I had half a mind to feature Alison Krauss at the top of this post, until George said:
I'm sure some one will suggest Alison Moyet but it sure as hell won't be me.
After that, my mind was made up. After all, I have a lot of time for Alison Moyet, writer of one of the smuttiest pop songs ever to find its way into the pop charts (Prince excepted). Let's just say I don't think she's singing about the flu jab in this song.
As for Allison Krauss... well, I did find this nice little tribute.
John Medd was still stinging a bit from my Adamski rejection last week...
This is a bit like cricket: I can play the game but I'm not very good at it. This'll probably get me another ticking off (it's quite lonely here on the naughty step). Nearly all the Alisons I know/have known have usually being called Ally. It's not an unusual derivation; the spelling can change - Ally, Alley, Alli - but ask any Alison and she'll no doubt concur. So, I'm going for Alley Oop. I wrote about it once, hereabouts.
No ticking off, John. But no place in the Top Ten either as I think that's a bit of a stretch... and I'd end up having to find a place for Gasoline Alley and Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley too. Among others.
I am relieved that the only derivations of Alison allowed are Alyson and Allie, and that Alice is not, so no one can suggest Living Next Door To Alice by Smokie.
Now, just before we get onto this week's scrapings from the hard drive, here's a word from our own Alyson which will allow me to set a rule for future editions.
I'm thinking that the obvious second one to the obvious first one must surely be Alison's Starting To Happen by the Lemonheads, and what a great song.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
1. Elvis Costello - Alison
And who better to introduce our obvious number one than "Alyson" herself...?
One of my favourite songs of all-time - Alison by Elvis Costello. It was played constantly during my last year at school, a year which is up there as being was one of the best of my life to date. Still get teary when I listen to it as a couple of the really good friends from those days are no longer with us, and of course I reminisce about all the romances that didn't last the distance. A bittersweet (for me) but beautiful song. I think I've mentioned this around here before but I use my middle name for blogging purposes for fear of people in the real world finding what I write (about them). As a second layer of security/anonymity I changed the middle 'i' to to a 'y' which I now regret as a bit pretentious, like Fiona becoming Ffyona. Oh well, too late to change now but I think we would all agree with Elvis Costello that the true spelling should be Alison.
There have been a number of decent covers of this song, including...
If you've got the Hair Like Brian May Blues this Sunday morning, don't feel Under Pressure. Here are the answers to the 100th edition of Saturday Snapshots to Keep Yourself Alive.
As I write this, nobody had spotted the Extra Special Bonus Mystery which connected 10 of the songs on this list... but I guess you'd have to be pretty sad to do that. (No offence to Alyson who came close to working it out.) Different photos, different clues and different songs, but the odd-numbered artists in this list all appeared in Saturday Snapshots #1, way back in September 2017.
I think Alyson just pipped Rigid Digit to the crown this week. I was intending to work out a league table of winners from the past 100 editions, but as you probably have realised by now, my time is rather restricted at the moment. Thanks for playing along as always, everybody. Remember: this quiz is Driven By You.
20. Lennie's pal in dire circumstance. I guess Tony must have shown him the way.
George & Lennie, as anybody who's done an English exam at school in the last 50 years will know, were the unlucky duo from Of Mice & Men.
Well, two of Donald's nephews. Dewey must have been sick that day.
Still one of the greatest pop songs ever recorded...
Well, that's it, folks. 100 seems a pretty good number to bow out on, don't you think? Time to call it a day on Saturday Snapshots, maybe? Give you all a lie in next Saturday morning?
Doctor, doctor, please Oh, the mess I'm in Doctor doctor, please oh, the mess I'm in She walked up to me and really stole my heart And then she started to take my body apart
Skeeter is looking for a doctor who'll help put her out of her misery...
Just like a little baby all night night I cry Now doctor if you can't cure me why I just as soon to die So give me something poison, doctor won't you please And then I'll sign a paper sayin' I died with heart disease Oh doctor, doctor, write me a prescription for the blues
Oh, Doctor, Doctor, soothe my aching knee. Higher, higher if you please I'm sure my temperature's running so low I could freeze. Have you got something to warm me?
It gets worse. (In a good way.)
And what was their doctor's phone number? 5705, obviously.
David Byrne: definitely someone in need of a check-up... from the neck up.
Doctor, doctor, tell me what I am Am I one of those human beings Well I can laugh or I can learn to think So help me now to find out what I feel...
You need a doctor of philosophy mate. Let's not even talk about the time you went to the docs because you were Making Flippy Floppy...
Doctor, Doctor We have nothing in our pockets We continue But we have nothing left to offer Faces pressed against the window Hey! they are just my friends Check this out don't be slick Break our backs it goes like this . . .
Today's life lesson from Harry... don't drink lime and coconut together.
"Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?" I said "doctor, to relieve this belly ache" I said "doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?" I said "doctor, to relieve this belly ache"
Then there's the tragic case of Rick... so much in Bruce's shadow, he has to go to his doctor about it.
Doctor, doctor you gotta help me yeah You gotta make it right for me It seems this other man's name has been following me around And it just won't let me be You see I got this name and he's got this name too And you know they're kinda close only a blind crazy fool Would think I was him it's like saying green is blue But let me tell you brother it started being a bother When he made the cover of Time magazine
Never mind, Rick, you made a top tune out of your troubles! I'll always remember you for that.
