Girls, Girls, Girls... and boys, boys, boys: welcome to the Mötley Crüe that is the Saturday Snapshots answers for this week. Hopefully these will Kickstart Your Heart for Sunday morning...
(Speaking of kickstart, I'll be back later this week to talk about a project I'm involved in that may be of interest to one or two of you.)
No scores this week due to my computer still being in a box, but you all did very well. #9 was pretty obscure...
10. Johnny's pal sounds bitter alongside young adults, considering passionate idiots.
1. Oldest string game played by Potter in dry-lipped pub.
Harry (Potter) has chap(ped) lips at the inn.
The cat's cradle, according to iffypedia, is one of the oldest games in recorded human history. THis is what kids did for fun before Xbox and Netflix...
Mansize tissues at the ready...
No need to Shout At The Devil - Saturday Snapshots will be back next week.
I used to work with a guy called Danny. I once heard him (non-ironically) tell a client, "yeah, yeah, it's cool, it's happening, it's us". Plus he called EVERYONE 'mate'. He couldn't finish a sentence without sticking that word on the end. As a result, I have a deep, irrational distrust of anyone called Danny... so I apologise if that's you. I'm sure you'd never say, "it's cool, it's happening, it's us". Would you?
Anyway, here's ten songs about Danny. No Daniels, they'll get their own turn some other day, Elton.
Mark E. Smith and co. cover a 1958 Gene Vincent song as the B / AA side of the Fall's 1986 single Couldn't Get Ahed. Missing out letters was cool back then.
Originally recorded by Lal & Mike Waterson in 1972 (with Richard Thompson and Martin Carthy on guitars), but I'm more taken by Billy's cover because... well, it's Billy. No idea who this Danny Rose is - but it's not Woody Allen's or any of the footballers.
The second track on Rufus's debut album (18 years old, folks) is the first of three Danny Boys to make the Top Ten (all different songs). This one's a typically dramatic and beautiful ode to a former beau who let Rufus down (not advisable unless you want to be immortalised in song).
We walk the streets Gently starin' wonderin' what to do The sun in sheets Pourin' down those streets to eyes green and blue And a ship with eight sails could come 'round the bend Or a herd of bulls charging stop lights red I'd be blind
The original Danny Boy: the Irish anthem, set to the tune of Londonderry Air, and a firm favourite of my dad, has been recorded by everybody from Elvis to Johnny Cash (twice), Patti LaBelle to Thin Lizzy. But I'll be damned if I've ever heard a better version than Jackie Wilson's 1965 cover. He takes that tune to new places.
Danny Popplewell will forever be Bradford's greatest musical export in my ears, and considering how long a career Stuart Murdoch has maintained in a very similar vein, I always feel it's tragic that Ooberman were not a much, much bigger band.
This is a pretty obscure b-side from their single Tears From A Willow... but it's still great.
OK, this one takes a bit of explaining. This song was written by Ben Weisman & Fred Wise who wrote a number of songs for Elvis movies, of which this was one, although it wasn't released at the time. A little later, the chorus (and title) were rewritten from Danny to Lonely Blue Boy, and re-recorded by Conway Twitty who had a US Top Ten hit with it in 1960. I could have linked to the Elvis version - y'know, the one that's actually called Danny - but I prefer the one by Mr. Twitty. I first came across it on the soundtrack to Punch Drunk Love, that rarest of beasts: a good Adam Sandler film. (No, really.)
That's twice Elvis has lost out today - don't worry, you're still the king.
At first, this doesn't sound like a regular Ramones song at all - it doesn't begin with a "One-choo-three-four!" for a start. Phil Spector's influence is all over this one though, and it does build (in typical Spector fashion) to sound just like a Ramones song: indeed, Joey apparently thought this was one of the best songs Spector produced for the band.
The Danny in question is Ramones' manager Danny Field, the man who also signed Iggy and the MC5 and also worked with Jonathan Richman. Without him, they say punk might not have happened.
From Paddy McAloon's glorious 2014 comeback album, Crimson/Red. I loved this song from the moment I first heard it, but it took Miller (yes, him again) to point out that it was a in fact a tribute to one of the greatest songwriters to ever walk the face of the earth: Wichita Lineman's own Jimmy Webb.
In words he paints a vivid scene, of places you may not have been Yet listening, you're moved to swear, I know that house, I've climbed the stair I've shared those overwhelming feelings, I've suffered loss - I've known such joy Emotions we all know, are burnished til they glow, in the songs of Danny Galway
1. Anne Murray - Danny's Song
Have you been watching the Mick Jagger / Martin Scorcese TV show Vinyl? You know, the one about the record industry in the 70s with Jagger's son James doing his best to distance himself from his new Wicked Stepfather (like Jerry Hall hasn't got enough money) by working alongside daddy dearest? The show's not been particularly well-reviewed but I'm really loving it (once you get past the typical Scorcese excessive glorification of sleaze) and the soundtrack is excellent, mixing classic rock 'n' roll, soul, blues, punk and cheesy 70s pop to great effect.
A recent episode closed with Anne Murray's classic rendition of Danny's Song (written by Footloose maestro Kenny Loggins, trivia lovers) and it was a weird case of synchronicity since I've been playing this track a lot lately ever since I heard it played on the radio as a tribute to Wogan (it was one of his favourites I didn't get round to writing about in My Top Ten Terry Wogan Songs).
Altogether now...
"Even though we ain't got money I'm so in love with you honey..."
Because it's been snowing this week. Round these part, anyway. And, as usual, people have been acting like it's the end of the world...
The only rule for this one was that I couldn't have any Christmas songs. For obvious reasons. Hence, no matter how good a song 'Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow' might be... it's not getting in.
Having grown up on a farm and seen the after-effects of a fox in a chicken house, I shouldn't have much sympathy for the animals. But I do. Besides, Stuart Murdoch could make me shed a tear for even the most hateful of creatures: that's just his gift. One day he'll write a song about Tom Hanks or Michael McIntyre and all will be forgiven...
9. Shirley Lee - The First Time You Saw Snow
I make no apologies for featuring two Shirley Lee records in the space of two Top Tens, even if most of you have never heard of him. Sadly this one has disappeared from its original online source, but I'm sure you can hear it somewhere if you search hard enough. It's worth the effort!
All through this short life we give of ourselves
Giving and giving and slowly diminishing
Leaving a mark that will gradually fade
Ash in the breeze, snowballs in negative
Not only is this a beautiful song, but Anne Murray was also once the world's best female celebrity golfer. Elvis's version is pretty good, but he was rubbish with a golf club.
1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow
Nick goes all Mike Oldfield on our snowy ass. Chilling... in every sense of the word.
I waved to my neighbour
My neighbour waved to me
But my neighbour
Is my enemy
I kept waving my arms
Till I could not see
Under fifteen feet of pure white snow
Those were my snowy songs... which one gets you all flakey?
