Music Labyrinth Episode 013
Talk Show Host / Radiohead
Hello everyone - and when I say everyone, I do so with a considerable degree of optimism. Welcome along to episode 13 of The Music Labyrinth. If you are a returning listener, bless you. If you have stumbled upon us by accident, let me try and lure you into staying with us by telling you that we are wandering from song to song in the labyrinth of the music of the rock/pop era, and our mechanism in getting from one song to the next is to find some linkage, hopefully of the first degee, between the two songs. So far in our journey we have listened to a whole lot of fine music, and discovered one or two unusual things about the people who produce and distribute that music for us. Can I also remind you that, in a couple of weeks, as a personal indulgence, we are going to try a stand-alone episode which focuses solely on songs of celebration, liberation, transition or ending - and I invite you to contribute to the songs we play in that episode. To make a suggestion, go to www.nonshedders.net and click the link to The Music Labyrinth. Once there, leave me your song suggestion in the comments field , OK! On with this week's music. We started this episode where we ended the last, with Radiohead's quite wonderful song, Talk Show Host. The song was never released as an official album track by Radiohead. It first appeared as a B-side to a single from the album, The Bends. Then, of course, as a result of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, its popularity greatly benefitted. The song eventually found its way onto a 2002 Triple J release called The Best B-Sides of All Time, which also included this song.
Sweetest Thing / U2
That was U2 with their song Sweetest Thing, which was released as a B-side to Where The Streets Have No Name in 1987, but ultimately achieved stand-alone recognition as a part of U2's 1998 album Best Of 1980-1990. Production credits on Sweetest Thing are shared by Steve Lillywhite (who we have already encountered in The Music Labyrinth for his work with the Dave Matthews Band; Daniel Lanois (who I am certain we will come back to); and Brian Eno, who is one of the enduring figures of modern music. Eno goes by the full handle of Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno. He commenced his career as a pioneer of ambient music, became a key member of Roxy Music, released solo albums and collaborative projects, before achieving renown as a producer of records for other artists. In 1979 he was engaged by Talking Heads to work with them on what became that band's third studio album, Fear of Music. From that album, and produced by Brian Eno, this is the wonderfully frenetic Life During Wartime.
Life During Wartime / Talking Heads
This aint no disco - this is The Music Labyrinth where, a few moments ago, we listened together to Life During Wartime by Talking Heads, which the New Yorker magazine described in 2012 as "still a hell of a thing to hear". No arguments from me! On a slightly more serious note, reflecting on the lyrics of that song made me think about very recent events; and life during lockdown. I suspect that the listener has recently experienced some of the feelings of dystopia and isolation inherent in that song, and I dips my lid to you for the hard work you have put in. Lets just linger a moment with another song which invokes those themes. This is Gotye, and Eyes Wide Open.
Eyes Wide Open / Gotye
In Winton in Central Queensland is an object called the Winton Musical Fence, which is just like a standard fence, but the wires are strung to a tension which produces notes on a musical scale. If you go back and listen again to Eyes Wide Open you will hear quite clearly that the dominant bass notes which form the core structure of the song were recorded on the Musical Fence. So, of course, I began to consider songs which feature unconventional musical instruments. Given that we have been dwelling on dark themes for the last couple of songs, lets lift the mood a little. Here is a song which will do very nicely; and which features a musical instrument called the electro-theremin.
Good Vibrations / The Beach Boys
That was, of course, The Beach Boys with Good Vibrations which, at the time of its recording, was regarded as the most expensive single ever produced. The electro-theramin was played by Paul Tanner, who had been a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Good Vibrations has been held up as an example of what some music writers call avant-pop, which Wikipedia describes as "music which balances experimental or avant-garde approaches with stylistic elements from popular music". Wikipedia helpfully points to a number of examples, which includes a personal favourite of mine which I cannot walk past at this point, Here is The Beatles with Tomorrow Never Knows.
Tomorrow Never Knows / The Beatles
Welcome back to The Music Labyrinth where, a few moments ago, we listened to a 54 year old piece of music which sounds like it may have been recorded last week. That music was Tomorrow Never Knows, from The Beatles' 1966 eponymous album which we all now know as The White Album. Phil Collins covered that track 15 years later on his 1981 debut solo album, Face Value, as a tribute to the recently murdered John Lennon. In my opinion, the Beatles version sounds fresher and more contemporary than Phil Collins' later re-working of it. Lets move on via Phil Collins' first solo album. Of course, the big hit from Face Value was In The Air Tonight; but, as usual, we're off in another direction. Also featured on Face Value was a re-working of a song Collins had previously featured in whilst recording Genesis' Duke album a year earlier. For his solo version, Collins gave the song the full funk/R&B treatment, and turned it into my favourite track from this album Here is Behind The Lines.
