1004-The Members-Sound of the Suburbs.
1979-Number 12 single.
Best Bit-At 0.30.’Annoying the neighbours with his Punk Rock electric guitar.’
Although ‘The Members’ may not be remembered as ‘Punk Rock’ premiere league, they are critically acclaimed, and will be forever an important part of the mid, to late 1970’s Punk music scene.The original lineup were formed in Camberley,England in 1976 by lyricist Nicky Tesco, the band continue to tour to this day, albeit with non of the original lineup. In-fact there have been eighteen different ‘Members’ over the last 44 years, including this songs co-writer Jean Marie Carroll, drummer Rat Scabies(ex Damned,) and Adrian Lillywhite, whose brother the legendary Steve Lillywhite, produced this song.
The songs lyrics spoke to the working class youth of 1979, speaking of the sterile life of suburbia, and the dead end street ahead.Punk Rockers loved the line from the song.
‘Rock groups just wanna be free,yeah, they want ANARCHY.’
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1003-Bryan Adams-Summer of 69.
1985-Number 42 single.
Best Bit-At 2.09.It’s the summer of 69…but you will know it better as ‘Soixante Neuf.’
Bryan Adams was born on 5th November, 1959 in Kingston,Ontario, he is one of Canada’s most successful musical exports, with sales in excess of 75 million units.His 1991 song (‘Everything I Do) I Do It For You,’ holds the UK chart record of spending 16 consecutive weeks at Number 1.
‘Summer of 69′ was co-written by Adams, and long term writing partner Jim Vallance. The song is about reminiscing on ones youth, Adams has said,’It’s a very simple song about looking back on the summertime, and making love. For me the ’69’ was a metaphor for making love, not about the year.’ That of course comes as a relief, as Adams was only nine years old in the summer of 69.
According to Jim Valance many of the songs lyrics were inspired by other songs,’ I got my first real six-string,’ was influenced by the Foreigner song ‘Juke Box Hero,’ and the line ‘Standin’ on your mama’s porch, you told me that you’d wait forever,’ was inspired by the Bruce Springsteen song ‘Thunder Road.’
‘Jimmy quit, Jody got married, I should’ve known, we’d never get far.’
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1002-Lewis Capaldi-Bruises.
2016-Did not chart in the UK until 2019 reaching Number 6.
Best Bit-At 0.55.Lewis Capaldi made history by becoming the first artist ever to announce and sell out an arena tour before the release of a debut Album.
Lewis Capaldi was born on 7 October,1996 in Glasgow, Scotland, his debut Album ‘Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent,’ was the best selling Album of 2019, it includes the UK, and Billboard Number 1 single ‘Someone You Loved,’ which made Capaldi the first Scottish solo artist since Sheena Easton in 1981, with her song ‘Morning Train,’ to top the American singles chart.
Capaldi co-wrote ‘Bruises’ with the songs producer James Earp on his 20th Birthday, he had just broken up with his girlfriend of 18 months. Capaldi sings about bruises rather than scars,he explained, ‘Bruises seem like an altogether more repairable thing than scars. At times your memory of an old relationship will be clouded, and you’ll only remember the best parts of being with someone, ignoring the reasons why things came to an end makes the idea of holding on to it, or wanting to go back to it seem more enticing than it actually is.’
‘And every breath that I’ve been takin’ since you left, feels like a waste on me.’
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To compliment my 1000 best songs list, I shall be publishing a new song everyday, They are all worth a listen.

1001-Diana Ross and the Supremes and The Temptations-I’m Gonna Make You Love Me.
1969-Number 3 single.
Best Bit-At 0.50.With a total of 5 Temptations and 3 Supremes,Tamla Motown had to break into the petty cash, so that everyone could have their own microphone.
‘I’m Gonna Make You Love Me’ was co-written in 1966 by future ‘Philadelphia Records’ supremo Kenny Gamble (see also best songs 896-725-648 and 322,) who at that time was the protege of the established songwriter Jerry Ross (1933-2017.)
Before the Supremes (see also best songs 900-519-411-365-212-183-148 and 28) and The Temptations (see also best songs 777 and 569) released this most famous version, the song had already been recorded many times without great chart success.The first version was made by Dee Dee Warwick (1942-2008) who was the sister of Dionne Warwick, her rendition peaked at Number 88 on Billboard. In 1968 the song was offered to Dusty Springfield who recommended her friend Madeline Bell, the prolific backing singer to many of the eras top artists, she took her version to Number 26 on Billboard, Springfield can be heard in a roll reversal singing backing vocals.
The Supremes and The Temptations recorded the song for their joint Album ‘Diana Ross and the Supremes Join The Temptations.’ Diana Ross sings the female lead and Eddie Kendricks (see also best songs 491) the male.The spoken verse which is original to this version, is provided by Ross and Otis Williams.
‘And I’m gonna use every trick in the book, I’ll try to get you hooked,hey baby.’
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Barry Philips Discos

