Obscure Singles Heard at CVS

I hear "Losing My Religion" constantly out in the world, making me dislike a song I've always disliked even more. I never hear "Radio Free Europe."

Sting: "Love Is The Seventh Wave" at HEB

I heard "Field of Gold" at Home Depot recently.

Sent me back to those months working at Liquor Depot in 1994. How that one, Billy Joel's "The River of Dreams" and Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" just rotated with each other, over and over and over and over again. Certain songs that when I play them back in my head, I only hear them through shitty retail P.A. speakers.

"Stuck On You" by Lionel Ritchie another one. That played all summer long at the waterslide, interrupted occasionally by "PURPLE MATS, ALL PURPLE MATS MUST BE RETURNED AT THE FRONT."

purple mats is a good band name at least, forgetting the trauma. altho i guess it sounds like a replacements trib act, which would be very risky to perform properly

Purple Mats: A Tribute To Prince *And* The Replacements

Updated The Playlist (after 3 1/2 years):

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Qvc8uzVk4bDpMeW6p2lc6?si=WeLFdjwOTFSSK8QLAcyn2A&pi=u-DHyTVDxlRsiB

Is there a count ceiling? That’s almost 1000! Well done.

Just hears Right Place Wrong Time Dr John at King Soopers. I dont know if obscure. But it was backed up by v v not obscure Horse w No Name, then v v v v v not obscure Mr Bluesky (extended mix). I think the ELO lasted 15 mins.

Hmm now Joan Jett. HMfLY

stars are stars- eatb at torchys

fuck i dont care if it was a single anywhere and i dont care if it’s on torchy’s spotify clone targeting my demo— this owned, i regret nothing

Oldies Dairy Queen again:

Impalas: "I'm Sorry (I Ran The Whole Way Home)"
Stompers: "Quarter To Four Stomp"
Buddy Holly: "Well…All Right"

Never heard of that middle one; "Well...All Right" one of Holly's best.

I hadn't either. According to the shot of the 45 label in this YouTube, they were an act from the stable of writer/producer Gary S. Paxton of "Ally Oop" and Skip & Flip fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95hdb7RKkI

According to the trivia buffs in the YT comments, a pre-"Monster Mash" Bobby "Boris" Pickett was a Stomper.

Paxton's Wiki page is a trip. Some pearls:

His work throughout this early-1960s period is scattered over various labels, mostly his own, which he seemed to open and close on a constant basis, making regular use of the five studios he owned. Over the years, Paxton built a reputation as an eccentric figure in the recording industry. Brian Wilson was known to admire his talents, and Phil Spector to fear him. His creativity and knack for promotion were legendary, but could also run to excess: once, after a local radio station dismissed one of his records ("Elephant Game (Part One)" by Renfro & Jackson) as "too black", he assembled a protest parade down Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, consisting of 15 cheerleaders and a live elephant pulling a Volkswagen convertible. He was arrested after the elephant got scared and began to defecate in the street.

...

On December 29, 1980, Paxton was shot three times by hitmen (allegedly) hired by Vern Gosdin, a country singer he was producing, putting him out of the music world for eight years and nearly ending his life. After the trial, he visited the men in prison and forgave them.

...

Appearing on his gospel album covers in a halo of facial hair and a tall-top cowboy hat, Paxton infused his religious work with the same eccentricity, individuality, and hippie humor that had characterized his 60s material in Los Angeles: acting the role of the Jesus freak, likening himself to "an armpit in the body of Christ", and crafting song titles like "When the Meat Wagon Comes for You", "Will There Be Hippies in Heaven?", "I'm a Fool for Christ (Whose Fool Are You?)", and "Jesus Is My Lawyer in Heaven".

Not exactly obscure, but a bit unexpected: my local Food Bazaar was blasting "Fight For Your Right to Party" a few weeks ago.

I heard this thing at Publix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2REh2XpwDo

My friend just posted on FB about hearing "Take Your Mama" by Scissor Sisters AT WHATABURGER

WTFBURGER

...and now he just posted about hearing "Had A Dad" at the washateria.

