Celebrity Jukebox #70: The Reverend Jesse Jackson

In a world where so many prominent politicians are just plain EVIL... it's a shame when we lose one of the half-decent ones.

Here are some cool songs for the late Reverend...

Zapp - Jesse Jackson

Billy Young - Jesse Jackson For President

Leslie Isaiah Gaines – Jesse (Didn't Get No Justice) / The Jesse Jackson Blues

Don Patterson - Jesse Jackson

Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - Jesse

Of course, not everyone agreed with everything Jesse had to say...

Jesse you say common ground, does that include the PLO?
What about people right here right now who fought for you not so long ago?
The words that flow so freely falling dancing from your lips
I hope that you don't cheapen them with a racist slip, oh common ground
Is common ground a word or just a sound?
Common ground, remember those civil rights workers buried in the ground

Lou Reed - Good Evening, Mr. Waldheim

But I reckon even Lou would have preferred Jesse to more Ronald Raegan!

Would we take Jesse Jackson?
Hell, we'd take Michael Jackson!

Gil Scott-Heron - Re-Ron

I saved this one till last. Turns out Kris was one of Jesse Jackson's biggest fans... and that's good enough for me.

Snapshots #424: Songs About Weights & Measures

Yesterday we had Emma Stone, today it's Sharon. Two Stones!

Here are a few more weights and measures... 

15. Wolfed me taco… but ended up feeling out of sorts.

"Wolfed me taco" was an anagram.

Fleetwood Mac – The Chain

14. Capital resident, eh?

The capital of Canada (where I've heard they say "eh" a lot) is Ottawa.

Ottowan - Hands Up

13. Dip a digit in the flour.

Powderfinger - The Metre

12. There’s nothing Large about the Little Tramp.

No L in Chaplin leaves us with...

Harry Chapin – 30,000 Pounds Of Bananas

11. Inventive mother, mostly.

Frank Zappa was a Mother of Invention. Most of Zappa is...

Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce

10. Country Goth.

Goths wear black. He'd grow up to do the same...

Johnny Cash - Five Feet High & Rising

9. Bladdered bladder (for bile).

Bile is in the Gall bladder. So that gives us Gall on drunk. Or...

Gallon Drunk - Gallon Drunk

8. So long, Traitors.

So long, Marianne, said Leonard. Traitors fans will get the rest. (I don't watch it, but everyone else seems to.)

Marianne Faithfull - Full Fathom Five

7. City of Bulls and Bantams.

One for sports fans!

Bradford - A Pint Of Bitterness

6. Lazy gits.

Idles - Gram Rock

5. Red grave dug for extinct TV company.

Vanessa Redgrave & Carlton TV.

Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles

4. Greek Valhalla.

Elysian Fields - Black Acres

3. Met Jesus in the Wilderness.

Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

2. Horse.

A Man Called...

Richard Harris - The Yard Went On Forever

I'll have some of what Jimmy Webb was smoking.

1. Inspiration for the original No Kings protests.

I understand the other dinosaurs were all up in arms about their tyrannical king...

Tyrannosaurus Rex - One Inch Rock

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I left this one out because it would have made the whole thing far too easy...

Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tonnes

More of this nonsense next Saturday... will you measure up?

Celebrity Jukebox #138: Sly Stone

When Ben messaged me about the death of Sly Stone earlier this week, I misread his text as Sly Stallone. I need to wear my glasses when looking at my phone.

Others will no doubt write far better eulogies for Sly of the Family Stone than I can. (Swiss Adam and Khayem already have.) I have to confess to not knowing much about him beyond the headlines, but I did enjoy his music. Plus, without Sly Stone, I don't reckon we'd have had Prince... at least not in the way we remember Prince. And that would have been a tragedy.

And so did these guys, I guess...

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Rolling Sly Stone

Danced to the music

And I sang a simple song

I was thankful and thoughtful

Sly Stone came along

'Cause he took me higher

And he made me see

Betty Davis - F.U.N.K.

It's good to look in your eyes

Knowing your eyes aren't the bottom of the soul

Because they high kick me like

Sly Stone on the cover of Fresh

of Montreal - Get God’s Attention By Being An Atheist

Do you remember Sly Stone?

(What city did he come from Roger?)

Zapp - It Doesn't Really Matter

In my script there's a love scene, picture it

Candles with warm apple cider

Sly stone on the radio

Oh, caress your funky dreads in the candle's glow

Whisper in my ear

'Cause I'm in the mood for love

Meshell Ndegeocello - Picture Show

I could be Sly Stone of the family crew

I could be big bad Daddy Warbucks

And love you too

Daniel Bedingfield - James Dean (I Wanna Know)

See my hip bone connected to my thigh bone

Club Funkateers and it's a family like Sly Stone

Bootsy Collins feat. Fantaazma - Hip Hop Lollipop

Dancin' in my kitchen with Sly Stone's permission

Lit my ignition, cursing fascist apparitions

Street Sweeper Social Club - Good Morning, Mrs. Smith

Musicians populate my dreams

My band members old and new

Certain Rolling Stones I

An MacDonald from King Crimson

David Bowie showing me round Dryden Chambers

Thighpaulsandra, Sly Stone

Amy Winehouse still alive

Vivian Stanshall punning in a cafe

The Waterboys - In My Dreams

Alright, I want you to get onboard this train

We're gonna make one stop, that’s all, just one

We're goin' to the place where James Brown, Gladys Knight & The Pips

Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Grand Funk, Sly Stone, The Bar-Kays, The Ohio Players

And everybody we know is funkin’ down there

The Wrecking Crew - Bump And Boogie (Pt. 1)

And there were many more. But I'm sure they'd all admit, they're not a patch on the original...

As I was finishing this post off last night, the news came through about Brian Wilson.

Damn.

That's going to be a hard one to process...