A couple of weeks ago, my younger brother, Don, celebrated his 70th birthday with a rather jolly party in New York where’s he’s now lived half his lifetime.
I was not there of course. It was completely out of the question for me to attend. I was far too skint and far too busy to pop over to the States. And, as I have expressed my dislike and disapproval of that vile, deranged, megalomaniac narcissist in the White House many times, I somehow I suspect I would not be allowed into the country anyway
An old mutual friend of ours who is a talented, amateur musician came up with a wonderful, very generous idea for the entertainment. He asked Don to list his ten favourite songs. He then recruited a couple of female singers to help him out with the vocals and performed them ten all live.
The set included Purcell and The Blue Nile and ended up with GOD ONLY KNOWS with all the guests joined in
All in all, I hear it was one of the highlights of the party.
After telling me about the gig, Don made gave me a serious attack of the willies by asking me what my ten favourite songs would have been.
I was lost for words. Talk about Mission Impossible! Like some kind of 21st century J Alfred PRUFOCK, i have measured out my life with concert ticket stubs, merch table purchases and record shop visits. How could I possibly boil all that down to ten songs?
So I’d now like you the same question. Your friends are arranging a party in your honour and would like to know – which are the ten favourite songs would you like to hear performed?
And, just to make it even more interesting, which artist or band would you want to perform them? No expense spared and no need to be realistic here.
Artists who have now shuffled off this mortal coil can be brought back for this special occasion.
So along with Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Pulp, you could also go for Hildegard Von Bingen, The Beatles or The Doors or the Dead in their pomp with Jerry Garcia.
Maybe you are wondering which 10 songs I finally listed?
Well, Prince of Prevarication that I am, I have now boiled it down to a shortlist of 500 or so songs.
I make Hamlet look really decisive.
Finally however, the coin dropped. Instead of fretting about boiling it all down to ten absolute favourites, why not just meander off down Memory Lane and listen to all those wonderful also-rans that I have enjoyed throughout the years ?
Songs that may or may not top any BEST EVER polls but will always have a place in my heart.
For example, last Friday I treated myself to a clip of Laura Cantrell singing Two Seconds and then I lost you but I found country music.
She’s only played Stockholm once, as far as I know. @DuCo01 and I were there and she and her band were superb.
Last Saturday morning, I found myself having a wee dram in the Taybridge Bar in Dundee listening to the late, great Michael Marra singing about how Saint Peter sent Frida Kahlo down to Dundee when he couldn’t get the Pearly Gates open.
My quest for my favourites has taken me to Paris, Pinner, Cairo, Skye, Oslo, Dalston, the Lofoten Islands, Manchester, Bamako, the Kingdom of Fife, Roskilde, Rome, Benidorm and Rio de Janeiro.
Which places are full of memories for you?
To sum up…..
I’m not trying to change the AFTERWORD, I’m not looking for a new Sweden.
I’m just thinking about my favourite tunes.
Please tell us about yours.
That’s a question you would have to ponder for a while…but I can tell you right now that the songs I’d choose would have to be performed by Kid Creole & The Coconuts in their prime, and all of them played in their glorious Latin Cabaret style!
But I don’t know if I’d choose my all time Top Ten – the original versions are too good to hear in any other version – I think I’d choose ten songs that sounds great no matter who performs them. And all of them uptempo, joyful, rhythm-heavy tunes with sing-along choruses.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts paying ten of their best songs would suit me very well too, @Locust. Endicott would be on my list
I agree with you too about how some songs ideally have to be performed by the original artist.
OK,. there are several other excellent versions of that song but Anais Mitchel really nails it
And you are so right. Putting together a set of ten songs for a party, you want to find ten songs that together make up a good set,
Some old favourites and some new songs that will delight.
Here are a few clips from the På Spåret quiz show that would hit the spot for me.
TERRA are my new favourite band,
@Kaisfatdad – absolutely; prime era KC&TC playing ten of their own would be wonderful, but you misunderstood me. I meant that I want them to play all ten covers, in their own musical style.
