Heart Banter by David Gittlin

Love's Joys and Sorrows Explored in "Sky Blue And Black"

“Sky Blue and Black” is an emotional roller coaster, looking back on the joys and sorrows of love and its lasting impact. Jackson Browne wrote the song over four years and released it on his album “I’m Alive” in 1992. The source material comes from Jackson’s relationship with a famous actress. However, Browne never wants his songs to be identified with his specific life events, so he rarely speaks about his real-life relationships, especially in the context of his music. “It’s a drag even to imagine that people are thinking about [the] relationship instead of their own lives,” Jackson told the Los Angeles Times. “I think if a song is any good, eventually it’ll turn out to be about the life of the listener and not about the life of the writer. Anyway, that’s my hope.” Enjoy my revised version of “Sky Blue and Black” with background instrumentation.

How An 18 Year-Old Songwriter Became A Superstar

Cat Stevens wrote “The First Cut Is The Deepest” when he was eighteen. At the time, he had no intention of becoming a worldwide star performer. He sold the song for thirty pounds to P.P. Arnold, a soul singer who lived near him in London. She released “The First Cut Is The Deepest” on her first album. It reached #18 on the U.K. charts in 1967. Eventually, Rod Stewart and Sheryl Crow covered the song, making it a major hit in America. Stevens released his version of the song on his debut album, New Masters. Because he never released “The First Cut Is the Deepest” as a single, the album went largely unnoticed. Despite his shyness, Stevens’ songwriting and singing burst through to make him an international star in the music industry. I’m using Stevens’ version in my cover.

Honoring Love: "I'll Never Find Another You."

The Seekers are an Australian band formed in 1962. The Folk and Gospel group achieved the zenith of their popularity in the mid ’60’s with several hit songs. Their most memorable chart-topper is a song titled “I’ll Never Find Another You.” It reached #1 on the UK charts in 1965, making the Seekers the only Australian band with a #1 hit song outside of Australia. The song reached #97 in the United States, quite a feat in itself. The group has continued to perform to standing ovations around the world into the 1990’s. I am dedicating this song to my wife of 37 years, Bonnie Erens-Gittlin. Without exaggeration, every word in the lyrics of this song applies. I am grateful to have spent my adult life with this woman and the beautiful daughter we have raised. Here’s my cover. Listening to the Heart Brings Peace and Harmony into a Life

Your True Colors Are Beautiful

“True Colors” is a song with legs. It started out as a song written for a mother in a traditional ballad format. Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly wrote the song in 1986 and offered it to Anne Murray, a popular singer at the time. Murray passed on the song. Cyndi Lauper took it and creatively revamped the format into a stark and breathtaking version. The song became a hit worldwide because of its universal appeal. The songwriters acknowledge that Lauper was the perfect artist to adapt the song partly because of her bold style. Released as the title song on Lauper’s 1986 album, “True Colors,” is the only original song on the album that the artist did not help to write. In 1998, Phil Collins covered the song on his “Greatest Hits” album. Australian country music star Kasey Chambers covered the song as the theme for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In 2007, Cindy Lauper launched “The True Colors Tour” to support gay rights and fight hate crimes. In 2016, Justin Timberlake and actress Anna Kendrick used the song in the soundtrack for the movie “Trolls.” Kodak also used the song to advertise its film stock. Like I said: The song has legs. Here’s my version.

A Protest Song Gem

Eric Andersen’s voice, songs, guitar, and piano playing created a career that has spanned over 45 years. He has recorded 25 albums of original songs and made numerous tours of North America, Europe, and Japan. His songs have been recorded and performed by world-renowned artists such as Judy Collins, Peter Paul and Mary, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, The Grateful Dead, Linda Thompson, plus many others in Europe, Australia, England, and Japan. One of Eric's most famous songs is "Thirsty Boots." I loved it from the first time I heard it. Here's my cover.