Song of the Week

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Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)~Stevie Nicks

This is my favourite song from Stevie Nick's since Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon
I just love this finished song called Moonlight which has been a hit with fans since the mid 70's when the demo was leaked and it was called Lady From The Mountain. Stevie has tried to recorded it solo and with Fleetwood Mac down through the years but was either not happy with the finished song or else it didn't fit the feel of various albums.
When she started to work with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics she brought him this song
with some added verses. The added verses are from 2009 when Stevie saw the Twilight New Moon movie Stevie is a huge vampire fan she loves Anne Rice etc So some of the verses date back to the 1970's and some from 2009. The finished song is amazing and fits so well on the album
 In Your Dreams which is my favourite Stevie Nick's solo album since Bella Donna.
The Gothic video goes so well with the style of the song it's classic Stevie and I love that Dave Stewart makes an quirky apperance too!
This is definitely one of my most played songs ever....it brings out the romantic in me! 

Song of the Week

This week has mostly been sponsored by the song....

Africa-Toto

I grow up listening to this song my Mam was a huge 80's fan!
This song was in one of the episodes of Stranger Things the show we are currently binge watching!
It's been in my head the past few days, so cheesy 80's and I love it!

Song of the Week

This week is mostly sponsored by the song....

The Skye Boat Song (Outlander Theme Song~French Version)

It's Outlander again! I still seem to have Outlander on the brain after last week's
season finale and I can't seem to stop listening to the different versions of this song!
This is the beautiful Skye Boat Song which I have written about before
but this time it's the wonderful French version from the first half of season two.
Bear McCreary is the wonderful musician and composer that has reworked the original version
of this song into the beautiful song for the show.
I love how he slightly changes the arrangement for different stages of the show
Like how the the second verse is song is sung in French to reflect the French setting and in the second half of the season it reverts back to the bagpipes and drums.
I love Bear McCreay's work on The Walking Dead and Black Sails and can't wait to hear more of his work on season three of Outlander.

Song of the Week

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Little Bird-Annie Lennox

As you might have guessed by my music choices I really like strong female voices!
I really enjoy listening to strong women singers from my first listen to Billie Holiday at the age of 14 I was hooked! By that age I already loved Sarah Brightman and Kate Bush but that was just the start of my love affair of strong women in music! I soon discovered lots of different powerful women in music, I love alot of different types of music from blues, folk and rock the female voice just stuck me.
Some of my favourites are Carly Simon, Edith Piaf, Barbra Streisand, Janis Joplin, Maria Callas, Heart, Adele, Sarah Brightman, Dolly Parton,  Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross, Amy Winehouse, Tina Turner, Cher, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Nicks
It's not just the music I love from these powerhouses it's also there stories almost all of these women have struggles and hardship in there lives in one shape or another. Maybe they didn't fit in growing up, maybe there childhood was harsh, maybe there where in toxic relationships, maybe it was trying to get there big break in a male oriented industry but I am drawn to there voices and there stories.
While I was in a time in my life when I was discovering different types of music I hear the voice of Annie Lennox and I loved it! I ran out and bought her solo and Eurythmics albums. I just love her voice the way her image changes, I love how in the video for this song she has lookalikes in all her different personas from over the years.
This song make me smile I was listening to this song while I was pregnant on Oisìn and one of the first kicks I got was when listening to this song!
What ever she sings whether it's pop, ballads or dance she just gets it right.

Song of The Week

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Unsteady-X Ambassadors (Me Before You Soundtrack)

Myself, Mam and cousin went to see this movie adaptation of the wonderful book

Me Before You this week and we enjoyed it.

I have mixed feelings of the adaption which I am working on blogging about

It's taking me a while to actually write the review and it has been waiting in my drafts to be edited which I will try get around to posting before the weekend but it will have to wait as I have hospital appointments today and tomorrow!

The thing that added to the movie was of course the soundtrack, it got across some of the emotions from the book. I really loved this song and it was been humming around in my head since the movie! While I felt the movie was lacking in emotion the soundtrack certainly wasn't and I  download it to my ipod the day after we went to see the movie!

Song of the Weekend-Special Song & Memories

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Half The World Away (The Royle Family Theme Tune)-Oasis

This song has been going through my head all weekend

due to the passing of the great comic writer and actress Caroline Ahern

This song is of course the theme tune to one of Caroline's great shows The Royle Family.

We watched this show every week growing up and I guess in a way we could related to it

As a working class family with an older daughter and younger son, we watched the telly

every evening after tea, we sung along to different ads and theme tunes on the telly.

