Snapshots #399: Drunk Songs (Volume 2)

Way back in December 2021, Snapshots #218 featured ten Drunk Songs. Today, I invite you to sample a few more beverages. I can't join you: I haven't had a drink since the 20th Century.

Please drink responsibly.

15. Pablo Escobar's last stand.

The War On Drugs - Wasted

14. Wild Cherry? Aha! 

Anagram!

Richard Hawley - Caned

13. Pricey set meets Suzanne in a diner. 

Alan Price Set meets Suzanne Vega in Tom's Diner.

Alan Vega - Hammered

12. Whatchu talkin' bout, Phil & Don / Luke & Matt?

Whatchu talkin' bout, Willis? And some brothers...

The Willis Brothers - Three Sheets In The Wind

11. 90s dance party at small suffixes.

A rave on ettes (ette being a suffix which means small).

The Raveonettes - Blitzed

10. White smoke, and it really changes a woman. 

"Changes a woman" was an anagram. White smoke announces a new Pope.

Shane MacGowan & The Popes - That Woman's Got Me Drinking

Look at the state he's in!

9. Rubber lips and the invisible rabbit.

Rubber lips is Mick Jagger. Harvey was the invisible rabbit.

Mick Harvey - Intoxicated Man

8. Flick a frightening switch in the Milky Way.

Galaxy featuring Phil Fearon - Dancing Tight

7. Like Mel's mate, but with a deeper voice.

Mel (Smith)'s mate was Griff Rhys (Jones). This guy is a bit more Gruff.

Gruff Rhys - People Are Pissed 

6. Randy & the Rainbows get stuck in a French room.

Randy & the Rainbows sang about Denise. A French room is la salle. 

Denise LaSalle - Under The Influence

5. On target.

The Arrows - A Touch Too Much

4. Hazy oboes: out of order.

"Hazy oboes" was an anagram. You might not know this guy, but this is one of Sam's favourite tunes at the moment. He's very popular with the young people. And actually quite listenable, unlike a lot of the stuff they dig.

Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)

3. A mild day comes between Williams and Nick. 

Between Andy Williams and Nick Lowe, there is fair weather.

Andy Fairweather Low - Wide-Eyed & Legless

2. A Cooke, a Clark, a Fox, a Berry. 

Two Sams, two Daves.

Sam & Dave - I Can't Stand Up

1. They've got a Pedigree, like George and Andrew surrounded by sheep. 

Pedigree Chum meets baa Wham baa. Easy when you know how.

Chumbawamba - Tubthumpin'

He drinks a whiskey drink. He drinks a Vodka drink. He drinks a Lager drink. He drinks a cider drink. And he ends up pissin' the night away. Or 'issing the night away, if he's on Top of the Pops.

I'm giving you a week to sober up before the 400th edition of Snapshots.

Snapshots #369: A Top Twelve Songs covered by Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello is one of the foremost songwriters of his generation. But he's not averse to singing other people's songs too. 

Here are earlier versions (not always the originals) of those songs, and twelve Elvis covers...

12. Nathan is Best!

Nathan Jones & George Best...

George Jones - A Good Year For The Roses

Elvis Costello - A Good Year For The Roses

11. Ugly Kenny.

Ugly Betty meets Kenny Everett...

Betty Everett - Getting Mighty Crowded

Elvis Costello - Getting Mighty Crowded

10. Kaine, coded.

Anagram!

The song was written by Leon Payne but originally recorded by...

Eddie Noack - Psycho

Elvis Costello - Psycho

9. American sandwich in the automobile with George. 

The sandwich would be a hoagie, in a car, with Michael...

Hoagy Carmichael - My Resistance Is Low

Elvis Costello - My Resistance Is Low

8. James was outlawed from Arfur's Club.

Jesse James was an Outlaw; Arfur Daley's club was The Winchester.

Jesse Winchester - Payday

Elvis Costello - Payday

7.  Where you might get trapped by a preacher.

The Amen Corner - World of Broken Hearts

Elvis Costello - World of Broken Hearts

6. Father Christmas meets Quasi-Girl. 

OK, so Quasimodo's lady was Esmerelda, not Esmeralda. Sue me. 

Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Yes, there were earlier versions of that tune, notably by Nina Simone and The Animals. But neither were quite as D-I-S-C-O.

Elvis Costello - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

5. Uncle, and resident of Dagenham.

Uncle Sam and Dagenham Dave...

Sam & Dave - I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down

Elvis Costello - I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down

4. Liverpudlian egg scramblers.

The Merseybeats - Really Mystified

Elvis Costello - Really Mystified

Or, you could have had...

The Merseybeats - I Stand Accused 

Which was originally by...

Tony Colton & The Big Boss Band - I Stand Accused

But neither is quite as in your face as this...

Elvis Costello - I Stand Accused

3. Night train.

Sleeper - What Do I Do Now?

Elvis Costello - What Do I Do Now?

2. Unsolve Zara Arch.

Anagram!

Charles Aznavour - She

Elvis Costello - She

1. Not Rod Stewart's baby.

Rod sang Oh No, Not My Baby. This is Oh no.

Oh yes it is!

Not the best song on the list today, but it's the first time Yoko has appeared on Snapshots... and well, I figured it would keep George happy.

Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice

More Elvis covers tomorrow.

More Snapshots next Saturday.

Guest Post Thursday #15: A Top Ten “I Can’t” Songs (Part 2)

I can't today. 

Fortunately, George is back with more I Can't Songs.

Take it away, George...

There’s a LOT of “I Can’t” songs. A lot. You’ve already had ten, some good, some great and two brilliant ones, so here’s ten more, some good, some great, and two of which are simply brilliant, or toptastic if you prefer.

