Next week's themes...

Monday

Country Joe and The Fish - Gimme a Letter Between J and L

Norrie - thanks for your earlier kind comments about my suggestions last week, I've taken the liberty of recycling one of your suggestions (the great Road to Ensenada)

AdaminRio - I hope I was the Joe in your Captain Beaky parody. It made my day. I've never been described as timid even in jest. Still grinning. Thanks.

And now for the week ahead......

Monday - 1 – Uplifting Songs

My personal choices - as in songs which always cheer me up - would be:-

Mon amant de Saint-Jean - Lucienne Delyle
Born to run - Springsteen
This old heart of mine - Isley Brothers
La vie en rose - Jack Nicholson (from Something's gotta give)

Songs which might also work for others are:-
New Soul - Yael Naim
Dance the night away – The Mavericks
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond (not my cup of tea!)
......... and the one which I think works best (and which I hope you play) is
Swinging Safari – Bert Kaempfert

Monday - 2 - Chill out

Gulf of Mexico – Alabama
Wonderful Life - Black
Road to Ensenada - Lyell Lovett
Alibi - David Gray
Boulder to Birmingham - Emmylou Harris
Laguna Sunrise or Changes - Black Sabbath


Tuesday – Books

I found this tough and I think I have strayed off-theme.....

Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
Norah Jones
The story - Brandi Carlile
Once upon a time - Steve Earle (as Christmas is coming!))
Cover me - Springsteen

Wednesday - Smash Hits

Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
Dreamtime or Foolish Pride- Daryl Hall
Every kinda people or Johnny and Mary - Robert Palmer
A good heart - Feargal Sharkey
Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs
Sylvia - Focus
Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel


Thursday- TV Themes

C'mon, C'mon - Von Bondies (Rescue me)
Way down in the hole - Steve Earle (from the Wire)
When I am through with you - The VLA (from Damages)
Thirtysomething theme – W.G. Snuffy Walden (who wrote loads of great themes for American TV series)
Over There – Chris Gerolmo (from Over There - American TV series about war in Iraq)

For montage - Eye level; I'll be there for you; Where everybody knows your name; I'll be there for you; Whole Lotta Love

As ever, apologies for long-ish lists.

Have a good weekend all

Joe
Linlithgow

M1
Bounce In Your Buggy - Sha Na Na - Irrepressibly upbeat
The Sound of Music - Bonzo Dog Band - Julie Andrews it ain't
Boredom - Procol Harum - A cheery tune with sleigh bells

M2
Rio - Michael Nesmith - Only a whimsical notion
(Do I Figure) In Your Life - The Honeybus - No bread adverts for this one
Andmoreagain - Love - Great that Arthur Lee had some recognition before the sun went down
T
Bottle And A Bible - The Yayhoos - A dilemma for Dan Baird
Everybody Needs Somebody to Love - Wilson Pickett - A song of Solomon
Hitching A Ride - Vanity Fare - Harmless fun
W
I have never read Smash Hits so get on with your Smiths, Queen, Craig and Charlie as usual

T
Route 66 - Nelson Riddle - Smooth strings, tinkling piano
Woke Up This Morning - Alabama 3 - great song great programme
Peter Gunn - Duane Eddy - Duane manages four notes on this one

Apologies

For Tuesday, the missing Norah Jones song is Those sweet words

Joe

Monday 1st hour

'I Got The Music In Me' - Kiki Dee


Monday 2nd hour

'Harbor Lights' - Boz Scaggs
or,
'We're All Alone' - Boz Scaggs or Rita Coolidge

Tuesday

'Them Heavy People' - Kate Bush - namechecks Gurdjieff.

'Homethoughts From Abroad' - Clifford T. Ward

I know, I know. But hey, if it's good enough for Wogan..........

Wednesday

I'll be in the pub with glenmiller.

Thursday

The Tra La La Song. (See Julie for details).

Great suggestions again, from you all above. I am going to anny people if I make any more coomnt than that but one thing...

Joe you have missed an open goal for Tuesday..


Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad

I'll be back with my suggestions!

Uplifting songs;

Teenage Kicks - Undertones
Everything's Going to be Alright - P P Arnold
Pressure Drop (I know, I know)
It Wasn't Me - George Thorogood
Everlasting Love - Love Affair
Nellie the Elephant - Mandy Miller

Chill Out
He'll Have to Go - Ry Cooder
Misty Blue - Dorothy Moore
Morningtown Ride - The Seekers

Mandy Miller (no relation) takes me back.

