Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Fever

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  • 3410,

    one of the worst songs ever – Foreigner’s ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’

    One of the worst ever?

    I dunno; so many contenders!

    I nominate Dutch poppers Mouth & MacNeal's 1972 hit "Hello-A" (sic), and further challenge anyone - even Jackie - to get through the entire song.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to 3410,

    1972 hit

    Eurovisionish

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    I can almost forgive Foreigner because without whom:

    And in fairness they had Thomas Dolby at the keyboards for Foreigner 4.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    And in fairness

    And they were one of those 80's mysteries: horrendous US stadium rock bands created by Englishmen who had made reasonably good records back home early in the last decade. Mick Jones was in the proto-punk Spooky Tooth and Ian McDonald was an art rocker of some note with King Crimson.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    Sadly, they never covered Foreigner, but here’s my favorite cover band of all time

    Sweet Home Alabama is also worth a look.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to 3410,

    further challenge anyone - even Jackie - to get through the entire song.

    Made it! But I'm checking for damage as I type.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Sacha,

    1972 hit

    Eurovisionish

    According to Wikipedia, they did do Eurovision in 1974 finishing 3rd behind ABBA and some Italian. It must have been traumatic as they broke up in the same year.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to nzlemming,

    1972 hit

    Eurovisionish

    God, I remember that playing on our country radio station.

    But you really think they're worse than this?

    Roll out the closet Nana Mouskouri fans.

    ETA: Leningrad Cowboys. Best hair ever!

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to recordari,

    Leningrad Cowboys. Best hair ever!

    +1

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    But you really think they're worse than this?

    Yep. I quite liked that.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Rex Widerstrom, in reply to Ethan Tucker,

    the kidlings of the PS22 Chorus

    Oh gawd how scarily good are they!? I found one once, and then spent most of the afternoon clicking "related video" links, having lost all sense of time to a feeling of wonder. It's relatively easy for kids to sound okay en masse (specially since they tend to look adorable and thus egt extra points) but the PS22ers spotlight soloist after soloist and they could all easily hold their own against an Adele or a Winehouse.

    Either that is simply the world's greatest music teacher or there's something in the water in those parts.

    On the subject of Adele, I'd only ever heard her sing but she proved a lively and lovely guest with the inimitable Graham Norton. Quite stole my heart... *blush*:

    Perth, Western Australia • Since Nov 2006 • 157 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Thomas Dolby also produced this band, Prefab Sprout.
    This track "Cowboy Dreams" (which I posted the other day on the budget thread while I thought we were waiting for Keith) has, in my overly humble opinion, one of the cleverest lyrics I have ever heard.
    Enjoy, again.
    :-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Rex Widerstrom,

    So no one's going to pst Blondie's "Rapture" to celebrate the fact we're all still here? Okay then, try a band called Rapture... not the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world but... but... MORE COWBELL!!

    Perth, Western Australia • Since Nov 2006 • 157 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Rex Widerstrom,

    So no one’s going to pst Blondie’s “Rapture"

    Good call.
    That track Rapture has so many connections it’s not funny. CBGB, the home of American Punk, The Ramones and the first commercial excursion into Rap, well for white America anyway.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to 3410,

    nominate Dutch poppers Mouth & MacNeal's 1972 hit "Hello-A" (sic), and further challenge anyone - even Jackie - to get through the entire song.

    Why, I oughta........but I won't because my DOG JUST DIED. Now do you feel guilty for maligning my musical taste? Eh? Good. :)

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Well, two good things here--Spooky Tooth who made one very good record (on a nautical theme) and Leningrad Cowboys. If you have never seen Leningrad Cowboys Go America, you have to ("Go to America. They like all kinds of shit there". Mad Finns!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    my DOG JUST DIED

    Sorry to hear that. Know it has been a struggle.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    my DOG JUST DIED

    Someone better qualified can suggest a suitable country track.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    my DOG JUST DIED

    Sorry to hear that, Jackie. This one's for you:

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Rex Widerstrom, in reply to 3410,

    I played the hell out of "Shannon" on radio (in the days before computers told you what you could play and when). Great song :-)

    In the same spirit, and with condolences to Jackie:

    Perth, Western Australia • Since Nov 2006 • 157 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to 3410,

    Thanks to you both, but this was more my girl's style.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Jackie - really sorry to learn that.
    Dogs (and cats et al) are part of the whanau...remember my brother's whole famdamnily sobbing when one of the dogs was put down (at their home.)
    Hope your 'spooky' factor is a help - aroha mai na-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Islander,

    Thanks my love - it's all good. She had suffered enough and been such a brave girl all through her back operation 5 yrs ago, and then the diabetes and her thyroid problems and the Cushings Disease. She just took her pills, and her shots, and her endless visits to Dr Chris. and kept on keeping on, but it all got a bit much for her poor wee body. So we're at peace about it. It was the right time.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    Still on a music tip, the video for Battles' latest single "Ice Cream" is definitely NSFW, but it is very, very tasty (as is the song). Can't wait for the album.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    So no one’s going to pst Blondie’s “Rapture"

    The story of that record is detailed in the The Big Payback - the business history of hip hop which is a must read if you have any interest in the music bizz.

    It came from a trip uptown taken by Harry and Stein, led by hip-hop impresario Fab Five Freddy Brathwaite:

    What Brathwaite hoped to get out of the excursion was a cultural event—to get Blondie and Chic to do a show together, and put Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five on the bill. Brathwaite’s big gig never happened. But Brathwaite did get his cultural event. Just not in the way he thought.

    “We just finished a new record,” Stein and Harry told Brathwaite over the phone. “We have some new things that we can’t wait to play for you.” Brathwaite dropped by the couple’s apartment on 58th Street, and Stein played a song for him on cassette.

    It was a funky groove, with a bare-bones bass riff, and church bells accompanying Debbie Harry’s sweetly sung melody: “Toe to toe, dancing very close, / Barely breathing, almost comatose, / Wall to wall, people hypnotized, / And they’re stepping lightly, hang each night in rrrrrapture. ...”

    Then, to Brathwaite’s surprise, Harry started to rap: “Fab Five Freddy told me everybody’s fly, / DJ’s spinnin’, I said, ‘My, my.’ / Flash is fast, Flash is cool.” Brathwaite smiled. Debbie had taken their Bronx trip and turned it into a song.

    Even after the video was completed Freddie still thought they were taking the piss, until:

    [Braithwaite] rode in a car with Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. This is the life, he thought.

    The radio played, and Brathwaite slowly realized what he was hearing.

    “Fab Five Freddie told me everybody’s fly, /DJ’s spinnin’, I said, ‘My, my.’ / Flash is fast, Flash is cool.”

    This is Chris and Debbie’s new song, right? Weymouth and Frantz asked. Brathwaite was numb. He could barely get the words out of his mouth. “They played it for me,” he said, dumbly. “I thought it was a joke.” It wasn’t.

    “Rapture” was not only a huge hit for Blondie in the spring of 1981, selling over 500,000 copies as the second single from Autoamerican. The song that Brathwaite inspired was also the first record containing rap to reach number one on the U.S. pop charts.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

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