we can't keep on living like this....

Hello. Me again, although you'll probably be pleased to hear that this post isn't all about me, or asking what you think of me. Not this time, anyway. Instead, it's the time of the week where we leave our shoes at the door, and pay homage to the all consuming, all seeing, all mighty God of Earworms.

Leading us in our worship this week is a particular favourite of mine: servant to Fucking Cat, colleague to Simon Clown, Tony Vile, Tania Cute and a cast of other brilliantly named incompetents at The Company.... He is also, of course, loving partner to Girl Person.

Ladies & Gentleworms, without further ado, it is my great pleasure to introduce....

Earworms of the Week - Guest Editor #14 - Tom from Bad-Wolf

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Hello All.

So, anyway, what is an Earworm? I dunno. I looked it up on Wikipedia and this is what it said.

"Earworm, a literal translation of the German Ohrwurm, is a term for a song stuck in one's head, particularly an annoying one."

I don't know if I like that definition very much. None of my choices annoy me. In fact I love all of my choices. My definition of Earworm would be

"Songs that Tom has sung at the bus stop."

And here they are, in reverse order.

10. The Sugababes - "Hole In The Head"

I've always loved The Sugababes, even after they kicked out their most attractive looking member (the foxy Siobhan Donaghy, growl.). I don't think that they have put a foot wrong with any of their single releases, and would go as far as to say that "Freak Like Me" was the best single of 2002 and was robbed at the Brits awards that year. I saw the video of this song this week when I was flicking through the music channels. Wonderful.

9. Jem - "Just A Ride"

It's a nursery rhyme of a song and as such is completely addictive. Terry Wogan used to play this practically every hour on his morning show. Like the previous song I saw the video on a music channel while flicking one night. The video is shit, the song isn't.

8. The Creation - "Makin' Time"

This band came out of the Mod/R'n'B scene of the early sixties. I think that this was their first single. I love it. Actually, so did Wes Anderson, director of the film "Rushmore". He used this track during the opening sequence of that film. Legend has it that in 1967 Pete Townsend asked Eddie Phillips to join the Who as second guitarist. Obviously Eddie Phillips turned it down. Great innovator was Eddie Phillips. He was the first guitarist to play his guitar with a violin bow, years before Jimmy Page. I heard this track this week on Mark Lamarr's Alternative Sixties show.

7. Roxette - "Joyride"

I know nothing about Roxette except that they did that ballad for the film "Pretty Woman". This is great, though. Another video I saw on a music channel. (Trust me. I hardly ever watch music channels.)

6. The Beatles and The Monkees - "Paperback Believer"

An illegal track (hush hush). This is a mash up that mixes together the Beatles vocals from "Paperback Writer" (the greatest single of all time TM) and the backing track from the Monkees "I'm A Believer". I found it a while ago when I was looking for the Madonna/Sex Pistols mix "Ray Of Gob". (Still not found, if anybody has any ideas...) It's a bit rough and ready, but I think that it is great. I listened to it again this week. You should be able to find it with no problems, if you are interested. If not... Just ask me.

5. K. T. Tunstall - "Suddenly I See"

Wogan has been playing this song this week. Every single day. I know nothing about this lady, but I liked her last single, I love this single and I read that she is playing Birmingham in October on a Saturday night. I might go. What do you think? Worth the effort?

4. Lobo - "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo"

Somebody requested this on Ed Stewart's Sunday Afternoon Request Show. It's country rock/pop, I suppose. Sentimental and reflective and drippy and I love it.

3. Joy Division - "Transmission"

I only know two Joy Division songs, this one and "Love Will Tear Us Apart". A couple of weeks ago a clip of Joy Division performing this song was shown on the BBC's "Sounds Of The Seventies" show. Ian Curtis performed this song like a man possessed. I suppose he was. Electrifying track. That's the perfect word. Electrifying.

2. Coldplay - "Fix You"

You cannot get away from this track on British radio at the moment. I have never been a massive Coldplay fan, but when they hit their stride ("Yellow", "The Scientist", this track) they are magnificent. I saw them at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas in September 2002, supported by Ash, and I enjoyed it very much. I may have the buy the new album. Is it any good?

1. Heaven 17 - "Temptation"

Everybody sing along!

"I've never been closer
I've tried to understand
That certain feeling
Carved by another's hand
But it's too late to hesitate
We can't keep on living like this"

And so on and so forth. I love this track. I saw Heaven 17 on some torpor of an 80's package tour, a couple of years back. I was merrily drifting off to sleep until they came on and kicked off their bit with this song. The video of this song was on one of the music channels this week. It was terrible (but it was the 80's), but that song... Oh, Wow! It's great.

Can I have a zero? Go on. Please? For my lady?

Girl Person's Earworm this week is

0. Otis Redding - "Dock Of The Bay"

I sometimes bore Girl Person (hard to believe it, but I do) with my thoughts on this song. I tell her that it was a basic demo, that Steve Cropper had to finish it, that he overdubbed the sound of the sea and the seagulls and that it would probably have been a very different track if Otis had lived. None of it matters. This song makes Girl Person cry, but she claims that she loves it. I love it as well.

That's your lot. Let the criticisms begin. Go for it. I love an argument.

Oh, and cheers Swiss Toni. You are indeed the man.

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Thanks Tom. I'm not sure that you're going to get too many complaints about that sort of a list. Not from me, anyway.

Next week we head back Down Under to sunny Brisbane, as next week's Guest Editor is the absolutely lovely Di from Bo Peep's Sheep. She claims not to hang onto tunes in her head, but as Earworm Queen of this blog for the week, I guess we'll find out, eh?

Until next time then..... if you'll excuse me, I just off to put the finishing touches to my costume for my weekend at the Test Match. England are firmly in the driving seat, so should be a good weekend. I'll pop some pictures up at some point....

[previous guest editors: Flash, The Urban Fox, Lord Bargain, Retro-Boy, Statue John, Ben, OLS, Ka, Jenni, Aravis, Yoko, Bee, Charlie]