#the temptation to include diana was strong

[strunmah-mah]

Ideal Justice League Dark Line-up

Zatanna Zatara, John Constantine, and Boston Brand - Seems like they once self-described as the trinity of the JLD, and I don't know enough about the magic side of DC to disagree. Only concern is the will they/won't they of John and Zee can sometimes overwhelm the two characters.

Khalid Nassour - Least annoying person to be Doctor Fate, is in fact a very good boy.

Kirk Langstrom - every team needs a funky little guy and he was delightful in rebirth. He deserves a vacation in the JLD archives after what happened to him in Task Force Z

Raven - She seems eternally stuck as a Titan. Let's give her some different people to hang out with, I think it could be good for her.

Xanthe - I've been enjoying Spirit World a lot so far. The JLD would be a good place for them to land if DC wants to keep them around.

(temporary) Jason Todd - I don't know if this would be a good permanent home for him, but he needs a break from constant bat in-fighting and I want to know more about the All-Caste. If not him than Isabel/Essence could also be interesting.

[ferret-does-stuff]

A while ago I made a theory on Project Edens Garden and with Chapter 1 coming up I thought I'd share some more thoughts as my original theories have shifted slightly.

This will include spoilers from the demo (specifically from WeebyNewz's video) so you have been warned.

I'm going to make a tier list of least to most likely to die characters in this post just to try and visualise how I feel at the moment with information we have. Keep in mind this almost definitely will not be accurate when Chapter 1 does release.

Like many others, I originally theorised that Cassidy would be the one to die in this chapter, but honestly it's so in-your-face that it seems like a red herring. Ingrid also gets a lot of screentime in that little segment at the start, but it's less obvious and while it's unlikely that either of then will die yet, it isn't something that can be ruled out at the moment. There's a strong possibility, but it may be a red herring.

I also want to rule out characters who have barely been given any attention (Desmond, Ulysses, Jett, Mark) as since they haven't had much time to shine, I doubt they'll be victims this chapter (blackened is a possibility, but none of them seem to have a motivation to kill currently).

I also want to rule out Diana and Toshiko, Diana because she seems to be being set up as a support to Damon, as she defends him and goes against Wolfgang and I think if she were to die it's more likely for her to die once the despair truly kicks in, as she knows that a murder is possible but doesn't seem to be motivated from what we see. Toshiko seems too plot relevant to die in the first chapter, plus I doubt anyone in the cast would stoop so low as to kill a child, if she is to die it would be late game and probably as a blackened.

Also I should've mentioned this at the start but I'm completely ruling out Damon and Wolfgang, again they're just too plot relevant and I doubt Damon will pull a Kaede, he's not stupid enough to risk it and Wolfgang is in complete denial, he wouldn't kill anyone at this stage, nor would he be an easy target.

In terms of characters I think might live but there's also a strong possibility of then dying are Kai, Eloise, Jean and Wenona. I have my reasons so just hear me out. Kai and Eloise are two charaxters with clear motive to get out as fast as possible (Kai with his career and Eloise with her mother) which makes them decent candidates for becoming blackeneds. I can honestly see Kai as a victim, since he's both an easy target and not many members of the cast like him. Wenona has her buisnesses but her rivalry with cassidy would be interesting if one were to kill the other, but she seems as if she has room for development and I can see her as a mid to late death. Jean also seems to be getting quite a bit of spotlight this chapter, ehich raises some death flags, especially since he and Tozu seem to be at odds as he discovered the secret area. I wouldn't be surprised if he were executed by Mara.

And now for the characters that I think are most likely to die. I think Eva and Grace are both very likely to die. I think Eva could become a blackened to use the groups distrust of her to make herself seem as if she were framed, then use that to pin the blame in someone else because its never the most likely suspect, is it? In the Bible, Eve is the first to fall to temptation, I think Tozu will make her an offer to act as motivation. Or, she could attempt murder and someone will kill her in self defense.

For Grace, there's an audio file in the trailer that includes a distorted version of her screaming "get me out of here" in the first trial, sounds suspiscious right? Grace has also already had a brush with death once in this game, she wants to get out as soon as possible. She's stressed and in a bad place, and she might do something drastic.

Anyway here's the tier list

Anyway this is all speculation, have a good day

And thank you to the devs for making such an amazing fangan!

[criticalbennifer]

Jennifer Lopez’s Motown tribute on the Grammys: What was that insulting foolishness?

Sunday night’s performance was a slap in the face to history — in particular black women’s, who were the backbone of many of Motown’s greatest musical contributions.

Elizabeth Wellington

February 11, 2019

This is hard for me to write because when it comes right down to it, I’m a fan of Jennifer Lopez going back to her days as an In Living Color fly girl.

In fact, when it was announced earlier this month that J. Lo was going to lead the Grammy tribute to Motown, I defended the choice. Lopez, I surmised, had every right to honor the legendary Detroit record label’s 60th anniversary. It was the soundtrack of her youth, just like it was mine.

But the rest of the world — including my mom who lived through Motown’s heyday — wasn’t having it.

Now, I see why.

Sunday night’s performance was a slap in the face to history — in particular black women’s, who were the backbone of many of Motown’s greatest musical contributions. And I know the Grammy’s know better because Miley Cyrus’ rendition of “Jolene” with her godmother Dolly Parton for Parton’s own tribute was just the perfect touch. In contrast, Lopez in all of her J. Lo glory gyrated in wanna be Beyoncé style in several places where we all know she shouldn’t have. Berry Gordy’s Motown was all about showcasing black people’s decorum during an era when it was believed they didn’t have any, so this whole hot mama business was a total mess.

But that performance reeking of poor taste was just the beginning: Lopez’s voice faltered terribly in her tired rendition of Martha and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street” and The Marvelettes’ "Mr. Postman.” When she erroneously channeled “Proud Mary” Tina Turner for her rendition of Barrett Strong’s chart topper, “Money (That’s What I Want),” I cringed. (Even though Gordy wrote “Money,” Turner was never on Motown. In fact she recorded that song with her husband, Ike, on Liberty Records in 1971 in direct competition with Motown.)

Lopez’s followed that foolishness up with The Contours’ “Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)” and a snippet of the Jackson Five’s beloved “ABC” in booty shaking tackiness that was more Vegas revue rather than classy Motown choreography. I so wish that she had left The Temptation’s “Papa was a Rolling Stone" all the way alone. And if it wasn’t for Neyo standing in for Stevie Wonder on “Another Star” I think I may have jumped through my television and kicked her off the stage myself.

To quote Russell from Fat Albert, the entire performance was the epitome of N.C. — No class.

I’m not saying that J. Lo shouldn’t have been a part of the celebration, there was no doubt she was inspired by the music. Like Smokey Robinson said in his defense of the performance, Motown music was made for everyone. But we shouldn’t ignore that the label was created back in 1959 because white-owned record labels were slow to let black people record their music. Motown turned black women, like Diana Ross, into stars. Black women were seen as more than mammy’s and cleaning ladies. We were glamorous and sexy and well-dressed without being Venus Hottentots.

To completely leave out black women in this tribute — especially with Janelle Monae and Ella Mai, the British singer who won a Grammy for best R & B song Sunday night for her 2018 summer hit “Boo’d Up” were in the audience and Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Jill Scott presumably still breathing — the Grammys effectively erased black women from our own history. That was way beyond problematic. It was a stone cold mess.

[lacrimaomnis]

BRF Reading, 25/8/2021

This is the follow-up reading for my 29/7 reading about Harry and Catherine, asking about the why of Harry being attracted to Catherine.

As written, this is merely a speculation and therefore must be taken with a grain of salt. This speculation is not true until proven otherwise.

My question is, why does Harry feel attracted to Catherine?

Cards drawn: Judgment, Knight of Pentacles, Justice, Seven of Cups, Four of Pentacles

Underlying energy: Five of Cups, King of Cups

Remarks/Comments: The minor suits to come up in this reading are Cups and Pentacles, so this seems to suggest that the main reasons Harry was attracted to Catherine was because of his feelings (Cups) and a desire to have a good domestic life and a strong marriage (Pentacles).

Summary: In general, this reading lines up with my previous two spreads about this question, and it further reinforces the idea that Harry feels attracted to Catherine because it was only fair if he marries her instead of his brother.

First card: Judgment. This is the card of being judged for your actions, of resurrection, completion, and progression. This card may appear when it is time for us to change our lives or to open ourselves up to a new possibility. This card seems to suggest to me that one of the reasons Harry was perhaps attracted to Catherine was because she offered a completion to him. Forgive me for the lack of better rephrasing, but this card comes across as that Harry thinks Catherine will complete him, that if he marries Catherine, he will be whole. What kind of whole? I honestly do not know, but perhaps there was a void inside Harry that he thought could be filled if he married Catherine.

In my deck, Judgment also corresponds to Scorpio and Cancer; Charles' and William's sign respectively. It's very faint, very weak, but it does come across that one of the reasons Harry felt attracted to Catherine was because that she is William's spouse. Though the energy of "making me whole" is strong, this energy of her being William's spouse is there.

Second card: Knight of Pentacles. He is the sturdiest and least dynamic of all knights. As a court card, he represents a Virgo person, so this card appears to affirm that this spread is about Harry.

