And they keep coming...
Anwen Crawford drops by again to inform in re. what the Manics were on about in "Motown Junk"
"MSP always claimed they were railing against Wet Wet
Wet/George Michael style blue-eyed soul/80s AOR in 'Motown Junk'… not Motown
per se. Much the same stuff that Morrissey was complaining about on
'Panic', in other words…"
She also nominates The Smiths "Rubber Ring" which I also had on my list - a song about the song as lifesaver - the singer as surrogate friend, companion, rescuer - playfully (but also deadly seriously) beseeching his own fans not to forget the singer or his songs
Michaelangelo Matos drops science about The Four Tops's "It's The Same Old Song" and whether it's an answer-back to the critics:
"It's not a riposte, it's an admission--nearly a boast! It's
the follow-up to "I Can't Help Myself," and a note-for-note ripoff,
which the lyrics acknowledge upfront. The reason? When "I Can't Help
Myself" hit big, Columbia Records announced it was going to reissue its only
Four Tops single ("Ain't That Love") from 1960 to cash in, so
Holland-Dozier-Holland were instructed, Get a followup out now. Engineer
Bob Dennis, in the liner notes of The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965:
"With the Top standing by, they wrote [the words to] 'It's the Same Old
Song' on the spot." They rush-released the single to undercut
Columbia--and then cut ties with the latter's pressing plant, which they'd been
using since 1960."
Matos also nominates The O'Jays "I Love Music"
Keith McDougall brings a lot
Love it
Not one of their best
Never been able to get into the first Clash LP
(For me The Clash get going - words and music wise - with "Complete Control" and "White Man In Hammersmith Palais" (also both songs about music / music biz, as earlier discussed). Then go right off the boil with Give Em Enough Rope. Then heat up a little (to lukewarm) with London Calling. Then heat up slightly more (tepid plus) with Sandinista. Then hot up a fair bit more with Combat Rock ("Rock The Casbah" is also about music, as is "Overpowered By Funk" I assume). Hmmm, seems like I don't rate the Clash much at all.)
LOVE IT
Love it, although more conceptually-historically than grime-as-grime, tune-as-tune - although it's good.
LUVVIT TO THE BONE, THE MARROW. Well, of course, I do, I posted the YouTube clip, didn't it? This is the vastly superior mix to the ones posted by others, which is why I had to put it up there.
LOVE IT. Fantastic lyrics.
LOVE IT.
That sample is from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, isn't it?
LOVE IT.
And a happy birthday to Green, three days after my own, oddly enough. Would you believe he has just turned sixty? We were listening to "Petrococadollar" in the car on a trip over the weekend, and it occurred to me that next year it will be ten years since White Bread Black Beer. You are keeping us waiting, Mr Gartside.
Much of the Scritsongbook could fit under the metapop heading...
Great Wyatt-y Mouth Music on both of these versions...
...and an Italian counterpart to - "or the reverse shot" - to "Signed Curtain", by Lucio Battisti
Stanley Whyte offers a good one I had forgotten, and one I had not heard of:
(Oh yes and Mr. Whyte also suggested "Put A Donk On It"... )
CJ pops by again to make the observation that "Ariel Pink
looks a lot like Kurt Cobain (hair, jawline, high cheekbones, eyes"
And from the wider parish -
Cardrossmaniac 2 with The Sports "Who Listens To The Radio", Joan Jett "I Love Rock'n'Roll" and a tribute to Opal (sorry about the dog and the credit cards, man).
And Aaron from Airport At The Trees with some more suggestions, including a "Music Is The Key" that reminded me of another "Music Is The Key" by one of my favorite groups ever. Unfortunately it's my least favorite track by them - and only marginally more tolerable as an Omni Trio remix.
And Aaron from Airport At The Trees with some more suggestions, including a "Music Is The Key" that reminded me of another "Music Is The Key" by one of my favorite groups ever. Unfortunately it's my least favorite track by them - and only marginally more tolerable as an Omni Trio remix.