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This is an entirely pointless thread.

A record is named. The next respondent then names a record which is somehow connected to that record, explains the connection and makes whatever other comment is needed. The next respondent then takes that respondent's album and does the same thing, and so on. A kind of rolling six degrees of separation thing. Make the connections as amusing as you like.

IF there are two dangling thread-ends then you have, somehow, to make the connection between them. And apologies to Maura, whose message I deleted. Go visit her site instead.

To kick off: Phil Collins, No Jacket Required. Plainly the record at the centre of all recorded sound.

Tom, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Brian Eno - 'Before and After Science'. The wretched Collins played drums on it.

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Talking Heads: "Remain In Light". Eno produced it but, more interestingly, "King's Lead Hat" (on "Before and After Science") is an anagram of Talking Heads.

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Os Mutantes: Brazilian psychedelic bossanova genius and arguably the greatest band ever, their best-of was released on David Byrne's label (wasn't it, well it had his liner notes on it ;)David of course being the lead singer of Talking Heads.

Omar, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A Certain Ratio's single from 1984 on Factory Benelux - Brazilia . Brazilia being the capital of Brazil, I think.

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Sundays' 'A Certain Someone', which is track 7 on their debut LP, which is probably the pinefox's first and most beloved record of the 1990s. The title 'A Certain Someone' contains the words 'A Certain', as does the band name 'A Certain Ratio', which was the name of pop group A Certain Ratio.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And track 7 on the Kinks debut album was 'You Really Got Me'.

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Abba's "Winner Takes It All", which is *almost* 'Winner Takes All', the late 70s/early 80s ITV game show hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck, with the golden voice of Geoffrey Wheeler. The Sundays featured the golden voice of Harriet Wheeler (no relation).

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oops, there's a danger here of this thread getting all rhizomatous on our sorry asses, so I'll attempt to fuse the divergent strands...

There's a moment in "Abba: The Movie" where Agnetha and Frida read an Aussie newspaper report of one of their shows, and require a translation of the word 'kinky'.

This film was directed by Lasse Hallstrom.

Hence: "This Side of Heaven" by The Courage Of Lassie.

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Between this side of heaven, and the other side, is of course "The Edge Of Heaven" by Wham! (assuming Heaven to be flat)

Tom, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Darling Buds' 'A Little Bit of Heaven' (Crawdaddy LP, October 1990) presumes heaven to be fragmentable. Into bits. Little bits.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

..."Wham!" also being an early 60s hit for guitarist Lonnie Mack, off his The Wham Of That Memphis Man album.

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lonnie Mack played bass on The Doors' "Morrison Hotel". He sure did.

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oops, loose thread ! The Darling Buds and Lonnie Mack, holy shit. The Darling Buds once had an album called Erotica, and so did Madonna, who was once produced by Nile Rodgers, who also produced Bowie's Let's Dance, on which Stevie Ray Vaughan played. Stevie Ray Vaughan helped revive Lonnie Mack's career in the 80s.

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And funnily enough, Lonnie 'Mack' Donegan has recently played with Van 'The Hotel' Morrison.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And Mark Morrison did 'Return of the Mack'

Shit - we're going round in circles!

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lester Bangs once wrote a brilliant article about the effect of White Light/White Heat by Velvet Underground and Astral Weeks by Van Morrison on his personal life. That opens things up a bit ;)

Omar, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One of the songs on Astral Weeks is called Ballerina, which is almost the same as Pretty Ballerina by The Left Banke, with the exception of the word 'pretty'. Many people believe The Left Banke to be an influence on Belle and Sebastian, and sinister can mean left-handed. Hence, If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle and Sebastian, which is Ally's favourite record of the nineties. Lance Bangs (no relation) has also directed at least one B&S video. Sorry.

Ally C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The LP If You're Feeling Sinister includes the strangely unpopular song 'Me And The Major'. One reason why some people don't like this song is that it reminds them of the Housemartins' 'Me And The Farmer'.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"In The Country" by Cliff Richard was once covered by the Farmers' Boys and is a typically insipid hymn to the (imaginary) pleasures of rural life.

Tim, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the housemartins had a big hit with a song called "caravan of love." the original of which was written and recorded by isley brothers offshoot, isley/jasper/isley.

fred solinger, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Knackers, it's a divergence....um...OK. "In the country" you often get a "Summer Breeze" (albeit accompanied by 'country smells'), which was the name of an Isley Brothers hit, and was also covered by jump- up mechanic APHRODITE.

Tom, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A sample from the Isley Brothers' "Footsteps in The Dark" is the basis for Ice Cube's awesome "It Was A Good Day".

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Aphrodite once remized Blackstreet/Dr Dre's "No Diggity". Dr Dre and Ice Cube were both members of NWA, along with now-dead moron Eazy-E.

