My Top Ten: Monkees

Showing posts with label Monkees. Show all posts

Monday, 20 October 2025

Celebrity Jukebox #57: Drew Struzan

Drew Struzan might not have been a household name, certainly in comparison with Robert Redford and Diane Keaton, most recently featured here... but even if you don't recognise the name, I can guarantee you will know his work.

Struzan was surely the leading movie poster artist of his generation, and many of his designs are arguably even more famous than the films they promoted. In fact, Steven Spielberg once remarked (about his "favourite movie artist") that “I had to almost live up to the art that we later were going to ask Drew to create for the poster.” It could probably be argued that certain film-makers were unable to live up to that promise, and the best thing about some of those flicks was the poster promoting it.

Below is the one I had on my bedroom wall. Why the poster for the sequel, rather than the original movie? Because I wanted both Marty and the Doc done by Mr. Struzan, not just Michael J. Fox on his own.

Rest in peace, Drew. Your art will live forever.

The Kinks - Moving Pictures

Bill Pritchard - Posters

Steely Dan - Everyone's Gone To The Movies

Mitch Ryder - Poster

Wreckless Eric - Let's Got To The Pictures

The Monkees - The Poster

Guided By Voices - Short On Posters

Andy Roberts - I've Seen The Movie

Echo & The Bunnymen - The Pictures On My Wall

Sunday, 5 October 2025

Snapshots #416: Songs With Repeated Names

At the top of the page yesterday, we had a picture of Nick Rhodes, keyboard player with Duran Duran. Today we have him and all his mates... because Duran Duran are named after a scientist in the movie Barbarella with the same name twice. Although he was called Durand-Durand.

Anyway, here are some songs with the same name repeated...

15. There's a great future in plastics.

"There's a great future in plastics," is a quote from a famous movie starring Dustin Hoffman...

Graduate - Julie Julie

Graduate were the first band of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who went on to find fame as Tears For Fears.

14. Ralph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Taron Egerton.

Three actors connected with the Kingsman movie franchise.

The Kingsmen - Louie Louie

13. Indian model, misdirected.

"Indian model" was an anagram...

Neil Diamond - Cherry Cherry

12. Ring, Gems, Mono.
Answer here!

Ringtone, gemstone, monotone. The answer was under them all.

The Undertones - Jimmy Jimmy

11. Marx, Harris, Chamberlain.

Three Richards, but the last one was Little.

Little Richard - Jenny Jenny

10. Useful for starting the week.

Get the week started by inserting the Mon-key.

The Monkees - Mary Mary

9. Partially seen through steamy windows at the back of a warehouse.

Partially seen through steAMY WINdows at the back of a warEHOUSE.

Amy Winehouse - Amy Amy Amy

8. Garth's mate has a 60s record label.

Garth was mates with Wayne from Wayne's World. The record label was Fontana.

Wayne Fontana - Pamela Pamela

7. Found fish meets Morecambe's Preview.

The sequel to Finding Nemo was Finding Dory. Eric Morecambe was a big fan of Andrew Preview. (Or Previn, as we knew him.)

Dory Previn - Michael Michael

6. Father Christmas was Not Available for this photo.

Santa - NA.

Santana - Maria Maria

5. Joined Bucks Fizz with half of the King below.

Bucks Fizz is made up of Champagne (see below) and Orange Juice.

Orange Juice - Louise Louise

4. Waugh and a bubbly ruler get together.

Evelyn Waugh meets Evelyn 'Champagne' King.

This is Evelyn Evelyn, a band made up of Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley. They seemed particularly appropriate today.

Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn

3. You get a good view of the gathering place from here.

A buena vista of the social club...

Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan

2. Those Turbo Frappes will get you properly buzzed up.

"Turbo Frappes" was an anagram...

Prefab Sprout - Johnny Johnny

Pure class.

1. An icon, Broad-ly speaking.

An Idol, whose real name is William Broad.

Billy Idol - Mony Mony

Hopefully you'll have stopped seeing double by the time Snapshots returns next Saturday...

