SONG OF THE DAY
“Ding Dong” by Nellie McKay (Get Away From Me, Columbia Records, 2004). Written by Nellie McKay.
INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)
-Nellie McKay is an English-born American singer-songwriter, actress, and former stand-up comedienne, noted for her critically acclaimed debut album Get Away from Me and for her Broadway debut in The Threepenny Opera (2006), for which she won a Theatre World Award.
– Her music has showcased different genres, from jazz to rap and disco to funk. Her eclectic style and sharp lyrics distinguish her as an original voice.
– Her songs sometimes have a political tinge; she is a vocal feminist, and wrote a satirical song relating to feminist issues called “Mother of Pearl”. McKay also “is a proud member of PETA” (album notes), wrote “Columbia Is Bleeding” in dealing with the issue of Columbia University’s cruelty to animals, and (“John John”) about her feelings in favor of political candidate Ralph Nader.
– Get Away from Me was McKay’s first album. It was produced by The Beatles sound engineer Geoff Emerick. The title is a play on Norah Jones’ Come Away with Me.
– McKay is said to be the first woman to release a double album as her first release. Originally, her contract with Columbia called for 13 songs, but McKay aggressively lobbied her label for a double album, including bottles of wine, a PowerPoint slideshow, and a mock photo of her threatening Emerick with a gun. The studio agreed, but McKay had to underwrite production costs of the five additional tracks with $25,000 of her own money. Although all the music would fit on a single disc, McKay insisted on a double disc debut to “reclaim the feeling of flipping over a record”.
– McKay was one of the major breakout artists from the 2004 SXSW Festival and was a finalist in the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize, and Get Away from Me was on several “Best of 2004” lists.