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Necessary Genius started on November 5, 2024!

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David Holmes - Necessary Genius (Featuring Raven Violet)

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This time we get a full Lowlands concert from 2026 featuring the one-and-only Nia Archives, who is a self-described “emotional junglist.”

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Some songs (and the video) play with your expectations and take you on a journey, in the strangest way. We don’t want to give away too much, except to say we here at Necessary Genius were stunned by this song, and it ended up on repeat.

How exactly did they do that? Well, not that, but creating a mesmerizing song with a unique voice and components which all seem to work together in an excellent mix. The slow build creates expectations. There are elements of different bands in this, but let’s let it dance on its own without comparing.

It’s also amazing what you can do with almost no budget. I mean, this turned out way better than all kinds of super-high budget songs and videos.

Turn it up!

Grandmas House - Dance (Official Music Video) (2026)

How strange. We’re not sure we want to go to Grandmas House at this point. Sounds like mood indigo for sure. Why is it that some songs are obviously sad or angry, but make you feel better. If music be the food of love, play on, right?

If music be the food of love, play on,

Give me excess of it that, surfeiting,

The appetite may sicken and so die.

That strain again, it had a dying fall.

O, it came o’er my ear like the sweet sound

That breathes upon a bank of violets,

Stealing and giving odour. Enough, no more,

’Tis not so sweet now as it was before.

[Music ceases]

O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou

That, notwithstanding thy capacity

Receiveth as the sea, naught enters there,

Of what validity and pitch so e’er,

But falls into abatement and low price

Even in a minute! So full of shapes is fancy

That it alone is high fantastical.

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 1

The imagination is more powerful than reality.

More blue? Well, we have another fine tune below!

By the way we’re not going to be the ones to tell them it’s grandma’s house with an apostrophe. It’s her house, right? But maybe they kept the apostrophe out of the band’s name for some good reason.

What does the headless dancing suit represent? They really like that motif. It appears in this one too:

Grandmas House - Blue Oblivion (Official Music Video) (2026)

Walking backwards. The break at 1:28 is unexpected. What? Now the whole band’s in the empty swimming pool. Nice one.

Two thumbs up from Necessary Genius! It’s wonderful to hear music you don’t usually hear. And even a bit of Shakespeare to boot.

Happy almost Halloween (Or Samhain, if you prefer.)

Frankie likes this song.

You heard it here first!

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Until next week, dear readers.

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In other words, become a paid subscriber to Necessary Genius and you can boogie along to fine music like Cario FM!

Alewya Demmisse was born in Saudi Arabia to a Sudanese-raised Egyptian father and an Ethiopian mother. Before relocating to the UK as refugees and ending up in London, she lived in Sudan with her family.

It’s a great track. Sometimes a song comes on and you can’t help but get up and dance around like nobody is watching. Well, nobody is watching most of the time. It doesn’t matter. You do you!

That’s why you need Necessary Genius in your life!

What would life on Mars be like? And what about the future?

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So here’s the track:

Cairo FM - Alewya (2026)

We here at Necessary Genius take each new track from the slush pile of latest releases and make the decision whether to release it to the world, or discard it and leave it in another folder on the desktop heavily populated by folders and files and lots of writing, also known as the cutting room floor.

This one kept surfacing, which meant it had to be included on Critic’s Corner. Catchy, danceable. What is it about this song? Influences? Sound?

Alewya

How can we compare apples and oranges? How can we compare thee to a summer’s day? How can we choose what songs have it and which ones that don’t?

Good questions.

Music is catchy or it’s not. So much of it is about mood. If you can catch the groove and be part of it for its 3 minutes or so, then it’s got you. But if you listen and it makes you want to scream, then it’s probably not for you, right?

There is no video, but let’s not hold that against the song.

What a dream what a dream what a dream.

(If?) the world was mine…

The Critic's Corner of Necessary Genius gives it a dreamy 4/5.

On Shaking Your Booty

The songs that grow on you, or grow up with, or that you hear alongside another profound personal experience, are usually etched into your consciousness and stay with you. They stick. To Necessary Genius, there is no background music. Wherever music is, it is forefront, it is part of the process, it is part of your life.

