Snapshots Spillover - More Gangster Songs

More Goodfellas and Badfellas leftover from this weekend's Snapshots, starting with the original...

Ice T - O.G. Original Gangster

Followed by a couple of the more obvious ones...

Talking Heads - Gangster Of Love

Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat

Fatboy Slim - Gangster Trippin'

Bruce Springsteen - Murder Incorporated

Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Stool Pigeon

Joe Strummer - Gangsterville

Elvis Costello - American Gangster Time

Morrissey - First Of The Gang To Die

Fun Lovin' Criminals - King Of New York

Followed by a few lesser-known hoodlums...

Jimmy Norman - Gangster Of Love Part I & II

The Burrito Brothers - Mean Streets

The Brunettes - Mafioso

Peetie Wheatstraw - Gangster's Blues

The Longpigs - Gangsters

Gene Maltais - Gangwar

Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Cosa Nostra

Little Starsky - Gangster Rock

And closing with my current favourites...

Saturday Snapshots #134 - The Answers

One of Alyson's former neighbours (above) joins us to introduce this week's answers. Glad to see you all Gillan this week's quiz your best shot...



10. Don't be afraid of what comes after the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the Seventh Wonder of the Ancient World.

Eighth Wonder - I'm Not Scared

Written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys (which is bleedingly obvious after about 5 seconds), so it's cooler than you remember.

Eighth must be one of the hardest words to spell in the whole of the English language. See also broccoli. And I'm an English teacher.

9. Old man with Saint on French pavements.

Gary Oldman.

Roger Moore was The Saint.

Gary Moore - Parisienne Walkways

8. Equal to the nannies you might find above... the answer is plain to see.

The nannies you might find in Paris would be au pairs.

The Au Pairs - It's Obvious

7. More exciting than the first evangelist tripping me up.

Wilder than Matthew, the first evangelist.

Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

6. Pulled pork forever!

My favourite clue this month.

Longpigs - On & On

(I think that's Richard Hawley right at the back.)

5. Hannibal's mother looks back on happier times.

Hannibal Lector was played by Anthony Hopkins.

Mary is the mother of god. Well, my mother, anyway.

Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days

If you're being picky and pointing out that Mary doesn't have an s on her surname like Anthony, I can only refer you to Half Man Half Biscuit...

If you’re going to quote from the Book of Revelation

Don’t keep calling it the Book of Revelations

There’s no “s”, it’s the Book of Revelation

As revealed to St John the Divine

See also Mary Hopkin

She must despair

Half Man Half Biscuit - Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo

4. Makes suits for Tim Booth, come sunshine or storm.

Tim Booth gets his suits from a James tailor, obviously.

James Taylor - Fire & Rain

(I think that photo was taken during his porn movie days. Not that I've ever seen a porn movie.)

3. Writing this blog... with a debt to Macca.

Writing this blog is my favourite waste of time.

I'm owing Paul.

(Alyson thought this was an answer two weeks ago. A bizarre coincidence, because I'd already compiled this post when she suggested it. I almost said "come back in a couple of weeks".)

2. Trump. Putin. Johnson. Spaniel.

A Cocker Spaniel?

As for the other guys...

Jarvis Cocker - Running The World

Still wish this had made it to the Christmas Number One.

1. Monks can't afford to take the bus... and it's starting to rain.

One of the greatest records ever made, by brothers who have to walk.



I hope you'll join me for more take-your-mind-off-it-all nonsense next Saturday. As they say: Amy Pond in a storm.

My Top Ten Songs That Go On And On

Work is swallowing me whole at the moment, so I don't have time to go on and on... instead here's ten tunes that can do the job for me.


10. Ben Lee - On & On

From the album Hey You, Yes You... which I think we can all agree is a great title for an album. This is a pretty cool opening line too...

Without a gun, I'd be defenceless against you...

9. Ocean Colour Scene - On And On

I've no idea why OCS get so much stick from the Muso Police. This is a lovely little tune; a b-side, I think. They deserve more respect.

8. Bowling For Soup - On And On (About You)

Aww, sweet.

