Bobby McFerrin Simple Pleasures

Imagine, if you will, a 7-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl, happily dancing to the sounds of Bobby McFerrin's Simple Pleasures. I found the CD among Jim's collection, and it instantly took me back to when the kids were little, and their Dad played tunes simply for their enjoyment.

Released in 1988 by  EMI-Manhattan Records, the album includes McFerrin's version of memorable hits like Don't Worry, Be Happy; Suzie Q, and Sunshine of  Your Love. They even sang and danced to his rendition of  Lennon and McCartney's Drive my car, with special emphasis on the "beep beep, beep beep, Yah!" I remember a fun time was had by all. The CD includes five originals, including Simple Pleasures and Don't Worry, Be Happy.

The jazz vocalist and conductor has collaborated with jazz and classical artists as well. He's won 10 Grammy awards and is known for his vocal technique. His recording career begins with his first album Bobby McFerrin in 1982 and continues on through spirityouall released in 2013.  He is known for breaking the music rules, much to everyone's enjoyment. Read all about him here.

Fields Of Gold: The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994

I really don't remember the artist Sting. But I do remember his music. Especially three tracks from the CD Fields Of Gold: The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994. 

Fields of Gold, Russians, and Be Still My Beating Heart hold a special place in my memory, even though I never associated them with Sting. I just happen to like the beats and lyrics.  I can just see Jim rolling his eyes and telling me for the umpteenth and just-as-futile time the songs were by Sting. Got it now Jim, but I can't promise I will remember the next time I hear the songs.

The soft rock composite of Sting songs was released in 1994 by A&M Records. Besides the three songs mentioned, it includes the following tracks:

• When We Dance
• If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
• All This Time
• Fortress Around Your Heart
• They Dance Alone
• If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
• Fragile
• Why Should I Cry For You?
• Englishman In New York
• We'll Be Together
• This Cowboy Song

And Sting, it seems, is still quite the prolific artist, rocking his 57th and 9th Tour across the globe in 2017. 

Born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, Oct. 2, 1951 in Wallsend, Britain. He first gained global fame as the lead of the wildly successful Police until it disbanded in 1983, when he embarked on a solo career, throwing in some acting too. The musician and song writer has had a wonderful career.  Read all about it here.

Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) The Raw & The Cooked

Fine Young Cannibals? Fine Young Cannibals! What a strange name. I was a bit taken back by the name of the CD, Fine Young Cannibals - The Raw & The Cooked, until I started listening to the music. While the band name was not familiar to me, the music was.

I instantly recognized the first eight of ten songs on the track:

• She Drives Me Crazy
• Good Thing
• I'm Not The Man I Used To Be
• I'm Not Satisfied
• Tell Me What
• Don't Look Back
• It's OK (It's Alright)
• Don't Let It Get You Down

This is a good sign that Jim played the music often. The electric rock, pop style music has a good beat and catchy lyrics which I imagine caught the interest of many listeners. The final two songs:

• As Hard As It Is
• Ever Fallen In Love

escape my memory, but they are just as attention grabbing.  The CD/Album was the bands' second, released in 1988.

The Fine Young Cannibals were a British Band formed in Birmingham, England by bassist David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox, and singer Roland Gift in 1984. Steele and Cox, both formerly of The Beat, formed a trio with Gift that rocked the music scene from the mid to the late 1980s.  Gift is still performing old Cannibal tunes as well as his own pieces. 

The name, by the way, is taken from the 1960s film, All Fine Young Cannibals. I won't be forgetting the name soon, nor the music that goes with it.

Mike + The Mechanics - Living Years

Jim must have listened a lot to this CD,  M1ke + The Mechan1c5 - Living Years, when it came out in 1988.  The soft rock tunes are vaguely familiar, with the exception of The Living Years. That major hit was playing everywhere, and I still hear it now and then. Written by band members Michael Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, the song addresses a son's regret over unresolved conflict with his now-deceased father. I still hear the song occasionally, even recorded by other artists. You can listen to the song here or read about Rutherford and his dad here. 

Other notable favorites ( and surprisingly I do remember some - just not the names) include Nobody's Perfect, Seeing is Believing, Beautiful Day, and Why Me? The band is still touring and recording, with the latest album Let Me Fly.  Check it out here. Rutherford is a founding member of Genesis and one of the band's only two original members

"Muscle Music" - Featuring Terry Crews

Of course this is not from Jim's CD collection. But I know Terry Crews' unique style of playing the drums made him laugh, and I hope it makes you laugh too. Maybe you can compare the actor, artist, and former football player's talent with drummer extraordinaire Billy Cobham from the previous post.

Terry Crews

Billy Cobham