Idiomusic #3: Burning Bridges

I met up with my former boss a week or so back. There was a work-related reason to do so, but when I told Ben I was meeting her, he screamed at me through the medium of Whatsapp. Why would I want to see someone who caused me so much grief? Well, for one thing, she's moved on now and isn't working at The Bad Place, and I recognise that the pressure she put me under back then wasn't coming from her, she was but the conduit through which shit rolled downhill from upper management. We were able to talk about that and put it behind us, I think, and that was a positive thing. 

But the other reason I was willing to see her is that old maxim about never burning your bridges, particularly when it comes to employment. God willing, I'll never have to go back to work in a college again, but if I ever needed to...

All of which got me thinking about songs involving burning your bridges... or not burning them, as the case may be. Let's kick off with Canadian singer Jack Scott, who Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone once called, "undeniably the greatest Canadian rock and roll singer of all time." 

Jack Scott - Burning Bridges

The Cravats came from Redditch in 1977, with lead singers Robin Dallaway and The Shend. Now, I'm trying not to be prejudiced against The Shend because his choice of name is frustratingly reminiscent of that muppet from The Irish Band. Not as Edgy though, which is good. You may be interested to learn that the Cravats are still going strong, minus Dallaway, but with the addition of Rampton Garstang on drums, Joe 91 on bass and Viscount Biscuits on guitar. I think they might be the Viz house band.

The Cravats - Burning Bridges

Now it way well be that you're not actually burning your bridges to cut ties with people you no longer want to associate with. You might just be burning them to keep warm. In which case, can I suggest a nice Cardigan?

Nina Persson - Burning Bridges For Fuel

Last week, to prove how uncool I am, I included a song by unfairly-reviled New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi. It proved so popular (especially with Ernie, George and CC) that I thought I'd include another one today. 

Jon By Jovi once famously stated that he'd seen a million faces and he'd rocked them all. That was in his younger days though. He's grown up since then...

I've seen a million faces and I've lived a couple lives

Not quite as catchy, is it, Jon?

Bon Jovi - Burning Bridges

I think he might have watched The Sound Of Music before writing that one.

OK, the three fine gentlemen mentioned above clearly aren't fans of Mr. By Jovi. But I bet they like this guy...

Tom T. Hall - Burning Bridges

Lots of bridges getting burned in the world of country music, it seems...

Bobby Bare - Another Bridge To Burn

And here's a lady I'm very much looking forward to seeing at our local village hall next month...

Lucinda Williams - Burning Bridges

Meanwhile, I hope the Walker Brothers didn't burn their bridges while their ship was coming in...

The Walker Brothers - Burn Our Bridges

While here's another sailor who needs to keep his boat away from them...

Jimmy Buffet - Burn That Bridge

There are a heck of a lot of bridges that could be burned in Japan...

Japan - Burning Bridges

But if you choose to burn your bridges, let's hope there's a Survivor...

Survivor - Burning Bridges

And if you're near a burning bridge, chances are you could get scorched... unless you stick with these guys...

Jason & The Scorchers - Where Bridges Never Burn  

Looking for someone to blame your bridge burning antics on? You could always say it was UFO-related...

Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning

Here's the Welsh answer to the Foo Fighters, slightly more interesting for that...

Feeder - Burn The Bridges

Next, one for Brian...

Tullycraft - Not Quite Burning Bridges

Laughing Clowns were an Aussie post-punk band in the 80s, influenced by free jazz, bluegrass and krautrock. Which might explain this...

Laughing Clowns - As Your Bridges Burn Behind You

If your ears need soothing after that, here's the divine Ms. B...

Kate Bush - Burning Bridge

Collective Soul made a brief appearance on the UK charts (at #80 in 1994) with their debut single Shine, and were never seen again. Meanwhile, in the States, they sold enough records to fill their swimming pools with caviar. This was from the same album as Shine...

Collective Soul - Burning Bridges

And now... something to make your day.

Clint Eastwood - Burning Bridges

Taken from the album "Clint Eastwood Sings His Classics" (!) and the soundtrack of the movie Kelly's Heroes... although in the movie, it was performed by these guys...

