Three weeks ago, Our Man in Sardinia, @Gary started a thread entitled “Euphoric Moments in Rock Songs. It turned into a Godzillian, mega-thread including a mind-boggling variety of different artists.
I took those tracks and turned them into a Spotify playlist, Give it a listen! It’s a treat.
Last week, when I drove home from Arvika, deep in the forests of Värmland, to the mean streets of Bagarmossen, that playlist was my very enjoyable drivetime soundtrack. It’s a six hour drive, so it was very welcome. It was a chance to revisit old favourites and discover all kind of new gems.
This thread is a big thankyou to Gary, The Hivemind and all the Euphorc Youth who contributed.
Pipistrello is the rather gorgeous Italian word for bat. And it was of course Meatloaf’s song Bat out of Hell, which was the first tune that Gary mentioned.
Some of you may remember that Bat out of Hell was also the name of very successful Francis Durbridge crime mystery from 1966. I was in my early teens and was completely fascinated. It featured so many aspects of adult life of which as yet I knew so little: Fornication, adultery, murder, blackmail, estate agents…grown-up life was full of so many peculiar, complicated, dangerous experiences.
My question to you is: What are the soundtracks of your drives? If you have any long drives to do, are there any particular albums or playlists you turn to? Or do you turn on a particular radio station?
What about the Soundtracks of Your Wives? Or Your Husbands? Or Your Kids?
Can you come to agreement on the music to listen to?
Fess up! Who isn’t partial to a little Radar Love?
I’ve been drivin’ all night, my hands wet on the wheel
There’s a voice in my head that drives my heel
It’s my baby callin’, says, “I need you here”
And it’s a-half-past four and I’m shifting gear.
Golden Earing! What a band!
Here’s that playlist.
It contains tracks by ..
Julian Cope, Van Der Graf Generator, Donna Summer, The Dandy Warhols, Depeche Mode, Tiggs Da Author, The Chemical Brothers, John Cale, The Everly Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Ocean, Beastie Boys, U2, The Turtles, Caribou, Spiritualised, Barry Ryan, The Only Ones, Nick Cave, Richard Thompson, ZZ Topp, REM, Madonna, Mercury Rev, Half Man Half Biscuit, Beach Boys, Mozart, Pulp, Meatloaf, Elkie Brooks, Radiohead, New Order, B 52s, Paul McCartney, Demis Roussos, Patti Smith, Tears for Fears, The Police, Steely Dan, Squeeze, Katrin and the Waves, Umberto Tozzi, The Communards, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Abba, N-Trance, Relativity, José Van Dam, King Crimson, Todmobile, Sigur Ros, Belle and Sebastian, Bixiga 70, Loreen, Randy Newman, Måns Zelmerlöw, KEiiNo, Nusrat Ali Fateh Khan, Birgit Nilsson, Genesis, Van Morrison, Yes, The Waterboys, Baby Lasagne, Blondie, Lou Reed, Jackie Levin, Roxy Music, The Rolling Stones, Jeff beck, Ross Daly, John Otway, The Go! Team, Richard Wagner, Status Quo,
a-And much more besides. Enjoy!
Francs Durbridge was a Geordie. A Bat out of Hull.
Does this splendid theme music awaken memories for anyone else?
90% of my music listening used to be in the car. 98.23% of my car journeys these days are a five minute drive to SuperU. I sing in the car, yesterday it was The Boxer – I was in particularly fine form, nailed it.
I was going to leave a sarky comment but would have been a bit below the belt this early on a Sat am
Not too early for me to deliver a stinging uppercut to your glass jaw…
Lodestone and Garfunkel? I’d like to hear that. But Is the world ready for this mighty meeting of talents?
We don’t own a car as in our everyday, suburban life we just don’t need one.
But we hire a car in the summer when we go down to our summer cabin. In the countryside we couldn’t get by without it. So it’s a bit of a treat.
Back to bats for a moment. When Batman arrived in Sweden, they decided to translate his name into Swedish The Swedish word for bat is fladdermus and I agree that Fladdermusman didn’t have much of a ring to it. Instead he became “Läderlappen.”
That literally means “Leather Patch”. Not exactly a name to strike terror into the hearts of Gotham City ‘s criminals although it might have had a certain niche appeal in the gay bars.
Oddly enough only last night I’d been wondering the etymology of why the only flying mammal is called a bat.
I think you are going to enjoy this @hubert rawlinson,
A superb Bat Map which gives the name for out wee flying pals in many diferent languages.
So what did that great scholar Linnaeus make of them?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat
“Bats are placental mammals. After rodents, they are the largest order, making up about 20% of mammal species.[37] In 1758, Carl Linnaeus classified the seven bat species he knew of in the genus Vespertilio in the order Primates. Around twenty years later, the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach gave them their own order, Chiroptera.[38] Since then, the number of described species has risen to over 1,400,[39] traditionally classified as two suborders: Megachiroptera (megabats), and Microchiroptera (microbats/echolocating bats).[40] Not all megabats are larger than microbats.”
