Classic Tune of the Week: 3. Bossa Nova Baby, by Elvis Presley (1963)

Sorry its a bit late this week. This time its a golden oldie from the King of Rock & Roll himself, Elvis Presley, although its one of his lesser known pieces. Originally written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for the 1963 film, Fun in Acapulco, for a scene in which Elvis performs on stage, Bossa Nova Baby is a gloriously fun and catchy little number that always brings a smile to my face and a puts spring in my step, everytime it pops up on the iPod. I hope you enjoy it too.

First, here's the original studio version:

Bossa Nova Baby by Elvis Presley (1963)

Secondly, here's a good modern remix, which I also like, even if the original still comes off better I think:

Classic Tune of the Week: 2. Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV Theme), by Christopher Gunning (1989)

I make no secret of the fact that I'm a big fan of TV Drama, and Detective Shows in particular. My favourite of all of these is the long running ITV series of adaptions of Agatha Christie's Poirot stories, simply known as Agatha Christie's Poirot, and has been going since 1989, with all of them starring the fantastic actor David Suchet as the famous fictional Belgian detective. However, one of the other mostly regular parts of the show is Christopher Gunning's original soundtrack, lovingly and artistically crafted, while also very effectively reflecting the various moods, suspense, mystery and deadly danger that these stories weave with an expert musical talent that stands out from the crowd. I love a lot of Christopher Gunning's music, but by far his most memorable and my personal favourite is all his work on Poirot. It's a fantastic throwback to the romantic music of the early Twentieth Century, when Jazz was making its mark, but while Classical music was still very prominent in the culture of the time. Rachmaninov and Gershwin were the famous composers of the day, and a lot of Gunning's music for Poirot is a loving homage to that period, the period that a lot of the Poirot stories are set, in the mid-1930s. As a fan of this period of music myself, I loved it straight away, but I think Christopher Gunning's music stands up brilliantly on its own anyway.

I wish there were youtube links of more interesting Poirot music, than just the theme, but it is a superb introduction to the style and quality of music Christopher Gunning made for the show. Enjoy.

Agatha Christie's Poirot (Main Theme - "The Belgian Detective), by Christopher Gunning (1989)

Classic Tune of the Week: 1. The Bump, by The Haggis Horns (2007)

To help keep the blog busy, here's a new feature I've thought up. Being a passionate music fan (of several genres) and a worker in Radio, I like and love a lot of tracks from across the decades and genres, and my iPod is practically heaving full of pieces. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how much great music I continue to discover both old and new as every month passes.

So in short, I thought it might be good to share with you some of my eclectic musical tastes. The first track I've chosen this week is a funk track called:

The Bump, by The Haggis Horns (2007)

I hope the video works, if not, then just use the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItvQH4dDOc4

When I first heard it, I couldn't believe it was only recorded in 2007. Sure, the recording is sharp, and the tune is fresh to the ears, but the piece is perfectly composed in the classic funk style of the early 1970s, that one would tell little difference between this and the classic originals, some of which have been remastered already, and sound equally clear and sharp to the ear. The Haggis Horns are definitely a band to keep an ear out for, especially if you love funk music like I do. One of the exciting things about twenty first century music is how older music genres are having big new resurges in creativity, and come back sounding as good as ever. Fortunately, the increase in access to non-chart music via both the Internet and online music download shop sites like iTunes have helped music lovers like myself to find out and hear these wonderful new musicians that would otherwise be buried under the now faltering empires of the big record label companies.