Music Labyrinth Episode 095
Black Coffee In Bed / Squeeze (1982)
Hello Listener, and welcome to episode 95 of The Music Labyrinth. We’re now only about 10 weeks away from the 100th episode, and I have been speaking with my collaborators here about something slightly different for that episode. Anyway, all that is in the future. Lets get our focus squarely onto episode 95. 95, as it turns out, is a significant number in literature and philosophy, with particular prominence in Martin Luther’s 1517 work, “95 Theses”; E.E. Cummings’ 1958 compilation, “95 Poems”; and a 16th Century compilation by Sir Thomas More called “The Prince, Utopia, Ninety-Five Thesis”. In addition to being a thinking-person’s number, 95 is also the atomic number of Americium, which is a synthetic radioactive chemical element. Interestingly, it is called Americium because in the periodic table it sits directly under element number 63 which is Europium. That fact alone probably tells us a fair bit about attitudes in the scientific community in the first half of the 20th Century. One of the most practical uses of Americium is as a key component in the most common type of household smoke detector. So, to summarise all of that, episode 95 of The Music Labyrinth promises to give you pause to think about the big questions; and will do everything in its power to stop fire breaking out in your immediate domestic vicinity. Fingers crossed! We started this episode with the English band Squeeze, who were known in Australia as UK Squeeze, with their 1982 song Black Coffee In Bed. Now, if you cast your mind back two weeks, you might recall me telling you that the backing vocals on that track were by Paul Young and another person whom I withheld naming until this week. Well, I can now advise that the second backing singer on that track was Elvis Costello, and we are about to hear one of his songs from his 1989 album Spike. Now, dont be fooled. This song may sound sweet and gentle to the inattentive listener, but I promise you that it is dripping with vitriol, most of it directed at the former Prime Minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher. This is Tramp The Dirt Down.
Tramp The Dirt Down / Elvis Costello (1989)
From the 1989 album Spike, that was Elvis Costello with Tramp The Dirt Down, in which he leaves you in little doubt about his attitude to Margaret Thatcher. This next track was NOT written by Elvis Costello, which surprised me because it was a big hit for him in 1978 and I’d always assumed it to be a song of his own. However, Elvis’ version was a cover of a four year old song first released in 1974 by Brinsley Schwarz. This is the original version.
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding / Brinsley Schwarz (1974)
That song was written by English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer, Nick Lowe, who also wrote and had a hit with this song from 1990.
All Men Are Liars / Nick Lowe (1990)
Nick Lowe has enjoyed a long career in music, almost all of it in collaboration with Dave Edmunds. The two are virtually inseparable in the history of modern music. Even when they were releasing “solo” albums under their respective names, those albums were most often joint projects featuring their band Rockpile, which were released as “solo” records for contractual reasons. Dave Edmunds played guitars on the song we just heard, and produced the album from which it comes. And so, it just seems right that we follow up a Nick Lowe song with one accredited to his long term collaborator. This is Dave Edmunds from 1972 with Blue Monday.
Blue Monday / Dave Edmunds (1972)
And this song is also called Blue Monday.
Blue Monday / New Order (1983)
Welcome back to The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to the New Order classic hit from 1983, Blue Monday. That song is quite in vogue at the moment. The international online newspaper The Guardian, recently ran an article about the song and its influence. Also, I had an interesting video pop up on my “you-might-like-this” list from an internet video site. It featured a bunch of musicians recreating that very electronic song on musical instruments which would have been available to players in the 1930s. Its a pretty cool clip, and for those who are interested I will past a link to it in the show notes for this episode with will go up at www.themusiclabyrinth.com in coming days. Now, onwards! At the 2002 Brit Awards, our very own Kylie performed a number called Cant Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head, which was a mash-up of Blue Monday with this little number of her own.
Can’t Get You Out Of My Head / Kylie Minogue (2001)
That song was written by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis. Cathy Dennis has a number of hit songs on her songwriting CV, including Brittney Spears’ Toxic and Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl. And, in 2010, she was part of the songwriting team responsible for this next song. This is Mark Ronson & The Business Intl with Somebody To Love Me.
Somebody To Love Me / Mark Ronson & The Business Intl (2010)
Backing vocals on that track were by Andrew Wyatt and Boy George. From 2018, here is the re-formed band who went by the name of Boy George & Culture Club with a song called Runaway Train. And keep one ear out for the female singer on this track. More on her shortly.
Runaway Train / Boy George & Culture Club (2018)
This is The Music Labyrinth and we just listened to Boy George & Culture Club with Runaway Train, featuring the vocals of Gladys Knight. And so, I have delivered us, quite by accident, to a double-link to our next track. Gladys Knight will always have a spot in my heart for this 1973 guilty pleasure which, like the song we just heard, is also a train song.
Midnight Train To Georgia / Gladys Knight & The Pips (1973)
Midnight Train To Georgia was particularly prominent in episode 210 of the American sitcom 30 Rock, when the majority of the cast sing the tune at the end of the episode, which features a speaking-only cameo role by Gladys Knight herself. There is quite a list of celebrity appearances in 30 Rock, and included on that list are these blokes. This is The Beastie Boys with Egg Man.
