Your Favourite Totally Naff Song

[Sean of the Shed]

Mike Edmonds, who is the little guy in the Safety Dance video, is the last surviving member of the Time Bandits.

[elguapo4]

Safety Dance came after some of the band were thrown out of a nightclub for " unsafe dancing " , I.e pogoing on the dance floor.

[delicatemoth]

Oh DM, don't get me started on this. This is Paul mcCartney's best song, and the orchestral schlager fest he spent his entire life building towards. I reckon it's one thing to write sophisticated songs for adults with notions, but the real test, is can you write a piece of music that every child loves on first hearing. I don't even mind that it was associated with that prat Rupert the bear. And it's got frogs! ALso "Tap tap Ribbit ribbit."

My favourite bit is the cats' slightly flat "Miaow, miaow miaow, miaow, maow maow" followed by that gentle violin figure. It's gorgeous, Whimsical Paul at his best.

[Felicity, I guess so]

I know all the words to Ernie, just so's you know

[Hot Pepsi]

MWH are a fantastic band and I love the video for The Safety Dance - the woman did indeed go into publishing, in fact she later became the editor of Cosmopolitan. For people who think they've only ever heard that one MWH song, if you watch international tournament football you've probably heard some crowds chant the melody to Pop Goes The World.

That reminds me that we might need a thread on "Under-credited Women In Pop."

The other example I thought of is Beth Anderson who sings on "Neverending Story" with Limahl, but she didn't get to be in the video. According to wiki "frequent Limahl back-up singer Mandy Newton lip-syncs Anderson's part."

And, of course, Martha Wash, on C+C Music Factory's big hit.

[Amor de Cosmos]

That reminds me that we might need a thread on "Under-credited Women In Pop."

Yeah. And maybe a slimmer one on "wrongly-credited women". For example Charlene didn't write I've Never Been To Me, someone named Ron Miller did. Originally from a male perspective too (which kinda boggles the mind. I'd love to see the lyrics.) Similarly Natural Woman's, lyrics were written by Gerry Goffin, though frequently credited these days to Carole King.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Paul McCartney is responsible - via my GCSE music exam - for me knowing the most pointless phonetic Spanish it is possible to know.

[slackster]

Anybody else get the urge to jump on the party dance floor and throw some shapes when Russ Abbot’s Atmosphere comes on?

It’s the missing link between Chicago House and Ravey Davey Acieeeed, I’d wager…

[Sporting]

Paul McCartney is responsible - via my GCSE music exam - for me knowing the most pointless phonetic Spanish it is possible to know.

Do you mean Sun King? All kinds of languages in that:

"Cuando para mucho mi amore de felice corazon
Mundo paparazzi mi amore chica ferdi parasol
Cuesto obrigado tanta mucho que can eat it carousel"

[Toby Gymshorts]

Do you mean Sun King? All kinds of languages in that:

"Cuando para mucho mi amore de felice corazon
Mundo paparazzi mi amore chica ferdi parasol
Cuesto obrigado tanta mucho que can eat it carousel"

Nope. I mean this:

[tee rex]

A selection by "Middle of the Road" might meet the naff criteria, especially Tweedledee, Tweedledum. Which I love, it should be Scotland's national anthem.

[Jobi1]

Dennis Parker's 'Like an Eagle' takes naffness to a gloriously epic scale. Magnificent...

[Sits]

OK then, here’s a vote for Un Homme Et Une Femme by Francis Lai. One of those you hear through your childhood, don’t know what is, and is clearly a bit cheesy. But love it.

Where do the Seekers sit on the naff-o-meter? I love Georgie Girl, and Morningtown Ride always brings a warm yet melancholy Prooustian rush.

[Gangster Octopus]

You've really bought into the culture, haven't you. And, if you're my age, there's nowt wrong with The Seekers. Childhood memories and all that.

[Amor de Cosmos]

OK then, here’s a vote for Un Homme Et Une Femme by Francis Lai. One of those you hear through your childhood, don’t know what is, and is clearly a bit cheesy. But love it.

The film is pure fromage. Basically an extended ad for Ford Mustangs driven by two pretty people in designer outfits tooling around Paris at night.

[Sits]

What film was made for.

[Amor de Cosmos]

A Man and a Woman by Claud Lelouch. Remarkably it It won an Oscar.

[Sits]

Oh I referenced the film, and not the song?

[G-Man]

I also love a few of Matthew Wilder's songs - not just the obvious one either.

Back in the day, I loved "The Kid's American". When I heard it again after 30 years or so, I was wondering what was wrong with my 18-year-old self.

I'll give my naffness vote to The New Seekers. I love "Beg, Steal Or Borrow", and I quite like "Neverending Song Of Love". Queue those up with MOTR's "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" -- a criminally maligned song -- and especially "Bottoms Up", and bubblegum pop-era Sweet ("Poppa Joe"), and I'll be a quite happy boy.

[pebblethefish]

Falco's Rock Me Amadeus is surely both naff enough and good enough to qualify?

[3 Colours Red]

Oh DM, don't get me started on this. This is Paul mcCartney's best song, and the orchestral schlager fest he spent his entire life building towards.

That's what gets me about people who say that Keeping The Dream Alive by Freiheit "sounds like the Beatles". It doesn't, it sounds like 80s McCartney. Just a slightly more bombastic Pipes Of Peace.

[delicatemoth]

Falco's Rock Me Amadeus is surely both naff enough and good enough to qualify?

Totally, especially the extended version where the narrator intones key moments in Mozart's life ("1784. Mozart becomes a Freemason"), culminating in "1985. Austrian rock musician Falco releases ROCK ME AMADEUS!!!!").

See also Paul Hardcastle's 'Just For Money', with the Laurence Olivier bits ("They died for money. D-D-D-D-D-D-Died for money.")

[Benjm]

Totally, especially the extended version where the narrator intones key moments in Mozart's life ("1784. Mozart becomes a Freemason"), culminating in "1985. Austrian rock musician Falco releases ROCK ME AMADEUS!!!!").

This has reminded me that the snack bars at Wembley are named after memorable moments in the old stadium's history. "1975. Evel Knievel attempts to jump over 13 London buses...1982. Pope John Paul II celebrates mass..."

[Jah Womble]

The Seekers weren't remotely 'naff' - and I'd suggest that the New Seekers just about stayed on the right side of that fence as well.

Middle Of The Road, on the other hand...

I know all the words to Ernie, just so's you know

A novelty, yes, but a very cleverly-written song.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Middle Of The Road, on the other hand...

Samson and Delilah, the single of which I'd purchased at the time, sprang to mind recently and so I headed to YT.

Still think it's great.