What do Taylor Hicks, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix
and Michael Buble have in common?
The obvious is talent, creativity, personality
and presence.
Today's blog is dedicated to friends and friendship, (crazy and otherwise) with some great music to listen to and a very eclectic selection of videos, including 2 new ones I have created :-)
The common denominator??
Taylor, Elton, Jimi and Michael are all singing here today to and about friends so make yourself comfy and enjoy!
(Don't forget to click on the audio player to pause it in the side-bar)
"Anybody here have any crazy friends?"
~Taylor Hicks~
Remember the first time we all heard Taylor ask that question?!?
Some of us were doing the pointing and some of us were being pointed at :-)
Taylor Hicks ~ "My Friend"
An original tune from his album 'Under The Radar' (2005)
Live at the Beacon Theater, NY (April 2007)
video capture by lacilovebug
(Thank You!)
A good friend is like a wonderful book,
the inside is better than the cover.
Elton John ~ Making "Friends"
This is a video montage I recently created about making friends.
(The pretty girl you will see towards the end, she's my baby girl)
"Friends" (1971) was a project Elton John
and Bernie Taupin (lyrics) took on before
their breakout success in the United States.
It was recorded as the soundtrack to the film Friends, and
was a minor hit in the U.S. (#34 on the pop chart).
What is a friend?
A single soul in two bodies.
This recording of Jimi Hendrix's bluesy
"My Friend" combines a humorous song with
sound effects to create a bar or nightclub atmosphere.
"My Friend" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix in New York City in 1968.
The song was first released in 1971 on the posthumous album 'The Cry of Love' and later appeared on the CD 'First Rays of the New Rising Sun'.
(It was mixed posthumously by Hendrix's engineer Eddie Kramer.)
Because it was left unreleased at the time it was recorded, some people have raised doubts if Hendrix had ever intended to use that song on any of his albums.
Michael Buble's "Feeling Good"
My latest video creation is an animated get-well message filled with feel better hugs for friends.
(dedicated to Karin, she's a good egg)
Michael's "Feeling Good" is a wicked jazz tune from his album 'It's Time'.
IMO Mr. Buble's version is the best sung and arranged (David Foster) version of this number that dates back to the 1965 musical 'The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd'.
That's it my friends, MY last video for today!
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is great love, warmth, feeling and forgiveness.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam cara (soul friend).
A video response from my anam cara Karin!
Michael Buble and Blake Shelton (Michael's new best friend) duet together in Nashville singing "Home".
While this wasn't the special guest we were hoping for nevertheless this was fantastic!
Today's cup of karmaWhen the power of love,
overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace.
~Jimmy Hendrix~
Have a Bloomin' wonderful day My Friends,
hope you enjoyed the view!
~Bloom~
5 comments:
Do you suppose that if the timing was right that these four talented musicians might have been good friends? I often wonder how it is that some friends just suddenly appear in our lives.
They say that we can't choose our family but we can choose our friends and yet, I have found over the past two years that my "new" friends have been "chosen" for me.
It is even more curious to me that these "new" friends are people whom I have never sat down and shared a meal with - with the exception of one particular friend. My "friends" and I have spoken through the written word and we have had the pleasure of exploring our similiarities without "face to face" encounters. This is quite surreal to me but, perhaps, it is just one of those things that was meant to be through our common interest - music and of course, Taylor Hicks.
My "friends" are always there when I need them. They know when I am feeling discouraged without me telling them that I am. A very special friend put her own needs aside one day and spent the afternoon put together a "Get Well" video because she knew it would bring a smile to my face.
Friends quite often put others' needs before their own. Common interests such as love of music and admiration of very talented musicians can cement new bonds forever. Music is the language of friendships, don't you think?
Now, I did come across something the other night that just made me smile from ear to ear. Two musicians who met for the first time and yet they became "fast" friends because of their enjoyment of a particular song. Who knows what will become of this friendship but I know one thing - it is a genuine admiration for one another. They respect one another's talent - there is no jealousy here. Is it possible that through some gifted musicians who seem to have much in common that we might, once again, witness the re-birth of the Rat Pack? I can definitely think of some very real possibilities ... it could happen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9rAfGmZeA
Is this the key to a good friendship? No jealousy - simple acceptance of one another's talents and a willingness to promote a friend's gifts with absolutely no ulterior motive? Recognizing through written words that your friend needs your support? So, bottom line - is it possible that friendship is one soul in two bodies - stranger things have happened.
Whatever the reasons; whatever your beliefs, I do think that there is definitely some karmic activity at work here because I cannot explain why these "new" friendships have become so dear to me. No man is an island - everyone needs someone. Living a life without friends who will lift you up when you need the support, who will accept and love you for who you are and who will always be there at the other end of a computer or telephone when there is a need and they will understand the words you may not say - rhis is a gift that we must remember to appreciate and enjoy because we never know when our friend will inspire us to do something exciting and outside of the "box"!
I do hope that I am a good friend too - the ideal friendships travel a two way street and the common goal is happiness and understanding.
Bloom, you always amaze me with your blog topics! Your friendship is a priceless commodity and yet, it is one of my most prized possessions.
I don't know which carries the greater message - Bloom's blog entry or KarinP's response! That's a first for me!
