all I need is a pint a day....

Earworms of the Week

Look. I should probably declare before we start this that a friend gifted me the top ten from the week of both of our births.  Yeah.  1974.  Not a golden era, I think it's fair to say. 

Anyway.  If you want to take your chance, help yourself

“Billy, Don’t Be a Hero” – Paper Lace

Nottingham’s finest. They didn’t actually make that top ten list, but my friend felt the need to include this as a bonus track. One day someone will cover this and ruin it.

“Secret” – The Pierces

Because two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.

“Sister Frideswide” – The Young Knives

Increasingly love this album. It didn’t do any business, I don’t think, but it’s brilliant. Better with every play.

“Steamy Windows” – Tina Turner

As featured in the bontempi organ round at the quiz the other day. There’s a great little guitar riff in here that almost, but sadly not quite, helps me forget the image of a much-too-old-for-this-really Tina Turner. Raunchy grandma…. Oh wait, that was another round of the quiz.

“American Idiot” – Green Day

Because a guy who sits near me has had this as his ringtone for YEARS and keeps leaving his phone on his desk. Now, I like this record as much as the next man, but…. This isn’t the ideal format.

“My Star” – Ian Brown

Thursday saw Venus and Saturn as close together in the east of our night sky as they will be for years, and over in the western sky you can clearly see Mars too. Good times, stargazers, good times. Cue this record about military missions to mars. Nasa corrupted. Etc.

“Pantomime Horse” – Suede

I watched “No Distance Left to Run”, the Blur documentary, the other day, and although it was great, it did make me realise all over again how out-of-step with the rest of what became Britpop Suede really were. Blur were doing “There’s No Other Way” and Suede came up with this. Remarkable. Damon Albarn might say that “Modern Life is Rubbish “ was a reaction to grunge and the American stuff that was sweeping across the nation, but Suede’s first two albums were just as much a step into a completely different musical milieu.

“Gold on the Ceiling” – The Black Keys

Another birthday present. Blues Rock. What’s not to like. Fantastic album.

“The Wombling Song” – The Wombles

This song is basically impossible to shift from your skull once it gets in there, in part helped by the fact that there is a part of my subconscious that still remembers all the words. All together now, “Uncle Bulgaria! He can remember the days when he wasn’t behind the times! With his Map of the world. Pick up the papers and take them to Tobermory!” Yeah! Eco warriors! (and Bernard Cribbins too.  A #kindfacedman if ever there was one).

“Band on the Run” / “Jet” – Wings & Paul McCartney

That top 10 list from the first week in March 1974 in full (and it’s a doozie):

10. Ma! (He’s Making Eyes at Me) – Lena Zavaroni

9. The Man Who Sold the World – Lulu. Yes, it is the Bowie song.

8. Remember (Sha La La La) – Bay City Rollers

7. You’re Sixteen You’re Beautiful (and You’re Mine) – Ringo Starr

6. Tiger Feet – Mud

5. Rebel Rebel – David Bowie

4. The Wombling Song – The Wombles

3. The Air That I Breathe - The Hollies

2. Jealous Mind – Alvin Stardust

1. Devil Gate Drive – Suzi Quatro

To somehow make up for that shower of shit (the Wombles aside), my friend also gifted me an album from the top 10 in the same week. He wisely eschewed the Carpenters in favour of “Band on the Run” by Wings. I’m not sure yet about some of the other songs, but you can’t argue with a 1:2 punch of “Band on the Run” and “Jet”. Both cracking songs, with the melodies going some way to driving the horror of Alvin Stardust out of my cerebral cortex. I dutifully downloaded this lot and put it into a playlist in my iPod. I put it on when we were driving to work the other day, and before we were halfway to the office, C was begging me to take it off, wondering why on earth we were listening to this shit in the first place….a fair point, but she calmed down when Wings came on and she could appreciated Macca’s enduring genius with a tune. I know you’re thinking that you love “Tiger Feet”, but after the first chorus it gets quite old quite quickly, trust me.

That’s more than enough for this week. Have a good weekend, y’all.