Joan Armatrading

One of my proudest musical accomplishment has been to introduce Joan Armatrading to so many people including both my sisters and my friend Kyle.

She is definitely in my Top Ten Favorite Artists of All Time. (Complete list one day.)

I also introduced my sister Christine (an out and proud lesbian) to Melissa Etheridge's music. Christine just wasn't knowledgeable about some lesbian rockers I guess.

While I was in Atlanta this past weekend, my other sister Claudia mentioned that she lost her Joan Armatrading compilation CD that I made her a few years ago. Christine wasn't sure if Claudia meant that she "lost" the CD or if she really lost it. Claudia then started singing Everyday Boy, an obscure song from Joan Armatrading's 1995 CD What's Inside.



I followed up her a capella version with a trip to iTunes to download the song to my iPhone - so we could all four (including Claudia's husband Jeff) listen to it.

Since returning from Atlanta on Monday, it's been a busy week. Tonight is the first night I have had to put together an update Joan Armatrading compilation. Pulling songs from her 20 albums from 1972 until the present to make 80 minutes of music was really tough, but here is the final compilation.

Get In The Sun
Kissin’ and a Huggin’ (see below)
Back to the Night
Down to Zero (see below)
Cool Blue Stole My Heart (see below for a live jazz version)
Everyday Boy
Heaven
Love & Affection (see below for a live version done at Abbey Road Studios for one of my favorite series Live From Abbey Road)
Kind Words (And A Real Good Heart)
Did I Make You Up - with Mark Knopfler
Drop The Pilot (see below for 2008 live version)
Wrapped Around Her
The Weakness in Me
Show Some Emotion
Can’t Stop Loving You
Me Myself & I
When I Get It Right
Mama Mercy
In Your Eyes
Whatever’s For Us
Flight of the Wild Geese

I tried to mix old, new, hits, non-hits, and so on. I do not have her three most recent CD's - 2004's Live All The Way From America, 2007's Into The Blues, and 2010's This Charming Life - so once I get those, I'll make an updated updated compilation.

Here are the videos of my most favorite songs from the compilation.











Don't know Joan Armatrading, but want to check her out now? Start with this CD and work out from there. You won't go wrong with any of her releases. (When I get some more time, I may go album by album, track by track, to tell you the best of the best.)

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I have seen both Melissa Etheridge and Joan Armatrading live. Those stories in a future post. For Melissa Etheridge, picture three guys and 3000 lesbians at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.