Showing posts with label Bonnie Raitt. Show all posts

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Bonnie Raitt “Just Like That” won Grammy for Song of the Year

Just Like That

Bonnie Raitt

Writer(s): Bonnie Raitt (see lyrics here)

Released: April 22, 2022 (album cut)

First Charted: --

Peak: 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): --

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.98 video, -- streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

If the Grammys gave out an award for biggest surprise of the night, the 2023 prize would have landed in Bonnie Raitt’s hands. When she was announced as the winner of the Grammy for Song of the Year, no one looked more shocked than she did. She hesitated to even go on stage, possibly thinking this was some kind of La La Land Oscar fiasco. Indeed, critics figured it would go to one of the big name artists like Adele, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, or Taylor Swift. Raitt herself joked that the other artists must have cancelled each other out. ^TC

Raitt said in her acceptance speech that she wrote the song as a tribute to the late folk singer/songwriter John Prine. She further explained the meaning behind the song, saying, “I was so inspired for this song by the incredible story of the love and the grace and the generosity of someone that donates their beloved’s organs to help another person live and the story was so simple and so beautiful for these times.” Indeed, the catalyst was a real story of a man who received a heart donation and tracked down the donor’s mother and let her listen to her son’s heart beating inside his chest. ^TC

Raitt initially sings from the woman’s perspective as she mourns the loss of her son. Later she assumes the man’s voices, singing “I’ve spent years just trying to find you / So I could finally let you know / It was your son’s heart that saed me / And a life you gave us both.” She returns to the Mom’s perspective, singing “I lay my head upon his chest and I was with my boy again.”

It wasn’t Raitt’s first Grammy. At the 1990 ceremony, she evoked equal sentiments of shock when Nick of Time won the Grammy for Album of the Year. She won four Grammys that year and has now accumulated 13 total. In addition to the win for Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammys, she also took home trophies for Best Americana Performance (“Made Up Mind”) and Best American Roots Song (“Just Like That”).

Resources:

DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bonnie Raitt
^AS AmericanSongwriter.com (2/6/2023). “Bonnie Raitt Wins Song of the Year for ‘Just Like That’ at Grammy Awards” by Alli Patton
^TC Taste of Country (2/6/2023). “Grammys 2023 BTS: Bonnie Raitt Explains Just Like That Shocker” (YouTube video)
^WK Wikipedia

First posted 2/6/2023.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

National Recording Registry: 2022

National Recording Registry:

2022 Inductions

The National Recording Registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000. The Librarian of Congress appoints members to the National Recording Preservation Board which, since 2002, has selected 25 recordings annually for preservation in the Library of Congress. As the website says, the recordings showcase “the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage in order to increase preservation awareness.” Most inductees are songs and albums, but there are also radio, news, and sports broadcasts along with other spoken word recordings.

Below is a list of the 2022 inductees, announced April 13, 2022. Click on a song or album title to see its DMDB page. Click here to read more about each of them on the National Recording Registry website. You can also read essays on more than 500 of the inductees here, including one by yours truly on Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.”

Spotify Podcast:

Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast: National Recording Registry 2022 which highlights all of the songs on the list below as well as selections from the album inductees. Premiere: April 19, 2022 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

1. SONG: James P. Johnson “Harlem Strut” (1921)
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945)
3. SONG: Ernest Tubb “Walking the Floor Over You” (1941)
4. “On a Note of Triumph” (May 8, 1945)
5. SONG: The Soul Stirrers “Jesus Gave Me Water” (1950)
6. ALBUM: Duke Ellington At Newport (1956)
7. ALBUM: Max Roach We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite (1960)
8. SONG: Nat “King” Cole “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (1961)
9. ALBUM: The Shirelles Tonight’s the Night (1961)
10. SONG: Andy Williams “Moon River” (1962)
11. ALBUM: Terry Riley In C (1968)
12. SONG: The Disenyland Boys Choir “It’s a Small World After All” (1964)
13. SONG: Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (1966)
14. Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974)
15. SONG: Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975)
16. SONG: Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981)
17. ALBUM: Linda Ronstadt Canciones de Mi Padre (1987)
18. ALBUM: Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time (1989)
19. ALBUM: A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory (1991)
20. ALBUM: Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
21. ALBUM: Various Artists Buena Vista Social Club (1997)
22. SONG: Ricky Martin “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (1999)
23. ALBUM: Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor (2001)
24. WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (Sept. 11, 2001)
25. “WTF with Marc Maron” (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010)

