Coffee Break #2: Cheers!

Welcome back to my coffee shop. Grab a table, what can I get you...?

Oh, hang on, I think John asked for a song about drinking coffee in bed. I'm sure he must mean this one...

Savage Garden - Two Beds And A Coffee Machine

But just to broaden John's horizons a little, I thought I'd offer this one instead...

Squeeze appear to have stumbled into a Robert Palmer video there. Isn't it glorious? I'm also impressed that the subtitles tell me that "jazzy music plays" before the singing starts. I'm sure that'll make Messrs Tifford and Dilbrook's day. 

And if that wasn't enough for you, here's a couple of alternative takes on that song...

Daryl Hall and Glenn Tilbrook - Black Coffee In Bed

Chris Difford - Black Coffee In Bed

 

And: a dilemma for Martin, given his aversion to the cup of joy and his fondness for a certain Bangly lady...

Susanna Hoffs - Black Coffee In Bed

Would you kick her out of bed for that, Martin? Or try to persuade her to switch to an alternative beverage...?

Frank Turner - A Decent Cup Of Tea

I'll leave you to ponder on that one. Meanwhile... What are we going to chat about today? 

How about cheering?

Barrett Strong - Stand Up And Cheer For The Preacher

Why do I have such a problem with cheering?

One of the reasons I can't watch shows like Strictly or the X-Factor or any kind of talent-based performance TV is that I can't bear all the cheering. It sets my nerves on edge even when I hear it from the other room (which is where I'm usually consigned to when Louise and/or Sam is watching such fluffle). Particularly when I hear a cheering audience on a TV show, it all sounds so false. I picture some guy stood at the side of the stage holding up a "Cheer Now!" sign because the cheering never sounds sincere or spontaneous... it sounds like a performance in its own right.

Bananarama - Cheers Then

It's the same thing at gigs. I've got no problem with applause - I'll stand up and clap with the best of them. But I never feel the urge to cheer... and I'd certainly never entertain the bastard son of the cheer: the whoop. But this does make me wonder... am I not enjoying the gig as much as the people who have to vocalise it in such fashion? Are their uncontrollable outbursts a sign that they're engaging with this experience on a much deeper level than I am? Is there something wrong with me?

Orange Juice - Three Cheers For Our Side

And don't even start me on wolf whistles...!

Jack Butler - An Old Wolf Whistle

We'll close with an appropriate tune from Titus Andronicus, which I'd like to point out, despite its title, is NOT a cover version of this...

Gary Portnoy - Theme From Cheers (Where Everybody Knows Your Name)

...although that is up there as one of my all-time favourite theme tunes, from one of my all-time favourite TV shows. It makes me feel warm inside whenever I hear it. But this, while also being very good, has nothing to do with that...

Celebrity Jukebox #67: Barrett Strong

It didn't seem like two minutes since I was eulogising Lamont Dozier, when last week came the news of Barrett Strong's passing. The top song I played for Lamont is just as fitting here...

Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong

Are here to make right every thing that's wrong

Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs' Tears

As a singer, Barrett Strong is best remember for the original version of Money (That’s What I Want), a song that would later be covered by both the Beatles & the Stones... not to mention The Flying Lizards. Berry Gordy claimed he wrote the tune, and removed Barrett's name from the songwriting credits... Barrett remembered it differently, but wasn't going to bite the hand that fed... even if it wasn't feeding half as much as it should have been.

Barrett Strong - Money (That’s What I Want)

Strong & Whitfield would get credit for many other classics though, including Papa Was A Rolling Stone, War, Wherever I Lay My Hat (with Marvin Gaye), and I Heard It Through The Grapevine.

But who, besides Billy Bragg, has paid lyrical tribute to Barrett Strong? Let's open up the jukebox and see.

Let's start with a "One-Man Punk Band" from Norway-via-West Virginia...

And if she wants to know what's wrong,

(Ask) my Tanqueray, and my Barrett Strong,

And if she lets me wait my turn

I'll show her all my 20 class A cigarette burns,

Yeah.

