The Celebrity Jukebox was never intended to solely focus on actors. The dictionary says of celebrities, "a famous person, especially in entertainment or sport", and while we're unlikely to focus on many sports stars, "entertainment" covers a pretty wide spectrum.
The day after we lost Olivia, we lost Lamont Dozier. It's been one of those weeks.
This blog has been known to dip its toes in the deep pool of hyperbole from time to time, but it's no exaggeration to say that Lamont Dozier (along with brothers Brian and Eddie Holland Jr.) was responsible for some of the greatest pop songs ever recorded. Evidence?
And it goes much further than that, with Dozier contributing to some huge hits from the 70s and 80s too. I'm sure you've read about them over the last day or so. He also had a moderately successful recording career of his own on the side.
But let's be honest... how many classic songs are written about songwriters? Does Lamont Dozier really deserve a place on the Celebrity Jukebox unless his name has popped up in someone else's tune?
I'm sure you can see where I'm heading with this...
Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Are here to make everything right that's wrong
Holland and Holland and Lamont Dozier too
Are here to make it all okay with you
Not only did Lamont Dozier write some of the greatest pop songs ever recorded... he also inspired one of them.
“I used the aircon in my car for the first time ever yesterday. I don’t care about the extra petrol. Opening the windows just made it hotter.”
“Sam’s staying up late again tonight. There’s no point him trying to get to sleep in a 30 degree bedroom.”
“My brain has turned to mush. I keep staring at the screen and not making any sense of what I’m writing.”
“I work in a brand new building, but there’s no aircon because they wanted it to be green.”
“They’re gritting the roads with sand to stop the tarmac melting.”
A selection of utterances that spluttered from my sweaty lips on Monday and Tuesday this week.
Meanwhile, I repeatedly had other people reminding me how the heatwave of 1976 was much hotter or grumbling that “we’re just not set up for extreme weather in this country – they manage it much better in other parts of the world”.
Still, the school holidays start next week. And for the first time in my 11 year teaching career, I will be off with Sam for the full six weeks. (Insert “bloody teachers!” comment here.) You can guarantee it’ll be chucking it down from Monday…
Ben suggested I play this. It’s the obvious suggestion, but sometimes the obvious suggestion is best.
I think I beat you on a couple of these this week: at least identifying the song, anyway. Which is good, because I don't like them to be too easy. That said, the clues in question were particularly obscure. And on one, I didn't give you enough info...
10. This reluctant replacement is more suited to a crown than a flat cap...
7. Don't pay the ferryman: being seen coming out of one of their gigs takes the biscuit.
Damn it: I edited the original clue down and dropped the bit that referred to the actual song so both clues only refer to the band. In which case, you all get 10 bonus points for my stupidity.
The clue originally began: Please believe that it's true...
(Second mistake in two weeks. Must try harder in future.)
Yes, Charon was Ferryman of the river Styx into Hades. A coin was placed in your dead mouth to pay him.
1. In pop's parallel universe...they were desperately seeking a home.
Mark 'E' Everett's dad, Hugh Everett II, was the American physicist who came up with the notion of parallel universes, the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics.
Desperately Seeking Susan, of course.
A combined effort from C & The Swede: teamwork pays off.
