Songs about or including animals seemed like a reasonable list to put together and I have to admit it was fun doing it.

“Year of the Cat” is a song by British singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released as a single in July 1976 in the UK (October 1976 in the U.S.). The song is the title track of his 1976 album Year of the Cat, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in January 1976 by engineer Alan Parsons. The track is noted for its lengthy instrumental sections. Over four minutes of the 6:40 album version is instrumental, including a long, melodic series of solos that encompass cello, violin, piano, acoustic guitar, distorted electric guitar, synthesiser and saxophone. A fantastic 

“Tiger Feet” is a popular song by the English pop band Mud, released in January 1974. Written and produced by the songwriting team of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, it was the band’s first number No. 1 single in the UK Singles Chart. “Tiger Feet” was a huge success, it was number No. 1 in the UK and Ireland charts for four weeks in 1974 and also topped the charts in the Netherlands. It sold over 700,000 copies in the UK alone and over a million sales globally. It was also the best selling single in Britain that year. Watch the video and do the dance……it’s great!

The Rolling Stones were among the first British rock groups to record modern electric blues songs. In 1964, they recorded the Willie Dixon song “Little Red Rooster” with original member Brian Jones being a key player in the arrangement and recording. Their rendition, which remains closer to the original arrangement than Sam Cooke’s earlier recording of the song, became a number one record in the UK and continues to be the only blues song to reach the top of the British chart. The Stones frequently performed it on television and in concert and released several live recordings of the song. “Little Red Rooster” continues to be performed and recorded, making it one of Willie Dixon’s best-known compositions.

“A Horse with No Name” is a song written by Dewey Bunnell, and originally recorded by the folk rock band America. It was the band’s first and most successful single, released in late 1971 in Europe and early 1972 in the United States, and topped the charts in Canada, Finland, and the United States. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. On it’s first hearing it was thought by many, including me, to be a song performed by Neil Young and this caused a bit of controversy at the time. It reached number three on the UK Singles Charts. 

“Barracuda” is a song by American rock band Heart from their second studio album, Little Queen (1977), and was released as the album’s lead single. “Barracuda” has been labeled by reviewers as heavy metal and hard rock. Upon the song’s release, it became Heart’s second top-20 entry in the United States, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was never released as a single in The UK.

“Crocodile Rock” is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in summer 1972 at the Château d’Hérouville studio in France. It was a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player, and became his first U.S. number-one single. It reached Number 5 in The UK Charts. Elton John sings all the vocals including the falsetto vocals. It’s a fun tune.

“White Rabbit” is a song written by Grace Slick and recorded by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane for their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band’s second top-10 success, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It was not a single in The UK. “White Rabbit” is one of Grace Slick’s earliest songs, written during either late 1965 or early 1966. It uses imagery found in the fantasy works of Lewis Carroll—1865’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass—such as changing size after taking pills or drinking an unknown liquid. Slick said the composition was supposed to be a slap to parents who read their children such novels and then wondered why their children later used drugs. In another interview, Slick mentioned that, in addition to Alice in Wonderland, another inspiration for the song was Ravel’s Boléro. Like Boléro, “White Rabbit” is essentially one long crescendo. It is a psychedelic classic. 

What better way to finish this animal selection than with a listen to the complete Carnival of the Animals? This is a humorous musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The work was written for private performance by an ad hoc ensemble of two pianos and other instruments, and lasts around 25 minutes. It is a lot of fun and here we have a live performance by a fantastic ensemble including Martha Argerich and Gidon Kremer, two of the most phenomenal musicians it has ever been my pleasure to see and hear.

Movements:-

Introduction and Royal March of the Lion

Hens and Roosters

Wild Donkeys Swift Animals

Tortoises

The Elephant

Kangaroos

Aquarium

Characters with Long Ears

The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods

Aviary

Pianists

Fossils

The Swan

Finale

Performers:-

Piano: Martha Argerich / Akane Sakai

Violin: Gidon Kremer / Yuzuko Horigome

Viola: Yoshiko Kawamoto

Cello: Giedre Dirvanauskaite

Bass: Shu Yoshida

Clarinet: Raphaël Sévère

Flute: Juliette Hurel

Percussion: Sawako Yasue

Al Stewart – Year of the cat.

Mud – Tiger feet.

The Rolling Stones – Little red rooster.

 America – Horse with no name. 

Heart – Barracuda

Elton John – Crocodile Rock.

Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit

Saint-Saëns – Carnival of the animals.