There are indeed many great bands with 4 in their name... but there's only one Four Tops. My sister had a Four Tops greatest hits in her record collection when I was growing up and I played the grooves out of it. (I'm also thankful to her for having a similar Supremes compilation.)
As Billy put it...
Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Are here to make everything right that's wrong
Holland and Holland and Lamont Dozier too
Are here to make it all okay with you
Other band suggestions this week, starting with Rigid Digit...
The Fourmost - Hello Little Girl
Mega City Four - Who Cares?
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night
4 Non Blondes - What's Up?
4 Skins - Chaos
Meanwhile, Charity Chic offered...
Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
Four Brothers - Rugare
And Swiss Adam gave us...
Four Tet - Two Thousand & Seventeen
(I think that was the winner 2013 posts ago. I may be wrong.)
And then there was...
The Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law
Unit 4 Plus 2 - Concrete & Clay
(Possibly a Tom Robinson Rule breaker, possibly should have been here two weeks ago.)
The 4 of Us - Mary
The Four Freshmen - Shangri-La
The Choice Four - Come Down To Earth
The What Four - I'm Going To Destroy That Boy
The Fantastic Four - I Don't Wanna Live With You
The Ten Fours - All Night Boogie
Vega 4 - Life Is Beautiful
Plus a bunch more which I don't have the energy to type because I want to get onto the songs.
Charity Chic opened the bidding this week...
I'm getting in Four Horsemen by The Clash before Swiss Adam does.
Damn you CC, said Swiss Adam. That was my number one Four song.
Then CC played another obvious card...
A track that never fails to make me want to listen to this...
My heart beats faster whenever I hear that intro.
Not to be beaten, Swiss Adam then pulled out the following...
Pete Wylie - Four Eleven Forty Four (probably falls foul of the ruling)
It does. Although it has featured here previously, before such rules were devised.
Oh yes, and some deranged rockabilly...
That's great.
Next came Lynchie...
Which made me think of this cover...
And then came Martin, who insists on doing that thing I had to train The Swede not to do, listing artist & title the wrong way round. It does make copy and paste so much harder. Grumble, mutter.
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Four Wheel Drive (cue Smashie and Nicey)
Let's rock!
Points for that.
Cilla Black - Work Is A Four-Letter Word (and covered by The Smiths! A version that ought to be in with a shout, if only because covering Cilla at Moz's insistence so irked Johnny...)
I'm with Johnny on that one. I loved their cover of Golden Lights by Twinkle, but this one never really worked for me.
However, because George suggested it too...
Speaking of George...
Does 2 by 4 by The Fall fail due to the Tom Robinson Rule?
Of course it does.
Time for John Medd, who helpfully provided me with a link, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to find this one...
Very nice, thank you, John.
In complete contrast, Rigid Digit offers...
A pre-prepared list? I used to do that. Not any more. Do you ever get the feeling other people are taking this series more seriously than I am?
Over to Jim in Dubai, who started with a correction from last week...
Didn't realise Georges 5 by Les Georges Leningrad was not listed on Youtube, it's definitely a 5, I have attached a link below.
Listen to it until the male voice comes in wailing Georges 5, real strange song !!
Well, I won't sleep tonight, that's for sure.
Anyway here are my 4's songs this week.
Which obviously led me to these...
Phew. Back to Jim's suggestions...
BMX Bandits - Figure 4
Couldn't find that one anywhere, Jim. Shame, because I like the BMX Bandits.
As we often do at this point in proceedings, we fly from Dubai to Canada. Here's Douglas...
To provide (once again) a Canadian connection to the theme, there is...
And if you like the title but (strange to consider!) are put off by the whine in lead singer Raine Maida's voice (it generally goes over pretty well here in Canada, but still)...
You know what, Douglas, I didn't mind it at all. Though there was maybe a bit of Chad Kroeger in there. (Should I duck now/)
...then you may be drawn more to Cherry Ghost's very different song "4 a.m."
Bit more local to me, though arguably his voice is an acquired taste too.
Oh, yes, and then there is...
Radiohead - 4 Minute Warning
Thank you, Douglas. The way things are going, we'll be lucky if we get 4 minutes.
Oh look, Charity Chic's back... and he's been digging deep.
What are we doing now? Songs that haven't even been released yet? Are you trying to break me?
Remember Rigid Digit's pre-prepared list? Here it is...
