“Feelings”is a song made popular by Morris Albert. Directly citing Wikipedia, it’s stated that “"Feelings" has been best known as a target of parody and ridicule for embodying what are perceived by many as the most insipid lyrical and musical qualities of 1970s "soft rock" music.” Everybody has an opinion and I say “give the man a break”! Regardless of the derogatory opinions,“Feelings” had great success. Fans enjoyed the music. Or, is it better to say that, fans empathized with the music? Or, maybe it’s best to say that fans can easily sympathize with the music. Fans bought the music and contemporary greats covered the hit also (read below)! It’s a simple heartbreaking melody with simple lyrics, but that’s what raw emotional strife is. The anguish of the music is raw. That’s what makes it appealing. It’s still appealing and it doesn’t mean a person has to be experiencing the anguish first hand, thus “sympathizing”versus “empathizing”. Well … okay, how about both! LoL. In fact, I’m posting this cover on Father’s Day 2012 because it happens to be a favorite of my father-in-law. Like my own dad, my father-in-law loves music. My father-in-law’s taste for music is diverse and he enjoys dancing to the fast tunes as much as he likes to sip wine while listening to jazz and easy listening ballads.
I had to post my cover of this under-appreciated classic on Father’s Day in the U.S. as I’m blogging a “shout out” for “dads” themselves. I am Blessed to have a wife who truly appreciates me, but I listen to the “voices” of many women who don’t truly appreciate their husbands and sometimes … their own dads. Everyone hears about equal rights for women and that moms should get medals of honor; which is true. Well, don’t forget about the dads and grand-dads and all father figures. Just because “dads” don’t bring these sentiments out into the open very often doesn’t mean that “dads” don’t have the same feelings as “moms”. Today is Father’s Day 2012. Please be certain to show appreciation for “dads” and let them know that they are appreciated. It’s simple … really. Dads don’t need cards. Dads don’t need gifts… okay, a few dads are “shsssh-ing” me, but … really, I believe that the acknowledgement is a good thing. It’s not a one day event either, just like “moms”, being a “dad” is a full-time responsibility and a pat-on-the-back every once in a while goes a long way. That’s why I’m so happy. My wife is always giving me compliments and simply acknowledges my “dadness”. I love being a dad. It was my childhood dream, after all. Now, I’m living my dream. I am forever grateful. Last thing I want to state … no two dads are the same. Don’t try to change anything about the dad that is loved. Accept. Appreciate. Love. It’s simple … really. If those three words I wrote are followed like a prescription from your physician, the results will almost be unbelievable. I’ll give a hint. It begins with peace and only the person who follows all three ideals will discover the rest. Good luck. I really mean it. It may not be easy for some. Good luck. “Happy Father’s Day, Pops! I love you with all of my heart multiplied by infinity! You are my hero! I can’t wait to spend quality time with you later today!” From Wikipedia: "Feelings" is a song based on a melody composed by Loulou Gasté and made famous by Morris Albert, who recorded it as a single released in 1974 that later appeared as the title track of his 1975 debut album. The song's lyrics, recognizable by their "whoa whoa whoa" chorus, concern the singer's inability to "forget my feelings of love". Albert's original recording of the song was very successful, performing well internationally. "Feelings" peaked at #6 on the pop and #2 on the Adult Contemporary charts in America. Over the next few years "Feelings" was performed by many other vocalists including Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, José José, Caetano Veloso, Frank Sinatra, Engelbert Humperdinck, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, The O'Jays, Sarah Vaughan, Walter Jackson, Sergey Penkin, Dobie Gray and Johnny Mathis. It was also recorded by numerous easy listening bandleaders and ensembles such as Percy Faith, Ferrante & Teicher, 101 Strings and Herb Ohta whose ukelele rendition was recorded with Andre Popp's orchestra for A&M Records. In more recent years "Feelings" has been best known as a target of parody and ridicule for embodying what are perceived by many as the most insipid lyrical and musical qualities of 1970s "soft rock" music. It appears frequently on lists of "the worst songs ever" and was included on the 1998 Rhino Records compilation album '70s Party Killers. In 1981 the French songwriter Loulou Gasté sued Morris Albert for copyright infringement, claiming that "Feelings" plagiarized the melody of his 1957 song "Pour Toi". In 1988 Gasté won the lawsuit and was awarded 78% of the royalties generated by the song.
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