Today I learned what everyone else already knew. Rod Stewart’s hyuge disco effort “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” (sic: ed) is based on Bobby Womack’s “(If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It”.
Live and learn, eh?
Well I never knew that
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@mc-escher
You are not alone in not knowing that but after listening to it, admittedly only s minute, I’m none the wiser. I prefer Rodney’s disco stomper if I’m honest.
The strings come in during the chorus which takes a while to arive. Once heard you will spot the steal immediately.
Three quarters of London’s purveyors of eighties uber-smooth-ethno-jazz, Sade, were from… Hull.
Sade herself is, surprisingly, not from Hull.
Erm …. Andrew Hale, who plays keyboards for Sade, went to my school, which was in Elstree, Herts. He was in the year below me. Was he really born in Hull? I suppose it’s possible. But he certainly grew up in leafy Hertfordshire or North London. The band that I wrote lyrics for played a gig in Hampshire with Hale’s first school band supporting. Exciting, eh?
I found it in the Dylan Jones book. Wikipedia says “three of their members were originally from Hull”, but fails to mention where Andrew Hale was born.
Let’s play it safe and say “definitely half, possibly three quarters, of Sade were from Hull.”
So Hull 3 – London 1 which was a slight improvement on the last match?
Ah, after a bit of googling, I’ve now found the explanation for the “3 members of Sade from Hull” thing.
It turns out that one of the guys from Hull was sacked just as the band signed for Epic. He was immediately replaced by Andrew Hale, who was definitely from the South Herts/North London area, because he went to my school.
https://www.africansinyorkshireproject.com/sade.html
“Sade’s star power led to her signing to Epic Records in 1983 with the rest of the band signed to her as contractors in 1984.[2] However, the terms of that deal led to disagreements between her and Cooke, resulting in his acrimonious departure from the band early in 1984.[3] He was replaced by Andrew Hale, who remains in the band to this day.”
Andrew Hull from Hale?
Loving your work.
Reminds me of the geeky (almost certainly apocryphal) anecdote about the statistician who was with an assistant on a train journey, and apparently saw a 50/50 ish split of white and black sheep on the journey, but mostly only side on. The assistant asked what he could infer about black sheep in Scotland from that. Came the reply…
“In at least 32 fields in lowland Scotland, approximately half the sheep are at least half black”.
I may have briefly mentioned it in passing, but I am very dull.
Funny, I recently spotted Diamond Life in a collage of “Hull LPs” along with Slow to Fade, The Raw & The Cooked, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and, er, Kingmaker. I thought it was a mistake, or a jerke
Dahhhmund Laaaaafe…
PS. “Three Hull blokes in Sade” is a headline, though but.
Not too often you hear mention of the Red Guitars these days. Fine run of singles – Steeltown, Good Technology and Marimba Jive before Virgin signed and ruined them.
Used to know Jeremy K, Hallam L and his missus, Josie, really well when we were all at Hull Uni back in the 70s. Last I heard, Hallam and Josie were living in South Africa.
Would imagine there was also a copy of Dead Fingers Talk in that collage, too.
Loved and still love Hull to bits . Alas not been there for 6 years now
It’s the same, but with a rather snazzy new footbridge between the old town the the Marina.
And even more graffiti and rubbish everywhere else. Hooray!
The Red Guitars’ “National Avenue” is a wonderful song, I think.
Hull’s like a talent pool.
According to the Dylan Jones book (and I’m not going to re-read 650 pages to find out which) one of the Sade blokes lived round the corner from Ronno. As did Cosey Fanni Tutti.
I went to Hull once in about 1989, a distinct lack of Nigerian supermodels or wine bars.
You were asking the wrong question… it’s ” waaarn bars”
With the possible exception of the Perp in his official capacity as head of the Catholic Church, anyone who’d gone into a pub on Spring Bank and asked for a glass or “waaarn” when I lived there in the 1970s would’ve had their head kicked in.
