Songs in the Key of Dave
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Songs in the Key of Dave - E01 - First It Was Folk
Dave talks about his earliest music influences growing up in Old Town, the epicenter of the Folk Revival Movement.
Approx. Length: 50 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” by Burl Ives
- “Mr. Frog Goes A-Courtin’” by Burl Ives
- “Rawhide” by Frankie Laine
- “Get Rhythm” by Johnny Cash
- “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton
- “Tom Dooley” by The Kingston Trio
- “Zombie Jamboree” by The Kingston Trio
- “South Coast” by The Kingston Trio
- “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” by Peter, Paul and Mary
- “If I Had a Hammer” by Peter, Paul and Mary
- “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by Joan Baez
- “All I Have to Do is Dream” by the Everly Brothers
Songs in the Key of Dave - E02 - Then Came the Songwriters
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We continue Dave’s musical journey, through the singer-songwriter era of the 60s-70s.
Approx. Length: 52 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced NOTE: a DMCA complaint version is available of this episode.
Tracklist
- “Chances Are” by Johnny Mathis
- “Day-O” by Harry Belafonte
- “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul and Mary
- “Country Roads” by John Denver
- “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver
- “Farewell Andromeda” by John Denver
- “Have You Ever Been Mellow” by Olivia Newton-John
- “Solitary man” by Neil Diamond
- “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers
- “Every Which Way But Loose” by Eddie Rabbit
- “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
- “What a Wonderful World/Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Songs in the Key of Dave - E03 - Engines and Open Roads
Dave discusses growing up in the shadows of the Janu Brothers Garage in Old Town, and his lifelong love of cars
Approx. Length: 53 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Transfusion” by Nervous Norvous
- “Custom Machine” by the Beach Boys
- “No Particular Place to Go” by Chuck Berry
- “I Get Around” by the Beach Boys
- “Greased Lightning” by John Travolta
- “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Johnny Bond
- “Corvette” by the Corvettes
- “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash
- “Route 66” by Nelson Riddle
- “Moon River” by Andy Williams
- “King of the Road” by Roger Miller
Songs in the Key of Dave - E04 - We Did Something Right
The entire Janu family - Dave, Lynn, Bruce and Lori - sit down and discuss raising a family in the 70s and 80s.
Approx. Length: 57 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Gin and Tonic” by Brandy Butler and the The Fonxionaires
- “Weekend in New England” by Barry Manilow
- “Hello Again” by Neil Diamond
- “Elvira” by the Oak Ridge Boys
- “It Must Be Him” by Vikki Carr
- “It Only Costs a Dime” by the Everly Brothers
- “This is Your Daddy’s Oldsmobile” by Ray Stevens
- “Middle Age Crazy” by Jerry Lee Lewis
- “Wildfire” by Michael Martin Murphy
- “A Horse With No Name” by America
- “Times of Your Life” by Paul Anka
Songs in the Key of Dave - E05 - Wrecks, Waves and Corvettes
From MG antics at St. Michael’s to cruising Lake Shore Drive, this episode dives into Dave’s lifelong love affair with cars, boats, and even a few motorcycles.
Approx. Length: 52 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “School Days” by Chuck Berry
- “Fun, Fun, Fun” by the Beach Boys
- “Lake Shore Drive” by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah
- “Take Me Back to Chicago” by Chicago
- “G.T.O.” by Johnny and the Daytonas
- “My Mighty G.T.O.” by Jan and Dean
- “The Motorcycle Song” by Arlo Guthrie
- “Sloop John B” by the Beach Boys
- “Sailing” by Christopher Cross
- “Corvette Song” by George Jones
- “Little Red Corvette” by Mike Zito
Songs in the Key of Dave - 06 - Looking for Space
In this episode, we reach for the stars — and a little perspective, too.
Approx. Length: 60 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Sputnik (Satellite Girl)” by Jerry Engler
- “Rocket Man” by Elton John
- “Space Oddity” by Chris Hadfield
- “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra
- “Moon Dance” by Van Morrison
- “Across the Universe” by Fiona Apple
- “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Earth” by Leonard Nimoy
- “Star Trekkin’” by The Firm
- “The Play” by Paul Mayer
- “Under the Milky Way” by Wes Carr
- “Looking for Space” by John Denver
Songs in the Key of Dave - E07 - Old Town Vignettes
In this episode, Dave takes us back to his childhood neighborhood — Old Town, Chicago.
