In preparation for our upcoming Valentine’s Day event, we asked the performers to share their all-time favorite love songs. What do you think about this list? What would you add to it?
Artist: Jeffrey Joe
Favorite Love Song: Stardust (Music, Hoagland Carmichael / Lyrics, Mitchell Parrish)
“Some songs will take us back to a place, a time and/or a person. Stardust is about a fellow singing a song at twilight in the garden about a couple that’s been apart. He reminisces about the songs they shared. Memories of the twinkling stardust of a song that will not die. The strongest tie that still binds them together is the music they shared. We don’t know whether the couple is temporary or permanent or whether she’ll be back. I like to think that she came back and they go to smell the roses. Exit singing.”
Artist: Marilyn McPhie
Song: Moonlight and Roses (composed Edwin Lemare, below Jim Reeves recording)
“When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, my family would often take long car trips, and of course, we’d pass the time with singing. The kids would always choose songs like “The Bear Went Over the Mountain,” but my parents would always choose love songs from their courtship days. “Moonlight and Roses” was one of their favorites. My parents had good voices. My mother was a soprano and my father a bass, and they could really get into crooning the mushy love songs. They usually ended the song with a kiss — which made all of us kids groan.”
Artist: Veronica May
Song: Love (composed by Bert Kaempfert, lyrics by Milt Gabler, below Nat King Cole recording)
Artist: Sarah Saulter
Song: Evergreen (composed and performed by Barbra Streisand, lyrics by Paul Williams)
“It reminds me that in love, as in everything else, mediocrity is just one of many options. It’s up to each couple to decide how it goes for them. If we’re willing to give our attention to staying in love, and remembering why we got together in the first place, we really can make ‘each night a first, every day a beginning.'”
Artist: Lindsay White
Song: Buckets of Rain (Bob Dylan)
“This song encompasses everything I love about love and coincidentally everything I love about Bob Dylan. Love is sarcastic, silly, sexy, serious, substantial, sacrificing, simple, ‘strong and slow,’ all wrapped into one beautiful composition. Like always, Dylan says it all without saying too much. This song always makes me feel worthy of receiving love and capable of giving it.”
Join these artists and San Diego Folk Heritage on Valentine’s Day for an evening of stories and songs. For more info and tix, visit www.sdfolkheritage.org.