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

*remixed*, that is.

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The chorus of "No Diggity" is "You got to bag it up". The chorus of "Bag It Up" by Geri Halliwell is, unsurprisingly, "Bag it up".

Tom, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And Steve Halliwell played keyboards and percussion on Shriekback's "Big Night Music".

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

_Night Music_ being the name of a Tones on Tail collection at point, which contained their song "Go!," which has both been sampled by Moby and covered by Brainaic.

Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

....'Brainiac's Daughter' being a fine track on The Dukes Of Stratosphear's "Psonic Sunspots".

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Sunspot Baby" being an album cut from Bob Seger's _Night Moves_ LP.

Mark Richardson, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

…the title track of that album was also featured on the FM soundtrack, as was Boston's "More Than A Feeling."

Michael Daddino, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Boston's "More Than A Feeling" was the subject of drunken debate at the recent FT/Tangents pub summit. The song it was opposed to? Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now"

Tom, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Brad Delp of Boston is (I'm pretty sure) the son of his father. Giorgio Moroder's Son Of My Father album ends with the instrumental "Tears", later sampled by DJ Shadow on "Organ Donor", from Endtroducing, my favorite album of the 90s.

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OMD's "If You Leave" has a very similar title to "If You Leave Me Now", and was featured in a film that had Molly Ringwald in it. Molly Ringwald was also in Pretty In Pink, of which the title song was performed by the Psychadelic Furs.

Ally, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Peter Cetera of Chicago is *also* the son of his father, so there. Also, "More Than A Feeling" leaves "If You Leave Me Now" in the dust anytime.

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Only one leap at a time, show-offs!

The psychedelic furs weren't very psychedelic, which makes them fake fur. John Otway did a song called "Venus In Fake Furs"

Tom, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Huh, I would swear Tom is handing me a reference to the Velvets' (with Nico!) "Venus in Furs" from The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Josh, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well, I'll step right up and swing with a quite obvious choice: "Venus" by Television off of "Marquee Moon."

Clarke B., Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

frankie avalon was a dapper teen idol in the 50s and 60s, appearing in a number of films and on TELEVISION. why, i bet that in 1959 he probably sang his first number one hit, "venus" on television!

fred, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Venus" was of course a big hit in the 80s by Bananarama.

Ally, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And just as Bananarama rhymes with itself, so do the titles of the first three Pavement albums.

Sterling Clover, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bananarama were from Bristol. Johnny Bristol, of "Hang on in there Darlin'" fame, wasn't.

Dr. C, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

By the way, the band name 'Bananarama' contains the word 'banana' (but with a capital 'b', ie, 'B'). A banana (without - no, with - ), a 'banana' appears on the front of The Velvet Underground And Nico.

I know you know this.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Three loose ends! Pavement covered Velvet Underground's "What Goes On" at the first Tibetean Freedom concert in San Francisco. Also playing at that show were the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who once covered Stevie Wonder' "Higher Ground." Wonder, of course, had records produced by Johnny Bristol. And Bristol was married to Berry Gordy's sister Iris.

Mark Richardson, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Iris" is also the name of a "Piano Man"-rip-off performed by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Ally, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the goo goo dolls had one song i cant remember that sounded like a song from the short lived band Wax (remember the video for the song they had called California?)

Kevin Enas, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

...not to be confused with the Wax that had no cool Spike Jonze video. They was composed of Andrew Gold and some guy from 10cc. If memory serves, they were named after a record company executive.

Michael Daddino, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Record company executive Tommy Mottola is the subject of a skit on Wyclef Jean's The Ecleftic.

Patrick, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mr. Mottola is also name-dropped in the Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band hit "Cherchez la Femme"

Michael Daddino, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Which was quoted in Ghostface Killah's "Cherchez La Ghost".

Otis Wheeler, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Killah named an album "Supreme Clientele" and The Supremes were first known as the Primettes and Optimus Prime was a transformer and the soundtrack to the Transformers movie was done up by Rick Derringer.

Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A derringer is a gun. Kurt Cobain blew his head off with one (though sadly not, for the purposes of our game, a derringer). He also recorded "Rape Me" with Nirvana.

Josh, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Rape Me" follows "Heart-Shaped Box" on 'In Utero'. A heart-shaped box would, presumably, be red.

Hence: Red Box's "For America".

Michael Jones, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Rapeman was a short-lived band featuring Steve Albini who produced PJ Harvey's "Rid Of Me"

Dr. C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

These days PJ Harvey earns a living as a Patti Smith impersonator.

Omar, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Divergence alert...

