Namesakes #103: The Mavericks

Anyone who was expecting a photo of Tom Cruise today... sorry to disappoint.

The dictionary tells us a maverick is "an unorthodox or independent-minded person". No wonder so many musical acts wanted to define themselves thus, to set them apart from the crowd...

THE MAVRICKS #1

We start today in 1961, with a song produced by Gary Sanford Paxton, the man behind the desk for Bobby Boris Pickett's Monster Mash.

The Mavricks - Angel With A Heartache

THE MAVERICKS #2

One year later, here's a song that would have fit well in Charity Chic's Chicken Coup.

The Mavericks - The Chicken Back

THE MAVERIX #3

Long before Stealers Wheel, just after they'd both left school back in 1963, Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan played together in The Maverix. I couldn't find any of their recordings on the tube of you, but I was rescued by the book of faces...

The Maverix - Time Is Like A God 

THE MAVERICKS #4

Also in 1963, here's a "Western-flavoured surf instrumental" from North Dakota...

The Mavericks - Caballero

THE MAVERICKS #5

Two years later in New York City... these dudes. That's all I know.

The Mavericks - Life Ain't No Bucket Of Roses (Tenement Boy)

THE MAVERICKS #6

From Nashville in 1968, aiding and abetting one Lee Howell...

(Lee Howell &) The Mavericks - Gonna Buy Me A Guitar

THE MAVERICKS #7

Also in 1965, country singer Moe Bandy started his career as a Maverick.

The Mavericks - Lonely Girl

THE MAVERICKS #8

Some banjo-picking goodness from Canada in 1975...

The Mavericks - Rocky Top

THE MAVERICKS #9

German Mavericks from 1984. I could only find a live TV appearance of them doing a cover of The Letter by The Box Tops, but it's worth watching for the guitarist's socks... and later on in the show, he wears what it appears to be a pink condom on his heaD.

The Mavericks live im SFB Fernsehen Berlin

THE MAVERICKS #10

Arriving on the scene in 1989, and still going strong today, Raul Malo's TexMex country outlaws (from Florida!) had their biggest hit with Dance The Night Away in 1998. Today though, I've chosen a cool tune song from their latest album, featuring guest vocals by Nicole Atkins.

The Mavericks - Live Close By (Visit Often)

THE MAVERICKS #11

Taken from the soundtrack of a Brazilian soap opera called Uma Rosa com Amor, circa 2010... here are some more Mavericks.

The Mavericks - Dias Melhores

MAVERICKS #12

These guys are from Dallas, and appear to have been releasing tunes on the camp of bands for a good few years. Maybe this one will appeal to you. As for me...

Mavericks - It Doesn't

MAVERIX #13

Italian country punk from 2023, with a song dedicated to James Brolin's son. Not half bad either...

MaveriX - Josh Brolin

There were loads more Mavericks listed on discogs, but sadly they were all such true mavericks that none of their tunes are available anywhere on the web of lies. 

Which of the above are true Mavericks... and which are just Maverdicks?

Snapshots Spillover: More Existential Questions...

As promised, here are some more big questions for you to ponder. First though, a couple of more generally existential tunes...

Sparks - The Existential Threat

Manic Street Preachers - Jackie Collins Existential Question Time

The biggest question that last one has to ask is, "Oh, mummy, what's a Sex Pistol?"

Here are some more direct questions about our very existence...

Kris Kristofferson - Why Me?

The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Why Can't I Be Satisfied?

Jail Weddings - How Am I Alive?

The Wipers - Is This Real?

Moonlight - Am I Really Here?

The Flaming Lips - Do You Realise? 

That's the one I want playing at my funeral.

Lord Huron - What Do It Mean?

Echo & The Bunnymen - What Are You Going To Do With Your Life?

The Bees - Who Cares What The Question Is?

There was only one song I could close with today - the one that makes me ponder the biggest questions of all, such as, "Well, how did I get here?", "Am I right, am I wrong?", "My God, what have I done?" and most importantly of all... why is there water at the bottom of the ocean?

Snapshots #361: A Top Ten Existential Question Songs

Above are a series of self-portraits taken by Austrian philosopher and photographer (although he gave them both up to become a shepherd in later life), Ludwig Wittgenstein. On pondering the great unanswerable philosophical questions, Wittgenstein came up with the best answer I've ever heard when he said, "I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves."

And with that in mind, here are some more big questions to ponder...

10. Pee Wee zeroes in on the answer.

Pee Wee zeroes...

Weezer - Why Bother?

9. When the still sea conspires an armour, and her sullen and aborted currents breed tiny monsters, true sailing is dead!

Those are the 6th Form Poetry opening lyrics of Horse Latitudes by The Doors. But I'm sure you all knew that...

Horse Latitudes - What Is More Than Life? 

8. They're new, but they've been around long enough to be considered outstanding.

Classix Nouveau - Is It A Dream?

7. More than half of Genesis were pretty good.

The first half in particular...

Gene - Why Was I Born?

6. A dreamer, in the Caribbean.  

Freddie was one of the Dreamers. Montserrat is an island in the Caribbean.

Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé - How Can I Go On?

5. We're all going together, on the bus.

Coach Party - What's The Point In Life?

4. What connects Christopher Cross, Utopia, Octopus and Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine? 

Each one contains a TOP. Add them together and you have...

Four Tops - What Is A Man?

3. Furtive canine inquiry. 

Snoop Doggy Dogg - Who Am I?

2. Oz, Raleigh, Pidgeon.

One Frank (Oz) and two Walters...

The Frank & Walters - How Can I Exist?

1. By...! What Cat's In The Cradle is about.

By George! Cats In The Cradle was about Harry's son.