At the time my parents would call me Denise (cause I wasn't not much of a cook) and my brother was nicked named Lerkyo or Antkneeee (due to his height he looked a little like lankly Ralf Little)

later when I met Paul my parent's gave him the nickname Dave and when we had Oisìn my Dad would sometimes call him Baby David!!

We watched the Christmas specials every year, and still like to watch the reruns at Christmas time.

After my brother died I found it hard to watch this show, but the writing and cast soon had me watching again. I have wonderful memories of my brother laughing so hard at this show, that his face would go red and tears would be ruining down his cheeks.

Not alot of shows have captured our families heart in the way The Royle Family did, maybe Only Fools and Horses was the only other. 

Thank you Caroline Ahern for the laughs and memories

you will be missed....

Song of the Week

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The Big Sky-Kate Bush

This is one of my favourite catchy pop tunes from Kate Bush
This song unlike many of other songs from Kate isn't too deep
it's just a sweet catchy song about loving nature, and looking at the sky
while guessing what different clouds look like!
One favourite version of this song is the remix on the Hounds of Love Delux Remastered album
The video for the song is also care free and fun and like all Kate Bush's videos I love it!!

Song of the Week

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Need You Now-Lady Anterbellum

I recently had my ipod on shuffle and this song came on
I actually forgot I had Lady Anterbellum on my ipod I hadn't listen to this band in forever!
I haven't stopped listening to them all week especially this song. I really love this pop/country band, country music isn't something I listen to alot but this band has just about the right mix of country and pop. I love that is a jointly lead by a male singer Charles Kelley and female singer Hillary Scot. Stevie Nicks another of my all time favourite artists love this band and has sung with them on original songs but also covers over her own well know songs.
My favourite songs from this band are Need You Know, Downtown, Just A Kiss, I Run To You and Love Don't Live Here

Song of the Week

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I Took A Pill In Ibiza-Mike Posner

On first listen this is just another pop/dance tune which being honest I like to sing along to
while catching some sun in my back garden
On second listen it's actually quite a sad song about a pop star who has/had it all but has nothing
Sure he had fame, money, drugs and women
but he is telling the lister he doesn't trust anyone, can't get clean or have a real relationship
He is lonely and all he knows is sad songs
I really like this song, it is a good dance tune and I am sure it is being played all over Ibiza while ravers are taking that pill! I like it because of the beautiful, regretfully, sad lyrics

Song of the Week

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Dreamboat Annie-Heart

Sometimes I think I was born into the wrong era! I love 70's music especially women fronted bands like Jefferson Airplane, Heart and Fleetwood Mac. So when I discovered Heart back when I was a teenager I was so in love with this sister fronted band. I love there mellow rock sound of the 70's and there more pop rock sound of the 80's
This song is one of my favourite it's from there album of the same name which 40 years ago made them stars in America. While they aren't as big in Europe and haven't done the huge sell out shows across the world like Fleetwood Mac I still really enjoy there music and would love to see them live.
Like so many artists of the 1970's this band like Fleetwood Mac broke the mold and had two females fronting the band, in a industry that was male oriented this was a huge thing and would lead on in the 80's to having all women rock and pop groups.

Song of the Week

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Gypsy-Fleetwood Mac

I don't play my many CDs much anymore it's all about spotifiy and my ipod now
but that doesn't mean I don't love my back catalogue of Fleetwood Mac CDs!
I will buy the new reissue of Mirage Fleetwood Mac's 1982 album where the song Gypsy takes pride of place. I will be buying it not on itunes but on amazon for the actual CD. I am still old school like that I love taking out the booklet looking at the new pictures, reading the lyrics and searching for new facts!
While Mirage isn't my favourite Fleetwood Mac album it will be joining my CD collection of Fleetwood Mac bumper reissue albums Fleetwood Mac, Rumours and Tusk
Do you still listen or buy CDs?

Song Of The Week

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Nothing Like This-Blonde & Craig David

With the weather being so nice lately music has been playing alot at our house and garden
While Oisìn has been playing in our back garden the music has always been on
Our little guy love music and loves to dance and sing
Of course some of the lyrics are in his own two year old language but that's funny to hear!
I really like this song as Craig David always reminds me of my late teen years
Just before I met Paul, going to college and going clubbing when I should of been studying!
I like this short little tune, it's catchy slightly old school
and reminds me of my youth
Great reason to tune it up!!