Third card: Justice. This is the card of being fair, of karmic law, of justice itself. Justice reflects the search for the truth and represents the consequences of our actions. This card seems to suggest that Harry perhaps felt attracted to Catherine because he perhaps thought that it is only fair if he was the one to marry her. The energy of being reversed is rather strong in this one; Harry thinks it is unfair that anyone else but him gets to marry Catherine or even feel attracted to her, because in his mind by whatever kind of thinking that Catherine should be rightfully his, that is, his justice and fairness. In my deck, this card corresponds to Libra and Capricorn. Catherine is a Capricorn, so this card affirms that the way Harry feels (Justice) is about her.

Fourth card: Seven of Cups. This card speaks of being handed too many choices, of illusion, temptation, fantasy and unreal expectations. This card warns against wishful thinking and to focus on the real world instead. This card seems to suggest to me that Harry perhaps felt attracted to him because of his own fantasy. Coming after Justice, this feels like Harry perhaps was attracted to Catherine because it is only fair that he is the only one allowed to be attracted to her, which is frankly, delusional and unrealistic. Everyone can love anyone, and Harry feels that Catherine is his own to keep, which is in itself pretty unrealistic.

Fifth card: Four of Pentacles. This card might be the most materialistic of all Pentacles card, as this card often speaks about fear of poverty, greed, materialism, and superficiality and is very often tied with finance. This card seems to tell me that maybe Harry was greedy, which reinforced the idea that for him, it's only fair if he gets to marry Catherine and not William. He thinks he could have it all, including his brother's spouse. Why did he think like that? Well, I can't provide an answer to that, but well, we are talking about Harry and by this point we know how he acts.

Underlying energy 1: Five of Cups. This card is about loss, disappointment, grief, and our inclination to focus on the bad things instead of looking around to see the wonderful things that are still around us. In my deck, this card is illustrated as an owl looking at her broken eggs while completely neglecting the remaining intact eggs behind her. This image just jumped out at me, as if saying that Harry had an unhealthy focus on Catherine because of an unresolved grief in the past; which reminded me of Harry saying in interviews that Diana's death impacted him very badly.

Underlying energy 2: King of Cups. He is someone in control of his emotion and ruling over the suit of Cups, he is the most sentimental of all the Kings. He is stable and balanced, mature and able to master his impulses, he is nurturing, wise and calm. This card speaks about leadership and maturity, and with that in mind, this card stands for William, a Cancer which is a water sign and has exhibited these traits. This card comes after the Five of Cups and is the underlying card for Justice, so this reinforces to me that Harry thinks it is not fair that William gets to marry her instead of him.

Conclusion: The overall energy of this reading is just that of a childish, sulky energy of a child not getting what they want. Harry is delusional in his "justice" and "fairness".

[excellentexecution]

@texasrcttlesnake​ asked: 🙌

Send a 🙌 and I’ll introduce you to an NPC related to my Muse.

Benjamin Davis was his name. A tall man who was made of warm ebony, he was the best art teacher in the entire high school as far as Bret was concerned. Compassionate and encouraging in ways that Stu never was, Davis and his 6′7′’ frame complimented well with the rest of his easygoing nature. Just like one of the friendly trees from the Lord of the Rings novels, a perfectly styled black beard and curled hair brought attention onto himself more so than his long sleeved tie-dye shirts and wide legged jeans did. None of the other staff dared to be as bold. Were comfortable in their stiff shirts and skirts, Mr. Davis was as relaxed as could be. Bret knew that had his father met him, found the time out of his schedule to actually go down to the school, Stampede Wrestling would’ve had another member to its roster. A colorful addition who everyone would’ve loved - when he was spoken about at home, the opinions of students who adored Benjamin didn’t matter. What Bret himself thought, Stu was prone to repeat as his family listened on: what was someone like that doing teaching art?

There wasn’t much that he could look forward to during the school week. Unexpected happenings and the like, Bret had his daily routine remembered right down to the last second. Six hours at the school and to head straight home thereafter, the bullies of the halls had picked on him for more than just being a professional wrestler’s son. A weirdo who stuck to himself whenever the bell rang for lunch. A nerd whose eyes were rather lost on the pages of his books than on girls. Leather jacket dressed with a chosen few friends at his side, Bret wasn’t just a wimp for not joining the best clubs. Six hours at the school and then straight to home, athletic training and responsibility to care for the Hart siblings outweighed the supposedly earned popularity points that those blockheads were after. Bret didn’t need them nor did he care. Had half the temptation to lay them out one afternoon when he was near minutes late to picking up Diana and Owen from the elementary, trapped in front of the exit door, Mr. Davis was an angel decked in understanding smiles and forceful hands that urged. 

Inside of the classroom or not, for someone as old as Bret’s own dad, Benjamin Davis opened up more than most from his generation. Wasn’t frightened to have deep conversations with his students as the class discussed the importance of modernism, went out of his way to aid Bret in the improvement of the designs of his cartoony works. They had started as mere sketches of his pencil. Huge eyes and wide grins that he toyed with in an unused notebook, he didn’t show anyone what he did. Caricatures of fans seen in the live crowds from Stampede live events - greens and blues were splashed wildly on the lined paper. All over the place and almost in an organized mess, it wasn’t family who helped in bringing everything together. When they could catch the quick moment to talk, Mr. Davis had made it his mission to build up Bret’s secretive talent. Feed into his potential and give him confidence, drawings got better and better with each attempt. Hardly could the boy put his markers down. 

Doodled rather in his bedroom than in Mr. Davis’ class, when his assignments were completed and extra time was allowed, Bret missed seeing his favorite teacher with each year he graduated. Onto new subjects with different instructors but their relationship still strong, advice on how to properly shade a nose was asked without fear for repercussion. One artist to another in a space of mutual respect and honest curiosity. The master of the brush and the student who wanted to learn everything he could about the pen, as much as he truly wished to be part of, art fairs and contests wouldn’t be fondly found within Bret’s future. Matches to have included his moniker weren’t to go forgotten about. Abandoned in favor of teaming with fellow lovers of the drawing hobby, Stu had said once that there was more to life than chicken scratch in a notebook. 

Bret hadn’t soon figured otherwise. Devoted himself to the extreme extents of the sport and fall even more in love with the action, Benjamin Davis wasn’t ever to become a memory of his past. Onward with the Dungeon coaching and providing for the family - with every page that he filled with cartoons, Bret reminisced with fondness on the greatest teacher he had known back in high school. 

[randomvarious]

Gladys Knight & The Pips - “Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me” Soul Decade: The Sixties Song released in 1967. Compilation released in 1990. Soul

From Gladys Knight & The Pips’ 1996 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction essay, written by Dave Marsh:

Although they are best known for their great recordings at Motown in the late 1960s and the ballad hits they scored in the early ‘70s, Gladys Knight and the Pips, in fact, have had a career that encompasses the majority of rock history. Indeed, Knight is one of the few Hall of Famers who have continued to make hits from the ‘60s until the present day. 

The key to this success is Gladys Knight’s voice, one of the more remarkable instruments of the rock, soul and R&B eras. A perfect blend of grace and grit has allowed her to record such masterpieces of balladry as “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye),” “If I Were Your Woman,“ “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Every Beat of My Heart” while also making such funky dance numbers as the original “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “The Nitty Gritty,” "Friendship Train,” “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” and “Love Overboard.”

Missing from that list of masterpieces, however, is a criminally slept-on classic, “Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me,” recorded in the earlier days of the group’s tenure at Motown. “Take Me In Your Arms” originally appeared in 1967 on Gladys Knight & The Pips’ Motown debut LP, Everybody Needs Love, and while the single did rather well in the UK, peaking at #13, it fell surprisingly flat in the US, managing to only grace the upper reaches of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. 

So, why did that happen? Well, there appear to be a few reasons: one, Berry Gordy really ran the Motown label in a tiered structure. While some artists that Motown spent less of their attention and money on were able to squeeze out a gigantic hit here and there (Martha and the Vandellas and The Marvelettes, for example), most of the label’s resources (session musicians, promotion, and their best songs) were devoted to the acts at the top of their pyramid, like The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and The Temptations. And Gladys Knight & The Pips simply were not ever in Motown’s top tier, even though they certainly deserved to be. Case in point, before Marvin Gaye wound up selling four million copies with his own rendition of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Gladys Knight & The Pips’ original version, released subsequently after “Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me,” managed to sell two and a half million copies, becoming Motown’s bestselling single at the time. And still, despite that awesome accomplishment, Knight & The Pips continued to play second fiddle at Motown.

And the reason for all that shunning might actually lay at the feet of Diana Ross’ own politicking. Gladys Knight claims in her autobiography that Ross, out of fear for her act being possibly upstaged, actually ordered Knight & The Pips kicked off of a Supremes tour in 1968, simply because their performances were just too good. It’s possible that Berry Gordy didn’t want to upset one of his cash cows by giving more attention to Knight & The Pips, who could’ve ultimately ended up usurping Diana Ross & The Supremes’ status as Motown’s top female-led group (and the same could hold true for all of Motown’s other numerous girl groups, too). Knight also claims in her book that it was actually she who suggested Berry Gordy sign The Jackson Five, but in transcribed Motown lore, Diana Ross is the one who is usually credited with discovering them. Needless to say, regardless of whether it was mutually felt or not, there was clearly bad blood between Knight and Ross, and after Knight & The Pips’ contract expired with Motown, they jetted on over to the Buddah label, a move that enabled them to really spread their wings and have their talent properly nurtured

Another reason why “Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me” might have failed to succeed stateside is the song’s lyrical content. The words in this one may have been just a tad too sexually suggestive in 1967 for radio DJs to take a chance on. I mean, just look at some of these lines:

This feeling is too strong to hold Any second now I'll explode Now's the time, now's the time Take all of this love of mine

If you knew that playing this sexy song about sex on the radio could possibly land you in hot water and cost you your job, would you still spin it? Probably not, right? 