Case in point: At the grocery store the other day I was shopping for fruits and vegetables as supposedly normal people sometimes do and the music was really LOUD. Imagine being in the aisle with an exasperated older couple who were looking for tahini (in the produce section?), and hearing SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE, SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE, SHAKE YOUR BOOTY! blasted over the speakers.

Far from wanting to shake my booty in the supermarket, it inspired the existential crisis when you realize KC and the Sunshine Band’s disco monster is 50 years old!

Someone has a sense of humour.

Will people listen to Alewya in 2076? Good question, but who can know the future? Will someone go to the supermarket on Mars to buy some Moloko Plus and groove to Cairo FM in their spacesuit? Will they be reminded that Cairo FM is 50 years old by their onboard computer? Will they then remember a moment of life back on Earth when they rode a motorcycle through the desert and how life was and isn’t anymore?

Just for the record, Necessary Genius does not condone riding motorcycles through the desert without helmets. But it sure looks like fun!

Here is Alewya again, channeling M.I.A.

Alewya - Maktoub (Official Video) (2026)

Thanks for reading and keeping it real!

This week we delve into the legend of Giorgio Moroder … again. With even more tracks and platters that matter.

You will be surprised by even more songs he wrote and/or produced. He’s not only the Moog-master disco-tastic dance floor-filler we all know, he’s a very influential catalyst for dance-synth tech music in general.

Giorgio Moroder - Son Of My Father (1972)

We might was well start there. The Guardian did. But that’s where the similarities end.

Nice shot of Giorgio with his dog.

We at Necessary Genius believe Giorgio was trying to capture this next track, but Norman still got it better back in 1969. Sorry, Giorgio:

Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky (Official Music Video) (1969)

Few riffs can spark instant joy like the opening fuzz-box blast of “Spirit in the Sky.”

Leave the phone at home.

Leave the phone at home.

Leave the phone ... you get the idea. Hey kids, get out there in the world! But don’t do bad stuff.

By the way, Son of My Father was originally released in German and was a huge hit for Chicory Tip.

Chicory Tip - Son of My Father - TopPop (1972)

Originally published as “Nachts scheint die Sonne” (In the Night Shines the Sun)

The German lyrics are by Michael Holm and the English lyrics were written by Pete Bellotte. Wow! Michael Holm was the German Neil Diamond! Check this out!

Michael Holm - Nachts scheint die Sonne (ZDF Hitparade 04.09.1971)

Live in living colour on Necessary Genius. Why do they show his address? So everyone can go over and hang out with Michael Holm/Neil Diamond. SWEEEEEEEEET CAROLINE!!! BA BA BA!

Well, let’s just leave that there, shall we?

Blame the Moog.

Next on the agenda?

Theme From Midnight Express (1978)

We here at Necessary Genius are not Japan fans, but if you are, Life in Tokyo (1979) was written by Giorgio and is a cross between Duran Duran and Roxy Music if you’re into that.

And then there’s Daft Punk, who highlighted a Giorgio interview that explains a lot about the origin of the synthesizer’s “sound of the future” and its impact:

Daft Punk - Giorgio by Moroder (Official Audio) (9:13) (2014)

We know Daft Punk would not exist had it not been for Giorgio. And on this fine track we get to hear Giorgio himself talk about music.

“Nobody told me what to do. There was no preconception of what to do.” - Giorgio

Donna Summer - I Feel Love 1977 (Remastered)

Well, sometimes it’s educational for us here at Necessary Genius.

I Feel Love was definitely a Moroder tune, but Hot Stuff? Yes, it too had the Moroder touch! Up to that point, Summer had mainly been associated with disco songs but this song also showed a significant rock direction, including a guitar solo by ex-Doobie Brother and Steely Dan guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter.

Donna Summer - Hot Stuff Video HQ (1979)

So that was a big hit. But what about something experimental? Something you have probably never ever heard before that wasn’t a big hit. And it’s strange and wondrous and gorgeous in all its Moog-ness.

Kraftwerk? No, they could not create this joyous synth-drenched tune:

Einzelgänger - Good Old Germany (1975)

It’s due for a re-make. A dance mix. Something.

Well that’s it for more Giorgio on Necessary Genius. We hope you got inspired by magic Moog music.

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So, the original called Thrill of the Night features a star cast of Nile Rodgers (by the way, it’s the hitmaker that makes it a hit, right? His guitar … ) and Slayyyter. Not really a fan of all that.

