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Rodgers shares some of the stories behind the songs and asks trivia questions. Some audience members tapped their feet and even called out “whoo” during a few numbers.
Musician David Rodgers played several instrumentals that dated back to the 1920s.
ROSEVILLE — Prior to Valentine’s Day, romance was in the air Feb. 6 at the Roseville Public Library.
During the afternoon, local pianist David Rodgers gave a musical presentation that paid tribute to famous love songs from the 1920s to the present.
About 25 people attended the hourlong concert in which Rodgers played various instrumental numbers on his Yamaha P-125 keyboard. He also shared a piece of history behind each ditty.
During the event, which felt nostalgic at times, the talented musician tossed out occasional music trivia questions to the audience.
“One of the most difficult parts with a show like this is finding the piano arrangements,” he said.
“God Only Knows,” by the Beach Boys; the “Unforgettable” duet from Nat King Cole and his daughter, Natalie Cole; and “Fly Me to the Moon,” with Frank Sinatra singing the most well-known version, were included in the set. Audience members showed their appreciation by tapping their feet to the music.
According to Rodgers, songwriter Buck Ram was responsible for breaking down barriers for several Black artists in the 1950s. Ram wrote “Only You,” by the Platters, plus some of their other hits.
“The Platters were an all-Black early rock group. They were on Mercury Records. Mercury announced they would release this song ‘Only You’ on their purple, quote, ‘race music’ label,” Rodgers said.
“Buck Ram, who (was) not Black, insisted the song be released not only to the Black community but also to a wider audience,” Rodgers said. “He was also instrumental in making Mercury Records do away completely with the race label. This helped pave the way for other Black artists to be featured in mainstream radio in the 1950s and beyond.”
Music fans might be surprised to learn that “Unchained Melody,” a song written in 1955 that hit the charts for the Righteous Brothers in 1965 and had a resurgence in 1990 thanks to the movie “Ghost,” was not meant to be a hit. Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, of the duo, recorded the song in 1965. They tossed a coin to see who would sing it; Hatfield won.
Phil Spector reportedly produced several of the Righteous Brothers hits, but was not interested in getting behind “Unchained Melody,” so Medley produced it. The track was originally supposed to be a B-side, but that all changed when disc jockeys got a hold of the recording and played it nonstop. Rumor has it Spector was not happy about that.
Rodgers said the song was originally written for a movie called “Unchained.”
“It’s a prison movie. It’s meant to be a song about waiting a long, lonely time to return to your love after your prison sentence,” he said, adding that 1,500 versions of the song have been recorded.
“The Righteous Brothers were not brothers. They actually performed at a show for the military and someone said, ‘That sounds righteous, brothers.’ They ended up just using that name as their band name,” Rodgers said.
The attendees also learned the backstory of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
“The song was based on a French song written in 1784, but the melody was changed around a little bit and new lyrics were added,” Rodgers said.
The song was written specifically for Presley’s 1961 film “Blue Hawaii.” Although the movie’s producers didn’t like the tune, Rodgers said Presley “insisted on singing the song.”
Using Roxette’s song “It Must Have Been Love” from the 1990 movie “Pretty Woman,” Rodgers also pointed out that not all love songs are “sunshine and roses.”
“Sometimes they take on a melancholy feel, due to a broken heart,” he said.
Toward the end of the show, Rodgers covered more recent songs including “Thinking Out Loud,” by Ed Sheeran, and “Love Story,” by Taylor Swift. He also said Shaina Twain wrote “From This Moment On” for Celine Dion, but ended up recording it herself.
Rodgers has a number of other instrumental gigs that he performs, including one dedicated to the Beatles and another devoted to the songs of Motown.
Fran Timmerman and her husband, Tim Timmerman, thought Rodgers’ show at the library was “excellent.”
“We always enjoy him,” said Fran Timmerman, who has been to the musician’s Motown show.
“He gives a great performance,” said Tim Timmerman, who always appreciates the history behind each song.
For more information on David Rodgers, visit davidrodgersmusic.com.
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