Awful songs that somehow made it.

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  • Some very decent pop pop songs getting some unwarranted hate in this thread. Agadoo is the ultimate pissed up Butlins/Blackpool weekend song.
    Just so people are aware. I have no idea what any of these words mean.
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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16015
    Neill said:
    boogieman said:
    No 1 when I was 14 was Those Were The Days by Mary Hopkin. How uncool. A few weeks before it was Jumping Jack Flash, a couple of weeks after it was Joe Cocker’s cover of a Little Help From My Friends. It still amazes me how the charts in that era were such a mishmash of very decent hard rock tunes and complete pap that your granny would love to listen to. 
    That's why I thought it was really weird when John Peel started presenting TOTP - I assumed he had been bribed, or threatened with the sack or something, but apparently he really wanted to do it, in spite of all the dross that was around at the time.  Whatever, it did his credibility no harm whatsoever.

    Contrast that with Peel's "nemesis" around that time, whimpering Bob Harris who really was/is a music snob.  I remember when the New Wave came along he just couldn't conceal his disgust.  For a popular music broadcaster he has very exclusive views, can't stand him.
    How dare you..........Whispering Bob is the ultimate DJ for me .....especially the way he has aged and always aligned himself with talented musicians .......Old Grey Whistle etc ; he was the one who brought and promoted some of the best Rock music and talent to wider audience and now he's doing the same with Country because it's the only proper music left
    Has ecyclopaedic knowledge of music and impeccable taste
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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16015
    Neill said:
    I was going to nominate a few Chas & Dave songs in this thread but it turns out few of their songs actually "made it" so unless someone wants to start a thread "Awful songs that never graced the top 20" I'm out of luck.  

    It is sort of reassuring though.  I hated Chas & Dave, and even more when they were referred to as Chas 'n' Dave.  I would never buy Salt 'n' Vinegar crisps for the same reason. 

    Surely no one can deny that Ain't No Pleasing You by Chas 'n' Dave  ;) isn't a total banger of a song.

    The Chas n Dave thing was a joke that took off ;Actually two of the most talented and busy session musicians of the era working with the likes of Clapton, Albert Lee etc etc
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  • Chas was more well known in those days as a bassist. Listen to him on Country Boy with Heads Hands and Feet. Awesome and best version.
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    edited April 2021
    Dominic said:
    Neill said:
    boogieman said:
    No 1 when I was 14 was Those Were The Days by Mary Hopkin. How uncool. A few weeks before it was Jumping Jack Flash, a couple of weeks after it was Joe Cocker’s cover of a Little Help From My Friends. It still amazes me how the charts in that era were such a mishmash of very decent hard rock tunes and complete pap that your granny would love to listen to. 
    That's why I thought it was really weird when John Peel started presenting TOTP - I assumed he had been bribed, or threatened with the sack or something, but apparently he really wanted to do it, in spite of all the dross that was around at the time.  Whatever, it did his credibility no harm whatsoever.

    Contrast that with Peel's "nemesis" around that time, whimpering Bob Harris who really was/is a music snob.  I remember when the New Wave came along he just couldn't conceal his disgust.  For a popular music broadcaster he has very exclusive views, can't stand him.
    How dare you..........Whispering Bob is the ultimate DJ for me .....especially the way he has aged and always aligned himself with talented musicians .......Old Grey Whistle etc ; he was the one who brought and promoted some of the best Rock music and talent to wider audience and now he's doing the same with Country because it's the only proper music left
    Has ecyclopaedic knowledge of music and impeccable taste

    If you like Country than I'm sure he's right up your street, fair enough. 

    But the fact is he was sacked by the BBC entirely because of his inability to embrace new styles of music.

    The New Wave was the final straw, but he had been rubbishing new styles and genres for years before.  His famous "Mock Rock" quote describing the New York Dolls sticks in the mind.

    He's admitted himself in recent years that his conservative attitude to rock music ruined his career.





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  • To be honest I think Bob sold out years ago. 
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    Dominic said:
    Neill said:
    I was going to nominate a few Chas & Dave songs in this thread but it turns out few of their songs actually "made it" so unless someone wants to start a thread "Awful songs that never graced the top 20" I'm out of luck.  

    It is sort of reassuring though.  I hated Chas & Dave, and even more when they were referred to as Chas 'n' Dave.  I would never buy Salt 'n' Vinegar crisps for the same reason. 

    Surely no one can deny that Ain't No Pleasing You by Chas 'n' Dave  ;) isn't a total banger of a song.

    The Chas n Dave thing was a joke that took off ;Actually two of the most talented and busy session musicians of the era working with the likes of Clapton, Albert Lee etc etc
    Not denying that they were very good musicians, but the Chas & Dave thing was like a one joke double act, and the whole was less than the sum of the parts.  
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16256
    Neill said:
    Dominic said:
    Neill said:
    I was going to nominate a few Chas & Dave songs in this thread but it turns out few of their songs actually "made it" so unless someone wants to start a thread "Awful songs that never graced the top 20" I'm out of luck.  

    It is sort of reassuring though.  I hated Chas & Dave, and even more when they were referred to as Chas 'n' Dave.  I would never buy Salt 'n' Vinegar crisps for the same reason. 

    Surely no one can deny that Ain't No Pleasing You by Chas 'n' Dave  ;) isn't a total banger of a song.