I haven’t thought of any of the songs yet (and may not even try to), but if I do, it will be ten songs I like but not my ten favourite recorded songs, and it would be songs I’d like to hear get the Kid Creole treatment and think would benefit from getting that treatment! 🙂
I’d be very interested to hear which songs you would like to hear given a Kid Creole treatment. No hurry.
That made me think. How many covers do the band have in their repertoire?
This site was useful
https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/22318/all
IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY is probably the best known.
It was a perfect choice and probably inspired some of the later banter between KC and Coati Mundi which was a big part of their act.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Wanna_Be_Happy
Based on this song from 1934 by Calypsonian Roaring Lion.
OK, @Kaisfatdad, I gave it a go – these are just songs I thought of that I think Kid Creole & The Coconuts could have done something fun with, not my Top 10 of all time.
Either “I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You)” or “Cry Now, Laugh Later” by Grace Jones.
“Who Feelin’ It” or “Let There Be Love” by Tom Tom Club.
A lot of good candidates by Prince; “Lady Cab Driver”, “Baby I’m a Star”, “1000 X’s & O’s”, “Party Up”, “Uptown”, “Erotic City”, “Wow” (and many more) but I chose to mash up “Willing and Able” with Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” – as a back-and-forth between Kid and The Coconuts, perhaps then followed by a rendition of “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash!
How about “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” by They Might Be Giants?
We need some old chestnuts too, I chose “Sweet Lorraine”, “Minnie the Moocher” and why not “Dry Bones” (AKA “Dem Bones”)?
And I’d love to hear their take on “State of Independence”!
I’m not sure it would be a good fit, but ever since its release I’ve been living in hope that someone would make a great cover version of “The Need To Be Free” by Imagination, which is a gorgeous song but has awful production – the weedy instrumental synth part towards the end always breaks my heart. Although the guys of Imagination sing and harmonize well I’d love to hear this sung by someone with a really great voice who can belt it out gospel style…so not Kid Creole, but I’m sure their version would still beat the original (unfortunately)!
Anyway, those were the (at least) ten random songs that came to mind right now.
Thanks a lot for this wonderfully varied and very ambitious set,-list @locust.
Wow. You have chosen some artists who I am very keen about. Prince, Tom Tom Club and…Grace Jones,
I’d never really heard of her when I bought a cassette of NIGHTCLUBBING. Thanks to my trendy Walkman, it became the soundtrack of a summer spent working on Corfu back in the early 80s.
Mention of Imagination also brings back many memories of those 80s summers as they were ridiculously popular in all the discos. I don’t think I knew they were from London and that a couple of them had their roots in Jamaica.
I am very keen about the idea of getting a band with a very distinctive sound of their own like KC and the Coconuts, transforming a mixed bag of songs into their own image,
My personal favourite in this field is Senor Coconut who does wonderful Latin lounge versions of unexpected hits.
Anyway, I think are on to something with your KID CREOLE project,
Time to send him a mail and get him interested?
Here’s Laura…
And now Michael Marra. The anecdote before the song is hilarious and very moving
Now it’s time for you all to treat us to your favourite songs.
God only knows…. There must be many wonderful treats ahead.
One for all the Swedish speakers, This one really cracks me up….
And finally a Swedish techno-pop cover of Mozza……
Everytime a significant birthday comes up, ie one with a zero in it, I ponder the idea of putting on a party where my favourte singers sing my favourite songs. And I’d be in the band! But I always chicken out, purely because I’m the kind of person who’d decide at the last minute that I didn’t want to go. But here are some of the songs – maybe I’ll do it for my 80th (in 8 years time). I have friends in mind who could actually sing these.
Tin Soldier
I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten – here’s Dusty’s original. Major goosebump city when she sings “believe” at 1.45
Heroes And Villains
River Deep Mountain High
Thanks for such a comprehensive and interesting comment @Mousey.
I can really understand your mixed feelings about a party like that.
Being a very shy, quiet, reclusive wee beastie, I don’t think i would enjoy being centre stage while listening to 10 songs that I had curated.
I’d never heard that Dusty song before. it’s a gem.
We can thank Dutch TV for creating such a fine video-
This performance was part of a Dutch tv-special ‘Just Dusty’ first broadcast by TROS tv on 4 February 1971.
