Tag Archives: videos

Saturday video break: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

A lovely little tune from Queen: Oh, Freddy. You left us way too soon. Now here’s a version you may remember from a Gap commercial, by Dwight Yoakum: A straight-up countrified version, a little up tempo, and it works quite … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Crazy

I believe this is the mother of all “Same Name, Different Song” songs in my collection. First up, the immortal Patsy Cline: If that doesn’t get you right in the feels, then you must not have any. Now here’s Gnarls … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Cool For Cats

Is it really a cover when the lead singer of a band re-does one of that band’s songs as a solo artist? Here’s Squeeze, with Chris Difford at the wheel, doing “Cool For Cats”: Sometimes solo artists completely change the … Continue reading

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Uber and Lyft go prank calling each other

I find this pretty funny, in a juvenile-delinquent sort of way. Uber employees have ordered and canceled more than 5,000 rides from rival Lyft since last October, according to new data provided by Lyft. The data was obtained at CNNMoney’s … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Come Together

I think we’re all familiar with the original version of this one, so since I just have cover versions of it, let’s go straight to those. First, here’s Aerosmith: Steven Tyler was two years younger than I am right now … Continue reading

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HERO repeal effort falls short

Too bad, so sad (not really). Opponents of Houston’s new non-discrimination ordinance did not get enough valid signatures to force a November repeal referendum, Mayor Annise Parker and City Attorney David Feldman announced Monday. “With respect to the referendum petition … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Come Down In Time

Not one of Elton John’s biggest hits, but a lovely tune nonetheless: And a very good cover of it by Sting, from the “Two Rooms” tribute to Sir Elton and Bernie Taupin: Sting’s voice just works on that song, doesn’t … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Cold Shot

The one and only Stevie Ray Vaughan, ladies and gentlemen: I had no idea SRV even did MTV-style music videos. That one was amusing, if somewhat disturbing. I like how he has an endless supply of guitars at his fingertips. … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Cherry Bomb

It’s time for another edition of Same Name, Different Song. Today’s song “Cherry Bomb” is fairly well known in either rendition, though I’d venture to guess that the John Mellencamp version has been on the radio a lot more. I … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Centerfold

I’m sure you’re familiar with the original, by the J. Geils Band: J. Geils was one part quality classic rock band, one part novelty act. This was probably their biggest hit, and it seems somehow fitting that my favorite cover … Continue reading

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Davis presses the attack on Abbott’s obstruction on chemical info

I know, it’s a little lazy of me to do a post based on a campaign email, but this missive from the Wendy Davis campaign is the best roundup of the incendiary chemical disclosure issue and the potential fallout from … Continue reading

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“The luckiest man on the face of the earth”

Seventy-five years ago today, Yankees great Lou Gehrig said farewell to baseball and the fans at Yankee Stadium with one of the most memorable speeches of sports history. Here’s an old newsreel of Gehrig’s career and a clip from his … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Casey Jones

And we go back even farther, to the early 70s and one of the enduring hits of the Grateful Dead: I figure with all the bootlegs out there, there are probably more live recordings of songs like “Casey Jones” than … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Careless Whisper

Back to the 80s, a time and place we’ve visited more than a few times, and one of the biggest hits by Wham!. I wasn’t a big fan of Wham! back in the day, but this was the song of … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Car Wash

Time for another episode of Same Name, Different Song. Here’s Bruce Springsteen singing “Car Wash” in Germany: This was off of his “Tracks” multi-CD set of B-sides and previously unreleased material, which is why you’ve probably never heard of it. … Continue reading

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We’ve got slogans, yes we do

We’ve also got No Limits, apparently. Alex Tonelli, a 2011 graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a San Francisco entrepreneur, has never visited Houston. But he has impressions: Extreme heat, strip clubs, NASA and an oil-dominated economy. … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Bridge Over Troubled Water