You got a lot of nerve to suggest that one, RD.
Beady Eye? Really? Has it come to this?
All good. Apart from Beady Eye, obviously.
Deep breath, everybody. The Swede's arrived... and it looks like he's been at this all day.
Evening all!
Morning, Swede.
Sonna • Sybarite • Lilienthal - Four Way Street
By now, I just let The Swede make up whatever he wants.
By the way, when I put that into youtube, it took me to this...
Seriously. Try it if you don't believe me.
Now I know where the Captain Pugwash theme tune came from.
Big Blood - For Four Beating Lungs
Nope. That just led me to lots of internet sites that told me how ill I am.
Strictly speaking, that's a little more than 4.
Well, you have absolutely no common sense, yes I know that's your charm...
Serious contender.
Always makes me think of this...
“You’re going on after Crispy Ambulance!”
For years, I thought that was a band Nigel Blackwell had made up.
See above, Ray Price.
Yes, you're not allowed it for the next three weeks.
(That might not be the actual track on the link above, but it was the closest I could get.)
Asa Irons & Swaan Miller - A Four Fold Offering
Nope. But I did find this, which is rather nice.
Crispy Ambulance & Tangerine Dream in the same blog post? Mojo, I'd like a job, please.
That's more like it. The excellent Mr. Kozelek.
Universal Being - Fourth Ray
No, that just led me to loads of youtube influencers, trying to sell me things to improve my complexion.
Wow! Some terrific names popping up this week. Many good 4th of July songs on this list too. I'll add two more...
The Beach Boys - 4th of July (a stunning Dennis Wilson composition that was unreleased until 1993.)
You do wonder how tracks like that end up in a cupboard for so long.
X - 4th of July
I keep meaning to check out more X.
And a couple of more...
The New Pornographers - 3 or 4 (maybe next week?)
Neither, under the Tom Robinson Rule.
Grandaddy - Jed the 4th
Excellent.
The Beach Boys - 4th of July (a stunning Dennis Wilson composition that was unreleased until 1993.)
You do wonder how tracks like that end up in a cupboard for so long.
X - 4th of July
I keep meaning to check out more X.
And a couple of more...
The New Pornographers - 3 or 4 (maybe next week?)
Neither, under the Tom Robinson Rule.
Grandaddy - Jed the 4th
Excellent.
Who am I to deny my champion Snapshot solver? That's one of the less annoying Culture Club songs (strangely, one you never hear anymore either).
Finally this week, it's Alyson - who still feels the need to apologise for her record collection.
As ever my library is from an alternate planet to most of the others here, so here goes...
Never apologise for your record collection... unless it's full of U2 and... erm... Beady Eye.
My favourite Take That member in his post TT incarnation -
Mark Owen - Four Minute Warning
I always thought Mark Owen seemed like the nicest one in Take That.
Brian Hyland - Four Little Heels (a not-so-golden oldie)
The jury's out on that one.
And as is my habit, I seem to have one that probably won't qualify as an EP, but still worth a mention.
Deacon Blue - Four Bacharach and David Songs
That, on the other hand, while unable to qualify, is still pure class.
Deacon Blue - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
OK, time to raid the archive... and it's worth pointing out that there's a heckuva lot of bad language in my record collection. For example...
Squeeze - Love's A Four Letter Word
Kim Wilde - Four Letter Word
Lukas Nelson - Four Letter Word
Echobelly - Four Letter Word
And then there's all this lot...
Drive-By Truckers - The Fourth Night of My Drinking
Whale ft. Bus 75 - Four Big Speakers
Cream - Four Until Late
Smog - Four Hearts In A Can
Johnny Cash - A Ceiling, Four Walls & A Floor
Low - Four Score
Counting Crows - Four Days
Counting Crows - 4 White Stallions
Loudon Wainwright III - Four Mirrors
Loudon Wainwright III - Four Is A Magic Number
Malcolm Middleton - Four Cigarettes
Starsailor - Four To The Floor
The Pogues - Four O'Clock In The Morning
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Four Night Rider
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Four Ages Pt. 2
Randy Newman - Four Eyes
Rhett Miller - Four Eyed Girl
Cute Is What We Aim For - The Fourth Drink Instinct
Margo Price - Four Years of Chances
Tom Waits - Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen)
Twisted Sister - Four Barrel Heart Of Love
Admiral Fallow - Four Bulbs
Dr. Hook - Four Years Older Than Me
Jeffrey Lewis - Back When I Was 4
Gilbert O'Sullivan - Number 4
De La Soul - 4 More
Ride - OX4
Young Knives - Fit 4 U
The Veronica - 4Ever
The Broken Family Band - Dancing On The 4th Floor
Skint & Demoralised - Boro Kitchen 4am
Phew. (Keep telling yourself, Rol, there's only three or four more weeks to go.)