Song of the Week

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The Skye Boat Song -Outlander Soundtrack

I love Outlander and all week this song has been humming through my head
This is the longer version than the intro for the show
It a Scotland folk song the lyrics have been changed over the years
and now there is two different versions of the song

Orignal Lyrics

 Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclouds rend the air;
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare

Later another version the one used in Outlander became popular
the lyrics are from a
Robert Louis Stevenson Poem
 Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.
Mull was astern, Rùm on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow;
Glory of youth glowed in his soul;
Where is that glory now

While I like both version the Stevenson's will always be my favourite
although I do like this version of my Father In Law singing the original lyrics

The Skye Boat Song-The Fureys

Song of the Week

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Cheerleader-OMI

I love this song, it's fun, short and easy to dance to!

It reminds me of Summer and gets me excited for warm days

heading out for the day with my little family with this song on in the car

I also love the fact that Paul sings it to me too!

It's a song that always puts me in a good mood

and it has been playing alot in our house this week!

Song of the Week

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When The Doves Cry-Prince

After the sad and shocking news that another of my favourite artists passed away last week

I have been playing a lot of Prince's music this past week

He was a favourite of mine his music always makes me sing along and dance

I first heard this song in the Romeo and Juliet 1996 movie
Prince marks a time in my life from the age of 12 till 16 when I discovered all sorts of different music
Sarah Brightman, Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, Thin Lizzy, Maria Callas, Andrew Loyd Webber, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, The Who, and
Stevie Nicks where all artists I discovered around this time. I have a very broad range in my taste in music. I love classical, blues, easy listening, rock n roll, oldies, opera, r n b and dance music
Prince never did the same song twice and I think that's why I loved him so much
His songs have been sung from Sinead O'Conner to Stevie Nicks and all in between
RIP Prince the doves are crying
Another legend added to the long list off music and screen lengends who have left us this year
The stars in the sky are shining bright this year

Song Of The Week

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Three Little Birds-Bob Marley

Not sure how or why but Oisìn has started to pick up some of the words to this song

and I have caught him singing it to himself a few times this week!

Monday playing in the back garden he was playing in his little play house while I was weeding the garden and I heard him sing "three little birdies on my door step, everything thing going be okay"

I was shocked as the only other songs I have heard him sing is nursery rhymes! 

Even with our song Catch A Falling Star he has never sung it he just asks me to sing the Pocket song

Then on Wednesday night he was in bed and before he fell asleep I heard him on the monitor (yes I still use a monitor at night!) I heard him sing "Don't worry about a thing, everything be alright"

he say the same few lines over and over for about ten minutes

Not sure if it is because I have been playing the song more than often due to this being the year

of my brother's 30th birthday and it's also the 10th anniversary of his death this year

 and this song reminds me of him

Or maybe it's just because its a sweet simple song that's easy to learn

whatever the reason it's a nice song to hear my son sing in his little voice

My Top Ten Furey Brothers Songs

My Father In Law is back in the UK for the next couple of weeks for another leg of this years tour
Oisín found it hard this time saying goodbye to him and wanted to go with him!
As he gets older he understands that Granddad has to go to work for long periods of time
I can only imagine what it must of been like for my Mother In Law, husband and his siblings when they where younger to say good bye knowing they would see there husband or father for a number of weeks. Yet I know they love what there father does and are so proud of him and the band, and I know Eddie Furey loves what he does singing songs of his youth, old songs, new songs, songs and words that bring people so much happiness.
So I thought I would share my own personal favourite songs from The Furey Brothers!

10. The First Leaves Of Autumn

9. Oro Oro

8. Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway

7. Clare To Here

6. Leezie Lindsay

5. Gallipoli

4. Absent Friends

3. The Red Rose Cafe

2. Sweet Sixteen

1. Steal Away

You can find out more about The Furey Brothers and there tour dates here....

30 Days of Music - Week 5

Last week of my month of music
I had good fun doing this and hope you enjoy my picks!

A Song That Reminds You Of The Most Important Event In Your Life....

Creed Arms Wide Open
Paul played this song alot while I was pregnant
I began to really love it and the lyrics where beautiful
We would sing along and our little boy would kick along!
When Oisin was born and the midwife left us
Paul and I sang the lyric
"Welcome to place, We will show love, we will show you everything"
It was the most beautiful moment and this song will forever
be the song of the birth of our little boy

A Song That Helps Clear Your Head.....

Josh Groban You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)

I lost myself for a while when my brother passed away

I didn't listen to music and my life became quite silent

I think Paul knew that because he came home from work one day

with one of my favourite artist Josh Groban new album at that time

Later I plugged in my headphones and listened the first song that came on

was this one, the lyrics, his voice it was like a message that it was going to be okay

So whenever life gets to much or I need to clear my head I go back to this song

A Song That's A Cover....