J. Marinelli - 20 Class A Cigarette Burns

...and let's finish there too, more's the pity. Compared to Lamont, Barrett doesn't really get the lyrical tributes he deserves. Which I find odd, considering it's much easier to rhyme Strong that Dozier. So let's close with another Whitfield / Strong classic. RIP, Barrett.

Saturday Snapshots #17 - The Answers

Sunday morning
Brings the dawn in...

...but also brings the answers to Saturday Snapshots.

Thanks, as always, for taking part.


10. All Bar 1 (or 50), a bit like fishing tackle, taking photos of a Soft Cell song.

All bar 1 would be Al (similar L = the Latin 50).

Fishing tackle would be a Rod, as in Stewart.

There's a cool little Soft Cell song called Bedsitter (Carter did a great cover of it too).

Al Stewart - Bedsitter Images

The Swede means business this week. First point of many.

9. Saucy dancers have a mirror in the bathroom.

Saucy dancers would be go-go girls.

Mirror In The Bathroom was a song by The Beat.

The Go-Gos - We Got The Beat

And that is why Belinda Carlisle will always be cool.

Half a point to The Swede, half a point to Alyson. (Rigid Digit got there too, but later in the day.)

8.  Good for cars, fires and burglars in Southern Australia.

Car alarm. Fire alarm. Burglar alarm. I make this too easy.

New South Wales is part of Southern Australia, though obviously they weren't really singing about that.

The Alarm - A New South Wales

Great to hear that one again. Always sends shivers down my spine.

Another point for The Swede.

7. Can a real boy's dad stomach this?

Pinocchio wanted to be a real boy. His "father" was Gepetto.

Stomach? Do I really have to...

Belly - Gepetto

Tanya Donnelly. Sigh.

Yet another one for The Swede.

6. Hang on twice to Dot's dog.

My favourite clue this week.

Dorothy's dog was Toto.

To x 2 (twice) = Toto.

Hang on...

Toto - Hold The Line

Half a point each for Alyson & George.

5. London prisoners turn to this in a power cut.

Holloway is a prison in London.

In a power cut, you might need a generator.

The Holloways - Generator

George tried his best, checking into all the London prisons he could think of... but old lag Martin had already done time with this bunch so he recognised their mugshots immediately.

4. Syd was pretty tough - and loaded!

Syd Barrett.

Tough = strong.

If you're loaded, you have "LOADSAMONEY!" (You had to be there. Yes, I bought that. Listen musos - William Orbit was involved in that, so it must have been cool. I was 16, OK? Give me a break.)

Sorry. Where were we?

Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want)

Despite an initial confusion with the footballer (!?!) Earl Barrett, George nabbed this one.

3. German stone guy makes a Take That song even worse.

Stein is German for stone.

Take That did Bad For Good (possibly Gary Barlow's finest hour, though I prefer Robbie Williams' solo version: you have to stick with it past the first 50 seconds. I saw him do that live. Twice. One time, he rode a toilet round the stage while doing it. Don't tell me Robbie Williams isn't great. I won't believe you.)

In my humble opionion, Jim Steinman is one of the greatest songwriters ever to have set foot on this planet.

A rock star, he was not.

But Meat Loaf had a sore throat, so...

Jim Steinman - Bad For Good

(If you were shocked by the Robbie Williams, you'll probably be in a coma after that. Great song though, hilariously camp video notwithstanding.)

The Swede knew the answer, but wasn't willing to risk sacrificing his street cred.

Lynchie & Chris had no such qualms: they share a point between them.

RD adds, "not a terrible album, just not that brilliant either", which is the best I could have hoped for under the circumstances.

2. Little miss sunshine makes half-serious music in pursuit of her target.

KC had his sunshine band, so this must be Kacey.

Grave is serious, half of music is Mus.

Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow

Top work from C.

1. Voodoo creates an invisible woman.

Voodoo created zombies.

An invisible woman would not be there.

Really, I'm spoiling you.

The Zombies - She's Not There

And with that, The Swede takes this week's trophy.



More next... er... Saturday.