Frederick Caper – Midnight, the stars, and you
An evening pause: A nice rendition, with appropriate visuals, of a 1930s song. It also happens to be John Batchelor’s theme song.
Hat tip Charlie Tutino.
Category: The Evening Pause
A nightly pause from the news to give the reader/viewer a bit of classic entertainment.
Yes Prime Minister – The MPs Pay Rise
An evening pause: A nice sequence from the British series that brutally but with great humor described the reality of what goes on in high political circles. This clip comes from the follow-up to the original series, Yes, Minister.
Hat tip Phill Oltmann.
Sorry for the late arrival of this evening’s pause. It didn’t post when it should, and I only just realized it.
Dire Straits – Tunnel of Love
Junior Senior – Move Your Feet
An evening pause: I suppose some disco dance music might be a good way to start the weekend.
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.
Restoring a Japanese hanging scroll painting by Kitagawa Utamaro
Dale Watson – David Buxkemper
An evening pause: Hat tip to Robert Pratt of Pratt on Texas, who adds that David Buxkemper is an actual listener to Pratt’s podcast, and the song was written by Watson with that person in mind.
Kathy Loves Physics – Why the U.S. uses 120 volts and not 220 volts
An evening pause: Here’s a bit of technology history that still affects us daily.
Hat tip Tom Biggar.
Les Paul interviews and plays with ZZ Top
An evening pause: Stay with it. The story Billy Gibbons tells in between the songs is fascinating about how he got started. And this sudden jam session music is fine indeed.
Hat tip Mike Nelson.
U2 – 40
An evening pause: Performed live 1983. It appears this became the band’s traditional closer at all of its concerts.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
Danielle Nicole Band – Purple Rain
Disney – Four artists paint one tree
An evening pause: This short was aired in 1958 on the Disney children’s television show, Disneyland. I emphasize children because this is the kind of material I was offered as a child.
Today it would be considered too sophisticated, and definitely unacceptable because it doesn’t indoctrinate the young on the importance of “racial justice.” My god, all the artists happen to be white!
Yet I know from experience that kids under six would love it just because it is fun to watch the artists work, while older children would find the narration by the artists themselves fascinating. I can say this with confidence because I am certain Disney showed this clip more than once, and I saw it multiple times as a child, watching it with pleasure at different times and ages.
And then there’s the main point. As Walt Disney himself says in the opening, “Don’t imitate anyone. … Go forward with what you have to say, expressing things as you see them. … Be yourself.”
Alanis Morissette – Thank U
A evening pause: Performed live 1999. The words are worth considering:
How ’bout no longer being masochistic
How ’bout remembering your divinity
How ’bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out
How ’bout not equating death with stopping
Hat tip Dan Morris.
Metal Ball Studios – How deep is the ocean?
Stupid Pet Tricks – Playing Dead
An evening pause: This is so silly, which is why it is funny and worth watching. Silliness is good. The world needs more of it.
Hat tip Charlie Tutino.
Sheryl Crow – Strong Enough
Julie Andrews – My Favorite Things
An evening pause: From the movie The Sound of Music (1965), a song about teaching children to face fear, to push past it, and live boldly and with courage. And to do it with humor. As Ray Bradbury wrote in his book, Something Wicked This Way Comes, you defeat evil and fear by laughing at it. The world needs to recapture this idea, or else we are doomed.
Hat tip Tom Wilson.
Jeff Lynne – When I was a Boy
An evening pause: A nice song to start the new year. Performed live 2017 in London.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
Andrea McArdle – Tomorrow
An evening pause: The first Annie sings live at the 1977 Tony Awards. Seems as appropriate a song to greet the New Year as Auld Lang Syne.
Cameron Taylor – Auld Lang Syne
Ray Stevens – Everything is Beautiful
An evening pause: Performed live 1970. Seems fitting as this bad year rolls to an end, since it looks forward with optimism and hope. And what other choice do we have?
Hat tip Dan Morris.
Kings Return Music – Ave Maria
An evening pause: I like how they describe themselves on their YouTube page: “We sing in stairwells.”
Hat tip Cotour, who actually sent me a different performance by these guys. I had seen this performance elsewhere, and decided to use it instead.
Natalie Merchant – Kind and Generous
The Hatterine – Swinging by the Christmas tree
An evening pause: An “electro swing dance” to the song “What will Santa Claus say.” This somehow seems appropriate just after Christmas, after the presents are opened and the partying is done.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir – Psalm 34
An evening pause: Some Old Testament religious passion, sung from my home town, Brooklyn, and very fitting for Christmas Eve.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
Bobby Brown – Every Little Step
An evening pause: Performed live 2012. Hat tip to my wife Diane Zimmerman, who might have picked the song but I wanted to post it now as my own thank you to her. Every word Brown sings are words from me to you.
Do You Hear What I Hear – Whitney Houston
Scala & Kolacny Brothers – California Dreamin’
An evening pause: This choir cover of the classic Mamas & Papas song seems quite appropriate for the first day of winter.
Hat tip Mike Nelson.
Queen – You’re My Best Friend
An evening pause: We must always appreciate our friends, especially the ones who are honest and can be depended on.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
December 17, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast
Embedded below the fold in two parts.
To listen to all of John Batchelor’s podcasts, well worth your time, go here.
» Read more
Foxes and Fossils – I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
An evening pause: I’ve posted this group before. Their Patreon site is here. The key words: “Peace on Earth, good will to men.”
Hat tip Gary McDaniel.