No, Liberace, my ivories do not need tickled…
Does the prospect of another Monday morning have you feeling a little flat? Well, allow The Nest to add that much needed fortissimo to your life! This is the day we crack our knuckles and prepare to dig up another classical masterpiece out of that player piano of lost tunes we like to call the Dusty Vinyl Archive! DJ Scratchy’s got her old 1980’s Casio keyboard with eight awesome sounds out for the occasion, while the Sponkies wonder if you really can tuna fish. But first, let’s play a little Happy Birthday in honor of huge DVA fan Draliman!
I’ve mentioned a few times before the curious case of Mecca Radio’s recent inclusion of a number of songs from around the early 80’s that were big hits in Europe, but were barely noticed, if at all, over in Amurrica. As some of these songs have earwormed their way into my heart due to the incessant replay, I’ve featured them on my blog to help expand what little recognition they get today!
For better or for worse….
As you might have guessed, I have another such song for you today. But unlike such past songs, this time the artist isn’t some name nobody on this side of the Atlantic has ever heard of like Junior Giscombe, Kelly Marie, or that one weird group….. oh, what’s their name….. oh yeah, Madness. No, this time the artist is not only as American as apple pie, but is actually among The States’ A-list of musical talents…
Take cover! I think lightning is about ready to strike…
Diana Ross began her career as the primary voice of probably the most successful girl group of all time, The Supremes. Ross left the group in 1970 and embarked on an equally successful solo career that churned out hit after hit well into the 80’s. Of the 26 solo albums she’s recorded in the last fifty-plus years, her most successful was #11, simply titled Diana, which was released in 1980. That album produced two of her best known solo hits in “Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out.”
He’s upside down and coming out…
But long since lost to history is the fact that a third single was released from that album, almost as an afterthought two years later. America apparently had a love hangover and ignored it, while Europe (where it was released much earlier) loved it. Let’s give it another try and see if my American audience might enjoy it a bit more than the first time…
“My Old Piano” was a Top 5 hit in the UK and the low countries of Europe. Here in the US, it only made it to #109 on the Hot 100 chart…. which if you can do math in your head without getting out the trusty cellphone, you probably realize that means it didn’t even make that chart. I’m not the biggest Diana Ross fan in the world, but hearing this earworm twice a week at Mecca (on Monday and Tuesday nights) for the past nine weeks has really made it grow on me. It’s sure as hell stuck in my head now, and I now have two songs with “Piano” in the title that are a hell of a lot better than that Billy Joel dreck everyone seems to love…
This guy looks like a real estate novelist…. whatever the hell that is.
The Dusty Vinyl Archive piano concerto will return for an encore next Monday….
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
that was THE song in our aer0bic group… they played it in an endless loop… (together with delegation)… great to hear it again as an ole bat LOL
I’m not sure I’d want to hear this on an endless loop, but it’s always fun to hear a song that reminds us of younger days…
Loved Mr. Upside Down!
So did I!
Diana Ross is lovely. Catchy tune but it needs different lyrics. I kept waiting for her to play a wonderful mid-song piano solo but…oh well. I guess we have to go to Elton John, Billy Joel, or Rick Wakeman for that. But thanks again for another musical blast from the not so distant past. Have a fun week!
Yeah, you’d think a song about a piano would have more piano music…
I should have kept my Diana Ross record! Ha!
We should have kept a lot of the stuff from when we were kids, because now it’s actually worth something!
I know…Smurf toys, Star Wars stuff, even those Breyer horses…Garbage Pail Kids…hmm, what else LOL!
I stuck all my Garbage Pail Kids on my bedroom wall. Who knew I should have left them UNOPENED?
Ha, ain’t that the truth!
There’s actually a Garbage Pail Kids tarot deck…when I get a new gig(s)/jobs lined up, ya know that’s gotta be one of my first buys! Ha!
While I don’t think I ever heard that tune but couldn’t agree more with you on the Billy Joel dreck. I know lots of peeps like that one piano tune but ugh…not my kind of jam. Happy Monday. 🎹
I like Billy Joel, but I loathe that song! I remember about 12 years ago we had someone at Mecca who came here from Nigeria and was discovering American music from the radio we’d play at night. Piano Man was one of his favorite songs my station would play. Go figure…
Many happy returns Alistair (aka Drailman). Another trot around the sun! Happy Birthday!! 🎂 And thanks to ES for the timely reminder! 🥳🎈
Looks like he may have had too good of a time since he hasn’t checked in yet!
Maybe he OD’d on too much cake? Nom
One of my favorite squirrel photos paired with Diana Ross…..hmm….mind boggling. I am not familiar with that song of hers but even though she was a HUGE hit, I never QUITE “loved” her voice. Yeah I know – I’m a crowd of one on that score! Draliman hope your birthday was a winner.
Pam
I’m sure you’re not alone on being lukewarm about Diana. I mix up a lot of her songs at the time with Donna Summer, who I think had a much better singing voice…