ABBA-Esque Music Sampler (NEW LINKS)

UPDATE: Just 1 day after re-uploading disc 2, mediafire has blocked it again, so unfortunately that spells the end of disc 2. Disc 1 remains available and downloadable.
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(Originally posted 2 June 2012)
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As a follow-up to a blog post from two years ago, I have assembled a collection of forty ABBA-esque songs. Almost all of the songs are from my personal CD collection, with a few coming from various internet blogs. I haven't anything else to add about it; the content speaks for itself. See my earlier post for a brief overview of some of the artists presented here.
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So, without further ado, here is the track listing of this two-disc compilation...
Disc 1 can be downloaded here.
DISC 2 BLOCKED PERMANENTLY. :(
The two discs can be downloaded and unpacked independently of each other.
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#	Title	Artist	Album
1.01	Angeleyes	ABBA	Voulez-Vous [1979]
1.02	Angelo	Brotherhood Of Man	Images [1977]
1.03	I’m In Love For The Very First Time	Maywood	Different Worlds [1981]
1.04	Valentino	Champagne	Champagne [1977]
1.05	Telegram	Silver Convention	Summernights [1977]
1.06	Highwayman	Brotherhood Of Man	Images [1977]
1.07	El Lute	Boney M	Oceans Of Fantasy [1979]
1.08	My Man	Luv’	With Luv’ [1978]
1.09	Make Love Whenever You Can	Arabesque	Arabesque IV [1980]
1.10	Writer Please Write Me A Song	Dolly Dots	P.S. We Love You [1981]
1.11	Jimmy	Boney M	Boonoonoonoos [1981]
1.12	Oh Boy (The Mood I’m In)	Brotherhood Of Man	Oh Boy! [1977]
1.13	Cara Mia	Baccara	Baccara [1977]
1.14	Rio	Maywood	Different Worlds [1981]
1.15	Lucifer’s Lover	Arabesque	Arabesque II: City Cats [1979]
1.16	Plantation Boy	Boney M	Love For Sale [1977]
1.17	Figaro	Brotherhood Of Man	B For Brotherhood [1978]
1.18	Viva Torero	À La Carte	Viva À La Carte [1981]
1.19	Ann-Maria	Luv’	True Luv’ [1979]
1.20	Oh Me, Oh My, Goodbye	Champagne	Champagne [1977]
2.01	Cassandra	ABBA	Single B-Side [1982]
2.02	I Know Him So Well	Elaine Paige	Chess [1984 Studio Cast]
2.03	Story Of A Heart	Benny Andersson Band Feat. Helen Sjöholm	Story Of A Heart [2010]
2.04	Since I Met You	Maywood	Different Worlds [1981]
2.05	Slowly	Frida (Of ABBA)	Shine [1984]
2.06	Mother, How Are You Today?	Maywood	Maywood [1980]
2.07	The Winner Takes It All	ABBA	Super Trouper [1980]
2.08	The Queen Of Hearts	Agnetha Fältskog (Of ABBA)	That’s Me: The Greatest Hits [1999]; Recorded 1981
2.09	Hurting Each Other	Carpenters	A Song For You [1972]
2.10	Casanova	Luv’	Lots Of Luv’ [1979]
2.11	Somewhere In Paradise	Baccara	Single B-Side [1978]
2.12	Red Indian Drums	À La Carte	Do Wah Diddy Diddy Round [1980]
2.13	Black Jack	Champagne	Single A-Side [1979]
2.14	Hooray! Hooray! It’s A Holi-Holiday!	Boney M	Oceans Of Fantasy [1979]
2.15	Give Me Back My Love	Maywood	Maywood [1980]
2.16	Lullaby	Brotherhood Of Man	Images [1977]
2.17	Wanted (Jean Le Voleur)	À La Carte	Viva À La Carte [1981]
2.18	To Turn The Stone	Frida (Of ABBA)	Something’s Going On [1982]
2.19	The Sign	Ace Of Base	The Sign [1994]
2.20	Alejandro	Lady GaGa	The Fame Monster [2009]

