Namesakes #129: The Scorpions

This week's Namesakes come with a sting in the tail.

For the record, here's my favourite Scorpion...

But which will be yours?

THE SCORPIONS #1

We start with some London-based Scorpions who first raised their tails in the air back in 1959. Briefly involved with Joe Meek in the early 60s.

The Scorpions - Temptation

THE SCORPIONS #2

Next, a Sudanese jazz band formed in 1960 with Saif Abu Bakr on vocals.

The Scorpions - Forssa Saeeda

THE SCORPIONS #3

Mancunian Scorpions who formed in 1960 and became popular in the Netherlands following their cover of Fats Domino's Hello Josephine, a recording that hit the Dutch Top Ten twice, once in 1964... and then again in 1977.

Lead singer Pete Lewis developed stomach cancer in the 80s and died at home... having being treated by one Dr. Harold Shipman. 

The Scorpions - Hello Josephine

THE SCORPIONS #4

South African Scorpions with some traditional sounds, recorded in 1966. That's probably not them above, despite it being the image used on the tube of you. 

Scorpions - Cothoza Mfana

THE SCORPIONS #5

Early 70s reggae act who also recorded with Bill Gentles, The Viceroys, Derrick Morgan and Lloyd Jackson. Here they are in '71 with the Seventh Vibrations...

The Scorpions & The Seventh Vibrations - Pagan Hearted

THE SCORPIONS #6

Clearly the most famous of all musical Scorpions are the ones responsible for the infamous 1991 whistling song / soft-rock "message" hit The Wind Of Change. Incredibly, this break-through hit appeared on The Scorpions eleventh studio album, after they'd been kicking around Germany since 1965. Only guitarist and primary songwriter Rudolf Schenker has been with them from the start, accompanied by his younger brother Michael (later of UFO and the Michael Schenker Group) only in the early days. Rudolf didn't write the band's most famous tune though - that was the sole brainchild of frontman and lyricist Klaus Meine... and because I doubt it'll go down particularly well with those of you who got sick of hearing it on the radio back in the early 90s, I've chosen a much better track from 1984 today... your mileage may vary.

The Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane

THE SKORPIONS #7

Costa Rican Skorpions from 1969, who appear to have got back together in 2016.

The Skorpions - Capricho

DE SCORPIONS #8

And finally, specially for our Portugal correspondent, here's 21 minutes 16 seconds of Portuguese Scorpions from 2018. The CD's available for a bargain price of eight euros, if you're interested...

De Scorpions - Roice Cosmos

Which are your Scorpion Kings... and which is your Sting?

Saturday Snapshots #137 - The Answers

I can't even spell Gina Lollobrigida, let alone make up any Snapshot-related puns about her.

I do know a song about her though.

Anyway, here are this week's answers. Thanks for playing, as always.



10. Wolves eat most of a baby deer, swapping pronoun for article.

Wolves are Los Lobos.

Bambi was the baby deer, with I swapped for A.

Los Lobos - La Bamba

9. It's tidier than all the other rooms in the hospital - don't knock it!

A neater ward?

I'll be here all this week.

Anita Ward - Ring My Bell

8. Bridge game disrupted by friend of a friend of King of Creation.

Pooh Sticks is a game you play with Eeyore and Tigger.

Alan McGee was the head of Creation Records.

Pooh Sticks - Alan McGee

(Or, to give it its full title, as Brian did: I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well.)

7. Coins on the breeze really sting.

I was reading an article the other week about how this record was secretly written by the CIA as a way of further destabalising the Soviet Union prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The lead singer of The Scorpions denies this, but then he would, wouldn't he?

The Scorpions - Wind of Change  

(If you hated this at the time, I promise you it hasn't got any better.)

6. Larger chaps required for blurry dreamers.

A hazy fantasy required bigger trousers for the cowboy king...

Haysi Fantayzee - John Wayne Is Big Leggy

That song's a lot ruder than you realised at the time.

5. Ocean spray for the Evil Dead.

Ocean Spray make Cranberry Juice, my soft drink of choice.

The Evil Dead were zombies.

Cranberries - Zombie 

4. I am not a deviant - and neither is my redheaded ghost bride.

Take the I from deviant and you get Devant. With his Spirit Wife. Who is Ginger. (Like the biscuits they're eating.)

No, really.

David Devant & His Spirit Wife - Ginger

3. Evil wino Jonathan moves to rosebud house.

"Evil wino Jonathan" is a fine anagram.

Rosebud was the sledge opened by Citizen Kane, who lived in Xanadu. (Spoilers, Rol!)

Olivia Newton John - Xanadu

I missed an opportunity with this clue. I should have used Evil wino Jonathan is welcomed to the Pleasuredome. ("In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree...")

That's how you make a music video. Although, frankly, I'd have watched it if was just Olivia.

2. #6 knighted - amazing!

#6 featured John Wayne: The Duke. Give him a knighthood and he'd become a Sir.

What a wonder!

Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke

Happy 70th birthday to Little Stevie.

1. Soup strung up over Kansas.

137 editions - that's how long it took me to get to my all time favourite song!

Campbells make soup.

Wichita is in Kansas.

Etc. Etc.

And I need you more than want you

And I want you for all time...

Keep driving that main road until next Saturday, then come back here for more Snapshots.