140th Season of the Ukulele: What's New Pussycat?

mattydee

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Welcome to the 140th Season of the Ukulele!

As some of you may remember, my wife and I lost our beloved cat, Dexter, to the ravages of time this past summer. The house has felt ever so empty since, that is, until this week. On Monday, we we welcomed three (!) new kittens to the neighborhood: Tink, Bess, and Samuel Beckett.

So, in their honor, this week is all about cats!

Songs will mention some kind of cat in the title or the lyric. Lions and tigers, panthers, etc, accepted. Also accepted are songs by Cat Stevens, Cat Power, John Cougar Mellencamp, or the Stray Cats. Also, songs from the musicals Cats, The Aristocats, and Gay Purr-ee. You get the picture.

Prizes will be strings in the size of your choosing, commemorating the old school catgut strings of yore.

Judging will be, as it ever is in my seasons, based on a combination of singing, playing, setting, spark, and je ne sais quoi.

In a twist for me, multi-tracking is allowed (there are three new cats, after all), but you should know that I tend to like the simple things the best.

Three entries total before you start taking them to the island. I will count the last entry posted as official unless you tell me otherwise. That's the one that will be judged, though they'll all get comments.

Songs should be newly recorded for this season, and it'd be nice if there were a spoken or written acknowledgement to that effect.

Don't worry if someone gets to a song you chose before you. Do it anyway. Duplicates are welcome.

This season runs, as they all do, for eight, count 'em, eight days: Sunday October 19 - Sunday October 26. For those of you who tend not to stick around till that second Sunday, a lot of good stuff gets posted that day, generally. You're missing out. But so:

Sunday October 19 12:01am Hawaiian - Sunday October 26 11:59pm Hawaiian.

Oh, hey, also, I picked up this week last minute, which I was happy to do. But Monday is a big day for me, so I may not get to commenting between Sunday and Tuesday. Just so you know. Hey old timers, remember the days when there was no commenting at all till the end of the season? In the days of 25-30 entries total per season? Neither here, nor there, I suppose.

All right, cats and kittens... Away we go.

Here's the playlist.

And the Littermates.
 
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How purrrrrfect! I just wrote a song about my cat for "Pet Sounds" a few weeks back, but then didn't get to make the video.

Might just go do it right now ... and then of course click "post" right at midnight Hawaii time ... see if I can beat Pa to the punch for once.
 
Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I can think of a certain duo who ought to be all over this ... with some cats in their name. Oh ... or we can cover us some We Tigers originals, hey?

I just saw that Kliban cartoon at the end of your video. I actually sing that as a round ... to the tune of the very lovely "Hava Nashira". Super fun. (Of course if we're going to do it, I will need to add some uke to it.) Oh ... and of course it's a 3-cat round.

Your kittens are adorable. I hope we get to see more of them during the week. Great theme, Matty!
 
Hmm, I did a song in Season 17 that would work for both Season 139 and Season 140.
 
Got asked in a PM if Cats in the Cradle and What's New Pussycat were allowed since they are not specifically about cats. They are good. Any mention will do. I'd be surprised to not see either one of them this week.
 
Cats. Grrrrrrrreat. We have two black cats. I'll have to try & video them.

I have a an unrecorded* song from S139 that will also work for S140. I probably won't get time to do it for S139 so I'll hold it over.

* iPad decided I really meant "a nun recorded" there :)
 
Cool theme Matt, I reckon theres gonna be quite a few cats strutting a certain toon on this season !!
 
Walking My Kitty

You have three new kittens.

I had an 18-year-old formerly feral leash-walking cat who, toward the end, was blind, ailing, and had lost more than half her weight ... yet loved life, and saved her best adventures for her last few years and months.

She was an amazing kitty ... and this is her story.



So grateful for a second chance to make this video ... I wrote the song for "Pet Sounds" a few weeks back, but hadn't managed to record it.

You can't see it in the thumbnail, but hopefully you can in the video ... I am wearing cat ears.

EDIT: Unless I say otherwise later on, this will be my official entry.
 
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On My Way a song by Australian Ska band CAT EMPIRE
Had another go with the upright bass and it's been given a liberal dose of pa I'm afraid.

Original is worth a listen as is other stuff by this band.
 
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wendy beat pa to it!!!!!!!!!!

:eek:


* iPad decided I really meant "a nun recorded" there :)
:biglaugh:


cool for cats

big hit for squeeze in 1979




great theme, matt!
 
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Here's a terrific song I'd love to see one of the women do. I think Lynda would do an amazing job of it.

I discovered it for reggae week - it's become a staple for me at jams and music parties ... easy repetitive chords (3 of 'em), and a very singable chorus repeated many times, so everyone can play and sing along. Some of us have renamed our jam group's occasional all-female jam Lioness Jam, inspired by this song.

Chart is here, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

 
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GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

wendy beat pa to it!!!!!!!!!!

:eek:



:biglaugh:

Yeah, baby. I'm not even gonna tell you how early I got up to pull that off. It's still totally dark out even now.

I will tell you I did the video in one take ... but I wrote the song 4+ weeks ago for "Pet Sounds" and have been playing it ever since and did not get a chance to video it back then. So it's been ready for a while, awaiting the right theme.

Pretty much can't get any righter than this one, so I was motivated!


We are off to a rocking start. Your "Cool for Cats" is fabulous ... and I love Pa's song ... I want to go learn them both!
 
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ooh wendy that lioness on the rise song is fab

and......... are you heading back to bed now to catch up on your sleep after that super-early start?

or...

watch out now i cannot resist...

will you just have a catnap later?

;)
 
I wonder if the Righteous Brothers 'You've lost that loving Feline" counts ? Lol
 
ooh wendy that lioness on the rise song is fab

Ooh, will you do it?! I hope so ... I would love to hear your version!

and......... are you heading back to bed now to catch up on your sleep after that super-early start?

or...
watch out now i cannot resist...
will you just have a catnap later?
;)

Haha! No, I had four hours sleep plus 16 ounces of coffee (aka "substitute sleep") ... I'm good.
 
I wonder if the Righteous Brothers 'You've lost that loving Feline" counts ? Lol

If you do it that way, for sure! Parody time ... I am all for it.

Guide cats for the blind by Les Barker must has inspired this video.

Oh, Rob, please do "Guide Cats for the Blind"! Les Barker belongs in this Season ... and I just did "Go Stay Fetch" for Pet Sounds. Your turn. :)

You will have to write it a tune, of course. It will make a terrific song.
 
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