Emma Pollock or Emma's Imagination for the picture please, said Charity Chic, who's doing pretty well at picking our pictured artist lately, even if he can't supply any relevant tunes.
Ms. Pollock was always the Emma at the forefront of my mind for this post. I've been a fan since the early days of The Delgados.
I have to admit to being unfamiliar with Emma's Imagination, but this is nice enough...
The only other singing Emma in my collection is the actress Emma Caulfield, here duetting with Nicholas Brendon from the Buffy musical episode. I'm sure Alyson will appreciate this if nobody else.
Emma Caulfield & Nicholas Brendon - I'll Never Tell
Speaking of Alyson...
As for artists called Emma, why not go down the pure pop route and offer up Emma Bunton? Baby Spice!
Anyone but Victoria.
Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long?
There was a queue at the post office, Baby.
Onto the songs then... although this week had less entries than usual. When I began this feature, I figured the girl's names would trounce the boy's names in song suggestions, but that hasn't been the case for the past few weeks. Anyway, here's what you had for me, beyond those that made the Top Ten...
Martin kicks us off with these...
Frank Zappa - Big Leg Emma (with (unintentionally?) comedic lyrics)
He'd be done for body-shaming these days.
Then Brian offered these...
(Both were in serious contention.)
Rigid Digit provided this...
...which was a bit too modern-Saxon. An older Saxon tune might have stood a chance.
Finally, you'll be pleased to know that my millennial hipster politico friend, Ben, was far too busy doing important things this week to devote much effort to the search, although he did offer the following, which he says reminds him of being 12...
I was 31 when that record came out. It reminds him of being 12. Grrr...
(Actually, I think he's a year or two older than your Maths will reveal... but I ignore him whenever he tells me his exact age because it makes me ill.)
Meanwhile, scraped from my own hard-drive, but still worthy of consideration...
The Walkmen - Emma, Get Me A Lemon
And, from 1971, this curious tale of an Emma who...
Which, however sweetly sung, is a pretty terrible euphemism.
However, one night Emma is late... and Jonathan has his tea at 8.30, so frankly, don't mess me about love. I'm not sure this song is meant to make me laugh so much.
Finally, a couple of choice lyrical cuts...
Father John Misty - Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)
Arab Strap - Trippy (Caution: Foul Language Ahead... but then, it is Arab Strap.)
Charming as always.
From Rigid Digit...
If he'd worn a mask, I might have let him in the Top Ten.
And from Walter...
Second week in a row for that one! But Mr. Weller does all right round these parts most of the time.
Kirsty MacCall - Walking Down Madison
Frozen lives for whom nothing's happening
Hungry children is a mother's dilemma
Dumpster diving to feed her baby Emma
That's a classic, though probably not enough of a lyrical nod compared to some of the ones that did make the final ten.
And finally, from me, this week's Half Man Half Biscuit tune...
Half Man Half Biscuit - Improv Workshop Mimeshow Gobshite
Come forth with your queries
And I’ll wade out for miles
Never trust a crown green bowler under thirty
The future’s so dull I’ve gotta sing torch songs
Dropkick the improv workshop mimeshow gobshite
Facepaint Left Bank Kenneth Emma R-A-D-A Rainer Werner
Cokeheads cokeheads cokeheads
Which brings us nicely to the winners...
10. Dishwalla - Miss Emma Peel
A new one to me, suggested by Martin, but in the year that we said goodbye to Guy Garvey's mother-in-law, this seems an appropriate tribute.
9. Chumbawumba - When Alexander Met Emma
From Rigid Digit and Walter. Lovelier than you'd expect from Chumbawamba, plus it's from an album called A Singsong And A Scrap. What else do you need?
8. Buffy Sainte Marie - Emma Lee
Can I add one more, said Martin, because it's excellent. For Emma, forever ago.
Also, For Emma by Bon Iver, Alyson seconded, I only discovered them and the album of the same name when I started writing about the pesky virus in March. They had a song called Blindsided on that album which fitted the bill perfectly at the time.
Jury's still out here at Top Ten Towers on the whole Bon "I recorded this album in a cabin in the woods to get back to the roots" Iver experience, I'm afraid. Still, this was popular enough (on a quiet week) to make the chart.
6. Jens Lekman - Two Young Lovers
Nobody writes 'em like Jens.
5. Hard Meat - The Ballad Of Marmalade Emma And Teddy Grimes
Thanks to Emma, says C, I can recycle my comment from last week with the disallowed Teddy!
"...There's a sweet song: 'The Ballad of Marmalade Emma and Teddy Grimes' by Hard Meat, and I can give you a little background to the story too..."