Egg Man / Beastie Boys (1989)
From 1989, that was The Beastie Boys with Egg Man. That song was built largely around a sample from this 1972 hit by Curtis Mayfield. This is Superfly.
Superfly / Curtis Mayfield (1972)
You are back in The Music Labyrinth where we find ourselves in the part of the labyrinth occupied by Curtis Mayfield’s 1972 hit Superfly. The bass line from that tune has featured in other tracks - as we have already heard. In the interests of exploration, lets push that idea just a little bit further. Also built around a sample of Superfly, this is Nelly from 2004.
Tilt Ya Head Back / Nelly (feat. Christina Aguilera) (2004)
That song was Tilt Ya Head Back by Nelly, and it featured the powerful voice of Christina Aguilera who, in 2010 had a starring role in the musical film Burlesque. Here she is from the soundtrack of that movie.
Something’s Got A Hold On Me / Christina Aguilera (2010)
This is The Music Labyrinth, although at the moment you could be convinced you were at a Burlesque show because the last track we heard was Christina Aguilera with Something’s Got A Hold On Me, from the soundtrack of the 2010 movie Burlesque. Christina Aguilera co-starred in that move with this next artist, who also contributed to the soundtrack.
Welcome To Burlesque / Cher (2010)
That, of course, was Cher, with Welcome To Burlesque. The 11th annual World Music Awards were held in Monaco in May 1999. The World Music Awards are conducted under the patronage of the Prince of Monaco and, in addition to recognising music talent from around the world, the awards also raise funds for the construction of hospitals, schools and orphanages in underdeveloped regions of the world. At the 1999 awards ceremony two artists were inducted as Legends of the World Music Award for their contributions to music. One was the artist we just heard, Cher, and the other was Janet Jackson. And here she is, from 1993, with You Want This.
You Want This / Janet Jackson (1993)
That was Janet Jackson from 1993 with You Want This. That song was built around samples from the Diana Ross & The Supremes’ song, Love Child, and also samples from this next track. This is Kool & The Gang.
Jungle Boogie / Kool & The Gang (1973)
Hello again from the deep interior of The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to Jungle Boogie by Kool & The Gang. Now, as anyone who has seen the 1994 Tarantino film Pulp Fiction will recognise, that song featured in the movie. In fact, the music selected for the film is considered to be one of the great strengths of the movie, which has appeared on many critics' lists of the greatest films ever made. Here at The Music Labyrinth we concur with the suggestion that the music selected is a crucial element of the film, so much so that we are about to launch into a double play of a couple of tracks which can only make you recall and celebrate the movie. To start us off, here are the Statler Brothers.
Flowers On The Wall / The Statler Brothers (1965)
You Never Can Tell / Chuck Berry (1964)
That little double-play of tracks from the movie Pulp Fiction was Flowers On The Wall by the Statler Brothers, and You Never Can Tell by Chuck Berry (although the latter song is also equally known by the titles Teenage Wedding or C’est La Vie). That song was once covered in the mid 1980s by a musical ensemble calling themselves Willie & The Poor Boys. Membership fluctuated, but the core of Willie & The Poor Boys included Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Geraint Watkins, Mickey Gee, and Andy Fairweather-Low. Other contributing musicians included Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ray Cooper, Chris Rea and Ronnie Lane. Here are Willie & The Poor Boys with Sugar Bee.
Sugar Bee / Willie & The Poor Boys (1985)
That was Sugar Bee, by Willie & The Poor Boys. As I mentioned earlier, one of the core members of Willie & The Poor Boys was the Welsh guitarist Andy Fairweather-Low, who has played with most of the big names in music, and is renowned as a session musician. However, he has produced enough music under his own name to have released a greatest hits album in 2008, and from it, this is a song called Spider Jiving.
Spider Jiving / Andy Fairweather-Low (2008)
This is The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to Spider Jiving by Andy Fairweather-Low. I mentioned earlier Andy Fairweather-Low’s props as a session musician. In the 80s and 90s he formed a strong association with Roger Waters, and played guitars on many of Roger Waters’ albums of the time, including on this track from the 1992 anti-war album Amused To Death. This is What God Wants, Part 1.
What God Wants, Pt. 1 / Roger Waters (1992)
From the 1992 album Amused To Death, that was Roger Waters with part 1 of What God Wants. And that song brings us to the final track of episode 95 of The Music Labyrinth, which is being broadcast on Thursday 9 March 2023. I make reference to the date, because it is relevant to our final track. But, before we get into that detail, can I just say thanks for joining me here in The Music Labyrinth. I hope you have enjoyed this part of the journey enough to come back and do it again with us in two weeks time. Now, to our final track for this episode. I mentioned the date earlier because this episode is being broadcast exactly 50 years and 8 days after the release of what is probably the most critically acclaimed album in the whole history of music - ever! I’m speaking of course of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon. So, given that we find ourselves, completely co-incidentally!, in the Roger Waters part of The Music Labyrinth, how can we possibly end this episode with anything other than a track from that benchmark of modern music? Thanks for listening!
Money / Pink Floyd (1973)