THE WORDS & MEMORIES ORBIT

A life, on the record.

Songs that bring you back. People who stay with you. Wander through Nick’s writing, one memory at a time.

52 storiesNEWEST MEMORIES FIRST

Fifty-One to 51Dec 21, 2016DAY 0

Merry Christmas Darling

To end a countdown of 51 songs to 51, when the one in question is born 4 days before Christmas, seems incomplete without a bonus song that only gets played this time of year, but is hands-down my favorite…

Fifty-One to 51

Dec 20, 2016

DAY 1

Those You’ve Known

With one day left to my birthday, I decided to save this song from Spring Awakening as my penultimate. Obviously, unless you’ve seen the show you won’t know the song or what events led up to Jonathan…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 19, 2016DAY 2

And I Love Her / In My Life

And then there’s the Beatles. Last year they made my list with Let It Be. This year, I strategically chose two Beatles’ ballads that remind me of my two angels in the cover photo of my Facebook page. First…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 18, 2016DAY 3

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life

How do you follow up two of the most amazing talents of our time? Probably with one of the many brilliant songs by the timeless Stevie Wonder. We all know his hit list. We all have a favorite or two. Mine…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 17, 2016DAY 4

No More Tears Enough Is Enough

There is no video to go with this AMAZING GODDAMN SONG, as much as I wish there were. Or, at least if one exists, I could not find it on the interwebs. The year was 1979. Donna Summer was the reigning Queen…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 16, 2016DAY 5

Hold On

At a time of personal freedom in my life, Girl-group Wilson Phillips released their mammoth debut hit single, and perhaps the song of the year for 1990, Hold On. Like many songs from that era, it might not…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 15, 2016DAY 6

Tell It To My Heart

I actually remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Tell It To My Heart by Long Island’s own Leslie Wunderman, aka Taylor Dayne. It was morning; I was getting ready for work at the Pennysaver in…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 14, 2016DAY 7

A Song For You

I confess to not knowing the existence of this song, at least not this version by the Carpenters, until early in this new millennium. Crazy, right? Especially once hearing the way Karen Carpenter sings, so…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 13, 2016DAY 8

Jenny

I can’t believe this one didn’t make my list of 50 to 50 last year, considering it is my favorite song, aside from Rock Lobster, to perform at karaoke, and has been since before I even knew that karaoke was…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 12, 2016DAY 9

Magic Man / Crazy On You

I could not decide between Magic Man and Crazy On You when it came time to narrow down my favorite song by seventies and eighties mega-band Heart. The weird thing is, amidst their eighties reinvention,…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 11, 2016DAY 10

Even The Nights Are Better

Somehow, against the adversity of seemingly EVERYONE thinking their music is schmaltzy and gay, Air Supply still managed to carve out a pretty lengthy time in the early eighties as their own with at least…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 10, 2016DAY 11

I’ll Stand By You

In 1994, The Pretenders released this ballad about loyalty against all odds. Until this point I don’t think I’d ever heard anything but progressive rock tunes by this band, all of which were always pretty…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 9, 2016DAY 12

Come To Me

This is the disco song to which I alluded in my blog for song 47, this giant from France Joli. It was my connection to back home, the song my childhood friend Jan loved and, whenever I heard it on KTU, it…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 8, 2016DAY 13

Who’s Crying Now

There is so much I love about Who’s Crying Now? by eighties super-group Journey. First, and obviously foremost, the silken delight that is the voice of Steve Perry. In my opinion, one of the best male…

Fifty-One to 51Dec 7, 2016DAY 14

Breaking Us In Two

Joe Jackson is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated musicians of our time. Genius song writing, profoundly memorable lyrics. The Billy Joel of Britain, his songs are catchy and fast and smart. His…