Behind The Lines/ Phil Collins
On The Music Labyrinth, that was Phil Collins with his 1981 track, Behind The Lines. The funky horn arrangements on that track were played by The Phenix Horns, which provides me with an irresistible opportunity to go to one of my favourite pieces of music of all time. You see, the Phenix Horns were best known as the horn section for Earth Wind & Fire, which can only lead us to here.
Boogie Wonderland / Earth Wind & Fire
From 1979, we (or at least one of us) were just mightily entertained by Boogie Wonderland by Earth Wind & Fire with The Emotions. In February 2009, according to The Washington Post, Earth Wind & Fire performed Boogie Wonderland at The White House, as guests of President Obama and the First Lady. Three years later, the President and Mrs Obama hosted a show at the White House, filmed by PBS, entitled Red, White & Blues. One of the many stars to perform before the President in that show was Gary Clark Jr. Here he is with Pearl Cadillac.
Pearl Cadillac / Gary Clark Jr
You are listening to The Music Labyrinth and we just heard Gary Clark Jr with his "Prince inspired" song, Pearl Cadillac. There are no shortage of songs referencing that particular iconic slice of automotive America. Here is another.
Brand New Cadillac / The Clash
From their legendary 1979 double album, London Calling, that was The Clash with Brand New Cadillac. The golden era for the Clash is widely recognised to be from the formation of the band in 1976 until the release of the album Combat Rock in the early 1980s. In 1983, after tensions and in-fighting, guitarist Mick Jones was sacked from the band. A year or so later Mick Jones returned to prominence with the band Big Audio Dynamite. Here they are with one of the highest selling singles anywhere in the world from 1991.
Rush / Big Audio Dynamite
[Best Peter Sellers voice] "Rhythm and melody..." From 1991, that was Big Audio Dynamite with Rush. The keen-eared listener will have noticed in that song, near the end of the second verse, a familiar keyboard refrain - well, familiar for those who are conversant with the bigger hits of the British band, The Who. Rather than making you go back to the track and listen again, let me assist you. To end this episode, here is that familiar keyboard refrain, and the song that goes with it. As always, thanks for listening to The Music Labyrinth. This is Baba O'Riley.
Baba O'Riley / The Who
Hello everyone - and when I say everyone, I do so with a considerable degree of optimism. Welcome along to episode 13 of The Music Labyrinth. If you are a returning listener, bless you. If you have stumbled upon us by accident, let me try and lure you into staying with us by telling you that we are wandering from song to song in the labyrinth of the music of the rock/pop era, and our mechanism in getting from one song to the next is to find some linkage, hopefully of the first degee, between the two songs. So far in our journey we have listened to a whole lot of fine music, and discovered one or two unusual things about the people who produce and distribute that music for us. Can I also remind you that, in a couple of weeks, as a personal indulgence, we are going to try a stand-alone episode which focuses solely on songs of celebration, liberation, transition or ending - and I invite you to contribute to the songs we play in that episode. To make a suggestion, go to www.nonshedders.net and click the link to The Music Labyrinth. Once there, leave me your song suggestion in the comments field , OK! On with this week's music. We started this episode where we ended the last, with Radiohead's quite wonderful song, Talk Show Host. The song was never released as an official album track by Radiohead. It first appeared as a B-side to a single from the album, The Bends. Then, of course, as a result of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, its popularity greatly benefitted. The song eventually found its way onto a 2002 Triple J release called The Best B-Sides of All Time, which also included this song.
Sweetest Thing / U2
That was U2 with their song Sweetest Thing, which was released as a B-side to Where The Streets Have No Name in 1987, but ultimately achieved stand-alone recognition as a part of U2's 1998 album Best Of 1980-1990. Production credits on Sweetest Thing are shared by Steve Lillywhite (who we have already encountered in The Music Labyrinth for his work with the Dave Matthews Band; Daniel Lanois (who I am certain we will come back to); and Brian Eno, who is one of the enduring figures of modern music. Eno goes by the full handle of Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno. He commenced his career as a pioneer of ambient music, became a key member of Roxy Music, released solo albums and collaborative projects, before achieving renown as a producer of records for other artists. In 1979 he was engaged by Talking Heads to work with them on what became that band's third studio album, Fear of Music. From that album, and produced by Brian Eno, this is the wonderfully frenetic Life During Wartime.