Was Sparky's Magic Piano the first ever recording to use a wah wah pedal?

Monday (First Half): Further to my bid on the other section for the Gilbert Becaud track (which I like for my own reasons but, I concede, is pretty cheesy), I also find the following songs uplifting:

"Adouma" - Angelique Kidjo (although she's been mentioned on the show I don't think she's actually been played. The beat of this track is instantly uplifting).

Don't think I've ever heard Morcheeba on GIO - "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" is uplifting in an easy-going way.

"You Never Can Tell" - Chuck Berry.

"Jump Jive n' Wail" - Brian Setzer Orchestra. Like with Chuck Berry, Brian Setzer playing upbeat music immediately makes me feel happy.

Mon. Uplifting
Superfreak - Rick James

Mon. Chill

Man Of The World - Fleetwood Mac

Tues. Literature

March from a Clockwork Orange (Beethoven Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, Abridged) – Wendy aka Walter Carlos

Wed. Smash Hits

Just What I Needed - The Cars

Thurs. TV Themes

The Munsters Theme – The Escalators

Monday

Lift Your Mood

Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite
Lovely Day - Bill Withers

Chill Out

Pink Moon - Nick Drake
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez

Tuesday - Books - suggestions are more of a reading/writing theme rather than author references.

Pressed In A Book - The Shins
Write You A Letter - Ray LaMontagne
Read My Mind - The Killers

Wednesday - Smash Hits

I wasn't familiar with this magazine, but did an image search for covers and this is what I've come up with:
XTC - Dear God
Jesus Jones - International Bright Young Thing

Thursday - TV Themes

I'd like to second - Woke Up This Morning - Alabama 3 - The Sopranos
Little Boxes - Malvina Reynolds - Weeds
I'm No Superman - Lazlo Bane - Scrubs
Movin' On Up - Ja'net DuBois - The Jeffersons

Up Monday

Do you love me , The Contours - I carried a watermelon?!

Shake a Tail Feather, 5 DuTones or Ray Charles. Can anyone sit still while this is playing?

Go Home, Barenaked Ladies

Listen to the Radio, Nancy Griffiths

Make my Heart Fly, The Proclaimers

Don't stop me now, Queen - mostly because it makes me want to beat up zombies with a pool cue.

Chill Monday

I'll Sail This Ship Alone (album version), Beautiful South.

Sigur Ros, Hoppipolla

River, Joni Mitchell

God's Home Movies, Horse

Learning to do without me, Gary Clark

This Womans Work, Kate Bush

Wednesday
Don't listen to the miserable old punks! Please play Bananarama, Love In The First Degree. The image of the male dancers at the Brit Awards has been seared into my memory for the last 20 years!

'MON THE SMASH HITS!

Book them on Tuesday

Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again - Bob Dylan, name checks Shakespeare
Baby Jump - Mungo Jerry, Lady Chatterley, Lolita
Hey Jack Kerouac - 10,000 Maniacs
Paperback Writer - Beatles
Sylvia Plath - Ryan Adams

Hey Hoppolocust how ccome you have neglected Pressure Drop by The Clash in your postings??

Anyway....Monday is not going to break any new ground in terms of artists suggested by me as I suppose by definition they are going to be by your favourite artists.

Cheer me up - could give you a seriously long list for this but going to try and be a bit more restrained again this week!!

Rosalita, Thunder Road - Springsteen
I Take My Chances - Mary Chapin Carpenter

Chill Out

The whole of the Leonard Cohen Live album

two which fit the bill with taking care of your mental self

John Lennon - Watching The Wheels
Van Morrison - Alan Watts Blues

I think all of these would be

oops great to hear on Mondays show.

Cheers

Norrie MacLean, Renfrew

Mon

Living Just For You - Hot Tuna - Anything with steel drums lifts the spirits

Tue

Tales of Brave Ulysses - Cream - Tribute to a Dubliner

Wed

Having a drink with Scotch-git in the Mohawk and Safety Pin

Thur

Harlem Nocturne - Earle Hagen - Mike Hammer's theme and New York in music

Struggling Horribly for Tuesday! I have tried to avoid just book or writer and offer the following:

The Ghost of Tom Joad - Springsteen this may not count as the book was Grapes of Wrath. There is Kris Kirstoffesen song based on the book but I cant remeber which one so I'll try to find out...