Batman: Score & Soundtrack Sampler 1989-2008 (NEW LINK)

(Originally Posted 28 June 2012)
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In the meantime, here is a compilation of highlights from the scores/soundtracks of Batman films from 1989's Batman through 2008's Dark Knight (excluding 1997's Batman & Robin, for which no score was released, and including 1993's animated feature Batman: Mask of the Phantasm).
Featured is music by Danny Elfman, Elliot Goldenthal, Shirley Walker, and Hans Zimmer, as well as songs by Prince, Siouxsie and the Banshees, U2, and Seal.
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I've made two different covers. I'm sorry that neither is particularly imaginative; I made them using MS Paint. You can probably tell from the first cover image who my favourite Batman was, but I'll save that discussion for later.
As for today, I hope you enjoy this mix. I tried to sequence it such that the varying styles of music would flow from one to the other more or less seamlessly. Sometimes it worked; other times not so much. In any event, I think it makes for quite an entertaining mix.
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Disc 1: Score Highlights

Tracks 1-3: Main Themes

1. Batman Theme (Batman [1989])
2. Birth Of A Penguin (Batman Returns [1992])
3. Main Title (Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm [1993])

Tracks 4-6: Bring In The Bad Guys

4. First Confrontation (Batman [1989])
5. The Joker's Big Entrance (Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm [1993])
6. Batman Vs. The Circus (Batman Returns [1992])

Tracks 7-9: "Shall We Dance?"

7. Mr. E's Dance Card (Rhumba, Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango) (Batman Forever [1995])
8. Two-Face Three Step (Batman Forever [1995])
9. Waltz To The Death (Batman [1989])

Tracks 10-12: Enter The Girl

10. Descent Into Mystery (Batman [1989])
11. First Love (Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm [1993]) 
12. Fancy Footwork (Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm [1993]) 

Tracks 13-18: Batman Springs Into Action

13. Phantasm's Graveyard Murder (Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm [1993])
14. Charge Of The Batmobile (Batman [1989])
15. Molossus (Batman Begins [2005])
16. Batman To The Rescue (Batman [1989])
17. Like A Dog Chasing Cars (The Dark Knight [2008])
18. Fledermausmarschmusik (Batman Forever [1995])

Tracks 19-22: Finale: Batman Triumphant

19. Final Confrontation (Batman Returns [1992])
20. Finale (Batman [1989])
21. Victory (Batman Forever [1995])
22. Batman Theme (Reprise) (Batman [1989])

Disc 2 (Bonus): Soundtrack Highlights

1. Partyman- Prince Feat. Anna Fantastic (Batman [1989])
2. Trust- Prince (Batman [1989])
3. Face To Face- Siouxsie & The Banshees (Batman Returns [1992])
4. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me- U2 (Batman Forever [1995])
5. Kiss From A Rose- Seal (Batman Forever [1995]
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You can download the file in ZIP format here (NEW LINK).
Enjoy!
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P.S. You can also find the original soundtrack album to the 1966 Batman TV Show on Paul Durango's Blog

Thank God It's Friday (1978): Expanded Edition (NEW LINKS)

(Originally posted 29 May 2012, Updated 30 November 2012, Updated 15 October 2016)
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As a follow-up to the Saturday Night Fever Expanded Soundtrack (posted here), and also as an homage to the late Donna Summer...
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I have assembled here an "Expanded Edition" of the "Thank God It's Friday" Soundtrack from 1978. At almost 3 hours of music, it makes for quite an awesome (if at times tedious) listening experience. Unlike my two previous mp3 posts, the majority of the songs here come from the internet (I'd like to give credit where it's due, but I no longer remember which songs are from where), while only a few come from CDs I own. The bitrate on some songs is as low as 128kbps, although I think the majority are VBR in the 250s range. Nevertheless, I think it's a nice offering, and to the best of my knowledge no other blogger has posted a similar "expanded" version of this classic album.
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Without further ado, here is the song selection...