But then, something else happened recently to tip the scales in the favour of featuring this specific track on Necessary Genius. It doesn’t happen frequently. You heard it here first, dear readers!

Sébastien Tellier - Attraction feat. Juliette Armanet (En boucle) (2026)

Juliette Armanet has been featured previously on Necessary Genius. Over and over over and over (en boucle). That’s what it means in français.

Écouter une chanson en boucle.

Écouter. Listen.

To see these features it may be prudent to become a paid subscriber. Then you can go back in time to the Necessary Genius archive to see the absolute phenomenon that is Juliette Armanet on fire. And all that stuff about Carrie. Anyway, it’s worth it.

Can you believe he was in concert in San Francisco on September 23? Wow, what a great performance that would have been. Sigh.

Et je rêve

Et tu rêves

Dreaming is free!

We at Necessary Genius certainly think more people should experience this, so we’ll head back in time to a previous concert:

Sebastien Tellier - La Ritournelle & L’Amour et la Violence (Chansons du 5ème étage) (2012)

Devastating in many ways. He’s got it, right? The keys. That’s where it was all along. The keyboard. How else could you get to the root of it? Listen. Experience on another level. What, exactly?

He does four minutes in that looping space. It’s a test of endurance.

What? Looping. Feeling it. Over and over. A pain, a certain pain. Looping, again, again, a change, a going somewhere else, but not really going anywhere. How can this intensity resolve itself?

Drop it.

Not the space for it. Let’s go then. Slower. Direct.

Oh, nothing's gonna change my love for you

I want to spend my life with you

Listen. Hypnotic loop.

Love is to share, mine is for you

By the way, La Ritournelle means a short repetitive tune. Same old story. Constant repeating complaint. 2004. That’s when Sébastien Tellier released the romantic electronic-pop song.

Used in everyday speech to describe a familiar, tiresome remark or routine that someone repeats over and over. Common phrase: “C’est toujours la même ritournelle” means “same old song and dance.”

Same old, same old.

It’s also derived from the Italian word ritornello (meaning a little return), it originally referred to an instrumental passage or recurring refrain in classical and baroque music.

L’amour et la violence is a cry for validation. The intimate, 1970s-style performance video was directed and shot by acclaimed filmmaker Roman Coppola and co-produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk (one of the robots):

Sébastien Tellier - L’amour et la violence (Official Video) (2009)

In the mirror. The synth repeating in the last 2 minutes. The ashtray. The what was and what isn’t. The flower. The paint cracking the wall. The keys. Peacock feathers …

Tell me, what you think

of my life...

Outside. Out the window. Into the street. Down the road into the world, the sun shining through the trees.

Here’s something more recent from ARTE, which is always a good go to...

Sébastien Tellier : live at the Théâtre de Mirecourt, France - ARTE Concert (2026)

Yes, you heard it here first! Necessary Genius is a fan of ARTE.

Here’s where you’ll find the sweetest sounds every Thursday.

Tell a friend!

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Don’t fret! Never fear! Necessary Genius is still here and full of more energy than ever.

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The Staves - In The Long Run (2013)

City sirens keep me awake.

But I know

I know that I’ll see you again in the long run...

A dreamer dreaming beside me

I’m already miles and miles and miles away...

I know I know I know....

Love and all that.

Ouch.

What is home? My home.

But I know that I’ll see you again in the long run.

Every Thursday on Necessary Genius you get Blast from the Past which chooses carefully curated music selections from history and Lastest Tracks which profiles more recent music!

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Seriously, though, if you do you’ll get access to Critic’s Corner, Live Lounge, Jazzmatazz and the entire Necessary Genius archive! Not to mention, you get to join the community and support our writing.

Necessary Genius wants to continue to bring the best of the best to your inbox every Thursday, so becoming a paid subscriber makes it more likely this will continue. Unless of course you don’t want it continue. Giorgio has a tendency to divide people.

Cheese factor 10+

Retro factor 10+

Moog factor 10+

There’s an awful lot going on here.

Giorgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity (1977) [Official Music Video]

By the way we should mention, along with Kraftwerk and the early electronic dance pioneers of the Moog-tastic Seventies and early Eighties, Giorgio Moroder is 100% a Necessary Genius, despite what some people might say.1

And this is what can be done. Classical guitar, piano, and synths alongside a full live string and rhythm section:

ANDREA LASZLO DE SIMONE — Immensità (2020)

And this Moog masterwork:

M83 ‘Midnight City’ Official video (2011)

And then there’s Daft Punk:

Daft Punk - Veridis Quo Astrophysics Remix (2021)

The original Veridis Quo was on Daft Punk’s 2001 album, Discovery.

In case you’ve just tuned in, the repetitive, somewhat annoying Veridis Quo synth journey continues for 15 minutes. It’s a loop of Daft Punk exquisiteness. But feel free to check out of it any time if it gets tedious. That is after 1:36 or so to get the idea.

We won’t hold it against you. That’s not what Necessary Genius is for.

The robots, right? They took off the helmets. And then they exploded in the desert. But that’s for another time.

Well, let’s go way back to 1975 for the next track. Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer, and Pete Bellotte wrote it. It was banned by broadcasters because it was considered too explicit. The famous 17 minute (!!) extended version was a key moment in modern electronic dance music, but here’s a more manageable version to get the idea:

Donna Summer - Love To Love You Baby (1975)

Um. Well. Didn’t expect to go there. But Donna is feeling um ... quite happy with what’s happening. Well, we’re glad she’s glad to go there, and it’s all recorded so you can go on that journey there if you so desire.

Top Gun!

What? Yes, this had the magical Giorgio touch as well!

Berlin - Take My Breath Away (Official Video - Top Gun) (1986)

OK, it’s absolute crap. But back in the day it was a huge hit. It doesn’t matter. It means Giorgio laughs all the way to the bank. Go Giorgio!

He also wrote Danger Zone, so you can blame him for that Kenny Loggins travesty. Unless of course you like it. Yes, Kenny Loggins is still touring.

Flashdance? Yes. Giorgio was there too.

Has anything changed? Not really. Music styles. Harry Styles. Hair styles.

Irene Cara - Flashdance What A Feeling (Official Music Video) (1983)

Let’s do an angry dance.

Yes, there’s magic in this.

Flight of the Conchords Ep 12 Bret’s Angry Dance (2007)

Here’s Bret’s Angry Dance because of the bongo solo changing the dynamics of the band. Because it’s all very Eighties. And he’s feeling it. With the saxophone.

Did Giorgio get there?

You be the judge.

Giorgio Moroder - Utopia (Me Giorgio) [Remastered] (HD) (1977)

You could mix this backing track, which is mostly the instrumental from From Here to Eternity in if you were a good enough DJ. Mix it in like it was a new remix. In the club. I’m just saying.

Well, OK then, let’s move on.

Not this one. Really?

Yes. Really.

Blondie - Call me (1980)

American Gigolo’s theme song could have been a collaboration with Stevie Nicks if she hadn’t turned Moroder down. Debbie Harry took the commission instead, writing the lyrics and music about Richard Gere’s murder-suspect male escort in a few hours. Moroder produces brilliantly, lifting Harry’s vocals up and creating one of the greatest electronic middle eights ever.

Not to mention the French. « Appelle-moi, mon chéri »

And the majesty that is this:

Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Live) (1978)

Did you enjoy doing an angry dance? Well, if so, why not become a paid subscriber?

Necessary Genius is still here and full of more Eighties-montage energy than ever.

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The jazziest of music gets a listen. Don’t miss out! You need to become a paid subscriber not to miss this epic stuff!

Listen. Brilliance in action:

Everything in Its Right Place - Robert Glasper (2007)

The original Maiden Voyage from 1965:

Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (1965)

• Herbie Hancock — piano

• Freddie Hubbard — trumpet

• George Coleman — tenor saxophone

• Ron Carter — bass

• Tony Williams — drums

The Robert Glasper Experiment (Trio) did it live:

Robert Glasper Trio Deconstructs Radiohead’s ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ (Live 2006)

• Robert Glasper – Grand Piano

• Vicente Archer – Upright Bass

• Damion Reid – Drums

What is happening?

Jazz is happening.

It is a happening.

A deconstruction is occurring.

Listen, listen. Sacred music. Piano, stand up bass, drums.

No noise. No filter. All there. All in. All majestic. Capturing it all. Own it.

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for.

