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Posted by: In: Other 09 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

776-Runrig-Loch Lomond.

1982-Number 86 single.

Best Bit-At 1.43.In a survey in 2009, this was chosen as the greatest Scottish song ever.

Runrig were a Scottish Celtic Rock group who were formed in the Isle of Skye, Scotland in 1973, they retired in 2018. Between 1978-2016 they released 14 studio Albums, their lyrics mainly focused on locations, history, politics, and people who are unique to Scotland.Runrig first recorded ‘Loch Lomond’ for their second Album ‘The Highland Connection’ in 1979, after playing the song live, it soon became a fan favourite, and the bands signature tune, ending concerts.

In 2007 they re-recorded the song to raise money for the BBC Children in Need Appeal, the recording featured ‘The Tartan Army,’ a group of Scottish football supporters, including Rod Stewart on backing vocals. The song was recorded shortly before the Scottish football team played a vital European Championship qualifier against Italy, which they lost 2-1. The song became Runrig’s first, and only UK top 10 single, when reaching Number 9.

‘Loch Lomond’ is a traditional Scottish Folk song, which was first published in 1841. It is thought the subject of the song could be a captured soldier who knows he is unlikely ever to spend time again with his true love by the shores of Loch Lomond. The ‘Low Road’ may be a reference to the Celtic belief that if someone died away from the homeland, then the fairies would provide a route for their soul to return home.

‘You take the high road, and I’ll take the low road. and I’ll be in Scotland afore you.’

Posted by: In: Other 07 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

777-The Temptations-Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me.)

1971-Number 8 single.

Best Bit-At 2.32.Nothing wrong with some healthy fantasising.

‘Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me,’) was co-written by the Motown songwriting team of Norman Whitfield (1940-2008,) with lyrics by Barrett Strong, who was also the co-writer, and vocalist on Motown’s first million seller,’Money (That’ What I Want,’) recorded in 1959.

This song was originally written in the late 1960’s, but kept in the vaults due to The Temptations change in musical style.In the early, to mid 60’s they had been very successful recording Soul, and R&B, but when Whitfield (see also best songs 911-569-533-480-346 and 233) took charge in 1968, he wanted to experiment with ‘Psychedelic Soul,’ inspired by groups such as Sly and the Family Stone, and Funkadelic. At first this new style proved very successful, with hits such as ‘Cloud Nine,’ and ‘Psychedelic Shack,’ but by 1971 sales were starting to decline, with both the band, and their fans wanting a return to the more ‘Soulful’ days.

‘Just My Imagination’ certainly satisfied the fan base, giving The Temptations the third of what would eventually be four Billboard Number 1 singles. The song is not your conventional love song in any shape or form.The narrator imagines a relationship with a woman he sees walking past his window everyday, but he is clever enough to realise that his fantasy’s are fiction, in fact the woman doesn’t even know he exists.

This was the last song on which Eddie Kendricks (see also best songs 491) sang lead vocal, as he left shortly afterwards to start his solo career.It was also the last performance for fellow group member Paul Williams who sang the ‘Every night on my knees I pray,’ line, as he was suffering from ill health, and would pass away in 1973, at the age of 34.

‘Each day through my window, I watch her as she passes by, I say to myself, you’re such a lucky guy.’

Posted by: In: Other 07 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

778-Tom Robinson-War Baby.

1983-Number 6 single.

Best Bit-At 1.08. 2-4-6-8 who do we appreciate, great artist, great song.

Thomas Giles Robinson was born on June 1st, 1950, in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. His initial chart success came in 1977, a year after he formed the Tom Robinson Band, together they achieved three top 40 singles, including the 1977 Number five song ‘2-4-6-8 Motorway.’ they also released two Albums, which both made the top 40 in the UK., the band split in 1979. As a solo artist Robinson has released 14 studio Albums since 1980, the latest being ‘Only the Now,’ in 2015.

By 1982 Tom Robinson was massively in debt, particularly with the British Tax Authorities, he was ‘technically bankrupt’ and depressed, so he went to stay with a friend in Hamburg, Germany. Robinson describes writing ‘War Baby’ whilst stoned after a bad experience at a gay sauna, he wrote,’Only the young and the very beautiful can be so aloof,’ and the rest of it poured on to the page.The song has been described as being about his experiences of the divisions between East, and West Germany, however, as to what it is all about says Robinson,’I couldn’t tell you, I just wrote what sounded right.’

‘Like a mother-sucking baby, demanding and so helpless, a little old balding man, all wrinkles and bulging eyes.’

Posted by: In: Other 05 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

779-Duke Dumont-The Giver.

2012-Has never been released as a single in the UK. The vocal remix reached Number 32 in 2015.

Best Bit-At 4.09.The proof that it’s better to be a giver than a taker.

Duke Dumont is the stage name of Adam Dyment, a music producer, and writer of Dance Music.In the early part of the 2010’s decade he had great success in the UK top 40, achieving two Number 1 singles with ‘Need U (100%,) in 2013, and ‘I Got U,’ in 2014, he also made Number 2 with ‘Won’t Look Back,’ also in 2014.He has also remixed several songs, for many artists of differing musical genres since 2006.

‘The Giver’ was originally released on an E.P. in 2012, which was only made available in America, and Canada. After the success of the three songs mentioned above, the track was remixed by the Australian music producer Tom Purcell, better known by his stage name, ‘Wave Racer,’ and it became Duke Dumont’s forth charting song in 2015.

The song was written by Dumont, and features a sample of the 1995 Dance track ‘Time For Love’ by Kim English (1970-2019,) which was written by Byron Stingily, Hal Ritson, and Byron Burke,of the American House/R&B group Ten City, which is the reason that they are given songwriting credits as well.

‘Your that special soul who makes me wanna give it.’

Posted by: In: Other 05 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER

780-Shabba Ranks-Trailer Load A Girls.

1991-Number 63 single.

Best Bit-At 0.15. Shabba Ranks says more in 3.57 seconds than most people say in a week.

Shabba Ranks was born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, on January 17th, 1966, in St. Anne, Jamaica, and was raised in Trenchtown. He has released 14 studio Albums, the last a compilation of hits in 1999.In the UK he has achieved nine top 40 singles, the most successful being his 1993 Number 3 song’Mr Loverman.’ which is memorable for the cry of ‘Shabba’ being introduced to the masses.

Shabba Ranks is a very important figure in the shaping of the musical genre ‘Reggaeton,’ in 1990 he released his second studio Album ‘Just Reality’ which included the song ‘Dem Bow,’ written by the songwriting duo of Steely & Clevie. The songs ‘Riddum’ (Rhythm) became so popular in Spanish speaking parts of the Caribbean, that a whole new sound was created which would become the basis of the new musical genre, which has grown in popularity over the years.

‘Girls girls everyday, from London, Canada, and USA. Girls, girls everyday, king mon,Shabba mon nana everyday.’

Posted by: In: Other 03 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

781-Ram Jam-Black Betty.

1977-Number 7 single.

Best Bit-At 2.01.Is headbanging good exercise for the neck, or is it an unhealthy activity? The answer of course is, don’t do it, your neck will hurt each time you throw your skull back and forth.

‘Black Betty’ is an early 20th Century African/American song, whose writer is unknown. The first recording of the song was in 1933 by John, and Alan Lomax, but the most famous early recording was by the Blues artist Huddie ‘Lead Belly’ Ledbetter from 1939.

The origin, and meaning of the lyrics are subject to debate, as ‘Black Betty’ could refer to several different things.Over the course of time a ‘Black Betty’ has been a nickname given to a number of objects, including, a musket, a bottle of whiskey, a whip, or a penitentiary transfer wagon.

It was the guitarist Bill Bartlett who had been a member of the 1960’s Psychedelic Rock/Bubblegum Pop band the Lemon Pipers who came up with the idea of making a Heavy Rock version of this traditional song, while in a band he had formed called Starstruck. Once it was realised that the song was going to be big, a new band of musicians were brought together and named Ram Jam, they were active between 1977-1978, releasing two studio Albums.