George Harrison - What Is Life?

Thanks for playing. I'll be back with more existential questions for you to ponder tomorrow. 'Will Snapshots return next Saturday?' won't be one of them...

Saturday Snapshots #361

Looking for this week's quiz? You're Justin time!

Can I make a Belieber out of you?

Identify the ten artists below... and figure out how their songs might be connected?

10. Pee Wee zeroes in on the answer.

9. When the still sea conspires an armour, and her sullen and aborted currents breed tiny monsters, true sailing is dead!

8. They're new, but they've been around long enough to be considered outstanding.

7. More than half of Genesis were pretty good.

6. A dreamer, in the Caribbean.  

5. We're all going together, on the bus.

4. What connects Christopher Cross, Utopia, Octopus and Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine? 

3. Furtive canine inquiry. 

2. Oz, Raleigh, Pidgeon.

1. By...! What Cat's In The Cradle is about.

Answers tomorrow morning!

Snapshots Spillover: More Sitcom Songs

As promised, here are a few more songs that share their names with sitcoms. Let's start with that extra clue I gave you all on Saturday morning...

Cliff Richard & The Shadows - The Young Ones

...which naturally leads us to this...

Beyond that? How about these?

The Rah Band - Porridge

Pet Shop Boys - Absolutely Fabulous

Splodgenessabounds - Two Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps

Martyn Joseph - Please Sir

The Mekons - Rosanne

Lucky Jim - The Honeymooners

You may have some other suggestions. If so, please share them with the group.

But to close, a different Harry from the one we started with...

Namesakes #102: Cream

Sometimes I start a Namesakes investigation with high expectations... only to spend the rest of the day wading waist-deep through the sewers of non-hit hell. Often, I spare you (and George) the horror of those excursions. Many's the Namesake abandoned to the NEVER POST file. 

This week though, I was running short on time when I realised this particular edition was going nowhere fast. So I figured I'd share the pain.

Unless you're George, I wouldn't bother wasting your Tuesday with any of this lot. The cream of the crop, they are not.

CREAM #1

Perhaps (?) the only exception to my opening comments...

Ginger Bake. Jack Bruce. That other bloke. Together, they made some pretty decent songs. That other bloke got a bit annoying, smug and racist in later years, but we'll try to forget that, shall we?

Cream - I Feel Free

CREAM #2

90s dance dudes from Spain.

Cream - It's Brutal

Yes. It is.

CREAM #3

Israeli techno from 1997.

Cream - Why?

Why, indeed.

CREAM #4

Memphis gangsta rapper from 2000.

Cream - Big Man

CREAM #5

South African hip hop, also from the turn of the century.

Cream - Kwasa Kwasa

CREEM #6

American hardcore punks from 2011. Naturally, they can't spell.

Creem - Good Riddance

Indeed.

CREAM #7

Thai girl band from about ten years ago.

Cream - องศาเดียว

Apparently the cream rises to the top. But then, so does something else I can think of...

I promise to do better next week.

Neverending Top Ten #7.1: Eleven

Out of nowhere recently, Sam announced that he was 4000 days old. He'd done the maths himself.

Today though, he's 4015. (I'm believing what it says on the card, I can't be bothered to check the leap years.)

Happy birthday, buddy. You're still my Number One reason for getting out of bed. Although I might like a lie in every now and then...

The Smittens - 11:11

Lifter Puller - 11th Avenue Freeze Out

The 5th Dimension - The Eleventh Song (What A Groovy Day) 

Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension

The Wondermints - Project 11

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Song Eleven Could Take Forever

Snapshots #360: A Top Twelve Sitcom Songs

This week's Snapshots involved songs that share their name* with sitcoms.

But who had the last laugh...?

(*Or almost share their name, if you're a pedant.)

12. Marti lied? It's not clear.

"Marti lied" was an anagram...

Del Amitri - Some Mothers Do Have Them

(Strictly speaking, Frank Spencer's show was called Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.)

11. Midnight Rider definitely has a favourite Indiana Jones movie.

Paul Revere was famous for his midnight ride. Raiders is the first, and arguably best, Indiana Jones movie.

Paul Revere & The Raiders - Birds Of A Feather

10. Robert's purple sweets.

Robert Palmer loved his violets.

Palma Violets - Last Of The Summer Wine

9. Abba's fourth.

Abba's fourth album was Arrival.

Arrival - Friends

8. No morals.

The Libertines - What Became of the Likely Lads?

(Strictly speaking, Bewes and Bolam returned in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?)

7. As long as the groom's other half isn't sick, she can take this cab. 

The Bridewell Taxis - Just Good Friends

6. Super Nice Monks!

Super Nice brothers.

The Pernice Brothers - One Foot In The Grave

5. The real Marilyn is keen on getting bronzed in the sun.

Marilyn's real name was Norma Jean. This lady is eager for a tan...

Norma Tanega - Bread

4. Hexed by a Hawaiian god.

Lono is the Hawaiian god of fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace.

Curse Of Lono - Man Down 

3. E=Man in Crown².

Albert Einstein came up with E=MC². A man in a crown might be a king.

Albert King - I Love Lucy

2. Kim / Ann / Nancy supergroup.

Kim is Wilde, Ann and Nancy are in Heart.

The Wildhearts - Cheers

(That's the only song on this list - I think - which is an actual TV theme tune reworked into a song. Although actually it's two... the first 50 seconds are the theme from Taxi.)

1. Affleck catches a theatre award. 

Ben Affleck catches a Tony in his net.

Tony Bennett - The Good Life

Twelve sitcom songs... and I'll be back with a few more later in the week.