And although I was personally unable to find any trace of the following allegation, a censored version of this song apparently originally appeared on the Everybody Needs Love LP, and ended up really messing with the song’s overall flow, both musically and lyrically, reducing it down to a forgettable tune whose obvious and sloppy editing was worthy of an incredulous eyeroll. But it appears that the original unedited version has been restored on issues of the album for years now because I’m unable to locate a deliberately censored version of this song on YouTube. 

There’s also the fact that Berry Gordy was someone who sought to sell his records to as broad an audience as possible (read: white), and a black woman freely expressing her sexuality so transparently in 1967 might’ve ended up ruffling some feathers and causing some unwanted blowback for Motown, which is something they probably had no intention of inviting for a second-tier act on their roster. But if that’s the case, one has to wonder why the song was recorded with those lyrics intact in the first place. Although a watering down of the lyrics would’ve caused the song to partially lose its intended impact, they still could’ve just tried to sell it that way instead of taking an axe to its entire structure for the  album cut, no? The sound of the song would’ve been just as good, but its lyrics would’ve been compromised. And that’s clearly better than changing both the flow of the music and the lyrics, right? Something just doesn’t add up with this whole line of thinking to me.

Either way, the song somehow managed to slip past the censorious ears of the UK’s pop culture gatekeepers and went on to rightfully succeed there instead. And that’s why this track is included on UK soul retrospectives, like Soul Decade: The Sixties, and not US ones, despite the fact that it’s clearly such a good tune.

“Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me” is really just a piece of late 60s Motown soul perfection that more than deserved to be a top hit in America. It was produced by Norman Whitfield and he would then go on to become a frequent collaborator with Gladys Knight & The Pips at Motown, including with the group’s following single, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” And Whitfield’s production on this particular song is really nothing short of sensational. 

“Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me” comes with wonderfully slow and carefully crafted build-ups, and is chock full of different instruments, including a harpsichord, an acoustic guitar, horns, snare drums that guide the music’s overall intensity by alternating between a calm heartbeat and a bouncy thump, and high-pitched strings that creep from the background to the foreground to match Knight’s own vocal melody at the end. And speaking of Knight, she is of course an indispensable piece of this song, too. Her vocal “blend of grace and grit” that Dave Marsh alludes to in one of the paragraphs quoted above is on full display here as she shows her ability to go from a soft, irresistibly inviting tenderness to a loud, exhilarated passion in a split-second’s time. Knight is singing as if she is in the midst of an extended, ecstasy-inducing sexual experience and that’s what she, Whitfield, and The Pips were going for all along.

Really, just one of the most underrated songs in the history of Motown. It’s a total shame that it didn’t perform better in the U.S., but that appears to have been for a confluence of reasons that were ultimately out of Gladys Knight & The Pips’ control.

[blackkudos]

Donny Hathaway

Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American jazz, blues, soul and gospel singer, songwriter, arranger and pianist. Hathaway signed with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto", in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music." His enduring songs include "The Ghetto", "This Christmas", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Little Ghetto Boy", "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", signature versions of "A Song for You" and "For All We Know", and "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of many collaborations with Roberta Flack. "Where Is the Love" won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1973. At the height of his career Hathaway was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was known to not take his prescribed medication regularly enough to properly control his symptoms. On January 13, 1979, Hathaway's body was found outside the luxury hotel Essex House in New York City; his death was ruled a suicide.

Early life

Hathaway, the son of Drusella Huntley, was born in Chicago but raised with his grandmother, Martha Pitts, also known as Martha Crumwell, in the Carr Square housing project of St. Louis. Hathaway began singing in a church choir with his grandmother, a professional gospel singer, at the age of three and studying piano. He graduated from Vashon High School in 1963. Hathaway then studied music on a fine arts scholarship at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he met close friend Roberta Flack. At Howard, he was also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Hathaway formed a jazz trio with drummer Ric Powell while there but during 1967 left Howard just before completing a degree, after receiving job offers in the music business.

Career

Hathaway worked as songwriter, session musician and producer for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom Records in Chicago. He did the arrangements for hits by the Unifics ("Court of Love" and "The Beginning of My End") and took part in projects by the Staple Singers, Jerry Butler, Aretha Franklin, the Impressions and Curtis Mayfield himself. After becoming a "house producer" at Curtom, he also started recording there. Hathaway recorded his first single under his own name in 1969, a duet with singer June Conquest called "I Thank You Baby". They also recorded the duet "Just Another Reason", released as the b-side. Former Cleveland Browns president Bill Futterer, who as a college student promoted Curtom in the southeast in 1968 and 1969, was befriended by Hathaway and has cited Hathaway's influence on his later projects.

That year, Hathaway signed to Atco Records, then a division of Atlantic Records, after being spotted for the label by producer/musician King Curtis at a trade convention. He released his first single of note, "The Ghetto, Pt. 1", which he co-wrote with former Howard roommate Leroy Hutson, who became a performer, writer and producer with Curtom. The track appeared the following year on his critically acclaimed debut LP, Everything Is Everything, which he co-produced with Ric Powell while also arranging all the cuts. His second LP, Donny Hathaway, consisted mostly of covers of contemporary pop, soul, and gospel songs. His third album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was an album of duets with former Howard University associate and label mate Roberta Flack that established him, especially on the pop charts. The album was both a critical and commercial success, including the Ralph MacDonald-penned track "Where Is The Love", which proved to be not only an R&B success, but also scored Top Five on the pop Hot 100. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on September 5, 1972. The album also included a number of other covers, including versions of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend", "Baby I Love You", originally a hit for Aretha Franklin, and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling".

Perhaps Hathaway's most influential recording is his 1972 album, Live, which has been termed "one of the best live albums ever recorded" by Daryl Easlea of the BBC. The album can also be found on the British online music and culture magazine The Quietus' list of "40 Favourite Live Albums". It was recorded at two concerts: side one at The Troubadour in Hollywood, and side two at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.

Donny Hathaway is also known as the co-composer and performer of the Christmas standard, "This Christmas". The song, released in 1970, has become a holiday staple and is often used in movies, television and advertising. "This Christmas" has been covered by numerous artists across diverse musical genres, including The Whispers, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Alexander O'Neal, Christina Aguilera, Chicago, Harry Connick, Jr., Dru Hill, *NSYNC, Gloria Estefan, Boney James, The Cheetah Girls, Chris Brown, Anthony Arnett (First Baptist Bracktown Christmas Celebration), Patti LaBelle and Mary J Blige (A Mary Christmas, album 2013), Seal, and Train.

Hathaway followed this flurry of work with some contributions to soundtracks, along with his recording of the theme song to the TV series Maude. He also composed and conducted music for the 1972 soundtrack of the movie Come Back Charleston Blue. In the mid-1970s, he also produced albums for other artists including Cold Blood, where he expanded the musical range of lead singer Lydia Pense.

His final studio album, Extension of a Man came out in 1973 with two tracks, "Love Love Love" and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" reaching both the pop and R&B charts. However, it was probably best noted for his classic ballad, "Someday We'll All Be Free" and a six-minute symphonic-styled instrumental piece called "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry". He told UK music journalist David Nathan in 1973, "I always liked pretty music and I've always wanted to write it." Added the writer, "He declined to give one particular influence or inspiration but said that Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky were amongst whom he studied."

He returned to the charts in 1978 after again teaming up with Roberta Flack for a duet, "The Closer I Get to You" on her album, Blue Lights in the Basement. The song topped the R&B chart and just missed the number 1 spot on the Hot 100 (reaching #2). Atlantic then put out another solo single, "You Were Meant For Me" shortly before his sudden death.Liner notes for later releases of his final solo album explain: "Donny is no longer here, but the song "Someday We'll All Be Free" gathers momentum as part of his legacy... Donny literally sat in the studio and cried when he heard the playback of his final mix. It's pretty special when an artist can create something that wipes them out." Edward Howard, lyricist of the song, adds, "It was a spiritual thing for me... What was going through my mind at the time was Donny, because Donny was a very troubled person. I hoped that at some point he would be released from all that he was going through. There was nothing I could do but write something that might be encouraging for him. He's a good leader for young black men".

