Suzanne Vega
is truly a legend in her own time. It was her worldwide megaseller «Tom's Diner» that was the very first song to be converted into the new file format we all know now as MP3. Her musical output, especially in the 80's and early 90’s, became common property by being on heavy rotation on radio stations all around the world ever since.
«Close-Up Vol. 1, Love Songs» is her eighth studio album release and was released on Amanuensis Productions in 2010.
Well, there are two different ones. Being 12 years old I remember «Shaft» or «Superfly». Both of those remind me of being in 7th grade. Cause I went to school with a lot of black people. I was one the few white kids in school. It was the 70's in New York City and that was my neighbourhood. I went to some kind of alternative school in Manhattan that had a lot of different ages and cultural backgrounds. Later on, it was «5:15» by The Who. All the boys that I knew where totally into The Who, singing «Out of my brain on the train...»
Gosh! It's like being asked which is your favourite dessert if ther's 25 of them! But, how about «Eleanor Rigby»? I think it's a perfect little play. It's like a little movie: The woman, the priest, the ending. It sums it all up.
Hm, I don't think I have one. But the song I listen to to get me really going in the morning is something like «Free Me». That'll get me up. That's better than a cup of coffee. It would probably also work as a drinking song.
He is a Danish artist and he sounds a little bit like Neil Finn. We heard his album once and my whole band went crazy for him, they all were like: «Oh my god, who is this guy?!». My roadie spent like a year trying to find this record. For some reason it was particualary obscure, except for Denmark where he is a big star. He is fairly young, I think he just turned thirty. He did a lot of the album himself with melotron, guitar and some small band and just spent alsmost a year layering up the sounds of it. It's really terrific.
Isn't it embarrassing? But it's true. I actualy fell in love to that one a couple of times... While we were dancing... It stayed popular for a long time. So even after if you fell out of love with the first one there was always someone after that, for the whole year.
It's a record of Flameco that my father had. I was four or five years old. It was some gypsies playing the guitar and singing. I loved this record and wanted to hear it over and over again. But I don't remember the name of it.
Something by Leonard Cohen obviously. Cause it should be sad. I'm not one of these people who wants everyone to be cheerful and happy and drink at my funeral. I want them to be sad at least for half an hour and then they can do whatever they want. I think Cohen's got a song called «Priests». And it says: «Who will write love songs for you now that I'm lord at last?». It's a very beautiful song, sung by Judy Collins.
Let me think about that one... I hope it's not «Saturday Night Fever» again! But then it probably must have been the summer of my very first romance. I'm sorry but it's still the soundtrack to «Saturday Night Fever» unfortunately. «If I Can't Have You» by Yvonne Elliman evokes that very memorable summer of 1977.
That's a song that always reminds me of a certain person, the man that's now my husband actually. Cause we were together a long time ago and then we broke up. Got bak together and now we're married. So whenever I hear this song it reminds me of him. A song you could use to seduce me would be «The Look Of Love» by Dusty Springfield. Which is really just the sexiest song ever written, I think.
Both of those are great New York songs.
There was a record store down my street and I really don't remember how I got the money, I think it must have been my allowance, that I spent for my very first purchase of my first album. I was nine years old and was really passionate about The Beatles and all their music right about up to the age of 12.
Well, one time someone told me that they thought of me whenever they heard the song «Missing». So, let's say that one eventhough I don't know what the truth is.
Just the other day we were going: «I wish I had that tatataaa...». It would be really funny! Or some other crazy TV theme.
It's kinda depressing but still appropriate for the occasion.
I love the one for Panic! At The Disco's «But It's Better If You Do». And I also like the one for The Killers' «Mr. Brightside». They are very similar videos, very cabaret, very Moulin Rouge kind of things, which I think is pretty great. I also thought that the video for Sinead O'Connor's «Nothing Compares 2 U» is simple and beautiful.
It's gonna sound really weird, but it's: «Be Without You». I just think it's a really great song. It says something so simple and she says in her own words. Also, one or two by Amy Winehouse – but not the one about rehab. And maybe also «The Look Of Love». That song covers a multitude of situations, really. And also «How Insensitive» by Antonio Carlos Jobim. That's also a beatiful song.