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Snapshots #400: Eponymous Songs (Volume 2)

Back in July 2021, we did an edition of Snapshots about song titles which featured the name of the singer or band performing them. It was high time for a sequel...

20. Like a Sonic Youth offshoot.

Ciccone Youth was a side-project of Sonic Youth. This is Louise Ciccone, first name...

Madonna - Bitch, I'm Madonna

19. At His Majesty's pleasure...

Fun Lovin' Criminals - The Fun Lovin' Criminal

18. Mulligan's paddy wagon.

Carey Mulligan in a black mariah...

Mariah Carey - Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse

Not actually a song, but that might make it a better listen.

17. Scritti & Doris.

Scritti Politti was led by Green Gartside. Doris Day.

Green Day - Green Day

16. Chronic Youth.

His most famous album was The Chronic.

Dr Dre - Still DRE

15. Neither atheists not agnostics.

They were definitely Believers. And Daydream Believers.

(I know, they'd lost their heads on that day.)

The Monkees - Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees

14. If it's too late for goodbye, how will you bear up?

How will Julian (Lennon) cope?

Julian Cope - Julian H. Cope

13. Bristow, abbreviated... and a junior griffin.

Eric B(ristow) and William Michael Griffin Jr...

Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President

Well, he couldn't do a worse job that the current guy.

12. Betty's last word.

Boop-boo-be-doop.

Doop - Doop

Don't listen to that. Just don't.

11. Hilarious, in her later years.

She would grow up to be a Funny Girl.

Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra

10. A resident and a nadir.

A tennant and a low...

Pet Shop Boys - We're the Pet Shop Boys

9. The Cure singing Sugar Sugar.

Gothic Archies - We Are The Gothic Archies

8. Parliamentary subdivision.

Funkadelic were another of George Clinton's backing bands gone rogue...

Funkadelic - Mommy, What's a Funkadelic

7. Financial aid for US loos.

(Linda Thompson featuring) John Grant - John Grant

Linda wrote a song about John for her latest album. As she can't singer herself anymore, she got John to sing it.

6. Sobule + Nugent + 7.

Jill (Sobule) + Ted (Nugent) + John (Grant).

Jilted John - Jilted John

5. 6 & 7, as helpless as a kitten up a tree, Dad.

Two Johns, "as helpless as a kitten up a tree" is from Misty, Dad is Father.

Father John Misty - The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt.

FJM's real name is Josh Tillman.

4. Top Gear.

Motorhead - Motorhead

3. Smelly squat.

B.O. + Diddley Squat.

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley

2. Me: Chico Jr. But I may be wrong.

"Me: Chico Jr." was an anagram.

Jim Croce - You Don’t Mess Around With Jim

1. Albert Buster Caspian.

Prince Albert, Prince Buster, Prince Caspian...

1. Prince - My Name Is Prince

Ironically, when this record was released, he stopped calling himself Prince. But he was still funky...

Do we really a Snapshots #401? Maybe it's time to let you have your Saturday mornings back...

Sunday, 30 March 2025

Snapshots #389: The Snapshots Dessert Trolley

I'm on a diet at the moment, so putting this edition of Snapshot together was an exercise in self-flagellation. For the rest of you - feel free to indulge your sweet teeth below..

15. Non-White Raconteur.

The Raconteurs were a band featuring Jack White and...

Brendan Benson - Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

14. One bed flat for family of ten.

Crowded House - Chocolate Cake

13. Too busy singing.

I'm sure most of you easily spotted the Monkee-Mobile... but did you recall this awful school dinner substitute for rice pudding?

The Monkees - Tapioca Tundra

12. He was always wrong in French.

Mal - Mighty Mighty Roly Poly

Mal Ryder (aka Paul Bradley Couling from Wales) didn't make much of a mark on the UK music scene in the 70s... but he was very big in Italy. I include him here today because I do like a good Roly Poly.

11. Stork joins hawk to create a weird hybrid.