The new album ‘A Weird Exits’ from Thee Oh Sees is getting some pretty good reviews, I certainly like it and it was the NME album of the week a few weeks ago. But did you know that the band’s front man John Dwyer‘s dog gets a credit on the album sleeve? Well he does. Apparently Dwyer’s Beagle who is called Buddy contributed ‘morale and face licks’. Can you recall any other albums where pets get credits?
The choppy clicking beat that drives the Bee Gees classic 70s hit “Jive Talkin'” was inspired by the noise that the Gibb Brothers car made as it crossed the Julia Tuttle Causeway Bridge in Miami. I wonder how many other songs were influenced by bridge related sounds?
I have always been a very big fan of David Bowie as regular readers of this blog know. However I have never been overly enamoured with his performance in ‘Labyrinth‘. But given that this film introduced a whole new generation to the former Mr Jones then I can’t complain. It also introduced the world to the acclaimed ‘Bowieage’ a.k.a. the cod piece like moose hoof that made an appearance in the groin area of the Dame‘s costume.
So, why is ‘Labyrinth’ suddenly of interest? Well it has come to light that Mr Bowie may not have been first choice for the part of Jareth the Goblin King. Another two British rock stars were also considered for the role before David Bowie. Yes I can confirm that both Rod Stewart and Freddie Mercury were also thought about as potential Goblin Kings! Personally I still believe that Bowie was the better choice from those three. What do you think?
I have decided to post any music related jokes that I come across, especially if they are at my usual groan level of humour. So with thanks to those lovely people at Popbitch for bringing this one to my attention.
The drummer off of the Inspiral Carpets, Craig Gill apparently now runs Manchester music tours. Last weekend he did two tours entitled ‘Morrissey and the Smiths’. The first one in the morning had a very healthy 85 punters. The tour stops off at many Smiths historical highlights including; Strangeways Prison, Salford Lads Club, the Southern Cemetery and Morrissey’s childhood home.
But according to one Smiths tourist the highlight was this joke from Mr Gill.
Q – What does Morrissey have in his sandwiches?
A – I don’t know, but Marr might!
I love that one, feel free to send me your favourite music related jokes. I will be happy to post them and to give you a name check. You can send them via email to me at adamson.will@gmail.com. Just put Another Crap Music Joke in the subject line.
In case you were fooled, this last one is an excellent spoof!
Apparently the first time the term Britpop was ever used was in the NME in the late 7os. The term was coined to describe punk legends the Sex Pistols.
Do you still own cassettes? I have a few that I plan to convert to MP3 files when I can be bothered to get around to it. But do you still buy cassettes? Some people do, well at least they did until relatively recently. Nsync‘s album ‘No Strings Attached’ which was originally released in 2000 was the top-selling cassette album in 2011 when it sold a massive eleven copies! It was also the top-selling cassette in 2009 and 2010 when it sold 23 and 13 copies respectively. No one seems to have any idea how or why this happened. Do you know?
In 1862 the writer George Eliot was the first person to use the term pop music. She (yes George was a woman) wrote “there is too much pop for the thorough enjoyment of chamber music“. So to recognise that staggering piece of trivia and to celebrate some classic pop please enjoy these songs and feel free to suggest your own contributions.
I read some time ago that one of Brian Wilson’s (him off of the Beach Boys) favourite songs was “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes. But what I didn’t know until now was that Brian wrote the Beach Boys classic “Don’t Worry Baby” for the voice of the Ronettes; Ronnie Spector.
However due to contracts, legal issues and possibly the strong-arm influence of her then husband Phil Spector Ronnie was unable to record it. She often sings it in her live shows nowadays though. Please enjoy those songs below and also a quirky cover of “Don’t Worry Baby” by Byron Ferrari (a.k.a. Bryan Ferry. Thank you to the 1970s NME for that Ferry spoof name).
I can see why they might need the comb
Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson off of UK synthpop duo Hurts apparently had a strange and supposedly very strict clause added to their record contract. They said that they wouldn’t sign with them unless they were given a comb and an umbrella! Do you know of any other strange clauses in recording contracts?
Given that Radiohead recently shared what might have been the theme to the latest James Bond film, ‘Spectre’ I was reminded of some other Bond theme trivia. The theme song to 1979’s ‘Moonraker’ was originally issued to Frank Sinatra and Kate Bush. Not as a duo, although that might have been somewhat intriguing. Eventually it was recorded by Shirley Bassey.
Rita Coolidge released “All Time High“, the theme to ‘Octopussy’ in 1983. That song had previously been turned down by Mari Wilson. Whatever happened to her?
Then in 2008 Jack White and Alicia Keys provided the frankly unforgettable “Another Way To Die” for ‘Quantum Of Solace’. But I wonder what might have been had Amy Winehouse recorded it as per the original plan?
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 