Things I Have Learned This Week

By Paul Christopher (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0
www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) 

1. The picture above shows the funniest man in Britain, possibly the world. Of course you may not agree - you may really dislike him. He'd love that. That's why he's so good.

2. The Guardian has a story that Roman Abramovich has upset the people of Venice due to his bigfuckoff boat blocking the beautiful views of St Mark's basin. I share their disgust as I love Venice and know the exact spot where he is moored.

What is gratifying about this story, however, is the final proof that money (even ridiculously huge amounts of money) can't buy good taste, as evidenced by the sentence:

"The boat, though unloved by locals who find themselves living temporarily in its shadow, has proved a celebrity magnet this summer, hosting singers Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale..."

I rest my case.

3.

4. Don't diss a nation's cucumbers until you know your facts. Might need to watch your back. 

5. How to piss off a 90s pop star promoting a new album:

BBC 5 live interviewer:     You were the drummer weren't you?

Guy out of Hanson:           Yeah. I STILL AM.

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The Ultimate Summer 2011 Playlist

In the Ash song, it's prominent in the main line of the chorus, and as for Steely Dan: well, I wouldn't say that summer makes me think of Steely Dan, but when I hear Steely Dan I definitely think of summer - albeit one in the Californian sun, driving a convertible (for now, driving a 9 year old Renault Scenic through the industrial West Midlands will have to do).

I suppose I should 'fess up that the Ben Folds Five song is a bit of a cheat, as the Summer B in the title is a girl, but it sounds summery so what the hey. 

One or two of these songs have a personal meaning for me, but mostly they just make me feel good. I'll admit that Summer Skin by Death Cab for Cutie is a bit more downbeat than most of the others - the tale of a summer romance coming to and end with the change of seasons, but no less enjoyable.

Here is the full list. Hope you like at least some of the tunes.

Simon

1	BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN	Girls in Their Summer Clothes	On the album: Magic
2	ELVIS COSTELLO	The Other Side of Summer	On the album: Mighty Like A Rose
3	ASH	Walking Barefoot	On the album: Free All Angels
4	BOBBY GOLDSBORO	Summer (The First Time)	On the album: Honey: The Best Of
5	BEN FOLDS FIVE	Where’s Summer B?	On the album: Ben Folds Five
6	THE SUNDAYS	Summertime	On the album: Static & Silence
7	STEVIE WONDER	Summer Soft	On the album: Songs In The Key Of Life
8	SQUEEZE	This Summer	On the album: Ridiculous
9	STEELY DAN	FM	On the album: Best Of - Then & Now
10	FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE	It Must Be Summer	On the album: Utopia Parkway
11	DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE	Summer Skin	On the album: Plans
12	THE ISLEY BROTHERS	Summer Breeze	On the album: Forever Gold

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KILLER COVERS #003: Automatic Baby - (U2's) One

There are a lot of alternative versions of One out there, including a truly terrible rendition U2 themselves did with Mary J Blige (and I like The Bligester, as I believe she likes to be called).

This take actually features two members of U2, Larry Mullen Jr and Adam Clayton, along with Mike Mills and Michael Stipe of REM. According to Wikipedia it was recorded live at an MTV concert for President Bill Clinton (I think in 1993). I didn't realise until today that a video existed for the performance - I only knew it from owning the 1996 Childline charity CD on which it featured. The name Automatic Baby is obviously an amalgam of their respective bands' biggest albums. You worked that one out yourself - didn't you?

The key here is the vocal performance of Stipe. Despite jumbling up the lyrics once or twice, the song sounds as though it could have been written for him. After hearing this version a few times I found it hard to imagine Bono's original in my head.

Give it a whirl, people. Hope you like it.

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BBC Radio 2 Album Of The Week

Getting lots of airplay, particularly by Ken Bruce:

Marginally Bigger

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Worst Night Out Ever?

JUST OUT OF SHOT - RICHARD BLACKWOOD IN A SQUIRREL SUIT (REALLY)

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The Greatest Songs You've Never Heard #002: Hughes / Thrall: Coast To Coast

This song was written by and features the incredible voice of Glenn Hughes. The original version featured on the 1972 album You Are The Music We're Just The Band by Trapeze. Trapeze were a groundbreaking band from the West Midlands of England, who combined funk influences with hard rock guitars long before the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers (though this song is more of a dreamy ballad). They would surely have been massive if Hughes had not received an irresistible offer to join Deep Purple, with whom he went on to record 3 studio albums before they disintegrated in 1976. 

Ten years later Hughes teamed up with American guitarist Pat Thrall (ex Pat Travers Band) for a critically acclaimed but ultimately poor-selling album. For this he decided to re-record Coast to Coast, and it is this version featured here, which I think just shades it over the Trapeze original (though I'd encourage you to check out both).

Hughes / Thrall imploded before recording a second album, with Hughes going on to short-lived spells with, among others, Black Sabbath and Gary Moore. Bizarrely, he was also credited as the "Voice of Rock" on The KLF's hit single America: What Time is Love? Problems caused by certain addictions meant that his output was fairly sporadic until he finally got clean in the early nineties. Since then he has followed a couple of Trapeze reunions with numerous solo albums and tours, keeping a loyal fan base throughout.

Success on a bigger scale has returned recently with Hughes forming rock "supergroup" Black Country Communion with guitarist Joe Bonamassa and drummer Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin's John).  Their second album in less than 12 months is slated for release in June 2011.

Coast to Coast remains, for me, his greatest moment, and even after nearly forty years it deserves a wider audience (as long as it isn't recorded by Kelly Clarkson or Maroon 5 or somebody equally dire). 

Go to the Official Glenn Hughes site

More Greatest Songs You've Never Heard

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FIFA Corruption Crisis

Questions are being asked about the make-up of the FIFA Ethics Committee (below), which meets today to investigate allegations of corruption. Don't see what all the fuss is about myself...

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