(no subject)

[rivka]

fourgates gave Alex some CDs, including For the Kids, a collection of children's music recorded by pop stars. I've been listening to that one a lot - what's not to like about the Barenaked Ladies singing "La La La La Lemon," or Five for Fighting singing something called "The Hoppity Song"?

It's inspired me to go through my iTunes collection and start work on a couple of mix CDs for Alex. I've got the contents of two CDs sorted out, although I haven't decided on a track order yet. What would you put on CDs for a baby? (Extra points if you're willing to send me a copy.)

Mix 1: Uptempo Baby

Caribbean Amphibian - Jimmy Buffett and Kermit the Frog
Why Does the Sun Shine? - They Might Be Giants
Punky's Dilemma - Simon & Garfunkel
Mammal - TMBG
Johnny Saucep'n - Moxy Fruvous
Zombie Jamboree - Rockapella
Hot Soup - Da Vinci's Notebook
Volcano - Jimmy Buffett
A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing - Schoolhouse Rock
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - TMBG
Donkey Riding - Great Big Sea
I've Been Everywhere - Johnny Cash
Mother and Child Reunion - Paul Simon
Moving Right Along - Kermit and Fozzy
You Will Go to the Moon - Moxy Fruvous
Haul Away Joe - Mackeel
Linus and Lucy - Vince Guaraldi Trio
Interjections! - Schoolhouse Rock
Dinner Bell - TMBG
Still the Same Me - Sweet Honey in the Rock

Mix 2: Mellow Baby

If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens
Mail Myself to You - John McCutcheon
If I Were a Moose - Fred Small
What a Wonderful World - Da Vinci's Notebook
Rainbow Connection - Kermit the Frog
The Marvelous Toy - Peter, Paul, and Mary
The Preamble - Schoolhouse Rock
Three is a Magic Number - Schoolhouse Rock
Keep on the Sunny Side - the Whites
May There Always Be Sunshine - Charlotte Diamond
It Ain't Easy Being Green - Kermit the Frog
Ship in the Sky - Woody Guthrie
Dream a Little Dream of Me - Ella Fitzgerald
Everything Possible - the Flirtations
Rock Me to Sleep - Jill Sobule
Lullaby for a Stormy Night - Vienna Tang
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwoole

Comments

[windsea.livejournal.com]

Lovely, both of them. I also have tracks from Lullaby/Berceuse, a compilation of traditional lullabies from two Canadian musicians, Connie Kaldor and Carmen Campagne. I can dropload.com them if you want to send me an email addy for you -- use jocook **** hfx*eastlink*ca

[boxofdelights]

"I don't want to live on the moon", sung by Shawn Colvin and Ernie. It's on Elmopalooza! Do you happen to have that already?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I don't! It would be fun to juxtapose that with You Will Go to the Moon.

[fourgates.livejournal.com]

"I don't want to live on the moon", sung by Shawn Colvin and Ernie.

One of my favorites.

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

The One Who Knows by Dar Williams

Lyrics:

Time it was I had a dream
And you're that dream come true.
If I had the world to give
I'd give it all to you.
I'll take you to the mountains,
I will take you to the sea.
I'll show you how this life became a miracle to me.

You'll fly away, but take my hand until that day.
So when they ask how far love goes
When my job's done you'll be the one who knows.

All the things you treasure most
will be the hardest won.
I will watch you struggle long
before the answers come.
But I won't make it harder,
I'll be there to cheer you on.
I'll shine the light that guides you down
The road you're walking on.

You'll fly away, but take my hand until that day.
So when they ask how far love goes
When my job's done you'll be the one who knows.

Before the mountains call to you,
before you leave this home,
Wanna teach your heart to trust
As I will teach my own.
But sometimes I will ask the moon
Where it shined upon you last
And shake my head and laugh and say
It all went by so fast.

You'll fly away, but take my hand until that day.
So when they ask how far love goes
When my job's done you'll be the one who knows.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Is it weird of me to sing the chorus of Gandhi/Buddha to my baby? I know it's supposed to be a romantic song, but I really do feel entirely that lucky.

(For those of you who are not minnaleigh and therefore may not know the song:

I must've been Gandhi, or Buddha, or someone like that
I must've saved lives by the hundreds everywhere I went
I must've brought rest to the restless, fed the hungry too
I must've been something great, to get to have you.)

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

I know it's supposed to be a romantic song, but I really do feel entirely that lucky.

I'm not familiar with the song, but one of the things that has most surprised me about becoming a mom is just how much my parental love towards Liam has felt like romantic love.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

My love for Alex is surprisingly physical. I love to just sit with my nose buried in her hair, smelling her. She's got the best scent in the world.

The other thing about loving Alex is that it's taught me the meaning of the word "unconditional." My love for her knows no reason. It has no basis in anything she does or promises or is. My love for her just is, overwhelming me.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's really perfect. Are you willing to share it?

