Snapshots #443: Sad Songs

All the best songs are sad songs... discuss.

15. She has natural recall.

"Natural recall" was an anagram.

Laura Cantrell - Pile of Woe

14. Wilson, Eagle and Confessor.

Jackie Wilson plus Eddie the Eagle Edwards and Edward the Confessor.

Jackie Edwards - I Feel So Bad

13. Switched on Doors album.

The Electric Soft Parade - No Need To Be Downhearted

12. Ocean getaway.

Billy Ocean needs a holiday.

Billie Holiday - Gloomy Sunday

And while we're on the subject of Billy Ocean, this came very close to inclusion but was judged too obvious by the selection committee...

Billy Ocean - There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)

11. Foreigner Lou meets opinionated NME journalist.

Foreigner's lead singer is Lou Gramm. The opinionated NME scribe was Tony Parsons.

Gram Parsons - Return of the Grievous Angel

10. A spell-catcher... a bit like Wilson.

A witch, a bit like Wilson Pickett.

Pickettywitch (It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie

9. This meths has really messed me up. 

This meths was clearly an anagram. And yes, I know The Smiths only appeared here a few weeks ago, but they had two excellent songs to share. First, the really obvious one...

The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now 

And then this one...

The Smiths - Unhappy Birthday

Plus most of the rest of their back catalogue.

8. Someone get the key to help Henry out.

Quick! It sounds like Hank's locked in!

Hank Locklin - I Feel A Cry Coming On

7. Because I'm useless, I'll never work this one out.

As previously mentioned, I lack Self Esteem.

Self Esteem - Moody

6. Nice guy, causes a chain reaction.

Nice Guy Eddie and the hot rods in an nuclear reactor...

Eddie & The Hotrods - Teenage Depression

5. Turner round and look behind you...

They stepped out from behind Tina Turner (and hopefully got far away from Ike eventually).

The Ikettes - I'm Blue

4. Giants and Gods lose their religion.

Take away the religion from "Giants and Gods" and you're left with...

Giant Sand - Glum

3. Our Graham knows the answer.

"Our Graham" was the ever cheerful announcer on Blind Date, hosted by one...

Cilla Black - Surround Yourself With Sorrow

2. Their name is like an anagram.

Because in an anagram, you put the letters in a New Order.

New Order - Regret

1. Are you f-in' kidding me, James?

R-U-F-IN... although I should point out that he wasn't ever a James: he was christened Jimmy Lee Ruffin.

Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted?

Happier Snapshots next Saturday (hopefully).

Sequel Songs #3: Wild Horses

Mick 'n' Keef wrote Wild Horses in 1969, recording a rough demo which they decided wasn't really worth taking any further. Mick denies popular speculation that the lyrics are about the end of his relationship with Marianne Faithful, while Keef reckons the song is about being sick of touring. 

The Stones gave a copy of the demo to their mate Gram Parsons who liked the song more than they did, recording it for the second Flying Burrito Brothers album, Burrito Deluxe, in 1970.

Hearing the Burrito version encouraged Mick 'n' Keef to give the song another chance, recording it properly for the album Sticky Fingers and releasing it as the follow-up single to Brown Sugar in the US.

Neither version made the UK charts, but in 2009 the song made our Top Ten thanks to a version recorded by Susan Boyle following her performance on America's Got Talent. Boyle chose the song because for her it reflected "a personal story about how achieving such massive success extremely quickly has affected her life". Before you pour scorn on Susan's version, you might be interested to read that Mick considered it a "ghostly version... much better than anything I had ever done".

Other memorable versions include...

The Sundays - Wild Horses

Leon Russell - Wild Horses

Alicia Keys - Wild Horses

None of these are sequels though - they're just covers. 

The sequel didn't arrive until 2022, thanks to this gorgeous story song by First Aid Kit from their album Palomino, in which two young lovers drive across America with Wild Horses on the car stereo... highlighting irreconcilable differences in their relationship.

We passed a canyon

We passed a fire brigade headed up the mountains

They said "The wood's ablazin'" and then we got hungry

Stopped at a diner

You flirted with the waitress and I didn't even care

Where do you go to when you look past me?

Do you see yourself miserable and free?

Such a strange notion, to see you clearly

When love's shadow stood up and left the room

We played Wild Horses on the car stereo

You prefer the Rolling Stones' and I like Gram's

No mention of Susan Boyle in this story. That really would have tested their relationship!

Snapshots #302: A Top Ten Dollar Price Songs

I've been dying to feature The Six Million Dollar Man on TV On The Radio, but I haven't been able to find any decent tunes that mention him. (A lot of tunes do, just no decent ones. Unless you know different...?) 

Anyway, here's the man with the Bionic Eye, which the interweb tells me "has a 20:1 zoom lens and infrared capabilities", so there must be a camera in there too, right? And here are ten songs which also proclaim their value in dollars...

10. Stuck in your bottom, and in Iowa itself. 

Stuck in your bottom, and in Iowa itself. 

Tom Waits - $29.00

9. The Prodigy, in a patriarchy. 

Prodigies are young geniuses (google it - it's not genii). In a patriarchy though, they would only recognise the smart boys. Although the lads don't even know how to use capital letters, so what hope is there?

boygenius -$20

This one was specially for CC.

