Songs in strange places

[Satchmo Distel]

Do they know it's an Xmas tune?

[Jah Womble]

Wandering through Croydon town centre today, I was amused to note that the operators of the pop-up kiddies' roundabout were playing Eddy Grant's Do You Feel My Love? as accompanying music to the ride. Decent-enough tune, sure, but I'd think there'd likely be young forty-somethings who might struggle with that cultural reference, let alone yer pre-schoolers...

On the way back, the music had by then changed to The Archies' Sugar Sugar - an even-older song, but I s'pose perhaps one with a timeless and family-friendly energy to it.

Update # 1: Yesterday the ride operator was playing Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke on the way up and the first Stars On 45 medley on the way back. I don’t think these dudes possess any music released in the last four decades…

Update # 2 (because I know you're all on tenterhooks for these): On Tuesday it was Londonbeat's Thinking About You - thereby finally shifting us forward by a decade or so. The genuine relief on the faces of all those four-year-old Jimmy Helms fans was evident.

Update # 3: Simply Red's rather fetching For Your Babies was the titularly-more-appropriate soundtrack to the ride on Thursday - thereby moving us on again to 1991-92. I anticipate the introduction of millennial music by the end of September.

Update # 4: The ride was shut yesterday. It was raining.

[Sits]

In the cafe of our building, Ventura Highway (America) and Am I Ever Going To See Your Face Again? (The Angels). A bit of a stretch to say it's a strange place for the latter which could be played anywhere in Australia.

[hobbes]

There used to be (pre pandemic) a soft play centre near us in Beckenham. They had a carousel in there for the kids that was almost as popular as their mini dodgems.
It was unremarked on by the children but I always thought it a little strange that instead of jolly carousel music playing, there was a quite sombre pan pipe version of Simon and Garfunkle's "Sound of Silence."

Hello darkness my old friend, indeed.

[Eggchaser]

Went to the Co-op for chocolate for my wife, Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell was playing.

[Sits]

In an IGA supermarket the other day, a song I had forgotten completely: Black Man Ray by China Crisis.

[Hot Pepsi]

I heard Bryan Adam’s “Run To You” as I entered the supermarket. Then a few days later, I heard it again in the same place.

[danielmak]

I was in my go-to pizza by the slice place on Saturday night. They seem to use spotify or some satellite radio provider that is commercial free and tends to feature a mix of classic rock, older top 40, and blues music. This usual mix played and then Lush "Nothing Natural" Came on. I've heard nothing like that since they switched to their automated system about 6 or 7 years ago and before that they tended to play a local radio station that fit the tastes of whoever was working.

[Jah Womble]

The Merlin (pub) in Morningside, Edinburgh were playing Wolf Alice on Saturday afternoon. Which impressed my daughter somewhat.

I heard Bryan Adam’s “Run To You” as I entered the supermarket. Then a few days later, I heard it again in the same place.

Clearly they have just the one tape.

[Hot Pepsi]

The Merlin (pub) in Morningside, Edinburgh were playing Wolf Alice on Saturday afternoon. Which impressed my daughter somewhat.


Clearly they have just the one tape.

They subscribe to a “musak” service that plays the hits of the 80s, including some fairly deep cuts. I recently heard The Hooters’ “All You Zombies.” I really liked that song in 1986.

[Sits]

Fox On The Run by The Sweet, in our office cafe yesterday. Sounded great.

[danielmak]

Was waiting in the seating area of a chain pharmacy to get my flu shot and Siouxise and the Banshees cover of "Dear Prudence" started playing amidst their normal mix of Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, Adele, and other bland hits.

[Sporting]

Was waiting in the seating area of a chain pharmacy to get my flu shot and Siouxise and the Banshees cover of "Dear Prudence" started playing amidst their normal mix of Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, Adele, and other bland hits.

Could've been Helter Skelter.

[Satchmo Distel]

It's a good arrangement: chart-friendly but still has some of the other-worldness of the original. But as with almost all chart records, the charm wears off if it's on radio rotation and you're stuck at work, which is why I remember it less fondly than if it came out now.

[jefe]

Camera Obscura over the PA of the Cincinnati airport several years ago.

[Jah Womble]

Devo, at the Whitgift Centre in Croydon this lunchtime.

I mean, yes, it was the track you’d expect, but y’know, ‘Devo’…at the bloody ‘Whitgift Centre’.

[Sits]

IGA Supastore yesterday morning:

I'll Tumble For Ya (Culture Club)
Turn To Stone (ELO)
Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Yes)

That's a fairly narrow timeframe.

[Sits]

Devo, at the Whitgift Centre in Croydon this lunchtime.

I mean, yes, it was the track you’d expect, but y’know, ‘Devo’…at the bloody ‘Whitgift Centre’.

The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprise?

[Jah Womble]

That would've been something (appropriately), but alas, no: it was Whip It - ie, the only tune of theirs that has ever had any kind of sustained media play over here.

[Sits]

ABC's Look of Love in the cafe. Very evocative.

[Gangster Octopus]

I don't know the answer to that question.

[Sits]

If you did, would you tell me?

[Sits]

And again in the specialist's waiting room, The Look of Love.

I find it sad that, with such a vast volume of old music to hand, the "classic" radio stations feel the need for playlists. I remember when we were getting landscaping done a few years ago, I quickly got tired of the twice-daily dose of St. Elmo's Fire coming from the tradie radio in the garden

[Sits]

She's Lying by Jimmy Nail, in the IGA Locale supermarket in central Sydney.

No idea whether Nail penetrated the Aussie market at all but it was certainly unexpected.

[kokamoa]

Wandering through Croydon town centre today, I was amused to note that the operators of the pop-up kiddies' roundabout were playing Eddy Grant's Do You Feel My Love? as accompanying music to the ride. Decent-enough tune, sure, but I'd think there'd likely be young forty-somethings who might struggle with that cultural reference, let alone yer pre-schoolers....

Eddy Grant must do quite well out of the fairground royalties, given that when we took our niece to the play area of our local farm shop, they had a full size carousel hired in, and she and all the other kiddies were treated to a steam organ version of Gimme Hope Jo’anna as they went around.