#	Title	Artist	Length	If Different From Original:
1.01	Thank God It’s Friday	Love & Kisses	7:43	12” Extended Version
1.02	After Dark	Pattie Brooks	7:56	X
1.03	With Your Love	Donna Summer	6:06	12” Extended Remix (1978)
1.04	Last Dance	Donna Summer	8:09	12” Remix (1979)
1.05	Disco Queen	Paul Jabara	3:46	X
1.06	Find My Way	Cameo	9:04	Full-Length Album Version
1.07	Too Hot Ta Trot	The Commodores	5:38	Extended Version
1.08	Leatherman’s Theme	Wright Bros. Flying Machine	3:23	X
1.09	I Wanna Dance	Marathon	5:56	X
1.10	Brick House	The Commodores	3:44	X
2.01	Take It To The Zoo	Sunshine	7:59	X
2.02	Sevilla Nights	Santa Esmeralda	6:07	X
2.03	You’re The Most Precious Thing In My Life	Love & Kisses	7:55	X
2.04	From Here To Eternity	Giorgio Moroder	5:59	X
2.05	Do You Want The Real Thing?	D.C. LaRue	12:12	Extended Version
2.06	Trapped In A Stairway	Paul Jabara	3:23	X
2.07	Floyd’s Theme	Natural Juices	2:58	X
2.08	Lovin’, Livin’ & Givin’	Diana Ross	5:10	Extended Remix (1978)
2.09	Love Masterpiece	Thelma Houston	6:38	Extended Version
2.10	Down To Love Town	Originals	5:55	12” Version
2.11	Last Dance (Reprise)	Donna Summer	3:21	X
3.01	Je T’Aime (Moi Non Plus)	Donna Summer	15 :47	X
3.02	Romeo & Juliet Suite: Acts I & II	Alec R. Costandinos	15:15	Full-Length Album Version

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“Brick House,” “From Here To Eternity,” “Down To Love Town,” and the “Romeo & Juliet Suite” were featured in the film, but not in the original soundtrack release.

“Thank God It’s Friday,” “With Your Love,” “Last Dance,” “Find My Way,” “Too Hot Ta Trot,” “Do You Want The Real Thing,” “Lovin’, Livin’ & Givin’,” and “Love Masterpiece” are included here in alternate versions from the original soundtrack release. “Too Hot Ta Trot” was originally featured as a live recording.

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The file is split into two parts:

Download Discs 1 & 3 here (NEW LINK 10/15/16).
Download Disc 2 here.

The two parts can be downloaded and unzipped separately, and are independent of each other. Discs 1 & 3 have been removed by mediafire twice, so the re-uploaded version has track titles removed from the file names. Sorry about that, but hopefully that will make it less likely to be taken down a third time.
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Enjoy!
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And, if you like, it please leave a comment... It'll brighten up my day. :)

70s Euro Disco/Pop/Rock Sampler

Genius is one of my favourite features of iTunes. You can select any song from your music library (granted that Genius has information about that song), and it will create a playlist based on your selection. It also automatically creates genre-based 'mixes' that are (usually) spot-on. For example, based on my music library, Genius created a "Disco Mix," a "50s Oldies Mix," a "60s Mix," a "British Rock Mix," and a "Europop Mix," among others.
Usually, the song selections are awesome, even if they sometimes lack a little creativity. Every so often, a song will pop up that makes me wonder "where did that come from?" but such can be expected.
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At this point, you may be thinking, "That's nice, but what does that have to do with today's post?" 
Well, it just so happens that two Genius playlists (one for Eruption's 1978 song "One Way Ticket" and one for the George Baker Selection's 1975 "Paloma Blanca") as well as the "Europop Mix" form the basis of today's Sampler.
Some of the songs 'Genius' selected have already shown up on this blog, so I substituted other songs by the same artists.
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So, to get to the point, today's entry in the 'Sampler' series is a collection of 70s European disco, pop, and rock (I cheated slightly, as there is one song from 1980 and one from 1981). 11 of the songs are by UK artists, while the other 10 are from continental Europe. Most of the songs here were hits in some part of Europe (or elsewhere around the world) but were less successful in the United States.
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All songs are in English, with the exception of "D.I.S.C.O.," which is in its original French version, and "Byzantine Galaxy," which is an instrumental.  I have included the English version of "Moscow" not out of animosity toward the original German language version, but rather because the German Language Version I have is about 8 minutes long, and time constraints meant I included the shorter English Version
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Here is the tracklist. I have added peak chart positions when available, although much of the chart info comes from Wikipedia, so you may want to take it with a grain of salt.
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01. One Way Ticket (Eruption, Germany, 1978, 12" Extended Version)
- UK #9
02. D.I.S.C.O. (Ottawan, France, 1980, French Version)
- English Version went to UK #2 
03. One For You, One For Me (La Bionda, Italy, 1978)
- UK #54
04. I'm On Fire (5000 Volts, England, 1976)
- Germany #1, Sweden #1, UK #4, South Africa #10, US #26
- Lead singer: Tina Charles
05. I Love To Love (But My Baby Loves To Dance) (Tina Charles, England, 1976)
- UK #1 (3 weeks), Ireland #1, Sweden #2, Norway #2, US Disco #2, West Germany #6