Life During Wartime / Talking Heads
This aint no disco - this is The Music Labyrinth where, a few moments ago, we listened together to Life During Wartime by Talking Heads, which the New Yorker magazine described in 2012 as "still a hell of a thing to hear". No arguments from me! On a slightly more serious note, reflecting on the lyrics of that song made me think about very recent events; and life during lockdown. I suspect that the listener has recently experienced some of the feelings of dystopia and isolation inherent in that song, and I dips my lid to you for the hard work you have put in. Lets just linger a moment with another song which invokes those themes. This is Gotye, and Eyes Wide Open.
Eyes Wide Open / Gotye
In Winton in Central Queensland is an object called the Winton Musical Fence, which is just like a standard fence, but the wires are strung to a tension which produces notes on a musical scale. If you go back and listen again to Eyes Wide Open you will hear quite clearly that the dominant bass notes which form the core structure of the song were recorded on the Musical Fence. So, of course, I began to consider songs which feature unconventional musical instruments. Given that we have been dwelling on dark themes for the last couple of songs, lets lift the mood a little. Here is a song which will do very nicely; and which features a musical instrument called the electro-theremin.
Good Vibrations / The Beach Boys
That was, of course, The Beach Boys with Good Vibrations which, at the time of its recording, was regarded as the most expensive single ever produced. The electro-theramin was played by Paul Tanner, who had been a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Good Vibrations has been held up as an example of what some music writers call avant-pop, which Wikipedia describes as "music which balances experimental or avant-garde approaches with stylistic elements from popular music". Wikipedia helpfully points to a number of examples, which includes a personal favourite of mine which I cannot walk past at this point, Here is The Beatles with Tomorrow Never Knows.
Tomorrow Never Knows / The Beatles
Welcome back to The Music Labyrinth where, a few moments ago, we listened to a 54 year old piece of music which sounds like it may have been recorded last week. That music was Tomorrow Never Knows, from The Beatles' 1966 eponymous album which we all now know as The White Album. Phil Collins covered that track 15 years later on his 1981 debut solo album, Face Value, as a tribute to the recently murdered John Lennon. In my opinion, the Beatles version sounds fresher and more contemporary than Phil Collins' later re-working of it. Lets move on via Phil Collins' first solo album. Of course, the big hit from Face Value was In The Air Tonight; but, as usual, we're off in another direction. Also featured on Face Value was a re-working of a song Collins had previously featured in whilst recording Genesis' Duke album a year earlier. For his solo version, Collins gave the song the full funk/R&B treatment, and turned it into my favourite track from this album Here is Behind The Lines.
Behind The Lines/ Phil Collins
On The Music Labyrinth, that was Phil Collins with his 1981 track, Behind The Lines. The funky horn arrangements on that track were played by The Phenix Horns, which provides me with an irresistible opportunity to go to one of my favourite pieces of music of all time. You see, the Phenix Horns were best known as the horn section for Earth Wind & Fire, which can only lead us to here.
Boogie Wonderland / Earth Wind & Fire
From 1979, we (or at least one of us) were just mightily entertained by Boogie Wonderland by Earth Wind & Fire with The Emotions. In February 2009, according to The Washington Post, Earth Wind & Fire performed Boogie Wonderland at The White House, as guests of President Obama and the First Lady. Three years later, the President and Mrs Obama hosted a show at the White House, filmed by PBS, entitled Red, White & Blues. One of the many stars to perform before the President in that show was Gary Clark Jr. Here he is with Pearl Cadillac.
Pearl Cadillac / Gary Clark Jr
You are listening to The Music Labyrinth and we just heard Gary Clark Jr with his "Prince inspired" song, Pearl Cadillac. There are no shortage of songs referencing that particular iconic slice of automotive America. Here is another.
Brand New Cadillac / The Clash
From their legendary 1979 double album, London Calling, that was The Clash with Brand New Cadillac. The golden era for the Clash is widely recognised to be from the formation of the band in 1976 until the release of the album Combat Rock in the early 1980s. In 1983, after tensions and in-fighting, guitarist Mick Jones was sacked from the band. A year or so later Mick Jones returned to prominence with the band Big Audio Dynamite. Here they are with one of the highest selling singles anywhere in the world from 1991.
Rush / Big Audio Dynamite
[Best Peter Sellers voice] "Rhythm and melody..." From 1991, that was Big Audio Dynamite with Rush. The keen-eared listener will have noticed in that song, near the end of the second verse, a familiar keyboard refrain - well, familiar for those who are conversant with the bigger hits of the British band, The Who. Rather than making you go back to the track and listen again, let me assist you. To end this episode, here is that familiar keyboard refrain, and the song that goes with it. As always, thanks for listening to The Music Labyrinth. This is Baba O'Riley.
Baba O'Riley / The Who