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2Cellos … you’ve never heard the cello played like this before!

2Cellos combines classic instruments with classic rock with awesome results!

The other day, my Facebook feed was inundated with videos by two handsome guys who play the cello. When I think of cello music, I think of soothing classical music by composers who have been dead for at least two hundred years. But these two guys were not playing classical music. They were playing classic rock. I was blown away as I watched them saw their strings playing a wicked version of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”.

I have never heard “Thunderstruck” played quite like this.

The men behind 2Cellos are Slovenian born Luka Šulić and Croatian born Stjepan Hauser and boy can they play! I had to know more about these guys, so I went to YouTube to see if there were any more videos of them. Sure enough, I discovered them playing “Welcome To The Jungle”. Yes, the very same song by Guns N’ Roses that featured Axl Rose and Slash trading vocal and guitar snarls was played by these two cellists.

Here’s a pretty cool video of them jamming for the public. Notice how their bow strings get totally shredded when they play.

Their version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” was apparently what landed them a record deal with Sony Masterworks in 2011.

I like the little taste of “Billie Jean” in 2Cellos’ version of “Smooth Criminal”.

Even Elton John is impressed by 2Cellos!

Like so many others, Elton John discovers music on YouTube! He asked 2Cellos to join his band.

Elton John says these two guys have a “homoerotic” way of playing together, though they aren’t gay. He compares them to himself and Bernie Taupin, when they compose songs together.

Obviously 2Cellos has been around for awhile now. I’m kind of embarrassed that I’m just now discovering their music. I am certainly impressed, as obviously a lot of other people are. They’ve already made a huge name for themselves in Japan. Judging by the number of people sharing their “Thunderstruck” video over the weekend, many more people are making their first discovery of their music.

A soothing 2Cellos version of Sting’s “Fields of Gold”.

They do also play classical music, of course. Elton John invites everyone to listen to how these guys play Vivaldi.

Just breathtaking!

But I’m guessing most people are far more interested in their rock and roll stylings. Here they are playing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana.

Not only do they play this classic song masterfully, but they do it with style and panache.

I think I’m in love. I would put up a link to their CD, but I think these guys are the type of performers you need to see to believe. I would definitely buy their DVD over their CD.

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February 25, 2014
My new red dress…

A few songs inspired me to buy my new red dress…

My husband Bill and I didn’t go out on Valentine’s Day last week. By the time Bill thought to make reservations somewhere, most of the tables at the better restaurants in San Antonio were booked. We could have gone to Dick’s Last Resort and that might have been a lot of fun, but somehow it seemed wrong to celebrate Valentine’s Day at a place with the word “Dick” in its name, even if Dick is a person and not a thing. I didn’t have anything decent to wear, anyway.

The other night, I asked Facebook friends if I should buy a red dress. I got a lot of affirmative answers. One person reminded me of a song that was very popular in the 1980s and later used in commercials…

Yes, it’s Chris De Burgh singing “The Lady In Red”. I have to admit, I really like this live version.

Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of this song. In fact, back in 1986, when it was a very popular number, I actually disliked “The Lady In Red” because it was always on the radio. But I remembered the breathtaking mood of Chris DeBurgh’s now classic song and decided to buy the dress, which arrived yesterday. The dress I bought was recently modeled by a college friend who has lost a lot of weight and inspires others to follow her lead. It looks really great on her.

The same dress is now hanging in my closet. I tried it on last night, thinking the color was a little brighter than I would prefer. I’m not one to call a lot of attention to myself by what I’m wearing. I try to get attention with my larger than life personality. My husband likes it, but I’m not sure how often I’ll wear it. It’s pretty daring for someone like me.

I’m not exactly 80s era Kelly LeBrock, though this song by Stevie Wonder is more to my liking than “The Lady In Red” is.

Ultimately, I decided to buy my new red dress because most of the dresses I have for nights on the town are black. They are comfortable and practical, especially since they can be washed at home. They don’t wrinkle and show off my décolletage, which is probably the best part of my figure. I usually pair my black dresses with a pretty silk shawl. I decided my wardrobe could use more color. I needed “something in red”.

I sort of identified with Lorrie Morgan’s song, “Something in Red”.

Of course, I can’t think of red dresses without also thinking of Reba McEntire’s classic hit from 1990, “Fancy”…

My new dress is red, but it’s not a “satin dancing dress with a split clean up to my hip”.

But even when I was 18, I wasn’t one for wearing flashy red dresses. I have never “been nice to the gentlemen” for the sake of propelling myself into high society, either. If that were the case, I would probably be a lady who lunches rather than one who writes on music blogs and rarely wears makeup, let alone bright red dresses.

