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Song of the Day #5,994: ‘Lead the Way’ – Jhené Aiko

This year, my movie project was to watch all 64 Disney Animation feature films, from 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to this year’s Moana 2. It took me about 11 months to finish the job.

Over the next two weeks, I’ll count down my top ten of those films and offer up some other lists and thoughts on the catalog as a whole.

In compiling this list, I tried not to give any deference to historical importance. Snow White might be a groundbreaking achievement in the art form, one that paved the path for nine decades of excellence, but it’s a rather dull movie.

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Song of the Day #5,993: ‘Ringo’ – Lorne Greene

The 60s were a strange time, when Bonanza‘s Ben Cartwright could score a #1 hit with a spoken-word country and western song. That’s exactly what Lorne Greene did the week of December 1, 1964, when his ‘Ringo’ topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week.

Accompanied by a promotional recording explaining that the song was not about The Beatles’ drummer, this tale of the bond between a gunslinger and a lawman became an unexpected hit for a man whose other musical attempts were largely met with crickets.

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Song of the Day #5,992: ‘Teach Me Tonight’ – The DeCastro Sisters

Throwing back to the week of November 30, 1954, we find The Chordettes atop the Billboard chart with ‘Mister Sandman,’ followed by two more repeats: Eddie Fisher’s ‘I Need You Now‘ and Rosemary Clooney’s ‘This Ole House.’

In the fourth spot, on the way to a peak at #2, was ‘Teach Me Tonight’ by The DeCastro Sisters, a trio of Cuban-born siblings. This was the fifth version of the song to land on a Billboard chart between 1954 and 1955, and the one that made it the farthest.

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Song of the Day #5,991: ‘Slipping My Mind’ – Michael Penn

Husband of Aimee Mann, brother of Chris and Sean, talented singer-songwriter Michael Penn… now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.

To be fair, Penn did show up on a couple of Random Weekends about five years ago, so I’ve at least encountered him more recently than the others I’ve featured this week. But here’s a guy I used to listen to religiously, somebody with a sound and perspective that really hit home for me.

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Song of the Day #5,990: ‘Cathedrals’ – Jump, Little Children

Jump, Little Children, the North Carolina indie rock band that expanded on the typical guitar, bass and drums lineup with a cello and accordion… now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.

I was a big fan of the band’s first four releases, including a collection of demos from 1995. Their major-label debut, 1998’s Magazine, was the one that really caught my attention, with its interesting blend of instruments and lead singer Jay Clifford’s unique voice.

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