Resources and Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: “National Recording Registry: Albums”
Dave’s Music Database: “National Recording Registry: Songs”
National Recording Registry (4/13/2022). “National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022”
National Recording Registry (complete listing, sortable by title, artist, year of release, year inducted, and genre)
Wikipedia.org (complete listing by induction years with links for many of the recordings)

First posted 4/15/2022; last updated 4/19/2022.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Etta James: 1938-2011

Check out these books by Dave Whitaker available through DavesMusicDatabase.com or Amazon.

Also check the Dave’s Music Database Facebook page for daily music-related posts.

Etta James, “one of the great voices of the 20th century who fused R&B with gospel and blues,” ^RS died January 20, 2012, less than a week shy of her 74th birthday. The Grammy winner was an inductee in the Blues Hall of Fame, R&B Foundation, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her song “The Wallflower (Roll with Me Henry)” (1955), was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and “Tell Mama” (1967) was selected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. However, she may be most associated with wedding favorite “At Last” (1961), a Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, National Recording Registry entry, and one of the top 100 jazz songs of all time according to the DMDB. At his inauguration, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama danced to “At Last” as sung by Beyoncé, who portrayed James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records.

James was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010 and battled other health problems such as drug addiction, dementia, and hepatitis C. At one point, she ballooned to a reported 400 pounds and then cut that weight in half. Lupe DeLeon, her longtime friend and manager, said “This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world…She was a true original who could sing it all – her music defied category. I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always.” ^CNN

She was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938. Her teen mother largely abandoned her and never revealed the father’s identity, although James suspected it was famed pool player Minnesota Fats. ^CNN Johnny Otis, best known for the song “Willie and the Hand Jive”, discovered James when she was 14. She hit #1 on the R&B charts with “The Wallflower”, a song Otis wrote as an answer song to Hank Ballard’s “Work with Me Annie”.

Over the next decade, James charted a dozen top ten hits on the R&B charts, most with Chess Records. Her most successful run on the pop charts was “Tell Mama” with a #23 peak. She discussed her songs with CNN in 2002: “Most of the songs I sing, they have that blue feeling to it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don’t know what I'm sorry about.” ^CNN

She continued touring until sidelined by illness in 2009. She has been cited as an influence by current British singer Adele. In 2008, Bonnie Raitt told Rolling Stone, “There’s a lot going on [in] Etta James’ voice…A lot of pain, a lot of life, most of all, a lot of strength. She can be so raucous and down one song, and then break your heart with her subtlety and finesse the next. As raw as Etta is, there's a great intelligence and wisdom in her singing.” ^RS She also said, “Anybody who has a bluesy side to what they do can point to Etta James as the bridge between R&B, blues and pop singing.” ^UT

As James told Rolling Stone, “Life’s been rough…But life’s been good. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would live it the exact same way.” ^RS

Awards:

Resources and Related Links:

the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry for Etta James
^CNN CNN.com Singing legend Etta James dies at 73 by Todd Leopold (1/20/2012)
^RS RollingStone.com Etta James Dead at 73 by Andy Greene (1/20/2012)
^UT USAtoday.com Singing legend Etta James dies at 73 by Steve Jones (1/20/2012)

Friday, December 31, 1999

Lilith Fair: Top 100 Songs

Lilith Fair:

Top 100 Songs

Lilith Fair wasn’t exactly a genre, but a celebration of female artists in the late 1990s. Discouraged by radio programmers and concert promoters who didn’t think it was commercially viable to have two female artists perform back to back, Sarah McLachlan launched the Lilith Fair festival in the summer of 1997. The concept was to feature only female artists or female-led bands. More than 30 dates featured over 70 performers. The festival was successful enough to spawn follow-ups in 1998 and 1999.