Microbats! Megabats! What fascinating wee beasties!
I’m surprised that Robbie Burns did not write a poem about them!
Adrien Henri did!
I can’t resist posting this.
Thanks @Kaisfatdad .
Burns may not have written about the wee flying sleekit cowrin’ timorous beastie., but ‘McGonagall’ had a go.
ChatGPT
Oh, wondrous creature of the dusky night,
The bat, in flight, a most peculiar sight,
With wings outspread in eerie, silent sweep,
Thou dost awaken while the world doth sleep.
Thou art a marvel of Nature’s grand design,
With tiny eyes that in the darkness shine,
Through moonlit skies thou dost so swiftly dart,
A master of the night, an artful heart.
Upon the wing, thou dost so deftly glide,
In search of prey where shadows do reside,
Insects beware! For thou art quick and keen,
A hunter cloaked in velvet, rarely seen.
Oh, bat! Thy flight is a dance of grace,
In the twilight’s realm, thou takest thy place,
From cavern deep or attic’s dusty height,
Thou dost emerge to claim the night.
Let poets sing of birds that greet the dawn,
But I, McGonagall, with verse drawn,
Shall praise the bat, that most mysterious beast,
Who rules the night when day’s bright charms have ceased.
So let the world admire the eagle’s might,
Or praise the lark that sings with pure delight,
But I, with humble pen, extol the bat,
The silent sentinel of midnight’s hat.
My stepdaughter found a (drowned) bat in a swimming pool, running to her mother to say there was a big spider, with a dog’s face, in the pool.
“The silent sentinel of midnight’s hat.” Excellent!
Thanks a lot, @hubert rawlinson.
You really pushed the boat out there!
A mash up between the great Scottish bard and AI was not something I was expecting to read today.
I’m not sure that AI can deliberately produce doggerel quite as effortlessly as he does. But there were some very promising moments in the poem above.
@Kaisfatdad: They didn’t just randomly name him “The Leather Patch” without reason you know; that’s the Swedish name for the Vespertilionidae family of microbats!
It also makes total sense for his costume.
He’s not the first cultural phenomena to be named Läderlappen either – the Strauss operetta Die Fledermaus is known in Swedish as Läderlappen as well.
Yikes, @Locust! Not only do you know lots about music, books and films. You even know about the different families of microbats! Linnaeus would have been proud of you!
Here’s the English Wiki page about Vespertilionidae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespertilionidae
And now, here’s the Swedish version of the same page where they are referred to as “lädderlapper”.
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A4derlappar
I now understand that “läderlapp” was not word that a translator had just made up. They had taken it from a biography textbook. As had those who gave the Strauss operetta its name.
That whole business about “leather patch” was something that I came across on Reddit. Clearly they didn’t fully know what they were talking about.
How often do we listen to Johan Strauss ll here on the AW? Not enough!
Here’s a delightful dollop of Viennese comic opera to brighten up your evenings!
My son still remembers the time we stood in a glade as about a hundred bats (I couldn’t count them) flew round us. Magical.
Great, thanks! Love a good playlist.
Being almost deaf, I hear music best in the car. Radar Love is a fantastic driving song. And it has a drum solo in the middle! A drum solo right slap-bang in the middle of a chart single! Gotta admire that.
Most of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s Automatic is good driving soundtrack.
And, of course, Black Betty. Not by Leadbelly, nor by sex bomb Tom Jones. but by these fine fellows who don’t appear to be sex bombs at all. By the look of them, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that they’re Lodestone’s favourite ever band:
Talking of driving songs, Ram Jam’s follow up to Black Betty was called Keep Your Hands on the Wheel. I’m not aware if anyone ever heard it.
Ram Jam, Thank you, man!
A song that is the staple of rocky cover bands the world over.
How odd to read these classic one-hit wonders were from New York City.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Jam
I’d have guessed Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Rotterdam or Rågsved.
Time for some cool jazz to rock your belfry! A fine tune by Bat Metheny.
Thank you. That’s one heck of a playlist…. so much so, I’ve just subscribed to Spotify and am looking forward to having a listen. Some of them are very familiar, but others will be new to me.
Soundtrack to my drive? Listening to Amelia, which is a travelogue (see review posted today), and aware that Laurie Anderson’s next project (did she ever do to draw breath?) is the Ark United States V, that Hubert has tickets to see in Manchester later this year, I was reminded of my time in the USA in 1996.
Travelling by Greyhound from San Francisco to Philadelphia, I had enough time to listen to the 4 cassette box of United States live (I-IV) about 5 times. Here is a playlist of all 4.5 hours of it:
I felt like I was watching a live video feed as I listened and watched the interstate of America pass by outside the bus window.
