With the exception of Kenny Wednesdays, I haven't done a first name Top Ten in quite a while. So...
There are actually very few Emilies in my record collection. The only artists I could find were Emily Robinson from the Dixie Chicks; French singer Emily Loizeau, whose songs appear to have been recorded by everybody from Shelby Lynne to The Mountain Goats; Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo; Emily Kinney (above), who you might recognise as Beth from The Walking Dead, but she writes some pretty cool songs too; and a not-half-bad cover of Asleep by The Smiths by Australian actress Emily Browning, from the soundtracker of Sucker Punch.
But when it came to songs about Emilies... there were LOADS!
I feel like I'm contractually obliged to include this. Not being a true muso, I never really got The Floyd. Nothing against them, I just never really saw what all the fuss was about. I probably appreciate the Syd Barrett stuff a bit more... although I prefer the David Bowie and Martha Wainwright versions of this song, if I'm totally honest.
Emily Shore was a young English woman who died of consumptiom at the age of 19 in the early 1800s. Her diaries were published over 50 years later, and a century or so after that they inspired Brett and Rennie Sparks.
Excellent track from Luke's 2005 album, Broken (And Other Rogue States). Great live version I found on youtube in which Luke duets with his wife, Melissa Mclelland.
Art goes solo on this one: peerless romantic nostalgia from Paul.
I wandered empty streets Down past the shop displays. I heard cathedral bells Tripping down the alley ways, As I walked on. And when you ran to me Your cheeks flushed with the night. We walked on frosted fields of juniper and lamplight, I held your hand.
John Grant did an excellent cover of this with The Czars.
Second best song I own about a long lost teenage girlfriend called Emily... from the former Rialto frontman.
Took off our ties straight after school For lager and limes and shooting pool Underhand cigarettes to compilation cassettes...
1. Art Brut - Emily Kane
I miss Eddie Argos. I don't know what he's up to these days, but we need him back.
I don't even know where she lives.
I've not seen her in 10 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes, 5 seconds. Other girls went and other girls came,
I can't get over my old flame. All my friends think I'm insane,
I'm still in love with Emily Kane. There's a beast in my soul that can't be tamed,
I'm still in love with Emily Kane.
Those were my ten favourites (well, nine and one contractual obligation), but I easily had enough Emily songs for a Top Twenty-Five. Perhaps I'll do a volume 2... once I've covered every other name in my Big Book of Baby Names. Suggestions are always welcomed...
Last year I did a number of posts about Mathematics. I thought I'd follow that up with some musical science classes. You see, I finally started watching Breaking Bad. Yes, I know, I know, I'm nearly ten years behind the curve. Ironically, I've already watched the first two seasons of Better Call Saul, and I've been meaning to watch BB for ages, but... you know, time.
Anyway, for Walter White, we have to start with Chemistry...
Special mentions to The Chemical Brothers and My Chemical Romance.
Because I love Spirit Of Radio, I bought the Best Of Rush. I can do prog in small bursts before it all gets a bit pompous for me. I'm always impressed by the guitar work on records like this... but I prefer Yes though, mainly because Jon Anderson's voice is a thing of wonder.
There are three types of chemistry songs. The first: where chemistry is a metaphor for the spark between two people. The second: where chemistry is a metaphor for drugs. The third: where it's both.
This, like our Number One, belongs the third category, I think.
The way Damon dances around in the countryside in this video... seriously, if you were out for a nice Sunday afternoon walk and you bumped into him, you'd turn swifty in the opposite direction.
If you potter about on youtube, you'll find a number of songs where people have tried to rap the Periodic Table. When Scroobius Pip gets into his own attempt at that, about halfway through this song, I just wish he'd carried on till he got all the way up to Oganesson.
Ironically, despite being on Chemikal Underground and writing this song for her 2010 album The Law Of Large Numbers, Emma Pollock studied Physics at university...
John Otway's fans helped him celebrate his 50th birthday by getting this into the Top Ten in 2002. He even made it back onto Top Of The Pops. Brilliant.
This
one's a bit of a stretch, I confess, since it's obviously about the
band mentioned above and not really anything to do with chemistry... but
they're my rules, I can break them if the song is good enough. Great lo
fi indie, made even better by the inclusion of a mournful trumpet.
One of those late nineties / early noughties guitar bands it's never been cool to admit to liking... so, obviously, I think they're great.
I remember when I found out about chemistry It was a long, long way from here I was old enough to want it but younger than I wanted to be Suddenly my mission was clear
So for awhile I conducted experiments And I was amazed by the things I learned From a fine fine girl with nothing but good intentions and a Bad tendency to get burned
They lose points for that silly CD single cover (above) though.
It's the element within her
Something under her skin
That is shining out through the face of the girl
Two sapphires and couple of rows of pearls
1. Suede - The Chemistry Between Us
Having led the Britpop charge, Suede went full on anthemic pop band on their third album, Coming Up. Although it does have a soaring chorus, sumptuous strings and plenty of la-la-las, at over 7 minutes in length, The Chemistry Between Us was never going to be a hit like the FIVE Top Ten singles this album produced. As with many of Suede's earlier hits though, it is obsessed with drug culture, although Brett Anderson claims the lyrics are anti-drugs, about people who can only make connections when they're high.
Oh, Class A, Class B... Is that the only chemistry?
Look at that: I can still do indie and guitar pop! Funny how the subject matter led more to those kind of bands...
