With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

The Mayhem Monthly Top 20 Song Chart – May 2022 June 9, 2022


Here comes the third monthly Mayhem Top 20 Song Chart. This month’s number one is from a band that has featured on this site quite a few times and will continue to do so if they keep up the superb quality of their great music and live shows. They scraped into the artist chart at number 20 back in March. But now they follow Prairie Brigade and the Hazy Janes to hit the top spot in the song chart. Who am I talking about? A fabulous York band called Vaquelin with their current single “Roads Leading Nowhere”. They managed to hold off competition from Harry Styles who sits at number 2. There are a lot of oldies in this month’s chart, including Bill Withers, Love, Steely Dan, the O’Jays, the Clash, Mike and the Mechanics, Traffic, and the Sex Pistols. T.Rex take “Metal Guru into the top 20 for the second time in three months, it hit number 20 in March and sits at number 18 for May. David Bowie makes it three entries in a row and Roxy Music appear for their second month in a row. The oldest release on the list is “Alone Again Or”, a 1968 UK hit from Love at number 8. A really eerie cover of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” by M Ward hits number 6 and my favourite Professor Elemental song, “I Love Libraries” gets to number seven. There are also appearances from Leeds band Astoria at a very creditable number 4, the Institutes, Let’s Eat Grandma, and Kendrick Lamar. Eight artists featured in the Mayhem Top 20 Artist chart for May also feature on this list. We would love to hear your thoughts on the Mayhem Song Top 20 Chart as we hope to make it a regular feature. Check out the complete list below.

1 Roads Leading Nowhere – Vaquelin
2 Music For A Sushi Restaurant – Harry Styles
3 Goodbye Mr. Blue – Father John Misty
4 (Don’t) Turn Around – Astoria
5 Use Me (Live) – Bill Withers
6 Let’s Dance – M Ward
7 I Love Libraries – Professor Elemental
8 Alone Again Or – Love
9 Haitian Divorce – Steely Dan
10 All That You’ll Ever Know – The Institutes
11 The Living Years – Mike and the Mechanics
12 London Calling – The Clash
13 Pyjamarama – Roxy Music
14 I Dig Your Act – O’Jays
15 What In The World – David Bowie
16 United In Grief – Kendrick Lamar
17 Happy New Year – Let’s Eat Grandma
18 Metal Guru – T Rex
19 Freedom Rider – Traffic
20 Anarchy In The UK – Sex Pistols

If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

EMail

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.

 

Play It Again Mayhem – “Pyjamarama” – Roxy Music June 11, 2020


This is the third in an occasional series of songs that I don’t believe ever got the airplay they deserved, or at least not much airplay since the original release. The previous two were “Everybody Was Rockin‘” by the late great Betty Wright and “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” by Elton John. I hope that eventually there will be an accompanying playlist for this series!

Number three in the Play It Again Mayhem series is Roxy Music’s 1973 single “Pyjamarama” which reached number ten in the UK singles chart and stayed in the charts for twelve weeks. It was released between the first album ‘Roxy Music’ and the second album ‘For Your Pleasure’ but it featured on neither of them. It was only the band’s second single coming out around eight months after breakthrough hit “Virginia Plain”, which also never featured on a Roxy Music studio album (apart from some later pressings of the record). The band line up was largely the classic Roxy line up and still included Brian Eno. “Pyjamarama” was written by Bryan Ferry and was supposedly the first Roxy song that he wrote on the guitar. Instrumentally Phil Manzanera’s guitar sound is impeccable and I love Paul Thompson’s drum sound too. This is my favourite Roxy Music single by a long way! I also think it is one of the best one-word song titles ever. I would love to hear your thoughts on the track. Lyrics are copied below in case you want to sing along! There is also a video of a live version included which feels slowed down and quirky.

