Tuesday 2 October 2007

Cheese Gratings



For no good reason other than to offer myself up for crucifixion on the cross of uncool.
Here are 5 cheesy songs I like from the seventies.

1. Alone Again Naturally by Gilbert O'Sullivan
Inspired gloomy lyrics that really scan to a fabulous plink plonky piano. He's on tour you know!

2.Windmills Of My Mind by Noel Harrison
OK I actually prefer Terry Hall's deadpan version. Makes no sense at all. Most excellent!

3. Hey Rock n'Roll by Showaddywaddy
Glam classic! I saw them live. Twice.

4. Where Do You Go To My Lovely by Peter Sarstedt
ah yes I do..ah no I don't...ahahaha - I loved songs that told stories. This tells a story. And includes small laughage.

5. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head by B.J. Thomas or Sacha Distel.
I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining. A philosophy worth singing about. Shame about the vocal gymnastics on the very last word. (on B.J's version)

5 comments:

Jon Peake said...

I love Alone Again (Naturally). His lyrics are artful. I went to see him a couple of years ago and he was terrible, a horrible man. My companion walked out. So better left on vinyl really.

Now I hate to break this to you, but Windmills, Sarstedt and BJ Thomas are all from the Sixties!

Clair said...

I love 'em all, but only the BJ Thomas version of Rainbows. I concur with F-C that O'Sullivan is a miserable git - I heard him on the radio with Danny Baker, who's a big fan of his, but O'Sullivan treated him with utter contempt.

Kolley Kibber said...

Good selection, VS, and excellent clip ( wasn't Katherine Ross lovely? Actually so was Paul Newman.).

I'm fascinated by these stories of the misanthropic Gilbert. The lyrics to 'Alone again..' are fantastic and could have been penned by Morrissey, but other than them, he hasn't got that much to be arrogant about, has he?

Oh -apart from providing the backing track to one of Pan's People's best ever routines - where they clopped around six bored-looking mutts on stools to 'Get Down (You're a Bad Dog Baby)'.

Gwen said...

"Where do you go to my lovely" - I was never sure whether to laugh or cry when listening to that one. Still not sure really.

Valentine Suicide said...

The Sixties! The Sixties! not possible. I was four when the seventies came along. I couldn't possibly remember songs from the sixties.

I vaguely recall a horrible interview between GOS and Nicky Campbell, but I just assumed that was the general hatefulness of NC...

And Katherine Ross...ahhhh lovely indeed. I believe she married me not long after BC&TSK..

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