Wednesday 24 July 2013

My Top Ten Bag Songs


What have I got in my bag today...?


10. Robert Palmer - Trick Bag

Forgotten tune from the Riptide album - not listened to this in years. Great stuff.

9. Dean Friedman - Shopping Bag Ladies

See, I'm not going to apologise for thinking that Dean Friedman is an under-appreciated genius. And his voice is still so good, even on the tiny stages he plays thirty years after his peak.

8. Mystery Jets - Little Bag of Hair

 There's a story in this song, and it's heartbreaking.

7. Malcolm Middleton - Blue Plastic Bags
The whole world's going home with blue plastic bags,
6 bottles of Stella, Jacobs's Creek and twenty fags

And you know there is no shame
'Cus we're are all doing the same, 

Staying in is the new going out,
No one's even coming round,
We'll have toy fights in the hall...
Who needs visitors?

6. Rod Stewart - Handbags & Gladrags

Written by Manfred Mann's Mike D'Abo, originally recorded by Chris Farlowe, used as the theme tune of The Office, slaughtered by Kelly Jones... but it's Rod's version I favour. Whatever else you might think of Rod, you can't deny that voice. 

5. James Brown - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

I was lucky enough to see James Brown live back in the late 90s. I'm pretty sure he did this... once he eventually arrived on stage. Longest build up to an entrance ever, each member of the band got their own intro song before The Godfather finally appeared. Worth the wait though.

4. George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag

You ever listen to K-Billy's Super Sounds of the Seventies?

3. Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

I had high hopes for Wheatus after this song, a cracking self-pitying loser-rock single. They followed it up with - of all things - an Erasure cover... then promptly disappeared off the face of the earth.

Still, we'll always have dirtbag.

2. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - My Bag
Hey I was walking my bag
Through a 20 story non stop snow storm
Pirelli calender girls wrestling in body lotion
My head's swimming with poetry and prose
Excuse me one moment whilst I powder my nose...
No prizes for guessing what was in Lloyd's bag on the final Commotions album.

1. Pixies - Bag Boy

A new entry, in at Number One with a silver bullet. First new Pixies material in some time (minus Kim, sadly) and it's a classic. Download it free from their website.
Cover your breath... polish your teeth.


I was surprised how many great bag songs there were in my collection - could easily have gone another ten. But I thought I'd leave some room for you guys... what's in your bag?

7 comments:

  1. Heard that on the radio this morning, first time in years... don't think I like it more than any of the tracks here though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've got nothing in my collection beyond what you have already listed. Love Little Green Bag and Handbags and Gladrags, great tracks.

    I notice that Lloyd Cole has been getting a good run on here...I need to investigate further, some friends of mine rave about "Rattlesnakes". Do you recommend that as an introduction to Cole?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, Rattlesnakes is probably his best album, though I'd recommend "The Collection" as a good introduction.

      Delete
  3. Someone on twitter just reminded me of Is It Really So Strange by The Smiths in which Morrissey leaves his bag at Newport Pagnal. Class!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The George Baker Selection – "Little Green Bag".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Were you choosing Door #4, or have you just dispensed with reading the list altogether?

      (I wouldn't blame you if it's the latter.)

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...