You can now buy food, drink and indeed drugs from all over the world on Spring Bank now. Still plenty of violence though – some local tradition s remain.
Drama waaht waaahn and serrrda?
You haven’t lived until you’ve heard a Hull record shop assistant trying to order a Tone Loc album from a distribution centre in Romford.
What, Funky Cerld Medina?
Pity none of them originated north of the border otherwise there’d have been many a young feller finding the girl of his dreams in the arms of some Scotsmen from Hull.
Gear!
I’ll try that one the next time I’m dining out with an attractive young woman*
* I will never need to know it.
What is this “dining out” of which you speak? Don’t you know there’s a war on?
Bag of chips, some scratchings and a bottle of lukewarm Tizer outside the chipper’s front door. Works every time
Trevor Peacock (No No No Yes Jim Trott in Vicar Of Dibley) wrote Mrs Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter).
Trevor Peacock has just passed away
Thanks all for not pointing out my egregious lack of basic popular music history, very tactful of you. For a minute I thought I might have to sit the AW entrance exam again.
Do Ya Think I’m Sexy was stolen, but not from Bobby Womack, but the Brazilian Jorge Ben who wrote Mas Que Nada. I think it was settled out of court.
https://magazine.vinylmeplease.com/magazine/jorge-ben-taj-mahal-rod-stewart/
Dusty also sought melodic inspiration abroad..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3W7qlMZTXY
She discovered that gem at the San Remo Festival and had it translated.
http://readysteadygirls.co.uk/dusty-springfield/4523960669
Interesting. There was a lot of “inspiration” going round in those days, wasn’t there?
I never knew until recently:
Slash was born in London and dragged up in Stoke
Phil Lynott was born in West Bromwich (come on you baggies)
Chic got their initial sartorial influences after Nile Rogers saw a Roxy Music gig in the UK
All famous Irish people were born in England.
(Okay, not all – but if you were to spoof that gem of trivia about any random ‘sleb Paddy, you’d be right as often as you’d be wrong).
The one that always springs to mind is The Edge, who was born in the same hospital as me – in Barking.
I’ve always thought of the Edge as the english one in U2?
Welsh family, born in England I believe. Friend of mine is his 2nd cousin.
Adam Clayton. Born in Oxfordshire. Family relocated to Ireland when he was a kid.
Irishman by time served…
Shane MacGown – Putney
David O’Leary – Stoke Newington
Tony Cascarino – born in Kent to Scottish/Italian parents
But the other way round:
Michael Gambon – born in Dublin
Tony Cascarino’s book is a v good read. There you go.
I’m pretty sure O’Cascarin eventually fessed up that he had absolutely no Irish blood anywhere in his family and would not have scraped into the team as a Plastic Paddy had checks been more rigorous back then
Isn’t the Edge Welsh?
“Welcome to the Jungle” was inspired by an afternoon at Port Vale. True story.
I just learned yesterday that the iconic seven notes that start Beat It were lifted, with no attribution, from a Synclavier demo disc. They are played a semitone down but it is otherwise identical.
Are they “iconic”, though? I’d bet if you asked 100 people “what are the first seven notes of Beat It by Michael Jackson?” about 95 would do Eddie Van Helen’s guitar riff..
Eddie doesn’t play the riff, just the solo.
It’s like Aled Jones and “Walking in the Air” all over again.
🎵There’s always someone, somewhere with a big nose..🎵
(*Not Michael, though. He didn’t have a nose after 1983..)
Watch out pal, I’ve got Keats and Yeats on my side. Dead hard they are.
“Tread softly because you tread on my dreams”
Yeats? Dead hard? Are you sure?
Damn straight. And Keats has been on the hemlock all night, so think on.
I believe that a good percentage of the population would recognise those 7 notes as Beat It. Both my teenage kids did immediately, as did my 80 year-old mother.