If it were up to me

I'd like to buy you flowers everyday

Make everyday a holiday

Carry on and on and on about you and the things you do

The things you do

7. Jack White - On And On And On

What does Jack White do best: play the guitar, or do the production that makes his guitar playing stand out so well?

6. Wilco - On And On And On

One day we'll disappear

Together in a dream

However short or long

Our lives are going to be

5. The Longpigs - On And On

And I wish you would leave me

And I wish you would go

And I wish you didn't need me

And I wish I didn't love you so.

4. Abba - On And On And On

I think this is about as close as Abba ever got to politics...

I was at a party and this fella said to me

"Something bad is happening, I'm sure you do agree

People care for nothing, no respect for human rights

Evil times are coming, we are in for darker,"

I said, "Who are you to talk about impending doom?"

He got kinda wary as he looked around the room

He said, "I'm a minister, a big shot in the state"

I said, "I just can't believe it, boy I think it's great

Brother can you tell me what is right and what is wrong?"

He said, "Keep on rocking baby, 'til the night is gone"

3. The Feelies - On And On

Hey na na na na na na na...

2. Stephen Bishop - On And On

Poor ol'Jimmy

Sits alone in the moonlight

Saw his woman kiss another man

So he takes a ladder

Steals the stars from the sky

Puts on Sinatra and starts to cry...

1. Status Quo - Burning Bridges (On And Off And On Again)

OK, so there's a stray "off" in there, but we'll let that pass for one of the Quo's finest moments. Swing those guitars!


Feel free to go on and on in the comments if you can think of any more...

My Top Ten Frank Songs

Planning a Top Ten Frankenstein songs for Halloween, I was amazed to see how many great records there were about people called Frank. In fact, I could easily have filled a Top 20. The Monster will have to wait...


10. The Give It Ups - Let's Be Frank

A cool little indie pop song of the sort you didn't think they made anymore. Download it free and legal from the bandcamp link above.

(In case you're wondering, The Give It Ups narrowly beat The Monochrome Set onto this chart. It was an extremely close call.)

9. Longpigs - The Frank Sonata

It's a shame that the Longpigs are mostly remembered these days as "the band Richard Hawley played guitar in". They deserve far more recognition. Although god knows what's going on in this rather X-rated promo...

8. Cake - Frank Sinatra

You can't go wrong with a nice slice of Cake... in tribute to the greatest Frank ever?

And while we're on that subject...

7. Suzanne Vega - Frank & Ava

It's not enough to be in love.

6. Morrissey - Our Frank

In which it appears Morrissey has cut himself while shaving his eyebrows. These things happen.

Oh give us a drink
And make it quick
Or else I'm gonna be sick all over
Your frankly vulgar red pullover

See also Frankly, Mr. Shankly, of course.

5. Sister Sledge - Frankie

Few records take me back to 1985 like this one.

Do you remember me?

4. Simon & Garfunkel - So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright

Thanks to the kind person who posted this on youtube, I've just discovered the "true" (?) story behind this song. Apparently it was Paul Simon's farewell to Art Garfunkel (himself an architecture major at university).

So long, Frank Lloyd Wright
All of the night we've harmonised till dawn
I've never laughed so long

3. The Lemonheads - Frank Mills

Another Brooklyn resident, this Frank was in consideration for that Top Ten too. A cover, it turns out, of a song from the musical Hair.

He has golden chains on his leather jacket,
and on the back, are written the names Mary and Mom and Hell's Angels.
I would gratefully appreciate it if you see him,
tell him
I am in the park with my girlfriend,
and please tell him Angela and I
don't want the two dollars back, just him.

2. Bruce Springsteen - Highway Patrolman

In any other Top Ten, Bruce's tragic tale of two brothers on opposite sides of the law (one of whom is called Frank) would have been number one. See also Frankie.

1. Tom Waits - Frank's Wild Years

My favourite Tom Waits "song". If you've never heard it before, please take 1 minute 48 seconds to discover why Tom Waits is one of the best storytellers in the music industry...




Let's be Frank... what's your favourite Frank song?