Approx. Length: 55 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters
- “Gone Fishin’” by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong
- “It’s My Lazy Day” by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
- “Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran
- “Let the Good Times Roll” by Shirley and Lee
- “Those We the Days” by Mary Hopkin
- “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” by Frank SInatra
- “Sweet Home Chicago” by Little Junior Parker
- “I Fought the Law” by The Bobby Fuller Four
- “In My Life” by the Beatles
- “Try to Remember” by The Brothers Four
- “Old Days” by Chicago
Songs in the Key of Dave - E08 - A Shot and a Beer
From homemade beer brewed in Old Town during Prohibition to the familiar taste of Old Style at the neighborhood tavern, this one’s a journey through basements, barrooms, and memories — all shared over a drink or two.
Approx. Length: 57 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Bottle of Wine” by Tom Paxton
- “Thunder Road” by Robert Mitchum
- “Copper Kettle” by Joan Baez
- “Beer barrel Polka” by The Andrews Sisters
- “Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson
- “Old Style Beer” by the Chardon Polka Band
- “Heileman’s Old Style Beer Song” by The Heileman Orchestra and Chorus
- “Beer Run” by Todd Snider
- “Hey Bartender” by Johnny Lee
- “Bartender Blues” by James Taylor
- “One More for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” by Frank SInatra
- “Family Tradition” by Hank Williams, Jr.
- “Drinking Again” by Dinah Washington
Songs in the Key of Dave - E09 - Postcards from Elsewhere
From Jamaica in the early 60s, to honeymoon turned evacuation in the Bahamas, this episode is all about travel and the strangers who became friends along the way.
Approx. Length: 61 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Come Fly With Me” by Frank Sinatra
- “Jamaican Farewell” by Harry Belafonte
- “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin
- “One Particular Harbor” by Jimmy Buffet
- “Stormy Weather” by Etta James
- “Bloody Mary Morning” by Willie Nelson
- “On An Evening In Roma (Sott'er Celo De Roma)” by Dean Martin
- “Colosseum Blues” by Pascal Dennis
- “Thames River Song” by Si Cranstoun
- “Trip the Light” by Alicia Lemke
Songs in the Key of Dave - E10 - Our Little Zoo
Piranhas in the living room. Snakes in the couch. Turtles that didn’t always get along. Birds, eels, mantis shrimp, an octopus named Oscar, and other stories about the pets in our lives.
Approx. Length: 64 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “The Ocean” by Richard Hawley
- “Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles
- “Killer Queen” by Queen
- “Spiders and Snakes” by Jim Stafford
- “The Snake” by Al Wilson
- “Walking the Dog” by Rufus Thomas
- “Turtles” by Jesse Wells
- “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo” by Lobo
- “I Like Birds” by The Eels
- “Threee Little Birds” by Bob Marley and the Wailers
- “Lovecats” by The Cure
- “The Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart
- “Kind and Generous” by Natalie Merchant
Songs in the Key of Dave - E11 - Open Roads and Open Minds
In this episode, Dave takes us back to his childhood neighborhood — Old Town, Chicago.
Approx. Length: 56 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham
- “America” by Simon and Garfunkel
- “This Land is Your Land” by Peter, Paul and Mary
- “Ventura Highway” by America
- “Gentle on My Mind” by John Hartford
- “Cheers (Theme)” by Gary Portnoy
- “M.T.A.” by The Kingston Trio
- “Everybody’s Talkin’” by Harry Nilsson
- “Calypso” by John Denver
- “Old Cape Cod” by Patti Page
- “North to Alaska” by Johnny Horton
- “White Sandy Beach” by White Sandy Beach” By Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
- “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Glen Campbell
Songs in the Key of Dave - E12 - Christmases Past
For this special holiday episode, Dave and Bruce are joined by Lynn and Lori for a family round-table full of stories, laughter, memories, and the music that shaped their Christmases through the decades.
Approx. Length: 64 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Johnny Mathis
- “Fantasia on Greensleeves” by The Boston Pops Orchestra
- “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland
- “Little Town” by Over the Rhine
- “Here Comes Santa Claus” by Gene Autry
- “Nuttin’ for Christmas” by Art Mooney & Barry Gordon
- “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt
- “Silver Bells” by Andy Williams
- “In a Bleak Mid-Winter” by Sarah McLachlan
- “Aspenglow” by John Denver
- “Merry Christmas Darling” by the Carpenters
- “Frosty the Snowman” by Ella Fitzgerald
- “The Secret of Christmas” by Bing Crosby
- “Joy” by George Winston
Songs in the Key of Dave - E13 - Reel Life
This is our love letter to the movies, featuring stories about walking home after watching horror movies, taking the streetcar downtown to see movies in the large theaters, James Bond, and more!