Er, "For America" leads us to "Miss America" by Mary Margaret O'Hara, who once released a Christmas single - as did Nick Cave (with Shane McGowan), who has also worked with Polly Harvey, most notably on:

"Murder Ballads".

Michael Jones, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

...erm as witnessed on her latest *album* "Stories about the City & the Country" or something like that. Sorry

Omar, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Omar - your last connection seemed to be between one PJ Harvey album and *another* PJ Harvey album...

Oh well - that last PJH rekkid sounds a bit like Crime & The City Solution, which featured a number of Bad Seeds, and whose singer, Simon Bonney, probably murdered a few ballads on his solo albums. Er, they also had Epic Soundtracks as drummer for a bit; Barry Adamson (another Bad Seed) is known for his epic soundtrack work, and also for being on the following magnificent 1979 LP:

Magazine: "Secondhand Daylight"

(I'll shut up for the rest of the day)

Michael Jones, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sorry Michael I realised you had to name an album (hence The PJH title, but it was too late).

Now quick: Peter Gabriel's albums "Peter Gabriel" all had the same the name up till "So" followed by a number 1, 2, 3, etc., supposedly they were to be seen as magazines with the same name.

Omar, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"So" was also the B-Side of Soft Cell's "What", a rather neat titular combination and one which has a strong aesthetic link to Peter Gabriel's career, I think.

Tom, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Anti-Nowhere League's "So What" is covered on Metallica's Garage Inc.

Patrick, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dave Mustain used to be in Metallica, his later group Megadeth covered the Sex Pistols "Anarchy in the U.K." (badly I might add)

Omar, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Paul Cook from Sex Pistols played on Edwin Collins' "A Girl Like You'

Dr. C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

edwyn collins was once in a band with james kirk , whose intergalactic namesake once famously covered 8 mile high , our james however lent strawberry switchblade their name and they subsequently covered sunday morning by the velvets. have i got this down?

cw, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Top vegan fop rock band James covered 'Sunday Morning' on some terrible VU tribute LP and ended it with improvised-sounding coda that used, in part, lyrics from Dillinger's 'Cokaine in the Brain'.

.

Nick, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dillinger's real name was Lester Bullocks. MARK Lester played Oliver in Lionel Bart's film musical of the same name. However Oliver was previously played on stage in the West End by Phil Collins, who later released an album called 'No Jacket Required'.

Do I win?

Dr. C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No you don't, because Phil actually played the Artful Dodger, who of course went on to make the glorious Re-Rewind.

Tim, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Or to give it it's full title, Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta). I heard the tune a lot on my radio, and "On My Radio" was of course a single by The Selecter.

Tom, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And the other day I was in a record shop and chose not to SELECT Phil Collin's 'No Jacket Required' from the racks. Do I win?

Nick, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There are no winners.* However Freaky Trigger is named after an album by Win. *Actually there are 'winning conditions' after which the thread is stopped. But only I know what they are.

Tom, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Win's singer, Davey Henderson, is in the Nectarine Number Nine. He was once in the godlike Fire Engines. An interest in citrus fruit and fire engines must inevitably lead us to "Lemon Fire Brigade" by Haircut One Hundred.

Tim, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Stuart Maconie once went on about how great Win's 'Freaky Trigger' and I believe the NME did a football special in the early 90s in which some indie-inclined footballer (not Pat Nevin, although there's a great story involving his copies of the NME and the Chelsea changing room you may have heard) was interviewed and told SM (hey!) that he bought 'Freaky Trigger' on the strength of his review. I always meant to do the same, but other people have subsequently warned me that it is quite dreadful so I am now inclined to stand up to the double-head Ewing-Maconie monster and die having never heard the thing.

Anyway, errr.. Trigger is a character in overrated sitcom 'Only Fools And Horses', which was filmed in Bristol, home of trip hop, a genre started by the Massive Attack album that shares its name with the late lamented Freaky Trigger weblog: 'Blue Lines'

God, that's taken so long someone has probably beaten me to it.

Nick, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In honour of Mike Jones, a divergence correction before the whole space-time continuum splits into a the worst of all possible worlds.*

Haircut 100 had a single called 'Blue Hat For A Blue Day', which can then lead us back to Massive Attack's 'Blue Lines'

* Everything I know about physics I learned from the Shamen - sorry.

Nick, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Blue Lines" reminds me of Grandmaster Flash, who of course did "White Lines". That tune was covered by Duran Duran on their album "Thank You", a covers album named after their cover of the Led Zep song of the same name.

Ally, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

MM's scathing review of that Duran Duran record made rather clumsy reference to their Public Enemy cover in its headline: "CDDDB36 Is A Joke" (the LP's catalogue number).

Which inevitably leads us to '36D', a song on:

"0898 Beautiful South" (1992).