However, I'm afraid I'm going to be very predictable this week. (Although not so predictable that anybody guessed the song.)
Because, as Brian pointed out earlier, there are many fine songs about the 4th of July. As well as those mentioned above, there's also...
Tom Rapp - Fourth Day of July
Sufjan Stevens - Fourth of July
Dave Alvin - Fourth of July
And this, which Martin picked out, and it was definitely on my shortlist because it is glorious, and would have won most other weeks. (Don't give up though, Aimee, there's still chance for you to take the top spot.)
Finally this week, it's Alyson - who still feels the need to apologise for her record collection.
As ever my library is from an alternate planet to most of the others here, so here goes...
Never apologise for your record collection... unless it's full of U2 and... erm... Beady Eye.
My favourite Take That member in his post TT incarnation -
Mark Owen - Four Minute Warning
I always thought Mark Owen seemed like the nicest one in Take That.
Brian Hyland - Four Little Heels (a not-so-golden oldie)
The jury's out on that one.
And as is my habit, I seem to have one that probably won't qualify as an EP, but still worth a mention.
Deacon Blue - Four Bacharach and David Songs
That, on the other hand, while unable to qualify, is still pure class.
Deacon Blue - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
OK, time to raid the archive... and it's worth pointing out that there's a heckuva lot of bad language in my record collection. For example...
Squeeze - Love's A Four Letter Word
Kim Wilde - Four Letter Word
Lukas Nelson - Four Letter Word
Echobelly - Four Letter Word
And then there's all this lot...
Drive-By Truckers - The Fourth Night of My Drinking
Whale ft. Bus 75 - Four Big Speakers
Cream - Four Until Late
Smog - Four Hearts In A Can
Johnny Cash - A Ceiling, Four Walls & A Floor
Low - Four Score
Counting Crows - Four Days
Counting Crows - 4 White Stallions
Loudon Wainwright III - Four Mirrors
Loudon Wainwright III - Four Is A Magic Number
Malcolm Middleton - Four Cigarettes
Starsailor - Four To The Floor
The Pogues - Four O'Clock In The Morning
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Four Night Rider
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Four Ages Pt. 2
Randy Newman - Four Eyes
Rhett Miller - Four Eyed Girl
Cute Is What We Aim For - The Fourth Drink Instinct
Margo Price - Four Years of Chances
Tom Waits - Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen)
Twisted Sister - Four Barrel Heart Of Love
Admiral Fallow - Four Bulbs
Dr. Hook - Four Years Older Than Me
Jeffrey Lewis - Back When I Was 4
Gilbert O'Sullivan - Number 4
De La Soul - 4 More
Ride - OX4
Young Knives - Fit 4 U
The Veronica - 4Ever
The Broken Family Band - Dancing On The 4th Floor
Skint & Demoralised - Boro Kitchen 4am
Phew. (Keep telling yourself, Rol, there's only three or four more weeks to go.)
However, I'm afraid I'm going to be very predictable this week. (Although not so predictable that anybody guessed the song.)
Because, as Brian pointed out earlier, there are many fine songs about the 4th of July. As well as those mentioned above, there's also...
Tom Rapp - Fourth Day of July
Sufjan Stevens - Fourth of July
Dave Alvin - Fourth of July
And this, which Martin picked out, and it was definitely on my shortlist because it is glorious, and would have won most other weeks. (Don't give up though, Aimee, there's still chance for you to take the top spot.)
4th of July by Aimee Mann
I remember Elvis Costello praising that, way back when, particularly for lyrics such as these...
I remember Elvis Costello praising that, way back when, particularly for lyrics such as these...
Today's the fourth of July
Another June has gone by
And when they light up our town, I just think
What a waste of gunpowder and sky
However, as I said: predictable.
From his debut album, and quite different from the kind of music that would make him famous, but still deeply affecting, and with some truly glorious imagery.
