Thirty years ago, Damon and the Blur lads won that silly battle for Number One with the Neanderthal Brothers... but lost the battle in the album charts. The Friends theme tune made it into the charts, thanks to The Rembrants. And Take That had a song called Never Forget doing the rounds... but thankfully, I've forgotten it.
Better tunes were available in the late summer of 1995...
It's hard to believe any one of those songs is thirty years old.
Here's a song from 2025, all about 1995. The Tumbling Souls are from Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. And that's about all I know... except this one's a cracker.
Our family holiday this year took us to Northumberland, a place I haven't been since I was a teenager when my parents took me to Seahouses on what would be our last family holiday together. I wasn't all that impressed, and after that I chose to stay home with my sister when they went away. Suffice it to say that Seahouses holds more appeal to a fifty-something... though fortunately there was enough to keep Sam entertained to. How long before he no longer wants to go on holiday with his parents.
When I lyric-searched Seahouses, I kept getting these guys... but no relation.
Although the song title at least is appropriate, thanks to us (for once) choosing the best week of the summer to be away... a little too hot for me on a couple of the days.
We stayed in Beadnell, a lovely quiet village just down the coast from Seahouses, and one that clearly means a lot to Geordie prog-folk bloke Richard Dawson...
She asks why we spend precious time Crafting our sheaves by hand When we could acquire all we need From the bastle at Beadnell Or one of the abundant caskets of parting cloud Which every sundown Float to ground on their dark balloons
Now if you're wondering if the house at the top of the page was our holiday accommodation... sadly not. That's actually the former home of William Armstrong, the Tony Stark of Victorian England, a "scientist, inventor and philanthropist" who I suspect made most of his fortune from arms dealing. That house, Cragside, was once described as "truly the palace of a modern magician". It was probably the most impressive place we visited, though the ostentatious display of wealth left a sour taste too.
On then to Alnwick, home of a far more wholesome magician. In the grounds of Alnwick Castle, we fought dragons and learned how to fly a broomstick just like Harry Potter and his chums.
One final treat came with a boat trip around the Farne Islands to visit some grey seals (sadly, the puffins had all left for their winter holidays). The lighthouse on the photo is the one where local legend Grace Darling made her dramatic rescue back in 1838...
Sadly, we didn't get as far as Lindisfarne on that trip... we're saving the Holy Island till our next visit.
Anyone who's ever made it across those steps At Lindisfarne, that Lindisfarne Where the tide comes in early and leaves us stranded Without our family until the morning
Times are tight, and here at Top Ten Towers, we're struggling to make ends meet... so we're going to have to take in a Lodger. We might even have to take in multiple Lodgers. Please help us decide on appropriate tenants...
THE LODGERS #1
Let's start today in Malaysia in 1973. Too loud for the spare room?
Back in 1998, the Britpop Lodger were described as a "supergroup" because they were made up from members of other bands. The "all star" line-up comprised Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey and his girlfriend Pearl Lowe (from the band Powder) along with Will Foster and Neil Carlill from Delicatessen. Your definition of the words "supergroup" and "all star" may vary.
Pearl Lowe went on to become a fashion and home interiors designer. Her daughter Daisy is now a model too.
The Finnish alt-rock Lodger arrived in 2002, eventually building a cult following because of their cynicism, nihilistic lyrics and stick man music videos (created by bass-player Hannes Häyhä).
Our next Lodger came from Leeds in 2004 with added definite article to stop them getting confused with any previous Lodgers. The Grauniad said of them, "Imagine a more bitter and twisted Housemartins, or early James". Not sure I can hear that myself, but I like the title of their debut single. I might use it in today's comment box.
Texan Lodger from 2012 who clearly wants to take part in Saturday Snapshots. To quote from his page on the camp of bands... "I am the Lodger. I am traveling through this world and time. Residing at one location or another always moving on to a new place. We are all temporary residence on this Earth."
Another bunch of London indie urchins from 2016. This is from their only recorded discogs release, the Have You Heard Of The Lodgers? EP. I'm guessing as it was limited to 100 copies, the answer was sadly: no.
And, given the song title, I'm not convinced they'd be able to keep up with the rent...
Finally, a French Électrique Lodger in square brackets from 2021, featuring a variety of vocalists. Julie Buttolo may well just be reading her shopping list, but she sounds tres sophisticated regardless.
I thought about calling this collection: Songs With Nonsense titles. But some of them aren't strictly nonsense, they're just not words you'd find in the dictionary. (Watches all the pedants run to find their dictionaries.) Call them what you want, here are fifteen songs with no actual words in their titles...
