Eric Clapton "Every Little Thing"

I get nice feedback from listeners about some of my on-air storytelling.

Once or twice a day, during a live break on the air, I'll step away from promoting MVY things (other shows, contests, etc) or talking about the music, and instead talk about something from my personal life.

Occasionally, I'll tell a story about my kids.  Something funny they said.  Some humorous conflict we had.

When I meet people out in public, many will say, "I love it when you talk about your kids."

And I do it for a reason.  The stories are usually designed to be universal.  If you've ever had a kid, or if you ever were a kid, you'll find something real and familiar within what I'm conveying.  As a DJ, I'm trying to make a connection.

But I am very, very careful to limit the number of times I do this.  Once or twice a week, tops.

Because nothing is more annoying than a person who talks incessantly about their kids.  Nothing is more cloying than someone constantly forcing "life lessons" upon you, via their so-wise-for-their-age! children.

We love kids and the cute things they do and the sweet way they do it.  But we don't want that in our face every day.

And that's my hesitation with the new Eric Clapton song.

It's an amiable enough piece of mid-tempo pleasant Clapton.  And hey, I understand the desire to put out a second single that is more commercial and middle-of-the-road, after the completely kick-ass, spot-on rock of the first single "Gotta Get Over."

I'm with the track most of the way through, until it returns to the chorus late in the song.

The background singers who've been repeating "Every little thing/Every little thing" throughout the song, have been replaced.  By children.

And they're singing "Every little thing you do is beautiful . . ."

The first time I heard it, I thought, "That's cute.  I guess."

By the second time I heard it, I was already sick of it.

Could I imagine having it in rotation on MVY for the next few months?

Ugh.  Nope.

I love my kids.  I like your kids.  Kids in general are great.

But no one wants to hear about them every day.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Jeff Lynne “Every Little Thing”

It must not be easy being the “Oates.” You know, the 2nd most well regarded member of a duo.

It must not be easy being the "Greg Norton." The 3rd most well regarded member of the trio Husker Du.

It must not be easy being the “Ringo.” The 4th most well regarded member of a certain famous quartet.

But man, it must be hard to be the “Jeff Lynne.” The 5th most famous member of the five member Traveling Wilburys.

I mean, Lynne sold millions of records as the leader of ELO. He was a highly sought after producer, especially in the late 80s and early 90s. And he is the thread that pulled Tom Petty, George Harrison and Roy Orbison together (he was producing records for each of them) with Bob Dylan to form the Traveling Wilburys.

Yet I still hear people refer to him as "oh and that other guy" in the Wilburys.

Yet he made great tunes, including this worthwhile nugget from an under-appreciated early 90s solo album.

Listen, and imagine George Harrison singing this one on the “Cloud Nine” record, and you can totally hear this as the big radio hit of 1990.