When I opened Bring Out Your Dead 2011 with a special podcast of songs about death, sung by the recently departed, I thought finding such material was just a matter of dumb luck. After all, death and dying are common song themes. Indeed they are, as I have stumbled upon (really, I didn’t go looking for them) several more for 2012 – what serendipity!
Who better to open such a spiritual journey than Ravi Shankar from his Transmigration Macabre? After that ascention, jazz drummer Pete LaRoca brings us back down to earth with tears from heaven; Deep Purple’s hammond organ legend, Jon Lord tells us a ghost story; and ghetto activist Donna Summer (in her pre-disco days) asks “Am I born to die?” Then Michael Hossack lays down a percussive groove as the Doobie Brothers tell us about their friend Jesus; Bob Welch continues on where Lord left off; Bluegrass legends Mike Auldridge and Doc Watson take us through a couple of gospel harmonies; and Kitty Wells and Cleveland Duncan use angels as metaphors. Finally Robert Nix asks the ultimate question that only death can answer.
Bring Out Your Dead 2012 – part 1:
- Ravi Shankar – Death (1967)
- Pete LaRoca – Tears Come From Heaven (1965)
- Jon Lord (with Paice Ashton Lord) – Ghost Story (1976)
- Donna Summer – Born To Die (1974)
- Michael Hossack (with The Doobie Brothers) – Jesus Is Just Alright (1972)
- Bob Welch (with Fleetwood Mac) – The Ghost (1972)
- Mike Auldridge (with The Seldom Scene) – Last Call To Glory (1993)
- Doc Watson Prayer – Bells Of Heaven (1988)
- Kitty Wells - It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (1952)
- Cleveland Duncan (with The Penguins) – Earth Angel (1954)
- Robert Nix (Atlanta Rhythm Section) – Will I Live On? (1973)
Another great playlist of the recently departed greats. Thanks for the memories.
Lots more to come (at least 4 hours of music), so stay tuned!