Kate Bush Rocket Man

I don't normally like cover songs

I like no one can compare to the originals so I don't really listen to covers

but I do love Kate Bush's version on Rocket Man

She makes it a different reggae/celtic version as only she can

I often have this playing loud while I do house work

A Song That Makes You Turn Up The Radio.....

 Guns & Roses Sweet Child Of Mine

From the first few cords of the song

the volume always gets turned up!

And of course the dancing from me and Oisin starts!

A Song With My Name In.....

Cat Stephens Sad Lisa

There isn't much songs with the name Lisa in it

My Dad when I was younger would sing Mona Lisa by Nat King Cole to me

But I never really heard another song with my name in it till

I started to work at my local music store in my teens

We were aloud to pick what music was played over the speakers in the store

One day this song came on and I really like it

A Song That Holds Extra Special Meaning To You...

Sarah Brightman & Steve Barton All I Ask Of You

When I discovered The Phantom of the Opera back when I was 13

My little teenage dream was someone would sing this beautiful song to me and mean it

It's such a beautiful song with beautiful lyrics and Sarah Brightman's soaring soprano voice

Years later I met Paul some years after that he brought me to London to see the show

We heard this song live he became our song. When he proposed in Vegas this song was playing

over the Venetian hotel, we went to see the show that night in Vegas.

When we got married it was this song I walked up the aisle to, its on our wedding DVD

So the little 13 year old version of myself got her wish!

A Song That Has An Awesome Music Video...

Kate Bush Hounds Of Love

While I love Kate's other video masterpiece Cloudbusting

It's this video and song I find fascinating 

A song about being afraid of love and it's pitfalls 

I love Kate's vocals on this song

The video its settling is the 1950's it's costumes, and direction make it

look like a mini movie. As Kate makes a chase for her man in the end of course

she gets him....no one can fight the charms of Ms Bush for long!

Song You Would Like Played At Your Funeral...

Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli Time To Say Goodbye

A beautiful song which I think the lyrics do the talking!

30 Days Of Music - Week 4

A Song From Your Favourite Album...

Kate Bush Running Up That Hill
I have two favourite albums in the world
One is Fleetwood Mac Rumours which is a whole album of breakup emotions
and the other album is Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
Which is like two different albums in one! The first songs are all the singles from it
Then there is the group of songs she called The Ninth Wave which I think
can't be listened to unless you play them all together!
This is my favourite song from that album
it's the song I play the most from Kate and one I can actually try sing along to!

A Song That Is Better Live....

Fleetwood Mac I'm So Afraid

I picked the 1976 version of this song but I also love the 1997 version

The studio version is a good song but it's live that Lindsey Buckingham 

can let his awesome guitar skills loose!

The live version just takes this song to the next level

it's my hubby's favourite Feetwood Mac song

I have been lucky to hear it live five time and hubby twice

An Acoustic Song You Love....

Eric Clapton Layla
I also love the full on rock version of this song
but it was this version of Layla that made me want to listen
to more of Clapton. I love how he took a rock out song
and made it into a acoustic love letter

A Song That Reminds You Of Your Partner...

Huey Lewis The Power Of Love
Every time I hear this song it makes me smile
and think of when hubby and I were dating
Think we where only going out a few months
and after a few to many drinks
Paul sang every word of this song to me in a funny voice
Since that night this song to me has always been Paul's song
We even had it on our wedding band's play list!

A Song That Makes You Laugh....

The Fureys Frying Pan Song
From the first time I heard it this song always makes me laugh
with lyrics like
I couldn't find the lock, so I had to knock
and I prayed she'd let me in.
Then I heard a roar, when she opened the door
"Just where you think you have been!"
It's hard not to laugh! It's a funny pub song

A Song That Was In The Charts The Month Your Where Born....

Foreigner I Want To Know What Love Is

Most of the charts where Christmas songs as I was born on Christmas Eve
and the number 1 was Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas
but this cheesy power ballad was also in the charts December 1984

A Song You Haven't Listen To In A While.... 

Sarah Brightman Figlio Perduto
Sarah Brightman is one of my favourite artists
since I first heard her when I was 13 in The Phantom of the Opera
I was hooked on her beautiful pure soprano voice I soon ran out and bought all her albums
I was lucky enough to see her once in concert for her La Luna tour when my parents bought me tickets. She puts on an amazing show and it was the La Luna album that was my favourite album from her. I haven't listened to it in so long and was glad I answered this question cause it spurred me to dig out the album so glad I did. Figlio Perduto is my favourite track on the album

A Song You Find Incredibly Beautiful....

