Seasons of the Ukulele

A weekly song challenge for ukulele players - all welcome. Find out more here

Season 715 : Songs In The Key Of Stevie!

CanadaJim

I recorded this a couple of days back, but realised that I had to wait till today to post it.

The Skeleton In The Closet - Arthur Johnston & Johnny Burke
I think I learned this from the Original Sloth Band, or some band with Ken & Chris Whiteley in it, maybe the Junior Jug Band?**

joo

Hey John i was trying to write an acrostic poem when i first saw your theme, but abandoned the idea very quickly 'cause i thought it was stupid.

I finished it this morning and recorded it. Haha.

UkeCan1

A decade ago, a friend suggested I should mash up the "wonderful world" songs. Till that moment it hadn't occurred to me there were two of them.

Here's "Wonderful Worlds Collide" - Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World" vs Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".

The weather is sub-wonderful at the moment - big storm just started - so I used the last few minutes of calm to soothe myself singing about the wonderful world we are blessed with.

BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) missed the call on this one … but thankfully Higgins Storm Chasing was all over it.

OneManAndHisPGUke

Morning Seasonistas! Happy 1st of November. Some great songs have come in since I last spoke to you. Two spooky ones from Alan, another fine What A Wonderful World from the good Doctor, Potmo was Signed, Sealed and Delivered with a Rufus style take n this Stevie classic, Joo kindly posted a lovely original of Wee Ginga Rob’s to remind us that Rob is just bloody great, very original and groovy, you’re missed Rob, it wasn’t specifically recorded for the Season but I’ve put it on the playlist anyway, because I’m the host, so I can 😅. Hope you don’t mind Rob if you’re watching this. Jim gave us a fine Steve Goodman/ John Prine song in a classic Country style and also brought a fun spooky song about a skeleton getting his freak on at a party. Joo then brought a very sweet little poem of Wonder, and Wendy sheltered from stormy skies but reminded us that mash ups contribute to a Wonderful World. Wonderful, wondrous entries all. Catch you later folks. Some good egg chasing sport on today with England taking on our antipodean cousins in both codes. In Union we should beat the Wallabies, but they’ve had a turn around in form in recent years…as for League and the Kangaroos, well……let us pray 🙏😂 🏉

LimousinLil

OneManAndHisPGUke Rob is still around … I came across him recently, reciting a poem; something he's always done beautifully. It was great to exchange a few words - to be honest, I've been really concerned about him since he disappeared; not least because it happened at the time I got us chucked off the "old" forum, so I felt mainly responsible! I made sure that I was subscribed to his channel … and now I can't find it to pass on the link. Anyway, if you ARE out there, Rob … you are loved and missed!

LimousinLil

And, hello again, John! I WAS intending to do a song for Halloween, but I was under the impression that 31st October was today … so that was that! Actually, here in France - well, I suppose everywhere else - today is All Saints' Day and here it's a public holiday; which might be why I was confused. Anyway, having missed out on a Halloween song, I remembered this one, which fits the week's theme. It's a song I've always loved, but I had no idea until now that Don McLean actually wrote it as a tribute to Fred Astaire. The very wonderful Mr. Astaire materialised on the stairs to accompany the very unwonderful me in my attempts to play it.

While I'm here, which I sort of am, I want to apologise to everyone who's been kind enough to listen to anything I've done recently and commented … I'm trying to catch up on my replies. To be honest, every time I go online, I get distracted by the news, after which I don't feel cheerful enough to do anything uke-related! I'm probably not unique in this at the moment, but it makes me feel that I'm being very rude. My apologies to everybody!

uke4ia

"Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder

I've had a bad head cold that kept me from getting this one done for a couple of days now. But I managed to get a reasonable take done tonight.

uke4ia

"Look at Me, I'm Wonderful" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

joo

hey John!

I tried singing Overjoyed. I think i can't sing it in tune in some parts of the song. But I tried!

This was a test video as you can see the framing is out! I tried a couple more times again and the more I tried singing the more I think I can't sing it. So I am using this first version I tried. To cover the space on the right I put an animation I made over.

Oh and I used a free camera to film this! Someone had put it in a box of Free Stuff ! I like the video and audio quality. Sometimes, I feel if the recording quality is low it can maybe cover up the poor playing and singing. LOL

OneManAndHisPGUke

Morning Seasonistas, or Sneezonistas for those of you suffering from colds. And thank you to Jim for bringing a storming version of Higher Ground which I think makes 3 songs off Stevie’s classic Innervisions elpee, and then something a bit more left field as only Jim can do with a cover of a Bonzos song. Then Joo brought her soft sweet cover of Overjoyed, which I think the free camera worked perfectly for. Still a good few hours to bring some songs. I’m sure Ralf and Sabine will be along before too long! Catch you later folks. Have a good day wherever you be.

UkeCan1

Here's about as perfect a twofer as exists, I reckon - a song about three generations of bootleggers with the same name, by a Steve.

Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" … which would make an amazing movie.

CanadaJim

Here's a last one for me John.

Oh Susanna - Stephen Foster.
We're on our way out the door to the cottage, but Maggie just reminded me that Stephen Foster songs should qualify, so here's one by Stevie Foster

OnlyUkeThatMatters

I had to slow "Part-Time Lover" one way down to Ralf tempo (and cut out nearly all of Wonder's bouncing scat singing) to record this 80s soul pop gem…

Scribe

Hello John, Thank you for hosting Season 715. I appreciated your original theme and the opportunity to share a Stevie Wonder song. I don't often post videos so I enjoyed your responses to the videos that were shared. Although I tripped and fell and broke my right hand pinkie five weeks ago, I was able to use my three other fingers to strum my uke. You'll see my wrapped fingers in parts of my video. I hope that your ankle is healing well and you'll be back to walking and running as before.

UkeCan1

Have we heard from Stevie Nicks yet? If not, I'm here to rectify that, in the "nick" of time!

Here's another perfect twofer:

"Without a Leg to Stand On" by Buckingham Nicks

I never heard of this song before today - another gift of the Seasons!

hands_on_lanzon

thanks for hosting, John, and for inspiring me to push myself with another Stevie song, and for encouraging me to share it here.

it's been too long! I miss you folks and still pop by for your great music and inspiration.

*insert kind bow 🙇‍♂️

Here's a rough go at Stevie Wonder's Knocks Me Off My Feet.

i'm glad to finally learn this one and hope I can keep polishing it and keep it in my bag.

OneManAndHisPGUke

Morning Seasonistas and thank you to everyone who has contributed overnight. Wendy brought not one but two twofers! One from Steve Earle ( Copperhead Road, a classic), and one from Stevie Nicks, and Lindsay ( Without A Leg To Stand On), Jim brought a fine take on Oh Susannah. Ralf reggaed out to Part Time Lover, and Charldene weighed in with a further Stevie Wonder song, a lovely take on I Just Called To Say I Love You. And fittingly, we closed out the Season with Chris’ lovely take on Stevie’s Knocks Me Off My Feet from Songs In The Key Of Life. Thank you all of you who have taken part this week. I’ll be back later this week with a wrap of some sort. Keep uke-ing dudes!!

MsBean

I was going to bring Oh Susanna! but Jim beat me to it. I hope the Camptown Races will do for this week.

The sheet music:

https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection/067/015

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