Incidentally, you just reminded me of this beautiful song
At my 50th Mrs F insisted I got out from my happy place behind the mixing desk and greeted the invited throng. I handed over the controls to my musical partner in crime and circulated.
What she didn’t know was that I would later get up on stage and play with one of the bands. I’ll be honest – we didn’t rehearse, and I wasn’t very good after a ~25 year break, but nobody seemed to care apart from my teenage Offsprings who declared it “the most embarrassing thing ever”.
Two of the three acts who played are now dormant, I hope I can get one of them out of hibernation for my 60th.
Great story @fentonsteve. These teenagers do get embarrassed so easily.
But a 25 year gap between rehearsals was perhaps a little optimistic.
Sound like a great party anyway. A quite unique event hat only you could have put together.
I fluffed a note in the first verse, looked at my hands, and had an attack of The Fear. At which point the strap fell off my bass, and I played the rest of the tune bent over with it balanced on my knee, which took my mind off what my fingers were doing. Like riding a bike, wobbly at first but not quite forgotten.
I have ideas for a lineup for my 60th but, post-lockdowns, WFH and my recording and gig partners in crime moving away, I’m not sure I could get 100 people together to be in the audience.
Compiling a list wouldn’t be too tricky for me as my Desert Island Discs haven’t changed for at least 15 years and probably wouldn’t change even now since the song choices all fit with particular memories. I’d just have to add another 2 to the list which shouldn’t take me more than a week.
As for the band, that’s an easy one. I may have misunderstood the task but I take it that we are being asked to name one band to play all the songs. If that’s right, then I’d choose the best covers band in history. And as David Hepworth has been pointing out for years, that is The Beatles. The HJH could probably manage a good version of In My Life. And I imagine their version of Handle With Care would be pretty good too. Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts and God Only Knows would be within their comfort zone. Up The Junction too. Obviously their version of House of the Rising Sun couldn’t top John Otway at Abbey Road with me in the backing “choir” but they’d do something good with it. 99 Red Balloons might be a bit rogue but worth hearing. But I’d be most interested to hear their take on Supper’s Ready. They could share the vocals around. Billy Preston might have to join them to add some keyboards but I’m sure that’s permitted. I really fancy this idea. I wonder if AI could produce an idea of what Supper’s Ready might have sounded like played by the Fabs…
Thanks for a very entertaining answer, @SteveWalsh. You understood the task perfectly.
The Fabs wrote so many great songs themselves that it is easy to forget what a good covers band they were.
I Googled. Paul is still at it.
In 1999 he recorded an album that was mostly old rock and roll songs – Run Devil Run
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_Devil_Run_(album)
And on top of that, here’s a list of all the very varied songs that Macka has covered live..
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/a-bumper-playlist-of-every-song-paul-mccartney-has-covered-live/
The Beatles sing Supper’s Ready is a truly wonderful idea. Not only what it would sound like, but the graphics AI might come up with.
I guess we can expect something in the style of YELLOW SUBMARINE.
There are some brave souls who have attempted to cover Genesis’s finest hour….
https://secondhandsongs.com/work/128839/all
How about Brazilian Jazz Genesis…
Or Jazz bossa Genesis….
As for the graphics, this is rather well done,
Generals & Majors – XTC sung by ELO.
I’ve got you – spilt Endz sung by Juliet Turner.
Another Girl Another Planet- Only ones sung by REM
Oxford Girl – Oyster Band sung by Counting Crows.
Pretty in Pink – Psychedelic Furs sung by Bob Marley.
A song from under the Floorboards- Magazine sung
by Tom Waits.
African & White – China Crisis sung by
Going down to Liverpool – Bangles sung by Jackie Leven.
Psycho Killer – Talking Heads sung by Iris Dement
Felicity – Orange Juice sung by Crash Test Dummies.
Strange collection but in my defence I was left unsupervised…. I’ll get my coat .
REM definitely should have covered AGAP, and can see a reggae lilt lurking under Pretty In Print. Not so sure about the Jeff Lynne sound taking on XTC though.
Marillion have done XTC’s Senses Working Overtime. And at least once with Dave Gregory.