“Pyjamarama” – Lyrics (Bryan Ferry)

Couldn’t sleep a wink last night
Oh how I’d love to hold you tight
They say you have a secret life
Made sacrifice your key to paradise
Never mind, take the world by storm
Just boogaloo a rhapsody divine
Take a sweet girl just like you
How nice if only we could bill and coo

I may seem a fool to you for ev’rything
I say or think or do
How could I apologise for all those lies
The world may keep us far apart but up in heaven, angel
You can have my heart
Diamonds may be your best friend
But like laughter after tears
I’ll follow you to the end

If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;

Facebook

Twitter

EMail

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.

 

“Don’t want to know about one-night-stands” August 12, 2017


How are Roxy Music connected to Krautrock? Well the two scantily clad ladies on the cover of Roxy’s 1974 album ‘Country Life’ are the cousin and then girlfriend of Michael Karoli off of Krautrock pioneers Can. Their names are Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald respectively

The album cover was far too steamy for retailers in the US, Spain and the Netherlands. They either covered up the expanse of flesh or changed the cover.

 

“How nice if only we could bill and coo” February 6, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 8:21 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

byron-ferrari

Before Roxy Music Bryan Ferry once took an audition to join classic UK band King Crimson. This was just after the late, great Greg Lake left to form Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I am not sure how the audition went but given Byron Ferrari’s (as the NME used to refer to him) later success with Roxy Music I assume that he wasn’t offered the job. The gig was given to Gordon Haskell.

greglake_gettyimages_88896513

 

“Round the squares, huddled in storms, some laughing, some just shapeless forms” – Advent day 8 December 8, 2013


advent-day-8_2075493aIt’s the 8th December already. Is time moving faster at the moment? Is there something amiss within the space-time continuum? On top of that can you believe that it is 23 years to the day that John Lennon was gunned down in New York? Which brings me to the first song choice in todays number themed With Just A Hint Of Mayhem Advent post. I bring you a classic Beatles track, “Eight Days A Week”.

cartoon_beatle_santasThe song was I believe a first for rock music in that it began with a fade-in intro. It was taken from 1964’s Beatles For Sale’ album. Whilst it was never released as a single in the UK it was in the USA where it went to number one in 1965. It also hit the top spot in Canada and the Netherlands. Back in the 60s there was also an Extended Play (EP) chart and the ‘Beatles For Sale’ EP including “Eight Days A Week” went to number one on that chart in the UK in 1965. It wasn’t a popular song among the Beatles themselves. John Lennon apparently once called it lousy. The band never played it live, although Paul McCartney has played it on his ‘Out There’ tour earlier this year. It has been subject to many cover versions including; Procol Harum, Libertines, Joan Jett, the Supremes, the Runaways and Alma Cogan.

The+Byrds+The500ByrdsThe second song for today is another 60s smash hit. “Eight Miles High” by the Byrds. It was taken from their 1966 album ‘Fifth Dimension’ which was their third long player and was written by Gene Clark and Roger McGuinn. It went to number 14 in the USA and number 24 in the UK in 1966. Some American radio stations refused to play the song because they claimed it was laden with drug references. The band strongly denied that at the time but later suggested that there was some truth in the story. A drug that could get you eight miles high? Wow that might be worth a shot! Don McLean’s classic track “American Pie” refers to the Byrds song in its lyrics with the following line; “The Birds  flew off with a fall-out shelter/Eight miles high and falling fast”. It has also been covered by a number of acts including; Roxy Music, Husker Du, Ride, Robyn Hitchcock and Golden Earring. The latter recorded a 19 minute version of the song.

 

Bryan Ferry – York Barbican, Thursday 14th November 2013 November 15, 2013


m4Q25UnKTqm9lzFThbIJtAAFor the second time in my gig going life I have seen Bryan Ferry or Byron Ferrari as the NME once dubbed him. The first time I saw him he was fronting Roxy Music in about 1977 or 1978. He was good then and after tonight I can honestly say he has got even better. He owned the stage with his lounge lizard-like persona, a true consummate performer.

