Posted: Apr 26, 07
3:19pm
13 months ago, I finally joined the iTunes revolution, after watching a 16 year old on national TV receive accolades during the evening news for downloading the 1 billionth song from iTunes.
If a 16 year old could do it, what did I have to lose?
After getting the free software and grabbing a few songs, I was amazed at how easy it was. Burning the songs to CD was also a snap.
The Recording Industry Association of America says that 586 million digital singles were downloaded in 2006, a 60 percent increase over 2005. 28 million albums were downloaded, a 103 percent increase.
CD shipments to retailers dropped by 12.8 percent during the same period.
Will CD's go the way of 8 tracks, typewriters, turntables, and video tape? Eventually, so the handwriting is on the wall. Our digital future is now.
I'm lucky to have a large library of promotional copies of CD's, and assorted vinyl discs, collected during a long radio career, so I really have to scratch my brain to identify some delightful digital ditties to download (that I don't already have in other media formats).
Instant gratification rules the roost. Plug into these mostly classic soul summertime favorites, just waiting to share space on the digital music player close to your heart.
1) "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone
2) "Indian Summer Love " - Con Funk Shun
3) "Long Hot Summer" - Jimi Hendrix Experience
4) "My Sweet Summer Suite" - Love Unlimited Orchestra (Barry White)
5) "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" - Stevie Wonder
6) "Summer" - War
7) "Summer Breeze" - Isley Brothers
8) "Summer Madness" - Kool and the Gang
9) "Summer Snow" - Blue Magic
10) "Summertime" - Billy Stewart
11) "Summertime" - Will Smith
12) "Summertime" - Janis Joplin with Big Brother & the Holding Company
By the way, if you slip in "School's Out (for Summer)," (the Alice Cooper version), or "Summertime Blues," (the Blue Cheer version), I won't tell.