The Mike Curb Conurbation - Burning Bridges

Almost at the end now. Time for the band that won New Faces in 1974. I was only two, but I'm sure the rest of you remember them well...

Sparrow - Burning Bridges

Can you guess the track that sprang immediately to mind when I first considered this particular idiom? 

Me and my mate Rich loved this song when we were 16. I think Rich loved it in an ironic way, because he had a much cooler taste in music than me. I would say that I loved it in an ironic way too, but given what you know about my shameless taste in music then and now, nobody would believe me. There's something about the sea shanty-esque guitar refrain which is both extremely annoying and a hopeless earworm. Even now, when I listen to it, I think, "you shouldn't like this... it's wrong". But then I can't help smiling at the Quo rock their guitars back and forth in time with the music...

 

At least Jez will be happy.

TV On The Radio #5: Daktari

Confession time: I've never seen today's TV show. It aired in the late 60s, before I was born, and I don't recall it ever being repeated in the 70s. Which is odd, considering all the other 60s shows I watched throughout my childhood.

Fortunately, George is old enough to remember it... so I let him do the hard work.

Today we’re off to southern Africa. Almost. Well, California, with a few film shots from Mozambique. Yes, it’s Daktari. First, here’s the opening sequence of the programme...

A pedant would ask why an Indian elephant was in southern Africa. However, a concerned young boy (and now a concerned retiree) would be much more worried that the elephant was injured, but luckily was on its way to hospital. An intrigued young boy would wonder at how the animal doctor was cuddling a cheetah, whereas a retiree would wonder at how Billy (the male farm cat) would never allow himself to be thusly molly-coddled and would instead try and claw your  hand off. But just look at how magnificent Clarence is, ferrying about the female star of the show!

I can remember nothing at all about the programme (well, so much for my theory! - Rol), apart from Clarence. I’m not even sure if it was ever broadcast in Scotland in the early 1970s, maybe my memory of it dates to the late 1960s, assuming it was broadcast in England at that time. But what's not to like about it? Caring for wild animals! Taking on baddies who mean wild animals no good at all! Injured wild animals recuperating and living a happy life! Different species of wild animals intermingling happily without eating each other! There’s more than one lesson for us all in this programme… and more than one pop song that mentions Daktari.

Earlier shepherds came and talked about … The Shend
Concubine mortuary Daktari wallpaper

Half Man Half Biscuit - Footprints

The spoken interruptions remind me of a Velvet Undergound song.  I also think that this Half Man Half Biscuit song might be the only time you’ll hear Junior Kickstart mentioned in a pop song. As for The Shend, I’ve no idea what/who that is.

(I'll be honest and say that I thought it was probably a range of hills - since Nigel Blackwell has a habit of name-dropping topography in his songs. However, the interweb tells me otherwise: "The Shend is the founder and frontman of cult Dadaist jazz-punk band, The Cravats." - Rol.)

The Proclaimers, a year older than me, seem to be able recall much more of the late 1960s than I do in this song (they also refer to someone called Jimmy Clitheroe).

Mother’s Pride on the table, Batman on TV
A Man in a Suitcase, and Daktari and Skippy

The Proclaimers - Lulu Selling Tea

(Mother’s Pride, Misters Reid, not a proper Scottish plain loaf?)

And now some enjoyable nonsense from The Toy Dolls...

Dynasty or Daktari, a broadcast by the Tory party
Celebrity Squares, Blind Date, who cares, I'll watch it…

There are more than a plethora of French-language songs that refer to Daktari but none about the TV programme.

And finally: someone is so obsessed with the programme, they’ve written a blog about it!

That’s not me using a pseudonym: mine would be something far more exotic. 

Thank you for another day off, George. I learned today that Daktari is the Swahili word for doctor. I also found an early 10,000 Maniacs song named after the show... but it's probably coincidence. 

10,000 Maniacs - Daktari

I mean, once you disappear down that rabbit hole...

Metallic Traffic - Daktari

Mexican Pets - Daktari

Seven That Spells - Daktari 

Better to stick with George's choices. They're far more entertaining.