Personal life

FamilyHathaway met his wife, Eulaulah, at Howard University and they married in 1967. They had two daughters, Eulaulah Donyll (Lalah) and Kenya. Lalah has enjoyed a successful solo career, while Kenya is a session singer and one of the three backing vocalists on the hit TV program American Idol. Both daughters are graduates of the Berklee College of Music.Mental illnessDuring the best part of his career, Hathaway began to suffer from severe bouts of depression. It was found that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and was known to take strong medication daily to try to control the illness. However, Eulaulah Hathaway has said that her husband was frequently less than diligent about following his prescription regimen. Donnita Hathaway has said that her mother gave her similar information about her father, saying that when he took his medication, he was generally fine, but that when he did not, it was impossible for her to deal with him. Over the course of the 1970s, Hathaway's mental instability wreaked havoc on his life and required several hospitalizations. The effects of his depression and melancholia also drove a wedge in his and Flack's friendship; they did not reconcile for several years, and did not release additional music until the successful release of "The Closer I Get To You" in 1978. Flack and Hathaway then resumed studio recording to compose a second album of duets.

Death

Sessions for another album of duets were underway in 1979. On January 13 of that year, Hathaway began a recording session at which producers/musicians Eric Mercury and James Mtume were present. Mercury and Mtume each reported that although Hathaway's voice sounded good, he began behaving irrationally, seeming to be paranoid and delusional. According to Mtume, Hathaway said that "white people" were trying to kill him and had connected his brain to a machine, for the purpose of stealing his music and his sound. Given Hathaway's behavior, Mercury said that he decided the recording session could not continue, so he aborted it and all of the musicians went home.Hours later, Hathaway was found dead on the sidewalk below the window of his 15th-floor room in New York's Essex House hotel. It was reported that he had jumped from his balcony. The glass had been neatly removed from the window and there were no signs of struggle, leading investigators to rule that Hathaway's death was a suicide. However, his friends were mystified, considering that his career had just entered a resurgence. Flack was devastated and, spurred by his death, included the few duet tracks they had finished on her next album, Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway. According to Mercury, Hathaway's final recording, included on that album, was "You Are My Heaven", a song Mercury co-wrote with Stevie Wonder.Hathaway's funeral was conducted by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Later in 1979, the Whispers recorded the tribute song, "Song for Donny", for their self-titled breakthrough album. The song reached #21 on the R&B chart.

Legacy and influence

Hathaway has been widely praised for his voice. Justin Timberlake calls him "the best singer of all time." Raúl Midón said that Hathaway is "the strongest soul singer that ever existed" and compares his vocal technique to a classical singer. "When Donny sings any song, he owns it," David Ritz quotes Stevie Wonder as having said. Amy Winehouse called Hathaway her favorite artist of all time. She mentioned him in her hit "Rehab” and covered several of his songs. Hathaway's work including Donny Hathaway Live, which featured noted R&B musicians Willie Weeks (bass), Fred White (drums), Mike Howard (guitar), Phil Upchurch (lead guitar side 1), Cornell Dupree (lead guitar side 2) and Earl DeRouen (percussion), has been cited as an influence by numerous other artists including John Legend, D'Angelo, Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Jon B., Chris Brown, Nas, Common, Beyoncé, George Benson, Victor Wooten, India.Arie, Jon Gibson, Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight, Anthony Hamilton, Usher, John Mayer, Led Zeppelin, Freddie Jackson and Frank McComb. Hathaway's use of the Rhodes Piano on his early Atco R&B recordings has also influenced many neo soul artists & producers.A second live album called In Performance, released in 1980 following his death, also included tracks recorded at venues in Los Angeles and New York between 1971 and 1973, showing Hathaway to be a fine stage performer. Later, in 2004, selected tracks from these two albums were added to previously unreleased live recordings for These Songs for You, Live!.For Record Store Day 2014, Live at the Bitter End 1971 was released on 180g vinyl as a numbered, limited edition. This album marks the first time this 1971 performance at The Bitter End has been released on vinyl, previously appearing on the CD release of the 2013 career anthology, Never My Love. The 21-minute recording of "Everything is Everything" had never been released before on any format and was an exclusive track to this release.

Discography

Studio albumsLive albumsSoundtrack albumsCompilation albumsSinglesWith Phil Upchurch

Upchurch (Cadet, 1969)

The Way I Feel (Cadet, 1970)

Tributes

On soul group the Whispers' 1980 self-titled album, the group paid homage with "Song for Donny", written by fellow soul singer Carrie Lucas. The song was set to the melody of Hathaway's "This Christmas".

In 1999 Aaron Hall recorded a brief tribute version of "Someday We'll All Be Free" on the third album for his group Guy titled Guy III, with Teddy Riley and Damion Hall.

In September 2001, Alicia Keys performed "Someday We'll All Be Free" on the 9/11 televised tribute concert America: A Tribute to Heroes.

In 2005, neo-soul singer songwriter guitarist, Raul Midón (Blue Note) worked with Hathaway's longtime producer Arif Mardin (known for collaborations with the Bee Gees, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Norah Jones, and Aretha Franklin) and created a tribute song to Hathaway called "Sittin' in the Middle".

In her 2006 song "Rehab", Amy Winehouse sings of learning from "Mr. Hathaway" instead of going to rehab.

In 2007, Deniece Williams covered "Someday We'll All Be Free" for her Love, Niecy Style album. Williams later shared that she broke down in tears in the studio while recording.

In 2008, Ed Pavlic published Winners Have Yet to Be Announced (University of Georgia Press), poems re-imagining the life of Donny Hathaway.

The song "What a Catch, Donnie", from Fall Out Boy's fourth studio album, Folie à Deux (2008), is named for Hathaway and mentions Roberta Flack, his writing partner.

Bizzy Bone's song entitled "A Song for You", is a track that includes an interpolation of Donny Hathaways's original recording of the same name.

In the 2013 song "Classic", band MKTO references writing songs "like Hathaway".

Wikipedia 

[gstqaobc]

💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻PG SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCE CHARLES AND THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE/EVIL THAT IS HAPPENING NOW🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

This is very long as is the prayer, however l would greatly appreciate if you would take the time to read and time to pray the prayer. God bless you all and GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, and is the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history.He is also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958.

As Prince of Wales, Charles undertakes official duties on behalf of his mother, HMTQ and the Commonwealth realms. Charles founded The Prince's Trust in 1976, sponsors The Prince's Charities, and is a patron, president and a member of over 400 other charities and organisations. As an environmentalist, he raises awareness of organic farming and climate change which has earned him awards and recognition from environmental groups. His support for alternative medicine, including homeopathy, has been criticised by some in the medical community and his views on the role of architecture in society and the conservation of historic buildings have received considerable attention from British architects and design critics. He is also an author and co-author of a number of books.

Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun schools,  which his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had attended as a child, as well as the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer and they had two sons: Prince William (b. 1982) and Prince Harry (b. 1984). In 1996, the couple divorced following well-publicised extramarital affairs by both parties. Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris the following year. In 2005, Charles married long-time partner Camilla Parker Bowles.

Since founding The Prince's Trust in 1976, Charles has established 16 more charitable organisations, and now serves as president of all of those. Together, these form a loose alliance called The Prince's Charities, which describes itself as "the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the United Kingdom, raising over £100 million annually ... [and is] active across a broad range of areas including education and young people, environmental sustainability, the built environment, responsible business and enterprise and international."

In 2010, The Prince's Charities Canada was established in a similar fashion to its namesake in the UK.Charles is also patronof over 400 other charities and organisations,[91] and carries out duties related to these throughout the Commonwealth realms; for example, he uses his tours of Canada as a way to help draw attention to youth, the disabled, the environment, the arts, medicine, the elderly, heritage conservation, and education.In Canada, Charles has supported humanitarian projects. Along with his two sons, he took part in ceremonies that marked the 1998 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Charles has also set up The Prince's Charities Australia, which is based in Melbourne, Victoria. The Prince's Charities Australia is to provide a coordinating presence for the Prince of Wales's Australian and international charitable endeavours.

Most importantly, after the boys tragically lost their mother, Charles was a single father. Together with the rest of the BRF they provided the boys with a loving environment to adjust and cope as best they could. On the 20 th anniversary of their mother’s death, the two princes did a special documentary. Harry shared how he felt like walking a tightrope for years after, William encouraged him to seek help dealing with his trauma. Heads Together has been life changing for many.

Prince Charles has served and continues to serve the Monarchy. Yes, he has made mistakes, WHO HASNT. Let he without sin cast the first stone. He has, from day one, been educated and preparing for his eventual role as King. There is no way on this earth he would intentionally plot or commit treason. To publish and share via social media this garbage is lower than anything l have ever seen. If this is what money spent at SS results, there are no limits to the filth and mire. Let us remember, know and be wise, Friday is Friday the 13 th and a full moon. Those who practice the dark arts, this is a very strong day. We need to pray for Gods protection over ourselves, those we love, and our HMTQ and her entire family.  

PRAYER AGAINST EVIL AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE

This is what is going on, good versus evil.

The Warfare Prayer

Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection during this time of prayer. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to Yourself. I do take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in this time of prayer, and I address myself only to the true and living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer.

Satan, I command you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all your demons, and I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ between us.

Heavenly Father, I worship You, and I give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the blessed Holy Spirit would enable me in this time of prayer.

I am thankful, heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity, that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to die as my substitute that I would be redeemed. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative, and that through Him You have completely forgiven me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my daily help and strength.

Heavenly Father, come and open my eyes that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this new day. I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, take my place with Christ in the heavenlies with all principalities and powers (powers of darkness and wicked spirits) under my feet.