In 1990 Dutch music producer Ben Liebrand remixed the song,taking it to Number 13 in the UK top 40. The other significant version is by the Australian Alternative Rock band Spiderbait whose similar arrangement to that of Ram Jam, made Number 1 in their home country in 2004.

‘Black Betty had a child (bam-a-lam,) the damn thing gone wild (bam-a-lam.’)

Posted by: In: Other 03 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

782-The Righteous Brothers-You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin.’

1965-Number 1 single.

When re-issued in 1969 it reached Number 10, and when re-issued again in 1990, it reached Number 3.

Best Bit-At 2.56. Bill Medley sings the whole of the first verse on his own, much to the annoyance of Bobby Hatfield, who asked Phil Spector,’What am I supposed to do,’ to which Spector replied,’You can go directly to the bank.’

‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ is the only song to have entered the UK top 40 singles chart on three separate occasions, while in America it was the most played song of the 20th Century on American television, and radio (including all of the cover versions,) with more than 8 million airplay’s.

The song was written by the legendary songwriting team of husband and wife, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil (see also best songs 568 and 257,) the songs producer Phil Spector, is also given writing credit as was often his demand,Weil has said,’Spector never really wrote, but instead ‘inspired’ songs.’ The song is considered to be among the best of Spector’s ‘Wall of Sound’ productions (see also best songs 737-192 and 127.)

The Righteous Brothers (see also best songs 91) were the vocal duo of Bill Medley (see also best songs 439,) and Bobby Hatfield (1940-2003,) they began performing together in 1962, but split in 1971, only to reform in 1974, split again in 1976, with their final reformation being in 1986, which lasted through to Hatfield’s death in 2003,both artists at some stage have performed with another using the Righteous Brothers name. Their stage name derives from black marines at a concert at El Toro Marine Base calling them ‘righteous brothers’ at the end of a performance, a black U.S. marine shouted, ‘That was righteous, brothers.’

‘You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips, and there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips.’

Posted by: In: Other 01 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

783-The Railway Children-Every Beat of the Heart.

1990-Number 24 single.

Best Bit-At 0.13.When you hear some songs, you can instantly tell from which decade they belong, but some songs are timeless.

The Railway Children were formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England by Gary Newby (songwriter/vocals,) Brian Bateman (guitar,) Guy Keegan (drums,) and Stephen Hull (bass,) they were active from 1984-1991, with Newby continuing as a solo artist from 1996, but retaining the bands name. Newby also spent several years in Japan from 2002 onwards, writing, arranging music, and lyrics, for major Japanese artists. In 2016 the four original band members reformed to play several dates, through until 2018.The Railway Children released four studio Albums between 1987-1997, with a further five compilation Albums made available after the split of the original lineup. In total there have been 10 singles released, with this song being their only top 40 entry.

‘Every Beat of the Heart’ was written by Gary Newby, and is about the break-up of a relationship, with the narrator realising that he wants to be free to start over again, he wants a clean break, with no drama.

‘That’s an angry sky behind me, but I don’t need you here to guide me.’

Posted by: In: Other 01 Feb 2021 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

784-The Players Association-Turn the Music Up.

1979-Number 8 single.

Best Bit-At 4.23.’If you like it, I can play all night,if you like, I can play all night.’That’s what I used to say before Covid 19.

The Players Association were formed as a studio group in New York City, United States, in 1977 by drummer/arranger Chris Hills, and producer Danny Weiss, they were active until 1981. When required they would hire the top session musicians of the day to perform on their records, including Joe Farrell (1937-1986,) David Sanborn, and James Mtume, They would also bring in vocalists when required, these included Lorraine Moore, and Mike Mandel.

The Players Association released five studio Albums between 1977-1981, and released six singles.’Turn the Music Up,’ which was an original composition was their most successful song, peaking at Number 8 in the UK in 1979, that was their only top 40 hit, but ‘Ride the Groove,’ also from 1979 made Number 42, and ‘We Got the Groove,’ from 1980 reached Number 61.They were also well known for their cover versions, the most successful being their version of The Trammps 1976 hit ‘Disco Inferno,’ although it wasn’t a commercial hit, it was very popular in the clubs.

‘Turn the music up, turn it up, party down, c’mon.’