Wonderful stuff. You really put your heart into it @Bejesus.
Ten superb songs and some wonderfully varied artists to cover them.
Tom Waits singing Magazine really appealed to me
As did Jackie Leven singing the Bangles. His version of I say a little prayer showed what he could do with unexpected covers.
No surprise, but I would choose Wilco/Jeff Tweedy, they have played a lot of cover versions over the years
This is the one concert of theirs that I really wished I could have attended (Solid Sound festival – North Adams, MA in 2013)
1 The Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy cover
2 Cut Your Hair – Pavement cover
3 In the Street – Big Star cover
4 New Madrid – Uncle Tupelo cover
5 Dead Flowers – The Rolling Stones cover
6 Simple Twist of Fate – Bob Dylan cover
7 Ripple – Grateful Dead cover
8 Who Loves the Sun – The Velvet Underground cover
9 And Your Bird Can Sing – The Beatles cover
10 And Your Bird Can Sing – The Beatles cover – And Your Bird Can Sing was played twice in a row
11 Psychotic Reaction – Count Five cover
12 Tom Courtenay – Yo La Tengo cover – With Yo La Tengo
13 James Alley Blues – Richard Brown cover
14 Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks cover – With Lucius
15 Waterloo – ABBA cover – With Lucius
16 (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding – Brinsley Schwarz cover
17 Marquee Moon – Television cover
18 Happy Birthday to You – Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill cover – to Pat Sansone
19 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult cover
20 Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young & Crazy Horse cover
21 Get Lucky – Daft Punk cover
22 Surrender – Cheap Trick cover
23 Color Me Impressed – The Replacements cover – With Tommy Stinson
24 Kingpin
25 Thank You Friends – Big Star cover
Encore
26 The Weight – The Band cover – With Lucius
27 Roadrunner – The Modern Lovers cover – With Yo La Tengo
That is a set list to die for, @Dai. I’m not surprised you were sad to miss it.
A whole set of covers like that is very unusual.
There’s a thread topic for the future:
‘Setlists where the same song was played twice in succession.’
“in October 1963 at a Temptations gig. For the encore, the group always did the Isley Brothers song “Shout!”…the audience loved it so much that the group were called back for another encore… They did the same song again, and got an even better reaction. They came back for a third time, and did it again, and got an even better reaction”.
A History of Rock Music in 500 songs, episode 133
Fabulous!
When I saw Paul Simon with @DuCo01 at the GLOBE ARENA back in the 90s, You can call me Al was such a crowd-pleaser that he immediately played it a second time.
When I saw Badly Drawn Boy may moons ago, he opened with ONCE AROUND THE BLOCK.
He didn’t seem very happy with how the performance had gone and later replayed it as an encore. This time he was so chuffed that then played it again. He might not have been completely sober.
Yeah, I think Jeff wasn’t too happy with the first rendition. Other gigs where I have seen repeats (but not consecutively) Arthur Lee and Love – A House is Not a Motel at RFH and Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Goin’ Home at Lörrach festival in Germany both early 2000s
Oh KFD, you’ve had me thinking! What an intriguing thread!
My starting point was this, one of the most astonishing cover versions, albeit assisted by one of the authors.
Now, I’m not in favour of all the unnecessary airmiles incurred by flying acts in to do a single song, so I next thought ‘What else could the Todmobile do justice to?’ But their kitchen sink would not be appropriate for more intimate songs, so I would turn to my favourite singer songwriter and my favourite singer in the land for other songs in the set. That’s Joni, and Mike Wilson of The Wilsons respectively. I have a work in progress on my desk, but I also have singing responsibilities in a pub in my home town in about half an hour, so I shall return to the task later.
I hope your gig went well @thecheshirecat. I look forward to continuing this conversation.
Thanks for reminding us about this extraordinary track.
There’s something about Iceland, eh? They achieve moments of musical magic that many others just dream of.
OK, here goes.
