Snapshots Spillover: Another Ten Million Songs

With the new format of Saturday Snapshots essentially becoming the new way for me to continue doing thematic Top Tens on this blog, I've found I often don't get to feature all the songs I'd like. Partly to avoid too much repetition of artists, eras or genres in the quiz. That's why I label it "A Top Ten..." ratherthan "The Top Ten..."

Then it occurred to me: why not start a new Monday feature where I squeeze in some of the songs I didn't have room for? Not every week. Just when I have an overspill. 

So here we go with a few more Million songs...

10. Human Radio - My First Million

When I make my first million

Think I'll buy myself some happiness

If there's a sale on satisfaction

I might just have to stock up

Maybe I'll buy myself some muscles

And a California lifestyle

An irresponsible Ferrari

An ex-cheerleader to knock up

Sadly, it never happened for them.

9. The Ovations - One In A Million

Well-produced Memphis soul. 

8. Orange Juice - A Million Pleading Faces

Impossible not to tap your feet to.

Trumpets, too!

7. Queen - The Millionaire Waltz

Freddie played a great piano.

6.   The Pastels - A Million Tears

Kurt Cobain's favourite 80s Glaswegian indie band.

5. Toto - A Million Miles Away

From one of Toto's least successful albums. Meaning it only sold a million copies rather than 5 million, probably. Starts slow but then, woah, mama! 

4. Lowell George - Twenty Million Things To Do

Solo album from the Little Feat man, manages to get the words "mysterious wisteria" into the lyrics. Points for that.

3. Ooberman - A Million Suns

I will never understand why this band weren't massive.

2. Kirsty MacColl - I'm Going Out With An 80 Year Old Millionaire

He won’t last much longer if he keeps drinking gin

I filled up the bottle that’s marked medicine

He says that he’ll leave all his empire to me

And sitting on top is the best place to be

So don’t get impatient now boys you must wait

We’ll all have such fun when I own the estate

Britt’s got her toy boys but I don’t care

‘Cos I’m going out with an 80 year old millionaire

1. The Wedding Present - A Million Miles

New version, from the just-released Locked Down & Stripped Back album, which is getting a lot of spins in this house right now.

Actually, I found quite a few more. Maybe not a million, but I could have gone another ten.

Any you would have featured?

Talky Songs #5: Willin'

Charity Chic featured the debut album from Little Feat over at his place a few days ago and chose his two favourite tracks... which led both Lynchie and myself to ask: "What about Willin'!?"

Willin' is my favourite Little Feat song and it's the song I discovered them through. It's also the first Little Feat song ever written, and allegedly the track that got Lowell George fired from The Mothers of Invention, either because a) Frank Zappa thought it was such a good song that Lowell was wasted in his band and should form his own (Zappa did help Little Feat get a recording contract); or b) because of the drugs references which Zappa didn't approve of (really!?). There's another story about how George was fired from The Mothers for playing a 15 minute guitar solo with his amp off... you can take your pick, really.

In Charity Chic's defence though, the version of Willin' on the eponymous debut album isn't my favourite - I far prefer the re-recorded version which appeared on their second album, Sailin' Shoes. That's also the version on which George plays guitar himself, since on the original recording he'd hurt his hand playing with a model airplane (ROCK 'N' ROLL!!!) so Ry Cooder filled in.

Anyway, I'm bending the rules shoehorning either version of the track into my Talky Songs feature since only the first verse is really spoken... but I had to feature it somehow, and as Charity Chic points out, a bit of Little Feat is perfect for this rare UK summer...