Thank you to C for suggesting this week's band... 14 Iced Bears. She says...
I couldn't tell you any of their songs any more unfortunately, although have vivid memories of ordering in their singles for some devoted indie fans at the time of their release and (in my head at least) being very disparaging about their chosen name. Now I think it's rather lovely!
Indeed. And here's what they sound like...
14 Iced Bears - Come Get Me
Brian added:
I would like to back up C and proclaim that the 14 Iced Bears were awesome. Unfortunately, their sleeves were nothing to write home about. Perhaps the cover for The Importance Of Being Frank EP would suffice for art.
I'm not sure what that is above, Brian, but it was the one with the clearest 14 I could find.
Another relatively quiet week on the countdown, compared to the excesses of 16 and 17, although we're all just girding our loins in preparation for the Top Ten.
Here's what you had for me this wee, starting with Martin, who's still smarting from forgetting two Gene tracks last week...
The White Stripes - Red Death at 6.14
...is all I have for this week. Unless I've missed something else by one of my most beloved bands...
Next up is Alyson...
Hats off to you Rol for putting this together as my brain is incapable of concentrating on anything at the moment. Yes, my choices above not really my thing, but fitted the brief.
From the same source I have just found something called:
Tomski - 14 Hours To Save The Earth
This is an open letter
From you and me together
Tomorrow's in our hands now
Find the words that matter
Say them out loud
And make it better somehow
Looking down from up on the moon
It's a tiny blue marble
Who would've thought the ground we stand on
Could be so fragile
This is a love song to the Earth
You're no ordinary world
A diamond in the universe
Heaven's poetry to us
Keep it safe, keep it safe, keep it safe
Cause it's our world, it's our world
Interesting, as dance remakes of Welcome To The Pleasuredome go. The lyrics you quote don't appear to come from that track though, Alyson. They come from Love Song To The Earth by Sean Paul, featuring Natasha Bedingfield & Paul "anything to stay cred" McCartney. As C remarks, it's apt to the current world situation... but doesn't have any 14s in it, I'm afraid.
Time for Jim in Dubai, who also found it tough this week...
Television Personalities - 14th Floor
Rigid Digit, meanwhile, is waiting for an Ocado delivery slot so he found plenty this week...
Aphex Twin - Avril 14th
I can honestly say that's the best thing I've ever heard from Aphex Twin.
Peter Gabriel - 14 Black Paintings
Palma Violets - 14
Rufus Wainwright - 14th Street
Beck - 14 Rivers, 14 Floods
Those last two are definitely worth a click. I'll let you get back to your virtual queue now, RD... because I bet you're still stuck in it, 7 days after you left that xomment.
Lynchie appeared equally stuck for inspiration this week...
I couldn't think of any songs with 14 in the title but then I discovered...
Tiny Tim - Fourteen
...on which is voice sounds nothing like it did on "Tiptoe Through The Tulips". It's a pretty deep voice which led me to believe it might be an imposter.
The lyrics kick off with:
Fourteen!
Fourteen girls in baggy pyjamas
What if I'd gone to the south Bahamas
...and just get weirder.
I'm only guessing here, but I don't think that's the same Tiny Tim. But thank you anyway.
Thankfully, the Swede is here to restore us to sanity...
Soft Machine - Fourteen Hour Dream
Don Bailey - Fourteen Stories Down
That is one top suicide ballad, Swede. Thank you for that.
Back to C for one final moment of inspiration...
I can't believe I didn't think of this before but having indulged in '60s psychedelia in a big way in the '80s I really should have remembered...
The Syn - 14 Hour Technicolour Dream
And, last but not least, Brian...
Kind of quiet on the 14 front. I'll add...
Nick Lowe - 14 Days
...from The Impossible Bird. I think this is his best album, and that's saying something.
I seem to remember there was some discussion about this over at your place recently, Brian. I'd still always plump for Jesus of Cool, but those later albums are pretty special.
OK, time to scrape the dregs from my own hard-drive...
Manic Street Preachers - 1404
Sylvain Sylvain - 14th Street Beat
Revenge - 14K
Ralph McTell - England 1914
Scott Walker + Sunn O - Herod 2014
Counting Crows - 1492
Drive-By Truckers - Feb 14
Love - Number 14
Mull Historical Society - 14 Year Old Boy
Midland - Fourteen Gears
All of which brings us to this week's winner... and to be honest with you, I pretty much thought that Rigid Digit had walked away with it. I was all set to crown this the champion...
Guns n Roses - 14 Years
...until a final scour through the library shook out this little gem. Frankly, I'm ashamed to say I'd forgotten it... and a number of my regulars will probably share that same shame.
Take it away, Billy...
Unlucky for all of us, next week is 13. Not that we need any more bad luck at the moment. Suggestions, please...