...and now I'm hosting a pub quiz at a BBQ joint, and as I come in they're playing "Parklife"!

*What is going on today?*

Psychedelic Tyme @ Goodwill

Amboy Dukes: "Journey To The Center of The Mind"
Electric Prunes: "Get Me To The World On Time"
Donovan: "Wear Your Love Like Heaven"
Zombies: "I Want You Back Again"

And also:

Junior Walker & The All-Stars: "(I'm A) Road Runner"

the good thing- talking heads
at torchys again and it’s v clear i should never list things from this non-cvs again, they have a gen-x streaming svc channel. but it is soooo good lol.

so this is my final torchys listing :-/

Streaming channels are perfectly fine. More places use them than one would think.

Buncha OMD at Dairy Queen. Standouts were "Secret" and "Maid of Orleans" (demo).

I'm glad someone out there's playing the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

(Plagiarizing a joke I helped originate 31 years ago.)

Target:

Bobby Womack: "It's Party Time"

Ace Hardware- 18 Alice Cooper

i need guidance to rate its obscurity, maybe i’m being distracted by how odd it seemed to me.

'90s Alt Rock Pandora or something at a Double Dave's yesterday.

Sponge: "Plowed"
Alice In Chains: "It Ain't Like That"

oh man, cock-rock era AiC. love that tune.

and have always loved that Sponge song, plus the album it came from.

The Cure - Mint Car

whoa

At a KFC no less

I went to one of my favorite Chinese noodle restaurants recently, and as I was walking in they had Rush - Subdivisions playing. Pretty much all I can ask for from a dining experience.

My local artisan grilled cheese place played that on Monday.

Same feeling of bliss

oh damn, Subdivisions Spring is here!

Sara Bareilles: "King of Anything" & The Animals: "Don't Bring Me Down" at Northern Tool

Oldies Dairy Queen again again:

Marvelettes: "Playboy"
John Fred: "Shirley"
Mary Wells: "Bye Bye Baby"
Hank Ballard: "Let's Go Again (Where We Went Last Night)"

Not too “obscure”—but Folk Implosion’s “Natural One” was playing in DIY Home Center; can’t remember the last time I heard it in the wild. (It was followed by Blondie’s “Call Me,” to give you an idea of how it was punching above its weight on their playlist.)

They were playing Julee Cruise in Hobbycraft once a few years ago. Also the Starbucks at my uni once randomly inserted death metal in a playlist that was mostly soft pop and r&b which still perplexes me

Blind Melon: "Change" at Raising Cane's (also the previously mentioned itt "You Only Live Once" by the Strokes)

Just heard this weird Wallflowers song called "Reboot The Mission" (featuring Mick Jones of The Clash) from 2012 at Target -- sounded like they were trying to get some of those sweet Maroon 5 bucks.

One more (by proxy): my friend just reported on FB hearing "Rain In The Summertime" by The Alarm at Kroger.

Frida: "I Know There's Something Going On" at Randall's

I've heard Jude Cole's "Baby It's Tonight" twice this week, once at Publix and the second time at a Starbucks after Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere."

Yesterday I heard "Perfect day" on a mexican Walmart

This must be my '80s Ladies Day for running errands.

Cyndi Lauper: "The Goonies R Good Enough" at Walmart

I'm in Port Huron, Michigan, right now and just passed a CVS. Not as thrilling as driving past the Stop & Shop, but close. I almost dropped in to see what obscure singles they were playing but instead sought refuge in the familiar, Tim Hortons.

Cyndi Lauper: "The Goonies R Good Enough" at Walmart

would've danced in the cat food aisle

Halsey: "I'm Not A Woman, I'm A God" at Cafe Express

Junior - “Mama Used To Say” at the gas station. Love that song, haven’t heard it in ages. It was followed by a great song that sounded exactly like James Brown, yet I’m fairly sure wasn’t.

Oh, duh! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsljwYOaVIk