Mark Pentleton

I recorded this song just over two weeks ago, shortly before I left for a 14-day trip to France. I think I knew how I’d be feeling by now. I’ve spent a week in the south of France working in Nice with Apple at the ECIS Conference, and then I flew up to Strasbourg where [...]

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The accordion is back! When I was listening to the Ronan Keating version of today’s song I heard an accordion in the arrangement and thought perhaps it was time to resurrect my own accordion! I’ll need to get practising before my forthcoming trip to Strasbourg when I’ll have to play the accordion for various Swedish [...]

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This is another of those songs which I was sure I’d already played, but it turned out to be You’ve lost that loving feeling. The song was written in 1955 and was originally used in the soundtrack of the film Unchained in that year. However it was in 1965 when the Righteous Brothers recorded it [...]

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This Michael Jackson dates from 1988 and was nominated for record of the year in the Grammy Awards of that year. It maybe lacks something without his vocals, the gospel choir and Quincy Jones’ keyboard arrangements, but I hope you enjoy today’s performance anyway!
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:33 — 6.3MB)

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On September 9th 1956 Elvis Presley performed a new song on the Ed Sullivan Show, just before it was due to be released and a month before the launch of the film. Love me tender was based on the melody of the 1861 Civil War ballad Aura Lee, and the following day over 1 million [...]

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A big song today: this was voted the number 1 song in the Fans’ Top Ten Beatles Songs. It was written in 1970 by Paul McCartney. I hope you enjoy my performance!
Podcast: Download (Duration: 3:53 — 5.4MB)

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This song was released in early September 2001, just before the attacks on the World Trade Center. Soon after it became one of the songs which radio DJs in the US played, remixed with audio recorded from police and fire department broadcasts, and interviews with survivors. My own story with this song is a bit [...]

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Today’s song is Van Morrison’s Brown eyed girl dating from 1967 and it was requested by my sister Clare who celebrates her birthday today. I hope you’ve had a great day and that you enjoy this song!
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:11 — 5.8MB)

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“One of us is crying…” – it’ll be the one who has been to Ikea three times this week! Need I say more?
One of us was one of the last songs recorded for the Visitors album in 1981 and became the first single from this album. Despite its rather melancholy air (I guess Benny and [...]

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This song, from the Bernstein/Sondheim musical West Side Story was first published in 1956. In the musical it follows Tony’s solo, Maria (which I played in June) and in the song both Tony and Maria profess their love for each other. You may also be interested in my version of Somewhere from back in February.
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Today’s song dates from 1928 when it was first written for a never-published operetta by George and Ira Gershwin called East is West. It was introduced in 1930 in the musical Girl Crazy by Ginger Rogers.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 3:23 — 4.7MB)

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Bright Eyes was the theme song from the 1978 animated film Watership Down which told the story of a group of rabbits. The song was written by Mike Batt and performed by Art Garfunkel and it was the best selling single of 1979.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:15 — 5.9MB)

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Today’s song is Shania Twain’s From this moment from 1997. It’s especially for our friends Julie and David who celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary today. Ten years ago I accompanied the Mearns Castle Senior Choir who sang this song at Julie and David’s wedding. Happy anniversary, Julie and David!
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:08 — 5.7MB)

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I was trying to think of something appropriate to play today given it’s the World Cup Final (and my mum and dad’s wedding anniversary!) so I tried to come up with something which ticked all the boxes: rather than a Spanish or Dutch song, I went for the operatic theme associated with football – at [...]

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Today we’re off to Rome. Or rather, we’re off to Rome and leaving already! I decided to play the song Arrivederci, Roma today. The song was first introduced in the 1959 film The Seven Hills of Rome and has been recorded by many artists including Perry Como and Nat King Cole.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 3:39 — [...]

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It’s Eurovision week, so that means only one thing – cheesy tunes from me for at least the next six days! The 2010 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Oslo on Saturday evening, and until then we’ll be reliving some classic ballads from the past, starting today with Nicole’s winning song from 1982, Ein [...]

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Til alle mine norske venner: gratulerer med dagen! Hurra for 17. mai! Today’s song is dedicated to my Norwegian friends: Dag and Elisabeth, Knut and Ane, Jørund and Anne-Grete, and all other friends I’ve colleagues I’ve worked with over the years. 17th May is Norway’s national day and on many occasions I’ve been in Sandefjord [...]

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I had been thinking long and hard about what would be the best song to play for the UK General Election, but I was saved by Jenny O who asked me to play the Nat King Cole song Unforgettable. This song was No. 1 in the UK charts on the day Jenny was born – [...]

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Today’s song is Up on the roof, written by Carly Simon and Gerry Goffin. It was first recorded by the Drifters in 1962, and later by various artists including James Taylor, Little Eva and Carly Simon herself. Hope you enjoy today’s performance!
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:33 — 6.3MB)

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Today’s song is one of my favourite Abba songs. It was the b-side on the 1974 single So Long, and was on the Abba album in 1975, but has since appeared in many compilations.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:02 — 5.6MB)

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