Tuesday Tunes 189: Why?

Posted on by

 

Today we reach the final W of the Five Ws and H of journalism, so I’m playing a selection of songs with Why in their title. The series will, of course, conclude next week with the outlier: H for How, which doesn’t mean “how did you ever become a journalist,” though in many cases maybe it should. But I digress: here are this week’s songs.

Is this first one an obvious one for me to play? It probably is, but that isn’t stopping me:

The Beatles released Tell Me Why on their album A Hard Day’s Night, a companion to the movie of the same name, in which the tracks were featured. The movie was premiered on 6 July 1964, the North American version of the album came out a couple of weeks before that, and the UK release was a week after the movie. And to complicate things further, the track listings were different: we got an additional song on our version, and the North American one also included a couple of instrumentals. I think we got the better deal! Unsurprisingly, the album went to #1 just about everywhere, and is rated 4xPlatinum in the US and Platinum in the UK. I chose that video among several that were on offer as it shows scenes of Beatlemania, albeit when they were receiving their MBEs a year later, as it is a document of the phenomenon that they were.

This next song didn’t have quite the same effect, but I’ve always liked it:

Why Does It Always Rain On Me? was first released by Travis on their second album, The Man Who, in May 1999. The track was the third single from the album, in August of that year, and became the song that gave them their international breakthrough. All of their previous singles had reached the UK chart but this was the first to be a hit anywhere else. It got to #10 in the UK, #11 in Australia, and made the charts in a further ten countries, including the US, where it got to #36 on the Adult Airplay listing, and #35 on the Alternative Airplay chart – both of those are based on radio appearances. The track helped the album to international success too: it was a UK #1, #2 in Ireland, #8 in Australia, and made the charts in several other countries, even including the US where it peaked at #135. Travis had a pleasant style, and I recommend them to you if this is the first time you’ve heard them. As tributes to the “Great British Summer” go, they don’t come much better!

This next one is from one of my usual suspects. I think she is remarkable, both as a songwriter and performer, and she is a really nice person too:

Why Walk When You Can Fly? was a track on Mary Chapin Carpenter’s fifth album, Stones In The Road, which was released in October 1994, making #10 in the US and #26 in the UK – her first to make it here. It also topped the Country Albums charts in both the US and Canada. Like everything she does, it is a beautiful album filled with great songwriting, accompanied by her wonderfully warm voice. This track was the fourth single taken from it, in June 1995, but it wasn’t a huge success, only getting to #45 in the US Country chart and #43 in the Canadian one – I guess that eight months on from the album most had already bought it by then. The version I am playing is from her first live DVD, Jubilee: Live At Wolf Trap, which came out in January 1996, debuting at #35 in the US video charts and staying on the listing for ten months. I have had the great good fortune to see her play live: one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.

One that I’ve played before – albeit in a different version – is my penultimate offering for today:

Why Don’t You Try Me was a track on Ry Cooder’s ninth album, Borderline, which was released in October 1980. I previously played a live version from a performance when Ry was in the band Little Village, alongside John Hiatt, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner, but I thought I’d give you his original today. Wikipedia has few details of any chart placings for his records, which is a shame, but they are all high quality and I have them all in my collection, going right back to his 1970 debut. Apparently, this album made #43 in Australia – but that’s all Wiki tells us! For me, he makes fantastic music with some wonderful guitar playing.

I’m closing with what at first looks to be a longer video, but the song is only the first four minutes so you don’t have to stay for the credits if you don’t want to! It is a lovely piece, well worth playing:

Dire Straits released Why Worry on their fifth album, Brothers in Arms, in May 1985. This was one of the first albums to take full advantage of the additional space afforded by CDs when compared to vinyl records, and this was one of four songs which enjoyed a longer CD version, 8’31” compared with the vinyl’s paltry 5’22”. The album reached #1 in the UK, the US and a further fourteen countries, and has sold more than 30m copies worldwide, going 9xPlatinum in the US and 14xPlatinum in the UK, for 9m and 4.3m sales respectively. The version I am playing is from a collaboration between Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris, which produced the albums All The Roadrunning and Real Live Roadrunning, both released in 2006. This is the closing track on the DVD release of the live album: I think it is a lovely performance of a beautiful song, and a good way to close today’s set of tunes.

That’s all for now, and I’ll see you again soon. Have a great week 😊

50 thoughts on “Tuesday Tunes 189: Why?”