Hey Jack Kerouac - 10,000 Maniacs

Shakespeare's Sister - the Smiths

Romeo and Juliet - dire Straits / Killers

Cheers everyone!

Kris Kristofferson - Here Comes That Rainbow again

Monday 1st hour

'A Little Love and Understanding' - Gilbert Becaud

In support of Julie, although also a wee bit selfish and, possibly, intrusive.
My dad went to heaven in October 1998, and I don't have a song which evokes memories of him.
I'd really like to hear this one.

Literature

Small chance...

Etude “The Death & Life of Dith Pran by Sydney Schanberg” – Mike Oldfield

No chance...

Kill the Poor by Joel Rose – Dead Kennedys

Aw, Scotch - thanks.

OK some lateral thinking (and odd song choices) for Tuesdays Literature theme.

Forever Autumn, Jeff Wayne. Based on HG Wells War of the Worlds

Memories, Elaine Page. Old Possums book of Practical cats, TS Elliot

Wuthering Heights, Kate Bush.

Sexcrime (1984), The Eurythmics. George Orwell

Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harum. Has the lyrics ‘ …as the miller told his tale’ which is a ref to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

Any James Bond film theme.

You’re History, Shakespeare’s Sister

Everyday I Write the Book, Elvis Costello

Any Dream Will Do, Jason Donovan. Based on a biblical tale or maybe I’m just straying into the Smash Hits theme!

Hope that helps get you thinking of some better tunes. Cheers.

I am a bit confused about the Smash Hits critiscm. At that period there were some brilliant smash hits - in fact i contend that 78 - 82 was the best period of muisc and during that time pretty serious acts competed pretty equally with the pop fluff. Well thats my memory anyway though we were pretty much a NME house I am sure Smash Hits was bought on nore than a few occassions as well!

Tip: dont blog when listening to Pretty Green by the Jam (see above).

Monday

Lift the mood

Abba – Dancing Queen
Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
Corrs – Radio
Counting Crows - Accidentally In Love
The Cure - Inbetween Days
The Kooks – She Moves in her own way
KT Tunstall – Suddenly I see

Chillout

Damien Rice – 9 Crimes
Jamie Cullun – London Skies
James Blunt – Same Mistake
Paolo Nutini - Rewind

Tuesday

Books

Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
Suzanne Vega – Book of Dreams

Wednesday
?

Thursday
I'm No Superman - Lazlo Bane - Scrubs
I'll Be There For You - The Rembrandts - Friends
Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs? -Frasier theme tune - Kelsey Grammer

Norrie,Smash Hits was a great mag!I grew up with SH in the Wham, Bananarama and SAW era and sadly I think that image has stuck in most peoples heads.

But you're right, there was loads of other stuff featured in the early days of SH including The Undertones, Teardrop Explodes, Morrisey, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen and Jesus and Mary Chain.

Glenmillar and Scotch G implied in earlier comments that they'll be avoiding Wednesday's show (3 and 7). Maybe they'll change thier minds once the read this post!
It wasn't all Kylie and Jason!

Hi Bryan
Really enjoyed the shows last week (as always). Thanks for the good work and the mentions, especially on Wednesday when the whole family was listening on Fiona's Birthday. I see my eldest (and only) KirstyFromStoney has beaten me to the blog this week. Some of my Physics pupils are listening in too, wish them well with the swotting for their prelims.

Monday

Lift the mood
Whitney Houston - I want to Dance with Somebody
Status Quo - Rockin all over the World
Jeff Beck - Hi Ho Silver Lining

Chillout
The Eagles - Peaceful Easy Feeling
Enigma - Return to Innocence

Tuesday
Books
Led Zepelin - Moby Dick
Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
Genesis - Follow you follow me
Tom Jones - Its Not Unusual

Wednesday

Smash Hits (was more a Sounds Man myself but..)
The Mighty WAH - The Story of the Blues
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax/Two Tribes/The Power of Love
Adam and the Ants - Ant Music
Blondie - Hanging on the Telephone

Thursday
TV Themes
Rod Stewart - Faith of the Heart (Enterprise)
Manic Street Preachers - Suicide Is Painless (MASH)
Hawaii 50 Theme (no idea who played it)

Mon - second hour:
After exercise classes you usually have to lie around on the floor for a few minutes while the teacher blethers on about warm oil and lapping waves and such.

