There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say... especially if that man is named Kirk, and the thing he's telling you about is Seal's "Kiss From a Rose." Kirk goes back to the 90s for a close look at Seal's Grammy-winning, Batman-adjacent power ballad and finds a song that's much more interesting than he even remembered. It's an indulgent world of thick counterpoint, long phrases, harp flourishes, and oboe solos, with some of the richest vocal arranging this side of a chamber choir.

Band/Artist: Seal

Album: Seal II, 1994 and the Batman Forever soundtrack, 1995

Composed by: Seal

Produced by: Trevor Horn

Listen/Buy via Album.Link

OUTRO SOLOIST: Sam Howard

This episode's outro soloist is bassist Sam Howard. Sam lives in Nashville, TN, where he performs and tours with all kinds of artists, most recently hitting the road with the wonderful singer/guitar-shredder Molly Tuttle. Sam played all the way through the Strong Songs outro, so keep an ear out for his playing mixed under the horns on the way out. You can find out what Sam's up to at his website, https://samhowardmusic.com.

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October 2019 Whole-Note Patrons

Andrew Walters - Caleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Glenn Jared Norris - Mark Schechter - Merlin Mann

October 2019 Half-Note Patrons

Alex Singer - Alexander Polson - Andre Bremer - Andrew Baker - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Bill Thornton - Brett Douville - Brian Amoebas - Brooke Wilford - Chas Lednicky - Chris Brown - Cyrus N. White - Dominik Schmitt - Earl Lozada - Eero Wahlstedt - Elliot Jay O’Neill - Emily Williams - Fishbones - Forrest Chang - Jaehoon Jeong - James Johnson - Jasmine Fellows - Jeffrey Olson - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O’Keefe - Joujou - Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua - Jules Bailey - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kate Albury - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Matt Gaskell - Max Schechter - Melanie Stivers - Michael Blackwell - Miriam Juskowicz - Mueller - Nate from Kalamazoo - Nicholas Schechter - Richard Toller - Samuel Gardner - Shane DeLeon - Shaun Wiese - SP - Tim - Tom Clewer - Tom Lauer

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💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺
July 11, 2026 | Portland, OR
Buy Tickets Here (Livestream Tix Now Available!)

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