Anyone that knows me would never describe me as a sports fan. All the same I’m not unfamiliar with the various sports tv show themes that have persisted through the decades. Ski Sunday (‘Pop Looks Bach’ by Sam Fonteyn), Grandstand (by Keith Mansfield) and the Snooker (‘Dragracer’ by The Doug Wood Band) all have a special place in my childhood nostalgia archive. Along with them also sits this week’s earworm inspiration.
‘Soul Limbo’ by Booker T and the M.G.s is more commonly known in the U.K. as the theme music to the cricket. It cropped up on my discover playlist over the weekend – presumably through my preference for related bands than anything actually test match related.
Now I only knew of Booker T and the M.G.s for ‘Green Onions’ but…(Trivia alert!) doing a bit of reading and it turns out they were the house band for the soul record label Stax playing on hundreds of recordings behind stars such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Bill Wither and Wilson Pickett.
As well as the eponymous Booker T other stars of the band were Steve Cropper and Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn latterly known more as two of the backline in the ‘Blues Brothers’
As I listened to it in the kitchen for the first time in ages it set off the mutating earworm on a merry journey to an 80’s pop classic. As the chords cycled round the piano plays a rhythm which was distinctly reminiscent of guitar riff in the middle ‘Walking on Sunshine’ by Katrina and the Waves
Now, by all accounts, this little ditty which I would attest is heavily influenced by said Mr T and his M.G.s, has been a consistent moneymaker down the years (estimated one million dollars a year in publishing royalties according to the Financial Times)
Katrina – give these guys some credit, anything else just isn’t Cricket 🙂
Throwing back tomorrow, as it’s Thursday
Donovan.
Bonus treat: Here’s a live version of Soul Limbo (minus the aforementioned piano which appears on the record) featuring Booker T himself, although alas no Blues Brothers…..