Today is December 8th 2010, the 30th anniversary of John Lennon. There will be millions more words written about him today, so I won’t add many to that. But I will give you a few Lennon covers, a cover from Lennon and a Beatles song. Enjoy these while you reflect on the life of a great man.
“A great philosopher once wrote, naughty, naughty, very naughty” November 25, 2010
It would appear that the Performing Rights Society recently undertook a survey to determine the most controversial song ever and surprisingly many of the usual suspects are in the top 10. Controversially I am still just a little under the influence so to speak 😉 Here is the top 10;
Smack My Bitch Up – Prodigy
God Save The Queen – Sex Pistols
Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Kim – Eminem
Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine
Ebeneezer Goode – The Shamen
Suicide Solution – Ozzy Osbourne
Get Your Gunn – Marilyn Manson
Angel of Death – Slayer
Dear God – XTC
In my view the songs represent many people’s view of controversy, but not mine! I can see that people might have been angered and provoked by many things in their topics; religion, firearms, death/ suicide, drugs, violence, sex and being against the monarchy. Well maybe they’re right, but I for one do not think so, but it is, after all about the rock n roll! well not just the rock n roll but also the sex and drugs too. Hmmmmmm…… “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll”
I’m also surprised that there is no room for Max Romeo’s “Wet Dream“, Donna Summer‘s “Love To Love You Baby” and “Je T’Aime” from Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. However there were only 1,700 people in the survey! read the story on the BBC here.
“Ev’rybody’s talkin’ ’bout Minister, Sinister, Banisters and Canisters, Bishops, Fishops, Rabbis, and Pop Eyes, Bye bye, Bye byes” October 9, 2010
Yet another smorgasbord of random stuff today, starting with a link to a rather spiffing website; Animated Albums. Most of them are quite subtle and many are very funny, especially a few of the Morrissey ones. I’d love to know what you think of them.
The NME has a report that Slash is moving into making horror movies. The former Guns ‘n’ Roses and Velvet Revolver Axe Hero is moving into Axeman territory. He says he wants to make horror movies as scary and thrilling as those of the 70s and 80s. I guess working with Axl Rose must have been like being in a horror movie at times. I hope he succeeds. Read the story here.
Slash has tea with Ozzy, that's not very rock n roll is it? But wait, who's that in the maids outfit? It's certainly not Sharon is it!
As part of the celebrations for what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday his widow Yoko Ono has done a number of things to mark the occasion. Firstly courting controversy among some Beatles purists by allowing Lady Gaga to pose next to Lennon’s white piano. She also held two concerts in LA billed as We Are Plastic Ono Band and including appearances by the following; Perry Farrell off of Jane’s Addiction, Japanese electronic auteur Cornelius, Yuka Honda of Cibo Matto, Tune-Yards, RZA off of the Wu-Tang Clan, Iggy Pop, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, Sean Lennon, Carrie Fisher, Joseph Gordon-Levitt,Vincent Gallo and of course Lady Gaga. Yoko was joined by Gaga for a number of songs, including a version of Lennon’s “Give Peace A Chance”. Read the NME report here
Lady Gaga decided to try microphone swallowing before she committed to sword swallowing
Gaga sings Lennon.........what a cheek (or two!)
“They told us tales, they told us lies, don’t they know they shouldn’t have told us at all” April 3, 2009
Hello again everyone how are well all then? I hope that you’re all ok because I have some very sad, bad, bleak news to impart. You really should be sitting down when you read this. Trust me it is the worst music news I’ve had to deliver since I started blogging, I know that’s only six weeks ago but this is really dreadful. So are you sitting comfortably? This is a bit like ‘Watch With Mother’ now isn’t it? Right I’ve been putting it off for long enough, now I have to tell you, stay in your seats. “Agadoo” by Black Lace is going to be reissued soon. See I told you it was awful news. It will be a 2009 remix and the video has been directed by Kevin Kennedy who used to play Curly Watts in Coronation Street, he also appears in it. He must need the money because this is a crime against music. The song was originally released in 1984 and made it to number 2 in the UK charts, held off the top spot by George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”. Click here to see just how bad it is, but be warned click at your own peril!
They should be arrested for those haircuts alone never mind that bloody song!
I have some other news too, not as bad as the first piece though. Apparently Ozzy Osbourne has had a premonition of his death. This is the quoted comment from Ozzy, “Some bird with some very rare virus is going to fly over my head. It’s going to shit on me and I’m going to melt on the floor” I presume he means a bird of the feathered variety. Can we also assume that it has nothing to do with drumming up publicity for the new series of ‘The Osbournes’ which will be called “The Osbournes Reloaded”. Reviews so far have completely panned it. perhaps he could do a deal with Satan and get that bird to shit on Black Lace instead?
Will it be the lesser spotted Sharon Bird that shits on Ozzy's head?
Have you been following the coverage of the G20 summit? There is actually a music link here too, not the fact that Bob Geldof was pontificating as usual either. the Queen usually gives visiting world leaders and dignitaries a signed framed photograph of her and Prince Phillip, she receives a wide range of gifts in return. This week she received a video iPod from the Obama’s. It was preloaded with photos of the Queen’s state visits to the US in 1957 and 2007, some video and audio of Barack Obama’s speeches including the inauguration and 40 great show tunes. The Queen loves musicals apparently and the gift also came with a rare songbook which was signed by Rodgers off of Rodgers and Hammerstein.
