Title Tracks

About a month ago, John's high school pal (and my new friend) Paul Breazeale asked us to do a livestream of title tracks with him. Through the magic of technology, I'm able to Skype him into a multi-streamed show all the way from California! Also featured in the show are fellow Californian Jimmy Clemons and our fellow Chicagoan Katy Marquardt (who taught me everything I know about this tech stuff, seriously. She deserves a paycheck).

That got me thinking about title tracks and why they're important for certain records. John and I are playing "(Let's Get) Lifted" as one of our title tracks from John Legend's debut studio album. It's the first (non Prelude) track, too, and man...the first time I heard that song, it was with me forever. So was the album. But, no doubt, the clever placement of the song within the album, and the album title, helped me never forget it.

I'm thinking of the fame and catchiness of some of the other title tracks for today's show. "Jolene" and "Born to Run" come to mind. You'll just have to watch to find out the rest of the selections!

This is all very important to me right now as I'm writing my second book and planning to release my first book and first album this year, all very ambitious projects. Of course, aided by the pandemic , but not only in the sense of the gift of time. The gift of time also yielded the gift of self-study. I've been doing the same job for 9 years, practicing the same instrument for 23, I a thousand habits that I've had since I was a kid. It was time to consider the possibility that I've changed, maybe a little bit, during my 30 years on this rock. And surprise, surprise, I found how that I have all these pieces of myself that I've forgotten about over the years, especially my love of writing.

Another lesson revealed itself through a songwriting session. I wrote what is, as of now, my favorite song to date. Ever. I realized that it has to be my album's title, and the first track on the album, too, to color all of the others. It may even involve a persona, but that's for you to find out later. I decided all of this because I think Title Tracks say a lot about what's to come, especially since we live in an age of singles and streaming. A Title Track might entice us to start at the beginning, to follow the arc or the concept of the album. I can't wait to get started with mine!

I hope you'll join us this evening for an hour of Title Track fun. 

What are some of your favorite title tracks? Drop them in the comments!

Until tomorrow, stay well, stay safe, and stay kind.

Much love,

Cassandra