I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the cross and in His resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies; therefore, I declare that all principalities and powers and all wicked spirits are subject to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for the armor You have provided, and I put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the helmet of salvation. I lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy, and take in my hand the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, and use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life; and I put on this armor and live and pray in complete dependence upon You, blessed Holy Spirit.

I am grateful, heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject out of my life all the insinuations, the accusations, and the temptations of Satan.

I affirm that the Word of God is true, and I choose to live today in the light of God’s Word. I choose, heavenly Father, to live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that would not please You. Work in my life that there be no ground to give Satan a foothold against me.

Show me any area of weakness. Show me any area of my life that I must deal with so that I would please You. I do in every way today stand for You and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life.

By faith and in dependence upon You, I put off the old man and stand into all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new man and stand into all the victory of the resurrection and the provision He has made for me there to live above sin.

Therefore, in this day, I put off the old nature with its selfishness, and I put on the new nature with its love. I put off the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off today the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with all its righteousness and purity.

I do in every way stand into the victory of the ascension and the glorification of the Son of God where all principalities and powers were made subject to Him, and I claim my place in Christ victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol and cast out every foe.

I am thankful, heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I therefore claim all the will of God for today.

I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and self-control in my life. And I recognize that this is Your will for me, and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and of his demons to rob me of the will of God.

I refuse in this day to believe my feelings, and I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and against all the insinuations that Satan would put in my mind. I claim the fullness of the will of God for today.

I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, completely surrender myself to You, heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I pray that You would show me Your will and enable me to walk in all the fullness of the will of God today.

I am thankful, heavenly Father, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, to the casting down of imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan, and I smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind, and I surrender my mind to You, blessed Holy Spirit.

I affirm, heavenly Father, that You have not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my emotions today, and I give my emotions to You. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my will today, and I give my will to You, and choose to make the right decisions of faith. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my body today, and I give my body to You, recognizing that I am Your temple; and I rejoice in Your mercy and Your goodness.

Heavenly Father, I pray that now through this day You would quicken me; show me the way that Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and counterfeiting and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer. Enable me to be aggressive mentally and to think Your thoughts after You, and to give You Your rightful place in my life.

Again, I now cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the crucifixion, all the work of the resurrection, all the work of the glorification, and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I surrender myself to You.

I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead, and I claim in every way Your victory over all satanic forces active in my life, and I reject these forces; and I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.

[kickmag]

Throwback: Berry Gordy Jr.

Berry Gordy was a high school dropout, Army veteran , retired boxer and former record-store owner when he co-wrote Jackie Wilson's 1957 hit "Reet Petite" with his sister Gwen Gordy Fuqua and Wilson's cousin Billy Davis. This early success as a songwriter gave Gordy the finances to transition into becoming a producer. Two years later he borrowed $800 from his family and launched  Tamla Records in January of 1959. Marv Johnson and Barrett Strong released music on the Tamla and Anna Records. Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" was written by Gordy and Janie Bradford and was the first hit for Tamla. The song was a number two hit and would be famously covered by The Beatles in 1963. Tamla and Motown Records merged in April of 1960. The Miracles had recorded Motown's first single "Bad Girl" in 1959 but it was "Shop Around" that became the label's first song to sell one million copies. Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy wrote "Shop Around" which went to number one on the R&B charts and number two on the Billboard pop chart. This moment was the beginning of Motown's movement that would include The Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye over the next decade. Gordy would end up writing and co-writing 240 of Motown's 15,000 songs.

Motown had more than 100 Top Ten hits between 1961 and 1971. Gordy's interest in creating a style of Black music amenable to the masses was achieved and his artists broke racial barriers. Their tours of the south were challenging because of the segregation in the country during the '60s despite it being officially outlawed in 1964. Motown artists were able to unite many of their audiences who started the concert sitting in their racially designated section but by the end of the show all would be dancing together. The label was also able to produce television specials for their artists like The Temptations and The Supremes which was something non-existent for most Black artists.

Berry Gordy moved all of Motown's operations toLos Angeles in 1972 and Motown's film division was born. Diana Ross's Lady Sing The Blues and Mahogany features were critically-acclaimed and she received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Billie Holiday. Motown Productions later released The Wiz, Scott Joplin, Thank God It's Friday and The Last Dragon. Motown Records had a second run of major hits in the '80s thanks to Rick James, Teena Marie and The Dazz Band. By the late '80s the label lost its steam and Gordy sold it to MCA Records in 1988. He sold Motown Productions to Motown executive Suzanne de Passe in 1989.

In 1988 Berry Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1994 he released his memoir To Be Loved. He became the first living person to receive the Songwriters Hall Of Fame Pioneer in 2013. Former President Barack Obama gave Gordy the National Medal Of Arts in 2016.

Gordy developed Motown: The Musical in 2011 and it ran until 2015. Ain't Too Proud The Life And Times Of The Temptations is currently playing on Broadway. I'll Be There, the musical about The Four Tops will be presented by lone surviving member Duke Fakir Fall of 2022 in Detroit. Berry Gordy is a 2021 Kennedy Center honoree for his contribution to the arts. The Honors Gala will air on CBS December 22nd.

[audreysmusicaljourney]

Album #452: Diana Ross and the Supremes “Anthology” (1974)

This album is what I would consider Motown’s answer to Phil Spector. Full disclosure: I listened to the 2002 release of this album, which had 20 more tracks than the 1974 original release. I’m glad I listened to the 2002 release because it included the track “Buttered Popcorn,” which is a song that everyone should listen to at least once in life. If that doesn’t make you want to grab a bag of microwave popcorn, nothing will.

There is no doubt that Diana Ross and the Supremes are talented, but this album is full of tracks that seem to have been produced for commercial appeal. There seems to be little to no risk to any of the hit songs from this anthology.

The early sound from Diana Ross and the Supremes has a heavy ‘50s doo wop influence. They sound quite a bit like The Crystals or the Ronettes on a lot of their tracks from the early ‘60s. A lot of these song sound like they could have been performed by the nuns in the hit film Sister Act. On the track "Let Me Go The Right Way,” the lead vocalist sounds just like Sister Mary Robert. The lyrical theme of that song would lend itself well to the film Sister Act as well. 

Most people are likely familiar with the hits like “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” These are good tracks, but there really is not a whole lot of complexity to these songs. With a strong foundation in the doo wop genre of music, Diana Ross and the Supremes ultimately refined their own pop sound. There is a bit of blues, funk, and rock influence throughout their music as well. The track “Run, Run, Run” has a heavy blues influence with the instrumentation of both a piano and a saxophone. “Nitty Gritty,” which was an addition to the 2002 release, has a really soulful funk rock sound. The track “You Keep Me Hanging On” has a rock influence with an electric guitar. The track “The Happening” has a bit of a country feel to it. The track “No Matter What Sign You Are” has a psychedelic rock feeling to it, both in lyrical content and style.

There are a few of tracks on this album where Diana Ross and the Supremes perform with the Temptations. I’m a bit of a sucker for male and female duets so these tracks are some of my favorite from this album. There are a few covers on this album as well. Their cover of “A Hard Day’s Night” is actually pretty good, and they have a very playful cover of the track “Whistle While You Work.” 

Rating: 6.5/10

How I Listened: Spotify (2002 Release)

Takeaway: My sister and I listened to the first half of this album during a road trip to Missouri. According to her, “Our conversation about ‘buses’ vs. ‘busses’ was more interesting than this album.” I don’t think I can disagree with that. 

[joementa]

The Sound Of Philly.

There’s been a lot of good things coming out of Philly lately, and hopefully there’s some more good things ahead.  I put this playlist together to help you get pumped up for the next week.  I think we can all agree that the Eagles are one thing that Philly is very passionate about.  Another thing is music.  The shows in Philly are always great.  And Philly is always producing great musicians.  That remains true to this day.  And it was also true a few decades ago, when Philly Soul ruled radio.  In my opinion, TSOP (The Sound Of Philly), is like Motown.  It’s the kind of music that everyone should know, and pretty much everyone likes.  

This playlist is pure Philly.  Not all of the musicians here are from Philly, but if they aren’t, there’s a connection.  “The Rubberband Man” was recorded with MFSB, the legendary Philadelphia International Records’ house band.  “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” was co-written by Kenny Gamble, and has strings all over it. “Disco Inferno” was recorded at Sigma Sound (you do know what Sigma Sound was, right?)  And a lot of the songs were released on Philadelphia International Records, and produced and/or written by Gamble & Huff.  (Side note: you need to know Gamble & Huff.  If you don’t, go buy The Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff & The Story Of Brotherly Love (1966-1976) RIGHT NOW.)  I realize that “Rocky’s Reward” isn’t really a TSOP song, but it’s a string instrumental, and TSOP for having lush strings and production.  Plus, isn’t it a great way to end the playlist?  Remember, we’re getting ready for next week.  We can’t leave Rocky out of it!    

I can’t imagine that you won’t enjoy this playlist.  This is some of the best music ever made.  It’s by no means comprehensive – every musician included in here has a body of work that you need to be familiar with.  But I think it does a great job of highlighting some of the incredible music that has come from the City of Brotherly Love.  No matter what happens this weekend, we at least have the tunes. So for the next week, make sure you put this playlist into your listening rotation.  Let’s Go Philly!

