Saturday In The Blog: Songs For Saturday

It’s Saturday. I don’t want to write a whole blog entry today, when I could be out in the partial sunshine or seeing The Runaways or something.
So here’s a “mixtape” of clips of Songs For A Saturday, a popular topic for all kinds of songwriters.

Let’s open with those Ska-riffic skanksters, The Specials, and the bleakly perky “Friday Night, Saturday Morning”:

Then there’s Tom Waits, seen here on Soundstage in 1975, doing “The Heart of Saturday Night”, I mean, after he’s done talking:

De La Soul had a great song a few years back called “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays'” here’s a cool remix:

I always loved this Eels‘ song a few years back,  “Saturday Morning”:

I think Spike Lee directed this Fishbone clip for “Sunless Saturday”:

And even Nick Drake got in on the act, and with “Saturday Sun” (doesn’t this sound a lot like Howard Shore’s gospelly piano music they play over the “thank yous and goodnights” on Saturday Night Live? hmmm…)

Elton John also does “Saturday Sun” FYI, and on this 1968 demo it sounds even MORE like the SNL closing music:

Of course, speaking of Elton, we can’t forget “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” seen here in a live solo piano take from 1976:

Or The Bay City Rollers:

Earth Wind & Fire jammed out “Saturday Nite” in 1976:

According to Frank Sinatra, “Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week”:

And  while I always have a softspot for Chicago’s “Saturday In The Park” I’m gonna leave you with Jill Sobule’s “Cinnamon Park” which samples the main piano hook.

Get out there, before Sunday Morning hits…