06. Feels Like I'm In Love (Kelly Marie, Scotland, 1979) 
- UK #1 (2 weeks)
07. I'm In the Mood for Dancing (The Nolans [AKA The Nolan Sisters], Ireland/England, 1979)
- Japan #1, Ireland #2, UK #3  
08. Byzantine Galaxy (Saturn EA1, France, 1977) 
09. Moscow (Dschinghis Khan, Germany, 1979, English Version) 
10. Movie Star (Harpo, Sweden, 1975)
- Sweden #1, Australia #3 (or #2?), UK #24
- Features ABBA member Frida on backing vocals
11. Mexico (The Les Humphries Singers, Germany, 1972)
- Switzerland #1, Austria #1, Germany #2, Netherlands #2  
12. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep (Middle of the Road, Scotland, 1971)
- UK #1
- Sold 10 million copies worldwide  
13. Smile (Pussycat, Netherlands, 1976)
- One of a number of country-styled songs by this Dutch group
14. Agadou (Saragossa Band, Germany, 1981)
15. (Una) Paloma Blanca (George Baker Selection, Netherlands, 1975)
- Number 1 in Austria, Belgium, , Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland; Also US Easy Listening #1, Australia #2, UK #10, Canada #10, US #26
- Am I the only one who thinks the tune sounds like the Flintstones theme? 
16. Mexican Girl (Smokie, England, 1978)
- Germany #1, Austria #2, Netherlands #11, UK #19  
17. Lost In France (Bonnie Tyler, Wales, 1976)
- South Africa #2, Germany #3, UK #9, Austria #12, Sweden #13  
18. Juke Box Jive (The Rubettes, England, 1975)
- UK #3  
19. Billy, Don't Be A Hero (Paper Lace, England, 1974)
- UK #1, US #96
- A version of this song by Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods went to #1 in the US and Canada the same year 
20. Fox on the Run (Sweet, England, 1974)
- Australia #1, Germany #1, UK #2, Netherlands #2, Norway #2, US #5 
21. Glass of Champagne (Sailor, England, 1975)
- UK #2
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Get it here!

Country Ladies Sampler (REVISED & EXPANDED)