Published by Barry Philips · 7 mins · 

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
1-Isaac Hayes-By the Time I Get to Phoenix.
1969-Has never charted in the UK.
Best Bit-At-15.28.
2nd Best Bit-At 8.39.
3rd Best Bit-At 0.22.I will always remember when I first heard this song, it was back in the very early 1980’s. I was on a short drive maybe only ten minutes and I was flicking through the radio stations, and this song was playing on Radio 1.Almost instantly I was memorised, this voice was talking with such emotion that I had never heard before in a song. My journey came to it’s end but I could not leave the car until the song finished. I just sat and listened as on eight and a half minutes the person talking suddenly started singing, taking the song to an even greater level. For the next eleven minutes the music and vocals built to a emotional crescendo that I have never heard before or since. I knew at that moment I had just heard ‘THE BEST SONG IN THE WORLD EVER,’
Please go somewhere you wont be interrupted and take a listen, it’s worth it.
‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’ was written in 1965 by Jimmy Webb (see also best songs 846 and 119,) the first of countless versions of the song was recorded by American Rock ‘N’ Roll singer Johnny Rivers.The song first came to the attention of the general public when Country singer Glen Campbell made it a hit in 1967.In a survey by the ‘BMI’ it was found to be the third most recorded song between the years of 1940-1990. Frank Sinatra called it ‘the greatest torch song ever written,’ but I don’t know if he ever even heard Isaac Hayes’ version.
Even without this song or it’s parent Album ‘Hot Buttered Soul,’ Isaac Hayes’ (see also best songs 530 and 398) place as a Pop Music legend was already assured.He was one of the main driving forces behind the ‘Stax Records’ label in the 1960’s, working as a producer and prolific songwriter for artist such as Sam and Dave and Johnny Taylor. In fact it was Hayes who coined the phrase ‘Soul Music’ (see best songs 530.)
In the original lyrics written by Jimmy Webb the narrator thinks of what his girl will be doing by the time he reaches Phoenix, and Albuquerque,and by the time he finally makes Oklahoma she will finally realise for the very first time, that this time he is not coming back. In the opening eight and a half minutes of Hayes’ version he adds his own background story.
‘He could hardly see the road for tears in his eyes, that’s right he was crying, they were meeting on his chin.’
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For a list of all the best 1000 songs click on the blog at www.barryphilipsdiscos.
Please join me at 1.0.pm tomorrow for some more musical gems.YOUTUBE.COMIsaac Hayes – By The Time I Get To Phoenix (Full Length 19:00 /HQ Audio)All 19:00 of The Black Moses’ grooved-out cover of the Jimmy Webb classic. From the quietly chilling 9-minute long backstory all the way…

