This is an advert for pet food but is very cleverly done. Very funny and those of us who are dogs and cats nuts.. will no doubt play time and again. Which is why I am sharing again this Christmas.
Christmas dinner with the family pets.
Monthly Archives: December 2017
William Price King Meets some Legends – ABBA – The 1980s
Welcome to the final part of the ABBA Series.. in reality there was a very short period of time when the group were active and producing hits. It just goes to show what an impact they made on our lives that we still dance, sing along to and romance to ABBA.
Over to William to bring this series to a close with some final background and more of their hits.
At ABBA’s peak, they explored other markets for their music, and in 1980 they recorded a compilation of Spanish-language tracks called “Gracias Por La Música.” The album became a major success, and along with the Spanish version of “Chiquitita”, sealing their breakthrough in Latin America.
“The Visitors,” ABBA’s eighth and final studio album, showed a songwriting maturity and depth of feeling distinctly lacking from their earlier recordings but still placing the band squarely in the pop genre, with catchy tunes and harmonies.
“The winner takes it all” was the first single from the group’s “Super Trouper” album in 1980. Fältskog stated that though “The Winner Takes It All” is her favorite ABBA song and that it has an excellent set of lyrics, the story is not about her and Ulvaeus: there were no winners in their divorce. In a 1999 poll for Channel 5, “The Winner Takes It All” was voted Britain’s favorite ABBA song. This feat was replicated in a 2010 poll for ITV. In a 2006 poll for a Channel Five program, “The Winner Takes It All” was voted “Britain’s Favorite Break-Up Song.”
“Super Trouper” is the title track from their 1980 studio album of the same name. The name “Super Trouper” referred to the spotlights used in stadium concerts. “Super Trouper” became ABBA’s ninth (and final) #1 in the UK. This distinction placed ABBA fourth for the most UK chart-toppers in history (behind The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Cliff Richard); a position the group would keep for almost 20 years until Madonna scored her tenth UK #1 with “Music” in 2000. The track was also the third biggest selling single in the UK for 1980.
“One of us” was one of the last songs recorded for ABBA’s 1981 album “The Visitors.” It was one of many tracks that explored the darker territory of Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson’s songwriting, as the two men’s divorces were beginning to influence their musical output. This was ABBA’s last major hit, and their last # 1 single in many countries.
“Thank you for the music” was originally featured on the group’s fifth studio album “ABBA: The Album”(1977), and was released as a single in November 1983, to promote the compilation album of the same name. This song was intended to form part of a “mini-musical” called “The Girl with the Golden Hair” and was included in ABBA’s 1977 tour.
After ABBA disbanded in December 1982, Andersson and Ulvaeus achieved success writing music for the stage,while Lyngstad and Fältskog pursued solo careers with mixed success. ABBA’s music declined in popularity until the purchase of ABBA’s catalogue and record company Polar by Polygram in 1989 enabled the groundwork to be laid for an international re-issue of all their original material and a new Greatest Hits (ABBA Gold) collection in September 1992 which became a worldwide smash.
Several films, notably “Muriel’s Wedding” (1994) and “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (1994), further revived public interest in the group and the spawning of several tribute bands. In 1999, ABBA’s music was adapted into the successful musical “Mamma Mia!” that toured worldwide. A film of the same name, released in 2008, became the highest-grossing film in the United Kingdom that year. A sequel is currently being filmed for release in 2018.
ABBA were honoured at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005, when their hit “Waterloo” was chosen as the best song in the competition’s history. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2015, their song “Dancing Queen” was inducted into the Recording Academy’s Grammy Hall of Fame.
Additional sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA
ABBA’s Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/ABBA/e/B000APR9C2
About William Price King
William Price King is an American jazz singer, musician and composer. Originally he studied classical music and opera but over the years his style has evolved to what many refer to as the ‘sweet point’ where music and voice come together so beautifully.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Torme. His jazz album, ‘Home,’ is a collection of contemporary songs and whilst clearly a homage to their wonderful legacy it brings a new and refreshing complexity to the vocals that is entrancing.
His latest album Eric Sempe and William Price King is now available to download. The repertory includes standards such as “Bye Bye Blackbird” (a jazz classic), Sting’s “Englishman in New York,” Queen’s “The Show Must Go On”, Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and other well-known jazz, pop, and rock classics.
William and Eric Sempe have also brought their own magic to the album with original tracks such as Keep on Dreaming and Red Snow with collaboration with Jeanne King
Download the new album. http://cdbaby.com/cd/williampriceking
William is currently in France where he performs in popular Jazz Venues in Nice and surrounding area.
