I think we have missed this one in the play list so here it is!

 
Thanks to the organisers from all the Bills who refuse to answer to Willy or Liam or Wills, and only answer to William when it is used by a Judge or a Policeman or your mother.

My dad's first name is William, which he doesn't like. I heard that he beat the snot out of some other kid once when he was little and got called "Willie." Before he retired, all his co-workers called him Bill. But to everyone in the family, he goes by his middle name, Gail.
 
I was out at a Tom Russell concert last night. And if he turns up anywhere near anyone else here, I urge you to go and see him. His songs paint pictures and tell stories like nobody else. And he's funny with it.

But tonight I am back, and gradually getting through the backlog....

I have one Tom Russell album, Steve and it has a song on it called Gallo del Cielo about a fighting Rooster. Did Tom sing this one?
A great song I reckon

Next one up for me is a song I would never have heard if I hadn't lived in Germany for a while in the early 90s, and had the chance to listen to the Bob Bob Harris show on Forces radio. He liked this a lot and I liked it too. (No, Bob Harris is not the Bob link - it was sung by Billy Falcon)

 
Billie Holiday did this song in 1939, which is among the most powerful songs ever written.

 
Last day of November. Oh, how I've loved this time of year. In years past, the arrival of the holiday season gave me a reason to play my ukulele on camera and share it with the world. I've recorded dozens of Christmas songs on my uke; I think there might even be a playlist somewhere. See, in the past, I felt I needed an excuse to make uke videos. Something which justified what otherwise looked kinda narcissistic. Christmas gave me that excuse. Nowadays, we've got the Seasons of the Ukulele. Now, it's not just me showing off, I'm part of a community and this is what we do!

Still, being able to do a Christmas song feels great. Like silk stockings do.. ahem... no... It just so happens that song was adapted by a guy named Bob Rivers.



On a sad note, my Yeti Blue USB microphone wouldn't work for this video. I think it's an old worn-out cable causing the problem.
 
I have one Tom Russell album, Steve and it has a song on it called Gallo del Cielo about a fighting Rooster. Did Tom sing this one?
A great song I reckon
No, I don't think the fighting rooster came out when I saw him. There were a lot of songs from his excellent new album, which has been on in my car since.

Maybe we need a Tom & Tim week.
 
This song was inspired by our oldest daughter Meredith (who has performed with me in the past in the Seasons). She used to play this song on our keyboard upstairs. She and her husband are now in the Czech Republic for a year so I thought I would do this for her. Wish she could be singing with me.
 
Thanks for hosting Steve. Tons of ideas for this, but as often is the case, more ideas than time. This a Bob Dylan tune. I figured it out by ear and as such, it varies a lot from Bob's version.
 
No, I don't think the fighting rooster came out when I saw him. There were a lot of songs from his excellent new album, which has been on in my car since.

Maybe we need a Tom & Tim week.


I don't know many Tim songs but there are few Toms I can think of. I did Gallo del Cielo back in week 97 (Mexico week) when I was still very green in the Seasons. I like to think I've improved but others may beg to differ.

This time a song from Bobbie Cryner, whose Cd I bought about the same time as I was listening to Bob Harris in Germany, although he didn't play this one. It's a CD I've liked a lot over the years, but I don't know what happened to Bobbie...

 
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