Somewhere in that ancient mystic trinity, you'll get three... and that's next week's magic number.
Your suggestions welcome as always.
Bands Fun Boy Three or the Three Johns
ReplyDeleteSongs
Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray - Patsy Cline
Three Steps to Heaven - Eddie Cochran or Showaddywaddy
Three Times a Lady - The Commodores
I like how you teased De La Soul in your closing line, Rol, but that's just called "The Magic Number", isn't it, so I can't pitch that one.
ReplyDeleteInstead, I'll go with two songs that have to be in with as good a shout as De La Soul would have been if eligible:
Ian Dury and The Blockheads - Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3
The Wedding Present - Three
And I even got artist and song title round the cut'n'paste-able way :)
I'd go for The Selecter and Three Minute Hero. Also, if you'll let it count, how about a song that's very evocative for those of us of a certain age: Nightflight (Theme to Take Three Girls) by Pentangle.
ReplyDeletePlus, band-wise, there's The Three O'Clock.
DeleteThree Minute Hero, nice :)
DeleteBand wise, how about The Third Bardo, Third Ear Band or The Dirty Three?
ReplyDeleteFrom the hard drives I can offer...
Thin White Rope - The Three Song
Juniper Tar - Three Words
Trinity - Three Piece Suit and Thing
The (fake) Clash - Three Card Trick
The Faces - Three Button Hand Me Down
Okkervil River - Stand Ins, Three
The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Three Changes
The Ink Spots - We Three (My Echo, My Shadow & Me)
Joanna Newsom - Three Little Babes
Sunset Rubdown - Three Colours
Possible Selves - Three Birds
Sufjan Stevens - We Three Kings of Orient Are
Sufjan Stevens - I Saw Three Ships
Snailhouse - Three Nights
Brian Auger - We Three Kings
Simplicity People - KG's at Halfway Three
McCoy Tyner - Lee Plus Three
Emily Portman - Three Gold Hairs
Rachel Newton - Three Days
One Eleven Heavy - Three Poisons
Fire on Fire - Three Or More
Jake Xerxes Fussell - Three Ravens
White Hills - Three Quarters
Chris Bowden - Telescopic Three
Nick Drake - Three Hours
Wire - Three Girl Rumba
Amon Duul II - Three Eyed Overdrive
Mark E Smith and Ed Blaney – The Train Part Three
Bob Dorough - Three Is a Magic Number
Gary US Bonds - Quarter to Three
Dillinger - Three Piece Suit and Thing
Bill Anderson - Three AM
Grizzly Bear - Three rings
Bob Marly - Three Little Birds
Walter Bishop Jr - Three Loves
Bert Jansch - Three Dreamers
Orange Juice - Three Cheers For Our Side
Herbie Hancock - Three Wishes
Herbie Hancock - Three Bags Full
Possible Selves - Three Birds
Tangerine Dream - Sunrise in the Third System
Acid Mothers Temple - Force in the Third Style
Niagara - The Third One
BeBop Deluxe - Third Floor Heaven
Khruangbin - Evan Finds the Third Room
Marc Bolan - The Third Degree
Terry - Third War
Brian Eno - Third Uncle
No Age - Third Grade Rave
Michael Gibbs - And on the Third Day
Roj - Attaining the Third State
The Fourmost - Hello Little Girl was one of the first 45's I ever bought. In my defence, I'd just turned 13.
ReplyDeleteFucking hell Swede!
ReplyDeleteFun Boy Three for the band. Or Unique 3. Or Alabama 3
Songs - as above but also...
Arab Strap- Pack of Three
Jane's Addiction- Three Days
Television Personalities- Three Wishes
KLF- 3 am eternal
I second the honourable gentleman SA's opening remark.
DeleteI'll go for anything off Squeeze's Packet of 3 EP, though 'Cat on a Wall' would be my lead track. Doesn't count, you say? Breaking some sort of code violation? Can't you invoke a Mornington Crescent style override? Go on, you know you want to!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll find that you're in Nip John.
DeleteManic Street Preachers - 3 Ways To See Despair
ReplyDeleteLightning Seeds / Baddiel & Skinner - Three Lions
Van Halen - Sucker In A 3 Piece
Pink Floyd -|Pigs (3 Different Ones)
Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Emerson Lake and Palmer - The Three Fates
Lily Allen - Three
The Big Three Killed My Baby - White Stripes
and a special one to finish off with:
Dawn - Knock Three Times
Album?
