"Fresh as a Daisy" by Emitt Rhodes
The great, under-rated Emitt Rhodes recorded this flowery song at his home studio completely solo, which was a violation of union rules at the time. Albums were only supposed to be recorded at professional studios, meaning Rhodes' one-man accomplishment couldn't be mentioned on the album sleeve.
Since it was originally leaked by a radio station, it seems only fitting that this one should play on an episode of One-Mind Tracks on the air. Tommy James was able to gain full creative control after the success of their single "Mony Mony." "Crimson and Clover" was a title before there was even a song to go with it. The "final" version we are all familiar with was not even intended as a final version, but a demo for the record label. Since it was leaked, that's what ended up being released.
"Sunflower, Vol. 6" by Harry Styles
Harry Styles set out to make a record with Fine Line. He wanted every track to be a worthwhile contribution to the whole. Thus, we get solid album tracks like "Sunflower, Vol. 6." I wanted this playlist to be a fun and romp-ey kind of floral, and this song does nothing but add to that vibe. Suggested by cohost, Erin Howard, this song is also a hint at a possible future playlist, dedicated solely to sunflowers.
After ties to the horror genre, it's safe to call this one infamous. Tiny Tim only intended his cover of a track from 1929 to be a lighthearted bit of fun. Tim used falsetto not just in his songs, but in public and in interviews throughout his career.
"Blue Orchid" by The White Stripes
Pumping up the energy a little bit, here's a song Jack White wrote about the complications newer entertainment industries created and how he wishes things were just the way they used to be. Rumors surrounding the song attributed the subject matter to White's breakup with Renée Zellweger, but he has always stated that that is false.
"Daisy" by Switchfoot
Jon Foreman brings us this sweet and lovely track from the album Nothing is Sound, an album which is beautiful, yet tainted by the Sony Extended Copyright Protection scandal. The band did their part to help out fans whose computers could otherwise be exposed to malware through the flawed attempt by Sony to protect their copyright, but they still feel like it ruined even their own perception of the album. Perhaps partly because of that scandal, Switchfoot have since chosen to work with smaller, independent labels. I may do a whole article on the Sony scandal at some point, so stay tuned.
For an album primarily about Tom Petty's divorce, Wildflowers is an incredibly comforting album for me, with the title track being not the exception, but the rule. Although it was never released as a single, "Wildflowers" managed to chart, making it to #16 on the Billboard Hot Rock charts and becoming his 4th most streamed song. Petty says the song came to him all at once in a stream-of-consciousness songwriting session of three and a half minutes. Petty kept assuming something was wrong with the track due to the ease with which it was written, but he found there was nothing wrong with it. I agree- there's nothing wrong with "Wildflowers."
"Daffodils" by Mark Ronson (Featuring Kevin Parker)
Of all the albums Mark Ronson has released, Uptown Special has the most perfect flow to it, feeling like a story. Part of this can be attributed to the involvement of author Michael Chabon, who cowrote many songs on the album, including this one, which he wrote with Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. Parker wanted Chabon to understand the feeling of coming down from a high in order to get the feeling he thought the song could have. He had Chabon listen to "Blinded By the Lights" by The Streets to get the correct vibe without doing drugs.
"Orchids" by The Shacks
A fairly sad song about flowers, the quality of this song demands its inclusion. It does end on an upbeat note, with the implication that karma will eventually give the protagonist of the song the flowers she is due.
This song has always reminded me of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." "Flowers on the Wall" was the winner of the 1966 Grammy for Best Contemporary Performance, and it's not hard to see why. The song has a lasting quality to it that also carried over to a cover version by Nancy Sinatra.
"Daisy Fingers" by Edu
After the breakup of Tally Hall, keyboardist Andrew Horowitz was quick to release an album on his own. Originally, Sketches was only available on cassette, intended to seem like a mixtape. In fact, Horowitz did produce this run of cassettes himself. My copy of Sketches is still the only cassette in my home music library. "Daisy Fingers" is both complex and childlike, making it perfect for this playlist.
"A Rose For Emily" by The Zombies
The Zombies released Odessey and Oracle just after disbanding. The album is now widely regarded as a classic, and deservedly so. The songs throughout the album are unique and beautiful and "A Rose For Emily" is no exception.
"Lily" by Benjamin Gibbard
"Lily" is about a girl of that name (as some of the other songs on this playlist are), but the tone is perfect for this time of spring and a playlist with several other primarily acoustic tracks.
"Throw Down the Roses" by Kate Pierson
Kate Pierson went hard for her first solo album, which included this upbeat track about someone who refuses to be a groupie. "Throw Down the Roses" was written as a collaboration between Pierson, Sia, and Dallas Austin.
Catch these songs on the One-Mind Tracks radio show this week! The show starts at 7PM EST on Thursday. You can catch it streaming over at 985winf.com. Or you can listen in for an episode of One-Mind Tracks any Thursday at 7pm!
Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have a song that fits the theme!
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