Celebrity Jukebox #85: Tim Curry

I'm not one of those people who cherishes The Rocky Horror Picture Show as a highpoint in movie/musical history. Neither am I one of those people who hates the very mention of its name. I thought it was a pretty good movie, watched it a couple of times, had a laugh or two (I particularly like the bit with Meat Loaf)... but never felt the need to dress up and sing the songs at a revival night.

I don't have the legs for it.

Still, as powerful as that performance may well be, it'd be a shame if it was all we remembered Tim Curry for. He was also the original Pennywise, from the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King's It... not a classic, but better than the recent two part movie series (one good film, one terrible film - and they shouldn't have been split up to past and present like that anyway, it diminished the story). He was the Darkness in Legend and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island. Perhaps not the most illustrious of career paths when you look at his full résumé, but that wicked twinkle of his eye generally improved any movie he showed up in.

Tim also gets a name drop from top Aussie hip hop group The Hilltop Hoods... always worth a spin.

And the thought of him helps Anna B. Savage finish... erm... what she's doing... in the song below...

Anna B. Savage - Chelsea Hotel #3

I was actually quite surprised how many times Tim's name crops up in song...

I am Tim Curry from "It" 

My heart is made out of shit

Shelf Life - Good Son

Went to see a movie

Face wasn't Tim Curry

I think I'm going to pop

I don't think I can stop

Ty Segall & White Fence - Tommy's Place

Living in a haunted home

Would be fine if I lived with a friend

It'd be no worry

If I lived with Tim Curry

But I don't, so this nightmare won't end

Let's Make A Music - Haunted Home

You may argue that some of those are even less illustrious than the lesser movies Tim appeared in... but immortality is immortality.

I've saved the best for last though. Not many of Tim's obits will mention his brief turn as a pop star, releasing three albums in the late 70s / early 80s. Coincidentally, I featured one of his best tracks on last week's Snapshots. But here's his biggest hit (#91 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979)...

Celebrity Jukebox #84: Dolly Parton

There aren't that many true icons left, and this week we lost another.

Dolly might not mean the same to other people in my generation as she did to me... but they probably didn't grow up listening to Terry Wogan.

Jolene

Islands In The Stream

Here You Come Again

Love Is Like A Butterfly

The Bargain Store

9 To 5

In my head, every one of those was a Top Ten hit, yet in reality only the first two troubled the UK charts (9 To 5 got to #47... can you believe that?). Despite that, Dolly is one of the few artists I've come across to have a separate discography page for Albums and Singles on iffypedia... so I doubt she worried much about her British record sales.

Dolly defined country music glamour.

Dolly had her own bridge and theme park.

Dolly single-handedly cured Covid. (Well, she did a hell of a lot more than most politicians.)

Like Tina Turner before her, I thought Dolly would go on forever.

I can't believe she's gone - and she was only 80.

Here are some songs for Dolly...

Lee Hazlewood - Dolly Parton's Guitar

Yuko - Dolly Parton

Pam Tillis - Dolly 1969

Geowulf - Dolly

Suede - Dolly

Microdisney - Dolly

And a few choice lyrical mentions...

Johnny Cash in black, over on a countryside

Dolly Parton, ha, Loretta Lynn

Don't forget Charley Pride

James Brown - That's Sweet Music

I'm stuck in Spokane in a motel room

Lord, I wish I had a Dolly Parton tape

Tom T. Hall - Spokane Motel Blues

Ladies, ladies

In my kitchen baking cake is Betty Crocker

Ladies, ladies

Dolly Parton's in my pool

And Aunt Jemima's acting cool

Sparks - Ladies

Dolly Parton was queen

Billy Joel the boss

We were uptown, downtown, little bit of Motown

With Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross

Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott - 7 Inch Single

Dolly Parton and Lord Byron

They said patriotism is the last refuge

But now its me

The Fall - Mount Energei

Larry Hagman, Sally Field

And Dolly Parton, me oh my

It's all yours at

Samson and Delilah's beauty shop

Steve Forbert - Samson & Delilah's Beauty Shop

We've been gone for way too long

Can't count all the roads we've been down

Try to keep it between the ditches

Till the Dolly Parton bridge is in the front window

The Red Clay Strays - Stone's Throw

There's a lot more where they came from, but I'm still on holiday.