The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys
Bands?
Len Price 3
3 Colours Red
Here's a link to the BMX Bandit's - Figure 4, great song, i have it on the 53rd & 3rd CD
ReplyDeletehttps://elefantrecordsclassics.bandcamp.com/track/figure-4
For the number 3, i can add the following:
Belle & Sebastian - The Power of 3
Jamie Wednesday - We Three Kings of Orient Aren't (Pre Carter USM)
The Royal We - Three is a Crowd
The Look - Three Steps Away
They Might Be Giants - Number 3
The Lambrettas - Another Day Another Girl (Page 3)
Ten Pole Tudor - 3 Bells in a Row
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3
I will start by facetiously suggesting for your consideration a trinity of provocative suggestions that are designed to get revenge for your Nickelback allusion of last week, which on behalf of all Canadians I express offence taken at (but you knew that was coming because you were already ducking):
ReplyDeleteU2 - The Three Sunrises (who of course also have an album entitled "Three", don't they? Sure to get them extra points...)
Sting - Three Steps To Heaven (or what of his critically acclaimed performance in the Threepenny Opera?)
Phil Collins - Three Brothers (from Disney's Brother Bear soundtrack, no less, though sadly Phil does not actually sing on this one)
Now that I have got that off my chest,with greater seriousness, I would offer you a few better selections from what my hard drive pulled up in the following:
Eddie Cochran - Three Steps to Heaven (the original and superior to Stings mangling)
Real Estate - Three Blocks
Fleet Foxes - Third of May/Odaigahara
Last leaves - Third Thoughts
For those who do not know this last band, but may be fans of the late Lucksmiths, check them out. They are three of the four original band in Marty Donald, Mark Monnone and Louis Richter but with Noah Symons newly added on the drums. They have a more lo-fi chaotic sound than the polished harmonies of the Lucksmiths, but much of the same sophisticated and wry lyrics. Interesting.
Then, of course, the Canadian in me, still smarting from the mention of Chad Kroeger, would like to represent our country a lot more palatably with the consideration of:
The Tragically Hip - Three Pistols
The Great Lake Swimmers - Three Days at Sea (Three Lost Years) (Bonus points again, surely?).
And if you insist on the labeling Canada with the alt-rock/alt-metal brush, we have a band called Three Days Grace you should check out. Perhaps the following, which has garnered 264 million views on Youtube, would adequately express your thoughts on the genre:
Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything About You
...And just to let you know that you are doing a good service to promote great music, a couple of weeks ago, Brian suggested the song "7 Compton Street" by a group I confess to never having heard of before, Me and Dean Martin. Your comment that they sounded a lot like the Smiths intrigued me and I gave the link a listen, and rather liked the track a goodly bit, leading me to check out whatever other selections were on Youtube, and eventually ordering a copy of the album "Let's Romanticise Our Youth". The shiny piece of vinyl arrived in the mail today, and it is turning on the table as I write. Very enjoyable. So in honour of the service you are doing, I propose that the band gets a second chance at stardom, from the same LP:
ReplyDeleteMe And Dean Martin - "Life And Death Issues In Three Minutes"
Thanks for taking the time to type that, Douglas. This makes my day. Some stellar threes on this list. I especially wish I had been the first to suggest Wire, Orange Juice, Ian Dury and the Selecter. My winner, as suggested by Adam, would be Television Personalities with Three Wishes. Here are a few more I like...
ReplyDeleteThe June Brides - Three Days
fIREHOSE - Disciples of the 3-Way
The Elvis Brothers - Count to Three
The Very Most - Dodged Ev'ry Bullet Pt. 3
The Servants - Faithful to 3 Lovers
The Decemberists - Crane Wife 3
Friends Again - Moon 3
Northern Picture Library - Untitled No. 3
Paul and Linda McCartney - 3 Legs
Heavenly - Three Star Compartment
Dolly Mixture - Three 0'Clock Rhapsody
Are ordinal numbers a rule breaker? If not, Ramones should take this thing with 53rd and 3rd.
I listed Three Days as being by the June Brides, but that's actually a solo effort by frontman Phil Wilson. The June Brides have performed it though.
DeleteSpacemen 3 too. Duh.
ReplyDeleteI have started work on #3 and I was surprised you hadn't suggested them.
Delete