Wednesday 12 April 2023

TV On The Radio #4: Buck Rogers


Buck Rogers was created in 1929 as a comic strip hero who eventually translated into radio and movie serials. However, he is best remembered as the star of the late 70s TV show Buck Rogers In The 25th Century starring Gil Gerard and Erin Grey. In this show, Buck is a NASA pilot who's thrown 500 years into the future, arriving in a world where everyone wears sexy jump-suits and the robots are really annoying. And I mean, really annoying...


In the "You Learn Something New Everyday" Department: Twiki, the really annoying robot above, was actually voiced by Mel 'Bugs Bunny' Blanc.

Music in the 25th Century will also be particularly annoying...



...so Buck will probably listen to quite a few oldies on whatever kind of listening device 1979 creatives imagined we'd be using in 500 years time... I doubt they predicted Spotify.

Let's start with a band named after characters from a science fiction board game, with a song about making a sandwich...

Been out all night, I needed a bite
I thought I'd put a record on
I reached for the one with the ultra-modern label
And wondered where the light had gone

It had a futuristic cover, lifted straight from Buck Rogers
The record was so black it had to be a con
The auto changer switched as I filled my sandwich
And futuristic sounds warbled off and on


Next up, someone who's no stranger to name-dropping popular TV shows in his lyrics, the mighty Gil Scott Heron, with a song about Reagan's re-election campaign...

Ah yes, they're off and running again. The campaign trail
And doesn't he look like himself?
Back in the saddle again

Roy Rogers and Buck Rogers
Rutherford B. Hayes and Gabby Hayes
Marlon Perkins and Carl Perkins


And then we have the Bloodhound Gang...

It ain't your mind you're givin' me a piece of 
As it don't take Einstein to know that's just obscene but 
It's been Buck Rogers' time since I hit other than rock bottom 


After that, I'm ready for a Complete Meltdown... and lots of 80s references in this one!

Robotic vision, I'm Terminator 
I'm from the future, I've come to get yer 
I'm Knight Industries Two Thousand 
In my A-team van, aroused and 

I'm building boxes in the back of the shop 
I am Buck Rogers and 
I'm not gonna stop 
I'm weighing spuds, I'm 
Thinking nuclear fission 
I save the world with my robotic vision


Next up, George's favourite rappers...

You dress like Buck Rogers, you got a bell-end for a face

Lovely.


Then how about some Brazilian post-punk from the 80s?


Or a Dre who never became a Dr?


Or some "Soulless Californian Indie Rock" (their words, not mine)?


Or some Finnish surf-rock? (I imagine it's pretty cold, surfing in Finland.)


Or... erm... this?


I'm not sure The Hemingway Solution is a particularly memorable band name. And I like Hemingway! This, on the other hand...


And that's before we even get to the Namesakes...



This week's raison d'etre obviously comes from Feeder though, a Welsh indie band with just enough welly to keep them out of the landfill, and still be filling medium-sized venues almost 20 years after they formed. This is their biggest hit, and definitely their best song...


5 comments:

  1. Please no Flash Gordon in this series!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Erin Grey was my first crush. Probably quite a few of us of a certain age who have this in common. - Brian

    ReplyDelete

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