It May Be Quite Simple, But This Commercial With Elton John Is Awesome

Your Song Commercial A new commercial for John Lewis & Partners shows the impact that a gift may have by traveling through the years of the life of Elton John.  The moving ad begins with Elton John at a piano playing the opening notes to his classic hit, “Your Song.”  And through the music, the commercial takes us back through John’s career.

There is little to indicate it is a holiday commercial, besides the Christmas tree next to John at the beginning.  And as the video takes us back through various iterations of Elton John throughout his career, one may wonder what is being advertised.  At the end, we see the power of the perfect gift from John’s grandmother.  Yes, it is an ad for a retail company, but it is moving nonetheless.  Of course, anything would become moving simply by the addition of John’s “Your Song,” but the images really sell the story here.

The ad is also a nice tribute to Elton John, who is on his final tour. John has explained that creating the commercial has “been a lovely opportunity for me to reflect on my life in music and the incredible journey I have been on, and how first playing my Grandmother’s piano marks the moment when music came into my life.” Check out the commercial from John Lewis & Partners below.

What is your favorite holiday commercial? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie

    The famous cowboy ballad “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” started out as a song about the ocean.

    Oh Bury Me NotThe song “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” is largely considered one of the most famous cowboy ballads of all time. Although first published in 1910 in John Lomax‘s Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads, the song’s roots go back even further. More recently, Colter Wall made a beautiful version along with a video.

    “Bury Me Not” originated as a song about the sea, called “O Bury Me Not in the Deep Deep Sea.” The lyrics to the song, “The Ocean Burial” (or “The Sailor’s Grave”), were written by preacher and poet Edwin Hubbell Chapin and published in 1839 in a literary magazine. Chapin was born in New York on December 29, 1814, later living in Vermont, Virginia, and Massachusetts. George N. Allen later put music to the words of Chapin’s poem.

    “Oh, bury me not in the deep, deep sea.”
    These words came low and mournfully,
    From the pallid lips of a youth who lay
    In his small cabin bed at the close of day.

    At some point, the song developed into a cowboy lament regarding the prairie. “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” appeared in various publications in the early 1900s. The song remains very similar to “The Ocean Burial,” as one may see by comparing the opening verse above to the opening verse of “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” below.

    “O bury me not on the lone prairie.”
    These words came low and mournfully,
    From the pallid lips of the youth who lay
    On his dying bed at the close of day.

    The song is partly about death but also about loneliness and being away from home. The dying cowboy (or sailor) laments that they are far from home and worries that his body will be buried far from home where loved ones cannot “come and weep o’er me.” The real cowboys must have related to the song, feeling isolated from their homes while out on the wide open prairie. It made for a lonely life. In the song lyrics, the cowboy’s comrades “took no heed to his dying prayer. / In a narrow grave, just six by three/ They buried him there on the lone prairie.”

    In more recent years, many artists, such as Johnny Cash, recorded the song. “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” appeared in the theme music for the movie Stagecoach (1930). The film featured John Wayne’s breakout performance that helped make him a star.

    More recently, Colter Wall recorded his own more introspective version. Here is Wall’s video for “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie,” Live from Speedy Creek.

    Illustration of Edwin Hubbell Chapin via public domain.  What is your favorite cowboy song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Aretha Franklin 1972 Performance Will Be Released: “Amazing Grace”

    Aretha Franklin Amazing During two nights at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in 1972, Aretha Franklin gave what many consider among her greatest performances. Director Sydney Pollack filmed Franklin over January 13 and 14 as she worked on creating her great live album Amazing Grace.

    Fans have long hoped for the movie’s release. Now, the documentary, Amazing Grace is finally hitting theaters.

    After the initial recording of the performances, audio problems prevented the film’s release. But producer Alan Elliott eventually finished the film. The movie originally was scheduled to hit theaters in 2015.  But then an issue about rights prevented the release.

    Franklin’s estate, however, has made an agreement that will allow fans to see the film. Amazing Grace will have a limited theatrical release in November and December 2018 to qualify for the Best Documentary Oscar category. Check out the trailer below featuring the great Aretha Franklin.

    The album Amazing Grace sold more than two million copies.  It became what was the best-selling gospel album of all time.

    What is your favorite Aretha Franklin performance? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    The Final Film By The Three Stooges: “Kook’s Tour”

    Three Stooges Final FilmIn 1969, the Three Stooges began preparing for a run on television with production of a TV pilot.  The planned series featured Moe Howard, Larry Fine and “Curly” Joe DeRita as the retired Stooges taking a trip around the world with their dog, Moose.  Eventually, due to an unfortunate circumstance, the footage was made into what would be the final film featuring the Three Stooges, “Kook’s Tour.”

    The unfortunate event was that Larry Fine had a severe stroke on January 9, 1970 while the pilot was still being made.  The stroke paralyzed the left side of Fine’s body. Fine’s condition meant that they had to drop any plans for a TV series.

    Director Norman Maurer, however, cut the footage into a 52-minute film.  Producers marked the film in 1975 in Super 8 Sound home movie format.

    Below is Maurer’s edit of the film, “Kook’s Tour.” Check out the last film from the Three Stooges.

    Fine survived the stroke for several years, eventually dying on January 24, 1975. The original Curly, Curly Howard, had also had a stroke many years earlier, dying on January 18, 1952. Moe died less than four months after Larry on May 4, 1975 of lung cancer. Curly Joe lived until 1993.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Song of the Day: “You Don’t Own Me”

    You Don't Own Me With all of the changes on the horizon in the 1960s, it should not be too surprising that a strong empowering song for women would be recorded by a 17-year-old. In December of 1963, Lesley Gore released “You Don’t Own Me.”

    The song was actually written by two men, John Madara and David White. But Gore’s power made it an instant classic about a young woman asserting herself in her relationship and reminding her significant other that she is going to be her own person.

    You don’t own me,
    Don’t try to change me in any way;
    You don’t own me,
    Don’t tie me down ’cause I’d never stay.

    “You Don’t Own Me,” however, did have to play second fiddle to a bunch of boys in one way. Gore’s song stalled at number two on the charts while The Beatles held the number one spot with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

    While both songs are two of the most joyous rock songs of all time, it is Gore’s recording that seems more timeless and timely. Gore also does an amazing job slowly building, building, building until the song explodes near the end.  Below, Gore sings “You Don’t Own Me” at the 1964 T.A.M.I show.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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