With a DJ playing parts of the Radiohead track, we have the live merging of genres taking the emotion to another level, but only for a few minutes. It is a stunning memorial to his friend, saxophonist and vocoder musician, Casey Benjamin:

Robert Glasper performs Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place” (2026)

• Robert Glasper — Piano

• Vicente Archer — Bass guitar

• Damion Reid — Drums

• Jahi Sundance — Disc jockey

Jazzmatazz. On Necessary Genius.

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That’s what it’s all about, man. Listen to that. It’s beyond words.

He’s got it. Bring it back. Holy. This is a space to inhabit.

A holy, sacred space. Well done.

Casey Benjamin (1978 – 2024)

Thanks for reading and keeping the electricity paid for!

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That’s very kind of you.

Aupinard, looking annoyed that matcha is being served.

Aupinard, AKA Frédéric Yoan Opina, is an up-and-coming French R&B and bossa nova français artist featured this week on latest tracks!

Un Thé? is a breath of fresh air. Love is like that.

Now for spilling the tea in a great song about, well, more than just going for tea.

aupinard - un thé? (2026)

(Translated from French…)

It was so intense, all those nights we spent dancing

Wild souls, alone together, wrapped in each other’s arms

Never tiring of it, never even thinking of stopping

We watched time fade away and our hearts burn without a scratch

OK. Intense relationship. Burning so brightly then fizzling out like a shooting star. But that line about being alone together is a clever play, as is that expression “wrapped in each other’s arms.” Wrapped or trapped? Tangled up in blue. Wrapped up in it. It could be good, but it probably didn’t end well.

Never say never.

How about a cup of tea? Or a drink on a terrace?
Would you be up for it, baby—starting with a clean slate?

We can have a tea or a matcha, even if I don’t like it.

Come on, Aupinard. It was going so well. The song is fun, but that little barb of a lyric. Just because you don’t like matcha and your love interest does? At least that’s what I’m assuming from the lyrics.

We here at Necessary Genius aren’t fans of matcha either.

Note how impossible it is to “start with a clean slate,” because even a simple decision like going for a harmless tea already becomes a point of contention.

There’s more.

I’ve tried so many times to figure out why

Without you, it’s winter; it’s so cold outside

I was thinking about us yesterday …

The song ends with the repetition, pleading, of the chorus x4. Let’s hope after this great song Aupinard’s love interest goes to spend some time with him. It’s important to talk about it. It’s important to communicate!

But we don’t get too many details and the wonderful thing about lyrics is we can read all we want into them.

And what about those horrible people who break up by text? Aupinard has a song for that:

aupinard - texto (2023)

She left me by text

Because it was the same every day

This is a great example of taking a painful situation and making a fun song out of it!

… right now, problems are knocking at my door

I struggle a lot, but I could cry my eyes out

It’s bothering me, no time to celebrate

It’s true. Sigh.

Brazilian music and some of my guitar tunes

And in the streets of Bordeaux

We would have fun as if it were the Balearic Islands

Cafés, terraces, and mojitos

Yes, please. Sounds like fun.

Until next week, dear readers! May you enjoy the cafés, terraces, and mojitos of summertime while it lasts! Thanks for reading Necessary Genius and keeping it real!

Did you enjoy your tea (or matcha)? If so, become a Necessary Genius paid subscriber!

We’re still here and full of more energy than ever.

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Then you’ll have access not only to Blast from the Past and Lastest Tracks, but you’ll get the newest of new music on Critic’s Corner and amazing concerts on Live Lounge.

All the gratitude in the world for all this music and what sounds like muted steel drums in this track. It has soul and a certain kind of magic:

Jungle: Someday, Somewhere | The Tonight Show (2026)

Thank you. There’s this wistful, softly cheery song too:

Carry On - Jungle (2026)

The concert is in Vancouver, BC tonight!

During the pandemic, Jungle did a concert in a Paris metro station with a full band. It’s worth watching here:

Jungle (live) - Passengers - ARTE Concert

Spreading the love of music through technology.

Yes, there’s Critic’s Corner, that rates the latest and greatest tracks in the now, but what about all that fine live music?

What about those concerts and clips that have pushed the boundaries?

Well, dear reader, you’re in luck, because Live Lounge is the latest addition to Necessary Genius.

But it’s only for paid subscribers. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

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Love is a losing hand
It was more than I could stand
Love is a losing hand
Self-professed, profound
'Til the chips were down
Know you're a gambling man
Love is a losing hand

Love is a Losing Game – Lucca Mae covers Amy Winehouse | Digging The Crates (2026)

Necessary Genius thanks you, paid subscribers!