One of the best songs Paul Simon ever wrote, and he wrote it for Art Garfunkel’s voice. Hard to top that, but you can approach it with your own sense of style. That’s what Johnny Cash did. I’ll say again, … Continue reading

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Friday random ten: C U Later

This list is brought to you by artists whose names begin with the letter C. 1. Never Gonna Give You Up – CAKE 2. Pictures of Matchstick Men – Camper Van Beethoven 3. Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain … Continue reading

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Reminder: Drowning doesn’t look like drowning

I’ve posted this twice before, and with summertime officially upon us, it seemed like the right time to post it again. The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Brain Damage

An iconic song from an iconic album: Two iconic songs, really, since “Brain Damage” leads inexorably to “Eclipse”; I’d say 90% of the time the former is played on the radio, the latter comes along as well. By the way, … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Born To Add

I’ve already done the videos for Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Born To Run”. Now here’s a classic of a different kind: Clearly, some people at the Children’s Television Workshop really get The Boss.

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Saturday video break: Blue Moon

“Blue Moon” is a Rodgers and Hart song with a complicated history and a number of iconic versions. The first time it was a hit was when it was recorded by the Velvet Fog himself, Mel Torme: Gotta love the … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Birdland

Time for some jazz, which in the 70’s was often married with funk. Here’s the standard of that type and that era, “Birdland”, originally by The Weather Report: Was there a high school jazz band in the 80s that didn’t … Continue reading

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Davis steps up attacks on Abbott over CPRIT

Progress Texas gets the ball rolling. The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) was supposed to provide funding for cancer research. But soon after its implementation, the multi-billion dollar entity was awarding grants to donors of Rick Perry … Continue reading

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The other three foot rule

This is a little bold for my taste. A Houston bicyclist is testing a year-old safety ordinance intended to ensure motorists don’t get closer than three feet from riders. While riding in the designated bike lanes of the Memorial area … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Barefootin’

I’ve sung the praises of Pete Townshend’s Deep End Live concert before, and here’s another awesome cut from it, “Barefootin’”: Back in the day when mixtapes were a thing, I’d make party music mixes, and this would be my go-to … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Baby, It’s Cold Outside

The good thing about drafting a couple of these in advance is I don’t get caught late in the week needing to put a post together for Saturday. The downside is that I might forget where I am alphabetically. Oopsie. … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Beautiful

Another installment of Same Name, Different Song. The song is “Beautiful”, and our first contestants are G. Love & Special Sauce, featuring Tristan Prettyman: I do love me a good duet. G. Love has a new album out that you … Continue reading

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Boats N Hoes

With friends like these… The name of a fundraising group made waves in the tug-of-war between Republicans and Democrats over women voters on Wednesday. Political consulting firm employee Shaun Nowacki registered the political action committee, “Boats ‘N Hoes PAC,” with … Continue reading

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Uber goes rogue

That sound you hear is me shaking my head. At least one ride-sharing company has decided to openly defy city law that bans its unlicensed drivers from charging for rides. While a few free-ride promotions remain ongoing, Uber spokeswoman Nairi … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Baby Got Back

I trust this needs no introduction: Have you read the oral history of that video yet? Go ahead, I’ll wait. Besides, you know what’s coming next, right? You’re probably also aware of the Latin translation of the lyrics, which qualifies … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: Baby Come Back To Me

Time for some vocal harmonies, and a great place to start with that is The Manhattan Transfer. Here’s their oft-covered version of “Baby, Come Back To Me (The Morse Code Of Love)”: If you’re around my age, you probably saw … Continue reading

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Collier’s sales tax criticism of Hegar makes the news

That’s how you do it. Democrat Mike Collier, a certified public accountant from Houston, will start airing television ads criticizing opponent Glenn Hegar, a Republican state senator from Katy, for his support to phase out property taxes and increase state … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: America

Has there ever been a better free concert than the one Simon and Garfunkel did in Central Park in 1981? Here they are doing “America”: I love Simon’s joke about “the guys who are selling loose joints” donating half their … Continue reading

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