THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
251-Roberta Flack-The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
1972-Number 14 single.
Best Bit-At 3.32.It is said that the songs writer Ewan MacColl disliked the many cover versions of his song.He had a special section in his record collection for them entitled ‘The Chamber of Horrors.’
MacColl(1915-1989) wrote the song in 1957 for(and probably about) his future wife Folk singer Peggy Seeger,MacColl is the father of the late Kirsty MacColl.
The song was brought to the attention of a much wider audience in 1971 when Clint Eastwood used it in the first film he made as a director,’Play Misty For Me'(see also best songs 706.) Eastwood had heard the Roberta Flack version on the radio and wanted to use it for the films love scene(I have posted the film scene here,) he paid $2000 for the songs rights.
Roberta Flack(see also best songs 541) originally recorded the song for her debut Album ‘The First Time’ in 1969,after the success of the film Atlantic Records released the song which went on to become the best selling song on Billboard in 1972, spending six weeks at Number 1.
‘The first time ever I lay with you and felt your heart beat close to mine.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
252-The Andrews Sisters-Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.
1941-Has never charted,there was no UK chart until 1952.
Best Bit-At 0.13.’Girl Power’ that helped win World War 2.
The Andrew Sisters(see also best songs 934) were three sisters LaVerne(1911-1967,) Maxene(1916-1965) and Patty(1918-2013.) During World War 2 they entertained the Allied forces extensively in Africa and Italy as well as visiting Army,Navy,Marine and Coast Guard bases in the U.S.
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy was written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince for the 1941 Abbott and Costello film ‘Buck Privates.’It was written nearly a year before the United States entered World War 2,but after the start of a peacetime draft to expand the armed forces in anticipation of American involvement.
In 1973 a cover version by Bette Midler brought the song to the attention of a whole new generation when reaching Number 8 on Billboard.
In 2007 Christina Aguilera and Linda Perry co-wrote ‘Candyman’ as a tribute to this song and also The Andrews Sisters,it peaked at Number 17 in the UK.
‘They made him blow a bugle for his Uncle Sam,it really brought him down because he couldn’t jam.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
253-The Stone Roses-Fools Gold.
1989-Number 8 single.
Best Bit-At 4.04.I still feel that if Ian Brown had stood closer to the microphone we would have heard him a little clearer.
The Stone Roses(see also best songs 979) were formed in Manchester in 1983 by vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire,bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield and drummer Alan ‘Reni’ Wren, they were active until they split in 1996,but reformed in 2011.
The music to Fools Gold is based around a loop from the James Brown 1969 song ‘Funky Drummer,’ a song John Squire had heard after picking up a compilation Album in a Manchester record store.’Funky Drummer’ is one of the most sampled songs in the history of Pop,especially in the Hip-Hop community.
Fools Gold is a song about greed.Ian Brown had seen the 1948 Humphrey Bogart film ‘The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre.’ In the film friends go up a mountain looking for gold,but as they go on they start turning on one another.Brown said,’that’s how it felt once the Roses started getting successful,suddenly everyone was after their piece of gold.’
‘Sometimes you have to try to get along dear,I know the truth and I know what you’re thinking.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
254-Peter Gabriel-Games Without Frontiers.
1980-Number 4 single.
Best Bit-At 0.16.One of Pop Music’s most misheard lyrics,some people hear ‘she’s so popular,’ I always thought she was saying ‘she’s so funky yeah.’
The actual lyrics are Jeux Sans Frontieres’ and were sung by Kate Bush(see also best songs 866,) who would go on to record the 1986 Number 9 hit single duet with Gabriel called ‘Don’t Give Up.’
Peter Gabriel was born on February 13,1950 in Chobham,Surrey,England.In 1967 he was one of the co-founders of the rock band Genesis(see also best songs 741,) remaining with them until embarking on a solo career in 1975.
Games Without Frontiers is an anti-war song,comparing world leaders squabbling with each other like children in the school playground
Jeux Sans Frontieres was a Europe-wide television game show,in England it was known as ‘It’s A Knockout.’The shows concept was for members of the public from each European country to compete against each other playing bizarre games while wearing outlandish costumes.