The timing was right
The pleasure was mine

Fine, drop it there.

When we started
Both brokenhearted
Not believing
It could begin and end in one evening

So Canadian it hurts. Fine, then. One evening. Classy.

When we parted
Moving on
And believing
It could begin and end in one evening

Feist - One Evening (2004)

Feist was born in Nova Scotia and raised in Calgary.

By the way, we here at Necessary Genius are quite OK, thank you.

When has Canada ever been so cool? Well, Canada always was cool. Don’t knock it.

My Moon My Man in the airport!

Far from being a traditional love song she loves you yeah yeah yeah, how about a complex exploration of a relationship where the partner's shifting moods are compared to the phases of the moon?

Yes, we’re talking My Moon My Man!

My moon, my man, so changeable and

Such a loveable lamb to me

My care, my coat leave on a high note

there’s nowhere to go but on

…

My moon, the moon, and my man x4!

What an outro!

Feist - My Moon My Man (2007)

Every airport we here at Necessary Genius ever go through it’s time to do a Feist and make some moves on the people mover. You should try it sometime. It’s fun.

It doesn’t matter where in the world. It doesn’t even need strobe lights. Toronto airport never looked so cool and never really will again.

Feist - Mushaboom (2004)

Careful not to burn the toast. And try not to float out the window.

Helping the kids out of their coats
But wait, the babies haven’t been born, oh

What? The babies haven’t been born? Whose kids are you helping, then?

But in the meantime I’ve got it hard
Second-floor living without a yard
It may be years until the day
My dreams will match up with my pay

Yes, those were the days, my friend, we thought they’d never end.

Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days - The Ed Sullivan Show (1968)

That’s what you get for hanging out at the tavern. And because you’re hanging out reading Necessary Genius you get to go back to the Russian folk song from 1926 called Dorogoi dlinnoyu which Those Were The Days was based on! Now you know!

Alexander Vertinsky - Dorogoi dlinnoyu - Дорогой длинною - By the long road (1926)

Old dirt road (Mushaboom, mushaboom)
Knee deep snow (Mushaboom, mushaboom)
Watching the fire as we grow (Mushaboom, mushaboom)
Old …

There is a real place called Mushaboom. A small, quiet, historic and rural fishing community on the rugged Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Mushaboom

I’ve got a man to stick it out
And make a home from a rented house, oh
And we’ll collect the moments one by one
I guess that’s how the future’s done, oh

Collect those moments one by one and a dream of a world as it could have been …

Feist - I Feel It All (2007)

And we do at Necessary Genius.

By the way, you should become a paid subscriber!

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Feist - Inside and Out (2004)

And yes, we have to go there. BEE GEES! From the Isle of...oh well.

The Bee Gees - Love You inside Out (1979)

No, you don’t have to click it. Don’t do it! It will spoil the effect!

OK, fine, Feist remade it. Sigh. What the flying out the window is this?

It’s Necessary Genius!

Those were the days, my friend.

Blast from the Past talks about falling in and out of love in one evening and next week Lastest Tracks profiles more recent music!

Why not subscribe and you’ll know all about it! Newest of new music is found in Critic’s Corner—for that, you’ll need to upgrade your subscription to paid.

But you need to be a paid subscriber to experience Critic’s Corner.

This week, featuring Jalen Ngonda! Originally born in Maryland, he’s now Liverpool-based!

Jalen Ngonda

Jalen thinks you should become a paid subscriber of Necessary Genius! That way you can see Critic’s Corner and not miss out on future posts!

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Read more

Brilliant.

You heard it here on Necessary Genius first!

It sounds like a James Bond film title song, but it’s not.

Because We Have All the Time in the World, right?

That fine song by Louis Armstrong, IS a James Bond song, which is featured below, from arguably the best Bond film!

How Cruel - Sarah Lola (2026)

How cruel
It is for you to find someone new …

That’s the word, no? Don’t worry, Sarah, you’ll find someone new, too. Someone who respects you for you and isn’t so cruel, huh?

Wanted me all for yourself, huh?
But wanted others too
Watched me give you all my love
While she was phoning you

Sarah Lola - How Cruel | A COLORS SHOW (2026)

Ouch.

