Snapshots #452: Songs About Girl's Names Beginning With P

Patti Smith introduced our quiz yesterday. Polly Jean takes to the stage today.

Here are some more ladies whose name begins with P...

15. Seven Council Fires steal an idea from Bob Marley's band.

Seven Council Fires, or Oceti Šakówiŋ, refers to the Great Sioux Nation. Bob Marley had some Wailers - which is just what Banshees do.

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Dear Prudence

14. Champion... or Chumpion?

Wunderhorse - Poppy

13. What's with these homies dissin' my girl?

The opening line to Weezer's biggest hit...

Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue

12. What you might shout at a small Beatle.

Hey Paulette - I Really Do Love You, Penelope

11. A Pratt of the Toun.

Actor Chris Pratt goes to de Burgh.

Chris de Burgh - Patricia The Stripper

10. Not a lot of kids called this these days... he almost claims. 

You may recall a song we featured here a few weeks back about how there aren't many kids called Gary these days. It helps if you pay attention to the rest of this blog, not just the Snapshots.

Clail is almost a Claim.

Gary Clail & The On U-Sound System - Who Pays The Piper?

9. A way or an end... he's got a thing going on with the Mrs.

Howard's Way or Howard's End? Me and Mrs. Jones had a thing going on.

Howard Jones - Pearl In The Shell

8. PM's unruly airfares questioned.

"PM's unruly airfares" was an anagram.

Super Furry Animals - Hermann Loves Pauline

7. Could only eat half a cannibal.

Toto Coleo were known for eating Cannibals. These guys are half as good.

Toto - Pamela

6. Not named after Thomas, but some rocks off the coast of Cornwall.

It's Eddystone Lighthouse, if you want to be pedantic about it.

Edison Lighthouse - It's Up To You, Petula

5. Sounds like an appendage you don't want to stub - twice!

Men - try not to stub your cock-toe.

Cocteau Twins - Persephone 

...or you could have had...

Cocteau Twins - Pandora (for Cindy)

4. Piers is a Free Man.

Piers Morgan... or Morgan Freeman?

Morgan - Miss Parker

3. Good man makes a bullock of himself - let me die in your arms!

Len Goodman with his Ox.

"Let me die in your arms!" is a line from Annie's Song.

Annie Lennox - Precious

2. Ivan ran till he felt less confused.

"Ivan ran" was an anagram.

Nirvana - Polly

1. The Blair Rich Project. 

Lionel Blair gets Rich...ie.

Lionel Richie - Penny Lover

Incredibly, that is the first time Lionel Richie has ever appeared on Snapshots. I know - what's wrong with me!?

Hopefully you don't want Rid Of Me yet. If not, Snapshots will be back next week.

Namesakes #188: The Banshees

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Prepare to be chilled to the bone by the screaming wails of a right bunch of Banshees.

I'll be the first to admit that frequently this feature throws up a right load of old cobblers. This week is different though. There are some good ones. Honest!

THE BANSHEES #1

We start with these California high school students who formed a band called The Black Knights in 1962, changing their name to The Banshees two years later when they found a lead singer. They continued playing together, with some membership changes, throughout the 60s under a number of different names, including The Aerial, Kensington Forest and Gypsum Heaps.

The Banshees - They Prefer Blondes

THE BANSHEES #2

From Belfast in 1965 - well, it's good to have some actual Irish Banshees on here, even if they sound more like they come from Nashville. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Male and female vocals provided by Dinkie O'Day and Mel Austin respectively, with Dave "Tiger" Taylor on bass. Grrr!

The Banshees - Big Buildin'

THE BANSHEES #3

Released in June 1966, the only single from these Chicago-born Banshees sounds like it belongs ten years later. The term "proto-punk" is used in a couple of the texts I read, and it's clear this is considered quite an influential tune, even if it is their only surviving recording (except the b-side, which was a more typical 60s ballad). They broke up the following year.

The Banshees - Project Blue

THE BANSHEES #4

Banshees traditionally herald the death of a loved one, so that could explain why Scottish folk singer Matt McGinn chose this particular backing band for his 1971 charity single, from which all proceeds were donated to the Lord Provost of Glasgow's Ibrox Disaster Fund.

Matt McGinn & The Banshees - The Ibrox Disaster

THE BANSHEES #5

The Banshees most people know come with the addition of one Susan Janet Ballion, aka Siouxsie Sioux... and in fact, she was the only constant member from their formation as a scrappy post-punk band in 1976 through their epic world-conquering goth-pop high in the late 80s / early 90s, to their eventual dissolution in 1996. To quote Paul Morley...

They sneaked hell into the pop charts, as well as a brittle, opulent heaven and a jarring lewdness. Considering their song topics included mental illness, medical terrors, surreal diseases, depraved urges, sinister intensity, unearthly energy, sexual abuse, childhood disturbances, sordid mysteries, unbearable nervous anxiety, fairytale fears, urban discontent and the bleak dignity of solitude, it was astonishing that they ended up as much as anything else a sublime singles band.

Whether they get your vote or not, I think we can all agree that they epitomise the Banshee ideal better than any other band here today. 

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Peek-A-Boo

THE BANSHEES #6

Philadelphia Banshees who got together while at Uni back in 1992, then reunited 25 years later to have another go at it. I picked the track below because I figured it might resonate with some of you...

The Banshees - Tired Old Men 

THE BANSHEES #7

Female-fronted Canadian Banshees from 2010. 

"If you've ever been abandoned via highlighter note you'll understand this one."

The Banshees - Highlighter Abandonment

BANSHEES #8

Back to Ireland to meet these shouty Irish Banshees from 2014...

