One Track Summer #18: Planes, Trains...

Everyone knows the signature tune of Gladys Knight & The Pips, the huge 1973 hit (although it didn't make the UK charts until three years later) in which Gladys catches a late train back to Georgia to be with the man she loves, because she'd "rather live in his world than live without him in mine".

Not everyone knows that the song originally featured an entirely different destination, and mode of transportation.

And even if you did know that, did you know that Jim Weatherly wrote the song following a conversation with Farrah "Jill Munroe" Fawcett, shortly after she'd started dating Lee "Steve Austin / Colt Severs" Majors? It sounds like Farrah would have gone anywhere to be with Lee, even if it involved taking a midnight plane to Houston...

Another Day #13: International Noise Awareness Day

Welcome to International Noise Awareness Day, a day which seeks to highlight the detrimental effects of living in a noisy place. Now obviously, I like a bit of noise from time to time, but just imagine if every second of every day sounded like a mash-up of these...

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Makin' Some Noise

Streetband - Loud Music

AC/DC - Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Pixies - Planet Of Sound

Public Enemy featuring Anthrax - Bring The Noise

Slade - Radio Wall Of Sound

Buzzcocks - Noise Annoys

The Runaways - Queens Of Noise

Meat Loaf - Everything Louder Than Everything Else

Sometimes, you just need a bit of peace and quiet, yeah?

Loud environments don’t just overwhelm the ears. They can raise blood pressure, disturb sleep, and even slow down how well children learn. Many studies warn that constant noise wears down both the body and mind.

Today then is a day to turn the volume down and enjoy something a little gentler on the ears...

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence

Josh Rouse - Quiet Town

Jim Weatherly - Where Peaceful Waters Flow

Kings Of Convenience - Winning A Battle, Losing The War (from the album Quiet Is The New Loud)

The Association - On A Quiet Night

Cover Me Monday #16: Midnight Trains

Songwriter Jim Weatherly passed away earlier this month, aged 77. Having written songs for Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney, he worked predominantly in country music... yet his three biggest hits came in the soul arena, via Gladys Knight & The Pips: You're The Best Thing (That Ever Happened To Me), Neither One Of Us Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye... and this, undoubtedly his most famous composition...

A genuine soul classic.

The song was, however, originally recorded by Weatherly himself... with a different title... a different destination... and a different mode of transport.

Many years later, Jim would take a crack at the more famous version. Careful though, there are a couple of versions out there, and with all due respect, one of them sounds like bad karaoke. This would be the one to listen to.

For a proper re-interpretation, more true to Weatherly's original vision, here's Neil Diamond. 

Yes, it's everything you'd expect from a Neil Diamond cover, but stripped back with that voice to the forefront. No, it's nowhere as good as Gladys... but you can't improve on perfection.