BryanFerry_2013_VBerdini_2_1383827066_crop_550x827The Bryan Ferry Orchestra opened proceedings with some excellent jazz readings of some of both Roxy and Ferry’s greatest songs including the not often heard “Bogus Man” and a later Roxy classic “Avalon”. The orchestra also made up the large part of his band. When the main man himself appeared they were augmented by an amazing guitarist, a very talented drummer and two incredibly entertaining backing singers.

safe_image.phpBryanFerry_2013_VBerdini_10_1383827093_crop_550x367Bryan had paced the show very well. Some early highlights for both myself and the delectable Catwoman were “Don’t Stop The Dance”, “On The Radio”, Bob Dylan’sKnocking On Heaven’s Door” and “Carrickfergus”. The Charlie Parker tribute was also brilliant as was the images on the set of overhanging screens. There were even outings for “Sign Of The Times” from the ‘Bride Stripped Bare‘ album and the Platters cover “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”.

maxresdefaultAfter an interval, yes an interval; it must be for those of us of a certain age the Bryan Ferry Orchestra kicked off the second half of the show. Mr Ferry had changed into a really slick suit and oh boy did he start to kick ass. He really built the show to a fine crescendo with John Lennon’sJealous Guy” (there really isn’t much live whistling any more is there?), “Street Life”, “Love Is The Drug“, “Let’s Stick Together” “Hold On I’m Coming” and “Shame, Shame, Shame before closing with a storming version of early Roxy Music classic taken from the ‘For Your Pleasure’ album, “Editions Of You”.

p01g9vltIn all perhaps one of the finest shows I have seen and I have seen plenty! The UK tour is almost over but if you’re going to see him play in Birmingham next Tuesday you’re going to have a blast! By the way none of the videos in this post were filmed by me an nor were any of the pictures mine.

p01g9vql

 

“She’s the sweetest queen I’ve ever seen” October 7, 2013


kariann

Many of you will recognise the two iconic 70s album covers pictured below. First Roxy Music‘s eponymously titled first album from 1972 and ‘The Hoople‘ from 1974 by Mott The Hoople. However did you know that the model on the cover of both albums is the same person? It is Kari-Ann Muller and she has yet another music link in that she went on to marry Mick Jagger‘s brother Chris.

roxy1

The_Hoople_(Mott_the_Hoople_album_-_cover_art)

In a strange twist of fate the model on another Roxy Music cover was Jerry Hall. She met Bryan Ferry at the photo shoot and began a relationship with him and then ultimately left him for Mick Jagger. So it is clear I think that the Jagger boys certainly like Roxy Music album covers! Incidentally Keri-Ann was paid just 20 pounds for the Roxy cover shoot. She also appeared in a James Bond film and is now a Yoga Teacher.

 

“Howling in shadows living in a lunar spell” December 14, 2010


Well there really isn’t a great deal to say about this fantastic album cover animation other than it is truly brilliant. It’s called Battle Of The Bands and it truly is a fight to the death!

If I have noted it correctly it contains album covers from all the following artists, if you see any I have missed just let me know!

Foreigner, Yazoo, Billy Joel, Shaun Cassidy, Violent Femmes, Rick James, Eminem, Joe Jackson, Beastie Boys, 50 Cent, Roxy Music, King Crimson, Scorpions, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Duran Duran, Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Rush, Boston, AC/ DC, Def Leppard, Replacements, Jane’s Addiction, Love And Rockets, Depeche Mode, Ozzy Osbourne, Weezer, B 52s, Dead Kennedys, Van Halen, Dio, Iron Maiden, Night Ranger, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, OMD, Nirvana, Asia, David Lee Roth, Black Flag, Cars, Michael Jackson, Beatles, Journey, Green Day, Hermans Hermits, Madness, Phil Collins, Lou Reed, Madonna, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, Lionel Richie, Devo, Jimi Hendrix, Quiet Riot and Metallica.

My favourites are Michael Jackson and Roxy Music, what are your favourites? Can you find the hidden Ozzy track?

 

“Though I know I’ll never lose affection for people and things that went before” December 8, 2010


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.