It’s Batman, boyos! Bruce Wayne visits Cardiff. I bet you weren’t expecting the Batmobile in Llandudno!
Or indeed a Welsh Batmobile factory. Ystlum is the Welsh word for bat.
Hokusai, 1760-1849.
Plenty of Japanese bat paintings to choose, but this one is a particular favourite.
Thanks Hubert. That is quite exquisite.
I Googled.
The Japanese word for “Bat” is koumori コウモリ. The “bat” you hit balls with is called batto バット, while the animal is called koumori コウモリ.
This page also includes the Kanji symbol: 蝙蝠
https://bestiary.japanesewithanime.com/animals/bat-in-japanese#:~:text=Translation,animal%20is%20called%20koumori%20%E3%82%B3%E3%82%A6%E3%83%A2%E3%83%AA.
That explains why I muddle them up!
Ah yes, Retro-San! You must train harder and not confuse batto and batty!
A very dangerous mistake when speaking Japanese.
Hubert-San! Your wonderful bat and brolly drawing made me think of the West Indies.
If that suave, well-groomed, urbane, metrosexual socialite Bruce Wayne visited Jamaica, I fear there might be suspicions that he was a batty boy. But as soon as the Caped Crusader drove up with a Batmobile packed with big batty gyals, the problem would be rapidly solved.
Don’t forget don’t get your bat mixed up with your umbrella.
When you drive a 40 year old Landrover, the only possible soundtrack is the ‘found sound’ of the engine. Einsturzende Neubauten might just about get a look in.
Your splendidly idiosyncratic Catmobile sounds as though it would give the Batmobile some serious competition @thecheshirecat.
Just put this on the stereo and crank up the volume.
If you want a new motor, this may inspire you…
Of course you’ll need 26 Batusi girls to dance the Batusi. (Look it up in your Funk and Wagnalls).
Holy Hidden Treasures! You helped me hit gold there. Hubert.
26 Batusi Girls is a funky track by the AW’s very own Tom Rafferty.
https://tomrafferty1.bandcamp.com/track/26-batusi-girls
Some interesting comments on the Reddit page:.
“Niche at a major league baseball stadium.”
“Seriously though, wasn’t this show scheduled at the height of Batmania? That short but ferocious moment of popularity the show had in its first season? They probably could have asked more for all those Batusi girls alone!! ”
Young Rascals, Temptations, Jr Walker All Stars! Some rather decent acts. But ticket sales were poor. This article tells the whole tale very amusingly.
https://fredbals.medium.com/holy-shea-stadium-the-batman-beatles-and-bob-dylan-connection-5e3b20b50196
“From all reports, West and Gorshin were boffo with the kiddies with their hero-villain routine. Sample Riddler riddle: “Why are the Mets like my mother-in-law’s biscuits? Answer: “They both need a better batter.” Gorshin also teased West about his noticeable belt overhang. “I’m flabbergasted,” quoth the Batman. “Well, you have a lot of flab to gast,” riposted the Riddler.”
Batman the Musical? Adam West sings at the Hollywood Palace.
The song was a hit for Nat King Cole.
As we all know, The Batusi became a dance sensation that swept the nation…
Adam West was lumbered with the Caped Crusader for the rest of his life.
Some more bits of bat and that…
Batman sings and plays a very funky flute with Robin and Batgirl.
Finally, always A Bat of all Trades, here Adam does a UUK British road safety ad!
Of course you need a Gorey bat.
I do very little distance driving these days, and therefore I have no control over the listening on any distance driving. Usually my wife will have Radio4 extra on though occasionally I’m allowed to link up my tablet to the system.
Heading down on the train to London tomorrow so I’ve downloaded listening fodder to my tablet, and headphones will be on.
And you will know me by my Residents t-shirt, should you desire a chat at Foyles, later.
That would be splendid, you shall know me by my walking stick and air of insouciance, one of these is true.
Air of insouciance – is that by Nina Ricci?
I don’t think Hubert has much use for Ms Ricci’s products, Sal.
Last thing I heard he was rocking that superlative, subterranean aftershave: Soupcon de Guano.
The Gorey Bat is very splendid, Hubert.
It reminded me Blake’s reference to a bat in the Auguries of Innocence:
“The Lamb misusd breeds Public Strife
And yet forgives the Butchers knife
The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that wont Believe
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbelievers fright”
https://interestingliterature.com/2020/04/auguries-innocence-analysis-blake/
How very dare you I only wear Insouciance,
Thanks for the Blake though.
This thread has really awoken my interest in bats. I was sorry to read that this year British bats are having rather a tough innings.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/21/where-are-all-the-bats-alarm-as-numbers-fall-in-england
We’ve been in this house 23 years and every year we’ve had a couple of bats fly round the house we’ve sat outside with the bat detector hearing the clicks and the change when they caught an unwary moth, this year not one bat.