Another Kentucky Shakespeare opening, another playlist. Break legs, gang, and enjoy, accidental happeners-upon!
1) “King Hustler” – The Moods: I think this fits any proper King Henry And Crew Enter In Slo-Mo Four Abreast entrance, yes? (The snip at the top is of course from Tenacious D’s “Friendship Test” which just felt right.);
2) “East Northumberland High” – Miley Cyrus: this was just going to be a joke, but then the hook is “Just because I liked you back then/ It doesn’t mean I like you now/ Just because I liked you back then/ It doesn’t mean I like you” which is as Henry Percy a thing to say as anything, so…’
3) “Your Number One Fan” – Bobbie Gentry: “to Prince Hal, Sincerely, from Vernon”;
4) “Harry in the Piggery” – Mighty Sparrow: any specific questions are legitimate, but our Prince Harry is at least metaphorically dwelling amongst the swine;
5) “Drop That Sack” – Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five: or, Love Theme from Eastcheap;
6) “Quickly In Love” – Miriam Makeba with the cast of King Kong: for the mistress of the tavern, of course. (And not that King Kong – it’s a jazz musical from South Africa and worth a listen.);
7) “Robbin’ Banks” – J. Frederick & the Clamtones: the Gad’s Hill Gang internal monologue;
8) “A Mug of Ale” – Joe Venuti & His Blue Four: no explication necessary;
9) “A King of autocratic power” – from Gilbert & Sullivan’s Utopia Ltd.: this one is timelier than anyone would like it to be, I think;
10) “Money Is King” – Van Dyke Parks: despite whatever other differences the parties to this rebellion by have, this point is inarguable;
11) “Two Princes” – Vitamin String Quartet: everyone forgets John of Lancaster…;
12) “Marching Off to War” – William Bell: “Is the wind in that door, i’faith? Must we all march?”
13) “Don’t Let It Trouble Your Mind” – Dolly Parton: You tell him, Lady Percy;
14) “Have Mercy, Miss Percy” – Long Tall Marvin: You tell her right back, ‘Spur;
15) “Fat Cakes” – Jimmy McGriff: …and back we go to the Boar’s Head;
16) “Gimme That Wine” – Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross: again, this one explains itself just fine;
17) “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” – Billy May & His Orchestra: the first syllable is wrong, yes, but you should see Neill’s Bardolph makeup. Those exhalations are horrifying;
18) “Ale, Ale, Glorious Ale” – Bob Lewis: from an album of old English drinking songs and a frequent addition to the Yellowstocking Tales road trip playlists, believe it or not;
19) “Hey Doll Baby” – The Clovers: we cheated a little and put Doll Tearsheet to work in the tavern one play early, replacing Francis the Drawer. It is not. A good. Job;
20) “Magic Man” – Heart: don’t fear for a moment that we’re going to forget the Welsh. No one but NO one can trace Owain Glyndwr in the tedious ways of art, my friend;
21) “If You Go Away” – Tom Jones: this is not the song we ended up going with for Lady Mortimer, but I gave it a good pitch. The Welsh kid singing this one isn’t bad, either;
22) “Run, Run, Run” – The Gestures: for The Douglas, great Archibald brave and bold and fast on his feet, laying Scotch eggs behind him all the way;
23) “Love Is a Battlefield” – Pat Benatar: another one that started as a joke, but ended up holding its own, lyrically speaking;
24) “Getting Some Fun Out of Life” – Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra: I know you all, and will a while uphold/ The unyoked humor of your idleness…”
BONUS TRACK: “Love Is a Battlefield” by Maysa – the original fit the mix better but this one came so very, very close I had to include it anyway. May for the curtain call.
Yellowstocking Tales 