8. Discotheque that only plays A Horse With No Name.

That would be a Club that only plays Music by America.

American Music Club - $1,000,000 Song

7. Goes with Vera and Betty.

Aloe Vera and Black Betty...

Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar

6. Slain rain.

One of Jack White's many diversions...

The Dead Weather - Three Dollar Hat

5. Pig home, inventory, spasms.

Sty + list + tics...

Stylistics - $7000 & You

4. Where a Flashy actor goes to buy sable. 

I've not been a big fan of recent movies based on DC Comics, but I thought The Flash was OK... despite being a box office bomb. It was good to see Michael Keaton back in the Batsuit, and the Nicolas Cage cameo was worth the ticket price alone. Controversial star Ezra Miller was rather irksome though... I doubt they'll be back.

If Ezra wanted to buy some sable though, they'd probably go to the fur man.

Ezra Furman - Maraschino Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill

3. Throw him on a bonfire with Joni.

Guys are made to be thrown on the bonfire. Never do that to Joni Mitchell.

Guy Mitchell - A Dime And A Dollar

2. Mrs. Paragons gets in a kerfuffle with Raoul Shimmery.

Two anagrams, un-kerfuffled...

Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris - $1000 Wedding

A grand probably wouldn't even pay for the dress these days.

1. Tommy, in chains.

It never ceases to amaze me that we're now healthily into the 300s, and I'm still discovering big name artists who have never appeared in Snapshots before. Even more incredible is when it's artists I actually like. 

Above is a young Vincent Furnier, and his puppy, before he adopted his more distinctive stage persona...

Tommy Cooper + Alice In Chains =

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

I bet you a dollar you come back for more next Saturday...

Snapshots #234: A Top Ten Songs You Can't Dance To

If yesterday's clues left you stuck between a Rock and a hard place, don't despair...

Here come the answers. Remember to duck!

10. Joseph dies at the end...

...of Genesis.

Genesis - I Can't Dance

9. Will cause a huge fire.

Apparently the Manic Street Preachers considered these guys the best band of the 80s.

Big Flame - Why Pop Stars Can't Dance

8. Ladies love him.

That's what the LL stands for.

LL Cool J - You Can't Dance

7. Young Simpson found atop King.

Bart on Carol (King)

Barton Carroll - The Poor Boy Can't Dance

6. Somewhere between Logie Steading and the River Findhorn.

Check your maps of Moray.

Randolph's Leap - I Can't Dance To This Music Anymore

5. Gillian Anderson starts to get confused.

Gillian An, rearranged =

Ian Gillan (or just Gillan to his mates) - I Can't Dance To That

4. Poncherello, Ure, Edison. Between them, they hold the answer.

Poncherello, Ure, Edison.

Lou Reed - Sally Can't Dance

3. Mist, Emergency Room, Boxer's Beginning.

Fog+ER+Ty(son)

John Fogerty - Vanz Kant Danz

A song about CCR's former manager, Saul Zaentz, who allegedly took quite a big chunk of their earnings.

First claymation video ever. As with most 80s claymation videos, it's bloody awful.

2. Female graffiti artists found in harbour.

Martha's Harbour, with some Vandellas in it.

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin'

You may be more familiar with the Betty Boo version. But I could never dance to that myself.

1. Romans grasp the solution, in a way.

"Romans grasp" was an anagram.

Rock up here again next Saturday for more of the same.

Saturday Snapshots #182: A Top Ten Wedding Songs

If anyone knows any reason these answers should not be revealed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.

10. ET thanks Taylor.

ET, plus "ta"... and James Taylor.

Etta James - Stop The Wedding

9. Dedication! Or... half of it, at least.

Roy Castle was famous for his Dedication. 

Half of that would be...

Roy C - Shotgun Wedding

8. Irish priest on public transport.

Will you be going on the bus, Ted?

Busted - Crashed The Wedding

7. King's wife in hardback emergency room.

A Book in the ER?

With Priscilla (but not Presley).

Booker T & Priscilla - The Wedding Song

6. Musicians who will help you get around London.

An Oyster card will help you travel in the capital.

The Oysterband - Blood Wedding

5. Like a shadow and a divorcee.

Hank Marvin was a Shadow. Tammy Wynette was a divorcee.

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Sad Wedding

4. Romans grasp my realism hour.

Romans grasp was one anagram... my realism hour was another.

Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris - $1000 Wedding

3. Decayed mongrel on the loose!

"Decayed mongrel" was an anagram.

Godley and Creme - Wedding Bells

That's the first time I've ever seen the video to that. I will have nightmares.

2. No longer southerners.

Dixie, no more.

The (Dixie) Chicks - White Trash Wedding

1. I'm feeling bodily ill.

Not much of an anagram. Not much of a picture. But the tune is a solid gold classic...

And that's how you do a video, Godley & Creme. You ride a motorbike through a stained glass window! It's the video with everything AND a kitchen sink. An exploding kitchen sink, naturally.

Do you take these Snapshots, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?

If so, join me back here again next Saturday.