Finally then, here's Dolly at her very best...

One Track Summer #20: Tugboat

When guitarist Sterling Morrison left the Velvet Underground in 1971, he completed a degree in Medieval Literature at the University of Texas... but as degrees in Medieval Literature don't offer much hope in the job market, he then began working as a deckhand on a tugboat in Houston. By the 1980s, he had ascended to the position of Master Mariner, and spent most of that decade working as a tugboat captain, with music as an occasional hobby.

In 1988, Dean Wareham's dreamy indie band Galaxie 500 released a single in tribute to Morrison's post-Velvets career path... and this is it.

I don't wanna stay at your party
I don't wanna talk with your friends
I don't wanna vote for your president
I just wanna be your tugboat captain

Namesakes #203: The Doors

Almost the end of the summer holidays, and after last week's colossal entry on bands called Sparks, I needed a bit of a breather. Step forward then a two horse race, or a two door garage if you prefer. Of course, there will be those of you in the pedantically minded camp who argue that these aren't proper Namesakes since they spell their names differently and one of them takes the direct article while other employs no determiner at all.

However, since the beginning of Namesakes time, I have wanted to feature these two bands, because when you say their names out loud, they sound identical. And because I like both bands a lot, it aggravates me that the second lot chose their name surely in full awareness that it would make them sound exactly like another far more famous band from years earlier. It's like saying, "hey, why don't we call ourselves Beetulls? Or Rowling Stoans? Holleez? Worsells? Then whenever a DJ plays our record on the radio, people who can't see the spelling might confuse us with those other guys? In't that a brilliant idea?"

No. It's not a brilliant idea. It's a very dumb idea. Although apparently this confusion only happens on this side of the Atlantic. Because of the odd way we have of pronouncing English words in the UK. More on that in a moment...

THE DOORS #1

The Lizard King and his mates. You loved them when you were in the 6th form. You might even have had Jim Morrison's poster up on your wall as the epitome of cool. Then you grew a bit older and realised there was a certain Emperor's New Clothes quality to Jim's lyrics, and maybe you would sound more cool if you slagged them off and said they only decent thing about The Doors was Ray's organ. Then, hopefully, you grew a bit older still and realised that was a pretentious bullshit attitude and that The Doors were genius. If not, give it a few more years: you'll get there in the end.

The Doors - Riders On The Storm

DAWES #2

LA singer songwriter Taylor Goldsmith used to be in a band called Simon Dawes. When he left and started up a new group with his brother Griffin, he opted to keep the second half of that old band name. Thus were born a band I've had a lot of time for over the years... even though their name niggles me whenever I hear it.

Taylor claims this is my problem because I'm British. Here's a bit from Rolling Stone...

Over in the U.K., Dawes’ name sounds an awful lot like Jim Morrison’s famed band.

“Everyone just assumes we’re saying ‘Doors.’ An English friend broke it down for me, saying, ‘We pronounce ‘pawn as in ‘pawnshop’ the same way we pronounce ‘porn’ as in ‘pornography.’ With [the words] Dawes and Doors, they’re not hearing my accent when I say ‘Dawes.’ They’re hearing theirs.” Every radio interview, someone has to say, ‘It’s not who you think it is. It’s this other band.'”

OK, I thought. So they must pronounce Dawes differently in the US. So I tried to find out how it should sound. 

Like this?

Or like this?

Or like this?

What the f--!? Is someone trying to gaslight me here? Because I listened to the way every one of those interviewers introduced the band and on each occasion it sounded just like DOORS!

Old man needs a lie down.

Still, name aside, they making some cracking tunes. Here's one of my favourites...

Dawes - All Your Favourite Bands

Two Doors down... and that's your lot today. But...

Doors or Dawes? Can you tell the difference?

Neverending Top Ten #7.6: Fairies

Sam and I encounter the Cottingley Fairies (also at the National Media Museum or whatever they're calling it these days). Proof, if proof were needed, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was right!

