Season 385: Popular Abroad

Mezcalero

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Hello Everyone,

This season i'd like to hear songs by artists who achieved notable popularity outside of their home country. Artists from all 3 British Invasions come to mind. Artists like Jimi Hendrix who became popular in Europe before coming back to the U.S. is another. And artists like Sixto Rodriguez who was hugely popular in South Africa, while remaining almost unknown in the U.S. On lesser known artists, I'd love to hear the backstory on where they first became famous. American singer songwriters are often more popular in Europe than they are at home these days as well.

Original songs are welcome if you can in some way tie the theme to traveling or living abroad. Or, since Independence Day falls during this season, you can write about that theme.

Some links to get you started:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-ones_by_British_artists

https://www.billboard.com/photos/428864/40-countries-top-musicians-a-gallery

Rules and Requests:
~ The season begins at 00:00:01 on Sunday 30 June (Hawaii time) and runs until midnight on Sunday 07 July.
~ Although I'd like to hear an ukulele in the final mix, if you do multi-tracking, please feel free to use any instruments that best serve your vision of the song.
~ Collaborations are always welcome, and since I love them so much, you can choose one song by any artist about any theme as long as it is a collaboration.
~ To start, one song per day limit. May change mid-week if time allows
~ Please take the time to listen and comment on others songs

Remember that Andy's wonderful "Season 384: Wilco" theme has another day and a half left.

Songlist Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHOCbSlXse0&list=PL5FgrFq3aYVcPvANqwTsZJNNdDqoopUba

Thanks and have fun ~

kev
 
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Great theme, Kev!
 
Excellent idea for a theme, Kev! Unfortunately, I am entering my nightmare "end-of-the-month-and-virtually-no-Internet-left" phase, so, although I've got something in mind, it may be later in the week before I can upload it ... unless, of course, I happen to be up in the wee small hours, which, given the heat at night just now, is definitely a possibility! Meanwhile, trust everyone will have fun!

(P.S. Justin Bieber and Luciano Pavarotti??????)
 
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Season 385. Submission 1. “Here, There and Everywhere” (Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, 1966, and recorded by the Beatles on their Revolver album that year)

This song was recorded in June 1966, towards the end of the Revolver sessions. McCartney, after attending a listening session for Pet Sounds, said that Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows” was his inspiration for drafting of this one.

Thank you so very much, Kevin, for hosting, your great theme, and, most of all, for facilitating my participation this week. (My apologies for posting 10 minutes early and being unable to listen during this Season. I’ll be catching up upon my return during next Season.)

Tenor ukulele here


 
An original.About a 'treasure hunter' seeking something...maybe El Dorado maybe not In an unspecified foreign (to him) country where Spanish is spoken.
The pictures are mine from Peru.Mainly the 500 year old Santa Catalina convent at Arequipa.Also some Condors at Colca canyon.Thanks Kev!
 
The Killers Started off in various bars and clubs in Vegas, and they hark back to that aspect of their background all the time but they got their big break in London.

I liked a couple of their songs when they first broke through but I was trying to be an edgy teen who didn't like to admit to liking pop music. As a result I never fully looked into them until I was older and so missed them at their prime. I did go and see them on 2011 though and that was a great show, and this morning I caught up with the Glasto set thanks to iplayer. Hope Steve had a blast and fanboyed as much as I did when they brought the Pet Shop Boys and Johnny Marr out for the encore.

Anyway that set made choosing which song to play hard work but here is the song that made me start taking them seriously.

 
the very lovely kim wilde has had more, and longer lasting, success in germany than in her native UK - all her albums have achieved better chart positions in germany than in the UK, and while her music career dipped a bit in the UK in the 90s, her fans in germany stayed forever loyal

 
A lot of Canadian artists should qualify for this list. And while BTO wasn't nearly as interesting as, say, The Guess Who, Randy Bachman and Fred Turner did write a couple of catchy tunes.

 
One of my all time favourite pop songs, it was released in the US back in 1966 as the B side to Wouldn't It Be Nice. In other countries around the World it was released as the A side, it peaked at #2 on the UK singles chart. Rumoured to be Paul McCartney's all time favourite song.
 
Here's Jimmy C. Newman's famous "Potato song"...Well famous in Louisiana, and in eastern Canada, especially Quebec, where in 1974 it somewhat unexpectedly sold so many records it earned Jimmy C. a gold record in Canada. The original was in French, but I did the mostly English version he also recorded. In Cajun-French dialect the title translates to "Don't drop the potato", which basically means "Don't give up". I pulled a switcheroo here, playing four instruments and singing, no easy trick. Not anywhere near perfect, but all I had time for, and I was having fun. My time the whole next month is quite limited.

 
Excellent idea for a theme, Kev! Unfortunately, I am entering my nightmare "end-of-the-month-and-virtually-no-Internet-left" phase, so, although I've got something in mind, it may be later in the week before I can upload it ... unless, of course, I happen to be up in the wee small hours, which, given the heat at night just now, is definitely a possibility! Meanwhile, trust everyone will have fun!

(P.S. Justin Bieber and Luciano Pavarotti??????)

You always seem to find a way Val, and i'm trusting you will this week too :) I am hoping everyone who wants to participate this week can easily find a song or two or seven :)
 
I've just spent the better part of an hour combing through YouTube, looking for a good David Hasselhoff song that I might cover.

After an hour, I realize I'll need another inspiration. There are no good David Hasselhoff songs.
 
OK. Neil Finn is a New Zealander. He has done pretty well on the world stage. He joined his brother Tim's band, Split Enz, and wrote this song for them. He formed his own band, Crowded House, which had some big hits around the world. I see he is now part of Fleetwood Mac. They are currently touring and they do this song ....
 
Depeche Mode are a British band, formed in the 1980s and as far as I know are still recording and touring. They were popular here in the UK - but more popular in Germany and Eastern Europe. They also did well in the US alternative and dance charts.

This is one of their lesser known releases, which ironically didn’t actually do so well in Germany - a departure from their synth based pop for a more soulful and moody piano based love song. Unusually the band’s main songwriter Martin Gore took the lead vocal on this and apparently insisted on singing it while completely naked in the recording studio with all the lights turned off to capture a sense of vulnerability in keeping with the lyrics. You’ll be mightily relieved that after careful consideration I decided against doing the same! ;)

 
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