Tag Archives: videos

Saturday video break: Amazing Grace

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This may be the most covered song of all time. Here’s a traditional rendition from The Rogues: I once said on Facebook that all bagpipes come with three songs preinstalled: Scotland The Brave, The Minstrel Boy, and Amazing Grace. Hearing … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: All I Want

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Just because two songs have the same name it doesn’t mean they’re the same song. In theory there’s an unlimited number of possible song titles, but in practice there are a lot of reruns. Example #2 from my collection is … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: All Around My Hat

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Songs from the folks tradition are by definition covers, since there obviously is no original recording. One of my favorites is All Around My Hat. It was a hit for Steeleye Span in the 70s: Later, Status Quo covered Steeleye’s … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: We’re not an American band

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So after reading about Bruce Springsteen’s tour down under, I went looking for songs by non-American artists in my collection. 1. Dancing Queen – ABBA (Sweden) 2. Shoot To Thrill – AC/DC (Australia) 3. Full Force Gale – Van Morrison … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Alcohol

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Just because two songs have the same name, it doesn’t mean they’re the same song. In theory, there’s an unlimited number of song titles; in practice, there are a lot of repeats. We’ll be looking at some examples of those … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: After You’ve Gone

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This song is almost 100 years old, and it qualifies as a standard. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, here’s the original version, by Marion Harris: I’m impressed there’s still a recording around of that. The first place I … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: After The Fire

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t mean to start this series out with two Pete Townshend songs in a row, but I’m going alphabetically and this is what came next. It’s also one of my favorite songs, from one of my desert island CDs: … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: The Acid Queen

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not many rock groups could pull off the “concept album” without it descending into a morass of self-indulgence and wretched excess. The Who was one of the bands that could get away with it, because Pete Townshend was such a … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Everyone’s a Captain Kirk

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

How is it that I’d never actually seen the video for “99 Red Balloons” before? One of life’s little mysteries, I suppose. And may I just say…leather pants. God, I miss the 80s sometimes. I also got to wondering if … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Cups

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Cup-stacking is a thing with the kids these days, and this song from “Pitch Perfect” is the soundtrack for it (music starts about 1:28). David Letterman was quite impressed by Anna Kendrick’s cup percussion ability: As someone who finds it … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Hey, little minivan

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I know I posted an Austin Lounge Lizards video last week, but this was the official theme song of our now-broken minivan, so how could I not? One way or another, we will be a minivan family again. It is … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: All the world’s problems explained

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Austin Lounge Lizards sum up our political discourse in one song: I mean seriously, is there anything they missed in that recitation?

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Saturday video break: For old times’ sake

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Have you ever wondered what the lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” mean? Well, wonder no more: More than one verse, too. Hope 2014 is off to great start for you.

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Tuesday video break: With how much care are your stockings hung?

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Christmas Eve, y’all. You know what that means. I’ll post the Mel Torme story tomorrow. Until then, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

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Saturday video break: “Baby clothes. This place has got everything!”

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A shot-by-shot LEGO remake of the mall chase scene from The Blues Brothers: How awesome, not to mention OCD, is that? Here’s the side-by-side comparison: And the “making of” video: All done by the folks at Bricktease. I am in … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Santa Claus Is A Black Man

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of Megyn Kelly: If you listen closely, you can hear the heads exploding. Via The Slacktivist.

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Saturday video break: Existential Blues

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Just because, that’s why. I’ve actually been to Butte, Montana. It was back in 1996, while in the Copper State for my brother’s wedding, which was held in Missoula. Much of the extended family was there for several days, and … Continue reading →

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Maxey Scherr kicks off her campaign

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Maxey Scherr, an El Paso attorney, officially kicked-off her campaign for United States Senate today with a web video and event over a hundred supporters in El Paso. Scherr is vying to be the first person from … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: City of New Orleans

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Because Arlo Guthrie did in fact do more than one song: I’ve even heard that one played on the radio a time or two. Like the Thursday video, this was recorded at Farm Aid, though in a different year. Hope … Continue reading →

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Thanksgiving video break: Alice’s Restaurant

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Needs no introduction, does it? That was at Farm Aid 2005. Still sounds great, too. Happy Thanksgiving, y’all.

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Saturday video break: Seven score and ten years ago

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, here is Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, performed in 1991 by the Philadephia Orchestra, and narrated by Dr. J, Julius Erving: One of my favorite pieces of music. I had the … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: The updated elements song

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Surely you know Tom Lehrer’s song “The Elements”: But seeing that video, you can also see that there have in fact been many more that have since been discovered. So what we need now is an updated elements song that … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: I’ll be in Scotland afore ye

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Have you ever heard the expression “You take the high road, and I’ll take the low road”, and wondered where it came from? It’s from a traditional song called “Loch Lomond”. Coverville had a great version of it recently. I … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: All we want to do is eat your brains

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Popdose put out a Top 20 Halloween Songs playlist, and there are some fine and seasonal tunes on it, but for me the song that best captures the spirit of the day is Jonathan Coulton’s “re: Your Brains”. It’s like … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Boldly going forward

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This past week, a life-size cutout of Captain Kirk appeared in my office. That’s as good a reason as any for this: I love the classics, don’t you?

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Saturday video break: Happy anniversary

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Old school anniversary celebration: And hey, look: A cover version! Nothing like a rousing anniversary song, is there?

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Saturday video break: Birdland

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday, I mentioned how the song “Birdland” was an inextricable part of my college experience. Here are two of my favorite renditions of that song. First, the immortal Maynard Ferguson: Maynard Ferguson was my first jazz hero, going back to … Continue reading →

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Mike Collier makes his entrance

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Mike Collier, the Democratic candidate for Comptroller, has officially rolled out his campaign: Pretty effective pitch, I think. For sure, he has plenty of material to work with. Collier also got interviewed by the Trib on Monday: Nearly as soon … Continue reading →

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Yeah, that’s still not Bigfoot

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t fool the SciGuy, y’all. Bigfoot is smarter than humans. Bigfoot roams from the Arctic to the equator. Bigfoot has a sixth sense. And most importantly, Bigfoot is very, very, very, very real. That was the message Tuesday from … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Born To Run

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Still spinning tunes for Wendy Davis: She’s not the Wendy of the song, of course, which is just as well, what with the whole dying tonight in the streets thing. Still, the point here is to get fired up, and … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Respect

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, we come to Song #1 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list. It’s “Respect”, originally by Otis Redding, and of course covered by Aretha Franklin. Here’s the original: Admit it, you’ve never heard that version before. It’s … Continue reading →

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Dome poll

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to their poll of the Mayor’s race, KHOU and KUHF also polled about the Astrodome referendum. These results are a bit harder to read. The fate of the Astrodome rests with voters who’ll decide whether Harris County should … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: All Along The Watchtower

Posted on September 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Song #2 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “All Along The Watchtower”, originally by Bob Dylan and covered by Jimi Hendrix. For the umpteenth time, I can say I’d never heard the original before now. Honestly, I’m a … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?

Posted on September 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Song #3 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?”, originally by Brinsley Schwarz and covered by Elvis Costello. Here’s the original: Nick Lowe, whom I can’t say I’d ever heard of … Continue reading →

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