Reflections on Stereolab's 'Ping Pong'

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In late July 1994, this was all over the radio, along with 'Regulate' and Oasis' 'Live Forever'. I was 13 and remember it well. I had good will towards this record because Laetitia had guested on Blur's 'To The End' and Blur were my fave band. I just liked the tune, as, evidently, did Radio One, which playlisted it.

I only bought 'Mars Audiac Quintet' this weekend (£5 in Fopp); and, lo, the lyrics are derived from classic Marxist economic theory. I didn't know this then, and I doubt that Simon Mayo really did either.

Anyway, their attempt at entryism, in my opinion, failed, because for me it was just a nice summery tune (which it is still).

So: entryism -- has it ever worked?

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:34 (twenty-two years ago)

One of my favouritest songe evah, and the reason for my tattoo, but..er, what do you mean by "entryism"?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 10 November 2003 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Entryism=Using nice semi-conventional but basically poptastic means to subversive, Marxist-meme-dispensing ends.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 10 November 2003 12:30 (twenty-two years ago)

im ambivalent about MAQ, i think this, and transient, were only partially successful. this is a shame because i think its down to slightly odd production because most of these songs were great live. i think wow and flutter is a better single than ping pong (though if you want to see where that originally came from then i guess you should check out Christian Bruhns 1973 german commericial for Ford cars)

undecided about entryism. i suspect it doesnt really work, but on the other hand it works better on me than overtness, which is an immediate turn off. however, as far as the wider public goes, i suspect that the opposite may be true

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

i think entryism actually shocks more than overtness, just over a longer period of time (the first time you bother listening to the lyrics of a song which seems opaque and "not really about anything" could be weeks or months down the road...scritti politti to thread.)

― goato mountington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

In my eyes, the general 'success' of entryism as intended solidifies my theory that lyrics are clearly secondary. Like Goato says, it can have an individual impact later on down the line, but at the time it's meant to be an immediate hit, usually not many people beyond the band would know or care.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

though if you want to see where that originally came from then i guess you should check out Christian Bruhns 1973 german commericial for Ford cars)

I just need to get the flux capacitor in order, and I'm there...

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

theres a compilation of german advert music i believe (if you like bruhn you should also check out his theme to the legend of timm thaler, although that is quite different in sound)

alternatively i could put up an mp3 of the track when i get back to england, if you are able to download

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

V kind, but I can't -- will flag it up tho.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a great song, but for me, Stereolab's Marxist lyrics are a plus only in the sense that I think it's sorta cool that that's what they're singing about. But it's not like I'm really paying attention to them.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Ping Pong is by far their best, most catchiest track. The lyrics actually did influence me a tiny tiny bit as it made Marxist theory a tiny tiny bit cooler.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 10 November 2003 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

theres a compilation of german advert music i believe
do you mean "popshopping", perchance? yes, from a quick google i think you do

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 10 November 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)

It was rillyrillyrilly great how all-over-the-radio-yes this was in the tsch-y summer of 1994 and how they teetered on brink of mainstreamhood and maintained this level for about 4 years. And then noodled off into semi-obscurity. But that last part is sad, except it was fairly deserved, but it's still a sad part.

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Monday, 10 November 2003 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

i really prefer the druggy, weirder 2nd half of MAQ (from "The Stars Are Our Destination" to "Fiery Yellow"... possibly due to the heavier O'Hagan contribution) to the singles.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 10 November 2003 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Later singles were more commercial/catchy still, but as they ran their own label, it was up to them how important it was to 'plug' them to radio. That's why they stopped doing it.

What was that one after Wow and Flutter. It sort of went "ba ba ba ba"

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 09:49 (twenty-two years ago)

(ok a bit more)

"you fell are you OK? Do you need a hand?"
"Im OK, I'm alright, I can breathe, feel my soul" and so on....

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 09:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"you fell are you OK? Do you need a hand?"
"Im OK, I'm alright, I can breathe, feel my soul" and so on....

That would be "Illumination".

― Philip Alderman (Phil A), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Entryism

Entryism Vs Assimilation

apologies enrique.

i still like mark s' question about subversion on the first of those two threads. i still like it because i can't answer it.

― brutal (Cozen), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 12:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"Flourescences" - That was the one. Got my lazy ass to Google to look it up.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

What was that one after Wow and Flutter. It sort of went "ba ba ba ba"

This just made me dribble orange juice down my front, it being a pretty concise description of EVERY STEREOLAB SONG EVER.

"Fluorescences" is indeed wonderful, the whole damn EP is splendid.

Anyone heard the Europa 51 album? Meant to be fine.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 12:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked them best (as a whole) when every song went "NerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

my friend was listening to this record while doing a thesis on business strategies, and discovered that there is a bit in it where they sing "size explains tendency to export", which was the theme of his thesis.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Europa 51 is okay, closer to high llamas than stereolab. strictly one for Maryphiles.

― zebedee (zebedee), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't 'Your Woman' by White Town meant to be a bit, er, Marxist?

I've been trying to track down a copy of 'Fluorescences' for years without success. Thank God for Charlie No. 4 and an ancient mix tape.

― Kate Jane Connolly (fixitgirl), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

fluorescences was their last good record

― charltonlido (gareth), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't 'Your Woman' by White Town meant to be a bit, er, Marxist?

I'm all ears; as I say, if you aren't listening for it...

― enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

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