The last time I went to anything like that, the instructor was very partial to native american type music, complete with howling wolves (which reminded me of the way I'd been feeling during some of the more strenuous exercises). k.d.lang howls beautifully in "Barefoot".

Crikey Julie - I thought woodsidewullie was back for a minute there!!

Always great to hear kd lang and I would like to second Physics Dad's shout for Pete wylie and the Mighty WAH. A Classic!! Adam Ant is an old favourite from around that time as well but the Number 1's were not his best how about Dog Eat Dog or Your So Physical from the same period, Kick single version or the superb B side Beat My Guest! Please please dont play Antrap!!

Norrie

KirstyFromKillie,
After reading some of the suggestions for Wednesday, I can only hope and pray I don't inadvertently hit the 'listen again' button on Thursday.

Cocktails at the Mohawk and Safety Pin, then pogo dancing at the Drunken Punk!

Followed by a visit to the all night tattoo parlour to have "Morrissey Is Murder" added to the rapidly diminishing vacant space.

I asked for "Fancy" by "The Geraldine Fibbers" on Thursday, Although you did sound interested it was not to be found.

I am not surprised as I have since checked and it turns out it was a B-side to a single.

It is available on a compilation CD though, "Rough Trade Shops, Country 1" 0724359505923.

It really is worth a play and I had to find a way to fit it into one of this weeks themes,
And I found it could fit into Tuesdays theme of Authors.

A line in the song tells of a mother giving her daughter a locket inscribed "To thine own self be true". This is a poem by William Shakespeare.

Hopefully you can find it and give it a play, If you do make sure you let it run to the end for the Woo Woos pinched from "sympathy for the devil".


Thanks, Billy In Edinburgh

--------------------------------------------------

To Thine Own Self Be True

Yet here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard for shame!
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
And you are stay'd for.
There ... my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts in thy memory
Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg’d comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel but, being in,
Bear't that th' opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgement.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!

-- William Shakespeare

I've been thinking of uplifting songs for monday.
Top of the list has to be "Tom Weir" by Aberfeldy. How can a cheery wee number about Tom Weir and his wee wooly hat fail to put a bsmile on your face.
Also there is "Here comes that rainbow again" by the Highwaymen. Although it is a wee bit cheesey, It does make you think "Isn't that nice".
For the second part I always find "From a distance" by Nanci Griffiths a real chill out relaxing song. Or maybe "One little song" by Gillian Welch.

Billy in Edinburgh

I really need to practice this blogging lark and think things through first before I post, so that I dont need to post a second or third time because I think of something else.

I think "Big river" by Jimmy Nail is a chill out tune in my opinion. I know many will think oh Jimmy Nail he isnt up to much. But this song really is wonderful.

Billy in Edinburgh

Monday:

Personality Crisis - New York Dolls
Suicide is Painless: (Theme from M*A*S*H*)
As tears go by - Marianne Faithfull/Rolling Stones
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury & The Blockheads

Tuesday:

Simon and Garfunkel - "A Simple Desultory Philippic" ...one of my favourite SandG tracks, which mentions Norman Mailer and Dylan Thomas ("whoever he was"). "Richard Cory" (based on a poem - does that count?)

"I wouldn't want to be like you" from the album "I Robot" by The Alan Parsons Project.

A song that never fails to lift the mood is 'Roadrunner' by Junior Walker and the All Stars. Once it's on, it's impossible to sit down.

For the chill out how about the sublime 'At The River' by Groove Armada? This is a real feel good song.

The track samples Patti Page's 'Old Cape Cod' which I thought might be good but is pure mince. Gives you the heebee geebees!

Raymie in Consett.


P.S. Great to see old Shakey in Stratford upon Avon making an appearence on the blog. Who was 'woodsidewullie'?

Wednesday - I know nothing about Smash Hits, having gone straight from Disco 45 to the NME!

norrismaclean Pressure Drop is wonderous, but I do prefer Toots and the Maytals and then Specials. The Clash version is good, but by their standards I don't think they quite nailed it.

Raymie - check the "llets start at the very beginning" for woodsides excellent posts!

Monday - folk have suggested some great stuff already. Sugar pie, honey bunch by the four tops always lifts me. So does the theme from the Flintstones - mebbe one for Thursday I guess, along with the Cagney and Lacey theme tune.

"Pressure Drop"...got to be Toots...any other version (even The Specials, which was the first one I heard, and even heard live) just isn't as good.

THURSDAY:
The Old Grey Whistle Test
The Big Bang Theory (by Barenaked Ladies)

Monday

To cheer me up, I'll be persistent and request The Notsensibles' "I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher" again. Stupid, stupid song, sung with gusto.

Chill-out - Satie's "Trois Gymnipodies" or however you spell it (there used to be a flute version played over an intermission back in the 60s I think, which is even more chilled than the original piano version).

Re Pressure Drop - I was merely reflecting that this was a version HoppoLocust had not mentioned yet, I'm not terribly familiar with the original but I know I've got it on a compilation somewhere so better check it out again, so that I can join Hoppos campaign!

I have been resisting blogging, as I prefer emailing, but I think I'm ready to take the plunge:-

Tuesday

Are You Ready To be Heartbroken (Norman Mailer) or Rattlesnakes (Simone De Beauvoir) by Lloyd Cole And The Commotions.

Surprised noone's mentioned Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police as yet. Too obvious?

Wednesday

Tantalise by Jimmy The Hoover


Thursday

Songs of Love by The Divine Comedy

Billy In Edinburgh, that's not strictly a poem, it's a speech from Hamlet made by Polonius to his son Laertes. They all end up dead by the end of the play, whether that's because he takes his father's advice or not I can't recall.

I'm of the generation who heard twotone ska at first but I soon discovered Trojan Bluebeat and Ska etc. and, while I can appreciate the later stuff, I do on the whole prefer the originals. Having said that, I have a sentimental fondness for Madness, think The Beat were great and I like No Doubts ska-influenced songs.

Like Julie I too never bought Smash Hits - always thought the title sounded a bif naff and preferred the NME, which was far more cool and cred! Och well, I'll have a look online and see if I can find out a bit of info...

Really looking forward to tonght's (Monday) show - I bet there are a lot of songs that could e played in either hour!

Would love to hear 'Love Is The Answer' by the mighty Todd Rundgren in the first hour - any other takers?

Uplifting:

XTC - Senses Working Overtime
The Bluebells - Young At Heart
Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again
Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
Scotland football team with John Gordon Sinclair - I Have A Dream


Chillout:

Feeling Good - Nina Simone
Black - Wonderful Life
Elvis Costello - She
Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
Clannad - The Theme From Harry's Game, suitable for Thursday also
Smooth Operator - Sade

Jan, I think its because The Police / Sting are not very popular on GIO.
And can you please put Spoiler Warnings in your blogs before you go and give away the endings of stories? I know its your first blog and everything, but still...

Jan from Rutherglen - I seem to recall that the BBC made an alternative edit of the Louis Armstrong classic that had a sprinkling of synthesiser pads right at the end - it would be great if the producers could dig that version out for tonight...

Black is a good shout - that whole first album of his was incredible, but he vanished after releasing his second album which was inevitable after the massive critical success of the first one. I can listen to Wonderful Life over and over! It's one of those songs that somehow is it's own opposite... Dark lyrics about a man who is lost and "needs a friend to make me happy", but somehow it's still a wonderful life...

Have been puzzling over authors theme for a while now and still struggling.
My only suggestion is "Pet Cemetary" by The Ramones which was written about the Stephen King novel. King references the Ramones in many of his books and is a big fan. I don't actually rate the song as one of thier best so maybe you could play "Blitzkrieg Bop" which was frequently quoted throughout the book.

Jim

Black has not vanished - he is still issuing great music but as Colin Vearncombe. His second and third albums were fantastic and he continues to produce good work. Last time I saw him live was in one of the bars in Glasgow West End to about 40 people and he was superb!

In addition to the shouts for Wonderful Life can i suggest his Sweet Breath of Your rapture to the list!

Adam - your spolier comment made me laugh out loud and I'm supposed to be working!!! Oops.

This is a good theme for me because I'm off to Austria on saturday for a week and right in the mood for the show.
Here are my choices...

