Bettie Serveert: Kid's Alright

The 3rd song off their debut album, Palomine: 



Pinkpop Festival, June 6, 1995 (Landgraaf, Netherlands)

Bettie Serveert: Palomine

Title track: 



Pinkpop Festival, May 31, 1993 (Landgraaf, Netherlands)

Bettie Serveert: Leg

Bettie Serveert is a Dutch band and they got their name from the book that Dutch tennis player Betty Stove wrote called Bettie Serves. 

I don't even remember what compelled me to see them in concert (San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall with another group called Buffalo Tom) because I hardly knew any of their music, but upon first listen, in concert no less, I felt instantly connected. 




This is the opening track to their debut album Palomine, from 1992.

Better Than Ezra: Rosealia

A spirited performance: 



from Late Night With Conan O'Brien, 1994 

Better Than Ezra: Southern Girl

Listening to this song makes me want a Southern girl! 



Another great song from Deluxe. 

Better Than Ezra: Good

Continuing on with the first several songs on their album Deluxe is this gem: 



Is this the New Orleans sound? 

Better Than Ezra: In the Blood

This is from one of those rare albums that appeals right from the start - none of that "it takes several listens to really get into it" kind of records.



From the album Deluxe. 

Anna Nalick: Home

This is my other favorite song by Anna, one that's a little harder to find. 





As it turns out, I just learned of a concert she'll be playing next month by following her on Facebook: 

Wednesday November 20

Doors: 7:00 PM
Show: 8:00 PM (ends at 11:00 PM)

$15

 
Harlow's Restaurant and Nightclub 
2708 "J" Street
Sacramento, CA 

Anna Nalick: Breathe (2 am)

I actually wrote a post about Anna and this song back a few years ago: breathe, just breathe. 

And here is a video compiled for this song that I just discovered: 



Since I wrote that post I really haven't heard much about her like I thought I would. 

Chris Whitley: Living With the Law

Love this song: 



Another artist who passed before his time. 

The Stranglers: Golden Brown

Many years ago, my brother gave me a couple of albums (they were vinyl records) of a couple of bands that I wasn't familiar with in order to broaden my collection. One was by The Teardrop Explodes, and the other by The Stranglers. 



Golden Brown is on The Stranglers' album La Folie. 

Michael Penn: No Myth

Today, this fantastic hit by Michael Penn: 



He comes from a family of famous actors, but we'll let Michael stand alone here. 

Seals & Crofts: Get Closer

Another fantastic song: 



Funny, I was reading a comment that somebody left with this video, and they wrote that they had for years gotten Seals & Crofts mixed up, thinking that one was the other... now I'm wondering if I have it right! 

Seals & Crofts: Ruby Jean and Billie Lee

This is one of my favorites by Seals & Crofts, one that I don't recall ever hearing on the radio. I know of it only from their Greatest Hits album. 



In this song, you get the opportunity to hear their voices separately: Jim Seals sings about Ruby Jean, and Dash Crofts sings about Billie Lee. 

Seals & Crofts: I'll Play For You

I noticed in the newspaper that it is Jim Seals' birthday today... so it's time to get back to sharing Seals & Crofts' music:



Here is the album cover I grew up with: 

Three Dog Night: Try a Little Tenderness

A groovy performance: 



This one features Cory Wells as the solo vocalist. 

Three Dog Night: Family of Man

Another favorite, but again with the embedding disabled by request. Here's the link: 

Family of Man

It's nice to see each of them singing lead for a verse. 

Three Dog Night: I'd Be So Happy

Here's a gem of a performance that I just found - it's not the most famous of their songs, but I remember loving it from one of their albums that I grew up with. The video isn't the sharpest or clearest, but the sound is fine:



The information with the video says it's from 1974. 

Three Dog Night: The Show Must Go On

Another great song from the same performance: 



By the way, that is Chuck Negron singing lead on this one, Cory Wells playing tambourine, and Danny Hutton. And although Three Dog Night wanted to be known as a complete band and not just the three vocalists (as I mentioned in an earlier post), the three singers are the only ones I can name! 

Three Dog Night: Old-Fashioned Love Song

Here's one written by Paul Williams (remember him?): 

Old-Fashioned Love Song
~ this is the first video that I've encountered Embedding disabled by request. Anyway, it's from the same concert as yesterday's post. 

Starting yesterday, I started to realize how weird Danny Hutton was when he was performing. He's the one on the far left, facing the stage, with the red and white striped right sleeve (in this performance; in yesterday's video, he was on the far right).

Three Dog Night: Shambala

Now this is the kind of concert venue I would most enjoy just about any performance - not too crowded, everybody has a good view, and no pyrotechnics... just great music. 



There was a time when Three Dog Night was just about the most popular group going. 

Three Dog Night: Joy to the World

This one reminds me of a funny story that my ex-brother-in-law told me years ago. 

He was recalling when he was growing up, he told a schoolmate what his favorite song was: Joy to the World. And his schoolmate asked incredulously: "The Christmas song?" 



Actually, that must have happened a lot. 

Harry Nilsson, and Three Dog Night: One

Perhaps the biggest hit song that was written by Harry Nilsson and made famous by another performer: 





I've read that although the three vocalists of Three Dog Night were the most identifiable part of the group, Three Dog Night wanted to be known as a complete band. It didn't help though: "three" dog night and "three" vocalists. 

Harry Nilsson: Put the Lime in the Coconut

I think it's a safe bet that most of you have not heard this song in a long, long time - if you've heard it at all: 



Difficult to believe this is from the same man who sang Without You. 

Harry Nilsson: Me and My Arrow

Here's another song I knew first from something other than Harry Nilsson - a Plymouth Arrow car commercial. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any video of the commercial online, so you'll have to take my word. Unless you happen to remember it too! 



Reading through some of the comments on YouTube, it seems this song was also used on an episode of The Simpsons. 

 
 

Harry Nilsson: Girlfriend; theme from 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father'

The Courtship of Eddie's Father is a show from my childhood; it's actually one that doesn't usually come to mind when I reflect on old TV shows. But any mention of it and I'm taken back to Eddie, his father (played by Bill Bixby), and Mrs. Livingston. 

And its theme song: 





It wasn't until I picked up an anthology of Harry Nilsson's music did I realize that the theme was based on one of his songs, with the lyrics changed to fit the show. 





I had to look up the name of Bill Bixby's character: Tom Corbett 

Harry Nilsson: Everybody's Talkin'

From the film "Midnight Cowboy" starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. 



One of these days, I'm going to have to watch this great film. Love the song though. 

Badfinger & Harry Nilsson: Without You

I thought I was so smart when people mistakenly thought that Without You was a Mariah Carey song. I said to myself, "C'mon people... it's a Harry Nilsson song!" 

Even when Heart did a version of it, I knew to myself that it was originally done by Harry Nilsson. 

Well, I was wrong. 



Although since I grew up listening to the Nilsson version of Without You, I still think he did the definitive take on it. 



What do you think? 

Badfinger: Come and Get It

This song brings back memories! 



Interesting staging of this performance (or is it the camera angles?). 

Badfinger: No Matter What

Another great performance garnered from The Midnight Special: 



Badfinger (Badfinger Wikipedia article) was such a promising band, but like too many others, were beset with hardship and tragedy. 

Badfinger: Day After Day

My favorite Badfinger song: 



with a really nice video of the band meandering around.