Michael Jones, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"36D" is about breasts, and Paul Heaton of the Beautiful south is an arse. So DJ Assault - "Ass N Titties".

Tom, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tom you are a genius! 'Ass 'n Titties' as featured on the Assault's blinding mix-cd Belle Isle Tech that also extensively samples Aaliyah's 'One in a Millon'.

Omar, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Which inevitably leads to Guns N Roses risible "One In A Million" that bashed gays, though Axl later befriended Elton John.

Nicole, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

elton has made a bit of a career out of reforming alleged homophobes. look at eminem, for example, whom he performed "stan" with at the grammys.

fred solinger, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Which takes us on to "My Friend Stan", which can be found on:

Slade: "Wall of Hits".

Michael Jones, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Canadian wrestler Chris Jericho has slayed many an opponent with his crippling finishing move "The Walls of Jericho". Chris Jericho is also a rock fan and singer, and one of his favorite bands is Kiss, a taste he shares with Rivers Cuomo of the band Weezer, who made his Kiss fandom known in the Weezer song "In the Garage".

Kris, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Weezer's first album had a song called 'Buddy Holly'. My favourite Buddy Holly song is 'Rave On'.

Ally C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oi Ally - stop feeding lines. OK then - Happy Mondays had an EP called 'Madchester Rave On', in reference to the insanity that gripped formerly the formerly dour Northern town in 1989. Those grumpy bastards who failed to embrace this outbreak of mental illness could often be found muttering "Manchester, so much to answer for" under their breath, boldly equating the horror of indie-dance with the Moors murders of the late 60s as referenced in the Smiths song 'Suffer Little Children'. .

Nick, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And then there's "Suffer the Children" by Tears for Fears from their first album. Ha.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Talking of first albums - "I found that Essence Rare" is a track on Gang of Four's first album.

Dr. C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"I Found That Essence Rare" is only the second greatest ever song about flatulence, the first clearly being "The Vapors" by Biz Markie.

Kris, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And also 'Little Children', which was by Billy Kramer. Of course Kramer was the producer of Galaxie 500, so I'll go for 'Strange' by them, which is a nice song.

Ally C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As opposed to "Strange" by Wire, which while not a nice song is, like "I Found That Essence Rare", a great song from a prominent UK post-punk band's debut album. Biz Markie himself has often been accused of being strange, as has Snoop Dogg, who covered "The Vapors". But the title of strangest rapper of all has to go to one- time Snoop collaborator Brotha Lynch Hung of Sacramento, who clearly does not feel very much concern for the suffering of children. Having recorded several songs about the joys of killing people and eating them, he offers this assessment of himself on the song "Had 2 Gat Ya": "I'm solo, might as well see me on a crucifix / The duece for age, baby killin athiest".

Kris, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

kramer was also a protagonist in bongwater, a band who were widly perceived as strange, who did a cover of bedazzled by peter cook & dudley moore, which contains the line "you fill me with inertia" which FT used as a tag line recently. weak.

cw, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Inertia Creeps" by Massive Attack was badly remixed by the Manic Street Preachers, who were named (partly) in tribute to the mini LP "One Two Three Four Five Six Seven All Good Preachers Go To Heaven" by the Jasmine Minks. So there.

Tim, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Jasmine Minks also had an album called 'Scratch The Surface'. There is a line in the REM song 'So Fast, So Numb' from their fairly rubbish album 'New Adventures In Hi-Fi' which goes "Anyone could scratch your surface now, you're so amphetamine".

Ally C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Without amphetamines, there would be no Motorhead, whose leader Lemmy once acted in a movie called Eat The Rich whose main character was of indeterminate gender.

Patrick, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Motorhead are now doing wrestling entrance themes (HHH). There song is called "the Game" so, therefore to countinue this thread I choose "Every Loser Wins" by Nick Berry.

jel, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick Berry? Pamela Berry of Glo-Worm sang a very good cover of the Cure's 'Friday I'm In Love'.

On a totally unrelated note, what happened to Steady Mike's threat to 'shut up for the day'?

the pinefox, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Friday I'm in love" was from the album "High". The High were a shit early 90s indie band, as were Bedazzled, which was mentioned a bit further up...

carsmilesteve, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If one were Bedazzled they would clearly be Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered as well, a song which made an appearance in the Frank Sinatra film "Pal Joey" which also featured "My Funny Valentine" which was covered by Elvis Costello, and Costello wrote the soundtrack for GBH which was shown on the UK's channel 4, I think, which is what you now have to link from: Channel 4.

Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Channel 4. Sounds a bit like Unit 4 Plus 2 who did "Concrete And Clay" in the 60s. So combine the two to get Channel 4 Plus 2, i.e. the Channel 6, much-hyped (ahem) London spacepop chancers.