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/user/joementa/playlist/1REgLCotElxR0JDTSOEvT6?si=X4js8ZXtRXm6z3WJFY_bOQ  

MFSB – “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” (Love Is The Message)

The O’Jays – “Love Train” (Back Stabbers)

Soul Survivors – “Expressway To Your Heart” (When The Whistle Blows Anything Goes)

Archie Bell & The Drells – “I Can’t Stop Dancing” (I Can’t Stop Dancing)

The Spinners – “The Rubberband Man” (Happiness Is Being With The Spinners)

The Three Degrees – “When Will I See You Again” (The Three Degrees)

Jerry Butler – “Only The Strong Survive” (The Ice Man Cometh)

Lou Rawls – “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” (All Things In Time)

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – “The Love I Lost” (Black & Blue)

The Stylistics – “You Are Everything” (The Stylistics)

Teddy Pendergrass – “Close The Door” (Life Is A Song Worth Singing)

Laura Nyro and Labelle – “It’s Gonna Take A Miracle” (Gonna Take A Miracle)

Bunny Sigler – “That’s How Long I’ll Be Loving You” (Keep Smilin’)

McFadden & Whitehead – “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” (McFadden & Whitehead)

Billy Paul – “Me and Mrs. Jones” (360 Degrees of Billy Paul)

The Intruders – “Together” (Together)

Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations – “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” (Diana Ross & The Supremes Join The Temptations)

The Trammps – “Disco Inferno” (Disco Inferno)

The O’Jays – “I Love Music” (Family Reunion)

Bill Conti – “Rocky’s Reward” (Rocky: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

[guiltypuknowme]

RECEPTION (BRRRMMM)

In And we’ll never be lonely anymore, Eames serves as the DJ at Yusuf and Ariadne’s wedding reception. Behind the cut is his big, huge, gigantic playlist.

"Tell It Like It Is” - Aaron Neville

“Let’s Stay Together” - Al Green

“Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s - Audrey Hepburn

“Hooked On a Feeling” - B.J. Thomas

“Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)” - Barry Mann

“God Only Knows” - the Beach Boys

“If I Fell” - the Beatles

“Till There Was You” - the Beatles

“All You Need is Love” - the Beatles

“I Saw Her Standing There” - the Beatles

“And Your Bird Can Sing” - the Beatles

“I Will” - the Beatles

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” - the Beatles

“Stand By Me” - Ben E. King

“I Want You” - Bob Dylan

“Elusive Butterfly” - Bob Lind

“Mack the Knife” - Bobby Darin

“Beyond the Sea” - Bobby Darin

“Dream Lover” - Bobby Darin

“Rockin’ Robin” - Bobby Day

“Tossin’ and Turnin’” -Bobby Lewis

“Sway” - Bobby Rydell

“I’ll Never Dance Again” - Bobby Rydell

“Volare” - Bobby Rydell

“Sweet Nothin’s” - Brenda Lee

“I’m Sorry” - Brenda Lee

“It’s Just a Matter of Time” - Brook Benton

“(Baby) You’ve Got What It Takes)” - Brook Benton & Dinah Washington

“Hey! Baby” - Bruce Channel

“True Love Ways” - Buddy Holly

“Not Fade Away” - Buddy Holly and the Crickets

“Tequila” - the Champs

“All I Really Want To Do” - Cher

“One Fine Day” - the Chiffons

“Sh-Boom” - the Chords

“Let’s Dance” - Chris Montez

“The Twist” - Chubby Checker

“Johnny B. Goode” - Chuck Berry

“Brown Eyed Handsome Man” - Chuck Berry

“You Never Can Tell” - Chuck Berry

“(I Don’t Know Why) But I Do” - Clarence “Frogman” Henry

“Spooky” - Classics IV

“Love Potion No. 9″ - the Clovers

“Down in Mexico” - the Coasters

“If I Didn’t Care” - Connie Francis

“Who’s Sorry Now” - Connie Francis

“Do You Love Me” - the Contours

“La Vie En Rose” (from How I Met Your Mother) - Cristin Milioti

“(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” - Darlene Love

“Everybody Loves Somebody” - Dean Martin

“That’s Amore” - Dean Martin

“Runaway” - Del Shannon

“The Wanderer” - Dion

“Runaround Sue” - Dion

“Chapel of Love” - the Dixie Cups

“As Time Goes By” from Casablanca - Dooley Wilson

“Just One Look” - Doris Troy

“Save the Last Dance for Me” - the Drifters

“There Goes My Baby” - the Drifters

“You Belong to Me” - the Duprees

“Son of a Preacher Man” - Dusty Springfield

“La Vie En Rose” - Edith Piaf

“Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” - Edith Piaf

“I’m Beginning to See the Light” - Ella Fitzgerald

“Almost Like Being in Love” - Ella Fitzgerald

“A Big Hunk O’ Love” - Elvis Presley

“Such a Night” - Elvis Presley

“Hound Dog” - Elvis Presley

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” - Elvis Presley

“Jailhouse Rock” - Elvis Presley

“One Night With You” - Elvis Presley

“At Last” - Etta James

“Tell Him” - the Exciters

“Ain’t That a Shame” - Fats Domino

“Blueberry Hill” - Fats Domino

“I Only Have Eyes For You” - the Flamingos

“Build Me Up Buttercup” - the Foundations

“Witchcraft” - Frank Sinatra

“Somethin’ Stupid” - Frank Sinatra (with Nancy Sinatra)

“At Long Last Love” - Frank Sinatra

“You Make Me Feel So Young” - Frank Sinatra

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” - Frankie Valli

“C’mon Marianne” - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

“Sherry” - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

“Rag Doll” - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

“Dawn (Go Away)” - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

“Green Grass” - Gary Lewis and the Playboys

“Ko Ko Mo” - Gene & Eunice

“Duke of Earl” - Gene Chandler

“Town Without Pity” - Gene Pitney

“In the Mood” - Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

“Moonlight Serenade” - Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

“Little Brown Jug” - Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

“I’m Into Something Good” - Herman’s Hermits

“Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” - Herman’s Hermits

“There’s a Kind of Hush” - Herman’s Hermits

“Carrie Anne” - the Hollies

“Shout (Parts 1 and 2)” - the Isley Brothers

“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” - Jackie Wilson

“I’ll Be Satisfied” - Jackie Wilson

“I Want You Back” - the Jackson 5

“A Little Bit of Soap” - the Jarmels

“Come a Little Bit Closer” - Jay and the Americans

“My Love Is Strong” - Jimmy Clanton

“Handy Man” - Jimmy Jones

“If You Wanna Be Happy” - Jimmy Soul

“Bad Boy” - the Jive Bombers

“Cherry” - the Jive Bombers

“Chances Are” - Johnny Mathis

“It’s Not For Me to Say” - Johnny Mathis

“Rock and Roll Waltz” - Kay Starr

“Dancing in the Moonlight” - King Harvest

“Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” - Lesley Gore

“The Girl Can’t Help It” - Little Richard

“Stagger Lee” - Lloyd Price

“Lightnin’ Strikes” - Lou Christie

“Just A Gigolo” - Louis Prima

“Do You Believe in Magic?” - The Lovin’ Spoonful

“A Wonderful Dream” - the Majors

“Dream a Little Dream of Me” - the Mamas & the Papas

“Dedicated to the One I Love” - the Mamas & the Papas

“(Love is Like a) Heat Wave” - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