In which Batley Bob falls badly for his beautiful (saw)bones.
Doctor, doctor, give me the news I've got a bad case of lovin' you No pill's gonna cure my ill I've got a bad case of lovin' you...
Restraining order.
1. The Young Rascals - Good Lovin'
Another one I owe to Bruce Willis, I'm afraid, who did a memorable performance of this track in one of my favourite episodes of Moonlighting. Another Bruce also had a crack at it. The original was never a hit in the UK, but it was a Number One on the other side of the Atlantic. Always loved it...
I was feelin' so bad, I asked my family doctor just what I had, I said, "Doctor, (Doctor ) Mr. M.D., (Doctor ) Now can you tell me, tell me, tell me, What's ailin' me?" (Doctor )
He said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) Yes, indeed, all you really need (Is good lovin')
Not sure you can get that on prescription though. Believe me, I've tried.
This was Volume 1 because I could easily go another ten. Bunch of hypochondriacs, these pop stars. Any ideas for what might be in Volume 2...? (Other than The Thompson Twins, who were just too obvious, even for me.)
This year is the 40th anniversary of Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., the debut album by the one artist whose music has meant more to me throughout my life than any other (sorry, Moz). While I still don't feel able to compile a Top Ten Springsteen Songs... maybe I never will... here's the closest I can get to a tribute. Ten songs that mention The Boss...
Only just discovered Ezio in the course of compiling this Top Ten. They're from Cambridge. You wouldn't know it...
I'll never be the boss just lower management I guess I've never had a Thunderbird A beat up Volvo is less absurd I'd do anything to impress you I'd do anything to caress you I grew up in a town called Whittlesey I've never been to New Jersey I don't know too much about you But your friend said you like Bruce Springsteen
Jessie's Girl coveter Rick Springfield finds himself confused for his more famous (half-)namesake. A witty song about not being as famous as that other guy.
Another New Jersey act, unkindly dubbed by some critics a "Springsteen tribute band", and tracks like this, baby, they were born to back up that argument. "No surrender, my Bobby Jean" the GA sing, amid lyrics that sound like Bruce's songbook chopped up and reassembled Bowie-style. But, as I've said before, if you're gonna wear your influences on your sleeve... these cufflinks are 24 carat gold.
Ben Parker released one album as Nosferatu D2 (with his brother Jamie) prior to taking on the solo mantle of Superman Revenge Squad. This song, a tirade against Ben's hometown of Croydon, was written around a loop of the guitar from Springsteen's 'My Hometown' before Ben ditched that in favour of a somewhat more aggressive backing track.
Throw away your autographs Of people you don't care about Andy Peters, Andy Crane They're all the same, they're all the same
It was obvious the second I first heard Video Games that Lana was a Springsteen groupie. And like Titus Andronicus before her, she too is Born To Die.
Play house, put my favorite record on
Get down, get your crystal method on
You were, like, dark tan driving round the city
Flirting with the girls like you're so pretty
"Springsteen is the king, don't you think?" I was, like, "hell, yeah, that guy can sing."
There are few bigger Bruce fans than Frank Turner. Frank just gets it...
I was walking home to my house through the snow from the station When Springsteen came clear in my headphones with a pertinent question Oh, is love really real and can any of us hope for redemption? Or are we all merely biding our time down to lonely conclusions?
In which the Bran Vanners pay tribute with a Born To Run rap. God, that really shouldn't work. And yet...
Sliup - Ummm - Crack
Goes the backscreen door
She wanted to go for coffee
But I sleep an hour more
See Mary dancing across the porch
She put her rolled up Ziggys in her rock and roll jersey
Jersey, she was born to run
She was the spirit of midnight
She was blinded by the light
She was holed up in jungleland
Straight up
The rock and roll big boss
Turnpike down by the river of desire
Just off Thunder Road
Where you catch her in the Tenth Avenue
Freeze out
She was lost in a flood
Mary, Queen of Arkansas
Dreaming of a Cadillac ranch with a hungry heart
But most of all she was born in the USA
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Inner state babe
To be exact she was her own rock and roll video
Rolls Royce, low riding
Speed climbing, driving by the sea
Making mad love on other people's private property
While being on the run from the local law for unpaid parking tickets!
There's tremendous irony at work here: Paddy McAloon (of all people!) having a sly, if affectionate, dig at Bruce for being a lyrical romantic.
Brucie dreams life's a highway, too many roads bypass my way
Or they never begin. Innocence coming to grief
At the hands of life's stinking car thief, That's my concept of sin.
Does heaven wait all heavenly over the next horizon?
But look at us now, quit driving, Some things hurt more much more than cars and girls.
That said, Paddy can't help but conclude:
Brucie's thoughts - Pretty streamers
Guess this world needs its dreamers May they never wake up.
And the same goes for you, Paddy. 1. Eric Church - Springsteen
One of my favourite songs of last year. It's not so much a tribute to Bruce as a tribute to the kind of golden sunset nostalgia he used to reflect on songs like Glory Days and Bobby Jean.Good times...
When I think about you, I think about 17.
I think about my old Jeep.
I think about the stars in the sky.
Funny how a melody, sounds like a memory.
Like a soundtrack to a July, Saturday night....
I don't expect anybody else will have much of an opinion about this Top Ten... but it's my blog and I've got to keep my number one fan happy!