Tom, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Which could just as plausibly be a link to Chanel 9 from BBC 2's (are you following this?) Fast Show. The Fast Show also features Dave Angel, whose theme tune is 'Moonlight Shadow' by Mike Oldfield.

Ally C, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

and then there is 'missing the moon' which is an OLD FIELD mice song.

keith, Wednesday, 21 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And if the field mice are named after rodents, then so are the Boomtown Rats, who charted with "Banana Republic"

Sterling Clover, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

...and you'd be bananas if you didn't, at the very least, have a fondness for the singles off New Order's "Republic".

Pinefox - I'm experimenting with different sleeping patterns. My midnight was your 2pm. N'night, everybody...

Michael Jones, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ministry's "N.W.O." stands for "NEW world ORDER", which comes from a REPUBLICan president's famous quote.

Patrick, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

N.W.O. is the first track of "Psalm 69" which also features "Jesus Built My Hotrod", Gibby Haines of Butthole Surfers takes vocal duties on that wild ride.

Omar, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ride being a notable shoegazer band on Creation that had songs like "Vapour Trail" and "Leave Them All Behind."

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

in the 60s, the beatles grabbed their "ticket to ride" and left ALL bands behind in their shimmering vapor trail.

fred solinger, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Rockets also leave a vapour trail, and "I've got a golden ticket", from the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory film, was covered by Mercury Rev offshoot the Harmony Rockets.

Tom, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Harmony Rockets sounds a lot like Harmony Korine, who was a writer on the "controversial" film Kids. The soundtrack featured a band called Folk Implosion, a side project for Sebadoah. Their most popular song off the soundrack was called "Natural One".

Ally, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Neil Young's 'Running Dry' from his album 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' was subtitled 'Requiem For The Rockets', The Rockets being the group he renamed 'Crazy Horse' who have sung and played harmonies on some of his records.

Ally C, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Horses were a very common musical motif in seventies music, usually signifying liberation and a connection to nature. One example would be "A Horse With No Name," which Randy Newman described as a song about "this kid who thinks he's taken acid." The song was authored by America, who had a song called "Ventura Highway" which is quite suprisingly good. It even sounds a little like Unrest in their strum-n-drone mode.

Michael Daddino, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And America were tentatively rehabilitated by Ultramarine.

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

To bring the divergence together -- Ultramarine sound nothing at all like Marine Research, who were formed from Heavenly after Mathew Fletcher killed himself. If Fletcher were playing with heavenly today, he would be dead, which would make him an unnatural one. Anyway, Marine Research's first album is "Sounds from the Gulf Stream"

Sterling Clover, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Gulf *War* is alluded to in Outkast's "Bombs Over Baghdad".

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

'Dadrock' being a term for the music enjoyed by those who like Paul Weller's solo career a little too much.

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is that a tangent, Ned? At first glimpse it feels like it ...

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

BaghDAD - DADrock, yes?

Anyway the 'pinnacle' of Weller's solo career is "Wild Wood", which takes its name from The Wind In The Willows, as of course does Pink Floyd's rather good 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' album.

Tom, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

... whose creative force, Syd Barrett, hung out with Delia Derbyshire.

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Delia Derbyshire was in the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Which is now disbanded. But the BBC still has lots of big hits. Their last one was "Bob The Builder"

Tom, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Which ultimately became the year's best-selling single having been outsold in its first week by Eminem.

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Eminem's name sounds like M+M, who used to be Martha & The Muffins, best known for their new wave classic "Echo Beach".

Patrick, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Echobelly were a frighteningly average Britpop band touted by Chris Evans...

DG, Thursday, 22 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Chris Evans used to date Geri Halliwell. Geri can now be seen cavorting with Robbie Williams, who's most recent album features a song called "Kids", a duet with Kylie Minogue. Kylie has also worked with Nick Cave and the Manic Street Preachers. She has yet to work with Chris Evans.

Ally, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Kylie is dead. Buddy Holly is dead. Buddy Holly wrote "You're So Square." The Primitives covered "You're So Square." The Primitives covered "As Tears Go By." The Stones wrote that song. The Stones wrote "Paint it Black." Big Black had an album named "Songs About Fucking." Fuck is a band who had an album named "Cupid's Cactus" and of course Cupid was the god of Love and Love were a band who made an album named "Forever Changes" but forever doesn't change which makes that title a contradiction. "Walking Contradiction" was a song by Greenday, who also had a hit with a song named "Welcome to Paradise" and "Paradise City" was a song by Guns N' Roses on "appetite for destruction" and if you're talking about Appetite, the late Elvis had a hell of an appetite.

Sterling Clover, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant a goddamn thing to me. Which puts him, as we've discussed at length, on a level with the Replacements.