The initial list was generated by taking all those artists who performed from 1997 to 1999 and ranking their songs. This included songs by 10,000 Maniacs and ‘Til Tuesday even though they weren’t performers because their lead singers, Natalie Merchant and Aimee Mann respectively, were performers at Lilith Fair.

I also ceated a definition of the Lilith Fair genre that disqualified some of the performers from this list. I decided to focus on artists who broke between 1985 and 1999. That excluded Lilith Fair performers such as the Pretenders and Pat Benatar who emerged in 1979. I did make exceptions for artists like Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams whose careers began prior to 1985 but reached their artistic and commercial peaks in the “Lilith Fair era.”

I also decided to limit the list to artists who fit more into an alternative-rock or folk-rock vibe. That excluded rap and R&B performers at Lilith Fair such as Missy Elliott and Erykah Badu. In addition, acts generally considered country, such as the Dixie Chicks or Mary Chapin Carpenter, were excised from the list. Again, however, this is subjective as I decided to keep k.d. lang in the mix since she was a traditional country artists but found an audience in the early ‘90s along the lines of other Lilith Fair artists.

I also added artists such as the Cranberies, Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morissette, and No Doubt, that met my criteria but weren’t actually performers at Lilith Fair.

Finally, I imposed one last restriction. I decided not to feature more than four songs by any artist since some acts, like Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette, threatened to overwhelm the list and keep lesser-known artists from appearin on the lists.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

Spotify Podcast

Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode Lilith Fair: The 25th Anniversary which references songs on this list. Premiered September 6, 2022.

Spotify Playlist

You can listen here to a Lilith Fair Spotify playlist that includes the songs below and more.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
2. No Doubt “Don’t Speak” (1996)
3. Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” (1997)
4. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” (1995)
5. Tracy Chapman “Fast Car” (1988)
6. Alanis Morissette “Ironic” (1995)
7. Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1993)

DMDB Top 2%:

8. Alannah Myles “Black Velvet” (1989)
9. The Cranberries “Zombie” (1994)
10. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories “Stay (I Missed You)” (1994)

11. Jewel “You Were Meant for Me” (1995)
12. Suzanne Vega “Luka” (1987)
13. Tracy Chapman “Give Me One Reason” (1995)
14. Shawn Colvin “Sunny Came Home” (1996)
15. 4 Non Blondes “What’s Up?” (1992)
16. Joan Osborne “One of Us” (1995)
17. Sixpence None the Richer “Kiss Me” (1997)
18. Sarah McLachlan “Building a Mystery” (1997)
19. k.d. lang “Constant Craving” (1992)
20. Alanis Morissette “You Learn” (1995)

21. Jewel “Foolish Games” (1995)
22. The Cardigans “Lovefool” (1996)
23. The Breeders “Cannonball” (1993)

DMDB Top 5%:

24. The Cranberries “Linger” (1993)
25. Elastica “Connection” (1994)
26. Macy Gray “I Try” (1999)
27. Bonnie Raitt “Something to Talk About” (1991)
28. Divinyls “I Touch Myself” (1991)
29. Alanis Morissette “Head Over Feet” (1995)
30. Indigo Girls “Closer to Fine” (1989)

31. Dido “Thank You” (1999)
32. Hole “Doll Parts” (1994)
33. Meredith Brooks “Bitch” (1997)
34. Sinéad O’Connor “Mandinka” (1987)
35. Bonnie Raitt “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (1991)
36. Paula Cole “I Don’t Want to Wait” (1996)
37. Tori Amos “Silent All These Years” (1991)
38. Veruca Salt “Seether” (1994)
39. Sarah McLachlan “Angel” (1997)
40. The Sugarcubes “Birthday” (1987)

