Evening all. It’s that time of the week again, so let’s get straight to it.
First up, is a song that until a week ago, I’d never heard before. or rather if I had, my befuddled old bonce wasn’t in the mood to tell me.
You’ll recall that I left you last week with Dream Warriors’ excellent “My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style”. Only a few moments had passed after I posted it, when I had a message from regular reader Chad, one of the chaps I had the pleasure of spending Glastonbury with earlier this year, telling me that tune reminded him of tonight’s first, a song which I was blissfully unware of until I got his message. I remembered the band performing it, sure, but had to confess I couldn’t name a single tune by them. So I checked it out, and have to say it’s rather bloody great.
42. Gang Starr – Lovesick (Upbeat Mix)
As I enter what I must reluctantly concede are my late-40s, I now find that anytime I attempt to dance, it generally ends up with me doing the usual self-conscious two-step shuffle, and, unsure of what to do with my hands, I find my self clicking my fingers to the beat, and what I especially love about that tune is that it’s perfect for clicking my fingers along to. Finger-clicking good, you could say.
And yes, I did say clicking. Shurrup the lot of you. It’s the new “Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box”, the next dance sensation to sweep the nation, and you know it. And you don’t look quite as fucking ridiculous as you did doing that Gangnam Style dance. Just as sad, maybe, but not as fucking ridiculous.
Anyway, cheers Chad!
Whilst “Lovesick” reminds Chad of “My Definition…” it made me think of the next tune, although I appreciate that as it was released long after both those records, it should be the other way round.
43. Fatboy Slim – Weapon of Choice
Until I started writing this post, I was blissfully unaware that “Weapon of Choice” wasn’t, as I had thought, a single in its own right, but was the additional track, the AA side for us old timers, from the “Star 69” single. But then, if you know “Star 69”, you can see why it didn’t exactly pick up much airplay. And if you don’t know “Star 69”, have a look at the sleeve and you can probably work it out.
Anyway, that gives me the opportunity to play the video for “Weapon of Choice”, which you all know features former dancer Christopher Walken busting some moves in a “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” style:
And yes, I have finally worked out how to embed a video rather than posting a link to it. Go me!
Next up, a blast from the even further past:
44. MC Tunes vs 808 State – Tunes Splits The Atom
Tuuuuuuunnneeee!
Listening to that made me think of the next record, which – and I appreciate that at this rate I’ll have to rename this post “My Blissfully Unaware Corner” – I was blissfully unaware of until a couple of months ago, when, laying in bed one morning, trying to convince myself that five more minutes was perfectly fine, it came on the radio (Shaun Keaveny’s 6Music breakfast show, in case you’re even vaguely interested as to what station accompanies my Coco Pops of a morning):
45. I’d love to say that it was the tune, absolute cracker that it is, that stirred me from my attempt at an extended slumber that morning, but no: it was hearing the lyric ‘When I get up on the mic I just release my spell” and sitting bolt upright in bed thinking “Did he just say ”When I get up on the mic I just release my smell’…??”.
Since we seem to be in the middle of a purple patch of stone cold rap classics, here’s two more which need no introduction, but will doubtless attract some pedant or other telling me they’re not rap, they’re hip-hop:
46. Blackstreet feat. Dr Dre – No Diggity
Whilst I wasn’t blissfully unaware of it, it was only when I posted this that I was reminded of the fact that Dr Dre was involved in it. I quite literally had forgotten about Dre. (And yes, all of that “blissfully unaware” stuff was all just a set-up for that gag. I’m here all week.)
I’ll move swiftly on.
47. Skee-Lo – I Wish
And finally, a couple of songs which are guaranteed to brighten up any Christmas party, neither of which are even slightly Christmassy (unless a Boom Shack-a-Lak means bauble or something, which seems unlikely):
48. Apache Indian – Boom Shack-a-Lak
and
49. Ini Kamoze – Here Comes the Hotstepper
which regular readers may recall got posted back when I did all of the songs which feature in the excellent TV series “Peter Kay’s Car Share”, The BBC is kindly showing again at the moment, so in case you’re re-watching it, and fancy getting your hands on some of the songs mentioned, you can find them here all: self-promoting tosser.
And since it’s just started on BBC1 as I write this, it seems as good a place as any to sign off for another week.
More soon.
UPDATE: Apparently there is an issue with downloading the songs in this week’s post, unless you are signed in to a Box account. Sorry about that.
Here’s alternative links for them all, hopefully they’ll work a lil better:
42. Gang Starr – Lovesick (Upbeat Mix)
43. Fatboy Slim – Weapon of Choice
44. MC Tunes vs 808 State – Tunes Splits the Atom
46. Blackstreet feat. Dr.Dre – No Diggety
47. Skee-Lo – I Wish
A History of Dubious Taste 