We won’t get into the details of how people stare at their phones waiting for Godot or God-knows-what and get dopamine hits when they receive texts. Or maybe we should.

Isn’t it fascinating to see people out in public staring at their phones like zombies and sometimes this mild grinning expression crosses their face because they’ve received a text and that’s a transient and limited form of happiness that disappears just as quickly?

It’s also known as the digital trance or scroll grin, driven by anticipatory dopamine. But I don’t think these terms quite capture it. A micro-smile.

Let’s explore! Why not? We have all the time in the world.

Louis agrees:

It’s like gambling on slot machines. Known as “variable ratio reinforcement” if you’re curious … dopamine drives pursuit and anticipation.

The micro-smile happens when a social cue registers or novelty happens. That funny video, a like, or a new text! It (micro-temporarily) overrides boredom and/or physical discomfort, but depletes almost as fast as it happens.

It cuts deep. Imagine being the partner of someone receiving texts in real life (IRL), and noting that expression, but not having the words for it, yet. Cruelty in so many words.

Remember the good times, even in recognizing the cruelty of the end.

We here at Necessary Genius have some semblance of dignity left.

Broke promises
In all honesty
You wanted this

…

How cruel
It is to be like you
How cruel
How cruel
It is for you to find someone new
How cruel

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Keep on listening and believing in the music.

David Holmes - Necessary Genius (Featuring Raven Violet)

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A clever student in my class told me she watched the film Michael and absolutely loved it. What did she love about it? The music, of course. Mostly the music. At the time she wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommended it, I wasn’t going to go see it. She told me it stars Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson, as Michael himself, as if that gave it some stamp of approval. It all felt very carefully staged, and the film was mostly a family affair as many were involved in the project. His sister, Janet Jackson declined to be involved.

Against my better judgement, I went to go see it. It’s a rags-to-riches story. Jackson senior is abusive and controlling. He manages the Jackson 5 and works his sons hard, performing incessantly to pay the bills. The youngest of the 5 is Michael Jackson, who shines. He didn’t have a childhood. He was always working too hard. Did they really know he was special? Did they really think he would have a huge solo career? What is truth and what is fiction?

The King of Pop

The most enjoyable parts of the film were the concert scenes, where the music can’t help but move even the most die-hard cynic. If you grew up to these songs, they will resonate. On stage, Michael Jackson did transcend to another level, and his songwriting, vocal talent, and dance moves are unique. You know it’s his song.

Michael | Official Trailer (2026)

The Rock with You video features a younger man who is about to go stratospheric. In the early Eighties he was on top of the world. He moonwalked. He had his red zippered leather jacket. He was the definition of cool. He was electric.

The single reached No. 1 in the United States in 1980 … In his 1988 memoir Moonwalk, Michael called "Rock With You," written by Rod Temperton, “the sort of thing I was aiming for” in creating an album to his vision.

Check out the sequined jumpsuit and matching boots!

Michael Jackson - Rock With You (Official Video - Upscaled) (1979)

And if that’s not enough, you can always blame it on the boogie with the Jackson 5.

The Jacksons - Blame It On the Boogie (Official Video) (1978)

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Translated from Spanish:

My head

In circles

Destruction

My heart

Give it back to me.

I gave it all

I gave it all

I give it all

To get out

Ela Minus & Nick León - espiral (Official Audio)

Necessary Genius!

That’s where you’ll find the sweetest sounds every Thursday.

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Until next week, dear readers.

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Remedy. I remember, now. Can I have some remedy too, please?

Blues, drums, guitar, dancing guy, we’ve traveled back in time to the Nineties again, clearly, but we have a lot of long hair going on here. That is the Nineties inspired by the Georgia sound inspired by Otis Redding.

We’ll get there.

Otis.

Being down again. I got the blues like a fever. Cry me a river.

Let me show you what I mean and will you let me? Can I have some more remedy?

I first heard the song Remedy while driving home in Burnaby. That’s right, that Burnaby, Canada. The one where Michael Bublé hails from, that Bublé from Burnaby. And he can only dream of achieving this masterwork of blues and chunky funk and soul that is Remedy by the Black Crowes. But I guess it’s a totally different genre, right?

