DAILY DIRT: Waking up to the right kind of music can be like … ummm, walking on sunshine?

Daily Dirt for Monday, Sept. 5, 2022

Plus, a little Doris Day “Que Sera Sera” would not hurt anyone in the mornings … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 388 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Ever need a little pick-me-up to get going in the morning? (Or afternoon, depending when you get up, of course.)

For me, that pick-me-up is normally a series of tunes, or possibly a box of Ho-Hos, depending on my mood. And not just any tunes, but specific classics from even more specific genres. And the day of the week also plays a big role. For example, Monday mornings (or afternoons) often require a little extra revving.

Here are the classics most often heard at the chateau de Eighinger after the alarm awakens the man of the house:

• “Walking on Sunshine,” Katrina and the Waves (1983): The ’80s have some great wake-up songs, and when a video is needed as well, this one’s a must. The red high-tops Katrina wears are the best.
• “Listen to the Music,” Doobie Brothers (1972): You’ll be up and at ’em singing along with the Doobies before you hit the five-more-minutes button on the alarm clock.
• “Flashdance … What a Feeling,” Irene Cara (1983): Another ’80s song that is perfect for the mornings. The slow buildup of the song is perfect getting out of the sack, wiuping the sleep away from your eyes, and then right about when you are fully awake … it’s ‘WHAT A FEELING!”
• “Hungry Eyes,” Eric Carmen (1987): I purposely saved the best for last, the perfect Friday morning wake-up song. The “Dirty Dancing” film did not provide future generations with much, but we’ll always have this classic, not to mention the scene where Jennifer Grey crawls on her hands and knees across the floor to Patrick Swayze. By the time you are exiting the front door, the day will be yours, my friend. The day will be yours.

And in addition, here’s a couple of miscellaneous songs that are great for weekends when you’re in the early stages of leaving slumberland:

“Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be),” Doris Day (1956): Oh come on, who doesn’t appreciate a little bit of 1950s Doris Day while rising and shining on a September weekend? Or possibly, the mellow sounds of …

“I’m Easy,” Keith Carradine (1975): If you have never seen the classic “Nashville” movie, it’s worth it just to hear this song.

2. Those of you who grew up watching “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson probably remember Doc Severinsen, the flamboyant band leader and trumpet player.

Although leaving the “The Tonight Show” in 1992, Severinsen never retired — until last week.

Severinsen, 95, played his final concert in Saratoga Springs, N,Y. the night of Aug. 30. 

Carson also left the “The Tonight Show” in 1992, retiring after 30 years behind the NBC microphone. Carson died in early 2005 at age 79.

3. Here’s today’s contribution to your pop music knowledge:

Bruce Springsteen has never had a No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Among his dozen top-10 hits was “Dancing in the Dark,” which was No. 2 for four weeks in 1984 behind Prince’s “When Doves Cry.” Springsteen, however, wrote a No. 1 song, “Blinded by the Light,” which Manfred Mann’s Earth Band took to the top in 1977.

And for those wondering, Springsteen’s iconic “Born to Run” peaked at No. 23 in 1975.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — A Springsteen concert in the late 1980s ranks as the No 4 such event I have been fortunate enough to attend. Here’s my all-time top five: 1. All Rod Stewart concerts, 2. Oak Ridge Boys, 3. Alabama, 4. The Boss, 5. Milli Vanilli.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Of course, he saw Milli Vanilli in concert.