Gareth S. Young - - 1000 Trillion Suns

This is a tale of two Jacksons. Michael and Mick. Michael and his brothers had a hit called "Blame it on the Boogie." However, the song was actually written by another Jackson: Mick Jackson, a white dude from England. Unbeknownst to Mick, his publisher sold the rights to his song to Joe Jackson (not the "Stepping Out" Joe Jackson, but the father of the Jackson Five.) Confused yet? What followed was The Jacksons and Mick Jackson releasing their own versions of the same song within a week of each other in the UK. And, contrary to what you might think, Mick did okay with his version, both in the UK and US. Sadly though, he never saw any royalties for the song because of his publisher's shenanigans. At least we still have his funky white version to enjoy. :D GSY

For many of my generation just saying "Hey, Mickey!" is enough to get half of you humming the tune to Toni Basil's one-hit wonder from the early 80s. Decked out in pigtails and a cheerleader outfit, the forty-year-old Basil danced and chanted her way to the top of the American charts and a place in music history. However, the talented dancer was not the first to record the song. The tune was originally written for a group called Racey...and it was called "Kitty." Racey recorded Kitty for their 1979 album, and despite being written by the very successful Chapman/Chinn songwriting partnership, never released it as a single. So, Toni changed the name, added the cheerleader chant and scored the hit, and Racey? Well, had you heard of them before I brought them up? GSY  

Meghan Trainor wasn't wrong when she proclaimed it's All About That Bass . ...although I'm pretty sure she was talking about having a big booty. Whaaaa? Nonetheless, bass is where it's at as far as music is concerned. The bass and drums form the backbone of most popular music and without it you end up with Kenny G. I used to play bass guitar and it's to an unsung pioneer of the instrument I'd like to dedicate the rest of this blog post. I'm pretty sure if I asked you to name your favorite bassist you'd give me a list which might include: Paul McCartney, Sting, Flea, and if you're Canadian, Geddy Lee. Let's be honest though, it's the lead singer with their antics out front, or the lead guitarist in their tight pants that usually draw your attention.  The average music listener knows the Rolling Stones's Mick "Big Lips" Jagger and Keith "Has taken so many drugs he should really have died years ago" Richards, but...

Music is a thread that has stitched together my entire life. From my dad playing "Moonshadow" on his acoustic guitar, to my mum cranking up Earth, Wind and Fire on the hi-fi. From my P4 music teacher making the class tap out the rhythm of "Mars: Bringer of War," to learning "Sur le Pont D'Avingnon" during piano lessons. From 70's disco, to 80's pop, to 90's alternative, to movie soundtracks, to the songs I wrote in my bedroom, music has always been a massive part of my life. After sharing some song selections on Facebook, I thought I'd dive further in. I've decided to go through the alphabet A-Z, sharing favorites and maybe introducing some interesting or little-known artists along the way. And I promise it won't all be disco music. :) It occurred to me that not all bands start with a letter; some have numbers. I figured that would be as good a place as any to start... 10cc - "I'm Not in Love" (1975) If you were...