41. Sheryl Crow “If It Makes You Happy” (1996)
42. Suzanne Vega with DNA “Tom’s Diner” (remix, 1990)
43. Jewel “Who Will Save Your Soul?” (1995)
44. No Doubt “Just a Girl” (1995)
45. Mazzy Star “Fade into You” (1993)
46. Garbage “Only Happy When It Rains” (1995)
47. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians “What I Am” (1988)
48. Sheryl Crow “My Favorite Mistake” (1998)
49. The Cranberries “Dreams” (1992)
50. Tori Amos “Cornflake Girl” (1994)

51. PJ Harvey “Down by the Water” (1995)
52. ‘Til Tuesday “Voices Carry” (1985)
53. Portishead “Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me)” (1994)
54. Bonnie Raitt “Love Sneakin’ Up on You” (1994)
55. Sheryl Crow “Strong Enough” (1993)
56. Fiona Apple “Criminal” (1996)
57. K’s Choice “Not an Addict” (1996)
58. Bonnie Raitt “Nick of Time” (1989)
59. Paula Cole “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” (1996)
60. Tori Amos “Me and a Gun” (1991)

61. 10,000 Maniacs “Like the Weather” (1987)
62. Tracy Chapman “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution” (1988)
63. Sarah McLachlan “I Will Remember You” (1995)
64. Hole “Violet” (1994)
65. Concrete Blonde “Joey” (1990)
66. Tori Amos “God” (1994)
67. Billie Myers “Kiss the Rain” (1997)
68. Melissa Etheridge “I’m the Only One” (1993)
69. Loreena McKennitt “The Mummer’s Dance” (1997)
70. Garbage “Stupid Girl” (1995)

71. Hole “Malibu” (1998)
72. Sinéad O’Connor “Troy” (1987)
73. Sarah McLachlan “Possession” (1993)
74. Melissa Etheridge “Bring Me Some Water” (1988)
75. Merril Bainbridge “Mouth” (1994)
76. Tracy Bonham “Mother Mother” (1996)
77. Melissa Etheridge “Come to My Window” (1993)
78. Cowboy Junkies “Sweet Jane” (1988)
79. Sinéad O’Connor “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (1990)
80. 10,000 Maniacs “These Are Days” (1992)

DMDB Top 10%:

81. Sophie B. Hawkins “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover” (1992)
82. Shawn Colvin “I Don’t Know Why” (1992)
83. Heather Nova “Walk This World” (1995)
84. Natalie Merchant “Wonder” (1995)
85. No Doubt “Spiderwebs” (1995)
86. Tasmin Archer “Sleeping Satellite” (1992)
87. Letters to Cleo “Here and Now” (1995)
88. Indigo Girls “Galileo” (1992)
89. Toni Childs “Don’t Walk Away” (1988)
90. Dido “Here with Me” (1999)

91. Luscious Jackson “Naked Eye” (1996)
92. Tracy Chapman “Crossroads” (1989)
93. Lone Justice “Ways to Be Wicked” (1985)
94. Natalie Merchant “Carnival” (1995)
95. Suzanne Vega with Joe Jackson “Left of Center” (1986)
96. Michelle Shocked “Anchorage” (1988)
97. The Sundays “Here’s Where the Story Ends” (1990)
98. Alana Davis “32 Flavors” (1997)
99. Aimee Mann “Save Me” (1999)
100. Belly “Feed the Tree” (1993)

Resources/Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists”
Dave’s Music Database: “Lilith Fair: Top 50 Albums”
Wikipedia: “Lilith Fair”

First posted 6/24/2022; last updated 1/12/2025.

Lilith Fair: Top 50 Albums

Lilith Fair:

The Top 50 Albums

This list was generated by taking all those artists who performed (including groups like 10000 Maniacs who didn’t perform, but front woman Natalie Merchant did) from 1997 to 1999 and ranking their albums. It should be noted that albums by 10,000 Maniacs and ‘Til Tuesday have been included in this list even though they weren’t performers.