Proclaimers- 500 miles
Beach Boys- Surfin USA
Bee Gees- Stayin Alive

chill out...

Louis Armstrong- Wonderful World
Dido- Thank You

Gordon,Kirrie

Thanks Norrie. I'd forgotten Colin's surname - I'll check out the third album!

feelgood?

Killers - when we were young

XTC - Senses working Overtime

Kinks - Lola


Chillin?

Craig Armstrong - Glasgow Star

Teenage Fanclub - Mellow Doubt

Boo Hewerdine - Please don`t ask me to dance

Adam From Rio, I can only apologise, I didn't realise that particular Mel Gibson film hadn't been released there yet. Seriously, it did make me laugh, but at least you didn't ask if I was an English teacher.

The Police and Sting may not be popular, in GIO, but they seem to me to get mentioned quite a lot, and I can think of at least two Police tracks that have been played since I statred listening to the show.

Anyway, that's why I don't blog, don't really have time to think up all the smart comments, so I'll just go back to the safe world of emails.

I think I dwell in melancholy spongs more often than not.My mood is always best lescaped out on my bicycle with a positve song and a big favourite is "Ventura Highway" by America.

I did howver get a hard time from a friend about being anywhere near such a genre. Luckily I'm too old now to bother-thats mental health awareness I think.In point of fact I only recently realised that no two people in the world ever get the same from any same piece of music.

Showing my own bias I think it will a minimum hurdle for any playlist with such a theme to avoid Katrina and the waves and/or the Lighthouse family

pedalling home

Books/Literature etc:

Green Onions - BOOKer T And The MGs
I Put A SPELL On You - Nina Simone
A Winter's TALE - Elaine PAIGE

Return To Sender - Elvis PRESSley
Alphabet Street - PRINTS
WRITE On Time - Black Box
WRITES Of Winter - Jimmy Page

Oh, I must have tuned into the wrong show, I could have sworn GIO were playing The Police.

for my be happy song can I suggest the official world cup theme by colourbox, always guaranteed to get me dancing, or dancing queen by abba for the same reason.

for chillout tune anything from Treasure by the Cocteau Twins but especially Otterley.

...and for Smash Hits night it has to be Up the Junction by Squeeze. I can still remember learning the words in rainy lunch hours, and i still remember them all now =)

Jules nr Dumfries

Norrie,
Did you hear Julie Fowlis singing 'Blackbird' in the Gaelic today?
Dare I say it, even better than the original.

Have you heard Paul McCartney's Ribhinn a Bheil Cuimhn' Agad ?

Literary Connections

As I nod off to Coldplay, here are a few which occurred to me.

Names:

Steppenwolf
The Doors
Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Soft Machine
Steely Dan (don't ask)
Titus Groan (Whatever happened to them?)
Long Ryders (Long Riders film written by Bill Bryden)
Beggar's Opera - remember them?
Tom Jones - remember him?
Talking Heads (appropriated by Alan Bennett)
The Searchers
East Of Eden - Jig a Jig a Steinbeck
Dandy Warhols - Dundee meets NY

Tunes:

Pilgrim's Progress - Procol Harum - this "would be good to hear" i.e. not in our lifetime
Exodus - Ferranti and Teicher (two pianos four hands three heads)
A Winter's Tale - D. Essex (draw the line at Elaine Paige)
To Be Or Not To Be - BA Robertson (we were once in the same band)
Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush (don't talk about Heath-Cliff)
Worst Band In The World - 10 cc - Nothing more than Dharma Bums
Also Sprach Zarathustra - Deodato - Some distance from the book but Nietzsche produced the Stones on the side
Shangri La - Kinks and Rutles' Lost Horizon by hotel heir James Hilton
Islands In The Stream - Hemingway/Gibb Bros. Maurice's middle name was Ernest.


Stretching a Point:

Copperfields - The Beach Boys
The Last Testament of Jimmy Mack - Martha and The Vandellas
Let's Twist Again - Chubby Checker - Can we have some more, sir?


Short Crossword Puzzle

Across

1. Smash Hits? (4)


And I would give everything I own never to hear the Guillemots again. (David Gates)

Why Steely Dan, Glen?

Crossword entry firmly filled in here.