“You Got What It Takes” - Marv Johnson

“Let’s Get It On” - Marvin Gaye

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

“My Guy” - Mary Wells

“Hang On Sloopy” - the McCoys

“Love is Strange” - Mickey & Sylvia

“Daydream Believer” - the Monkees

“Sincerely” - the Moonglows

“96 Tears” - ? & the Mysterians

“Can’t Get Enough of You, Baby” - ? & the Mysterians

“These Boots are Made for Walkin’“ - Nancy Sinatra

“Sweet Caroline” - Neil Diamond

“Feeling Good” - Nina Simone

“I’m a Girl Watcher” - the O’Kaysions

“Dance By the Light of the Moon” - the Olympics

“Try a Little Tenderness” - Otis Redding

“Tonight You Belong to Me” - Patience and Prudence

“Crazy” - Patsy Cline

“Diana” - Paul Anka

“Let the Bells Keep Ringing” - Paul Anka

“It’s a Good Day” - Peggy Lee

“I’ll Dance at Your Wedding” - Peggy Lee

“Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)” - Peggy Lee

“‘Deed I Do” - Peggy Lee

“Downtown” - Petula Clark

“Sea of Love” - Phil Phillips

“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” - the Platters

“the Great Pretender” - the Platters

“Only You (and You Alone)” - the Platters

“Twilight Time” - the Platters

“What Is Love” - the Playmates

“You Don’t Know Me” - Ray Charles

“Hit the Road Jack” - Ray Charles

“Hallelujah, I Love Her So” - Ray Charles

“What’d I Say (Parts 1 and 2)” - Ray Charles

“Let’s Go Get Stoned” - Ray Charles

“Sweet Sixteen Bars” - Ray Charles

“Silhouettes” - the Rays

“Come and Get Your Love” - Redbone

“(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet” - the Reflections

“Barbara Ann” - the Regents

“That’s All” - Ricky Nelson

“Hello Mary Lou” - Ricky Nelson

“Fools Rush In” - Ricky Nelson

“Unchained Melody” - the Righteous Brothers

“Be My Baby” - the Ronettes

“Crying” - Roy Orbison

“Oh, Pretty Woman” - Roy Orbison

“You Send Me” - Sam Cooke

“Wonderful World” - Sam Cooke

“Having a Party” - Sam Cooke

“Bring It on Home to Me” - Sam Cooke

“Frankie and Johnny” - Sam Cooke

“Sleepwalk” - Santo & Johnny

“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” - the Shirelles

“Let the Good Times Roll” - Shirley & Lee

“Since I Don’t Have You” - the Skyliners

“Pennies From Heaven” - the Skyliners

“I Hear You Knocking” - Smiley Lewis

“Cry to Me” - Solomon Burke

“I Got You Babe” - Sonny & Cher

“Goodnight, Well It’s Time To Go” - the Spaniels

“Stand By Me” - Spyder Turner

“I Want Candy” - the Strangeloves

“You Can’t Hurry Love” - the Supremes

“the Happening” - the Supremes

“Where Did Our Love Go” - the Supremes

“Hippy Hippy Shake” - the Swinging Blue Jeans

“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” - the Temptations

“My Girl” - the Temptations

“Little Bitty Pretty One” - Thurston Harris

“A Lover’s Concerto” - the Toys

“So Much in Love” - the Tymes

“Concrete and Clay” - Unit 4+2

“Danke Shoen” - Wayne Newton

“Kansas City” - Wilbert Harrison

“She’s Not There” - the Zombies

I bolded some of my absolute favorites. The ones in italics were (if I remember correctly; it’s been a few years) other serious contenders for Arthur and Eames’ first dance/kiss. Forgive the fact that this is just in alphabetical order by artist, rather than Eames’ meticulous chronological/reverse-chronological order. Also forgive the fact that there’s no way the reception could be long enough for Eames’ nine-hour playlist.

Also, it’s not included here, but I always got the feeling that Eames’ snuck the Dan Band’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” on here.

[alecthemovieguy]

‘Wonder Woman’ movie: It’s about friggin’ time

“Wonder Woman,” the fourth film in Warner Bros. and DC Comics’ attempt to catch up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is the first to be an unqualified success. It is also the first smash hit female-led superhero film.

Despite the current renaissance of superhero films, there has been a drought of female-lead features. “Wonder Woman” isn’t the first of its kind, but it is the first one to get it right.

When it comes to lead roles, Hollywood simply hasn’t known what to do with female comic book characters, resulting in cheesy camp like 1984’s “Supergirl” and exploitative junk like 2004’s “Catwoman.” 

When these films flopped, Hollywood took the message to be that audiences didn’t want female heroes, instead of taking away the lesson that what they wanted was a good film. “Wonder Woman” is that film.

“Wonder Woman” is part Greek mythology, part war movie and part superhero film, but director Patty Jenkins keeps it all of a piece. The film has a forward motion that pulls the seemingly discordant genres together. It is all anchored by Gal Gadot’s magnetic, winsome and empowering lead performance.

Gadot made her debut as Wonder Woman in last year’s “Batman v Superman” and was a standout of that film. Now, similar to Marvel’s “Captain America: The First Avenger,” we get a flashback film, but instead of World War II, “Wonder Woman” goes back to the Great War.

The World War I setting helps make “Wonder Woman” unique. In a way, it is a bait and switch to get people expecting another superhero film to see a surprisingly authentic World War I film. The fantastic elements of Wonder Woman aside, Jenkins doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of the war that was supposed to end all wars.

Wonder Woman, who is never referred to as such in the film, is actually Diana, a princess of the hidden island of Themyscira. The island is inhabited by women, including Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen, created by Zeus to help guide men away for the temptations of Ares, the God of War. In a cleverly animated sequence, we see these Amazons had to become warriors to help defeat Ares and have continued to train should he ever return.

The plot literally crash lands into Themyscira when War World I spy Steve Trevor’s (Chris Pine) plane goes down, unintentionally leading the Germans to the idyllic island. This prompts a thrilling beach battle between the Amazons and Germans.

It is at this point that the film switches directions. When Diana hears of the war, she is convinced it is Ares’ influence and joins Trevor in going back to the warfront.

At the warfront is the movie’s most extraordinary scene. Diana enters No Man’s Land, the deadly area between enemy trenches, and takes on all fire. As directed by Jenkins, it is a powerful moment for women in film that will likely carry significant weight for female viewers. This scene and the subsequent rescue of a village is one of the best in any superhero film.

While the action is terrific, what elevates the film is the characterizations. There’s warmth and humor in Diana and Trevor’s interactions. Jenkins pauses to have them simply talk. There’s an amusing exchange in a boat as they discuss why it wouldn’t be proper for them to sleep next to each other. Later, there’s a lovely moment where Trevor teaches Diana to dance.

Jenkins even manages to subvert the cliche try-on-new-clothes montage, which features a great punchline from Lucy Davis as Trevor’s secretary.

The film adds supporting characters in the the form of an ethnically diverse crew of misfits (Ewen Bremner, Eugene Brave Rock and Saïd Taghmaoui) recruited to complete Diana and Trevor’s mission. Through these men, Diana is able to learn that the world isn’t as black and white as good and evil.

These seemingly expendable characters actually get to the core of what makes “Wonder Woman” work so well.

“(Jenkins) showed men that were flawed and human, but who were capable of bravery and great sacrifice,” wrote Chicago actress, director and producer Elizabeth Laidlaw in a Facebook post. “And, after their initial amazement at Wonder Woman, said, ‘Uh, yeah. Sure, ma'am. We'll just follow you.’ And their manhood, their value, their worth was never in question.”

Too often films with a strong female lead feel the need to comment on it and make light of it, as if to condescendingly say “Yeah, don’t worry, we know it is absurd.” But there’s none of that in Wonder Woman.

“It's a great example of real manhood,” wrote Laidlaw. “Not being reduced or ‘emasculated’ by a strong woman and her leadership, but being invigorated, galvanized and challenged to be their best selves.”

Furthermore, “Wonder Woman” doesn’t feel the need to do a gender-reverse of typical hero dynamics. Pine isn’t forced to be a damsel in distress, or rather a man in menace. He guides Diana through a world she doesn’t understand, works with her as a team and has his own moments of heroism.

But Diana isn’t subservient either. Numerous times she is told she can’t do something and she often decides to do it anyway. Sometimes this works out, other times it doesn’t, which makes the character more compelling. For all her strength, she is naive. Her arc is to retain her purity of heart in the face of a cruel world. This theme carries through into the bombastic final confrontation.

Unfortunately, as with most superhero films, ”Wonder Woman” concludes with an over-the-top, CG-heavy extravaganza that feels completely out-of-step with the tone and style of the rest of the film.

This and some weak villains are the film’s only missteps but it is made more tolerable because the well-established themes and characters are still able to shine through the noise. This is ultimately what makes “Wonder Woman” special. Come for the action, stay for the characters.

[accuhunt]

Snow, Skiing and Wintry Dreams in Switzerland.

I guess I was only one or two years old – a crying little toddler – when I must have first felt a yearning for Switzerland. My family was invited to Geneva for a wedding celebration, and I can’t blame my parents for not wanting to miss the opportunity to travel to what was an exotic part of the world in the late eighties. So they left me in the care of my aunt, and crossed the seas with my elder brother in tow.

As I grew up, I don’t think all those Bollywood flicks made me crave a trip to Switzerland as much as the stories my family related for several years after their return. The Swiss Alps are magical, they said. Swiss trains are the best in the world, they said. Switzerland is such an expensive country, they said.

The magical Swiss Alps. Photo: Siddhartha Joshi.

Growing up in a middle income family in small town India in the 90s, I brushed aside my secret dream of travelling to Switzerland someday. I locked it away in my mind and forgot all about it.

The years passed. My life turned around as a travel blogger and I travelled across the Alps from Germany to Slovenia.

All set for a new adventure with Swiss Airlines.

But it wasn’t until this winter that the dream to explore Switzerland resurfaced in me – when Swiss Airlines reached out to me, asking if I would be interested in travelling on assignment to Switzerland, to try skiing for the first time in the Swiss Alps. HELL YES!

My first ski experience near Wengen

Learning to ski… hell yeah Photo: Deeran Enjergholi.

One of my goals in 2018 is to learn something new and different every month – and January became about fighting my fears to get on the ski slopes for the first time! I’ve heard about some scary first time skiing experiences, and felt my heart pounding by the time our train pulled into Kleine Scheidegg, where our ski school was located. Luckily, my instructor Isi was incredibly patient as I slowly learnt to keep my balance, control my speed and hang on to a rope to go up the slope. Once I got a hang of it, it was exhilarating to whizz down the (nursery) slope, splashing snow in the process, surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the Swiss Alps.

I later learnt that most locals start learning to ski at the ages of two and three, and indeed saw mere toddlers ski proficiently on big, steep slopes! But hey, we can’t let our age or fear stop us.

I highly recommend the ski school at Kleine Scheidegg. A 2 hour private ski lesson for 2 costs 190 CHF (INR 13,000).