The rather ambiguous-sounding name Hard Meat suggests all sorts – perhaps the title of an Andy Warhol film or a Scandinavian porn mag, maybe even the name of a militant anti-vegetarian group…so you may be relieved to know that the Hard Meat I’m referring to here is a 60s/70s band from Birmingham. Even then one might expect them to be Black Sabbath soundalikes, complete with controversial lyrics and dubious imagery - however, they had a far softer and more psychedelic/folk/acid rock sound and one does wonder why they chose such a name.
Their first single was a cover of the Beatles’ Rain’ (b/w ‘Burning Up Years’ which was covered by NZ band Human Instinct - many thanks to the reader who corrected the info stated on here earlier) released in 1969 on Island, and they went on to make two albums for Warner Brothers, ‘Hard Meat’ and ‘Through A Window’.
It is the last track on ‘Through A Window’ entitled ‘The Ballad of Marmalade Emma and Teddy Grimes’ (also released as a single in 1970), which has been on continuous play in my mind this week. I just love its uplifting feel, and an overall sound reminiscent of Traffic and early Faces. I was also intrigued by its subject matter because Marmalade Emma and Teddy Grimes were real characters who, through the late 1800s/early 1900s, resided in the historic town of Colchester, which is just a few miles from where I live.
It’s assumed that Hard Meat were spending some time in the Essex countryside when they heard talk of these legendary local characters in a pub and were so struck by the stories that they decided to write a song about them.
Marmalade Emma and Teddy Grimes, pictured below in 1910, lived as eccentric tramps and roamed the streets of Colchester begging and blagging all that they needed to live on, drinking beer slops from the local pubs, sleeping in ditches and hedges, and probably managing to get by very adequately on very little. The local community tolerated them in spite of some controversy and brushes with the law – on the 1891 Census Emma registered her occupation as ‘prostitute’, the only one on the list, and was also sent to prison briefly for swearing at a policeman. Story has it that on her return from the clink some local lads asked her where she’d been, to which she replied, “to college”.
Read the rest, and see Marmalade Emma and Teddy Grimes for yourself, here.
Thanks, C!
4. Kate Bush - Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake
3. Belle & Sebastian - This Is Just A Modern Rock Song
2. Beulah - Emma Blowgun's Last Stand
Blimey, it's a long time since I heard the name Beulah, Brian. Didn't know this one, but it wins the prize for Best New Song You Guys Have Introduced Me To This Week. Especially when the trumpet kicks in at the 2 1/2 minute mark.
1. Hot Chocolate - Emma
Back when pop/soul (what they'd call r 'n' b these days) had proper guitar solos in it!
Suggested by Martin, Lynchie and Alyson, who adds...
They were so consistent over a period of about 15 years yet I never hear of them much nowadays - anyway, a beautiful yet really sad song.
Thank you also to Martin for reminding me of the Sisters of Mercy cover...
And here, thanks to Rigid Digit, is the Urge Overkill version...
Anyway, Alyson's right. Errol's band deserve a little more recognition. They made some great tunes, and this is one of their best...
I'll try and beat everyone to the most obvious Fred, that is of course the blind Fred Lowery. I own his masterpice Fred Lowery whistles your gospel favourites. I played this to a clas whilst they were doing a test; some had the nerve to complain it was putting them off.
ReplyDeleteHalf Man Half Biscuit - Fuckin' 'Ell, It's Fred Titmus
ReplyDeleteCurtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead
Bernard Cribbins - Right Said Fred
Rodney Carrington - The Fred Song (a very silly country & western song)
ReplyDeleteCurtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead
ReplyDeleteHe's no Fred Lowry
Mississippi Fred McDowell - an old bluesman who recorded "Baby Please Don't Go" (a hit for Them featuring Van Morrison on vocals) and "You Gotta Move" which The Rolling Stones covered and many more.
ReplyDeleteNot too many spring to mind, but will try these:
ReplyDeleteJames - Just Like Fred Astaire
And the undoubted #1:
Bernard Cribbins - Right Said Fred
Lyrically?
Madness - On the Beat Pete ("Hello Fred, you look half dead...")
Mika - Grace Kelly ("I try to be like Grace Kelly but all her looks were too sad, so I tried a little Freddie - I've gone identity mad!")
The Rolling Stones - Dance Little Sister ("She stepping high on Frederick Street")
The Clash - Magnificent Seven
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Came to the checkout at the 7-11
Marx was skint, but he had sense
Engels lent him the necessary pence.
Although I accept I may be stretching that, with the Friedrich/Frederick.
DeleteThree song suggestions:
ReplyDeleteKenny Rice with Leo's Five - Frederick's Dream.
Brian Auger - Freddie's Flight.
Brigadier Jerry - Fred Locks a Dreadlocks.
And lyrically, it's over to Mr Dylan with this marvellous couplet from Po' Boy:
'Knockin’ on the door, I say, 'Who is it and where're you from?',
Man says, 'Freddy!' I say, 'Freddy who?' He says, 'Freddy or not here I come'...'