Tom, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A "hero" could be the same thing as an "idol", Idol being the name of an indie pop song by Amanda Ghost, who appears to be quite close with Boy George since he remixes all her songs.

Ally, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Songs are on records and CDs, which includes Phil Collins' _No Jacket Required_.

Ned Raggett, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hmmm...a jacket is a garment, another is a sweater...so..."undone-the sweater song" by Weezer, sorry couldn't resist!

jel, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

another word for sweater is jumper, as in "Where's Me Jumper?" by Irish scamps Sultans of Ping FC.

carsmilesteve, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Who dressed up in a rubbishy imitation of U2 in the early to mid 90s. U2 playing 'The Fly', tho be imprecise.

the pinefox, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

R. Kelly believes he can fly.

Josh, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Has anybody here seen Kelly?, Leopold Bloom mumbles to himself in the 6th episode of Ulysses (1922). Has anybody here seen Hank?, sings Mike Scott on the Waterboys' Fisherman's Blues LP (1988).

the pinefox, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

...while Hank (Williams) himself asks "Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do ?"

Patrick, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Australian besotted instrumentalists the Dirty Three mused, in song, how "I Remember a TIme When You Used to Love Me".

Josh, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Then of course, there is "Three Times A Lady" by the Commodores, a love song that, if I remember correctly, contains no dirty lyrics whatsoever....unlike, say, the Sissy Penis Factory's "Everybody Fuck Now" or the "5" Royales' "Laundromat Blues." Kodwo Eshun might be ecstatic to know that the latter, where a woman's vagina is compared to a washing machine, is one of but many examples of man-machine symbolism in pre-rock black music. Also see: the Dixie Hummingbirds' "Christian's Automobile", Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88", many songs about trains, and both Robert Johnson's "Phonograph Blues" and his "Terraplane Blues." And really, what is having your soul sold to the devil but a nifty pre-space-age analogue to becoming a cyborg? So you see, that Kraftwerk ad that Simon Reynolds bangs on about in the beginning of *Generation Ecstasy* -- the one where there's a robot body attached to RJ's head -- wasn't ironic at all. It was quite appropriate, in fact. SO. THERE.

Michael Daddino, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't recall if there was any kind of man-machine synthesis going on Smokey Robinson's "Let Me Be The Clock", but it sure sounds like it. In any case, we can say with a great degree of certainty that when Smokey sings "let me be the clock" he is not asking to be a song called "The Clock", though if he was, he could be referring to either the Johnny Ace song or the Go-Betweens'. And the Go-Betweens? Well, the Go-Betweens has this guy, his name is Grant Forster...who, incidentally, has the same last name as E.M. Forster, a man who wrote a book called *Howard's End* -- which, while not a pop record, surely must be a book tape somewhere -- that the line "only connect!" in it or some such tommyrot.

Michael Daddino, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In Howard's End, there's an incident with exchanged umbrellas at a concert. Umbrellas are celebrated in "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", starring Catherine Deneuve. Deneuve recently appeared in "Dancer in the Dark", another film musical, for which Bjork wrote "Selmasongs". "107 Steps" is one of the prominent tracks on the album.

youn, Saturday, 24 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Steps are a highly successful !P!O!P! band who were beaten to the 1999 Best Newcomer Brit award by Belle & Sebastian, thanks to an infinately corruptible web-based voting system.

carsmilesteve, Saturday, 24 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Belle and Sebastian sang "The State I Am In". The state I am in is Iowa. Slipknot are from Iowa. They call their fans "maggots". "Maggot Brain" features one of the great guitar solos of all time.

Josh, Saturday, 24 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Unlike "Funky Jam", the Scream-Clinton collaboration, which is pleasantly silly but eminently forgettable.

simon, Saturday, 24 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Jam" being a possible filling the Detroit Grand Pubahs have in mind when they sing "we can make sandwiches." Detroit is the place where the Underground Resistance presumably resisted while being underground. "Resistance" is usually the name of some amateurish socialist group in any city in the world you care to name. Stereolab were also amateurish socialists, only they always seemed to make more sense to me. Sense can be calibrated in terms of how little of it Nicky Wire has. Wire claimed to have sand in their joints. It is likely that Bob Marley occasionally found a bit of sand inside his spliffs from time to time.Sinead O'Conner once launched into a verse of Bob Marley's "War" at a Bob Dylan concert for no apparent reason.

Tim, Saturday, 24 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sinead O'Connor also did this crazy thing where she, inexplicably, tore up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live. The Pope lives in the Vatican, which like the Taj Mahal, is one of mankind's great architectural treasures. Jorge Ben wrote a song called "Taj Mahal"; Taj Mahal wrote a song called "Jorge Ben".