Some performers were excluded from this list. Lilith Fair embraced a wide swath of genres but this list is focused on artists who fall into the alternative rock/folk rock vein. As such, acts more typically defined as R&B, rap, country, or pop were excluded. However, artists who did not perform at Lilith Fair (Alanis Morissette, Melissa Etheridge, etc.) have been included because they fit the alternative rock/folk rock label. They are noted with an asterisk (*).

An effort was also made to define the “Lilith Fair” genre as covering a certain era, specifically from the mid-‘80s to the late ‘90s. That means songs before 1985 and after 1999 were excluded. Similarly, artists (such as the Pretenders or Pat Benatar) who performed at Lilith Fair but emerged prior to 1985 have been excluded.

Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here.

1. Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995) *
2. Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (1988)
3. Sinéad O’Connor I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)
4. Tori Amos Little Earthquakes (1992) *
5. Liz Phair Exile in Guyville (1993)
6. Sheryl Crow Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
7. No Doubt Tragic Kingdom (1995) *
8. Lucinda Williams Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
9. Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time (1989)
10. Dido No Angel (1999)

11. Sarah McLachlan Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (1993)
12. Jewel Pieces of You (1995)
13. Indigo Girls Indigo Girls (1989)
14. Emmylou Harris Wrecking Ball (1995)
15. Sarah McLachlan Surfacing (1997)
16. The Cranberries No Need to Argue (1994) *
17. Garbage Garbage (1995) *
18. Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow (1996)
19. k.d. lang Ingénue (1992) *
20. Melissa Etheridge Yes I Am (1993) *

21. Tori Amos Under the Pink (1994) *
22. Mary Chapin Carpenter Come on, Come On (1992)
23. Sheryl Crow The Globe Sessions (1998)
24. Bonnie Raitt Luck of the Draw (1991)
25. Suzanne Vega Solitude Standing (1987)
26. Lucinda Williams Lucinda Williams (1988)
27. Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge (1988) *
28. Shawn Colvin A Few Small Repairs (1996)
29. Tori Amos Boys for Pele (1996)
30. Fiona Apple Tidal (1996)

31. The Cranberries Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We? (1993) *
32. 10,000 Maniacs In My Tribe (1987)
33. Bonnie Raitt Longing in Their Hearts (1994)
34. The Breeders Last Splash (1993) *
35. Alanis Morissette Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998) *
36. Joan Osborne Relish (1995)
37. Paula Cole This Fire (1996)
38. Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Session (1988)
39. Tori Amos From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998) *
40. Tracy Chapman New Beginning (1995)

41. Natalie Merchant Tigerlily (1995)
42. Fiona Apple When the Pawn… (1999)
43. Sinéad O’Connor The Lion and the Cobra (1987)
44. Shawn Colvin Steady On (1989)
45. Tracy Chapman Crossroads (1989)
46. Aimee Mann Whatever (1993)
47. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars (1988) *
48. Lone Justice Lone Justice (1985)
49. Toni Childs Union (1988) *
50. Indigo Girls Strange Fire (1987)

Resources and Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists
Dave’s Music Database: “Lilith Fair: Top 100 Songs”
Wikipedia: “Lilith Fair”

First posted 12/2/2024.

Wednesday, February 21, 1990

Bonnie Raitt’s Nick of Time wins Grammy for Album of the Year

Nick of Time

Bonnie Raitt

Released: March 21, 1989

Charted: April 15, 1989

Peak: 1³ US, 51 UK, -- CN, 58 AU, 4 DF

Sales (in millions): 5.6 US, -- UK, 5.9 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: blues-rock

Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts.

Nick of Time (9/16/89, 92 BB, 10 AC, 82 UK, 1 DF)
Thing Called Love (3/18/89, 11 AR, 15 DF)
Love Letter (6/24/89, 49 AR, 35 AC, 73 CN, 16 DF)
Cry on My Shoulder (37 DF)
Real Man (19 DF)
Nobody’s Girl (34 DF)
Have a Heart (2/3/90, 49 BB, 3 AC, 16 CN, 19 DF))
Too Soon to Tell (38 DF)
I Will Not Be Denied (37 DF)
I Ain’t Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again
The Road’s My Middle Name (32 DF)

Total Running Time: 42:31