Awaken would undoubtedly be the penultimate item in the show, bringing things to a heady climax. But to what else do I fancy Todmobile applying their considerable gifts and resources? Well, howzabout:
Sowing the Seeds of Love – Tears for Fears
Ancestors – Bjork
and, what the hell
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis – Vaughan Williams
Joni would have to do one of her own, and that would be Coyote. But also, I think she would do a wonderful job of
Cloud Factory – Bill Caddick
Who Knows Where the Time Goes – Fairport
I would have me old folk mucker, Mike Wilson, open proceedings with my favourite ‘come all ye’ opening number – Let’s Hope the Clock Stands Still – Pete Betts. I learnt the song from Mike, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
I need a union song in there, so I’ll have him do Joe Hill and, hell, Joni can do BVs.
To complete the ten, Dark Swift and Bright Swallow – Martin Simpson
So, the running order
Let’s Hope the Clock Stands Still
Sowing the Seeds of Love
Coyote
Tallis
Joe Hill
Cloud Factory
Ancestors
Dark Swift and Bright Swallow
Awaken
Who Knows Where the Time Goes
It’ll be ace.
I’m having trouble getting down to 10 songs … I’m stuck on a shortlist of about 25 (which is increasing as I suddenly think of another one).
Haven’t even started on the bands yet …
I’m thinking 30 songs on a wheel of fortune, spin 10 times, and the band (consisting of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, The Jam, some Specials, Stiff Little Fingers,. and Iron Maiden, and other special guests) play the chosen selection selections.
Now the songs … thinking caps on
In order that they came to mind and if I sit and think again, some will change, some won’t, I know I’ve missed a some that should be on the list.
If push come to shove, and there was only one singer, well Jackie Leven would be that man.
Eels – Things The Grandchildren Should Know – Jackie Leven
Harp and a Monkey – Blind Mice – Tom Waits
Eels – The Stars Shine in the Sky Tonight – The Unthanks
Alice Cooper – Schools Out – Joy Division
Jackie Leven – Birds Leave Shadows – Mark Everret (Eels)
Buzzcocks – Boredom – Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse)
Saprklehorse – Someday I Will Treat You Good – Alice Cooper
Beach Boys – Surfs Up as already covered by David Thomas
The Freshies – I Can’t Get Bouncing Babies by The Teardrop Explodes – Victoria Williams
Sir Vincent Lone – Courtship In Scottish Factories – Rachel Sweet
Now to bed where no doubt I will regularly awake screaming why didn’t I pick …. and have it performed by….
Another quite magic list of suggestions. So many favourite artists. So many great songs. Thanks a lot @Bogart.
The Unthanks, Tom Waits, Alice Cooper. Sparklehorse etc etc…what a line up
If push came to shove, I’m sure the late, great Jackie Leven would have done a splendid job on all the songs and also been rather chuffed to have been offered the gig.
I am extremely chuffed to discover that the late, great PERE UBU frontman, David Thomas, did actually record a version of Surf’s Up.
It certainly is quite a trip from Akron to the beaches of California and the surfer girls of the Beach Boys Songbook.
David ended his days in a nursing home in Hove. A very unique talent.
It’s bedtime in Stockholm, But not before we’ve listened to Pere Ubu in their pomp…
Now we are talking. You are really taking this assignment really seriously. Hats off to you @rigid-digit. Things are really starting to warm up on the thread.
Yours is going to be the party of the decade.
I am very keen about your suggested house-band for the event, And it struck me that thanks to modern mash-up technology, Costello backed by the Specials and Iron Maiden is now within our grasp.
If Pete Gabriel can play with Lizzo….
If the Bangles can jam with Slayer……
And if CC and the Pistols could hit it off – remember this classic clip from THE WORD? –
then anything is possible.
THE BAND:
Steve Winwood – Lead vocals, organ, guitar
Bruce Welch – Rhythm guitar
David Lindley – Slide guitar
Peter Green – Lead guitar, vocals
Paul McCartney – Bass guitar, vocals
Steve Gadd – Drums
Rick Wakeman – Keyboards
Garth Hudson – Organ
Alan Barnes – Sax, clarinet
Andy Fairweather Lowe – MD & guitar
THE SONGS:
1. Liberty Horses (Boo Hewerdine & Laurie Freelove)
2. Closer from the Start (Duke Special)
3. Sky Blue & Black (Jackson Browne)
4. Not ‘cause I Wanted To (Bonnie Raitt / Bonnie Bishop & Al Anderson)
5. Need your Love So bad (Little Willie John / Mertis John Jr)
6. What’s the Difference (Scott McKenzie)
7. Dead Against Smoking (Admiral Fallow / Louis Abbott)
8. Love Letter (Nick Cave)
9. Matte Kudasai (King Crimson / Fripp, Levin, Bruford, Belew)
10. If You Change Your Mind (Jon Allen)
THE PRODUCER: Me
I would love this to be Steve Winwood’s next album!
