December 03, 2005
Hell's iPod
So I have a new twist on insomnia: waking up in the middle of the night with songs running through my head and a headache. The top three:
Convoy, C.W. McCall
Der Kommissar, After the Fire
Peach, Plum, Pear, Joanna Newsom
You tell me.
Posted by coyu at December 3, 2005 03:26 PMMercy sakes alive.
You know, I still remember the flip side of the 45. ("Long Lonesome Road".) Man, I was like 20 before I realized why the songs on the backs of 45s always sucked. Then they stopped making them.
"Convoy" was and still is a real oddity. You'd expect either a lot of that sort of thing, or none at all. But just one Top Ten hit in 30 years, and it was about trucking.
Now I'm trying to imagine "Convoys" for taxi drivers, air traffic controllers... hackers.
Surely there's a niche.
Doug M.
It could be worse; you could be infected with C. W. McCall's other (near-?)hit, "There Won't Be No Country Music". (Apparently they came out with a fair number of other songs, but that's the only one I ever heard.) At least "Convoy" has mildly amusing lyrics.
Posted by: Jim Parish at December 3, 2005 11:07 PMOkay, I had to check iTunes for samples of Convoy and the fruit song. Convoy wasn't that bad, but the fruit song? It was all of three seconds before I went looking for another song - any song - to purge that earworm from my brain. Christ, I'd rather listen to Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time."
Posted by: Patrick Banks at December 4, 2005 01:58 AMnice weblog please lokk at mine:
http://caspianous.blogspot.com
"Convoy" is a good song. You can nix it with "Home to Houston" by Steve Earle.
"Der Kommissar," that's a harder earwig to beat. You can always go with "Pop Muzik" by M, but that'd be a sort of spiting the face moment. I recommend either "Johnny Are You Queer?" by Josie Cotton, or "Lose Yourself" by Eminem.
That last, well, I can't help you there, man.
Tell me if it works.
Posted by: Noel at December 4, 2005 11:22 PMDoug (and you're posting as Claudia again), "C.W. McCall" is a creation of the Vast Media Conspiracy. In reality, "McCall" was a persona devised by an Omaha ad executive named Bill Fries. You want real trucking music, you go to Red Sovine, who died from a heart attack on the road (or the accident that followed).
Patrick, "Convoy" became stuck in my head in my formative years, and I doubt I will ever be rid of it. The local radio station had an all novelty country-and-western format. One of the most popular catchphrases among the youth of that era and area was "Right turn, Clyde". It's a wonder I even know how to read.
Masoud, cool web log! That's part of the world I've always wanted to see.
Noel, the only things I know that can remove the music of Joanna Newsom from one's head are not suitable to mention on a family blog. That being said, a less harsh cover version of the song would probably be quite beautiful.
PS Sam Peckinpah directed the movie version of Convoy?! who knew?
Posted by: Carlos at December 5, 2005 12:44 AMCarlos:"In reality, 'McCall' was a persona devised by an Omaha ad executive named Bill Fries. You want real trucking music, ..."
Leaving me to infer that advertising contain no "real" music or lyrics, as composed by "real" songwriters?
I'd like to debate THAT propostion at some length but my, at present coffee-deprived, memory only serves up one strong counter example and I fear that even mentioning him would be to concede the argument.
Oh hell.
Barry Manilow and his "Very Strange Medley", anyone?
Posted by: POUNCER at December 5, 2005 07:08 PMPouncer, nah. It's just that "McCall" wasn't a real person (let alone a truck driver).
Posted by: Carlos at December 5, 2005 07:30 PMwell well,
Hell you say? It may or may not be surprising that I have 2 of the 3 songs on my iPod (and just for kicks I think I'll download the folk-song) [or I guess I should say "had" the songs on my ipod. My iPod was stolen 2 weeks ago {bastiches!} and I can't decide if I wait for Santa or purchase myself]
Anyway the After the Fire version of "Der Kommissar" is rock-solid. It has every thing you could want in a pop song for 1982. Oddly enough given my general dorko-xenophilia, I prefer the ATF version to the Falco version.
"Jetzt das Kinderlied:"
Surely you have been able to dislodge the songs by this point (I am always late to the game) but I could suggest Nena's "99 Luftballoons"
"Hast Du etwas Zeit für mich"
This song of course, is much (well relatively) cooler than the English version. If you have ever watched the German and American versions of the video you can also see that not only the lyrics were anglicized.
"Denk' an Dich und lass' ihn fliegen"
Convoy.... have you ever written as to your guess _why_ trucker culture erupted in the 70's?
"Was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077369/posters
Good Gracious Ali, what the hell have you done to your hair? Though I have to admit Kris is pretty smokin' in that poster.
Even I will admit that "Convoy" is a tough one to shake and remember I am only trying to not quite help:
"Here he comes, boogie-dy, boogie-dy
There he goes, boogie-dy, boogie-dy
And he ain't wearin' no clothes
Oh yes, they call him the streak"
-Frankie "Don't Look Ethel" Burdett
Posted by: Francis Burdett at December 6, 2005 07:15 PMFrankie, I've found the cure, but it's a little rough.
"Perhaps the holy grail of Styx collectors," oh my dear sweet saints and apostles. I've got to have that Run-D.M.C. album around here somewhere.
Carlos,
Thanks for kicking this off. I just learned that CW McCall's "Old Home Band" and his lead musician, Chip Davis, is ALSO "Mannheim Steamroller". Whose Xmas music is stuck in MY head. Catchy stuff.
I wouldn't have looked if you hadn't mentioned it. Cool.
Posted by: POUNCER at December 8, 2005 06:55 PM