Celebrity Jukebox #59: Jean Shrimpton

I hadn’t planned on doing a post on Jean Shrimpton, even though her name came up while I was looking into Terence Stamp’s murky past a couple of weeks back. But then, as fate would have it, I heard a song in the car that mentioned her… and that’s often a trigger to start me digging.

Iffypedia tells me that back in the swinging 60s, Jean Shrimpton was dubbed the “most famous”, “most photographed”, “most beautiful” and consequently “highest paid” model in the world. She has said she owes her career to photographer David Bailey, with whom she had a 4 year romance (prior to Terry Stamp), although Bailey also called her his muse and claimed her photos helped his own rise to fame.

Here’s a song named after Jean, from the appropriately named Close Ups, a cartoon band from 2006 in the manner of The Archies and Gorillaz…

The Close-Ups – Jean Shrimpton

When I saw the name Shark Inferno, I got very excited, imagining a ridiculous disaster B-movie starring Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and some flying CGI sharks with flame-throwers. Sadly, the reality was a low-key backing track with a bit of “Ohhh”-ing over the top.

Shark Inferno – Jean Shrimpton Boogie

Hardly a song befitting “the most beautiful girl in the world”, is it? So here’s Prince instead.

Prince – The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

And, just because I can…

Charlie Rich – The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

Neither of those songs are specifically about Jean Shrimpton, and I’ve set the bar way too high now. But here’s the man who wrote Taylor Dayne’s Tell It To My Heart with something far less annoying than his big hit. A lovely little tune that mention Jean, David Bailey and someone called Paul McCartney in its seemingly unrelated coda…

Seth Swirsky – Watercolour Day

“Never mind all that, Rol!” I hear you cry. “What was that song you heard in the car!?!”

Only New Jersey’s 11^th best rock band*, The Smithereens, with their 1986 UK Indie Chart “hit”, Behind The Wall Of Sleep, a consummation devoutly to be wished.

(*Estimated.)

Best of all, this track doesn’t just mention Jean… but also former Rolling Stone and your French teacher’s worst nightmare*, Bill “Interesting” Wyman…

She had hair like Jeannie Shrimpton back in 1965…

…and she stood just like Bill Wyman
Now I’m her biggest fan

Sounds like a winning combo to me.

(Because of the way he mangled the language in Je Suis Un Rock Star, nothing more salacious than that.)

Saturday Snapshots #73 - The Answers

In This World, there are few certainties. Sometimes people go to Extreme Ways to solve Saturday Snapshots. Other times, you Lift Me Up with your answers. No wonder this is a quiz that will Run On (for a long time).

I think Lynchie did just enough to take the prize this week, but there were good efforts from everyone else, particularly George, who confessed to helping Bill Wyman break into the charts. You're an accessory, George, you're going down for that.

You want answers, Honey? Go!


10. Put your lips together like you wanna Move On Up... but these will stop you in your tracks.

Curtis Mayfield sang Move On Up.

You put your lips together and blow, said Lauren Bacall.

Brakes will stop you in your tracks. Hopefully.

Kurtis Blow - The Breaks

9. Bees bring me out in a rash... like Public Enemy Number One.

Bees live in hives.

Hives are also a nasty rash.

Public Enemy No.1 would be the Main Offender.

The Hives - Main Offender

8. I am a musicien de célébrités... not a Geordie L'addition.

Wey aye, man - l'addition is the bill, like.

Bill Wyman - (Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star

Video of the week. Hell, video of the year. You will have nightmares.

7. Summer holiday at sea? Enjoy your trip...

A July cruise, perhaps?

Julee Cruise - Falling

6. Sweet home kids can't see Christ's explosive punch.

The Blind Boys of Alabama - (Jesus Hit Like The) Atom Bomb

5. Teenage revolt in the slums.

Skid Row - Youth Gone Wild

(I knew Rigid Digit would guess this one.)

4. A fantastic custom... aka Martini Tat.

Aka Martini Tat is an anagram.

Tanita Tikaram - A Good Tradition

3. A canary, like the Two Tommies.

A canary works in a coal mine.

Tommy Lee.

Tommy Dorsey.

Lee Dorsey - Working In The Coal Mine

2. Underwater breathing apparatus will burn out your retinas.

Aqualung - Brighter Than The Sun

1. MDMA overdose? Call for the army geologist.

MDMA is another name for Ecstasy.

XTC - Sgt. Rock Is Going To Help Me



Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad on a Sunday morning? Is it the knowledge that we'll have to wait another week for more Saturday Snapshots? That's Natural Blues, right there...

My Top Ten Rock Star Songs

The perils and pleasures of life as a rock 'n' roll star... in ten easy-to-singalong songs.


10. Ben Folds - Rock Star

You're a slave to these people who
Don't even know you
You think they adore you
They do
Then they throw you away

9. Oasis - Rock 'n' Roll Star

No other song sums up the best... and worst... of Oasis. If only they hadn't tried so very, very hard to live up to it.

Louise just walked in and gave me a really strange look. "Are you listening to Oasis!?!"

I live to surprise and confound.

8. David Essex - Gonna Make You A Star

"I don't think so."

7. Nickelback - Rockstar

Yes, yes, I know. You're far too cool to like Nickelback. Screw you.

6. Everclear - Rock Star

 Kind of like the Nickelback it's almost OK to like.

Everybody everywhere wants to be famous
And everybody everywhere wishes they could tell
Everybody everywhere to go to hell

5. Bill Wyman - (Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star

Bill Wyman may have been the most boring man in the Rolling Stones, but I always thought that was rather an unfair contest when you consider the competition. Still, this may well be his finest moment. It proves what a wag he really was. The video's hilarious too. 

Je suis un rock star
Je avais un residence
Je habiter la
A la south of France
Voulez vous
Partir with me?
And come and rester la
With me in France

4. The Byrds - So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star

Actually, no, I never did. I always wanted to be a writer. Pretty much missed the boat on that one.

3. Pink - So What

Pink's purest moment of petulant punk-pop in which she gives her ex the finger, because, "So what? I'm still a rock star!" The hilariously cartoon video positions Pink as a 21st Century Billy Idol, with added irony. What's not to love?

2. The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

Would have been Number One if it actually mentioned a Rock Star. Still... Trevor Horn's finest moment. And that's saying something, from the man who produced Owner Of A Lonely Heart.

1. Amanda Palmer - Do It With A Rockstar

What helps AFP stand triumphant over the many fine records below is that this epic is quite unique among rock stars songs, presenting as it does the tale of a needy, neurotic rockstar begging a groupie to stay the night. The honesty of her true intentions...

I don't want your body
Just a part to listen to INXS
All the practice in the world
Won't get me good at loneliness-ness
Loneliless-ness

...are beautifully contrasted by her more desperately persuasive "do you really wanna miss this chance?" chat up routine...

Do you wanna go back home?
Your animals are all alone
Oh, there's a chicken waiting on the stove
And your cousin left his DVD of swinging in the '70s
Or do you wanna go back home
Check your messages and charge your phone?
Oh, are you really sure
You wanna go
When you could
Do it with a rock star?

The video, entertaining though it is in a NSFW way, doesn't really do that dichotomy justice. But it's a wonderful track, and like Pink's song above, a record I just couldn't stop hitting "replay" on when I first got it. God knows what Neil Gaiman thinks, if AFP's actually like this in real life though...




Which one would you throw out the hotel window?