Barry Philips Discos

Published by Barry Philips · Yesterday at 1:00 PM · 

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
2-Cockney Rebel-Death Trip.
1973-Has never been released as a single in the UK.
Best Bit-At 3.18.Your probably wondering how a song that less than 1% of the Human Race has even heard of can possibly be better than ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,”American Pie,’ or ‘Life on Mars.’ Well it is up to us the lucky 1% who are fortunate to know about this masterpiece to spread the word. I sincerely hope that after listening you too will see what I mean.
Steve Harley(see also best songs 410) was born Stephen Nice, 27 February 1951, in Deptford, London, England, he formed the first incarnation of the band ‘Cockney Rebel’ in 1972. Harley was signed to ‘EMI’ records and was given a three Album deal, ‘Death Trip’ is the closing track on his debut LP ‘The Human Menagerie.’
The record label showed great faith in Harley’s songs by spending big money on a fifty piece orchestra and bringing in legendary engineer Geoff Emerick who had worked on some of the Beatles classic Albums of the 1960’s,and Andrew Powell (see also best songs 866-130 and 81) to do the string arrangements, something almost unheard of for a debut Album.
When ‘The Human Menagerie’ was reissued in 2013 Harley recalled,’Those first two Albums were heavily orchestrated. I was 22 years old at Abbey Road with a full orchestra and a choir for songs like ‘Sebastian.’ I’d busked with those songs for a year before Cockney Rebel signed to EMI, so to get all that was just, oh it was magnificent for a young man.’
‘Death Trip’ was inspired by the death of a close friend of Harley’s from Heroin, the preceding track on the Album ‘Chameleon’ is about the same person, the song only runs for 49 seconds and goes straight in to Death Trip.
‘Can you hear the walrus offering a sad solution? He’s calling out for teenage revolution.’
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The countdown concludes tomorrow at 1.0.pm.YOUTUBE.COMSTEVE HARLEY & Cockney Rebel – DEATH TRIP – Video Version 2010 – A movie by Falke58.wmvWhat Can I Say. This is maybe the best thing someone ever written. Is it Rock. Is it Opera. Is it Classic Music. Is it Choir Music. Can´t say what…

Barry Philips Discos

Published by Barry Philips · 39 mins · 

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
3-Queen-Bohemian Rhapsody.
1975-Number 1 single. When reissued in 1991 it again reached Number 1.
Best Bit-At 3.03.Can you imagine being born gay into a family and religion that consider it a sin, with the punishment being that you will go to hell.That is what at least in part this song is about.
Freddie Mercury (see also best songs 918-615-208-126 and 47) was born Farrokh Bulsara, 5 September,1946 in Stone Town, Sultanate of Zanzibar, he died 24 November,1991.Both his parents were deeply involved in Zoroastrianism, which is an ancient Persian religion believed to have originated about 4000 years ago.
According to Lesley-Ann Jones author of the biography ‘Mercury,’ she thinks the song is about Freddie Mercury coming out as gay. After his death she spoke with Mercury’s partner Jim Hutton who told her that the song was in fact Mercury’s confession that he was gay. Mercury’s good friend Tim Rice backs this up and also offered some lyrical analysis. He said, ‘the line, ‘Mama I just killed a man’-‘he’s killed the old Freddie he was trying to be,’ and the line, ‘Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he’s dead,’-‘He’s dead, the straight person he was originally, he’s destroyed the man he was trying to be, and now this is him, trying to live with the new Freddie.’
Many of the songs lyrics appear in the Quran, ‘Bismillah’ is one of these and it literally means, In the name of Allah, the word ‘Scaramouch’ relates to a cowardly boastful character from traditional Italian comedy, and ‘Beelzebub’ is one of many names given to the Devil.
On a lighter note Bohemian Rhapsody has spent a total of fourteen weeks at Number 1 in the UK, nine weeks in 1975, and a further five in 1991, in both years it was the Christmas Number 1, it is also the third best selling single ever in the UK behind the charity songs ‘Candle in the Wind’ and ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas.’
‘I don’t want to die, I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 1.0.pm.
This is the highest placed Queen song on this countdown.YOUTUBE.COMBOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Queen – LEGENDADO – PORTUGUÊS – INGLÊS

Barry Philips Discos

Published by Barry Philips · Yesterday at 1:00 PM · 

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
4-Don McLean-American Pie.
1971-Number 2 single. When reissued in 1991 it reached Number 12.
Best Bit-At 4.02. When asked for the 1000th time what does American Pie really mean? McLean replied, ‘It means I don’t have to work anymore.’
In 2000 Madonna committed one of Pop Music’s greatest crimes when she murdered the song with a sub standard karaoke version that was rightly slammed by many music critics. Surprisingly Mclean gave her version his blessing, what he was thinking I do not know, but i can refer you to that earlier quote of his.
Don McLean was fourteen years old and working as a paper boy when he read the newspaper headline of February 3,1959 that three of the era’s most prominent Rock ‘N’ Roll stars, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper had been killed in a plane crash after a concert. This event left a lasting impression on the young McLean who approximately eleven years later put pen to paper and wrote about musical and political events in America during the 1960’s decade.
‘The day the music died’ is a reference to the plane crash, it signifies the end of music’s innocence and the start of a more politically influenced musical culture.
McLean has always been reluctant to explain his song, preferring others to reach their own conclusions. Many of the 1960’s biggest Pop Stars are referred to, ‘The Jester’ is Bob Dylan, ‘The King’ is Elvis Presley, ‘Eight Miles High and Falling Fast’ is a reference to The Byrds, and ‘Sergeants played a marching tune’ refers to the Beatles Album ‘Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.’
Several significant events of the 1960’s are also mentioned including the stabbing at the Altamont Speedway Concert in 1969 where The Rolling Stones were playing, and the 1964 murders of the Civil Rights workers Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner.
‘A long long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 1.0.pm.YOUTUBE.COMDon McLean – The meaning of American Pie (UPDATE)This is a revision to previously posted videos. I was fortunate enough to go to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake IA and speak firsthand with many who…

