A music video birthday blog.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Carmen Miranda

Happy birthday to Carmen Miranda, born this day in 1909! Here's a rather spectacular and completely deranged production number, "The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat," from 1943's "The Gang's All Here." Ahh, imperialism.

Barbara Lewis

Happy birthday to Barbara Lewis, born this day in 1944! Here's a 1965 clip of her lip-synching "Baby I'm Yours."

Ernest Tubb

Happy birthday to the late Ernest Tubb, born this day in 1914! Here's a mid-'50s TV performance of "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry."

Carole King

Happy birthday to the great songwriter Carole King, born this day in 1942! Here's a circa-'72 clip of her performing "Tapestry."

Friday, February 8, 2008

Joe South

Happy birthday to Joe South, born this day in 1942! Here's a 1969 clip for "Games People Play"--lots of people have covered it, but he wrote it. Love that electric sitar...

Greta Keller

Happy birthday to the late Greta Keller, born this day in 1903! Here's a 1934 clip for "The Isle of Capri."

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo

Happy birthday to Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, born this day in 1974! Here's the Michel Gondry video for Daft Punk's "Around the World."

Thursday, February 7, 2008

King Curtis

Happy birthday to the late King Curtis, born this day in 1934! Here's a killer 1971 performance of "Memphis Soul Stew," with the inimitable Bernard Purdie on drums.

Eubie Blake

Happy birthday to the late Eubie Blake, born this day in 1887! (Some soures say 1883, but his draft card said '87.) Here's a 1923 sound film (!) of the Dixie Duo--Blake and Noble Sissle--performing "Affectionate Dan."

Steve Bronski

Happy birthday to Steve Bronski, born this day in 1960! Here's Bronski Beat's video for "Why?," from 1984.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Mamie Van Doren

Happy birthday to Mamie Van Doren, born this day in 1931! Her singing in this 1959 clip of "Hey Mama" isn't the best, but... uh, that's not the selling point.

Georgeanna Marie Tillman

Happy birthday to the late Georgeanna Marie Tillman, born this day in 1943! Here she is with the Marvelettes, performing "Too Many Fish in the Sea" on Teen Town in 1964.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

June Tyson

Happy birthday to the late June Tyson, born this day in 1936! Here's a 1980 clip of her singing "Astro Black" with the Sun Ra Arkestra.

Alex Harvey

Happy birthday to the late Alex Harvey, born this day in 1935! Here's a scathing 1973 performance of Jacques Brel's "Next" from British TV.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Marge and Mary Ann Ganser

Happy birthday to the late Marge and Mary Ann Ganser, both born this day in 1947! Here they are with the Shangri-Las, singing "Out in the Streets" in 1965.

Bernie West

Happy birthday to Bernie West of the Five Keys, born this day in 1930! Here's a 1955 film of them performing the crackpot-Orientalist #5 R&B hit "Ling Ting Tong."

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Mabel Mercer

Happy birthday to Mabel Mercer, born this day in 1900! Here she is singing "These Foolish Things"--I'd guess sometime in the early '70s.

Dave Davies

Happy birthday to Dave Davies, born this day in 1947! Here's a 1968 video of him performing "Susannah's Still Alive."

Dennis Edwards

Happy birthday to Dennis Edwards, born this day in 1943! Here's the video for his 1984 duet with Siedah Garrett, "Don't Look Any Further." What a bassline!