Tuesday 27 August 2024

Namesakes #100: The Centurions


When I started this feature, I had no idea it would reach one hundred installments... or that it would prove as popular as it has (with George, at least). And there's still plenty more band names to go at!

To celebrate our century, there was only one band name I could go with... and guess what? There were 100 bands with this name!* Make a big breakfast, George!


THE CENTURIANS #1

That's not how I'd spell Centurions. 

Instrumental surf rock dudes from 1963 who sound like a million other instrumental surf rock dudes from 1963. The track below was used in the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction, leading to the band reforming in 1995, by which time they'd learned to spell Centurions correctly.

The Centurians - Bullwinkle Part II

THE CENTURIONS #2

Country gospel from Muskogee, Oklahoma in the early 70s. One of a handful of US gospel bands called the Centurions, but these guys were the only ones I could find preserved on the tube of you. And they had the nicest picture.

The Centurions - Start Living Again

THE CENTURIONS #3

From the 1973 album For Want Of A Better Title, here's some Canadian gospel...

Centurions - Jesus Love Goes A Long Way

THE CENTURIONS #4

Discogs wants me to believe that this is a band made up of gospel singer Judy Gossett who had a long career singing in Christian music that began in 1971, and her brother Michael, who has been a member of Salvation Air Force since 1972.

I think that might well be bullshit. This was released in 1994, and it sounds like it was an early example of an AI computer being given the task of composing of House anthem. although the actual culprits were called Gavin Hed and Jarvis Spong.

The Centurions - Burn

CENTURIONS #5

Geeneus & DJ Target, aka Darren Joseph and Gordon Warren, were part of the early UK Grime scene in 2003. DJ Target is now a Radio 1Xtra presenter, while Geeneus is the boss of London pirate radio station / laundromat Rinse FM.

Centurions - Midnite / Speed Racer


*Thankfully, I was kidding. I'll admit, this wasn't the most auspicious line-up I've ever featured here, but it still seemed a fitting way to mark 100 posts. 


2 comments:

  1. Yes, #1 was just another humdrum surf song. But I enjoyed listening to #2 so much I burnt my toast. #3 was a strangely pleasant listen. but I am not really enjoying #4 (although I've heard worse)............and I have no idea what grime (music) is but I am struggling to get all the way through #5. So it's #2 for me.

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  2. Congratulations on your landmark. Not sure I am willing to congratulate any of the bands, although the female members of #2 are wearing very fetching glasses so I'll choose them on that basis.

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