Believe
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Believe

Today’s song is dedicated to a special friend, Joan Herald, who celebrates her birthday today! Every time I hear Cher’s Believe I think of Joan as it is one of her many karaoke favourites!

Recorded in 1998 the song went to #1 all over the world. This song was groundbreaking in using the Auto-Tune effect. The recording engineers were experimenting with effects on the lead vocal track and the producer, Mark Taylor, said that “this was the most nerve-wracking part of the project, because I wasn’t sure what Cher would say when she heard what I’d done to her voice”, but that when she heard it she said, “It sounds great.” When her record company requested that the effect be removed, she responded, “Over my dead body!” Of course, following the huge success of Believe, Auto-Tune became very popular and it is often referred to as the “Cher effect”.

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

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

Sandy
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Sandy

Today I’m playing Sandy from the musical Grease. It’s sung by Danny Zuko about his girlfriend Sandy Dumbrowski who has just left him alone at the Drive-In movie theatre. Last night my 10 year-old son sang this song at his “Night at the Musicals” school concert and did a brilliant job! Proud daddy 🙂

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

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

Suite from Camberwick Green
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Suite from Camberwick Green

This will hopefully bring back some happy memories for anyone who grew up in the 60s or 70s! Camberwick Green was a BBC1 stop-motion animation series created in the 60s and featured characters such as Captain Snort, Mrs Honeyman and the famous Windy Miller. I’ve put together a wee collection of tunes including the main theme, Mr Murphy’s theme, and Windy Miller’s theme too. I hope you enjoy this nostalgic collection!

Looking for more TV themes? Check out my full collection here or  find out more about the 365 Songs project.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/campberwick-green

Piensa en mí
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Piensa en mí

I’m just back from a week working in Spain so I thought I’d play something Spanish today. I first heard Piensa en mí in the 1991 Almodóvar film Tacones Lejanos (High Heels) which I saw while studying in Spain. In the film it was performed by Luz Casal. It’s a gorgeous song originally written in 1935 by Mexican king of the bolero Agustín Lara. 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 March songs here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/piensa-en-m/s-5gJf9

To Love Somebody
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To Love Somebody

Today’s song is a special song. It’s dedicated to Ewan’s guinea pig, Barry, who died this morning. Given his very cool hairdo, he was named after the hairiest Bee Gee, Barry Gibb, so with Ewan’s permission I’ve played To Love Somebody song in honour of our own wee Barry.

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

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/to-love-somebody

Walking in Memphis
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Walking in Memphis

Walking in Memphis song dates from 1991 and was Marc Cohn’s biggest hit, peaking at #13 on the Billboard chart. Cohn described it as a biographical song, recounting a trip to Graceland and reflecting his own feelings about religion. Cher released a version of the song as her first solo European single release in 1995 and it peaked at #11 in the UK charts.

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

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/walking-in-memphis/s-OH52t

If You Find Her
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If You Find Her

Something a bit different today, and I felt this merited a more electric piano sound. I was introduced to Future of Forestry’s beautiful song If You Find Her by a friend a couple of years ago and I think it’s a perfect song with lovely lyrics and great harmonies. Here’s a live performance if you’re interested in hearing the original.

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

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/if-you-find-her/s-YVSXh

(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman
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(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman

Today’s song is the 1967 classic (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and first performed by Aretha Franklin. It has been recorded by many artists including Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion and Carole King herself. Hope you enjoy this.

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

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/you-make-me-feel-like-a/s-uDp4K

Ombra Mai Fu
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Ombra Mai Fu

Ombra Mai Fu, this beautiful aria from the Handel opera Serse has had an interesting story. Known commonly in its instrumental version as “Handel’s Largo” it was first written as an aria for a castrato in which the main character, Xerxes I of Persia, admired the shade of a plane tree:

Ombra mai fu
di vegetabile,
cara ed amabile,
soave più.

(Never was a shade of any plant dearer and more lovely, or more sweet.)

On Christmas Eve 1906, Canadian inventor and radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden broadcast the first AM radio programme in which he played a phonograph recording of Ombra Mai Fu, followed by his own performance of Oh Holy Night on the violin. This makes Ombra Mai Fu the first piece of music to be broadcast on the radio!

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

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/handels-largo/s-ujDlJ

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