Since returning home I’ve been super focused on getting my Favorite Songs of the Year playlist put together. I’ve made a lot of progress and expect to post it in about 10 days. In the meantime, the next two weekly playlists will feature some songs that were weeded out as I get the big list down to its final number. Also three songs this week honor artists who have passed recently.

“December” – Lande Hekt
Happy December, y’all! Lande Hekt will not appear on my Favorites PL, but she’s had a very good year with several fine songs. For a track about the darkest month of the year, I hear hints of The Sundays’ “Summertime” inside this.

“Guiyome” – Congotronics International
Another terrific song off the CI album, this one pulling in the West African Highlife sound.

“Dangerous” – The Mysterines
2022 Bonus Track #1.

“Fear of Art” – Thumper
2022 Bonus Track #2.

“What’s My Name” – The Clash
Keith Levene died three weeks ago. Although most famous for being in Public Image Ltd, he was also an original member of The Clash, credited with helping to convince Joe Strummer to join the band. Although he departed before the band started recording its first album, he co-wrote this song.

“Breakdance” – Irene Cara
The lovely Ms. Cara died earlier this week at only 63. She had two monster hits from movies in the early ’80s, the title tracks from Fame and Flashdance, which went to #4 and #1 respectively. In the spring and summer of 1983 you could not escape her voice. She had four other Top 40 hits, this being the biggest, which hit #8 in the summer of 1984 as the breakdance fad was at its zenith. Not sure why the Germans called this song “Brake Dance.”

“You Make Loving Fun” – Fleetwood Mac
I know I wasn’t the only music fan who was surprised that Christine McVie was the first member of Fleetwood Mac’s classic lineup to pass. I also didn’t know she was 79. Since she always the most reserved of FM’s three biggest songwriters she seemed frozen in time, maybe in her early 60s and still looking youthful. If you are on Twitter you know a lot of folks had fun with this song, written about the FM lighting director that McVie had an affair with while she was still married to bassist John McVie. The ’70s were a weird time, man. McVie was a giant of classic rock. RIP to her, to Irene Cara, and to Keith Levene.