Snapshots #462: Songs About Parts Of A House

From the Doors, all around the house... here's some songs you might hear if an estate agent is showing you round.

15. Cromwell flattened them.

English Civil War history lesson required.

The Levellers - This Garden

14. Sweet transvestite.

Frank N Furter himself...

Tim Curry - Paradise Garage

13. I'll give you half a dozen to sweeten the deal, fella.

Six to the Sugar, man.

Sixto Rodriguez - Halfway Up The Stairs

12. Found inside the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower.

Felt - Don't Die On My Doorstep

The tube of you directed me towards the Samaritans when I tried to find that song.

11. The rooster raced away from Duane and Floyd.

The cock ran from two Eddies.

Eddie Cochran - Sittin' In The Balcony

10. Disrupting the proton laws.

"Proton laws" was an anagram.

Snow Patrol - Crack the Shutters

9. Playing bass in That Irish Band makes him very happy.

Adam Clayton plays bass in That Irish Band. God knows how he manages to stay Merry, working with those other twonks.

Merry Clayton - The Doorbell Rings

8. Milk, sugar, cornflour.

The ingredients of a...

Blancmange - Living On The Ceiling

7. Is that the best that you can do, Faith and Ant?

"The best that you can do" is the subtitle of Arthur's Theme. Faith and Ant are Adams.

Arthur Adams - You've Got The Floor

6. Small erasers.

The Rubettes - Under One Roof

5. Card-carrying and paid up.

The Members - Rat Up A Drainpipe

4. She has a Clown... and keeps in with Mr. Brown (for his money).

Cathy's Clown meets Dennis "Money In My Pocket" Brown.

Cathy Dennis - Too Many Walls

3. Moving Number 10 from London to Manchester might cause this...

Northern Uproar - From A Window

2. Angelic boss is also loaded.

Charlie Rich - Behind Closed Doors

1. JFK commission unmasks German Numero Uno. 

The people investigating JFK's assassination were the Warren Commission. A German Number One might be "Ze von!" (in a really bad German accent, with apologies to Walter).

Indisputably today's best song...

Warren Zevon - Desperados Under The Eaves

Get back in the Snapshots house next Saturday.

Saturday Snapshots #462

It's Saturday morning - time to put your other affairs on hold and make room for a bit of Snapshotting.

Who are these people and how are their songs connected?

15. Cromwell flattened them.

14. Sweet transvestite.

13. I'll give you half a dozen to sweeten the deal, fella.

12. Found inside the Eiffel Tower.

11. The rooster raced away from Duane and Floyd.

10. Disrupting the proton laws.

9. Playing bass in That Irish Band makes him very happy.

8. Milk, sugar, cornflour.

7. Is that the best that you can do, Faith and Ant?

6. Small erasers.

5. Card-carrying and paid up.

4. She has a Clown... and keeps in with Mr. Brown (for his money).

3. Moving Number 10 from London to Manchester might cause this...

2. Angelic boss is also loaded.

1. JFK commission unmasks German Numero Uno. 

Answers tomorrow morning!

One Track Summer #19: ...And Automobiles

To end the week, a handful of songs that follow on nicely from yesterday's post...

Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile

Parliament - My Automobile

ZZ Top - She Loves My Automobile

The Blue Nile - Automobile Noise

Webb Wilder And The Nashvegans - Stay Out Of Automobiles

One Track Summer #18: Planes, Trains...

Everyone knows the signature tune of Gladys Knight & The Pips, the huge 1973 hit (although it didn't make the UK charts until three years later) in which Gladys catches a late train back to Georgia to be with the man she loves, because she'd "rather live in his world than live without him in mine".

Not everyone knows that the song originally featured an entirely different destination, and mode of transportation.

And even if you did know that, did you know that Jim Weatherly wrote the song following a conversation with Farrah "Jill Munroe" Fawcett, shortly after she'd started dating Lee "Steve Austin / Colt Severs" Majors? It sounds like Farrah would have gone anywhere to be with Lee, even if it involved taking a midnight plane to Houston...

