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The Mid-Autumn Festival is slated to fall days before Malaysia Day in 2019. Since the festival is one to do with the moon and one of the points in the year when those observing it will likely discuss more about the moon, I thought why not look at a few songs (other than Teresa Teng’s ‘The Moon Represents My Heart’) that are related to Earth’s natural satellite.

Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer-songwriter who included ‘Both Sides, Now’ in her concept album, released 1969, ‘Clouds’. American singer Judy Collins gained international fame when she first recorded the song in 1968. Later, in 2000, Mitchell recorded the song once again with an orchestra on her album ‘Both Sides Now’. The song has been covered by artists including Willie Nelson and Frank Sinatra.

‘How High the Moon’, a song associated with the female jazz voice Ella Fitzgerald, was first recorded as part of a Broadway revue show in the 1940s. The Muppets, a group of fictional characters involved in musical-comedy revues, have performed the song multiple times in the related The Muppet Show franchise.

The popular mid-tempo ‘Can’t Fight the Moonlight’ was used as the theme song of ‘Coyote Ugly’, the 2000 film. American singer LeAnn Rimes recorded the song, which was written by Diane Warren. Rimes was originally supposed to sing the theme song with another American actress. However, upon discovering some cuts to the film, Rimes decided to offer her singing voice for all the songs sung by the other actress. Rimes’ voice was slightly altered for the film, according to sources.

Singer-songwriter GraceVanderWaal had written ‘Moonlight’ together with a record producer cum songwriter who has worked with artists including Bea Miller, The Chainsmokers, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. In the music video, VanderWaal is seen playing the ukulele, an instrument that she often carries along. ‘Moonlight’ is the first single from VanderWaal’s debut album ‘Just the Beginning’. Now in her teens, VanderWaal was crowned the winner of ‘America’s Got Talent’ in 2016.

Definitions/Notes: –
Revue – A theatrical production comprising brief, loosely connected skits, songs and dances, with a satirical tone.
Single – In popular music, a single is usually a record release with only one or two songs.
Album – A collection of recordings issued as a single item, typically in compact disc (CD) format.
Concept album – The tracks in this type of album hold a bigger purpose collectively than they do separately.
Record producer – If a record producer is not in charge of writing a song, s/he is to ensure that the song is organised. S/He is responsible for what is played, how and when it’s played, how many instruments are needed, what sounds are used, and whether the correct vocals are used. S/He will usually pick the studio and sound engineer(s) to ensure that a particular song is competitive in whatever market the song is going to be in.

Record – Artists, producers and engineers involved in a song contribute to a record.
Song – Arrangement (The way the song is delivered), lyrics, vocals, and any other instrument help define a song.
Singer-songwriters – They write, compose and sing their own songs.
Jazz – Finding its roots in the blues and ragtime genres, the music genre originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the African-American communities of New Orleans in the US. It is viewed by many as “America’s classical music”. The music genre’s derivative forms include Bossa Nova, K-pop, hip hop, and reggae.

Tempo – The speed of a passage of music.
Ukulele – The string instrument is a Hawaiian adaptation from the Portuguese small guitar-like machete. The tone and volume of this nylon-stringed instrument vary according to size and construction.