First, Elvis with his “we’ve all been there” song

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - I can't stand up for falling down

If you want slick 70s (or was it 80s?) pop you’ve come to the wrong place. Well, today you have. So no Hall & Oates, a perfectly decent and well-made pop song, but it’s not Top Ten material. Or Top Twenty, as I’m doing two of these. Nope, instead, you’re getting what is undoubtedly going to be the best song you hear all day, because this is beyond brilliant...

Bill Withers - I can't write left-handed

One of those powerful songs that makes you stop whatever you’re doing and just listen. (Not one to play in the car, then). Every time I hear it I can’t do anything but put my listening ears on.  From an album you absolutely must have in your collection,  Live at Carnegie Hall.

A different genre now, suggested by Walter...

Teenage Fanclub - I can't find my way home

That’s Walter, our pigeon, rescued at the bottom of the farm. He has a wounded wing that will never heal properly; instead of releasing him to be eaten by Billy, we are keeping him. A coop is currently under construction for him.  Walter, not Billy. And Walter the pigeon is actually a dove.

That song is not to be confused with the Steve Winwood song, the latter is not an “I can’t” song but a “Can’t” so The Swans will not be in this list. But Otis is!

Otis Redding - I can't turn you loose

Another Walter song, that one. "I can’t turn you loose……. because either Shaggy or Billy, or both, will kill you and eat you” as Otis never sang, but it does scan.

A Top Ten without a country song? Is that possible? Of course not.

George Jones - I can't get there from here

It’s the way he twists those words, George Jones’ voice is so apt for the cheesiest of country lyrics.

And from when they were good:

The Who - I Can't explain

……..to  one of her more humdrum albums, but it does have a couple of gems on it (the other one is also an I Can’t song)

Aimee Mann - I can't get my head around it

It would of course be perverse not to include that Ray Charles song, but it is what I am doing, I’ve never liked it or indeed the vast majority of anything I’ve heard by him. And it would certainly be thrawn in the extreme not to include maybe the best known I Can’t song, the one with that uses brackets...

Tritons - (I can't get no) Satisfaction

They’re Italian. Unlike Yvonne Elliman. We (Jo and I, not Yvonne and I) were watching something on tv and “Everything’s alright” was featured. I knew most of the lyrics, knew when Judas’ part was coming, knew when Ted Neeley sang. So I’m going to shoehorn this in...

Yvonne Elliman - If I can't have you

OK, a slick(ish) 70s pop song for you, one that I’m not really sure why I like, maybe it’s those swooping horns.. 

I’m not saving the best for last, because that would mean Bill Withers again, but this too is a fantastic song:

Ann Peebles - I can't stand the rain

It’s the way the music gets going at 20 seconds in, that signature WIllie Mitchell “Hii Rhythm Section” sound and arrangement, that slow-almost-lethargic music, it’s a perfect soul song.

And please note that Stink, via The Police, is excluded on taste and because it’s “Can’t Stand Losing”. Bad Company, though, are ineligible only because, again, it’s not an “I can’t” song. You could of course argue that Yvonne Elliman should also be excluded, to which I say “Do your own Top Ten”.

Thank you, again, to Rol, for posting this piece. I hope I don’t lose you too many readers.

No, thank you, George. And don't worry: I can't lose what I don't have.

I closed with the original version of George's opening tune. Though I was tempted to go with the Hall & Oates.

The Guest Post door is always open, if anyone wants to try the handle. But don't feel obliged.

Elvis Fridays #5: Covers & Inspiration

My last week at work before the summer break... though I do have to back in for one day in a week's time for interviews. We normally get 3 or 4 applications when we advertise a job because we're not well known in the sector for paying people what they're worth... but this week we had 28 applicants. Sign of the times.

Bit of a traumatic day yesterday as our new kitten Cosmo decided to launch himself out of the bathroom window into the back garden, landing on the patio. A quick trip to the vets and a hundred and fifty quid check-up and x-ray later... he seems OK. One of his nine lives is definitely gone though.

I should be feeling happy today, but it's going to take more than just temporary release to cure this fug. I can already feel the end of August fast approaching...

Get Happy!! (with two exclamation marks - which grammarians everywhere will tell you is unnecessary) is what Elvis Costello told us to do on his fourth album, a collection of pithy bursts of soul, rock, ska pop punk and more, including some choice covers.

The big "hit", I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down was first recorded by Sam & Dave in 1967. If you're only familiar with Elvis's version, the original may sound like it's being played at the wrong speed. But give it a minute or two and it soon turns into a monster soul weepie.



Of course, Elvis made it his own. The video features some great dance moves from the Attractions, plus Elvis eating a plate of chips with a slice of lemon on the harbour side - not a seagull in sight.

I Stand Accused was originally recorded in 1965 by Tony Colton & The Big Boss Band...



I'd never heard that version before today, but I have to say I love it. Great trumpets. I'm not sure if Elvis had heard it when he recorded the song though... likely he was more familiar with the version by The Merseybeats, which is a lot closer to what he did with the song.



I did also check out the version by Isaac Hayes... although that turned out to be a different song entirely... but still worthy of your attention, if you've got a spare 11 1/2 minutes...



You still can't beat Elvis though...



However, my favourite cover on Get Happy!! is Getting Mighty Crowded, which was written by Van McCoy and originally recorded by Betty Everett...



That's pretty fine. Real Supremes vibe to the backing track there.

But is it better than Elvis...?



2 minutes and 9 seconds. That's the way to do it!

I bet Kevin Rowland was a fan of that too.

OK, what about that other Elvis?

The one pictured on the cover of Shoplifters Of The World Unite by The Smiths (and in the video).

Well, they didn't just steal his image, did they?

They also stole his tunes...



You can't blame Johnny too much.

The original is irresistible...