June 12th is a a national holiday in Russia, commemorating the end of the Soviet Union back in 1990. And if that just makes you think of the WONDERFULNESS done since by that VERY NICE MAN Vladimir Putin then, GOOD FOR YOU.
(This post has been edited to stop the bots reporting me. I don't want to end up in a Siberian Salt Mine, thank you very much. I've got in enough trouble for slagging off Trump all the time.)
Remember what Sting told us - the Russians love their children too!
These are the sons and the daughters of parents who died in the last one
Do you think that they want to go through that again?
The destruction, the bloodshed, the suffering and pain
In the second world war, out of every three dead, one was Russian
If we try with all of our power
Can we not find a way to peacefully settle our difference?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Cold War, it's a day to celebrate that strange visitor from another planet who became a symbol of truth, justice and the American Way. Except they don't say that anymore - in fact, about 15 years ago, Superman renounced his American citizenship and now represents "Truth, justice and a better tomorrow". Considering he's still an immigrant, it's a wonder the Tangerine Tosspot hasn't tried to have him deported. Or maybe he's worried the Man of Steel would move to Russia...?
We closed Monday's collection of Superman songs with a track by Cinerama. Comic book fan David Gedge also used the name of the most bizarre Superman foe as the title of his other band's second album: Bizarro by The Wedding Present. Sadly, he never wrote a song about Bizarro... but these guys did...
Klark Kent was an alias for Stewart Copeland of The Police, recording a song that Sting didn't want for the day job. John says, "Stewart Copeland’s debut album Klark Kent was a belter."
Clark Kent works for a newspaper called The Daily Planet. On Saturday we featured a song by the title by Arthur Lee & Love. Here's another one...
Weird coincidence department: all the bands I could find who wrote a song about Lois Lane (along with Sunday's Franz Ferdinand) began with the letter F.
But Lois wasn't Clark's first love though. That title would go to...
And he even had a fling with a mermaid once. Her name? Lori Lemaris. Can you spot a pattern here?
Not everybody with the initials LL loves Superman though. Let's not forget his arch enemy, Lex Luthor, a man who's jealousy of Superman might yet be explained that nobody has ever written a decent pop song in his honour...
That was the best I could come up with, with the wrong spelling... and he's not even a doctor! No wonder he's such a bitter, twisted sociopath...
Luthor isn't Superman's only foe. We mentioned Bizarro earlier, and Braniac earlier in the week. Then there's the Kryptonian supervillain memorably played by Terence Stamp in Superman 2, General Zod...
But who cares what I think. Here are some more tunes!
When it came to compiling a post about Superman songs, there were hundreds to choose from, so a Spillover seemed inevitable. Starting with a couple which would have made this weekend's link far too obvious. From the sublime...
The girl from Ipanema goes walking. And when she passes, each one she passes goes, ‘ahhh’.
So go the English lyrics to “Garota de Ipanema”, the second most recorded song in popular music (after bloody "Scrambled Eggs"). The woman who sang those lyrics on the version that became an international hit was Astrud Gilberto. Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, who also played on the track, made enough money from that record to buy a 23 room mansion. Astrud got $120.
Astrud Gilberto passed away earlier this week. Here are some tunes to pay tribute, starting with a song that owes quite a debt to the track above...
Odd Nordstoga is a Norwegian folk singer. He's the same age as me, but looking at him, I reckon there's a portrait in his attic that's rotting to pieces.
Melankoliens avenyar
Der var eg heime ein gong
Eg trudde alt det vakre
Som Astrud Gilberto song
Med Marty Paich sitt orkester i 1965
Og diktarens ord kom føre meg
Du skal aldri komme hjem
It translates, very roughly, and rather wonderfully, thus...
But this was my favourite. You may remember Basia, originally the singer with 80s band Matt Bianco, before she branched out on her own. Here she is on the Johnny Carson show, with a song from her hit 1987 album Time & Tide...
Nobody knows where she came from
The tall-and-tanned-young-and-lovely girl
With a voice as light as air
Nobody knows but no one cares
'Cause everybody loves her
Finally, because because, here's Astrud with George. 'Nuff said.