Approx. Length: 55 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Hooray for Hollywood” by Doris Day
- “Horror Pictures” by The Calvanes
- “Science Fiction/Double Feature” by the Cast of The Rocky Horror Show
- How the West Was Won Main Theme by Alfred Newman
- Overture from Grand Prix by Maurice Jarre
- The James Bond Theme by Monty Norman
- “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney and Wings
- “Diamonds are Forever” by Shirley Bassey
- "Eliot Ness" by Michael Carlos
- “Steve McQueen” by Sheryl Crow
- “My John Wayne” by Kylie Frey
- “As Time Goes By” by Dooley Wilson
Songs in the Key of Dave - E14 - Snow Days
An early snowfall in the Chicago area sparks a father-and-son conversation about winters past and present — from sledding and skating in Lincoln Park, snow days that felt like magic, and brutal Chicago blizzards, to cold nights in cars without heaters and the reasons some people eventually head south.
Approx. Length: 56 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Winter Song” by Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson
- “A Long December” by Karen Jonas
- “Hazy Shade of Winter” by Simon and Garfunkel
- “Snow” by Harry Nilsson
- “Cold Night in Chicago” by Danny Chaimson and The 11th Hour
- “On A Freezing Chicago” Street by Margot And The Nuclear So And So's
- “Snowed In” by The Droptines
- “Blizzard” by Johnny Cash
- “Snow Days” by Trip Shakespeare
- “Winter In Chicago” by The Hoyle Brothers
- “Song for a Winter Night” by Gordon Lightfoot
Songs in the Key of Dave - E15 - Odds and Ends
On this episode of Songs in the Key of Dave, my dad and I let the conversation go where it wanted to go. We talk about small moments and big ones: an unexpected act of kindness, memories of elections and presidents, Cold War anxieties, church and family expectations, close calls, and the dumb things you’re lucky to survive when you’re young.
Approx. Length: 53 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett
- “Make Someone Happy” by Bobby Darin
- “Try a Little Tenderness” by Glen Campbell
- “Wasn’t that a Time” by Peter, Paul and Mary
- “Morning Dew” by Bonnie Dobson
- “Talking Cuban Crisis” by Phil Ochs
- “Merry Minuet” by the Kingston Trio
- “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Peter, Paul and Mary
- “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills and Nash
- “Loves Me Like” a Rock by Paul Simon
- “Lucky Old Sun” by Frankie Laine
- “The 59th Street Bridge Song” by Simon and Garfunkel
Songs in the Key of Dave - E16 - A Seat at the Table
Food has a way of opening doors. You start by talking about pizza or a favorite restaurant, and before long you’re talking about family, neighborhoods, childhood, and the moments that somehow stick with you.
Approx. Length: 59 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Albpert and the Tijuana Brass
- “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin
- “Pizza Pie” by Norman Fox And The Rob Roys
- “The Pizza That Ate Chicago” by Tom Paxon
- “Bella Notte” by Lou Monte
- “Hot Dog” by Buck Owens
- “Meat and Potatoes” by Joan Osborne
- “All That Meat and No Potatoes” by Fats Waller
- “Solid Potato Salad” by Ella Mae Morse
- “Wayfaring Stranger” by Johnny Cash
- “At the Zoo” by Simon and Garfunkel
- “Lincoln Park” by Milkwood
- “Give Me the Simple Life” by June Christy
Songs in the Key of Dave - E17 - Time Capsules and Ticket Books
Amusement parks are built to suspend time — flashing lights, familiar music, and rides that promise the same experience every time. But when you start talking about the ones you remember, the conversation doesn’t stay on the rides for long.
Approx. Length: 59 minutes • Format: Talk & music, fully produced
Tracklist
- “Palisades Park” by Freddy Cannon
- “Mainstreet” by Bob Seger
- “The Pirate Life” by Jim Bows & the Flycatchers
- “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce
- “This Magic Moment” by the Drifters
- “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” by Louis Armstrong
- “Yesterday Once More” by the Carpenters
- “Both Sides Now” by Judy Collins
- “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
- “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)” by Frankie Laine
- “A Circle Game” by Joni Mitchell