Know him by his name

Know him by his number

Know him as your shame,

And point the blame at mother

Banshees - Th6 D6vil's In The D6tails

THE BANSHEES #9

It's 2016 now, and here are two young ladies - one from Florida, one from Pennsylvania - with an ode to the former Alec Holland...

The Banshees - Swamp Thing

THE BANSHEES #10

Liverpudlian Banshees formed in 2018, featuring singer/songwriter Vinny Pereira and guitarist Paul Anthony Holligan (not pictured). 

"Harking back to the club scenes of the 90s - panic, punk and angst all mixed up into a journey of the mind." They sound a bit like Reverend & The Makers to me.

You can buy their full digital discography for just six quid on the Camp of Bands.

The Banshees - 4am

THE BANDSHES #11

See what they did there?

An indie folk trio from Hartford, Connecticut - this one's from 2019.

The Bandshes - Manic Pixie Dream Girl

THE BANSHEES #12

Today's final offering comes from these "Contemporary and Traditional Irish Folk Balladeers" all the way from the good old US of A.

The Banshees - The Woman In The Woods / No Irish No Blacks No Dogs

Which Banshees leave you howling with delight? 

Here's my favourite...

Snapshots #398: Songs Named After Hitchcock Films

Good evening. My name is Alfred Hitchcock... and these are my films, set to music.

15. Insomniacs before a Beckham.

Not David or Victoria, but Brooklyn Beckham...

And these guys had no sleep till they met him.

The Beastie Boys - Sabotage

Anyone shouting at their computer, "but the Hitchcock film was Saboteur!" You're right. Saboteur was his 1942 movies, starring Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane and Norman Lloyd. But six years prior to that, he also had a film called Sabotage, starring Sylvia Sidney, Oskar Homolka, and John Loder.

Thank you, Ghost of Barry Norman. 

14. Lacking substance or importance.

It's Immaterial - Rope

13. Unhappy aphrodisiacs at Heaven's Gate.

Heaven's Gate was a cult. 

Blue Oyster Cult - Dial M For Murder

12. Nick was a big fan of her movie band.

Nick Lowe loved the sound of breaking glass... which was the name of Hazel's band in the movie of the same name.

Hazel O'Connor - Rebecca

11. Can be good, but I was never any good at them.

Be a good sport, will you?

Sports - Strangers On A Train

Love that video, it's so 1980.

10. I'm with them.

"I'm with the band."

The Band - Stage Fright

9. Could she be a robot, then?

"Robot, then" was an anagram...

Beth Orton - Shadow Of A Doubt

8. Kojak's full name.

Kojak was Telly, so this must be...

Television - Torn Curtain

7. Accept no substitutes.

The Originals - Suspicion

6. Fancy a joint?

Elbow - The Birds

5. Ripper in a Jewish robe.

A kittel is a Jewish robe, worn by Jack...

Jack Kittel - Psycho

There are, of course, two other versions of this famous song... but they've both featured here before.

4. Aaaaah! -Z. Stranger town. 

A scream, Jay-Z and Hawkins, the town in Stranger Things. But I imagine the photo was enough...

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Frenzy

3. Second person.

Second person stories are written about you. Second is also 2.

U2 - Vertigo

2. Basie & The Unisex Shoes... unpeel that one!

Anagram! (Obviously.)

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Spellbound

1. Duffy defected.

Their original singer was Stephen Duffy. He left, to be replaced by Le Bon.

Duran Duran - Notorious

Set your compass North by North West and it should steer you in the direction of more Snapshots next Saturday...

Snapshots #248: A Top Ten Garden Songs

I'm very sorry to say that I couldn't find a picture of Alan Titchmarsh holding a camera, so this nice lady had to fill in.

Ten songs about gardens. I hope the weather stays nice.

10. The shortest of you replaces PJ. 

When I said the shortest, I meant shortest name, nothing to do with stature. That would be C. 

And if C replaced PJ in PJ & Duncan, we would get...

C Duncan - Garden

9. "Open up and say ahhhhhhh."

The Dentists, obviously.

The Dentists - Strawberries Are Growing In My Garden (And It's Wintertime)

8. He looked at me and then I blushed, Stevie Ray.

"He looked at me and then I blushed," is a line from Frankie.

Add that to Stevie Ray Vaughan and you get...

Frankie Vaughan - Garden of Eden

7. Time is the greatest of them. 

Time may be a great healer, but it is also a great leveller.

The Levellers - This Garden

6. Lennon's randy mix-up.

Mix up the letters in "Lennon's randy" and you get...

Lynn Anderson - (I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden

I know I'm not supposed to anymore, but I really like Morrisey's version of that.

5. Wake up, little wailer.

Wake up, little Susie, there's a wailing banshee at the door.

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Hong Kong Garden

4. Puds rising deftly.

Anagram!

This is rather an obscure Dusty song, but it was written by Jimmy Webb, so it's obviously amazing.

Dusty Springfield - Magic Garden

3. So I go and I stand on my own, and I leave on my own...

"So I go and I stand on my own" is what happens to Wallflowers at discos. As Morrissey obviously knows.

The Wallflowers - Who's That Man Walking Round My Garden?

If you missed that the last time I featured it on this blog, give it a spin today.

2. The One With Monica's New Haircut.

Sounds like an episode of Friends in which Courtney Cox has a new barnet...

Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener

So many great lines in that track, but my favourite is the bit where she gets carted away in an ambulance after quoting All Shook Up...

The paramedic thinks I'm clever 'cause I play guitar
I think she's clever 'cos she stops people dying

1. Office boss with a column. 

The boss in The Office was Ricky Gervais. Add Nelson's Column and you get...

Ricky Nelson - Garden Party

Enjoy your gardens this weekend, if you're lucky enough to have a garden. Snapshots will return next week...