Not family viewing

Thursday TV Themes

Theme from The Persuaders by John Barry (even if you just use it as background)

Avenues and Alleyways - Tony Christie (Theme from The Protectors)

White Horses - Jacky (to remind us of summer holidays filled with dubbed eastern-european series)

Glen - I think Jim knows...

Attention new wavers, punks, adam in rio, glen miller the norriemaclean ancestral loft has been investigated and the smash hits generation suggestions are being formulated as we speak!

Scotch - Julie Fowlis, I am checking this out just now, although I have to confess that I will need to speak to my Father for the translation of Glens suggested McCartney track!!!

Cheers all


Norrie Maclean, Renfrew

:-)

Here goes - Smash Hits Generation and all i believe cover stars...

David Bowie - Ashes to ashes
PIL - Rise
Jam - Start
Visage - Fade to Gray
Adam Ant - Dog Eat Dog
Strawbery Switchblade - Since Yesterday
Specials - too Much Too Young
Boomtown Rats - Diamond Smiles

Sorry but IMHO that is not a bad list of pop tracks.

Should be an interesting show!

Glen - am I losing my mind? Paul McCartney doing My Young Dear,
Do you remember? Have I just missed the joke?

A poor joke, admittedly.

JFE's knowing smile reminds me of Scotish group Bilbo Baggins - another literary connection.

I am totally lost - I bet go for a lie down....

JanInGlasgow, keep blogging! Don't be put off. Like you I love The Police. I have all their albums on vinyl and cd. GIO has been fairly good for them the past weeks, So Lonely and Don't Stand So Close To Me being played and of course tonight's Every Breath You Take. They are in GIO vogue just now. LOL
BTW - we are often mixed up on air for credits, I'm sure you know that LOL

Glenmiller - wash your mouth out. Smash Hits was a tremendous mag for lyrics and musical info. I bought avidly from the very start. I only recently threw out a full suitcase of mags containing the first 2 years of publication. I have since found a bag full of some copies. Maybe my fortune ! LOL

With that in mind I would like to request Walking On The Moon by The Police, I
remember the Smash Hits cover of them, standing under the thrusters of a rocket, looking very cool...

Glenmiller - LOst reading your Gaelic comment... I am probably one of the few on the blog that can read Gaelic and Scots - yes I remember my maiden... ;-) Now there are a few stories I could relate here!

Just not sure what your point was? Hope it is not some obscure reference to McCartney's ex and Hoppos...

Just that Julie Fowlis doing Blackbird might not be one-way traffic. We're talking about the man who brought us Michelle after all.

Gotcha! Michele. Very small joke there Glen... If you are using Gaelic or Scots - next time try to make it a bit funny! LOL

Maybe you'd prefer his new single ???? ???? ????

I think not! LOL But that would perhaps be funnier!

Thanks, Julie. Between Gilbert Becaud and Kiki Dee I was grinning like an eejit and dancing like............an eejit. You always suggest such great songs! I'm particularly impressed by your asking for the theme to the 'Old Grey Whistle Test'



Yesterday's show was great. Much, much better I'm sure than tomorrow's.

Kirsty, are you listening?

A small request for Tuesday's literary theme,from a resident of the Home for Ancient and Decrepit Booksellers---My Back Pages-the Byrds' version...will post further if the brain throws out anything else in the book line before tonight's show.

Morning all!

Scotch - I checked out Julie Fowlis on her myspace site and thought she ws really good. I see she is getting some pretty serious accolades which is nice to see. My Mary Coughlan Cd turned up as well and I am really impressed with that as well and the Marc Almond cover is another stand out bit like Mary Chapin Carpenter. Good stuff and thanks for the pointer.

Cheers

Norrie

Kirsty - I am still looking forward to wednesdays show! I really dont see why it cant be a great show.

Thought of another oddity from that period! Flexidiscs which I think came mostly with a magazine called flexipop! You had to put a 10p on them to stop the needle just stopping them spinning! So if Bryan felt like playing The Jam and the alternate flexi disc version of Boy About Town that really would bring back memories!

Norrie

Gotta dust off my spring-loaded pogo boots.
Now, where did I put that nose stud?

A difficult theme as book references don't strike me as memorable lyrics, I could only think of these two:

Keep the customer satisfied - Simon & Garfunkel, which mentions the bible.

Mandy - 10CC, which mentions the "girl in Dr No.", the book by Ian Fleming.