I don't recall ever having "friends without faces" at any point in my life, but today I call quite a few of my internet buddies friends. We've never met but we "chat" as if we've known each other forever.
There are people that I've traveled with that I met less than 2 years ago. And I look forward to those trips, and trips to meet even more of those friends whose faces I've yet to see.
Could it be the bond with Taylor Hicks, his charima that has spawned these friendships? Probably.
But you're right, to have friends, you have to be a friend. And to be a friend, you have to be comfortable with yourself. And will to give when you least expect it!
Thanks a great look at an interesting subject! Love you both!
Bloom, thank you for embedding the Buble/Shelton video. I did not understand what you meant by "anam cara" so, of course I googled it.
What came up actually was quite amazing:
http://justagirlintheworld.com/anam-cara-the-friend-of-your-soul/
Anam Cara - The Friend of Your Soul
In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul love; “Anam Cara” may sound like some new French perfume, but it actually refers to the Celtic spiritual belief of souls connecting and bonding .
In Celtic Spiritual tradition, it is believed that the soul radiates all about the physical body what some refer to as an aura. When you connect with another person and become completely open and trusting with that individual, your two souls begin to flow together.
Should such a deep bond be formed, it is said you have found your “Anam Cara” or soul friend.
Your “Anam Cara” always accepts you as you truly are, holding you in beauty and light. In order to appreciate this relationship, you must first recognize your own inner light and beauty. This is not always easy to do. The Celts believed that forming an “Anam Cara” friendship would help you to awaken your awareness of your own nature and experience the joys of others.
The “Anam Cara” was originally someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life. With the “Anam Cara”, you could share your innermost self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an “Anam Cara”, your friendship cut across all convention, morality and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul”. The Celtic understanding did not set limitations of space or time on the soul. There is no cage for the soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your Other.
This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship. When you love, you open your life to an Other. All your barriers are down. Your protective distances collapse. This person is given absolute permission to come into the deepest temple of your spirit. Your presence and life can become their ground. It takes great courage to let someone so close. Where a friendship recognizes itself as a gift, it will remain open to its own ground of blessing….. When you are blessed with an “Anam Cara”, the Irish believe, you have arrived at that most sacred place: home. This bond between friends is indissoluble: “This, I say, is what is broken by no chances, what no interval of time or space can sever or destroy, and what even death itself cannot part”.
~ from “Anam Cara…Wisdom from the Celtic World“, by John O’Donohue
My St. Patrick’s Day wish for you is that you have found your Anam Cara. Like an ice cold pint of Guiness - everyone should have one!
Sorry this is so long but I was absolutely fascinated with this quote from the article:
When you are blessed with an “Anam Cara”, the Irish believe, you have arrived at that most sacred place: home.
Isn't it interesting how the above quote ties in beautifully with the video you so graciously embedded for me. The song "Home" is precisely the reason why Blake Shelton became Michael Buble's new best friend. I think this is one of those "lightbulb" moments.
Mandy, you have travelled many miles and made so many new friends. While you and I have not yet met "face to face", I am hoping that some time this year through a Taylor Hicks' concert we will finally meet and realize that we have known each other all along.
Is this the key to a good friendship?
No jealousy - simple acceptance of one another's talents and a willingness to promote a friend's gifts with absolutely no ulterior motive?
Recognizing through written words that your friend needs your support?
So, bottom line - is it possible that friendship is one soul in two bodies - stranger things have happened.
You have hit the nail right on the head Karin and yes it is not only possible ... it is fact!
I see in your last post that you had to google "anam cara" to see what I was talking about ... lol sorry I thought that soul friend said it all!
I've talked about the importance of the new friends I now have in my life in several of my blogs ... I keep coming back to it, because they are such an integral part of everyday for me.
They inspire me, they challenge me, they support me and most importantly they understand.
We've shared laughter, tears, fears, heartache and joy.
And always our unconditional support of Taylor and his music.
Never ever question whether you are a good friend ... your friendship has been one of the greatest gifts that Taylor has given to me!
Aw Mandy we love you too, and I'm excited about the possibility that we might be getting together for a concert soon ... woo hoo!
I find it simply amazing to think about the connections and new friends we have all made across the country and even across the border because of one man and his music.
I would have never believed that one person could have such a profound effect and wonder if he knows just how much he has touched and changed our lives.
Karin, the "Home" video does indeed tie in perfectly and thank you for the article describing anam cara, it's a beautiful word isn't it?
Did I ever tell you I'm part Irish by the way?
While I'll pass on the Guiness, I have been blessed my friend !
BLOOMY you out did yourself on this one.. I had tears in my eyes..
At the end of the day few people end up with momuments in stone and even they crumble away..
I read the signs that say
Strom Thurmond Highway in SC.
He was the long time senior senator from the state and lived to be over 100.
He was in politics for most of the 20th century...
In a few years NO one will know who he was..
He will become an obscure footnote..
SO even VERY important people are soon forgotten..
My students have only the vaguest
idea about GEORGE WASHINGTON EVEN.
The point of the historical exposition is THAT you are SO right..
IT IS ONLY THE HEARTS THAT WE TOUCH THAT MATTER...
BOTH of you TOUCH my heart.
and I love you both...
HOW fortunate I am to count
you as my friends..
YOU do great work together..
DON'T STOP..
to quote a song from TAYLOR's AI Finale.
Much love, Allyn
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