This is one of a regular series of articles highlighting some of the music that has played a part in my life.
You’ll find a range of songs from old to new. You’ll probably find music that has been part of the soundtrack of your life too.
You can also check out some of the other songs that make up the soundtrack of my life.
When Smokey Sings – ABC
In 1987 new wave duo, ABC, released a tribute to soul singer Smokey Robinson. When Smokey Sings had varying degrees of chart success around the world.
Robinson himself was on the pop charts with his single “One Heartbeat” at the same time as this tribute song, marking one of the only times to date that a singer simultaneously was the performing artist of one Top 40 hit, while the subject of another chart hit. For the week ending 3 October 1987, both songs were in the Top 10 simultaneously. – Wiki
I hope you enjoy the song and video as much as I do.
I’d encourage you to get involved too. Let me know about some of the songs that are etched in your mind. What are the tunes that bring back a flood of memories every time their opening notes start cranking out on your stereo? Are there songs you love for their music and others that speak deeply through their lyrics?
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If you’ve been in the workforce for any length of time you’ve probably taken a myriad of personality and work style tests. There are tests such as Myers Briggs, Strengths Finder, Big Five Factors and many others designed to help us understand ourselves better.
Now comes a new idea in determining the kind of person we are. The Public Library of Science has recently released their research on musical preferences and personality type. In an article titled, Musical Preferences are Linked to Cognitive Styles, they suggest that there are strong links between what’s on our stereo and the kind of people we are.
Why do we like the music we do? Research has shown that musical preferences and personality are linked, yet little is known about other influences on preferences such as cognitive styles. To address this gap, we investigated how individual differences in musical preferences are explained by the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory.
Reporting on the study for ABC Science, Bianca Nogrady highlighted the key findings of the research.
Their work shows people who are more empathetic — have a greater ability to identify, predict and respond to the emotions of others — are drawn to more mellow, sad, poetic and sensual music, such as R&B, adult contemporary and soft rock.
However people with more analytical tendencies (called ‘systemisers’) go in the opposite direction, seeking punk, heavy metal, avant garde jazz and hard rock.
“Systemising … is this drive to look at patterns and deconstruct and analyse the rules in the world,” says lead author David Greenberg, psychology PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge.
“So if you’re looking at a mountain, you’re curious about how the mountain is formed and how it’s developed over a period of time, [while] an empathiser may focus more on the aesthetics of it or the feeling of awe.”
The study emerged from an ongoing effort to understand why people like the music they do; why some people love the music of Joni Mitchell while others can’t stand it. – ABC Science
The studies are quite extensive and worth reading through but I’m left with the bigger question of what my musical taste might be saying about me.
Considering my iPod has music from a wide range of genres, from rock to jazz to very mellow, I’m confused as to where I fit. Does my eclectic taste mean that I have elements of both the empathiser and the systemiser or does it mean I’m neither? Does the fact that I’m even asking these questions mean that I lean more towards one than the other?
What do you think? According to the study are you an empathiser or a systemiser? Does the study seem to fit with your experience? I’ve love your input.
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Highlighting some of the songs that have been part of the soundtrack of my life.
When I was young I would see older people as having it all together. I wondered when I might reach that point when I knew all I needed to know and had life completely figured out. I’m still waiting for that time and unless I’m very much mistaken, so are you.
Sure, we are constantly growing in knowledge and life lessons but I think we’re always on a journey.
Most of us have felt the weight of unrealistic expectations and as life goes on we find more and more there are times that we’re left with a gnawing feeling that we’re never going to have it all together. Many are left wondering when that pressure will finally crush them.
I reckon British singer/songwriter Joe Jackson described it pretty well in his song Awkward Age where he identifies with a fifteen year old who’s struggling with life. He tells her she’s just an an awkward age before admitting that some of that awkwardness never wears off.
The Youtube clip below is only the audio and a picture of the album but have a listen anyway. The lyrics are below.
Awkward Age – Joe Jackson
I should have know that you were only just fifteen
You had a scowl like a Klingon beauty queen
Old enough to stand out but too young to stand with pride
So uncomfortable in your messed-up skin
And the cool parties never let you in
I can still relate to being left so high and dry
So don’t cry, you’re just at an awkward age
We’ll all be fine, disgraceful under pressure
Don’t toe the line, you’re just at an awkward age
Don’t cry
You look at me like I know what’s going on
I’m looking back and I wonder what went wrong
I really thought by now a few things might just clarify
I got a mind that goes out to lunch for days
And a body that sometimes disobeys
I get into the parties but I hate them ’cause I’m shy
Oh my, I’m still at an awkward age
We’ll all be fine, disgraceful under pressure
Don’t toe the line, you’re just at an awkward age
Don’t cry
We’re supposed to be happy, supposed to be tough
Supposed to be flawless and buy the right stuff
They want us all swimming don’t care if we drown
So don’t let ’em take you down
It’s a scary mountain to climb up without a guide
Besides we live in an awkward age
We’ll all be fine, disgraceful under pressure
Don’t toe the line, you’re just at an awkward age
Don’t cry
Towards the end of the song he sings, It’s a scary mountain to climb up without a guide. I agree. That’s why I’m glad I have someone who’s a guide, in fact far more than a guide, who helps make sense of my awkwardness. In times of pressure or confusion the words Jesus spoke around 2000 years ago are of great comfort.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or illfitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. – Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
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Highlighting some of the songs that have been part of the soundtrack of my life.
Remember those annoying websites that used to play music as soon as you opened them? Most of the time it’d be some horrible electronic noise and you’d immediately jump for the mute button or the volume control. I must admit to closing many websites as soon as the music started. I figured that if they were prepared to assault me with something like that there probably wasn’t anything worth seeing on the site.
There was one time, however, that I didn’t head for the hills after hearing a website cranking out some music. In fact I turned the music up and listened to it a number of times. It was absolutely stunning and I was hooked from the first notes I heard. I then began a quest to discover the name of the song and artist. It was If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys.
The song was released in February 2004, a single from the album The Diary of Alicia Keys which had been released a couple of months earlier. The lyrics contrast those who chase after riches with someone who seeks what really matters.
The song has won a number of awards including a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
It’s certainly one of my very favourite songs of all time. Alicia Keys is remarkably talented and this is an incredible song. If you’ve never heard the song before, check out the video below. If you have heard it before watch the video anyway just to remind yourself how good it is.
Unfortunately they’ve cut the end of the video and I wasn’t able to find a full version but it’s still worth checking out.
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Highlighting some of the songs that have been part of the soundtrack of my life.
Released as their first single in February 1984, Matt Bianco’s Get Out of Your Lazy Bed was a great way to kick off the career of a wonderful band.
While many figured that ‘Matt Bianco’ was the name of a person, with some assuming it was an alias for frontman Mark Reilly, the name is actually that of a made up spy or secret agent. The band had a number of line up changes and several minor hits.
Get Out of Your Lazy Bed is a great song to play loudly when someone is sleeping in. I used it several times in the mid-eighties to wake up a large group of young people at youth camps. Crank it up on the P.A. system and you’re sure to have people jumping about very quickly. (Though not all of them will thank you for it.)
The song appeared on their first album, Whose Side Are You On? which was released in August 1984 and subsequently got an absolute thrashing in my CD player.
You can check out the video of Get Out of Your Lazy Bed below.
I’ve got a couple of Matt Bianco CDs and one of Basia Trzetrzelewska who was part of the original lineup of the band. They’re all great.
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This is one of a regular series of articles highlighting some of the music that has played a part in my life.