Mark Pentleton - Page 32 of 43 - A place for my music, photos and videos

16 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1990s, April, C major, Céline Dion, Las Vegas, Meat Loaf, power ballad 0

Las Vegas Trilogy: It’s All Coming Back To Me Now

Mark

The second of my three songs inspired by my visit to Las Vegas is the epic power ballad It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, made famous by Céline Dion whose three-year residency at Caesars Palace (officially no apostrophe, for info!) saw her perform 70 shows featuring “the songs everyone wants to hear”, including this one. She’s due to return to Vegas in August 2015.

The song was written by Jim Steinman and was inspired by the Kate Bush song Wuthering Heights. Meat Loaf had wanted to record this song, but Steinman felt it was “a woman’s song”, so it was first recorded by girl group Pandora’s Box in 1989, and then in 1996 by Dion. Meat Loaf finally got his way in 2006 when he recorded it with Norwegian singer Marion Raven.

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/its-all-coming-back-to-me

15 Apr 2015 2015, Music 2000s, April, Britney Spears, C minor, Las Vegas, pop 0

Las Vegas Trilogy: Toxic

Mark

I’m currently in Las Vegas for the NAB Show and New Media Expo and I’ve prerecorded three songs which I felt suited my location. First up is Britney Spears’ Toxic. Britney Spears has been in residency at Planet Hollywood since 2013. I’ll not be seeing her on this visit, but I’ve given this song a bit of a jazzy treatment and I hope you enjoy it!

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/toxic/s-NyPEf

14 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1980s, April, D flat major, Hue and Cry, pop 0

Remote

Mark

Remote first featured in the 1988 Hue and Cry studio album of the same name. An acoustic version later featured on the Bitter Suite live album in 1989. I’ve always loved this song – probably because of the chords and the D flat major key signature. I hope you enjoy this song 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/remote/s-Sqq1K

13 Apr 2015 2015, Music April, B flat major, chilled, country, John Denver 0

Sunshine On My Shoulders

Mark

First released on the 1971 John Denver album Poems, Prayers and Promises, Sunshine On My Shoulders was then released as a single in 1974 and quickly went to #1 of the Billboard Top 100. This is a special song for a special day.

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/sunshine-on-my-shoulders/s-k7d8y

12 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1920s, April, classics, E flat major, Gershwin, jazz, standards 0

The Man I Love

Mark

Two weeks ago I attended a concert of Gershwin classics at the Phoenix Symphony and The Man I Love was one of the songs performed by the vocalist Kate Baldwin. While not my favourite Gershwin song (that would be Bess, You Is My Woman Now from Porgy & Bess), The Man I Love is a beautiful song with fabulous chords and a haunting melody. It was originally part of the 1924 score of Lady, Be Good as The Girl I Love, but was subsequently deleted. It then reappeared in both Strike Up The Band and Rosalie, but was again deleted, finally finding its home in the 1947 film, The Man I Love.

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/the-man-i-love/s-CxcEH

11 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1960s, April, Frank Sinatra, G major, Robbie Williams 0

Somethin’ Stupid

Mark

Today’s song, Somethin’ Stupid, dates from 1966. It was performed by Frank and Nancy Sinatra and is the first and only instance of a father-daughter number one song in the USA. It was famously covered by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman on the 2001 album Swing When You’re Winning. 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/something-stupid/s-ZSDuS

10 Apr 2015 2015, Music 2000s, April, B major, pop, Vanessa Carlton 0

A Thousand Miles

Mark

I’m playing the 100th song of the year today, and since I couldn’t think of a good song to play featuring the number one hundred I decided to go with one thousand! I started the year with A Thousand Years and today I’m playing Vanessa Carlton’s 2002 breakthrough hit A Thousand Miles.

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/a-thousand-miles/s-J2O5f

9 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1980s, A flat major, April, Police, pop, Sting 0

Every Breath You Take

Mark

I’ve never been quite sure about the 1983 Police song Every Breath You Take. Lyrically it’s a bit weird – it’s basically a song about stalking, and in an interview on American radio Sting himself said, “One couple told me ‘Oh we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!’ I thought, ‘Well, good luck.'” It is, however, one of Sting’s most successful songs: it was named as one of Top 100 Songs of the Century in 1999 by BMI and 20 years after its release in 2003, Sting was still making $2000 a day in royalties! Musically it’s interesting too: it’s apparently one of the few modern pop songs in classical rondo form, or at least a variation thereof – AABACABA. Anyway I hope you enjoy my performance of the 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/every-breath-you-take

8 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1980s, April, tv, TV Themes 0

Theme from Treasure Hunt

Mark

Stop the clock! Today I’m indulging in a bit of 1980s TV nostalgia. I loved watching Treasure Hunt as a child. We’ve been watching back to back seasons of The Amazing Race which we love, so I suppose that’s a modern-day equivalent.

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/theme-from-treasure-hunt

7 Apr 2015 2015, Music 1970s, April, country, Lynyrd Skynyrd, pop, USA 0

Sweet Home Alabama

Mark

Dating from 1974, Sweet Home Alabama was the second hit single for the American band Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s almost based entirely around the chord progression D-C9-G (or Eflat-Dflat9-Aflat as I’ve played it) and it became the title song for the 2002 film of the same name featuring Reese Witherspoon.

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/sweet-home-alabama