I know that you depend on Turntable For One to come up with easy answers to hard questions, the questions no one is asking (probably for lack of interest). And I don’t think the show has ever failed you, at least, not on that score. So last night, I challenged the old saw, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Of course, the easy way to prove or disprove this would have been to bring an old dog into the studio and spend my hour of air time trying to teach it a new trick. However I scoff at the easy way, I eschew the conventional, and, so, instead, I played an hour of songs or singers related to the topic. The results may not have been conclusive, but they sure were swinging.
Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks
SONG TITLE / Artist / CD Or Album Title
- THERE’LL BE SOME CHANGES MADE / Tony Bennett / “That San Francisco Sun”
- WHY TRY TO CHANGE ME NOW / Nancy Wilson / “Welcome To My Love”
- THE NIGHT THE PUGILIST LEARNED TO DANCE / Sting / “The Last Ship”
- ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET / Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie / “Ella & Basie!”
- 7 DAYS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE / Jamie Cullum / “Catching Tales”
- MY FUNNY VALENTINE / Michelle Pfeiffer & Dave Grusin / “The Fabulous Baker Boys Soundtrack”
- WHEN I TAKE MY SUGAR TO TEA / Wilford Brimley / “Wilford Brimley with the Jeff Hamilton Trio”
- THE DOG SONG / Nellie McKay / “Get Away From Me”
- BAD INFLUENCE / (Mystery Vocalist) / Paul Shaffer / “Just Passing Through”
- MARRY THE MAN TODAY / Rebecca Kilgore / “I Like Men”
- ANYONE CAN WHISTLE / Tania Grubbs / “Lost In The Stars”
- EV’RY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE / Lady Gaga / “Cheek To Cheek”
- PARIS MISMATCH / (Theme Music) / Cody Owen Stine / (Unreleased Master)
If you can’t wait for Saturday night’s live broadcast, now you have an alternative to sitting there with a mopey expression. Listen to a Turntable For One podcast on PRX, the Public Radio Exchange. It’s as easy as clicking on a link and having a good time.
TURNTABLE FOR ONE 