There was this thunderingly unfunny cartoon show in the early 1970s called Tomfoolery, which promised hilarity and belly laughs, but actually delivered bemusement and anger. Anger? Well, yes – the child of the 70’s was a much more demanding consumer than today’s equivalent. The show on the telly was the ONLY entertainment available and if it was bilge, then genuine anger would well up. This created a culture of frequent disappointment and mistrust, causing jaundiced, disillusioned young adults. And we all know what happened next…Thatcher!
Anyway – listen to the Spots of Greece song (2:40) and tell me what song pops in your head? I think a certain angry young man might have watched this and subliminally introduced it into one of his top pop songs!
If you get it right, I will forward to you one of my hampers.
Sir! Sir! Is it Jilted John, Sir?
Thank you for giving it a go – but, no. Not Jilted John.
Is it van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey?
That’s a Tupe-no.
Is it Too Drunk To F*ck by the Dead Kennedys?
F*ck no.
I’m Going to Spain by the Fall
No-ah, it isn’t that one-ah.
I’m stumped. An “angry young man”? Is it a punk song? Not really my thing so maybe I just don’t know the song. I think you’ll need to drop some hints!
I’m a bit surprised no one has this yet. It seems really clear to me. It’s the guitar rather than the lyric.
Not punk per se, but from a band from around that era. Fronted by an angry young man.
Are you referring to the artist formerly known as Declan MacManus?
No, your aim ain’t true with that guess.
That’s entertainment!
We have a winner! Well done @Gary!
I’m relieved it wasn’t just me.
That wasn’t my answer. I was just commenting on your game.
A heck of a coincidence.
Aaaah ok yes the guitar is quite similar. Good one!
I’d like to point out though that I would say Weller originally nicked it from It’s Only Love by the Beatles. (And I wouldn’t be surprised if that was also nicked from somewhere else!)
Thanks. Perhaps young Paul, bored rigid by the programme, started strumming his guitar…
(Sorry, I edited my comment there after you replied. My sincere apologies for any confusion caused) 🙂
That’s OK – I can work it out. (Geddit?!)
Besides, Weller would never, ever, nick a guitar riff from the Fabs. Not in a million years. No, Sir.
He started playing a Hammond so he could nick stuff from Traffic instead.
Clive Dunn’s Granpa? (Well, it makes me very angry!)
Don’t panic at the disco! No, afraid not.
The Robinson that is Tom?
You’ll have to take no for an answer.
Is it the Lighthouse Family?
(yes, I know the answer was already given – does that mean we have to stop playing?)
I’m afraid your guess has hit the rocks there!
(Happy to say no in different ways as long as you like)
Is it People are People by Depeche Mode?
Gore blimey, you’ve Gahan way off with that guess.
Arf!
I think a limit on one guess a day is enough. Let’s see what I can come up with for tomorrow.
As the Beatles were mentioned above, I’ve been sharing my classic Tom and Jerry DVDs with my children 4, 7 and 8 (unusual names) and there’s a musical motif in the older ones that’s basically the main melody of Lady Madonna by the HJH. I’ll try to find an example on YouTube later.
That sounds interesting. Those cartoons were on TV pretty constantly for many years. An unexpected Tom & Jerry double bill was something that united the whole family.
Certainly got the same vibe as LM. Tom had some rough alleycat friends who sometimes led him astray. This would be playing at one of their parties where there would be card games, booze, cigars and girl cats.
I prefer T&J’s Gene Dreitch years, when the cartoons were produced behind the iron curtain and went a bit krautrock, as parodied on the Simpsons here …
The rule in our house was if the name Fred Quimby is at the front – then it’s gonna be a good one.
The other ones, where they go into space or become beatniks etc are OK but what works better is the suburban house with endless skirting boards and the only ancillary characters being Spike, the Housekeeper with a hundred underskirts, the “oh boy oh boy oh boy” duck, the tiny mouse in a nappy, Tom’s no-good mates, the sexy cat with eyelashes and lipstick who drives Tom mad while a sax plays Rhapsody in Blue…
Don’t forget the most AW-friendly character, Jerry’s guitar picking Uncle Pecos with his constant need for new guitar strings..