And finally on the news front the two remaining Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will be taking part in a live public webcast later today, April 3rd (12 noon EST). The pair will be helping promote the David Lynch Foundation’s initiative to teach at least one million ‘at-risk’ youths to meditate. perhaps they’re seeking “Instant Karma” The pair along with many other rock luminaries have been practising Transcendental meditation for years. To take part in the conference visit davidlynchfoundation.org Later this evening McCartney and Starr will be joined by a cast of many at new York’s Radio City for a benefit concert to raise money for the David Lynch Foundation. Performers include Eddie Vedder (off of Pearl Jam), Moby, Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper, Paul Horn, Bettye La Vette, Mike Love (off of the Beach Boys) and Jim James (off of My Morning Jacket).
David is ready to release his chicken over Ozzy's head
Have any of you seen the BBC documentary ‘The Queens Of British Pop’? I saw part 1 this week and it was rather good. It featured Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Suzi Quatro, Siouxse Sioux and the mighty Kate Bush. Click here for the link. yes I know Suzi is American but she did have her biggest success in the UK. As for Kate well on this day in 1979 she made her live debut at the Liverpool Empire. Kate is also the number one search term used which arrived at this very blog. More than 700 searches for Kate have found their way here. The next two are Pink Floyd with over 600 and Lily Allen with nearly 200 plus another 10 for Lily Allen Naked!
Kate has just released a Falcon towards Ozzy, perhaps it would have been easier to unleash the Hounds Of Love!
Here comes another blatantly shameless plug for my son Luke’s band Steal The Smile. They are playing at the Face Bar in Reading this evening so go and check them out. If you can’t make it get yourself over to their MySpace page by clicking here and let me know what you think of them.
I’ll end todays post with a couple of ‘onthisdays’ and the birthdays will return another time! Firstly on this day in 1975 Steve Miller was charged with setting fire to the clothes of a friend, Benita Diorio. Presumably not a close friend or perhaps he had the hots for her! Police arrived at Miller’s house to find Benita trying to put out the flames. Miller began fighting with some of the policemen and was eventually charged with resisting arrest.
Steve plays on despite the fact that his friend's wardrobe is on fire behind him
And finally on this day in 1993 the Bluebells were at number one in the UK with “Young At Heart” The song had originally been released some ten years earlier. But this time around it was the beneficiary of a Volkswagen TV advertising campaign. Here’s one for you fact fans too, the song was co written by Siobhan Fahey off of Shakespears Sister and Bananarama!
The Bluebells contemplate drowning themselves after hearing that Agadoo is about to be released again!
“Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be” March 28, 2009
Hello there dear readers how the devil are you on this fine Saturday (March 28th)? probably better than Britney I should wager. I have had the feeling for some time that she is being pushed back into centre stage way too early. I really don’t believe she is well yet and this clip suggest that I may be right. She was filmed at a gig on March 24th while singing “Do Something” she skips across the stage and shouts ‘Merry Christmas’ to the audience. Who is actually looking after her welfare is what I’d like to know? It seems to me that too many people will keep milking their Britney cash cow until she can’t be milked anymore. Click here to get to the clip from the NME site. But I would also be interested to know what you think so feel free to comment.
Just one birthday to cover today, it’s the big 40 for Cheryl James. Who is she? Well she is Salt off of Salt-N-Pepa. Pepa was Sandy Denton and the pair were joined in the band by Deidra ‘Dee Dee’ Roper also known as DJ Spinderella. Their first big chart hit was with “Push It” in 1987 which reached number 19 in the US and number 2 in the UK. The song was originally a b-side and started to gain a lot of radio airplay after it was remixed by San Francisco DJ Cameron Paul. The song has been covered and sampled by many other acts, indeed Girls Aloud played the song live on their 2008 tour. “Let’s Talk About Sex” also reached number 2 in the UK, sadly they never made number 1 in either the UK or the US but did reach the summit in other countries including the Netherlands and Germany. They also had a UK number 3 hit when they joined EnVogue for “Whatta Man”. But here they are with my fave “Let’s Talk About Sex”
The girls did indeed "Push It" so much so that they ripped their jeans
On this day in 1992 more than $100,000 worth of damage was caused at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, California after Ozzy Osbourne invited the first two rows of the audience up on stage with him. Several others feeling somewhat left out also took up the offer and as the numbers grew the band were forced to leave the stage. Here is Ozzy with a classic solo single “Perry Mason”
After a starter of bat Ozzy enjoyed a main course of '4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie'
On this day in 2001 The artist formerly known as Sean Combs, Sean Puffy Combs, Sean John, Puffy, Puff and Puff Daddy amongst others told MTV that he now wanted to be known as P.Diddy. Then in 2005 he changed his stage name agin, this time to Diddy. Did he? Yes he Diddy! How soon before he joins Ken Dodd’s Diddy Men? Here is Mr Diddy whatever with “I’ll Be Missing You” which bizarrely became the theme for the period of Princess Diana’s mourning. I thought that was a remarkably strange outpouring of grief for the UK, what happened?
Diddy Daddy or whatever he calls himself had sat in the chair for so long it had begun to take him over
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 