This has been a bad year for music.  Whitney, Dick Clark, and now, Donna Summer

Donna Summer died Thursday after a long battle with cancer.  She was 63.  It was the last dance, and one I can only imagine she’d rather have avoided.

Say what you want, but Donna Summer was the undisputed Queen of Disco.

She reigned throughout the 1970s, highlighted by a mirror ball, in a frenzy of sweat, dancing, and partying we’d never seen before and have not seen since.

Gosh, I miss Disco.

There, I’ve said it.

I love Disco!

It was Dick Clark’s favorite music era, and well, if it’s good enough for Dick, then it’s good enough for me.

Summer grew UP in a devout Christian home.  Her mother said she sang from the time she could talk.

And sing she did.

Her music was loud, fun, danceable, and at times a little naughty.

“Love to Love You Baby” was a huge hit.  It was 17 minutes long and according to Time Magazine contained 22 orgasms!  And nearly as many kids were conceived to it as any Barry White song!.

And, on top of that,  she completely fixed “McArthur Park” after Richard Harris ruined it!

She won five Grammys, recorded with Streisand, and there’s been no one like her since.  She worked “Hard for the Money”!

Today, it’s called Dance Music – sorry folks, it’s Disco.  It was then, it is now, and it always will be.  Everyone else out there singing and dancing the night away is just a poser, following in the Queen’s wake.

Hate me if you want, dis me if you dare, Disco Was and IS great music, fun music, and the only music you could dance to all night long!

Her appeal is endless.

She made a mark.

In 2009, she was invited to sing at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony…see, nerds love Disco too!

Yes, I’ll miss Donna Summer, but thanks to her, I can always have the “Last Dance”

Dorm residents at MIT dropped a piano from the roof of a building onto another piano last week.

OK, I’m not happy about this.

It’s a ‘tradition’ at the prestigious university, and frankly, one that should stop.  The tradition celebrates the last day students can drop classes and not have them appear on their transcripts.

I know, I know, I’m a total buzz kill.

But really folks, as a pianist – of sorts – this really ticks me off.

It’s a waste.

I have a piano. I saved for that piano.  And I love that piano.  And no, you can not have it to drop to its death from your overpriced roof.

In reality, I’ve had four pianos in my life time.  A really great Hammond UPright that I had to sell when I went into the Navy.  No room in the duffle bag.  A total clunker while I was in college in Tennessee; sold that when we moved, and Wurlitzer we have now.

I also had a MacPhail Baby Grand made in 1902, which I bought at an auction and sold the next week for four times what I paid for it.  It was a wedding gift to a lady from her husband.  Her children and grandchildren were fighting over the estate, and the judge decided to sell it all…hence, the piano became mine.

But, back to MIT.

The tradition started 30 years ago, in 1972.  I’m assuming it was some science experiment.  And people line UP at the bottom and make a dash to get souvenir pieces – keys, strings, stuff like that – from the destroyed musical instrument. the University doesn’t run the event, they are just there “to make sure nobody gets hurt.”

Though their approval is tacit, it’s approval nonetheless, and security aside, it’s no one, not nobody.  For the love of Liz, you’re MIT, you should know better.  Emily would be so UPset!

And, to top it off, there are people waiting in line to have their pianos dropped!!!

Frankly, it’s waste.  There are plenty of people out there without pianos, and would love to have an old clunker to give little Junior lessons.

And think of all those piano starved children in China!

Donate them to a school that will use them, not one that will destroy them!

So, next year, drop a drum stick or two.  Screw the whales, save the pianos!

…is one of THE most popular Valentine’s Day songs.

I’m just not sure why.

Introduced to the world in the play and movie “Babes In Arms”, it was written by Rogers and Hart.

They were a pretty big deal.

The song is sung by Billie, played by Mitzi Green…

…in the play/movie, who is poking fun at Val (Valentine La Mar played by Ray Heatherton*) but ends UP telling him not to change at all.

Make UP your mind lady!

The music is beautiful.

The lyrics, not so much.

“My Funny Valentine, my comic valentine, you make me smile with my heart”…ok, so far, so good.

“Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, but  you’re my favorite work of art”…just not feelin’ the love here!

“Is your figure less than Greek, your mouth a little weak, when you open it to speak, are you smart?”…listen buddy, that’s just not even kind!  Are you sayin’ I’m stupid?

“But, don’t change a hair for me…” great, another bald joke!

“Not if you care for me…” I’m beginning not to AT ALL!

“Stay little Valentine, stay, each day is Valentine’s day…” Why, oh, tell me why would I want to stay around for this crap?

The song has been recorded on 1,300 albums – those are CDs for you who are under 30 – and recorded by over 600 artists.

And it’s the most requested song in ‘piano bars’ and clubs on Valentine’s Day…again…still not sure why!!

Of course, when Sinatra sings it, it’s not so bad.

And, Happy Birthday to my sister, Judy, you’re our favorite Valentine!

*Yes, Ray Heatherton was Joey Heatherton’s dad for all of you who remember the Ace Hardware and Serta Mattress Commercials…she was also on The Perry Como Show and a million others.

Mel Torme, known as The Velvet Fog,  and Bob Wells, wrote “The Christmas Song” on a hot July day, while trying to stay ‘cool’ by thinking ‘cool’.

Mel was pretty cool.

And “The Christmas Song” is the most performed Christmas song ever!

In my mind, it’s a tie between “White Christmas” and “The Christmas Song”.  I love them both, and I love to play them on the piano.

Bob Wells was the collaborator on the song.  Mel said, “I saw a spiral pad on his piano with four lines written in pencil.” Tormé recalled, “…they started, ‘Chestnuts roasting … , Jack Frost nipping … , Yuletide carols …, Folks dressed up like Eskimos.’ Bob didn’t think he was writing a song lyric. He said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written. I wrote all the music and some of the lyrics.”

Inspiration is truly everywhere, even a hot summer’s day.

“The Christmas Song” has been recorded by every one from Trace Adkins to Stevie Wonder.

Nat King Cole recorded it first.  Later the same year, even though his record label didn’t want him to, Nat re-recorded it using a string section, and the super hit was born.    When he recorded it a third time with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, it took off.  Nat recorded it once again in 1961 – following the music industry’s belief that you may as well get all you can out of something – with Ralph Carmichael.  The 1961 version is the one we hear and love.

Of course, you can’t get that version off the internet unless you download it to your mp3.

So, here’s the 1946 version, after all, it’s not Christmas without “The Christmas Song”.

Click here for Nat!

Of course, if you’re interested in a little Donna Summer, click here.

And for an amazing version by Christina Aguilera and her four octave range, click here.

What ever your choice, enjoy the song.  Maybe it will get you in the Christmas spirit.  There are only 10 days left to get your merry on.  And as odd as it may seem that I like Christina, Donna, and Nat, well, I’m just a versatile kinda guy!  And “The Christmas Song” is a song that just about anyone can make work!  Try it, you’ll like it!