My Top Ten

Monday, 20 April 2026

Snapshots Spillover: More Record Labels In Song

A few more record labels I had left over after this weekend's celebration, starting with the obvious one...

Followed by some more beloved... and not so beloved labels...

Kamikaze Pilots - Sharon Signs to Cherry Red

Woody Guthrie - Roll On, Columbia

Graham Central Station - It Ain't Nothing But A Warner Brothers Party

Hugh Cornwell - Blue Note

Godley & Creme - Rhino Rhino

Bertie Higgins - Casablanca

Box of Frogs - Asylum

Gregg Diamond - Arista Vista

Richard Strauss - Elektra

The Verve - Reprise

(That was kind of a two-for-one deal.)

Joni Mitchell - The Sire Of Sorrow

Thinking about Sire Records also reminded me of this...

Belle and Sebastian - Seymour Stein

While Joni also led me to this song about Record Company boss David Geffen...

Joni Mitchell - Free Man In Paris

And while I couldn't find any songs with Parlophone in the title, I then remembered this...

Just when the Beta Band was about to start
It all started in London town
When we gave our demo to Phil Brown
Then we met Miles at Parlophone
And let him hear "Dog's Got a Bone"
He said go to Chalk Farm and put it on wax
The next few weeks was spent cutting four tracks

The Beta Band - The Beta Band Rap

Some of those were clearly not about record labels... but a lot of them were.

For balance, considering how many pop stars end up slagging off their labels in song... here's someone who loves his. (I think.)

Sunday, 19 April 2026

Snapshots #444: Songs About Record Labels

As Half Man Half Biscuit reminded us on Friday, yesterday was Record Store Day. And so, to celebrate, rather than taking out a second mortgage (the first one's bad enough), I dug out 15 songs about record companies. They're rarely complementary...

15. Soft focus.

I know, I know, these guys only featured here a couple of weeks back, but I couldn't not include this...

Blur - The Universal

Or this...

Blur - B.L.U.R.E.M.I.

14. Inflexible pinkies.

Stiff Little Fingers - Rough Trade

13. Pigswill company loses a litre, but finds a band inside. (Presumably a rather smelly band.)*

(*This clue was inspired by the latest edition of Ernie's Pun Fun.)

Pigswill company... minus one L.

Wilco - Capitol City

12. Spidey unmasked by Norton!

Graham reveals that he's Parker!

Graham Parker - Mercury Poisoning

11. Paints pictures about how it's gonna be... home, kitchen, earthen.

Joshua Kadison told us that Jessie paints pictures about how it's gonna be. Homeware, kitchenware, earthenware...

Jessie Ware - Swan Song

Swan Song was Led Zeppelin's own record label.

10. Dragon Lady.

The Lockheed U2 aircraft was nicknamed "Dragon Lady".

U2 - Vertigo

9. BAD boys.

Big Audio Dynamite - Sony

8. Egyptian life force, German affirmation, Iris's Dolls.

Ka is the Egyptian life force. Ja is German for yes. Iris was a song by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Kajagoogoo - Big Apple

7. Austrian poet.

Rainer Maria - Atlantic

6. Polish sextets in disarray.

"Polish sextets" was an anagram.

The Sex Pistols - EMI

5. Ape king found in whale.

Jonah was found in a whale. The ape was King Louis.

Jona Lewie - Be Stiff

Originally by Devo, who also started out on Stiff.

4. Sistine, Lady, Fallen.

The Fallen Madonna with The Big Boobies, for anyone who remembers 'Allo 'Allo. My dad used to work with Gordon 'Renee' Kaye, before he became famous.

Madonna - Like A Virgin

3. Clear victors in the Dads Vs. Lads match.

Boys: 2, Men: well, I'm guessing nil.

Boyz II Men - Motownphilly

2. Winners of the 1973 "Longest Band Name Without Any Vowels" competition. (Semis not counted.)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Workin' for MCA

Some people class 'y' as a semi-vowel. I do not.

1. Found confused, but only after rehab.

"Only after rehab" was an anagram.

Two Record Labels for the price of one in this tune...

Harry Belafonte - Island In The Sun

More of this tomfoolery next Saturday.

Saturday, 18 April 2026

Saturday Snapshots #444

You know it's a wonderful life when you can turn on your computer on a Saturday morning and find some Snapshots to identify.

Who are the folks below and how are their songs connected?

15. Soft focus.

14. Inflexible pinkies.

13. Pigswill company loses a litre, but finds a band inside. (Presumably a rather smelly band.)*

(*This clue was inspired by the latest edition of Ernie's Pun Fun.)

12. Spidey unmasked by Norton!

11. Paints pictures about how it's gonna be... home, kitchen, earthen.

10. Dragon Lady.

9. BAD boys.

8. Egyptian life force, German affirmation, Iris's Dolls.

7. Austrian poet.

6. Polish sextets in disarray.

5. Ape king found in whale.

4. Sistine, Lady, Fallen.

3. Clear victors in the Dads Vs. Lads match.

2. Winners of the 1973 "Longest Band Name Without Any Vowels" competition. (Semis not counted.)

1. Found confused, but only after rehab.

Look out your Rear Window tomorrow morning and you might just see the answers!

Friday, 17 April 2026

Another Day #11: Record Store Day

Tomorrow is Record Store Day.

You’re going to need a second mortgage

Thursday, 16 April 2026

Mid-Life Crisis Songs #134: Honeymoon

We were lucky that Sam and I had misaligned holidays this Easter, so while he's back at school this week, I'm still off... allowing Louise and I the rare luxury of getting away to the Peak District for a couple of days peace and quiet. (Sam is being looked after by appropriate adults, in case you're on the phone to Child Services.)

So this is what passes for our Honeymoon. Appropriate (and inappropriate) tunes will follow...

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - The Long Honeymoon

Homer Banks - Before The Honeymoon

Roy Clark - Honeymoon Feeling

Bob Hope To Die - Honeymoon

Bruce Springsteen - The Honeymooners

Be Bop Deluxe - Honeymoon On Mars

City Boy - Honeymooners

Magazine - The Honeymoon Killers

Kim Carnes - Gypsy Honeymoon

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Honeymoon With You

Robert Earl Keen - Gringo Honeymoon