Tag Archives: Jim Fusco Songs

“Come See About Me” (Diana Ross & the Supremes Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

Welcome to your “Thumpin’ Thursday ™®©” video with me, the “special character using” Jim Fusco!

Tonight, I continue Chris’ trend of female vocalists with a song from yet another “new” artist to the series: Diana Ross and the Sumpremes!  I hope Jeff will follow with another woman-sung song this weekend.  Will he come through?  Hey, I’m sure he never thought I’d actually use the special symbols for Thumpin’ Thursday!

Diana Ross and the Sumpremes had so many hits- and listening back to them, there were quite a few that I really loved growing up.  She had such a great voice in the 60s.  I usually find something I don’t like about women’s voices (ie, the INCREDIBLY annoying voices of Tegan and Sarah), but Diana Ross actually sits in the very exclusive category of women singers I like, which also incudes Brian Wilson’s daughters, Carnie and Wendy.

And, yes, I’m keeping the streak alive: not only have I done every single Laptop Sessions video in the original key, I’ve also done each video in the original OCTAVE, too!  For this reason, I think this video came out especially great- one take, and a chance to really falsetto-it-up.  I think it’s a really natural performance, too, which helps.  That makes two videos in a row that I’m especially proud of.

I never thought I would do a song from Diana Ross, but I’ve always found that the best videos (and the ones that get us the most YouTube hits) are the ones where we take a song and really make it our own.  No one would ever expect me to bust out a Motown hit from a 60s female singer.  But, I did it and I’m proud of it!

Now, as a final note- I’ll be posting on Sunday for the start of the week, but my Original Wednesday song will be the first one after the big presidential election Tuesday night.  I’m so anxious/nervous/hopeful and I’m looking forward to posting a video knowing who our next President will be.  So, we’ll see what happens.  I hope you have a good night and a great Halloween.  Maybe Chris will sing a Cher song or something truly scary to match his equally scary choice of a Tegan and Sarah song two days ago! 🙂

“America” (Simon & Garfunkel Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

Welcome, welcome to yet another edition of the Laptop Sessions here with me, Jim Fusco!

Oh, yeah, keeping the dream alive tonight with yet ANOTHER “new” band to the Laptop Sessions.  This one is probably the biggest shame left that we haven’t covered because…they’re ACOUSTIC!  Simon and Garfunkel stand as one of the most influential and popular acts of all time.  I was just talking to my father about them the other day.  He pointed out that they’re the best of friends, but just can’t seem to work together.  That’s the way it’s always been with my brother Mike and I.  We get along so well…as long as we’re not working on anything together.  I ‘m always so steadfast in realizing this fact, but Mike tends to either forget or just disregard it.  Thus, we end up working together again and the whole cycle begins.

Anyway, even though Paul Simon went on to some more, let’s say, interesting works in his later career (still waiting for his big rock comeback album), he did some pop classics with Art Garfunkel, also known as the luckiest man in the music business.  I mean, the man not only didn’t write any of S&G’s songs, he didn’t even play the guitar in the band!

I heard this song again while listening the WCJM Free Internet Radio show, “The All-American Show”.  I realized how great this tune really is.  And, especially because we’re on the brink of the most important presidential election in many years, this song is all the more important to play now.  “America” takes us on a journey of a couple going on a cross-country trip to “find” the real America.  I think the man realizes that everyone is out on their own trips, finding America…even on the bleak New Jersey Turnpike.

I think this video stands as one of my favorites now because it just works so well with one person and a guitar.  The tune is great.  The guitar part is cool (I love that walking down C chord), too.  I hope you’ll enjoy it and come back for more.  I’ll be back on Thumpin’ Thursday (didn’t Jeff say something about using special characters?) and I hope you’ll be back tomorrow and Wednesday for great cover songs and original music from Chris and Jeff!

“Disney Girls (1957)” (Beach Boys Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

Welcome to the Laptop Sessions on your Friday night!  It’s another late night for us here, as we’ve just completed a grand game of Trivial Pursuit Genus III, which I won, of course.  But, just barely.  I’d love to have them play with my father, “The Old Quizzmaster”, as he’d probably beat us in one turn.

Tonight’s song is from The Beach Boys, whom I haven’t done a song from in quite some time.  Actually, tonight, I’ll be doing a song written by Bruce Johnston.  It’s clearly the best song he’s ever written: “Disney Girls (1957)”.  Yes, he did write “I Write The Songs” (one of the most famous songs of all time, sung by Barry Manilow), but I think this really is his best song.

I’ve always identified with this tune from the great “Surf’s Up” album.  I’ve always wished for “better” or more pure times.  I’ve always loved older music and even the vision of Christmastime in the 50s.  Of course, now those values instantly are associated with political leanings, as Bruce has been vocal in the recent past about his political views.  I never really made the connection between “the good old days” and the politics of those days.  Personally, I believe that things were “simpler” back then only because that’s the way our memories work.  Things probably weren’t as rosy as they seemed.  But when you’re a kid, you don’t have to worry about money, taxes, property, family, etc.  You just get to have a good time and experience life.

Anyway, I think I gave the video my best Bruce tenor, and I think it’ll stand as one of my more ambitious videos.  I hope you enjoy my video tonight and I promise I’ll make up for this extremely short post next time!  Stay tuned for more Beach Boys cover songs coming at you right here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog!

Jim Fusco Reaches 400 YouTube Subscribers!

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Gotta love a milestone day.  I just predicted it would happen yesterday, as I had 397 subscribers.  Even as I write this now, I’m already up to 404!  Talk about progress- that’s 404 people that took the time to watch one of my videos and decided they needed to be updated every time I post one!  It’s so exciting to think about that, because I’m sure I don’t know anywhere close to 404 people…let alone 404 that ever gave our music the time of day here in CT.  So, I’m very proud of our worldwide success.

I’m looking forward to more milestones in the near future, as these things seem to happen exponentially.  So, we’ll look forward to the next great milestone very soon!