With fellow bloggers before our first ski experience. Photo: Deeran Enjergholi.

Read: Advice for the Young and Penniless Who Want to Travel

Living in a fairytale house with a Swiss family

My 80-year-old wooden abode with a Swiss family.

At the end of the assignment, I decided to extend my stay and experience a bit of the Swiss countryside on my own. In my search for an authentic (yet vegan-friendly) experience, I landed up in the dreamy 80-year-old wooden home of a Swiss family, close to stunning hiking trails in the Swiss Alps yet only 1.5 hours by train from Zurich. As luck would have it, it rained and snowed with strong winds throughout my stay; I even got stuck in a snow blizzard while hiking!

But that didn’t take away from my experience… I loved watching snowflakes fly all around me from my wooden balcony, and more often, from the warmth of my cosy, traditional room. In the evenings, my host family’s toddlers would get on some makeshift boards and slide down the snow – skiiers and snowboarders in the making! And I feasted of some of the most delicious vegan food from their kitchen – including vegan rosti, carob brownies and almond cheese pizzas.

Sonnmatt Bergpension & Gesundheitszentrum is a family-run, vegan/vegetarian B&B on the Swiss countryside; rooms start at 63 CHF (INR 4,300) per night, meals are 10 CHF (INR 680) each.

Carob (not chocolate!) brownies at my vegan Swiss B&B.

Read: Dreamy Airbnbs to Experience Europe Like a Local

Flying business class on Swiss Airlines

Air Show in the Swiss Alps!

Even though I only spent ten days in Switzerland, I felt like my journey began even earlier than I arrived – thanks to my Swiss Airlines flight. I felt my wanderlust surge as I peeped out from my window and saw the snow-covered Swiss Alps and Caucasus Mountains below us, from the comfort of my spacious business class seat with an in-built massager… and felt the same adrenalin later on in Wengen, as we watched an Air Show with a Swiss plane fly precariously close to the Alps.

Cruising at an altitude of 30,000 feet above earth, I got plenty of work done in my “up in the air” office, took a power nap on my full flat bed and resisted the temptation to indulge in Swiss chocolates and cheese – glad I had pre-ordered a vegan meal.

I was lucky enough to get the coveted single seats on business class each way. They are reserved for Senator Club members, but open up 24 hours before the flight. I also loved that on the SWISS website, I could ask to be checked in automatically when the online check-in window opened and receive my boarding pass over email – saving myself the last minute scramble.

My “office” 30,000 feet up in the air, on Swiss Airlines.

Read: First Time to Europe? 10 Travel Tips to Get You Started

Jungfrau region: A romantic winter dream

Grindelwald, in the lap of the Swiss Alps.

Thanks to nearly 80 Bollywood movies shot across Switzerland, the alpine meadows, rolling valleys and imposing mountains of the Jungfrau region are hardly unfamiliar to us in India – though from what I’ve heard, they get pretty crowded in the summer. But in winter, these mountains wear a thick coat of white. Tiny Alpine villages with wooden houses are often shrouded by the morning mist. Even in several layers of warm clothes, the wind chill often numbed our faces, so we seeked the warmth of an old cafe and following our Swiss friends, the strange combination of vodka and herbal tea! With only a handful of other tourists, I felt like these mountains were ours to brave.

One chilly evening, I remember walking amid the stone graves of the charming cemetery at Lauterbrunnen – a small valley surrounded by high mountains – thinking that death is a lot like winter; scary from a distance, but perhaps beautiful when you get closer and embrace it.

In the Jungfrau region, I most enjoyed the small village of Grindelwald, especially First, a gorgeous cliff walk. I’ve heard Murren is beautiful too, but that will have to wait till next time. 

Read: Could Dying be Beautiful? Fall Colors in New York City

Walking through the ice tunnel at Jungfraujoch! Photo: Diana.

Do you dream of visiting Switzerland some day?

Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to follow my adventures live!

ALSO READ:

An Open Letter to Indian Parents: Let Your “Kids” Travel 6 Months, 6 Countries: Epic Memories in Central America What the Village Folk of Kumaon Taught Me About Life

Snow, Skiing and Wintry Dreams in Switzerland. published first on https://airriflelab.tumblr.com

[moosterrecords]

UMe SET TO REISSUE THE SUPREMES A’ GO-GO IN DELUXE, EXPANDED, TWO-CD EDITION WITH OUTTAKES, RARE MONO & VOCAL MIXES, DUET, APRIL 28 The group’s first-ever #1 album (and first by an all-female group) featured the chart-topping “You Can’t Hurry Love” and covers of fellow Motown artists’ hits, new version includes covers of Dylan, Rolling Stones By the time Motown released The Supremes A’ Go-Go, the group’s ninth studio album, on August 25, 1966, the group had already scaled the charts with hits like “Where Did Our Love Go?,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Back in My Arms Again” and “I Hear a Symphony.” The Supremes A’ Go-Go solidified Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard’s hold on the American and global marketplace, the first of their albums to go to #1 on the Billboard 200, marking the first LP by an all-female group to do so, spawning two Top 10 hits in the #1 “You Can’t Hurry Love” and the #9 “Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart.”  The album also featured the trio tackling an array of hit cover material, mostly from their Motown stablemates the Four Tops, the Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, Barrett Strong and the Isley Brothers, but also contemporary hitmakers Nancy Sinatra (Lee Hazlewood’s “These Boots are Made for Walkin’”) and the McCoys (Bert Berns and Wes Farrell’s Brill Building chestnut “Hang on Sloopy”). UMe will now reissue the classic album in a deluxe, expanded two-CD edition, featuring the original 12 tracks, featuring both the stereo album, along with rare mono album mixes, alternative vocal versions and mixes, as well as a duet of “Shake Me Wake Me (When It’s Over)” with the Four Tops. There are also rarely heard album outtakes, such as covers of fellow ‘60s stalwarts Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satsifaction.” The Supremes A’ Go-Go remained on the Billboard chart for 60 weeks, going on to sell 3.5 million around the world, including one million in the U.S., knocking off The Beatles’ Revolver from the top spot for the honors. It also went to #15 in the U.K. album charts, with “You Can’t Hurry Love” peaking at #3 on the U.K. singles chart. The production represented the peak of the fabled Motown team, headed by producers Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, the Funk Brothers and even the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on hand. This expanded edition will also contain two 24-page booklets. The first chronicles the album’s production and success, as well as a timeline, and both rare and never-before-seen photos. The second booklet is a recreation of the Supremes 1966 tour book. Said All Music’s Bruce Eder about the album, referring to its winning formula of having The Supremes cover Motown’s greatest hits: “In fact, back in the days when vinyl was the only game in town, used copies of this record sold faster and better than any of their other common '60s LPs, and for good reason.” Track listings  Disc: 1 - Original Album (both stereo and mono mixes)   1. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart (Mono LP)   2. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) (Mono LP)   3. You Can't Hurry Love (Mono LP)   4. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It s Over) (Mono LP)   5. Baby I Need Your Loving (Mono LP)   6. These Boots Are Made For Walking (Mono LP)   7. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Mono LP)   8. Get Ready (Mono LP)   9. Put Yourself In My Place (Mono LP)   10. Money (That's What I Want) (Mono LP)   11. Come And Get These Memories (Mono LP)   12. Hang On Sloopy (Mono LP)   13. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart (Stereo LP)   14. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) (Stereo LP)   15. You Can't Hurry Love (STEREO LP)   16. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) (Stereo LP)   17. Baby I Need Your Loving (Stereo LP)   18. These Boots Are Made For Walking (Stereo LP)   19. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Stereo LP)   20. Get Ready (Stereo LP)   21. Put Yourself In My Place (Stereo LP)   22. Money (That's What I Want) (Stereo LP)   23. Come And Get These Memories (Stereo LP)   24. Hang On Sloopy (Stereo LP)   25. Mickey's Monkey (Bonus Track)   26. It's Not Unusual (Bonus Track)   27. (I Can t Get No) Satisfaction (alternate vocal) (Bonus Track)   28. Uptight (Everything's Alright) (alternate vocal) (Bonus Track)   29. In My Lonely Room (alternate mix) (Bonus Track) Disc: 2 - Bonus Tracks   1. He s All I Got (alternate vocal)   2. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (version 1)   3. It's The Same Old Song (version 1)   4. Mother Dear version 3 (alternate mix)   5. Misery Makes It's Home In My Heart (alternate mix)   6. Can I Get A Witness (alternate vocal)   7. Don't Let True Love Die (alternate vocal)   8. Just A Little Misunderstanding (alternate mix)   9. Come On And See Me alternate mix   10. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) (alternate vocal)   11. Money (That's What I Want) (alternate vocal)   12. Put Yourself In My Place (alternate vocal)   13. These Boots Are Made For Walking (alternate vocal)   14. Hang On Sloopy (alternate mix)   15. Get Ready (alternate mix)   16. Slow Down (alternate mix)   17. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted (alternate mix)   18. What The World Needs Now Is Love (alternate mix)   19. Blowin' In The Wind (alternate mix)   20. With A Child's Heart (alternate vocal)   21. Let The Music Play (alternate mix)   22. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) (Supremes & Four Tops Duet)   23. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart (early versions the scratch it mix)   24. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart (The SupreMix)