Paul from Ayr

Look out for cyclist with face covered in embaressment !

My hint that the Lighthouse family/ katrina and the waves must be avoided turned into a request for them !

Tonight is a challenge- I guess wutheruing heights and that police one about the book by nabakov will be strong but what about Sebastian Faulks' Birdiesong ?

I remember listening to a late night book review programme on Radio Clyde with Alec Dickson about 30 years ago. On one night the theme music was the beatles paper back writer.On another it was a song I vaguely remember like this:

I'll never forget the day I read a book,
It was contagious-had 70 pages
There were pictures here and there
-and i didnt seem to care.
I''ll never forget the day I read a book.

A sad man with too much time on his hands tells me its by Jimmy Durante.

The book review is still available, with the same music!
Sunday 7 p.m. (follows the country music show).
Broadcast from East Glasgow, 6 letters, begins with S, ends with H. Not rough!

Norrie,
Tom Morton played 'Blackbird' on his show yesterday (Monday).
I assumed that you would be tuned in.
Please, forgive my presumption!

Scotch - no you were abolutely right I was listening but missed a wee bit - that wee bit!

saw Julie Fowlis in concert quite recently. Must say I was unsure about a whole set in Gaelic (after-effect of too much Anne Lorne Gillies on Friday evening TV as a teenager) but I was most pleasantly surprised. She is quite captivating and I like her between-song chat explaining the meaning of the songs. She has a lovely voice and the music was great.

For Tuesday's show...

How about 'Dance Stance' by Dexy's Midnight Runners? Several authors mentioned here including Oscar Wilde and Edna O'Brien. It would be good to hear a Dexy's track that wasn't 'Come On Eileen'.

Is 'Police and Thieves' by The Clash too long to play on the show? There's the line "from Genesis to Revelation" in the song.


Cheers.

Raymie in Consett.

Not sure this is the place to carry on the discussion last night on truly truly dreadful bands? But...

Step forward The Tourists. Saw them at the Apollo once. The fish supper on the way home was more fun. Lasted approximatley 3 songs. Any bloggers left a concert early?

Ladies and gentlemen for my second nomination, I give you...The Stereophonics.
Got a loop tape playing them in the garden to keep the cats out.

Tuesday

The most literate rock group in the world? Has to be Hawkwind! Not only was former singer Bob Calvert a poet with roots in International Times and other underground publications from the late 60s, they also featured science fiction genius Michael moorcock, both as writer and occasional performer. Calvert also used quotes and titles from a large body of literature as the basis for songs. To name but a few:

"Steppenwolf" (Herman Hesse)
"Damnation Alley" (Roger Zelazny)
"Fahrenheit 451" (Ray Bradbury)
"Utopia" (Thomas More)_
"High Rise" and "Death Trap" (J.G. Ballard)

Moorcock's contributions included: "Somic Attack", a psychedelic era adaptation of Peter Porter's "Your Attention Please"; "The Black Corridor, based on his novel of the same name, and "Kings of Speed", which is on the "Warrior at the Edge of Time" album, based almost entirely on his work.

A second album based on Moorcock's Elric books "The Chronicle of the Black Sword" also features "Needle Gun", both a tribute to his creation "The English Assassin", Jerry Cornelius, and an anti-heroin song. It's short and radio-friendly. Get It On!

Moorcock has also featured in Blue Oyster Cult releases, and Pink Floyd's 1968 song "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" was based on his "Fireclown".

Floyd's Syd Barrett also included a nice, straight version of James Joyce's poem "Golden Hair" on his first solo album.

PS Donna fae Gatehoose suggests a theme of songs about dances: "The Hucklebuck", "At the Hop", "Land of a Thousand Dances", "Vogue", etc etc etc.

Raymie,
To my regret, I once left an XTC concert, halfway through "Roads Girdle The Globe" as the friend who I was with wasn't enjoying it - she thought them too "dischordant"...to me, that was part of their appeal!!!

Raymie

I have stuck through some gigs with gritted teeth sometimes because I've really only been to see the support act, sometimes as I have been there with a mate and was not that keen, once or twice because the main performer was belligerent and grumpy (no prizes for guessing), but the only gig I walked out on was Ryan Adams as he was p***d, incapable of playing coherently and then was laughing at any one who had bought his Rock n Roll album! Now I do like his music but it was just too much!