Playlist: Listen, my friends! ~ May 2014

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In the words of Moby Grape… listen, my friends! Yes, it’s the (hopefully) monthly playlist presented by George’s Journal just for you good people.

There may be one or two classics to be found here dotted in among different tunes you’re unfamiliar with or have never heard before – or, of course, you may’ve heard them all before. All the same, why not sit back, listen away and enjoy…

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CLICK on the song titles to hear them

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Tommy James and the Shondells ~ I Think We’re Alone Now (1967)¹

Diana Ross & The Supremes ~ Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (1967)

Barry Gray ~ Opening and Closing Themes from Joe 90 (1968)

Love Affair ~ Bringing On Back The Good Times (1969)

Mr. Bloe ~ Groovin’ With Mr. Bloe (1970)²

ZZ Top ~ Waitin’ For The Bus/ Jesus Just Left Chicago (1973)

Fleetwood Mac ~ Rhiannon (1976)³

John Inman ~ I’m Free (1977)

Blondie ~ I Feel Love (1979)

Big Country ~ In A Big Country (1983)

Kate Capshaw ~ Anything Goes (1984)⁴

Paul Hardcastle ~ The Wizard (theme from Top Of The Pops) (1986)⁵

John Barry ~ Peggy Sue’s Homecoming (1986)⁶

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¹ The original version (US #4) of the tune nowadays better recalled for Tiffany’s mega-hit version from 1987 (#1 in the US, UK and Canada); incidentally, Tiffany’s effort was followed to the top of the charts in the US by Billy Idol’s take on Mony Mony, another song originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells

² Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, the pianist with Mr. Bloe (the one-off band of musicians that scored a one-hit wonder with this track – UK #2 in 1970 and only held off the top spot by Mungo Jerry’s ubiquitous In The Summertime) was Zack Laurence, whom years later would come up with Forcefield, the theme for the yuppies-as-contestants-featuring, hit Channel 4 activity gameshow The Crystal Maze (1990-95)

³ This awesome rendition of the classic hit was performed on a June ’76 edition of the NBC late-night music show The Midnight Special (1973-81)

⁴ From the opening scene of Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984), sung in Cantonese by Capshaw (night club chanteuse Willie Scott in the movie)

⁵ This clip, yes, does feature the composer performing his own theme for Top Of The Pops (April ’86-September ’91) on an October ’86 edition of the show itself; it hit #15 in the UK charts that year

⁶ From the Francis Ford Coppola-directed Kathleen Turner/ Nicolas Cage-starrer Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

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