Michael Jackson has form on this. Thriller is in many ways a Toto album with Jackson guesting, and there was/is a lot of bitterness about the lack of writing credits granted to members. The guitar on the album (with the exception of EVH’s solo) is played by Toto’s Steve Lukather, who must barely have had time sleep during the early 80s, given his output.
Billie Jean’s beat (at least) was inspired by Hall & Oates ‘I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).
Do it Again – shurely?
Thanks for that synclavier clip, @podicle.
Fascinating stuff.
Back in the day it was so expensive that only seven were made.
These days every teenager has probably got the equivalent on their PC. Or almost.
Leeds United’s 70s strike force of Allan Clarke and Mick Jones later joined The Hollies and The Clash respectively. Midfield maestro Billy Bremner joined Rockpile and hot shot Peter Lorimer opened a pub.
and David Harvey’s son scored a Christmas Number One single (before running himself over)
Brothers Eddie and Frank Gray formed an 80s synth duo. Their first and only single “Elland Girls” was ripped off by The Pet Shop Boys and later reached no. 1 as “Heart”
And Trevor Cherry’s daughter scorched up the charts with ‘Buffalo Stance’. And then there was The Terry Cooper Temple Clause. So yes, you really could say that many of those Leeds United players went on to enjoy rock and pop success, though not, alas, poor Yorath.
Gary Sprake’s Zarathustra had a hit with ‘The Theme from 2001’
Paul Madeley has a hit with the autobiographical Unchained Madeley
Paul Reaney could have had a hit, but Walked Away
Johnny Giles is the son of George Martin and now produces all the Beatles reissues.
Norman Hunter has come a long, long way, baby.
Steve Earle had his biggest hit with ‘Elland Road’.
Sadly, Giles couldn’t find the long lost tapes of the Fab 4 doing Sprake Rattle & Roll.
He did, though, do a lovely job remixing Revie Shankar’s contributions.
🙂
Let’s also not overlook Giles’ sterling multi-instrumental work during his late 60s collaboration with Robert Fripp. The future Mr Toyah was so happy he credited Johnny not one but twice
Jack Charlton unfortunately did not move on to much success in the music industry but he did inspire The Reynold Girls’ classic “I’d Rather Jack”
Ipswich Town and England captain Mick Mills later joined R.E.M.
Ben Jonson was a friend of Shakespeare and later cheated in the Seoul Olympics by taking steroids.
And Richard Thompson once ran the 100m in 9.82 seconds.
RT has done the fillings in my teeth a few times too.
Famously wobbly legged one-time Liverpool shot stopper, Jerzy Dudek, is the second cousin of 70s crotch rocker, Les Dudek
Everybody Hurts was about the 80/81 season when Town just fell short of the title, finishing 4 points behind Villa. And they were knocked out the cup at the Semi Final stage. So Mick knows what he’s talking about,
Actually you will find that one was written by drummer Bill Berry, the brother of former Wolves and Wales centre-half George Berry …
And nephew of Chuck, natch.
Apart from a golden era in the 50s under Stan Cullis, Wolves have struggled to collect silverware and have been top tier runners-up five times. The last trophy they won was the League Cup 41 years ago – so I can well believe that Everybody Hurts could well be about Wolves rather Ipswich Town.
Wrong Mick Jones: after Leeds, he was with Spooky Tooth before joining Foreigner.
@black-celebration
I still really dislike Villa 40 years on. We went to Villa Park about 4 games from the end of the season, won 2-1 and still cocked it up!
@freddy-steady Heady days. Sigh.
Was that the season where we lost to someone already relegated at a very critical point?
Possibly Middlesboro. One up away at half time with two games to go…lost 2-1. Dislike them too!
In fact, before this , early to mid 70’s I was taken to my first Portman Road game. We were second and going for the league, they were near the bottom, it was a terrible game and we lost 1-0 so I was set up for life. No wonder I dislike Boro!
