Midweek Mutating Earworm

This weeks Midweek Mutating Earworm has a 26 year history 

Late last year I came across a cracking track in my Spotify daily mix, ‘Fear and Delight’ by an electro swing outfit The Correspondents. By all accounts it was used as the theme music for BBC3 comedy ‘Crims’ (something way too hip/youf for me to be aware of). Chief among the appeals were the clever lyrical intricacies and allegories (a common thread amongst my favourites). Having saved the track and set ‘follow artist’ the appeal continued when I heard further tracks ‘Washington Square’ and ‘What Happened to Soho?’ a few weeks later. Then I spotted the band were on the line-up for Shindig Festival and it pretty much sealed the deal on the decision to purchase tickets. Late on the Saturday evening of the festival, buzzing after outstanding sets from Smoove & Turrell and Stereo MCs, I wandered into the circus tent that had hosted all kinds of entertainment over the preceding 24 hours to catch a glimpse of The Correspondents in the flesh.

Not really having done any research into the people behind the music, I was surprised to see a sleight man in black jumpsuit supported by a second who was standing behind some decks. The music began and within a few bars it was as if something had possessed the singer; Wildly jumping around stage with acrobatic flexibility like a puppet being manipulated by a demon on speed. Not what I had anticipated at all, nevertheless I was mightily impressed both with the bodily contortions and the vocal control given the aforementioned physical exertions.

As is often the case live gigs lead to exploring the back catalogues of newly discovered artists. And that, was how I came across this week’s earworm.

The 2017 album ‘Foolishman’ has ‘Tonight’ as track it’s first track. Reminiscent of 80’s pop, listening to it sent me in to an earworm frenzy as it desperately tried to burrow around my cortex searching for its long lost connection. Specifically from the end of the first chorus at around 1:00 starting with the lyrics ‘I can’t stop looking at my phone, I can’t stop thinking about home…’

After a bit of delving back into the annals of pop hits that were long forgotten, it finally it found its way to the source. Some London lads who made a name for themselves with baggy trousers (no, not Madness), silly hats and pop-py raps.

Scooch on over to 1:45 ‘We are the seed of the new breed, we will succeed our time has come’

There’s your answer. Correspondents lead singer, Eton-educated artist, Ian Bruce (Ianbruce.net) can’t have been more than a toddler when East 17’s ‘Alright’ hit the U.K. charts, but maybe the music inspired him as much as their crazy dance moves…?

More earworm insanity next week pop pickers.

Donovan

I’ve been a Crowded House fan for a long time and more recently an even bigger Neil Finn fan. This won’t be news to anyone who either a) knows me or b) has been curious enough to glance across the other sections of my site.

I have my good friend, Oliver to thank for that, he discovered them during his ‘must listen to everything remotely related to Roxy Music’ phase (which has frankly never ended). The link was that Crowded House’s precursor, Split Enz supported Roxy on tour in their native New Zealand in 1976. Roxy guitarist Phil Manzenara was apparently so impressed he later went on to produce one of their albums with Neil Finn making a guest appearance on his 1978 album K-skope.

‘But Donovan, your title mentions the Beatles , not Roxy Music’ – let me get there (after all a little back story never hurt anyone, just ask Phineas and Ferb fans).

So anyway, last year I had the wonderful pleasure of being able to watch some of Neil Finn’s live streaming as he went through the process of rehearsing and recording his latest Album ‘Out of Silence’.

Having seen him twice in concert this was an absolute delight and and a real insight behind the scenes of the musical facades that he carefully crafts.

One of my favourite tracks from the album, ‘Second Nature’, had a section in it that seems incredibly familiar. It was only 2 bars or so repeated a few times during the song; under the lyrics “he’s on a Vespa” and more prominently without lyrics at 3:00 and 3:10. 

In usual mutating earworm fashion I just couldn’t shake it.

It’s not the first time I had heard Beatlesque overtones in Neil Finn’s songs. The one that sprang to mind most easily was ‘Not the Girl You Think You Are’ which appeared as one of the 3 bonus tracks written for the 1996 Crowded House Greatest Hits ‘Recurring Dream’. Of course in doing some fact-checking it turns out that in that instance Neil was actually trying to write a song that sound like the Beatles (call yourself a fan, Donovan!).
The Beatles’ influence on Neil’s songwriting has frequently been a topic for discussion on Crowded House Fan forums across the years too.

Fortunately after a frustrating hour or so my brain finally caught up and found the musical link; it was the middle section from ‘When I’m Sixty Four’ over the lyrics ‘you’ll be older too’ at 00:44s.

So that’s the Midweek Mutating Earworm completed. Do you feel suitably enlightened? entertained? Comments, as always welcome below 🙂

More musical links of varying tenuousity same time next week and Throwback Thursday tomorrow.

Donovan

So this one popped up a couple of months back after my funk heavy daily playlist #1 threw in a track I’d never come across before. While I was out running today it came up again and the same mutating earworm struck in exactly the same place.

The lyrics in Speedometer’s ‘No turning back’ call out everybody’s natural propensity for xenophobia amongst the backdrop of the international immigration problems. Social commentary in songs can be risky; often lyrics don’t date well and sometimes that can detract to the point where you stop listening to the song altogether as it feels incongruous if things have significantly moved on. This track, featuring the vocals of James Junior, was released back in 2015 and is as relevant today as then. Sadly I suspect it will still ring as true in another thirty years, let alone another three.

Given the serious nature of the song I had some misgivings about posting my mutating ear worm but that goes against the point of the midweek posts. The rules are the rules; once you hear it, you have to point it out regardless of the level of appropriateness. Besides I never said this was going to be a worthy endeavour.

Take a listen to ‘No turning back’ specifically for the four bars at 1:51. Every time it takes me right back to watching Saturday TV as a kid, specifically The Muppets. Listen out at 40 seconds for almost the exact same 4 bars of rising refrain

I’ll just leave it there for now (rather than prattle about the mena mena song which I have on a CD single somewhere). Till next week

Donovan.

So here’s your starter for ten; cheeky chappie and X-factor runner-up, Olly Murs‘ second single was “Thinking of Me”.

Can anyone else hear something a little older as possibly offering inspiration to Mr Murs and his co-writers Steve Robson (Busted: That’s What I Go To School For) and Wayne Hector (JLS: Beat Again)?

How about 90′s britpop funsters Dodgy and their number 4 hit “Good Enough” ? Well it sounds to me like a good enough fit for a “mutating earworm” nomination.

(groan away you pun-tastic pop pickers!)

For some reason the original music video isn’t available in the UK so you can delight in a live performance from the 90’s Channel 4 music show “The White Room”

More Midweek Mutating Earworms each and every hump day.

until next Wednesday week…

Donovan.