Tag: Song of the Day

Song of the Day: Sam Smith Covers Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know”

Sam Smith Whitney Houston

Sam Smith’s recent hit “Stay With Me” has such a timeless sound that I am repeatedly forgetting that it is a new song and has not been around for decades. Smith recently used his unique voice to reinterpret Whitney Houston’s 1985 hit song, “How Will I Know.”

“How Will I Know” — written by George Merrill, Shannon Rubicam, Narada Michael Walden — appeared on Houston’s debut album, Whitney Houston (1085) after Janet Jackson had turned down the opportunity to record it. While Houston’s wonderful version is uplifting, Smith takes an aching soulful approach, giving the song a different meaning. Check it out.

What is your favorite Sam Smith song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Allison Russell: “The Returner” (Song of the Day)
  • Allison Russell’s “Nightflyer” (Song of the Day)
  • Connie Smith: “Once a Day” (Song of the Day)
  • Etta James: “Almost Persuaded” (Song of the Day)
  • Cover of the Day: Mo Pitney Sings “If Hollywood Don’t Need You”
  • Adia Victoria: “Horrible Weather” (Song of the Day)

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Conor Oberst on Letterman: “Hundreds of Ways”

    Conor Oberst Letterman

    This week, singer-songwriter Conor Oberst appeared on Late Show with David Letterman and performed “Hundreds of Ways.” The 34-year-old Oberst is backed up by the roots rock band Dawes on the catchy song with a bit of a country influence (even mentioning “Bakersfield”). The lyrics recount a vague personal journey, reminding the listener that life is not fair while presenting a more uplifting conclusion about getting through the day in the chorus. Check it out.

    But there are hundreds of ways
    To get through the days;
    There are hundreds of ways,
    Now you just find one.

    “Hundreds of Ways” is from Upside Down Mountain (2014), a solo album that Spin Magazine listed as one of the best CDs of the year so far. To listen to a recent full concert by Oberst and Dawes, head over to NPR, which has the audio for his July 27, 2014 performance with Dawes at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

    What do you think of “Hundreds of Ways”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Allison Russell: “The Returner” (Song of the Day)
  • Allison Russell’s “Nightflyer” (Song of the Day)
  • Connie Smith: “Once a Day” (Song of the Day)
  • Etta James: “Almost Persuaded” (Song of the Day)
  • Cover of the Day: Mo Pitney Sings “If Hollywood Don’t Need You”
  • Adia Victoria: “Horrible Weather” (Song of the Day)

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Song of the Day: Will Hoge’s “A Different Man”

    Never Give In While listening to my iPod on random play, a song started playing that I did not immediately recognize. I wondered if it were a lost Allman Brothers track I did not know. Eventually, though, I figured out it was “A Different Man,” a track from Will Hoge‘s album that I had recently purchased, Never Give In (2013). Hoge has been recording for years and is not as well known as he should be, although he boosted his fame a little in recent months with his song “Strong,” from the same album as “A Different Man,” featured on a Chevrolet commercial.

    There are only a couple of versions of “A Different Man” on YouTube. Here is Hoge performing the song on February 24, 2014 at The Rock Boat XIV in Miami, Florida The sound quality is not great, but hopefully you can still recognize what a great song it is, leading you to check out the recorded version and other music by Will Hoge. Check it out.

    As a bonus, check out this acoustic performance of his song “Strong,” which you might recognize from the commercial. Hoge’s voice and song remind me of some of the songs from the also under-appreciated Greg Trooper.

    What is your random song of the day? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Allison Russell: “The Returner” (Song of the Day)
  • Allison Russell’s “Nightflyer” (Song of the Day)
  • Connie Smith: “Once a Day” (Song of the Day)
  • Etta James: “Almost Persuaded” (Song of the Day)
  • Greg Trooper 2016 Performance at East Village Folk Festival
  • Cover of the Day: Mo Pitney Sings “If Hollywood Don’t Need You”

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)


    Paul Thorn Has a Good Day Every Now and Then (Missed Music)

    Paul Thorn

    Anytime you have a bad day, put on this excellent song by Paul Thorn, “I Have a Good Day (Every Now and Then).” It is one of those songs that by the time it breaks into the chorus, you think you have heard the song all your life. I could listen to this song all day.

    Before starting a music career, the Wisconsin-born Thorn was briefly a professional boxer and fought Roberto Durán. So he knows what it is like to take a punch and get back up again. He also knows how to sing a great song. “I Have a Good Day” appears on Thorn’s CD, So Far So Good LIVE (2006). You can check out some of the mp3s from the album, including “I Have a Good Day” on Thorn’s website here.

    Check out the latest video by the Paul Thorn Band of “What the Hell is Goin’ On?” — a song written by Elvin Bisop from Thorn’s new album of the same name here. You may get a free download of the song through Thorn’s website or through the link below. For a review of the new CD, check out this article from No Depression.


    Thanks to Majel for introducing me to Thorn’s music.

    What is your favorite Paul Thorn song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Allison Russell: “The Returner” (Song of the Day)
  • Virginian Jake Kohn’s Young Soulful Voice Sounds Older Than the Hills in “Dreams”
  • Allison Russell’s “Nightflyer” (Song of the Day)
  • Connie Smith: “Once a Day” (Song of the Day)
  • Etta James: “Almost Persuaded” (Song of the Day)
  • Cover of the Day: Mo Pitney Sings “If Hollywood Don’t Need You”

    • (Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

    Song of the Day: Shooter Jennings and Patty Griffin “Wild and Lonesome”

    When I heard that Patty Griffin appears on a song on the new album from Shooter Jennings, I had to track it down. The new song, “Wild and Lonesome” is from Jennings’s album The Other Life, coming out March 12. Jennings brings a traditional country sound to the song, and Griffin, who takes a break from her work with Robert Plant here, provides outstanding harmonies. The song is already earning great reviews and creating anticipation for the album. Check it out.

    The album The Other Life will accompany a film by the same name, with the film also featuring Jennings on a supernatural trip of self discovery. Jennings is also working on a film about his late father, Waylon Jennings. Meanwhile Patty Griffin will have her own new album, American Kid, out on May 7.

    What do you think of “Wild and Lonesome”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Patty Griffin Releasing “Servant of Love”
  • Patty Griffin Sings About the Underground Railroad on “Ohio”
  • Allison Russell: “The Returner” (Song of the Day)
  • Allison Russell’s “Nightflyer” (Song of the Day)
  • Connie Smith: “Once a Day” (Song of the Day)
  • Etta James: “Almost Persuaded” (Song of the Day)

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)