Wright Brothers - "Jim Dandy to the Rescue"

So we watched Overboard tonight (the 1987 version clearly) and I’ve been feeling nostalgic. While I haven’t been as religious about my songs of the day lately, I’m not holding that against myself while we’re all struggling to survive in this pandemic.

So I hope this song brings you joy today, like it did for me. Memories of my mother and I dancing around the house to this song while cleaning flickered across my mind, and I couldn’t help but smile.

The Wright Brothers Band, formerly known as the Wright Brothers Overland Stage Company, formed in 1972, is an Indiana-based music group. They perform songs from the 1920s to the present day, and can cover bluegrass, pop standards, country, gospel, and even Aerosmith rock standards. The band briefly gained national attention with their patriotic song "Made in the U.S.A.", which celebrated companies that continued to manufacture their products in the United States. They performed on the Grand Ole Opry, The Today Show and appeared 12 times on Nashville Now. Signed with Warner Bros. and Mercury Records in the 1980s, the Wright Brothers had nine singles reach Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. The band also recorded Shot Down in Hot Blood and a cover of "Jim Dandy" for the soundtrack of the 1987 Goldie Hawn movie Overboard, in which they also made a live appearance.

"Jim Dandy" (sometimes known as "Jim Dandy to the Rescue") is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the United States. It was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked #352 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

So today, with joy bubbling up like pie filling I choose the Wright Brothers’ cover of “Jim Dandy to the Rescue” as my, make them smile, make them laugh, make them pie, song for an, I fed ya - now you’re mine, remember the good bits, hold on to who you are, Thursday.

Also, here’s the original version which still cooks!

Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez - "Into The Unknown (as performed by Idina Menzel (feat. Aurora) or Panic! at the Disco)"

As the days stretch out and the reopening of the country gets pushed farther away (for good reason), and as we continue to long for the close companionship of our friends and family the echoing call of this song continues to flash in my mind. My friends and I, when we saw the film, jokingly called this the gay locating call. What I wouldn’t give to be able to hear it calling back to me right now.

Then again, it’s mildly distance, echoing refrain is very reminiscent of our current situation. We know that you’re out there, but we just can’t reach you … yet.

So with that hope dawning on my horizon, I choose Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez - "Into The Unknown (as performed by Idina Menzel (feat. Aurora) or Panic! at the Disco)” as my listen for the heart beat of those you love, find the magic in your own voice, know that the darkness is always followed by the dawn, song for a, things seem better in the light, remind yourself that distance means care, give them the space to shine their light as brightly as possible - you can become each others’ guiding stars, Thursday.

You may also notice that my posts have become a bit more erratic and little less “daily” songs of the day. All I can say is that I’ve been doing my best to get through this also, and I’m going to make the promise to try and get back to being more regular.

Kander & Ebb - "Razzle Dazzle"

Well as just about every single Non-Profit must be feeling the crunch of this crisis where charitable giving has come to a screeching halt, and to all of our funders and the foundations that fund them this song is eerily accurate.

Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include Cabaret and Chicago, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies, including Martin Scorsese's New York, New York. Their most famous song is the theme song of that movie. Recorded by many artists, "New York, New York" became a signature song for Frank Sinatra. The team also became associated with two actresses, Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, for whom they wrote a considerable amount of material for the stage, concerts and television.

So today, with a little flash and a lot of hope, I choose Kander & Ebb’s “Razzle Dazzle” from “Chicago” as my, sparkle and shine, bingles and bangles, kick-ball-change, song for a, keep hustlin’, turn up the spotlights, you can’t tell a diamond from a rhinestone under a 500 watt bulb, Thursday.

Pam Tillis - "Shake The Sugar Tree"

Pamela Yvonne Tillis is an American country music singer and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis.

Originally a demo singer in Nashville, Tennessee, Tillis was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1981, for which she released nine singles and one album (that contained none of the singles), Above and Beyond the Doll of Cutey. By 1991, she had signed to Arista Nashville, entering Top 40 on Hot Country Songs for the first time with "Don't Tell Me What to Do", the first of five singles from her album Put Yourself in My Place. Tillis recorded five more albums for Arista Nashville between then and 2001, plus a greatest hits album and 22 more singles. Her only number 1 hit on the country charts was 1995's "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)", although 12 other singles made Top 10 on that chart. After exiting Arista, Tillis released It's All Relative: Tillis Sings Tillis for Lucky Dog Records in 2002, plus RhineStoned and the Christmas album Just in Time for Christmas on her own Stellar Cat label in 2007. Her albums Homeward Looking Angel (1992), Sweetheart's Dance (1994) and Greatest Hits (1997) are all certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while Put Yourself in My Place and 1995's All of This Love are certified gold.