Different Dar Song

[boubabe.livejournal.com]

I would recommend Dar's ballad, "We Learned the Sea":

I am the captain and I have been told
That tomorrow we land and my ship has been sold
Now losing this boat is worth scarce a mention
I think of the crew, most of all the first ensign
For all we learned the sea

Guiding a ship, it takes more than your skill
It’s the compass inside it’s the strength of your will
The first ensign watched as tempests all tried me
I sang in the wind as if God were beside me
For all we learned the sea

You take the wheel one more time like I showed you
We’ve reached the strait once even I could not go through

I am the captain and I have been told
But I am not shaken, I am eight years old
And you are still young, but you’ll understand
That the stars of the sea are the same for the land
And we came to learn the sea

[laurent-atl.livejournal.com]

i am the second generation of kids raised on 'peter and the wolf' and i can not recommend it enough. the one i listened to had gerard philippe doing the narration in french. i would not know whether to pick


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000001GCF/qid=1117654822/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/103-8768771-4783869?v=glance&s=classical

narrated by sting

or

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000025PI/qid=1117654822/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-8768771-4783869?v=glance&s=classical

narrated by leonard bernstein



or maybe you want o have alex work on her french with

http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/2844200842/qid=1117655530/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_0/402-8814370-4650522

[eeyorerin]

Stuff I have that I would put on a baby mix CD (let me know if you want copies and I'll arrange for it).

Mellow:

"When You Dream," Barenaked Ladies (a song about one of the band member's infants)
"Anna Rose," Vienna Teng
"At Last," Etta James (given how long it took Alex to make her entrance into the world, this might be particularly appropriate)
"St. Judy's Comet," Paul Simon
"Return to Pooh Corner," Kenny Loggins

Uptempo:

"Who Needs Sleep?" and "I Love You," Barenaked Ladies
"Sheep Go to Heaven," Cake
"Indiana," Rockapella

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

Sally Rogers, Circle of the Sun. ("Babies are born in a circle of the sun, circle of the sun on my birthing day ...")

Waltzes are nice for mellow time, or Handel's Water Music.

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

The teddybear's picnic!

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

This is not an answer to your question, but I did want to tell you about about a couple of great kids CDs that Liam and I both love. One is Philadelphia Chickens, which comes as an insert in the book of lyrics and music of the same name, which is by Sandra Boynton, who writes some of the greatest board books there are. (I highly recommend Doggies for even the youngest of babies - Liam laughed hysterically from about 4 months or so - Mom barking is just too funny, apparently). And it's got an all star cast - Meryl Streep, Scott Bakula, Kevin Klein.

The band Trout Fishing in America does both adult and kids music, and I adore the kids CD given to Liam as a gift - I think it's called My World.

We just picked up the ABC CD from TMBG, but have only listened to it once so far - it didn't immediately grab me.

Liam has gotten to the age where he bounces and dances and flaps to music and it's so much fun. Your CD mixes sound great!

[abbylee]

I love Sandra Boynton, although I've not heard the cd.

Friends of mine just had a baby. My present? Sandra Boynton books and John Lithgow's Singing in the Bathtub cd.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

The stuff I have for Alex that I told you about ages ago is actually music -- I'm starting to think I should send it rather than wait until I can give it in person.

-J

[elusis.livejournal.com]

You clearly need a copy of the album "No!" by They Might Be Giants - it's for kids.

I'd recommend "Birdhouse in your Soul" by TMbG, "Dear Jessie" by Madonna, and many of the items on the "Welcome to the Family" mix I posted about a month ago (track listing resides on my Lappy 386 which is currently out visiting for repairs). "Cat House" by Takako Minekawa, too.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

"Softly" by Lamb definitely. And the Tom Waits cover of "Hi Ho".

[ruisseau.livejournal.com]

Some favorites:

You Are My Sunshine - Norman Blake (from O Brother Where Art Thou?)
Pure Imagination - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Sdtrk
Putumayo's World Playground (http://www.putumayo.com/catalog/item.php?&item_number=154) and Dreamland (http://www.putumayo.com/catalog/item.php?cat_id=00016&item_id=00109).
True Love - Cole Porter (sung by Ashley Judd and Tayler Hamilton on the De-Lovely sdtrk)
A Boy and His Frog - Tom Smith

[ruisseau.livejournal.com]

PS: I have all the songs in my previous content and will arrange for shipment electronically (or via snail mail in the case of the two CDs) upon request. :)

chiming in

[popefelix.livejournal.com]

And yes, I seriously would and will play these songs to my baby/babies. All songs available via electronic transmission / snail mail.

Uptempo:

Dio - Heaven and Hell
Ramones - R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
Nikki Costa - Everybody Got Their Something
Amasong - Job, Job
The Art of Noise - I Dream In Colour
Bel Canto - Ladonia
Perfume Tree - Contact

Downtempo:

Queensrÿche - Silent Lucidity (yeah, it's cheesy, but it's pretty, and there are worse things to hear then Geoff Tate's baritone)
Mother Love Bone - Gentle Groove (I don't think I have this one, sorry)
My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult - These Remains
Project Pitchfork - Green World
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Until the Last Beat of My Heart

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

Is the Flirtations song the same as Everything Possible by Fred Small?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Yes. The Flirtations are - or were, actually - a five-member gay a capella group.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

It is one of my favourite songs that I've ever sang in choir.