Michael Daddino, Saturday, 24 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

mike, as you pointed out to me, that was pure coincidence. van dyke parks is what one might call clever so when he turned a similar trick -- on song cycle, he had a song called "public domain" written by himself, van dyke parks, and changed the title of the hymn "nearer my God to thee" to "van dyke parks" so that he could have a song with his named credited to public domain -- you can bet that it was intentional.

fred solinger, Saturday, 24 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Frank Kogan slips all over the intentional fallacy when he says "...no matter how the rock fan saw it, the disco-goer most likely did not see disco as synthetic in relation to rock. I wouldn't say that disco never saw itself in some sort of relation to rock, but I don't think it particularly saw itself through the eyes of rock. So to overemphasize 'artificiality' is to not see disco on its own terms." One strikingly "artificial" disco song is El Coco's "Cocomotion", which features an breathy-cute chanteuse of the kind that Momus no doubt wanks over on a regular basis; another would be Munich Machine's "Funk Train" with its absurd lisping pseudo-Mae West talking intro; yet another would be the gross, gross, gross intimations of orgy in Cerrone's "Love In C Minor". And, sadly, Minor Threat never sang about L-U-V the way that the Shangri-Las did.

(Well, Fred, the fact that a Brazilian singer wrote a song with the same name as a blues singer is coincidental, but the fact that the blues singer sang a song with the same name as the Brazilian singer is not. "Jorge Ben" is essentially a cover of "Taj Mahal". It has the same chorus, indeed, it sounds more like "D'ya Think I'm Sexy?" than Jorge's song does -- "D'ya Think I'm Sexy" being the song Jorge Ben claimed was a plagiarization of "Taj Mahal".)

Michael Daddino, Sunday, 25 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Shangri-Las are famous for "Leader Of The Pack". Possibly they were referring to James Spader, who may have been the leader of the bratpack after his performance in "Pretty In Pink", the best film that takes its name from a Psychedelic Furs song ever!

Tim, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Were The Legendary Pink Dots psychedelic? Possibly not, but they did have a record called "Chemical Playschool 10" around '81...

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Chemical Playschool" sounds a bit like "Sunshine Playroom" which is a song by Julian Cope. Therefore, "Julian Cope Is Dead" by Bill Drummond.

Tim, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The reason Julian Cope is dead is that Bill Drummond "shot him in the head". "Dome" is another word for "head" (cf. the Creation compilation, "It's Different for Domeheads"). Hence LL Cool J, 14 Shots To The Dome. Whether Bill Drummond needed 14 shots to do away with Copey isn't recorded.

Tom, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

From West Hampstead on the Jubilee Line, it's 14 Stops To The Dome. Which can't help but put one in mind of Neil Halstead and his glowing contributions to:

Slowdive: "Souvlaki" (1993)

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I used to buy delightful souvlaki from Theo's kebab shop, Leeds. The O's used to be printed on the reverse of Leyton Orient's shirts. Therefore: "Saturday Night Beneath The Plastic Palm Trees" by the Leyton Buzzards.

Tim, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Leighton Buzzard is in Bedfordshire. As is the village of Ampthill, where my old college chum Nick lives. For a long time, Nick's favourite record was Voice Of The Beehive's "Let It Bee" (1988).

Sorry, Nick. It had to come out eventually.

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The legendary for-kids duo Ant and Bee emerged from the same primordial alphabet soup as the legendary for-kids duo Ant and Dec, one-time child stars on Bykers Grove, legendary home of 80s rock, er, legends Gaye Bykers on Acid, whose single memorable contribution to human culture is the title of the LP 'Drill Your Own Hole', which I bet they "borrowed"...

mark sinker, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bees make honey, so "Just Like Honey" by the Jesus and Mary Chain.

youn, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Divergence!

Jesus was a carpenter by trade, or at least that's what I'm told. So he probably had to drill a few holes himself. Were drills invented in the early 1st century? I don't know, but seed drills were. And the lyric I just quoted comes from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "The Mercy Seat"

Tom, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Seed drills, of course, were not invented until the emergence of eighteenth-century agriculturalist Jethro Tull. One member of Jethro Tull went on to be in Sniff 'n' the Tears, whose 'Drivers Seat', though terrible must have been a merciful relief after watching that beardy bloke on one leg. For clarity's sake then, "Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears.

Tim, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In the driver's seat that fateful night in Paris when the world lost its beloved Princess of Hearts, was M. Henri Paul. Adrian Henri (also dead) was the Birkenhead-born poet who formed Scaffold in the late 60s. Hence:

Miles Davis: "Lift to the Scaffold/Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud".