Barry Philips Discos

Published by Barry Philips · March 20 at 1:00 PM · 

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
5-David Bowie-Life on Mars.
1971-It wasn’t released as a single until 1973 when reaching Number 3.
Best Bit-At 3.28. Bowie had struggled for many years to make that big breakthrough, but success finally occurred in 1969 with ‘Space Oddity,’ so it is no big surprise that other of his songs have celestial themed titles such as ‘Starman’ and ‘Life on Mars.’ this song is well named because it is truly ‘out of this world.’
Bowie (see also best songs 807-440-334-302-209-186-118-47 and 31) has stated that he found writing this song easy, ‘Being young was easy, a really beautiful day in the park. I took a walk to Beckenham High Street to catch a bus but couldn’t get the riff out of my head, I started working it out on the piano and had the whole lyric and melody finished by late afternoon. Rick Wakeman came over a couple of weeks later and embellished the piano part and Mick Ronson created one of his first, and best string parts .’
The songs mysterious lyrics will always be open to interpretation.The opening verse probably tells of a young girl wanting to escape her everyday mundane existence, so for escapism she visits the cinema, but soon realises she has done this before and the film is only reflecting what she already knows about her own reality.The second verse expands the situation,dealing with people as a whole and how we can get sucked in by commercialism, and into thinking the grass is always greener on the other side. When Bowie sings ‘Is there life on Mars,’ he is saying, is there a better life I can make for myself.
‘It’s on America’s tortured brow that Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 1.0.pm.
This is the highest placed David Bowie song on this countdown.YOUTUBE.COMDavid Bowie – Life On Mars? (Official Video)Official video for Life On Mars? by David Bowie. Stream David Bowie’s greatest hits here � https://RhinoUK.lnk.to/ThisIsDavidBowieAY…

Barry Philips Discos

Published by Barry Philips · 7 hrs · 

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
6-Beatles-Hey Jude.
1968-Number 1 single.
Best Bit-At 3.09.The ‘outro’ that stays longer than the mother-in-law.
By 1968 tensions were rising high in the Beatles camp, with all four band members in confrontation with each other.To add to the tension John Lennon had just split from his wife Cynthia who was also a close friend of McCartney’s, and Lennon’s new partner Yoko Ono appeared in the eyes of McCartney to be taking his place in the creative department.
McCartney (see also best songs 646-599-456-319-238-218-141-107-80-51 and 10) didn’t think it was right to cut ties with Cynthia, and decided to visit her and her five year old son Julian at their family home. Cynthia recalled McCartney’s surprise visit, ‘I was touched by his obvious concern for our welfare, on the journey down he composed ‘Hey Jude’ in the car.’
The songs original title was ‘Hey Jules’ and it was intended to comfort Julian from the stress of his parents separation, McCartney changed the title to ‘Hey Jude’ as it fit the song better.
Reading through the lyrics it appears that the song is not just about a five year old boy, it appears to encompass all the turbulent relationships surrounding McCartney at that time including his own failing relationship with Jane Asher, and his recent meeting with Linda Eastman in June 1968.
Two other UK Number 1 singles with long ‘outro’s’ were inspired by this song,’Heart of Glass’ by Blondie and ‘Hot Love’ by T.Rex.
‘For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 1.0.pm.
This is the highest placed Beatles song on this countdown.YOUTUBE.COMHey Jude (Remastered 2009)Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group Hey Jude (Remastered 2009) · The Beatles The Beatles 1967 – 1970 ℗ 2009 Calderstone…