The United Kingdom of Song #47: Ironbridge

On our way back from Dudley, Sam and I stopped off in the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the small Shropshire Village where Abraham Darby III built the world's first bridge made out of iron across the Severn Gorge between 1777 and 1781.

There probably aren't going to be any songs about Ironbridge, I figured... little knowing that back in 1973, "Shropshire's top pop band" changed their name from Fluff to something far more substantial...

Namesakes #202: Sparks

Hey there, bright sparks! This week, we're living in a powder keg and giving off...

SPARKS #1

Igniting today's post, a collaborative Sparks led by Sam Chatmon with powerful vocals by Gwinny Witherspoon, from the early 50s.

Sam Chatmon & Sparks feat Gwinny Witherspoon - Nobody But Me

THE SPARKS #2

Followed by a five-piece instrumental group from New Orleans in the late 50s.

The Sparks - Ol' Man River

SPARKS #3

And an LA-based rock n roll group led by Curtis Irvin from, I'm guessing, some time in the 50s.

Curtis Irvin & The Sparks - Make A Little Love

THE SPARKS #4

Louisiana rock 'n roll band from 1957...

Nathan and the Sparks - Don't Say No

THE SPARKS #5

More rock n rolly Sparks from California in 1958.

The Sparks - Something Happened

THE SPARKS #6

In 1959, The Sparks were a backing band for Nashville songwriter Boudleaux Bryant (the man who wrote Love Hurts and a bunch of hits for the Everly Brothers, with his wife and co-writer, Felice). 

Boudleaux Bryant & The Sparks - Hot Spot

THE SPARKS #7

Also in 1959, the genie gets out of the bottle via these New York Sparks...

The Sparks - The Genie

LOS SPARKS #8

Mexican Sparks from 1960...

Los Sparks - La Borrachita

THE SPARKS #9

Trinbagonian* Calypso group active from 1962, changing their name to Wild Fire in the 70s.

(*The AI Gods tell me that "people from both Trinidad and Tobago are collectively referred to as Trinidadians and Tobagonians, or colloquially Trinbagonians".)

The Sparks - Don't Climb Picker Tree

THE SPARKS #10

Next up, some Canadian Sparks from 1963.

The Sparks - Kid Stuff

THE SPARKS #11

And some soulful Philly Sparks from the mid-60s.

The Sparks - Don't Be A Fool

THE SPARKS #12

Dutch Sparks from 1966 with a half-decent cover of a Van Morrison / Them song.

The Sparks - If You And I Could Be As Two

THE SPARKS #13

Cool New York funk/soul band from 1967...

The Sparks - Cool It

THE SPARKS #14

Meanwhile down in Brazil around the same time...

The Sparks - Ilusao

SPARKS #15

Ron and Russell. From LA, 1969 to now. You know the rest. With apologies to every other featured band this week - this town ain't big enough...

Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us

THE SPARKS #16

Zimbabwe Sparks from 1971...

The Sparks - Ndaive Ne Mukadzi

THE SPARKS #17

A Jamaican reggae act (with his pals) from 1975, singing about something that makes him feel happy...

Sparks, Marcus & The Soundations - 100 Pounds Of Weed

THE SPARKS #18

Nigerian Sparks from 1988. I dig their groovy sci-fi uniforms.

The Sparks - Special Love

SPARKS #19

Also from 1988, these South African Sparks were taking out the trash...

Sparks - Garbage Bin Man

THE SPARKS #20

AKA Gregg and Rebecca Sparks of Pittsburgh, bothering God since 1989.

The Sparks - U Tell Me

SPARX #21

Also starting their career at the end of the 80s - and still going today, by all accounts - these New Mexican sisters were Sparx.

Sparx - No Soy Robot

SPARKS. #22

English singer-songwriter active from 2020, who's clearly never heard of Ron & Russell, or thinks sticking a full stop on the end of his name somehow differentiates him.

Sparks - Time To Change

SPARKS #23

And finally, some Sparks from Minneapolis. According to the Camp of Bands, they're playing three UK dates in August, but I'm not sure I believe that.

The Sparks - Oh Wow

Which ones start a fire in you... and which ones leave you cold?