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Roger Daltrey could see for miles, or so he said. It was handy, cos Davis was losing his sight by that time. Daltrey also sang 'Baba O'Reilly'. Opinions differ on whether the track should have remained an instrumental.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Said track was named after minimalist composer Terry Riley, who did "Church of Anthrax" with John Cale who also worked with Brian Eno on "Wrong Way Up" and Eno of course best known for his Bowie collaboration and Bowie was The Man Who Fell To Earth, while Arnold Schwartzenegger played The Man Able To Give Birth, and Arnold of course was in True Lies which had a cover of "Sunshine of Your Love" on it, the original done by Cream who broke up and Clapton went on to form Derek and the Dominos. A domino is black with white spots. The "Out Of Our Idiot" comp featuring Elvis Costello is green with orange spots.

Sterling Clover, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I once saw a picture of Green Gartside in Star Hits with his hair looking orange. He sang for Scritti Politti, who had a song covered by Miles Davis once, and whose "Skank Bloc Bologna" is on Rough Trade records' Wanna Buy A Bridge compilation, which has a green cover, Rough Trade also being the name of a Canadian band whose singer Carole Pope was once romantically involved with Dusty Springfield (fact!) long after she recorded "Son Of A Preacher Man".

Patrick, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Son of a Preacher Man" was on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack along with "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon," which was originally done my Niel Diamond, who also sang "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show" and "Red, Red Wine" which was covered by UB40. The Replacements have a song called "Red Red Wine," which is not related to the Neil Diamond vers. in any way except the title.

JM, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The 'Mats also covered "Another Girl, Another Planet," by the Only Ones.

JM, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"There can be only one" was the tag-line of the 'Highlander' film. Queen produced a lot of hogwash for the soundtrack, but, more importantly, Christopher Lambert's sister* Moira sang in Faith Over Reason and on an early Saint Etienne single. A version of which can be found on:

"Foxbase Alpha"

(* - unconfirmed at time of going to press)

Michael Jones, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There can be only one song with "Fox" in the title, and that's "Foxy Lady" by Hendrix. Garth (Dana Carvey) danced to that for Donna Dixon in Wayne's World. The Donnas make music that sounds like The Ramones, who wanted to be sedated in a song whose title declared such a fact.

JM, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't think of "I Wanna Be Sedated" without it being to the tune of "I Wanna Be Elected" - an Alice Cooper number taken into the UK top 20 for some charity or other by Bruce Dickinson and Rowan Atkinson (in his Mr Bean persona) in the early 90s.

Hence: Coco and the Bean's "Killing Time".

[I'm only keeping this thread alive so I can chase Dastoor up the stats board].

Michael Jones, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was a famous dress designer who had a sideline in perfume. 'Perfume' is an 'indie dance classic' by the Paris Angels.

Nick, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Angels" was a popular BBC drama serial in the early 80s, concerning the lives of plucky student nurses. Nurse With Wound aren't really nurses, or wounded (as far as I can tell), but did make a record with Stereolab called:

"Simple Headphone Mind".

[Curse you, Dastoor].

Michael Jones, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Few people know that when captain of games at school, the future saviour of pop notched up an enviable strike rate in front of goal, earning him the soubriquet Steven 'Hatrick' Morrissey. [This is the same initials as Simple Headphone Mind, do you see?].

Anyway, he got bored of all this sportiness and decided to become a weed instead. The song 'Break Up The Family' details this era in his life, probably.

Nick, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick Drake was another fellow who packed in high-hurdles and manly grappling on the rugger field for a life of gazing wistfully through grubby skylights and sighing deeply. 'Break Up The Family' begins with "The strange logic in your clumsiest line..."; ND had a song called "Strange Meeting" (and this is my clumsiest entry so far) - the same title as a poem by Wilfred Owen, written three years into the First World War.

Hence: David Bowie's "1917".

Michael Jones, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My grandfather was born in 1917, and without him the story of my life would never have even begun. My Life Story are a band I know nothing about, other than that people who aren't to be trusted rate them highly, and that they had an album called

Mornington Crescent

Nick, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Nick Dastoor, your prize is a pint of any draught alcoholic substance, at a date and time of mutual agreement. And the right to start the next Only Connect thread (and think up the winning conditions).

I thought someone would get it eventually.

Tom, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well done, Nick.

Bit unfair to our overseas correspondents, Tom?

Michael Jones, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well, it's like when the Beano or something would give away a free gift - they couldn't have claimed the prize too easily anyway. Except for Ned, when he comes over. And Ned's Anglophile enough to have got it, heh.

Tom, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, stop moaning Jonesy. I win. Damn you for your 'draught' stipulation, Ewing. Otherwise I would have held you to a pint of gin.

Nick, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

eleven months pass...
Wha' Happen

b.c., Friday, 15 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)


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