Always Look on the Bright Side of Death
Monday, September 07, 2009
Frank Sinatra's classic "My Way" tops a list of pop songs most frequently heard at funerals in Great Britain. Today, we explore the rise of non-traditional music in final farewells. Plus, a local funeral director explains how popular songs can clash with religious ritual. Later: Easy Star All-Stars breathe life into rock dinosaurs. The reggae group joins us to mash up a Beatles classic, live in our studio. This is an encore edition of Soundcheck.
Music for a Final Farewell
A survey of 30,000 funerals in the UK found that songs by Frank Sinatra, Bette Midler and Celine Dion are helping eclipse the use of traditional hymns and classical music. Lorinda Sheasby of the UK-based group Co-operative Funeralcare tells us about the study. And, New Jersey-based funeral director Robert C. ...
Easy Star All-Stars Live
First it was "Dub Side of the Moon" and then "Radiodread." Now, the Easy Star All-Stars take on the most sacred album in rock 'n' roll and turn it into reggae. They join us for a live performance of songs from their record Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts.