Charles, Charlie, Chuck... there was only one man to illustrate this week's name: Charles Edward Anderson Berry.
I don't have time to list all the other famous musical Charlies in my collection, but I'm sure you know who most of them are... and you spotted quite a few yourselves.
Walter offered...
The Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down To Georgia
The Swede said:
As for performers, I'll go for the great Charlie Rich. His solo piano version of 'Feel Like Going Home' is one of my Desert Island Discs.
Charlie Rich - Feel Like Going Home
Rigid Digit went for...
Charlie Harper - leader of UK Subs, 112 years old, and just completed the alphabet with the UK Subs 26th album Ziezo.
Alyson suggested:
There's Chas of Chas and Dave fame, although possibly breaks a rule.
Chas & Dave - Ain't No Pleasin' You
Another duo is Charles and Eddie who it seems were at the No. 1 spot when I was on my honeymoon in 1992 with Would I Lie To You. Bit of trivia: They performed the song at Bill Clinton's inaugural ball in 1993, which was ironic considering the pickle Bill found himself in down the line re Ms Lewinsky.
Charles & Eddie - Would I Lie To You?
While Swiss Adam came up with...
Maurice and Charles and a track called I, Carpenter which pays homage to Escape From New York.
Maurice & Charles - I, Carpenter
And George offered...
Prince Charles and The City Beat Band - I'm A Fool For Love
All of which remain off the point, since the idea of this feature is songs about Charlies rather than songs BY Charlies.
Still, on the subject of Prince Charles, George did toss this one into the ring...
Although I was more familiar with this version...
Manic Street Preachers - Charles Windsor
Closest with a chance of getting Prince Charles into this Top Ten though was Rigid Digit...
Which brings us nicely to a new feature-within-a-feature I'm calling Songs That Would Have Made The Top Ten If Rol Was Cool...
The Skids - Charles (Rigid Digit)
The Clash - Charlie Don't Surf (Walter)
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Charlie (Walter)
FSK - The Wall (Charity Chic)
Two more miles to Checkpoint Charlie...
Which prompted Jim to recall another strong contender (for any Top Ten)...
Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army
And made me remember this...
Little Steven - Checkpoint Charlie
And finally in the sub-category...
Scrawl - Charles (C)
C also offered "another sweet '60s song". Not one I was immediately familiar with, but it won me over being about rag 'n' bone men. Simpler times.
The Hollies - Charlie And Fred
While Jim also gave us...
The Retro Spankees - Charlie's in the Garden
The Swede was pleased with a Barbara track from last week...
Impressed by the relatively obscure T.Rex song featured in this post, I'll suggest 'Charlie', an early Marc Bolan acoustic demo.
It would also be remiss of me not to mention...
Bob Dylan - High Water (For Charley Patton)
All hail the return of Douglas McLaren from the snowy wastes of Canada! Welcome back, Douglas...
From my personal favourites of all time, the Trash Can Sinatras (or if you prefer to be up with the times, Trashcan Sinatras), there is an obscure b-side in the back catalogue entitled "Charlie's Atlas", with deliciously satirical lyrics full of their usual brand of wordplay and cutting linguistic cunning.
Trash Can Sinatras - Charlie's Atlas
I didn't have much time to do a thorough lyrical search for Charlies this week, but I did find this...
Half Man Half Biscuit - The Best Things In Life
While Walter provided...
Lightnin' Hopkins - I'll Be Gone
Hers is Betty
Our boy is a Charlie, so the neighbors sing "hooray for ABC"
ABC forever, each endeavour that I do, I do to keep together
A+B+C
(More from those guys in a moment.)
And a song from my very younger days by German folk musician Hannes Wader - even it is named Charley...
And finally, the scrapings from my hard-drive...
Skunk Anansie - Charlie Big Potato
The Boo Radleys - Charles Bukowski Is Dead
Drive-By Truckers - Drag The Lake, Charlie
The Temptations - Run, Charlie, Run
CR Avery - The Ballad of Charlie Parker & Patsy Cline
Lucinda Williams - Lake Charles
The Nude Party - Charlie's Sheep
The Menzingers - Charlie's Army
Which brings us to this week's Top Ten...
Acid House was never my bag, so if you're going to make an acid house record that I'll listen to more than once, a good idea would be to sample one of my favourite public information films from the 70s.
Well done to Rigid Digit for guessing this one would be in the Top Ten.
Jim in Dubai suggested this one...
C added: Argh, I can't believe I forgot Charlie by Split Enz; we've been on a bit of a Split Enz fest in this house lately! (I have developed something of a crush on Noel Crombie - who doesn't like a man who can play the spoons?!)
Jim returned: You can't go wrong with Split Enz, always preferred them to Crowded House, some of those 70's video were brilliant, enjoy your Enz Fest :-)
8. Danny O'Keefe - Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
Well done to Lynchie for suggesting this.
It's been covered by Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson and (my favourite version) Waylon Jennings.
About another 20 cover versions of that song.
Whereas the first version I heard was...
Elvis Presley - Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
A sorry tale of guilt, advantage-taking and regret.
6. Sparks - When I Kiss You I hear Charlie Parker Playing
Jim in Dubai is doing well this week.
That's Nina Persson from The Cardigans.
Here she is again...
The Cardigans - Travelling With Charlie
4. Warren Zevon - Charlie's Medicine
A tribute to an old drug dealer... Warren at his best.
Excellent lyrical spot from Rigid Digit...
Mister Charles Darwin had the gall to ask
Douglas adds...
The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin
The (more or less) title track of their 2008 album. A fine slice American indie folk which may go over well with some ears around here if any are not familiar with it.
And here's an unexpected cover of that track...
And any excuse to play one of my favourite Weezer songs...
2. Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E's In Love
Does that count as a Charlie song? asks Lynchie.
It does indeed.
1. The Coasters - Charlie Brown
Walter was first in line to suggest this one.
Alyson added...
It was written by Lieber and Stoller and I've just discovered the first song they wrote, called Hard Times, was recorded by an artist called Charles Brown - not sure if that's just a coincidence or not.
Now I have to admit that I was never a fan of the Charlie Brown cartoons. He always seemed a miserable little sod. (Too close to home, perhaps?) But I do love this track.
See also:
Carter USM - Good Grief, Charlie Brown
Ocean Colour Scene - Charlie Brown Says
And I'm not ashamed to admit that the Coasters song always reminds me of this...
The Bloodhound Gang - Why's Everybody Always Picking On Me?
NEXT WEEK: OUR TOP TEN CAROLINE SONGS
Quite a few to choose from... but will your Number One be the same as mine?