She has won two major awards: a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1999 for the multi-artist collaboration "Same Old Train", and the 1994 Country Music Association award for Female Vocalist of the Year followed by the CMA President's Award in 1998. Tillis has also received two Recorded Event of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Tillis has also earned one of country music's crowning achievements, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, when she was inducted in 2000, 9 years after making her first appearance as a guest artist in 1991. She later inducted her father into the Opry in 2007.

I sent my sweetie a little something sweet today. A cake baked by the incredible Adrien Finkel, and her new business of sending Sugar-Grams! Obviously this song came right to my mind.

So today, I choose Pam Tillis’ “Shake The Sugar Tree” as my gimme a little sugar, in my bowl, life is just a bowl of cherries, song for a, life is sweeter with you, just a spoonful, simple syrup but good for the soul, Friday.

Maria Callas - "O Mio Babbino Caro"

Arguably one of the best voices that has ever graced the gilded stage. Her voice and her legacy remain firmly cemented in the pantheon of Opera Vocalists. The only singer of our time who comes close to rivaling her fame may be Luciano Pavarotti.

Maria Callas, was an American-born Greek soprano. She was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and, further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina.

Born in Manhattan to Greek immigrant parents, she was raised by an overbearing mother who had wanted a son. Maria received her musical education in Greece at age 13 and later established her career in Italy. Forced to deal with the exigencies of 1940s wartime poverty and with near-sightedness that left her nearly blind onstage, she endured struggles and scandal over the course of her career. She turned herself from a heavy woman into a svelte and glamorous one after a mid-career weight loss, which might have contributed to her vocal decline and the premature end of her career.

The press exulted in publicizing Callas's temperamental behavior, her supposed rivalry with Renata Tebaldi and her love affair with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. Although her dramatic life and personal tragedy have often overshadowed Callas the artist in the popular press, her artistic achievements were such that Leonard Bernstein called her "the Bible of opera" and her influence so enduring that, in 2006, Opera News wrote of her: "Nearly thirty years after her death, she's still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music's best-selling vocalists."

So today, with Drama & Flair, I choose Maria Callas’ “O Mio Babbino Caro” as my, lift off, let your heart guide your talent, this is the only chance you’ll get, song for a, break the barricade, shake the sugar tree, fight for what you know to be true Wednesday.

Madeline Khan - "I'm Tired"

There are days that you just need a little laugh … and also, I think we’re all just a little bit tiiiiiired.

So today, with tongue in cheek, I choose the Luminous Madeline Khan’s “I’m Tired” from “Blazing Saddles” as my, make ‘em laugh, stupid like a fox, the biggest sex organ is the brain, song for a, laugh all the way to the bank, genius comes in many shapes and sizes, once in a lifetime, Tuesday.

Todrick Hall - "Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs"

Some days you just need a little lift to keep things light. This song popped onto my radar, and it made me giggle for a solid 2 minutes.

He’s a multi-talented performer who I’ve had the pleasure of seeing perform life a few times. While I can’t say I was a huge fan walking in to his show, and can sure tell you that while I was there I was laughing, stepping, and stomping, and then as I left I was more impressed than I can express.

He’s a star, and he’s been able to elevate the queer black community in a way that hasn’t been done since Mama Ru herself.

So give yourself a laugh and watch this video, because both it and it’s original version are so catchy they are sure to be club classics for a long time to come.

Today, with eyes laughing, I choose Todrick Hall’s “Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs” as my, I don’t go I stay, I don’t work I play, stay at home all day, song for a, it’s only life, you can’t take it too seriously, give yourself the freedom to laugh, Friday.

Chaka Khan - "I'm Every Woman"

Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan, is an American singer and songwriter. Her career has spanned nearly five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Khan received public attention for her vocals and image. Known as the "Queen of Funk", Khan was the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with "I Feel for You" in 1984. Khan has won ten Grammy Awards and has sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide.

In the course of her solo career, Khan has achieved three gold singles, three gold albums and one platinum album with I Feel for You. With Rufus, she achieved four gold singles, four gold albums, and two platinum albums. She has collaborated with Ry Cooder, Robert Palmer, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Guru, Chicago, De la Soul, Mary J. Blige, among others. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 65th most successful dance artist of all time. She was ranked at number 17 in VH1's original list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. She has been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice;  she was first nominated as member of Rufus in 2011.

So today, feeling myself and the woman in me, I choose Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” as my, be the version of you that your soul knows you are, fear not the normalcy of others, leap into the unknown with arms wide open, song for a, binary what?, gender who?, flex your fluidity, Thursday.