10 May 2012 The song I associate with Ireland's trip to Euro 2012 is 'The Fields Of Athenry' as sung by Irish fans sometime after a Spain in third gear had knocked in their fourth goal. I wish it wasn't. I was watching at home on TV in France, crumpling like a collapsed deckchair of … Continue reading Various Artists – ‘The Rocky Road To Poland’
Author: Aidan Curran
The Monkees – ‘Daydream Believer’
11 January 1968 Is Monkees-snark even a thing any more? Anyway, not that I particularly care but just if any elderly male white rock fans are reading, apparently the piano on this single is indeed played by Peter and the guitar by Mike, meaning more Monkees played instruments on 'Daydream Believer' than Byrds did on … Continue reading The Monkees – ‘Daydream Believer’
Fun ft. Janelle Monáe – ‘We Are Young’
19 April 2012 Jack Antonoff of Fun has now gone on to greater fame and fortune as co-writer and producer with Taylor Swift. I wonder if 'We Are Young' was in his CV when he was pitching for that gig. Probably not. Perhaps the more pertinent question is: what did Taylor Swift see in this? … Continue reading Fun ft. Janelle Monáe – ‘We Are Young’
Pat Lynch and The Airchords – ‘Treat Me Daughter Kindly’
16 December 1967 The Airchords were a showband formed by members of the Irish Air Corps, and singer Pat Lynch is the first Cork act to have an Irish number one single. This is also one of two records that keep 'Hello Goodbye' by The Beatles off the Irish top spot. However, my unexpected main … Continue reading Pat Lynch and The Airchords – ‘Treat Me Daughter Kindly’
Danny Doyle – ‘Whiskey On A Sunday’
28 October 1967 Aha, says you: another Irish folk ballad about drinking! However, 'Whiskey On A Sunday' was really a contemporary English song called 'The Ballad Of Seth Davy', the reference to the Dublin district of Beggar's Bush was originally Bevington Bush in Liverpool, plus the Seth Davy (or Davey or Davie, depending on sources) … Continue reading Danny Doyle – ‘Whiskey On A Sunday’
Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Call Me Maybe’
22 March 2012 I was surprised to discover that 'Call Me Maybe', which went to number one in Carly Rae Jepsen's native Canada in February 2012, Ireland in March 2012, the UK in April 2012 and the US in June 2012, had actually been released in Canada in September 2011. That's a whole five-to-six months … Continue reading Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Call Me Maybe’
Engelbert Humperdinck – ‘The Last Waltz’
21 September 1967 Engelbert Humperdinck was in the arts and culture section of my Sunday paper last weekend; apparently he's doing a record with a fellow Eurovision competitor he met while finishing second-last for the UK in 2012. And yes, you may have forgotten he repped le Royaume-Uni at Eurovision in the 21st century. How … Continue reading Engelbert Humperdinck – ‘The Last Waltz’
Emeli Sandé – ‘Next To Me’
16 February 2012 Emeli Sandé's first name is actually Adele. That's just a coincidence. The pounding piano chords that accompany the thumping martial drumbeat of '60s soul-pop throwback 'Next To Me' are played by the same pianist—jazz composer Neil Cowley, at one time Musician in Residence for the city of Derry—who plays the pounding piano … Continue reading Emeli Sandé – ‘Next To Me’
Gotye ft. Kimbra – ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’
2 February 2012 I approach 'Somebody That I Used To Know' under the impression that it had disappeared from the popular consciousness. Yes, it was inescapably mahoosive in 2012, but who listens to it now? Actually, quite a lot of people; as I write this, its streaming and viewing figures are each over one billion, … Continue reading Gotye ft. Kimbra – ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’
Scott McKenzie – ‘San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)’
14 September 1967 Be sure to wear some product in your hair, I sing to myself every morning as I go about my grooming routine. (No need for me here to go into my mnemonics for moisturising or other daily ablutions.) And they said the '60s counter-culture wouldn't change the world. That this slice of … Continue reading Scott McKenzie – ‘San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)’