The lead up for thirty seconds to what? Yes, Bublé thinking he’s in a James Bond movie. Feel free to skip right to Julie London if you’re not a fan of the Bublé. Even if you’re not a fan, it’s good to remind yourself why you might profoundly dislike this painfully overblown (4:15) cover version of Cry Me a River!

Michael Bublé - Cry Me A River (Official Music Video) [4K Remaster] (2009)

Yes, we’re a bit glum lately, so really did have to go there. The real mood indigo. The down-and-out relationship failing disintegration devastation blues. Somehow memories of the Black Crowes’ Remedy, led to Burnaby and Bublé , and crying rivers which made me think of Julie London. Sigh.

Cry Me A River - Julie London (1955)

Let’s move away from crying rivers and get back to some kind of remedy.

To feel something. If you crank this up. And listen. You’ll feel it too. In the way you don’t feel anything in the whole archive that cover songs-singer Bublé ever created in his faux-lounge crappiness fakery.

We’re just saying.

The Black Crowes - Remedy (1992)

And then there’s this. Yes, they’re from Georgia. Thanks Otis Redding.

The Black Crowes - Hard To Handle (1990)

Covering the late great Otis who also hails from Georgia. Quite possibly the greatest singer of all time? Well, let’s explore, shall we?

Here is the original:

Otis Redding - Hard To Handle (1968)

Why Otis, you say?

It’s hard to handle these masterworks of soul, R&B and raw emotion. Buckle up!

Respect

What do these two versions combined say about men and women? Well, to take another Otis song to answer, (I can’t get no) Satisfaction. Not only a perfect example of double negatives, it appears that nobody ends up happy with the situation when expectations dominate the relationship. It’s about, well, respect.

Respect - Otis Redding (1962)

This was a huge hit for Aretha Franklin!

Respect - Aretha Franklin (1967)

The song that launched his career was soul-shattering:

These Arms Of Mine

Otis Redding - These Arms Of Mine (Official Music Video) (1964)

A pleading slow-jam of deep love and devotion:

I’ve Been Loving You Too Long

Otis Redding - I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (1965)

A pulsing, driving R&B anthem later covered by The Rolling Stones:

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Otis Redding - (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1965)

A deeply emotional and vulnerable classic:

I’ve Got Dreams to Remember

I've Got Dreams to Remember · Otis Redding (1968)

A catchy, horn-heavy R&B hit born from a nickname given to him by a DJ due to his sad ballads (see above). Otis got the last laugh by flipping it into a massive, upbeat soul anthem:

Mr. Pitiful

Mr. Pitiful - Otis Redding (1964)

As the signature intro to The Blues Brothers, you can’t go wrong:

I Can’t Turn You Loose

I Can’t Turn You Loose - Otis Redding (1966)

After the singer died in a plane crash with his band the Bar-Keys in 1967, this masterwork was released posthumously:

(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay

Otis Redding - (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay (Official Music Video) (1968)

Blast from the Past moves on from Otis Redding and what began as a remedy for the blues this week. Next week Lastest Tracks profiles more recent music!

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Shame, Shame, Shame was written by Sylvia Robinson, yes, one half of Mickey & Sylvia.

Mickey & Sylvia. Love IS Strange!

They had that big hit in 1956, Love is Strange. You know, the one that ended up in Dirty Dancing and all that.

Mickey & Sylvia - Love Is Strange (1956)

Shirley Goodman was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She paired up with Leonard Lee to form Shirley & Lee and they recorded their debut single I’m Gone in 1952:

Shirley & Lee - I’m Gone/Lee Goofed (1952)

Let The Good Times Roll- Shirley & Lee (1956)

Now for the Bo Diddley rhythm a la disco!

Shirley & Company - Shame, Shame, Shame (1975) • TopPop

Wow that “& Company” guy (Jesus Alvarez) really goes for it, right?

He later changed his name to Jason Alvarez and became a pastor for the Love of Jesus Family Church, later releasing gospel albums.

Cher and Tina (1975) on the Cher Show

Wow. They sure are blindingly sparkly.

Shame, shame, shame on you … if you aren’t a paid subscriber for Necessary Genius!

Well, you are, so you get to experience this time travel straight out of 1975 as disturbing as that might be.

Until next time, dear readers!

Every Thursday on Necessary Genius you get Blast from the Past which chooses carefully curated music selections from history and Lastest Tracks which profiles more recent music!