(Originally published 24 June 2012 with a shorter track listing) 
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Here I have assembled a collection of songs by female country artists. The track list is perhaps a bit predictable, but it's meant primarily as an introduction to country music for those not very familiar with the genre. I have a soft spot for female vocals in general, and that is no less true when country music is concerned.
The songs here range from the well-known to the relatively obscure, and are primarily from my personal CD collection, although a decent number come from the now defunct blog "TJ's House of Country Music."
The styles range from "lounge country" to "country pop" to "pure country." Some of the earlier songs lack the "twang" or "country-ness" of the songs from the mid-60s and on, but they are still highly enjoyable (and were quite influential in their time).
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DISC ONE (1950-1976)
01. The Tennessee Waltz (Patti Page, 1950)
02. I'm Sorry (Brenda Lee, 1960)
03. I Fall to Pieces (Patsy Cline, 1961)
04. The End of the World (Skeeter Davis, 1962)
05. Crazy (Patsy Cline, 1961)
06. Queen of the House (Jody Miller, 1965)
07. You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man (Loretta Lynn, 1966)
08. Ode to Billie Joe (Bobbie Gentry, 1967)
09. Act Naturally (Jody Miller, 1965)
10. D-I-V-O-R-C-E (Tammy Wynette, 1968)
11. It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (Kitty Wells, 1968)
12. Harper Valley P.T.A. (Jeannie C. Riley, 1968)
13. Promises, Promises (Lynn Anderson, 1968)
14. Billy Bayou (The Anita Kerr Singers, 1968)
- Source: Lounge Legends
15. Johnny One Time (Brenda Lee, 1969)
16. Stand By Your Man (Tammy Wynette, 1969)
17. Coal Miner's Daughter (Loretta Lynn, 1970)
18. Rose Garden (Lynn Anderson, 1970)
19. Coat of Many Colors (Dolly Parton, 1971)
20. Delta Dawn (Tanya Tucker, 1972)
21. Danny's Song (Anne Murray, 1972)
22. The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. (Donna Fargo, 1972)
23. Country Sunshine (Dottie West, 1973)
24. I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton, 1974)
25. Together Again (Emmylou Harris, 1975)
26. Please Mr. Please (Olivia Newton-John, 1975)
27. Silver Threads & Golden Needles (Linda Ronstadt, 1976)

DISC TWO (1977-2010 + Bonus Duets)
01. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue (Crystal Gayle, 1977)
02. Mississippi (Pussycat, 1976) 
03. You Needed Me (Anne Murray, 1978)
04. Two More Bottles of Wine (Emmylou Harris, 1978)
05. Sleeping Single in a Double Bed (Barbara Mandrell, 1978)
06. Blanket on the Ground (Billie Joe Spears, 1979)
07. Everybody's Somebody's Fool (Debby Boone, 1979)
08. Angel of the Morning (Juice Newton, 1981)
09. In My Dreams (Emmylou Harris, 1984)
10. Fancy (Reba McEntire, 1990)
11. She Is His Only Need (Wynona Judd, 1992)
12. You're Still the One (Shania Twain, 1998)
13. Wide Open Spaces (The Dixie Chicks, 1998)
14. I Need You (LeAnn Rimes, 2000)
15. The First Cut is the Deepest (Sheryl Crow, "Country Version," 2003)
16. White Horse (Taylor Swift, 2008)
17. Need You Now (Lady Antebellum, 2010)
*** Bonus Duets ***
18. My Elusive Dreams (David Houston & Tammy Wynette, 1967)
19. Medley: I Say A Little Prayer/By The Time I Get To Phoenix (Ann Murray & Glen Campbell, 1971)
20. Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man (Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn, 1973)
21. Golden Ring (George Jones & Tammy Wynette, 1976)
22. To Know Him is to Love Him (Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, 1987)
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Enjoy!

6 November Election Results & Reactions

I'd like to briefly discuss the election results and my reactions. The information here is accurate as of 20h00ish Central European Time.

