I've just bought some new in-ear headphones. Fine if you don't move a muscle while listening, but if you're on the move you can hear everything amplified a million times. I could even hear my own heartbeat and it was like a pneumatic drill to the brain. Have I got them in too deeply or are they meant to be like that? So not the best idea I've ever had.
Anyhoo, it didn't really ruin my enjoyment. Here are some of this week's top picks currently doing the rounds on the F-C ipod:
Walk Away Renee/The Left Banke. A mournful take on the Four Tops stomper, which makes turns a relatively upbeat number into something sad and whistful. A US Top Ten hit but did nothing over here. Shame cos it's the superior version.
To Sir With Love/Lulu. After watching the film recently, where this song was heard in various guises throughout, this one's back in favour with me. I remember hearing it for the first time about 20 years ago and though it was incredibly moving - and short. I went off it for ages but seeing the film made me realise that not only is it a very moving song but Lulu has an incredible, belting voice that should not and cannot be ignored. Her Best Of Both Worlds is a corker.
Witches Hat/The Incredible String Band. Is this real or is it a piss take of every folk cliche in the book? Every instrument and bonkers line is there, things about wearing black cherries for rings. Great song though.
Living After Midnight/Judas Priest. I had completely forgotten about this gem until I was poring over the charts of 1980, like you do, and noticed it was a big year for the Priest. This was a smash, so I downloaded it from Itunes. Great stuff. I'm considering holding a rock disco. Whaddaya think? Pour Some Sugar On Me, You Shook Me All Night Long, Since You've Been Gone, Please Don't Touch, etc. - it would be a riot.
Colour My World/Don Partridge. I've always been intrigued by the hitmaking one man band. His Blue Eyes has been a favourite of mine since I was a child and Rosie is jumps along nicely too. So I was thrilled to find an extensive greatest hits. So far everyone a winner. He's got a countryish, but British voice and the crashing of the one man band ensemble never gets in the way of a good tune. Try him.
9 comments:
Sign me up for Rock Disco! I love it - the closest I ever came was New Year's Eve 2003 (?) in a shithole in Tufnell Park, where it was all that and more.
Put me down for the rock disco too. Can we have Radar Love by Golden Earring?
Didn't Don Partridge sing "Rosie/Oh, Ro-o-sie"?
I used to like that song when I was a kid, but my version went "I'd like to paint your face in a mixing bowl" for some reason.
Rosie was his biggest hit I believe. But mixing bowls were not in evidence.
The rock disco gathers pace. Radar Love is of course, a shoo-in
Seriously...we CAN make Rock Disco happen! Shall we find a venue?
Oh, please do! Is having it on a weekend out of the question?
It may just end up being the three of us!
Let's think on. Seriously I'd love it, but I get jittery about parties that no one will come!
Invite people then!
A bit late, but can I smugly point out that The Left Banke's version of Walk Away Renee was the original, so it was the Four Tops who changed the tempo.
Remarkably, the song was written by the LBs' main songwriter, Michael Brown, when he was just 16. Apparently it's about his infatuation with the bassist's girlfriend, who was present when they recorded the song!
I've got an excellent Left Banke compilation - you'd like it.
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