That would be Middlesbrough (not Middlesboro, Middlesborough or any other variation). We’ve never been that keen on Ipswich either, not since they sold us the completely knackered John Wark anyway. Saw us coming on that one…
A half knackered John Wark would still be a plus to most teams – certainly the drek that Reading had at the time (although things started picking up soon after when Mark Fat Wallet McGhee arrived)
Sorry about the spelling Count, I know these things matter. Warky (38 goals from midfield 80/81 season btw!) couldn’t have been that badly crocked because he came back to us afterwards for another spell.
Maybe he was just a lazy bastard when we had him then, because I can’t remember ever seeing him move. Mind, when we had Bobby Murdoch he didn’t move much either, just stood in the centre circle and sprayed pinpoint passes all over the pitch. We had Graeme Souness to do his running about for him.
Thanks to YouTube’s barmy rando recommendations, I’ve only just discovered that young Nicky Cage appeared on the Wogan chat show and it was MENTAL..
(All the comments are about marching powder but, because it’s Cagey, you just can’t be sure).
Oh, I think you can be fairly sure 😉
Litte known fact: they show this video to student doctors to help them identify symptoms of… certain addictive substances
… the same student doctors are advised to:
1. pour the patient a glass of water and nod reassuringly,
2. advise the patient that a bit of rest might be for the best, and,
3. on NO ACCOUNT let the patient go ANYWHERE NEAR A RECORDING STUDIO.
😀
But… but.. .then we’d have no Oasis records!
*stands back as Deram’s head explodes*
My first hamper draws tantalisingly nearer. I can almost feel the sensual pleasure of the sound of the straw packing shifting as I raise the raffia lid…
I love this kind of thing, MC.
What do Tiptoe thought the Tulip Hitmaker, Tiny Tim,
and Alexander Minto Hughes a.k.a. Judge Dread
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xyxswZ2-ZQ
have in common??
A clue. Tommy Cooper.
This week, I discovered that legendry journalist Alan Whicker was born in Cairo.
They both have size issues? And do you mean to impute that Mr. Dread does not in fact have any legal qualifications?
Good guess, MC. But wrong..
I discovered last week that both Tiny and the Judge died with their boots: on stage!
The show must go on until the Grim Reader decides otherwise.
Here’s a grisly list of the many other performers who died on stage….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_entertainers_who_died_during_a_performance
Well I never Reebop from Traffic died in Stockholm.
The Grim Reader, is that the Recording Angel?😉
To help with the hamper count……
Heard this a while ago actually and not 100% sure that it’s true – the inspiration for David Bowie’s Major Tom was a certain Mr Tom Major-Ball, the father of former prime minister John Major. The story goes that Tom Major was a circus performer and posters of his act were dotted around the London area, from which a certain Mr Bowie drew the name…….
The part about Major-Ball being a circus performer is true; the Bowie aspect is unverified, but doesn’t require a large stretch of the imagination.
He was also the inspiration for Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large testicles..
Is that the large stretch? Ouch!
Danny Boy, is the most famous song to come out of ……….Somerset!
Found this out yesterday.
Discovered today that the late Celia Humphris, singer with cult psychedelic folk rockers Trees (“The Garden Of Jane Delawney” and “On The Shore”) , was in later life the announcement voice on London Underground’s Northern and Victoria lines.
Talking of such things, this is a story about the “Mind the Gap” voice and why it is different at Embankment. It’s rather touching.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/13/embankments-mind-gap-announcements-emotional-story-behind-11901251/#:~:text=The%20story%20%E2%80%93%20told%20by%20John,’the%20voice’%20had%20gone.&text=She%20was%20referring%20to%20the,a%20man%20called%20Oswald%20Laurence.
Adam Ant’s mum was Paul McCartney’s cleaner at his St John’s Wood bachelor pad.
Barry White wrote the song Doin’ The Banana Split for the TV series The Banana Splits
The theme tune for Handy Manny is written and performed by Los Lobos.