Mark Pentleton - Page 31 of 43 - A place for my music, photos and videos

26 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1960s, A flat major, April, Frank Sinatra, standards 0

My Kind Of Town (Chicago Is)

Mark

Today’s song, My Kind of Town, was written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen in 1964, originally as part of the Rat Pack musical Robin and 7 Hoods, but it became one of the most popular solo songs of the great Frank Sinatra. The song has come to my attention more recently when I was watching the brilliant Norwegian comedy series Lilyhammer, where the fictional New York gangster Frank (The Fixer) Tagliano, played by Steven Van Zandt of Sopranos fame is starting a new life in Lillehammer, Norway. There’s an episode called My Kind of Town which ends with Frank singing this song with his new friends, work colleagues, and a few enemies, replacing Chicago with Lillehammer.

First time on the site? Find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/my-kind-of-town-chicago-is-1

25 Apr 2015 2015, Music April, classical, F major, opera, Puccini 0

Quando M’En Vo (Musetta’s Waltz)

Mark

I’m returning to the classics, and more specifically to opera today with Musetta’s Waltz from Puccini’s opera La Bohème. It’s sung by Musetta in the company of her bohemian friends, in an attempt to make Marcello jealous. I hope you enjoy this lovely piece of music today.

First time on the site? Find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/quando-men-vo

24 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1970s, April, billy joel, F major 0

Summer, Highland Falls

Mark

Today’s song is one of my favourite Billy Joel songs: Summer, Highland Falls. Written in 1977, according to Billy himself this song is about a certain stage reached in a relationship:

I lived, actually, in a town–upstate New York, right on the Hudson, just below West Point–and it’s called Highland Falls. And I lived there, and it was at a time when I was in a relationship where the bloom was off the rose, the honeymoon was over. And, you realize how disappointing it can be when you love somebody so much and then you’re mean to each other and you do hurtful things to each other. It’s all out of love, but it’s that first understanding that all is not right. You either accept it and say, ‘maybe we’re not as perfect as we thought we were’ – there’s a certain disappointment, but there’s also an acceptance. I was looking for one of those yin-yang kind of things.”

I think that it’s a beautiful song from a musical point of view: it’s a ballad, but the melody is underpinned by the fast semiquavers of the accompaniment, and the rise and fall of the melody line seems to mirror the rise and fall of the relationship. I hope you enjoy this one.

There are more Billy Joel songs in my Piano Man album and this year’s Billy Joel songs are here. If it’s your first time on the site, find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/summer-highland-falls

23 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1980s, 1987, April, B flat major, Freddie Mercury, opera, pop, Queen 0

Barcelona

Mark

Today is St George’s day and while there are no doubt many English songs I could play, my news feed this morning is full of all things Catalan, as St George is also the patron saint of Catalonia where he’s known as Sant Jordi. So today’s song is Barcelona, the wonderful collaboration between Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé from 1987. Freddie Mercury had been a fan of opera for many years and was very keen to collaborate with Caballé. He wrote Barcelona with Mike Moran for it to be performed at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Since Caballé’s schedule made it difficult for her to be involved in the initial recordings, Mercury sang his own part and then overdubbed the soprano parts in falsetto in the original demo recordings. I hope you enjoy my performance of this classic song.

First time on the site? Find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/barcelona

22 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1980s, April, D major, Moulin Rouge, Nicole Kidman, Randy Crawford, songs from films 0

One Day I’ll Fly Away

Mark

Today I’m playing Randy Crawford’s One Day I’ll Fly Away from 1980. This song was also performed by Nicole Kidman in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge, and my performance is a bit more in the style of the Moulin Rouge version. I hope you enjoy today’s song.

First time on the site? Find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/one-day-ill-fly-away

21 Apr 2015 2015, Music April, classical, F major, film songs, Mozart 0

Andante from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 / Theme from Elivra Madigan

Mark

This is a simple arrangement of a beautiful piece of music, the Andante from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467. It was famously used in the 1967 Swedish film Elvira Madigan which tells the tale of the tragic love affair between a Danish circus performer and her married Swedish cavalry officer lover. While researching this piece I discovered that Neil Diamond’s 1972 song Song Sung Blue is based on a theme from this piece. I know the song, but I’d never realised the connection!

First time on the site? Find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here, and if you enjoy listening to my classical pieces, you can find them here, including some more Mozart.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/piano-concerto-no-21-in-c

20 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1970s, April, billy joel, D major 0

Just The Way You Are

Mark

I really, really struggled to find a song to play today for my birthday. Suggestions of Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday, Kool and the Gang’s Celebration and many others didn’t seem to work. I even tried Uptown Funk on the piano but it doesn’t quite cut it either. If I had decided to play one of my favourite songs, I realise I’ve already played pretty much most of them in the 475+ songs I’ve played this year and back in 2010.

I’ve decided therefore to play a song which did appear in 2010 but was recorded live with my Apple colleague Joe Moretti on sax. It is one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite performers: Billy Joel’s Just The Way You Are. The song was released in 1977 and was written for his then wife and manager Elizabeth Weber. After their 1982 divorce, Billy rarely played the song live, but has since started playing it again and he did a cracking job last year in the London and Birmingham concerts where I saw him live.

I hope you enjoy this song and indeed that you’ve enjoyed all the songs I’ve played so far this year. Thanks for listening. There are more Billy Joel songs in my Piano Man album and if it’s your first time on the site, find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/just-the-way-you-are-2

19 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1970s, Abba, April, D major 0

Knowing me, knowing you

Mark

… ah aah! I’ve spent most of the past 24 hours in a plane back from Las Vegas so I’m running more than a bit late with today’s song. I’ve obviously prerecorded this one – I don’t quite have the energy to play anything tonight! It’s Abba’s Knowing me, knowing you which dates from 1977. This was the first Abba song to deal with the break-up of a relationship, soon to be followed by classics such as One Of Us, When All Is Said And Done and, of course, The Winner Takes It All.

For more Abba piano versions, check out my collection of songs from 2010. If it’s your first time on the site, find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/knowing-me-knowing-you/s-r6B2b

18 Apr 2015 2015, Music 2000s, April, D major, E major, modulation, Taylor Swift 0

Love Story

Mark

Today I’m playing Taylor Swift’s Love Story. It was apparently based on a love interest who was not popular with her family and friends, hence the Romeo and Juliet theme. Love Story was featured in the 2010 film Letters to Juliet, and the Piano Guys combined it with another song I’ve performed this year, Coldplay’s Viva La Vida.

First time on the site? Find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/love-story/s-qJ1rh

17 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1960s, April, Elvis, G major, Las Vegas 0

Las Vegas Trilogy: Viva Las Vegas

Mark

I couldn’t really avoid this one! For my final song in the Las Vegas Trilogy before I head home tomorrow, here’s Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas from the 1963 film of the same name. I only really knew the famous chorus of this song so it was a bit of an eye-opener when I recorded this!

First time on the site? Find out more about the 365 Songs project or see all of my April songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/viva-las-vegas