My first love was Fred Astaire and I watched his films in rapture as a child. He didn't have a particularly strong voice but he had real screen presence and what with the dancing as well, he was one of the first real movie 'Stars'. So many songs to choose from but Cheek To Check is probably one we most closely associate with him, from back in the days when 'making love' was whispering sweet nothings in a girl's ear, spinning her around the dance floor and singing a pretty song. Reality would have been different of course but as a child I was more than happy with the illusion RKO peddled.
ReplyDeletePatti Smith was married to Fred (Sonic) Smith and she wrote a beautiful song called Frederick
I will also go the Fred Astaire route, but mine is by the fabulous but somewhat obscure Apple Moths.
ReplyDeleteThe Apple Moths - Fred Astaire
Fishbone - Freddie's Dead (no Curtis Mayfield but a respectable try)
Shannon Shaw - Freddie's 'N' Teddies (from my favorite album of 2018)
Glad you like the Marmalade Emma tale, Rol!
ReplyDeleteAs for this one... will you allow a variant spelling so that I can offer you 'Fredereek Hernando' by One In A Million. One from my much-loved '60s psychedelia archives...(I'm sure The Swede will approve of this one too). The band were from Glasgow and included Jimmy McCulloch pre-Wings. It's a belter.
I loved the story about Marmalade and Teddy too - It was like a whole guest post. Can you believe you wrote about them originally 9 years ago!
DeleteI was shocked when I saw the date too!
Delete... and thanks! Glad you enjoyed the little historical snippet too.
DeleteJohn Holt - OK Fred
ReplyDeleteMost of the songs were named except The Hollies and Charlie and Fred and Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead; so here some suggestions with Fred in the lyrics:
ReplyDeleteKings of Leon - Joe's Head
This is just the way of the world Joe said
I had to put a bullet into his head
And then lit up a cigarette
Decided to call his fat friend Fred
Well he said Fred I just killed a man
Caught him laying with my girlfriend
Now they're both dead, people can be so cold when they're dead
Madness - On the Beat Pete:
Hello Fred you look half dead
Are you coming are you going
I could never do a double shift
Hello Fred get some bed Fred
The B-52's - (Meet) The Flintstones:
Let's ride with the family down the street
Through the courtesy of Fred's two feet
Frank Zappa - Bobby Brown:
I tell you, people, I was not ready
When I fucked this dyke by the name of Freddie
I have a few Fred's i can add.
ReplyDeleteOK Fred - Errol Dunkly (Now you're a yaga yaga, never did find out what a yaga yaga was).
Fred Vom Jupiter - Die Doraus und Die Marinas (The coolest most kitch video and tv appearance ever on Youtube) and a great little song.
A few artists also:
Fred Wedlock - Oldest Swinger in Town
John Fred and the Playboy Band - Judy in Disguise (Might come up again if you do Judy later)
Freddie & The Dreamers - You Were Made For Me.
Fred Walking-Stick - Well I Ask Yew
Ben Folds - Fred Jones Part 2
ReplyDeleteFrank Zappa- Bobby Brown Goes Down
"Women's liberation
Came creepin' all across the nation
I tell you, people, I was not ready
When I f***ed this dyke by the name of Freddie"
Frank Zappa - subtle as ever
B52s - Wig
Sally's gotta wig
Ricky's gotta wig
Baby's gotta wig
Kate's gotta wig
Fred's gotta cheap toupee
Keith's gotta big bouffant on
We all got wigs
So Let's go
F.S.K - Freddy Fender's Sohn
ReplyDeleteFreddy Fender also a contender for artist of the week
DeleteActually, Now that you mention it, there are a few songs from the B-52’s with Fred in the lyrics. My favorite would be Song for a Future Generation.
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm Fred the Cancerian from New Jersey
I like collecting records and exploring the cave of the unknown!
Two excellent hobbies there Brian!
DeleteMadness - Drip Fed Fred
ReplyDeleteOne of the last songs to feature Ian Dury
Forgot to say, yes, really appreciate the Buffy Musical inclusion. Must share something from it over at my place soon. The whole cast (bar Willow who seemed to struggle) did so well, especially Emma Caulfield.
ReplyDeleteRealizing that it almost certainly falls afoul of your "Song For Whoever" rule, I nonetheless propose the Beloved's "Hello" as a worthy song for consideration, on the basis of the delightful lyric wherein cultural icons "Freddie Flintstone" and Fred Astaire" are lovingly juxtaposed. UK Footie fans may further appreciate the subsequent rhyme with Vince Hillaire. And yes, I am aware of the great internet brouhaha raised about the fact that the paterfamilias of the Stone Age cartoon family was never known as anything other than Fred, but I stand for poetic and metrical license anywhere and everywhere it is invoked.
ReplyDelete