‘If looks could kill they probably will,in games without frontiers,war without tears.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
255-Buffy Sainte-Marie-Universal Soldier.
1964-Has never been released as a single in the UK.
Best Bit-At 2.01.One of the great anti war songs,but perhaps the most controversial of them all.
Buffy Sainte-Marie was born February 20,1941 in Qu’Appelle Valley,Saskatchewan,Canada,her birth name is Beverley Sainte-Marie.Throughout her life she has focused on many different issues including the indigenous peoples of the America’s.During the 1970’s she appeared regularly on the children’s television programme Sesame Street and in 1997 she founded the ‘Cradleboard Teaching Project,’ an educational curriculum devoted to better understanding Native Americans.
Written during the ‘Vietnam War’ Universal Soldier is very controversial because it says that the soldier is the one to blame,he or she is the one who has the choice to fire or not fire their weapon,he or she has the choice to follow or not follow the politicians orders.
‘He’s the one who gives his body as a weapon to a war and without him all this killing can’t go on.
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
257-Big Joe Turner-Flip Flop and Fly.
1955-Has never charted in the UK.
Best Bit-At 2.08.The lyrics tells us the best way to beat the blues is to look forward to seeing your ‘main squeeze,’ but at the same time not to forget you are also very attractive,and it’s only fair to share yourself around.
Flip Flop and Fly was co-written by Big Joe Turner and Charles E. Calhoun,both men are critically acclaimed for there input into the development of ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll.’
Calhoun was born Jesse Stone(1916-1999) in Kansas,U.S. In 1954 he wrote the Rock ‘N’ Roll classic ‘Shake,Rattle and Roll'(see best songs 855) and it is said that some of the lyrics in this song were leftovers from that song.Other notable songs by Calhoun include ‘Money Honey’the first hit for The Drifters and ‘Sh-Boom’ by The Chords.
Big Joe Turner(1911-1985) came from Kansas City,Missouri,his career comprised playing the Blues,R&B and eventually Rock ‘N’ Roll.He was known as a ‘Blues Shouter,’which is a Blues singer.often male,capable of singing unamplified with a band.
‘I’m like a Mississippi Bullfrog sittin’ on a hollow stump.I got so many women,I don’t know which way to jump.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
258-McFadden & Whitehead-Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.
1979-Number 5 single.
Best Bit-At 0.18.Their name may sound like a firm of accountants but they were actually one of the top songwriting partnerships at Philadelphia International Records.
Gene McFadden(January 28,1949-January 27,2006) met John Whitehead(July 10,1948-May 11,2004) when they were both teenagers.The first band they formed together was called the ‘Epsilons’ a Soul Music group who toured with Otis Redding until his death in 1967.
Soon after they signed with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia record label(see also best songs 896-725-648-604 and 322) writing songs for the labels top artists such as The O’Jays(Backstabbers) and Harold Melvin(Wake Up Everybody.)
It is said that they became frustrated at not being able to perform their own songs and the lyrics are a direct response to the labels owners Gamble and Huff who wanted to give this song to The O’Jays.
The song may have been inspired by their own personnel experience but has down the years become an anthem for anyone looking forward to a challenge.
‘There’s been so many things that’s held us down,but now it looks like things are finally comin’ round.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
259-Bing Crosby-Brother,Can You Spare A Dime?
1932-Has never charted ,there was no UK chart until 1952.
Best Bit-At 2.59.In today’s money a dime is $1.50.
The song is also known as ‘Buddy,Can You Spare A Dime?’ written in 1930 it would go on to become the ‘anthem’ of the ‘Great Depression.’
The songs lyrics were written by E.Y.’Yip’ Harburg,his most famous composition would occur some nine years later with ‘Over The Rainbow.’The music was composed by Jay Gorney who based the melody on a Russian-Jewish lullaby his mother had sung to him as a child.
The song has been recorded many times down the years,the early famous versions are by Bing Crosby(see also best songs 934 and 457) and Rudy Vallee.
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930’s,beginning in the United Stares.The song asks why the men who built the nation,built the railroads,built the skyscrapers and fought in World War 1,who did what the nation asked of them,should find themselves abandoned and on the bread line.
‘Once in khaki suits,gee,we looked swell,full of that Yankee doodle de dumb.’
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