Connect to William
Website – http://www.williampriceking.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPriceKing
Twitter – https://twitter.com/wpkofficial
Regular Venue – http://cave-wilson.com/
ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/william-price-king/id788678484
You can find all of William’s posts on Jazz, Classical and Contemporary artists in this link: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/william-price-king-a-man-and-his-music-jazz-classical-and-contemporary-legends/
Thanks for dropping by and we hope you have enjoyed this week’s performances.. Your feedback is always welcome. Sally
An Evening with William Price King – Christmas Music – I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Today one of the most popular Christmas songs that was written over 70 years ago to boost the morale of soldiers serving on the front line. Since then it has become one of the most recorded songs and graces nearly every top artist’s Christmas albums.
And talking of albums… William has a new album available to be downloaded, I have been enjoying for the last three weeks and here is the link. http://cdbaby.com/cd/williampriceking
Over to William now for this week’s song….
I’ll Be Home For Christmas was written by lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent with Buck Ram listed as co-writer of the original poem and song.
In October of 1943, Bing Crosby recorded the song for Decca records and within weeks it was in the charts and stayed in the top 20 through the next year. Originally intended for the soldiers serving overseas to boost morale it went on to become a Christmas favourite.. Whilst the American troops enjoyed the song and made it one of their own, the BBC banned it in case it lowered the morale of the British forces as it was felt being home for Christmas was not an option at this stage of the war.
However, despite their efforts the song was heard all over the world and it has been recorded over the decades by over 150 of the top musicians across several styles. These include Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Anne Murray, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, The Carpenters, Celtic Woman, Diana Krall and Whitney Houston.
Here is a favourite version of the song by Michael Bublé
About William Price King
About William Price King
William Price King is an American jazz singer, musician and composer. Originally he studied classical music and opera but over the years his style has evolved to what many refer to as the ‘sweet point’ where music and voice come together so beautifully.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Torme. His jazz album, ‘Home,’ is a collection of contemporary songs and whilst clearly a homage to their wonderful legacy it brings a new and refreshing complexity to the vocals that is entrancing.
His latest album Eric Sempe and William Price King is now available to download. The repertory includes standards such as “Bye Bye Blackbird” (a jazz classic), Sting’s “Englishman in New York,” Queen’s “The Show Must Go On”, Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and other well-known jazz, pop, and rock classics.
William and Eric Sempe have also brought their own magic to the album with original tracks such as Keep on Dreaming and Red Snow with collaboration with Jeanne King
Download the new album. http://cdbaby.com/cd/williampriceking
William is currently in France where he performs in popular Jazz Venues in Nice and surrounding area.
Connect to William
Website – http://www.williampriceking.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPriceKing
Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – http://cave-wilson.com/
ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/william-price-king/id788678484
You can find all of William’s posts on Jazz, Classical and Contemporary artists in this link: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/william-price-king-a-man-and-his-music-jazz-classical-and-contemporary-legends/
William Price King meets some Legends – ABBA – Part Four – Gimme, Gimme more hits.
With Abba, it is almost unnecessary to fill in the blanks and just focus on the music. So many of their hits are emotional triggers for most of us who were out dancing and buying records in the 1970s and early 1980s.. The popularity of the film Mama Mia in 2008, with a sequel currently in production, is just one indication of the band’s appeal to fans of all ages.
I am going to hand you over to William now to share some of the hot hits of the late 1970s for the band. Time to get up and get dancing.
The group’s fourth studio album, “Arrival,” a number-one bestseller in Europe and Australia, represented a new level of accomplishment in both songwriting and studio work, prompting rave reviews from more rock-oriented UK music weeklies such as “Melody Maker” and “New Musical Express,” and mostly appreciative notices from US critics.
“Knowing Me, Knowing You” was one of the first ABBA songs to deal with the break-up of a relationship and proved to be one of ABBA’s most successful singles, hitting #1 in West Germany (ABBA’s sixth consecutive chart-topper there). In the UK, “Knowing Me, Knowing You” was the biggest single of 1977. Group member Benny Andersson named “Knowing Me, Knowing You” as one of ABBA’s best recordings in a 2004 interview.
“Dancing Queen” is a Europop song and the lead single from ABBA’s fourth studio album, “Arrival.” It was a worldwide hit, topping the charts in more than a dozen countries including ABBA’s native Sweden (where it spent 14 weeks at the top) and became ABBA’s only number one hit in the U.S. Musically, “Dancing Queen” is a Europop version of American disco music. As disco music dominated the US charts, the group decided to follow the trend, replicating Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” arrangements. The song alternates between “languid yet seductive verses” and a “dramatic chorus that ascends to heart-tugging high notes.” Lyrically, the song concerns a visit to the discotheque, but approaches the subject from the joy of dancing itself, thus having a greater emotional content than that of many other disco songs of that period.
“The name of the game” was released in 1977 and was the first single from the group’s fifth studio album, “ABBA: The Album.” It was their most complex composition yet – with Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sharing the lead vocals. The song also contained influences of the laid-back California sound of the day. It became a UK number one, topping the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in November 1977.