I just decided I wanted a new red dress in my closet, complete with new red shoes. I’m glad I bought it, too. At least next year on Valentine’s Day, I’ll be prepared for a night out on the town, hopefully not at Dick’s Last Resort. On the other hand, maybe Dick’s Last Resort really is the perfect place for me.

Jenny wears red.

Have a nice weekend, everybody!

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February 21, 2014
A review of The Kept Ones by Bunny DeBarge…

Todays’ post is a review of The Kept Ones, a book by Bunny DeBarge…

For years, I wanted to purchase a copy of The Kept Ones, a book written by Etterline “Bunny” DeBarge of the 1980s family band DeBarge. Having been a child of the 1970s and 80s, I had been exposed to the music Bunny DeBarge made with her brothers, including Eldra “El” DeBarge, who had enjoyed a decent solo career for awhile, and James DeBarge, who was once married to Janet Jackson. I actually put this book on my Amazon.com wish list in 2008, but it was only recently that I bought it. That’s because until recently, it was only available from third party sellers, who wanted an exorbitant amount of money for the book.

Having finished The Kept Ones last week, I can say that I’m glad I resisted the urge to pay a lot for this book. In fact, the $17 I did pay for it was too much. Yes, I was very curious about the DeBarge family, but The Kept Ones didn’t really satisfy my curiosity. Bunny DeBarge does write a bit about how she and her siblings got into the music business, but the main gist of the book is about Bunny’s faith in God, her dabbling in recreational drugs, and her abusive father. Moreover, it’s not at all a well-written book.

Bunny DeBarge writes that she was the firstborn child of a white father and black mother. Robert and Etterline “Mama” DeBarge married in 1953, at a time when interracial relationships were still very taboo. Bunny DeBarge was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 15, 1955 and was soon followed by eight brothers and a sister. Aside from siring all those children with his wife, Robert DeBarge also had affairs. Bunny writes that she has two more siblings from another relationship her father had while he was still married to her mother. The DeBarge family originated in Detroit, but moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan when Bunny was a teenager.

While the DeBarge children were blessed with musical talent and a loving mother who had a strong belief in God, they had a father who was constantly in trouble. Being biracial was difficult for the DeBarge children. Bunny says they felt like “mixed race freaks” with their French, black, and Cherokee heritage. Nevertheless, the children did attend their mother’s church and that is where Bunny first started singing. She later developed a talent for songwriting.

In 1978, oldest son Robert “Bobby” DeBarge and a friend, Gregory Williams, left DeBarge to start a funk band called Switch. Switch had a hit song called “There’ll Never Be”, which started the DeBarge family on its musical journey. Tommy DeBarge later joined Switch, but the following year, both Bobby and Tommy DeBarge left Switch to mentor their siblings as they started their own band.

Switch performs “There’ll Never Be” on Soul Train.

DeBarge performs “I Like It” on Soul Train.

If you were around in the early 80s, you know that DeBarge was successful. They had a string of hits, including “All This Love”…

and “Rhythm Of The Night”…

DeBarge enjoyed immense popularity, but the family was not without its personal problems. As a teenager, Bunny DeBarge was sexually molested and physically abused by her father. Her brothers abused drugs, as did Bunny, who got pregnant by a boyfriend and also dropped out of school in 1972 to marry her first husband. Bobby DeBarge later contracted AIDS from intravenous drug use and eventually succumbed to the disease. He also told Bunny that he was gay, which was a huge bombshell to this very religious family.

I thought Bunny DeBarge’s story was mostly interesting, though despite her songwriting talent, I wasn’t at all impressed by the writing in The Kept Ones. There are a lot of typos, misspelled words, and awkward sentence constructions in this book. Bunny mixes up words like “cost” and “caused” and writes in a slang style that isn’t quite correct. She also writes of having the chance to attend Interlochen, a very prestigious music school and camp in Michigan. Because she was abusing drugs at the time, she didn’t end up going to Interlochen, which she spells more than once as “Interlockin”. I was sad for her that she didn’t get to go to Interlochen, though if she was spelling it repeatedly as “Interlockin”, she probably didn’t want to go anyway.

In any case, The Kept Ones is worth reading if you are interested in learning about the DeBarge family. However, it’s not a well-written book and likely would have been much better had Bunny DeBarge hired an editor or a ghost writer. She and her brothers are without a doubt very talented musicians, though, and I hope there will be more music from them and their children in the years to come.

So ends a review of The Kept Ones by Bunny DeBarge.

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February 18, 2014