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Song Stories

“In Every Direction”

Junip | 2010

While writing songs for Junip's debut album, Fields, frontman Jose Gonzalez was "brainstorming a lot and getting images in my mind," and as a result he almost turned the record's opening track into a downer. "With 'In Every Direction,' I was trying to get the feeling of a positive attitude of being free," Gonzalez said. "The first time I wrote it it was actually the other way around: 'You are the center but you're never free in any direction.' Then I was listening to the song, and felt like, no, I want it to be more positive, so I changed it at the last minute."

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“About a Girl”
The Academy Is | 2008
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“Hey Jane”
Spiritualized | 2012

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

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