Now that the weather here has returned to our usual summer – dull, drizzly and not too hot – it seems about time for a change of theme. I promised you last time that I’d be doing something different this week, and I’ve chosen to play some songs which have light in their titles. Just that word, no derivatives like lights, moonlight, daylight, lightning, just a simple light. I already have a list which is too much for one week so, as usual, I will be spreading this out a bit. And, as usual, I’m open to any suggestions you may care to make for other songs.

There’s only one place I could really start, isn’t there:

I first played The Doors and Light My Fire several years ago for one of my Bonfire Night posts, and it has made a return visit there but never before for Tuesday Tunes, so I’m counting this as a debut (my site, my rules!). It was first released in January 1967 on the band’s imaginatively titled debut album, The Doors, which peaked at #2 in the US (4x Platinum) but only made it to #43 here in the UK (still 2x Platinum, though). The first single taken from the album – Break On Through – disappointed in chart terms but things took off for the band when this became their second single in April of that year: it got to #1 in the US and France, #2 in Canada, and #7 in the UK, selling 2m in the States alone, and 200,000 here. For me, it’s an iconic song, made all the more so by Jim Morrison’s early passing. Others, notably Jose Feliciano, have released slower versions of the song but the original still wins hands down for me.

For this first set of light songs I’m playing three you will know and two you probably won’t. I’m alternating them, so after one you will have known here’s one you won’t:

I played another song by Elles Bailey just a couple of weeks ago, and as she was well-liked by most I thought I’d give you another of hers. Leave The Light On is one of the tracks on her most recent album, Beneath The Neon Glow, which was released in August 2024 and made #12 in the UK Albums Chart in its first week, thanks to a great campaign generating advance sales. I’ve told her story before and if you missed it I shared it again in episode 263, so I won’t repeat myself today. Suffice it to say that I’m a huge fan of Elles and her music! I love the video too: those superb dancers are Antonia Latz and Lyndon J E Dasilva.

Now for another of the well known ones, though you may not have heard this recent version before:

The unmistakeable voice of John Fogerty with Long As I Can See The Light. This was, as I’m sure you know, a Creedence Clearwater Revival song, but John is doing a Taylor Swift with some of his back catalogue. This Friday will see the release of Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, for which he has re-recorded twenty classic CCR tracks, backed by his sons Shane and Tyler. Including this one, seven of the tracks have been pre-released and they all sound great – pretty impressive for a guy who turned 80 three months ago. And I really like this newly minted video too: it is very evocative of the passing of time with important people in our lives.

It’s the turn of one of the lesser known ones next. This will probably come as something of a surprise to you, as the singer came to fame by virtue of representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022, finishing second – our best performance for years! Normally I avoid that event like the plague, as I don’t go in for camp and OTT pop performances, but I’ve been worn down on him. One of my best blogging friends, the lovely Willow, is a huge fan of his, and has played so many of his songs on her blog that, to my great surprise, I found myself liking him. He still comes across sometimes (always?) like an over-enthusiatic puppy, but the guy has real talent. This is Sam Ryder, with a track from his sole album to date, and this one’s for you, Willow:

That was Put A Light On Me, from Sam’s debut album There’s Nothing But Space, Man! which was released in December 2022 and made #1 in the UK Albums Chart in its first week, as part of a ten week stay. This track was also released as a single, but only made #92 in our Downloads Chart. It’s still a very good song, and I’m pleased that Willow managed to convert me to Sam’s music. His new album, Heartland, is scheduled for release in October and I’m looking forward to it.

I’m closing this week with a long time favourite of mine. This is probably the version you will know, though it is in fact a cover. The original was by Bruce Springsteen, but this is Manfred Mann’s Earth Band:

Blinded By The Light was the opening track on Roaring In The Silence, the seventh album by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, which was released in August 1976 and peaked at #10 in both the UK and the US. The album version – the one the band is playing here – was seven minutes long but a trimmed down piece, at just under four minutes, was released as a single the same month and went to #1 in the US and Canada, also making #6 in the UK. It is one that I’ve always liked but, strangely enough, never bought. But Apple Music came along ten years ago to plug that gap, and of course I already had the Springsteen version!

That’s all for today, and as I said earlier I’ll be running another set of light songs next week, so if I’ve missed out a favourite of yours I apologise – but do please tell me in the comments! I may already have it on my list, but then again I may not…

And just because I can, here’s my first attempt at using ChatGPT. It’s kind of light-related, and if only I had more moments like this:

I’ll see you again in a few days, but until then I hope you enjoy your week. Take care 😊