Sunday, 26 August 2012

My Top Ten Alice... Songs



I was planning a Top Ten Alice In Wonderland Songs, but there were so many good tracks, I had to split them into two lists. Today then, Songs With Alice In The Title (not all of them the Wonderland girl, but most of them touched by her in one way or another). Next post... Wonderland (and its inhabitants).


10. Cocteau Twins - Alice

I should be a bigger Cocteau Twins fan than I am. They made some beautiful music in their time.

9. Smokie - Living Next Door To Alice

This might have made it higher up the chart, were it not for the 1995 remake featuring Roy 'Chubbie' Brown. Serious points deducted for that.

8. Sleeper - Alice In Vain

Alice in the playground
She ain’t got a boyfriend
Oh oh that’s a pity
She’s not even pretty
Alice hears them whisper
They smile when they see her
Oh, oh she’ll discover
Girls don’t hurt each other


7. The Sisters of Mercy - Alice

Alice in her party dress
She thanks you kindly
So serene
She needs you like she needs her tranqs


Sounding like a goth Bowie on this song, the mighty Andrew Eldritch. Where is he now? Still in the go, apparently. But with much shorter hair.

6. Alice Cooper - Hard Hearted Alice

Of course, Alice Cooper has made far better records, both as a band and as a solo artist. But this is the only one I could find with Alice in the title, so check it out. It's the mellow side of Coops... surprisingly sweet.

5. Ben Folds Five - Alice Childress

After many years as a solo artist, Ben has reformed the Ben Folds Five (all three of them) for a tour later this year. Not sure I can afford tickets, but it'd be great to see the band back together playing songs like this again.

4. Grinderman - Electric Alice

Don't the stars look good tonight
Thought Electric Alice
In the pale moonlight


From Nick Cave... to Stevie Nicks...

3. Stevie Nicks - Alice


Like Alice through the Looking Glass...
She used to know who she was


2. Terrorvision - Alice, What's The Matter?

Keighley's finest. Not that there's a whole lot of competition for that title.

1. Tom Waits - Alice


Written with Kathleen Brennan, Waits' dreamy song is dedicated to Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.



Back soon with my 'In Wonderland' Top Ten... meanwhile, which song with Alice in the title sends you to Wonderland?


12 comments:

  1. No Roy "Chubby" Brown? There must be some mistake?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alice, I Want You Just For Me would have been very high up on my list. Full Force get busy one time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I'd forgotten that particular slice of 80s dancefloor horribleness until you reminded me. ;-)

      Delete
  3. Alice the Camel obviously features in a Guiders list but I hunted around because I couldnt believe an Australian hasn't done 'a town called Alice' and bumped into Paul Weller and Johnny Marr at Coachella 2009 doing a town called malice, I can't get the link to paste in here from iPad but seriously recommend you do a search on YouTube.its a brilliant live performance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I'll check that out.

      Delete
    2. I happened to fire up 'old bertha' tonight so here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVm0Eq40C68

      Delete
    3. Wow - old grumpy guts almost looks to be enjoying himself there!

      Delete
  4. Hey Alice by Rachel Macwhirter. It's like the actual Alice in Wonderland story, but in music form.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here Comes the Mad Hatter, the Stranglers

    ReplyDelete