[fourgates.livejournal.com]

Shake Sugaree (http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,124757,00.html) (song and albumn) by Taj Mahal is good.
Also You Can Love Yourself (http://www.mainstreetmusic.com/cgi-bin/msmusic/LA0000844946.html), by Keb Mo, though I think that one's best for kids over 8.

More

[(Anonymous)]

Delany Talks to Statues from Jimmy Buffett's Fruit Cakes
Puff the Magic Dragon
Many songs by Burl Ives
Orff-Shulwerk selections

[ckd]

Most of the things I was going to suggest are either on there already (TMBG) or have been suggested by others (er...TMBG again, namely No!).

However, I would highly recommend Natalie Merchant's Wonder for the mellow disc. I have three versions (the album version, a version from Live In Concert, and a stripped-down version from Live from the Mix Lounge vol. 4. (One of these days I'll grab the Storytellers DVD and scarf that version, too.)

Let me know if you want any or all of these; email to the lj dot com works, and I can put them somewhere for you to grab. (They're in AAC format, but you're using iTunes, so that shouldn't be a problem.)

[selki.livejournal.com]

Uptempo: Octopus's Garden, Beatles

Songs for Baby

[cheripye.livejournal.com]

Good Morning Starshine (5th Dimension? or original cast recording of Hair)
Sunshine Superman (Donovan)
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles)
Eight Days a Week (Beatles)
Feelin' Groovy (Simon & Garfunkel
The Circle Game (Joanie Mitchell)
Stoned Soul Picnic (Laura Nyro)
Please Take Care of My Baby (Bobby Vee)
Beautiful Boy (sub. "Girl") (John Lennon)
My Girl (I got sunshine on a cloudy day)(The Temptations)
(You're Just) Too Marvelous (too marvelous for words...)

I found that many many show tunes and songs from the 30's and 40's really expressed how I felt about my babies--Gershwin, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer--songs like "I've Got You Under My Skin", "You're the Top", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "Embrace Me, My Sweet Embraceable You", "I've Got a Crush on You, Sweetie Pie", "Shall We Dance?" "Whistle a Happy Tune" and so on and so forth--I used to waltz and polka around the room to these tunes with all my kids, and sometimes when we're silly enough, we still do it (and mine are 5, 6 and 10 1/2 years old now!

Two of my favorite CDs for kids are:
Small Fry: Capitol Sings Kids' Songs for Grownups
Stardreamer: Nightsongs & Lullabies--Priscilla Herdman

You can find them at Amazon.com. Stardreamer has been the music to go to sleep by in my house for almost 8 years now, and I still don't get tired of it.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Did you ever get those ones I designed for napping to?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I did, and they're wonderful! I am so behind in my thank-you notes that it isn't funny. Thank you so much for sending them - they're miles above standard kid fare.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

I'll consider this my thank-you note, then. :-) Let me know when you're sick of hearing them, and I'll make up another set.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Mix one, more uptempo:

At the Zoo Simon & Garfunkel
Brown Eyed Girl Van Morrison
Classical Gas Mason Williams
Consider Yourself Oliver! Soundtrack
Down at the Twist And Shout [live] Mary Chapin Carpenter
Fly Eddie from Ohio
Fun, Fun ,Fun Beach Boys
Go Where You Wanna Go The Mamas & The Papas
Good Morning Starshine Hair - Special Anniversary Edition Soundtrack
Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus & Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu
I'm A Believer Smash Mouth
Jamaica Farewell Harry Belafonte
Jolly Roving Tar Great Big Sea
La Bamba Los Lobos
Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard Paul Simon
Morning Has Broken Cat Stevens
Right Field Peter, Paul & Mary
Yellow Submarine The Beatles

Mix 2, more mellow:

Circle Harry Chapin
Complainte De La Butte Rufus Wainwright
Garden Song John Denver
Happiness You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - The Broadway Musical
136 5/23/05 4:32 PMHouse at Pooh Corner Kenny Loggins
Jamaica Farewell Harry Belafonte
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Shinobu Sato
Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) Billy Joel
Nothing Matters When We're Dancing The Magnetic Fields
Old Brown's Daughter Great Big Sea
Over the Rainbow Jane Monheit
Simple Gifts Judy Collins
Stand by Me Ben E. King
Sweet Baby James James Taylor
The Rainbow Connection Sarah McLachlan
You Belong To Me Jason Wade
You Lift Me Up Josh Groban

If you're interested, I would be happy to send them to you -- I could even arrange the songs in something other than alphabetical order : )

[lcohen]

"the marvelous toy" was my first thought of a song. i can sing that one--did you know ;-) ?