PRESIDENCY
Well, I'm sure you all know how the presidential election went.
Although Obama won by a significant number of electoral votes (303 to 206, with Florida's 29 also leaning toward Obama), his win in terms of the popular vote was much slimmer (~60,199,510 [50.4%] to ~57,475,358 [48.1%]). In fact, at at least one point in the night it looked like he would win the electoral college but lose the popular vote as happened with Bush in 2000.
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As expected, Romney carried the South and much of the middle of the country, with Obama winning the West Coast and the North-East (and it looks like Obama will carry Florida by a margin of 0.6%).
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Perhaps tellingly, Romney lost in Massachusetts, where he served as governor from '03 to '07 (and Elizabeth Warren beat incumbent Scott Brown in her bid for Senator for Massachusetts). In fact, he lost all three states where he has residences (MA, NH, CA). His strongest win was Utah, which he (unsurprisingly) carried by a margin of almost 3:1.
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Obama's strongest percentage win was in his birth state of Hawaii, which he carried by about 70%.
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I probably should have paid closer attention to pre-election polling, as I didn't think the election would be nearly as close as it turned out to be, but ultimately I'm happy with the Obama win.
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(Election Map as of 21:42 CET, from Huffington Post)
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CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS
With 100% of Precincts reporting, the California proposition results are more or less final. I am very critical in general of the proposition system, but I feel relatively good about the results.
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Throughout most of the night, it looked like Prop 30 ("Temporary Taxes to Fund Education") was going to fail, but ultimately it passed by ~54% to ~46%. I am happy that it passed, and I am also happy that Prop 38 failed ~28% to ~72%.
Prop 30 is essential to next year's public school budget and will prevent further cuts to education.
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Propositions 35 ("Human Trafficking"), 36 ("Three Strikes Law"), and 39 ("Business Tax for Energy Funding") passed, and although I supported them all, they were less important to me than Prop 34 ("Death Penalty") and 37 ("Genetically Engineered Foods Labelling"), both of which unfortunately failed.
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Prop 34 would have repealed the death penalty and replaced it with life imprisonment without the chance of parole. It failed ~47% to ~53%. Prop 37 would have required "labelling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways,"and would have prohibited advertising such food as “natural.” It failed by about the same margin as Prop 34 did.
Well, at least my home county of Los Angeles voted in support of both propositions.
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COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
In Los Angeles County, Measure B ("Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry"), which I supported, passed by ~56% to ~44%. Measure J ("MTA Sales Tax Continuance"), which I also supported, passed ~65% to ~35%. 
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MARRIAGE EQUALITY
In a historical turn of events, voters in both Maine and Maryland chose to legalise Same-Sex Marriage, and it looks like a similar measure in Washington State will win as well (due to the vote-by-mail system in Washington, we won't know for another day or two). Minnesota voters narrowly defeated Amendment 1, which would have defined marriage in that state as the union of one man and one woman.
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Before this election, voters in 32 states have voted against same-sex marriage in one manner or another (by law, constitutional amendment, or by failing to approve a marriage law passed by a legislature). This is the first time same-sex marriage has won at the ballot box, and what a win it was!
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- Maine: Question 1 passed (53%-47%), reversing a November 2009 referendum that had narrowly rejected a state law legalising same-sex marriage.
- Maryland: Question 6 passed (52%-48%), approving a state law legalising same-sex marriage that was passed in February 2012. Marriage licenses will be issued starting 1 January 2012
- Washington: With 51% reporting, Washington voters appear to approve a state law passed in February legalising same-sex marriage.
- Minnesota: Amendment 1 failed, with "yes" votes (i.e. anti-same-sex marriage) receiving ~48% and "no" votes receiving ~51%.
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Currently six states (plus Washington DC and two Native American tribes) provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and with Maine, Maryland, and (hopefully) Washington joining them, that makes nine states! How long will it take to get into the double digits? ;)
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MARIJUANA
In another historical move, voters in Washington and Colorado approved propositions to decriminalise recreational marijuana use, a move that will certainly lead to a clash with the federal government, which considers marijuana an illegal drug. It was for this reason that I voted against a similar measure in California in 2010, but I now regret that vote as I recognise the symbolic importance of such a victory.
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(I know people often lie and say they have never smoked weed before, but in my case it really is true; for better or worse, I have never smoked marijuana. Although I have no interest in smoking it myself, I see no reason for it to be illegal to those who do wish to.)
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- Colorado: Amendment 64 will allow adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, but they may not use it in public. People may also grow up to six marijuana plants in a private, secure area.
- Washington: By a vote of 55%-45%, voters approved Measure 502, which creates a state-licensed system of marijuana growth and sale and would allow for the purchase of up to an ounce by an adult.
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THE END
The take-home message from this is "Cali, get with the program!" Hehe