When I began this blog, I called it My Top Ten because that was the only feature from my old blog that I still wanted to carry on with. I was tired of writing about myself, I just wanted to write about music.
Ironically, the blog has evolved so much after the past few years that I never write Top Ten posts anymore. One day I'll relaunch for a third time (probably on Wordpress) and call the blog Irk The Purists instead. If I can be bothered.
Meanwhile, here are some bands named after this blog... what an influence I've had!
THE TOP TEN #1
We start today in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The year was 1967, when Gary Griffin and his band drove to the Stax studios in their stretch-station wagon to record this tune. And it was all captured on an early video camera as you'll see in the clip. Warms the heart, it does, to stare back into the past like that...
Gary Griffin & The Top Ten - Think Nothing About It
TOP TEN BAND #2
Over to Uganda now, where this Top Ten Band supported a number of prominent singers in the late 60s and early 70s, including Charles Kanaabi, Eddie Kabuye, Kefa, Moses Katazza and more.
Charles Kanaabi with Top Ten Band - Nasanga
TOP TEN #3
Funky German instru-mentalists from 1975... with added Frank.
Frank & The Top Ten - Bad Girl
TOP 10 #4
From Costa Rica, in 1976. Old and scratchy, but still deserving your love.
TOP TEN #5
Scott "Top Ten" Kempner was the guitarist and songwriter with early US punk band The Dictators. He was also in The Del Lords, The Brandos and The Paradise Brothers, as well as forming a short-lived band in the 80s with Dion DiMucci. Did he ever make the Top Ten? No... but that was his nickname.
Scott "Top Ten" Kempner - Hot Rod Angel
THE TOP TEN #6
90s indie with added Tina (although her real name is Mimi)... and if you feel like objecting to that, George, can I just point out that they're from Portugal?
TOP TEN #7
Polish Euro-Pop-pop-pop from 1993. They're an odd lot, as you'll see below. As far as I can tell, this was only ever released on cassette - which in 1993 would have been a very un-hip format.
TOP TEN #8
Italian house gubbins from 1995. Whenever I see that little yellow smiley face on a video, my blood runs cold.
TOP 10 #9
From the Czech Republic in 2004, a supergroup made up of some TV talent show winners... and it's every kind of awful.
TOP TEN #10
Finally today - and how fitting that there are exactly ten to choose from? - some San Francisco punks from the decade they call "The Noughties".
None of them made the actual Top Ten... but which band is Number One in your estimation?
