(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MARTIN: Finally, we'd like to end today's program with a segment we like to call In Your Ear. This time we hear from graphic novelist Adrian Tomine. He recently told us about his latest project called "Scenes from an Impending Marriage." It's an illustrated account of the planning of his own marriage. So, in honor of June, which starts tomorrow, the wedding month, we thought it would make sense for him to tell us how he and his then fiancee, now wife, picked the music for their big day. And this is what he had to say.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR")
ADRIAN TOMINE: In the process of planning the wedding, we spent a lot of time meeting with the lot of different DJs. And two of the songs that we did want played at the wedding were a song called "Real Real" by Nina Simone and "This Will Be Our Year" by The Zombies.
THE ZOMBIES: (Singing) ...this will be our year. Took a long time to come. And I won't forget the way you held me up when I was down. And I won't forget the way you said, darling I love you. You gave me faith to go on. Now we're there and we've only just begun. This will be our year, took a long time to come.
TOMINE: "This Will Be Our Year" by The Zombies is a song that's been a favorite of mine for a long time and it's one of those songs that manages to be genuine and earnest in its optimism without being cliche.
ZOMBIES: (Singing) And this will be our year, took a long time to come. My, my, my.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "REAL REAL")
TOMINE: The Nina Simone song, "Real Real," is another one that I've liked for a long time. And one of things that I like about it, and I don't know if this is necessarily appropriate for a wedding, but I love the fact that no matter what she's singing, even a song that's kind of optimistic like this lyrically, there's still a sort of an indignant sound to her voice, a sort of a sadness that just comes through in everything. It's also just a good - it's just a good dance song.
NINA SIMONE: (Singing) Then I know it's real real. It's so real to me. I say real real. Our love is real to me. Please thrill me with your kisses sweet. Tell your papa and your mama one day soon we're going to have a great weddin' day. It's so real to me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OLD TIME ROCK 'N ROLL")
BOB SEGER: (Singing) Just take those old records off the shelf. I'll sit and listen to them by myself. Today's music ain't got the same soul. I like that old time rock 'n' roll.
TOMINE: Another song that came up was "Old Time Rock 'n Roll" by Bob Seger. One of the DJs we met with looked over our playlist and saw a lot of music from the '50s and '60s and made the mental leap that, you know, we are into old time rock 'n roll and we would want to hear a song called "Old Time Rock 'n Roll."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OLD TIME ROCK 'N ROLL")
SEGER: (Singing) Still like that old time rock'n' roll. That kind of music just soothes the soul. I reminisce about the days of old with that old time rock 'n' roll.
TOMINE: Curious position to be arguing against a song with the DJ when you're talking about your wedding but I was. And it's been debated between me and my wife about the intent behind this, but that song was eventually played at our wedding.
SEGER: (Singing) Won't go to hear them play a tango.
MARTIN: That was graphic novelist Adrian Tomine telling us what's playing in his ear or at his wedding. To hear our interview with him, go to our website, npr.org, click on Programs, then on TELL ME MORE.
And that's our program for today. I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Let's talk more tomorrow.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OLD TIME ROCK 'N ROLL")
SEGER: (Singing) Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill. Today's music ain't got the same soul. I like that old time rock 'n' roll. Still like that old time rock'n' roll. That kind of music just soothes the soul. I reminisce about the days of old. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