    The Chas n Dave thing was a joke that took off ;Actually two of the most talented and busy session musicians of the era working with the likes of Clapton, Albert Lee etc etc
    Not denying that they were very good musicians, but the Chas & Dave thing was like a one joke double act, and the whole was less than the sum of the parts.  
    They had a bit of a second wind playing to festivals and students. I suspect one of those acts that are a lot more entertaining for 45 minutes than a headlining set. I mentioned earlier in this Discussion ( or somewhere anyway on here) about seeing The Wurzels which was a hugely fun 45 minute festival set but I suspect any more than that I’d have been off to the bar. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • scrumhalfscrumhalf Frets: 11262
    I saw Chas & Dave play a set at White Hart Lane before Spurs played (I think) Margate in the third round of the FA cup in the early 90s. It obviously didn't need more than a rendition of Ossie's Dream and Tottenham, Tottenham for them to go down well.

    As an aside, I was told something about them in confidence which I will not divulge but which makes me think very, very highly of them; absolutely top blokes. 
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  • rogdrogd Frets: 1509
    Someone left a cake out in the effin' rain????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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  • NiteflyNitefly Frets: 4902
    "Patches, I'm dependin' on you, son..."

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    rogd said:
    Someone left a cake out in the effin' rain????????????????????????????????????????????????????
    According to Jimmy Webb, that was literally true.

    I can’t quite decide if it’s awful or a work of genius - or both. You really need the original Richard Harris version for the full effect. I like it whichever it is...

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Park_(song)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    ICBM said:
    rogd said:
    Someone left a cake out in the effin' rain????????????????????????????????????????????????????
    According to Jimmy Webb, that was literally true.

    I can’t quite decide if it’s awful or a work of genius - or both. You really need the original Richard Harris version for the full effect. I like it whichever it is...

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Park_(song)
    I really liked the Donna Summer version - that was during my "Top 40 period", 1976 to 1979.  :)

    The Harris version is... interesting.  Completely bonkers.  Definitely not awful.
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    ICBM said:
    rogd said:
    Someone left a cake out in the effin' rain????????????????????????????????????????????????????
    According to Jimmy Webb, that was literally true.

    I can’t quite decide if it’s awful or a work of genius - or both. You really need the original Richard Harris version for the full effect. I like it whichever it is...

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Park_(song)
    Yes - Webb claimed he was just writing about things he saw on the day he broke up with his girlfriend (in MacArthur Park). But it's interesting that this is the same phrase that WH Auden used to describe his facial appearance "Like a (wedding) cake left out in the rain." 

    It's such a weird simile I can't believe the two usages are not connected, and Auden coined the phrase about the same time Jimmy Webb wrote MacArthur Park.  So I reckon either Webb nicked it from Auden or vice versa.  They are both great wordsmiths so who knows.

    By the way if anyone is thinking "you should get out more" may I remind you we are still in lockdown.  This is exactly what Covid 19 does to you.. 
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  • Neill said:
    Really plumbing the depths now.

    "Kinky Boots" by the "Avengers" duo of Honor Blackman and Patrick MacNee is probably the worst thing ever committed to vinyl.  For some inexplicable reason it made the top ten when reissued in 1990.  Simon Mayo was the DJ responsible for promoting it, may he rot in hell.

    The only good thing about the "song" is it only lasts about a minute and a half.   
    Added that to Show great song ;-)
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  • ICBM said:
    rogd said:
    Someone left a cake out in the effin' rain????????????????????????????????????????????????????
    According to Jimmy Webb, that was literally true.

    I can’t quite decide if it’s awful or a work of genius - or both. You really need the original Richard Harris version for the full effect. I like it whichever it is...

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Park_(song)
    Waylon Jennings did the definitive version, won a Grammy for it as well. 
    That was when he sang not talked his songs.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16256
    Neill said:
    Really plumbing the depths now.

    "Kinky Boots" by the "Avengers" duo of Honor Blackman and Patrick MacNee is probably the worst thing ever committed to vinyl.  For some inexplicable reason it made the top ten when reissued in 1990.  Simon Mayo was the DJ responsible for promoting it, may he rot in hell.

    The only good thing about the "song" is it only lasts about a minute and a half.   
    Added that to Show great song ;-)
    I don’t think a terrible song but over used by Mayo to the point of annoyance: Mah Na Mah Na by Piero Umiliani.
     U.K. number 8 in 1977 ( what happened to punk eh) and also used on The Muppets and The Benny Hill Show, I don’t think Mayo got it back into the charts despite how many times he played it. But it started life on the soundtrack of an Italian soft porn film in 1968. Just an oddity. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • koneguitaristkoneguitarist Frets: 4125
    Well, when I started doing this show, I thought I may get 7-8 shows of awful music. 
    And I decided I would finish at 12 in total. But by god have I found some real stinkers for last couple of shows. Put it this way Cheeky girls seem a bit high brow music compared to The Shaggs. Google them and their album Philosophy of the World at your own risk. It can’t be unheard!
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  • BarneyBarney Frets: 614
    Everything by U2
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  • OffsetOffset Frets: 11306
    This is classy loony shite, but in truth pick anything by the mad old fucker.  I can't find the words.


    Seeking Major Tom - Wikipedia
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