  2. Pingback: That Was March | Take It Easy

  3. I have had two days in a row as per your “nothing is going right” image and all I wanted to do was sit back and be soothed by soft flowing music.
    Thanks so much for participating and sharing at SSPS 300. See you again next week!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Hi Clive. I can see why you picked those. Absolutely loved the Beatles song/video! I always liked that Travis song (got the album). Mary Chapin Carpenter is not my thing but I do think she’s got a great voice. Ry Cooder is always worth a listen. His stuff is so varied, as is his guitar playing. The Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris version of that song is so well done and classy! Songs I might have included on the ‘Why’ theme would be “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” by Arctic Monkeys and “Why” by Annie Lennox. I look forward to see ‘how’ you will entertain us next week.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hi Paul. I’m glad you liked almost all of these. That Beatles video was a lucky find: it’s like a little time capsule, isn’t it. I also had the Travis album, and everything by MCC, Ry Cooder and Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler. Thanks for the thoughts, but I’m afraid neither of those does anything for me. Thats the beauty of music and how we can have different tastes, isn’t it 😊

      Like

      Reply

  5. Why Worry, indeed! Great post and vids as usual, Clive.
    All of these were familiar to me except for Travis. I really didn’t think I was going to like that video; oh, that poor animal! But I was wrong. This was a pleasant surprise for me and I truly enjoyed the positive message.
    What’s not to like about Ry Cooder, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris? And the soulful sounds of Mary Chapin Carpenter always remind me of her great late cousin, Harry. I certainly runs in the family!
    How could you not start off with the Beatles? That was an incredible video and I could have easily been any one of those screaming teens. Can you imagine what was going through the heads of John, Paul, George and Ringo during those early days? What an indescribable time in their young lives. But I must disagree with you on one point. You said “the phenomenon that they were”. I’m sure you meant “that they are”. 😉
    Thanks for these gems, Clive!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Can’t go awry if you start off with the Beatles, and Emmy Lou always adds to any song or artist she sings with.
    There’s a song that is one my mind goes to if I’m walking around, mucking about in the garage, a sort of default to hum or whistle along to when brain is half-engaged. (No Clive, don’t say it!!!)Donovan’s ‘Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do?’ Don’t ask me why, the mind is a strange thing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. Hey, Clive. I have a “WHY” song you may or may not know, I don’t know if it ever got to Britain. It was a hit in 1965 in North America, but I am choosing to play the 1975 version as I think it 8s more musically mature.
    From the eponymous album Beau Brummeks, here is You Tell Me Why:

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Perhaps ironically, as they took the name of a character from British history, they had no success over here. It’s a nice sound, though and I rather liked it.

      Like

      Reply

      • They put out a few albums, some top ten hits in the 60s before personnel changes were forced on them. As a trio they put out an excellent but little known album called Triangle, then to me a not so good Bradley’s Barn, although some critics liked it. Then, in 1975, they put out to me their best album, Beau Brummels.
        I just learned today there are more albums to check out

        Liked by 1 person

      • Thanks for that. I knew he was a fashionista, but that was about all.
        The Beau Brummels were actually given their name by their msnsger or producer to take advantage of the British Invasion, and also becsuse they would probably come right after The Beatles in a record store rack.
        Between Ron Elliot’s guitar and songwriting, and Sal Valentino’s smooth voice, they made a pairing that as far as I know stayed as a team most of their careers, though both put out a number of solo albums.
        Why they weren’t more commercially successful I don’t know — they certainly should have been a top attraction, but not everyone has luck.

        Liked by 1 person

      • On their own Wiki page they are quoted as denying that. If true, it would have been clever, though.

        That can be said of lots of bands: talent doesn’t always convert to success. Often success comes from a total lack of it!

        Like

      • Being as that was 61 years ago, stories change. Sometimes the truth comes out, other times the truth gets hidden. But none of it really matter., The band was loaded with talent, but encountered a number if obstacles. I havecslways .iked them, right from their start. But I lost track of them, just like I lost track of Flo and Eddy. Those two boys were great entertainers. But they chose to go a different path, and the pop music world ignored them. If one does not cater to the masses, the masses don’t want to support them.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. My favorite today was Travis, a song I’d never heard before. I like the video too. Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris are a most unexpected duo, but their voices work so well together.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • It is nice, isn’t it. We didn’t get a system with a CD player until 1989 and I already had the vinyl album. My purchase of the CD came a bit later!

      Like

      Reply

Please leave a reply, I'd like to know what you think