Celebrity Jukebox #104: William, Paul & Sixto

The Grim Reaper rarely takes a break these days...

WILLIAM FRIEDKIN

Mark Kermode tells us that The Exorcist is the greatest movie ever made. Not just the greatest "horror" movie, mind, but the greatest movie full stop. And who are we to argue with Mark Kermode?

When I was a kid, I devoured every horror film I could get my hands on from the local video shop. Not The Exorcist though, as it had been withdrawn in the UK as a "video nasty" by James Ferman of the BBFC. I had to wait till 1998 to see it, when it was finally re-released and re-appraised. It was a thrill to see such a notorious film after so long, and at the time it made quite an impression on me. But I wonder how much of that was the illicit hype? Years later, I still rate the movie highly (though not quite as highly as Mr. Kermode) but I don't find it shocking anymore. Has the world changed or have I changed? 

I couldn't find any lyrics that mentioned Mr. Friedkin, so I had to go with the obvious tribute...

PAUL REUBENS

Pee-wee Herman is a children's TV character I'm largely unfamiliar with, so my only encounter with the actor Paul Reubens is from his role as The Penguin's father in Batman Returns. His career involved a certain amount of controversy, as it seems he was a little too interested in pornography (or "vintage erotica") for a prominent star of kids' TV, but he appears to have weathered the storm better than many of his contemporaries did.

I was very excited to find a song called Paul Reubens by Felt... but sadly, it wasn't that Felt. (I should have known.)

Felt - Paul Reubens

Reubens also crops up in this... protect your ears.

Grey rustic buildings
Divided by cobblestone streets
Pigeons flock on the pavement
Candle-lit atmosphere in street side bars
Paul Rubens rises in the hazy air
As the cathedral glows in the night
Flares of cerise and magenta stream
Fading in the starry night sky
Paul Rubens rises in the hazy air
As the cathedral glows in the night

In Vain - And Quiet Flows The Scheldt

But my favourite reference comes from a band who describe their music as "Good vibes with a tropical twist". Here, Mr. Reubens features in a less than stellar list that includes Jon Benét, the Menendez Brothers, Orenthal James, Dodi Fayed and... Princess Di.

In the Darwinian Age
Everyone is on their own front page
Everyone's your friend
But nobody cares
They're all much too busy donning their airs

SIXTO RODRIGUEZ

As far as I can tell, nobody wrote any songs about Sixto Rodriguez. I did find a couple called Sugar Man, but they weren't about him...

Regina Spektor - Sugarman

Kris Kristofferson - Sugar Man

Like most people, I only discovered Rodriguez after the documentary, Searching For Sugarman. I'm glad he found fame in later life, and I hope it treated him well.