“Take a chance on me” is the second single from their fifth studio album “ABBA: The Album.” The song’s origins sprang from Ulvaeus, whose hobby was running. While running, he would sing a “tck-a-ch”-style rhythm to himself over and over again, which then evolved into “take-a-chance” and the eventual lyrics. “Take a Chance on Me” proved to be one of ABBA’s most successful chart hits, becoming the group’s seventh UK #1 (their third consecutive chart-topper in the country).
“Chiquitita” (a Spanish term of endearment for a woman meaning “little one”) was released in January 1979 as the first single from the group’s “Voulez-Vous” album. Agnetha Fältskog sang the lead vocals. In the UK, “Chiquitita” debuted at #8 in the singles chart, making it the highest place début for any ABBA single release. ABBA recorded “Chiquitita” in Spanish by phonetics and it was one of the featured tracks on the Spanish-language release “Gracias Por La Musica.”
“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” was a very successful song for ABBA. It hit #1 in Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, and Switzerland, while reaching the Top 3 in Austria, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and Norway. It also proved to be ABBA’s most successful song in Japan, peaking at #17. The lead vocals are sung by Agnetha Fältskog.
Additional sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA
ABBA’s Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/ABBA/e/B000APR9C2
About William Price King
William Price King is an American jazz singer, musician and composer. Originally he studied classical music and opera but over the years his style has evolved to what many refer to as the ‘sweet point’ where music and voice come together so beautifully.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Torme. His jazz album, ‘Home,’ is a collection of contemporary songs and whilst clearly a homage to their wonderful legacy it brings a new and refreshing complexity to the vocals that is entrancing.
His latest album Eric Sempe and William Price King is now available to download. The repertory includes standards such as “Bye Bye Blackbird” (a jazz classic), Sting’s “Englishman in New York,” Queen’s “The Show Must Go On”, Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and other well-known jazz, pop, and rock classics.
William and Eric Sempe have also brought their own magic to the album with original tracks such as Keep on Dreaming and Red Snow with collaboration with Jeanne King
Download the new album. http://cdbaby.com/cd/williampriceking
William is currently in France where he performs in popular Jazz Venues in Nice and surrounding area.
Connect to William
Website – http://www.williampriceking.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPriceKing
Twitter – https://twitter.com/wpkofficial
Regular Venue – http://cave-wilson.com/
ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/william-price-king/id788678484
You can find all of William’s posts on Jazz, Classical and Contemporary artists in this link: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/william-price-king-a-man-and-his-music-jazz-classical-and-contemporary-legends/
Thanks for dropping by and we hope you have enjoyed this week’s performances.. Your feedback is always welcome. Sally
An Evening with William Price King – Christmas Music – Sleigh Ride
My thanks to William Price King for putting together this festive series for the run up to Christmas.. If you are lucky enough to live in the South of France; William is performing at a number of venues in the next couple of weeks. Contact William via his links for details.
Sleigh Ride was composed by Leroy Anderson as a light orchestral piece and was inspired by a particularly hot heat wave in July of 1946. By the time Leroy had finished the work it was in fact winter of 1948. The lyrics for the song were written in 1950 by Mitchell Parish.
Leroy Anderson recorded his own version in 1950 for Decca and it continued to be popular through the early part of the 50s.There were a number of versions that benefited from the addition of sound effects such as the clopping of horses hooves and even the sound of a horse whinnying.
There have been some notable versions of the song released over the years of this Christmas song including Johnny Mathis in 1958 and The Ronettes in 1963.
According to ASCAP, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Sleigh Ride consistently ranks in the top 10 list of most performed songs during the Christmas season worldwide.
Here is a wonderful version by the incomparable Miss Ella Fitzgerald.
About William Price King
About William Price King
William Price King is an American jazz singer, musician and composer. Originally he studied classical music and opera but over the years his style has evolved to what many refer to as the ‘sweet point’ where music and voice come together so beautifully.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Torme. His jazz album, ‘Home,’ is a collection of contemporary songs and whilst clearly a homage to their wonderful legacy it brings a new and refreshing complexity to the vocals that is entrancing.
His latest album Eric Sempe and William Price King is now available to download. The repertory includes standards such as “Bye Bye Blackbird” (a jazz classic), Sting’s “Englishman in New York,” Queen’s “The Show Must Go On”, Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and other well-known jazz, pop, and rock classics.
William and Eric Sempe have also brought their own magic to the album with original tracks such as Keep on Dreaming and Red Snow with collaboration with Jeanne King
Download the new album. http://cdbaby.com/cd/williampriceking
William is currently in France where he performs in popular Jazz Venues in Nice and surrounding area.
Connect to William
Website – http://www.williampriceking.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPriceKing
Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – http://cave-wilson.com/
ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/william-price-king/id788678484
You can find all of William’s posts on Jazz, Classical and Contemporary artists in this link: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/william-price-king-a-man-and-his-music-jazz-classical-and-contemporary-legends/
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