Interesting Songs: April 15th 2008

Virginia Plain (Roxy Music, 1972). Sample at last.fm.
Was used a few times in the excellent TV series Life on Mars. At first it did slightly annoy me, with it’s repetitive x-y, x-y chords, but then it grew on me. Early Roxy, with Ferry and Eno. And lots of eye shadow.

Oh Well (Fleetwood Mac, 1969). Sample at last.fm.
Well before Rhiannon and Sarah and Stevie and Lindsey (and, to be fair, the big financial rewards that commercial pop brings), this is a much heavier, more guitar-oriented Mac. 1969! Wow. But what’s with the strange little percussive breaks? “Hey Mick, we’ll all stop playing and you hit your drum stand a few times” : methinks Mick, John and Peter et al have been visiting the Court of the Crimson King.

Smiley (Ronnie Burns, 1969). Youtube video via last.fm.

The recent repeat of ABC TV’s Love is in the Air documentary series, covered this song and its story. Written by Johnny Young, it’s a (somewhat disguised) anti-war song, like Russell Morris’ excellent Rachel was as well. Young wrote it for his mate Normie Rowe, who was indeed off to a certain “Asian War”.

One (Johnny Farnham, 1970). (can’t find a clip)
Stuck in an 1969/72 timewarp with this bunch of songs. This was a slightly more down song from the King of Pop. It also reminds me a bit of The Real Thing with it’s swirling, rising/falling chord runs. Mmm. The second Russell Morris reference today.