The Clavichord – from Rock to Funk and Bach Again
This is a tale of a mostly unsung keyboard instrument. It was developed in the late Middle Ages and was in use up through the Baroque period. Johann Sebastian Bach, in particular, used the instrument for composing his music. Music that ultimately wound up being performed on pipe organs started out being played on the diminutive clavichord during the composition phase. This was long before the modern piano, technically called the pianoforte, was developed. The clavichord functions similarly to a piano in that the keys operate hammers that strike the strings inside to create sound.
Music Connections
It’s interesting how a random comment can get you searching for connections. Last week, I signed up for Saturday Night Classics to do March 15, and as I did that, I realized that day will be the Ides of March. I wondered in my comment, “Is there a band named for Julius Caesar?” As @hoyacon reminded me (and I should have remembered), there was, in fact, a band named The Ides of March with a hit song, “Vehicle.” Duh!
From https://theidesofmarch.com/band/
Saturday Night Classics: Take it to the Limit
There are a lot of excellent Eagles songs, and on a different day, I may have chosen to go with I Can’t Tell You Why or One of These Nights. But tonight’s selection is Take it to the Limit. Randy Meisner wrote most of the song but needed bandmates Glenn Frey and Don Henley to help him finish the composition. Evidently, they were still fine-tuning the lyrics in the recording studio, just before recording it. There are few Eagles songs where Randy sang lead vocals, and this is the only one of their hits I can think of where he sings lead. If you like Meisner’s voice, you may want to listen to the Hotel California album, where he does a beautiful job on Try and Love Again.
As great as the studio version of this song is, this live version is even better. The best version of all (in my opinion) is the one from the 1980 Live album, but it doesn’t look like that is available on YouTube. Anyway, here is a live version, from 1977 in Landover, Maryland.
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Telegraph Road
There is a back story to the 1982 Dire Straits song Telegraph Road. A back story that still resonates in today’s political world of job promises, and a divide between those who work with their hands and those who believe that the only road to success comes from a college degree.
An early photo of Telegraph Road from Dearborn schools.
Saturday Night Radio
It’s summertime! And that means picnics and barbecues and outings of all sorts! And thanks to the amazing transistor radio, you can take your favorite radio station with you wherever you go. Even though the term “game-changer” didn’t really come into vogue until the 1990s, the transistor radio fit the bill long before…