Another superb contribution, @Peanuts.Molloy.
Not oniy have you assembled a stellar supergroup,. You’ve also chosen a really interesting set of songs. No chestnuts here.
You should have a chat with Mr Winwood, I can imagine him being rather interested.
Well taking my inspiration from @dai I will go with an Elvis Costello cover gig with The Imposters and some guest collaborators such as Allen Toussaint, Lucinda Williams, Flaco Jimenez and David Hidalgo.
Late in the evening (Paul Simon) – With the Imposters and David Hidalgo.
He’ll have to go (Jim Reeves) – With Flaco Jimenez (In the Ry Cooder style)
Wild Horses (Richards/Jagger) – With Lucinda Williams
Keep on Running (Spencer Davis group) – Imposters with Allen Toussaint
We had it all (Donnie Fritts/Troy Seal) – Costello with Steve Nieve
I saw her standing there (Lennon/McCartney) – Imposters/Flaco Jimenez/David Hidalgo
American Tune (Paul Simon) – Costello/Allen Toussaint
Dirty Old Town (Ewan MacColl) – Costello and the Imposters
Tempted (Difford/Tilbrook) – Costello and the Imposters
In spite of ourselves (Prine) – Costello and Lucinda Williams – would be hilarious to hear Lucinda singing the line ‘caught him once and he was sniffing my undies’.
In the unlikely event of my celebrating my birthday in this way (or, indeed, at all!) I’d choose songs I can strum reasonably convincingly and have Jackie Leven sing them to my accompaniment, cos I can’t sing even remotely convincingly. Or if my guests would prefer someone alive (people can be fussy), I’ll go for Tracey Thorn.
1. Echo Beach
2. Sound & Vision
3. Wild West End
4. The Chauffeur
5. It’s Only Mystery
6. Running To Stand Still
7. Straight To Hell (Josh Rouss version)
8. Geneve
9. The Bitterest Pill
10. One of Roger Waters’ Pink Floyd songs.
Another excellent list of songs.
I confess, I don’t know all of them, @Gary, but I look forward to putting that right.
And performed by Jackie or Tracey. Superb. I’ll be there.
Echo Beach has been great favourite of mine for many years. I actually went to their gig in Camden when the album was released.
Echo Beach far away in time indeed.
Here is their 30 th anniversary reboot…
21 when I heard this song?
Curious, I looked at the list of albums released in 1990, for most of which I was that very age. Wow! I could name 21 favourites without even going into individual songs.
Aion – Dead Can Dance
The Caution Horses – Cowboy Junkies
Chill Out – KLF
Electric Head – The Grid
Gold Mother – James
Heart of Darkness – Hoodlum Priest
I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got – Sinead O’Connor
Magic Music – Third Ear Band
MCR – A Certain Ratio
Mouth Music – Mouth Music
The Power of Pussy – Bongwater
Ragged Glory – Neil Young
Rhythm & Jews – The Klezmatics
Slap! – Chumbawamba
Soup of The Century – 3 Mustaphas 3
Spectrum – Sonic Boom
Springtime – Levellers 5
The Trabant Tape – Eat
This Is Our Music – Galaxie 500
Un-Led-Ed – Dread Zeppelin
World Clique – Deee-lite
Many a stoned giggle was had to the beginning of Nick Cave dolls by Bongwater-
They have Nick Cave dolls now? I waaant one! (with Joy Division oven gloves).
Fantastic songs on that album, so imaginative and littered with cultural reference points, not least Folksong which savagely pokes fun at all the sacred cows and pet beliefs of the time. Fresh squeezed wheatgrass juice, anyone?