hey mister deejay.

have i told you how much i love motown music?

anyone who knows me knows how much i love music.  however, out of all the genres of music that i adore, motown has by far the most special place in my heart.  nothing is swingier, romantier (yep, i’ve decided that’s a word), classier, doo-wopier than motown.

i love it this much. [insert exuberant gesture of arms really far apart].

also, thanks to my parents, have a love of listening to music on vinyl.  i have stolen inherited so many classic records from my dad, and i have fond memories of learning all the words to the who’s american woman with my brother and sister while looking at the liner notes of the lp.  i learned all of the dance moves to the peppermint twist off the american graffiti soundtrack, which had been played so many times it developed its own skips and grooves which i memorized as part of the song.    when i finally heard the peppermint twist on mp3, years later, i almost didn’t recognize it without its character (hiss, skip, pop!).

the boy and i took a recent venture to our local favorite antique store BONANZA (seriously, this place is crazy with stuff) to look for old papers and postcards on which i could type things on my brand new typewriter i got for my birthday.  that’s a whole other story, my love affair with actual working typewriters.  anyway, among the birdcages, furniture, books, postcards, we discovered their small but substantial records for sale, and i acquired this gem:

ohhhhhh, swoon.  i heart sam cooke.  for $8, i got my sam cooke on vinyl.

many people have heard sam cooke, i think, if you’ve ever listened to an oldies station, but you may not realize it’s sam cooke you are hearing.  but so many others haven’t heard sam cooke, which is an auditory travesty.

here are some of my favorites, but really the whole album and more are such fantastic music, for nearly every outing – sipping drinks on the porch, cooking, puttering (my favorite), whatever.  take my word for it.

[to download, just right click on the song link below and choose “save link as”, and voila – mp3 for you.  or, just click the link, and if you have apple quicktime installed on your computer, it will play for you right this red hot second.    instant gratification, that’s what i’m about with the music, dear.]

Bring It On Home To Me – Sam Cooke

You Send Me – Sam Cooke

Sad Mood – Sam Cooke

Having A Party – Sam Cooke

oh, i could post the whole album.

take my word for it, friends.  go.  listen.  immediately.  and then tell me how you like it in the comments.  go on now.    while you do that, i’m going to go flip the record over.