Kate Bush This Woman's Work
This one of the most covered song by Kate Bush
it's also one of her most used songs in film and TV
I think this is one of the most beautiful songs she has ever written
It's one of those song for me that when I listen to it
I will be still singing it days and weeks later
The lyrics are beautiful and for me the rawness in Kate's voice adds to the emotion of the song
Plus like with all Kate's singles the music video is great

30 Days of Music - Week 3

Here is week three of my 30 days of music

I added a few extra questions as there were too good not to answer!

A Song You Danced To At Your Wedding....

The Fureys I Will Love You

We danced to, two of Paul's Dad Eddie's songs at our wedding
Our first dance was called Will You Dance With Me
I can't find it on youtube but it was very special the lyrics went like this

Will you dance with me for the rest of your life
Will you take this woman to be your wife
Do you take this man as your husband today
On this, your wedding day
Today is the day that you walk down the aisle
To start life together as one
And we friends and family are witnesses to
A love that's already begun
Will you dance with me for the rest of your life
Do you take this woman to be your wife
Do you take this man as your husband today
On this, your wedding day
In front of God's altar to pledge your true love
Exchanging your vows and your rings
May your life be fulfilling, your marriage be blessed
With all the good that life can bring
Will you dance with me for the rest of your life
Do you take this woman to be your wife
Do you take this man as your husband today
On this, your wedding day
As you walk down life's highway as husband and wife
With memories of sweet yesterday
May you always remember the vows that you make
As we gather together today
Will you dance with me for the rest of your life
Do you take this woman to be your wife
Do you take this man as your husband today
On this, your wedding day
Do you take this man as your husband today
On this, your wedding day

You can listen to the song Will You Dance With Me?
The song I Will Love You was sung by Paul's Uncle George
and was the song after the first dance when our bridal party
joined us to dance and it is another beautiful song

A Song From Your Current Favourite Band....

Fleetwood Mac Little Lies
My favourite band ever is Fleetwood Mac
so this is one of there songs that reminds me of Spring/Summer
I like having it on when I am doing housework or
driving with the windows down in Summer
It's one of the most well knew Fleetwood Mac songs
and it's so catchy "tell me lies tell me sweet little lies"!

A Song That Makes You Think Of Someone Important To You...

Perry Como Catch A Falling Star
This song makes me think of two really special people in my life
It has a little story attached to it! When I was trying to get pregnant
on Oisin I was watching one of my favourite shows Call The Midwife
The song was played at a sad scene in the show the song stuck in my
head like I remembered it for some where. Months later when Oisin was in
my arms feeding late one night the song came on the TV. I sang it to my little boy
and it has been our song since then for when he was teething, fussy or sad. He calls it his Pocket song. Once my Mam heard me singing it to Oisin and asked where I heard it from, I told her the story. She smiled and said it was my Granny's song she sang to her children and then her Grandchildren. So this song reminds me of my Granny and of my son.

A Song You Can Relate To....

LunchMoney Lewis Bills

You know that feeling when you get paid on a Thursday morning
and it's gone by Friday morning yeah that!!
I got bills I gotta pay!
Another one I can relate to at the moment is Abba Money Money Money!!

A Song From A Movie Soundtrack....

David Bowie As The World Falls Down - Labyrinth Soundtrack
I love alot of musicals and movies with awesome soundtracks
but I never forget watching this movie as a kid and this song sticking in my head
It was first dose of Bowie and I loved it! I had a huge crush on him
and wanted to be Sarah the girl in this movie!
I bought the soundtrack as a teenager and loved this song
When David Bowie passed away earlier this year I dug out the DVD of Labyrinth
and Oisin and I watched it. He loved the song Magic Dance but this is still my favourite

A Song That Reminds You Of Summer....

Eagles Hotel California

I'm not sure why this song reminds me of summer
I have memories of first hearing it at a family party
it was a BBQ but it was now evening time the sun was going down
and the patio fire was lit everyone was enjoying a drink
and chatting in small groups this song was on in the
background and some sang along to it
So when I hear it I always think of that late summer evening with my family

A Song That Reminds You Of Winter....

Josh Groban Bells of New York City
It's hard to think of a song about winter without it being a Christmas song
for me this song reminds me of our time in New York one December
I can feel the cold winds in Central Park...it's also a very beautiful song from one
of my favourite artists

A Song That Reminds You Of A Time & Place....

The Fureys Red Rose Cafe
Like the first song from this post reminded me of my first song from our wedding
This song reminds me of the last song! Our wedding was like one big party with
all our family and friends at it. After the wedding band had finished and the party was ending
it was almost 3am and someone started singing this song everyone joined in. I remember looking around at Paul and all our family and thinking to myself that I would never forget this moment