7 February 1966 Doctor, doctor, I'm having old man trouble! Leaky bladder, liver spots, and... who are you again? Doc Carroll wasn't a qualified medical professional, so if you've been affected by the issues raised in 'Old Man Trouble' please see a registered GP. (In true Irish style, Doc Carroll got his nickname because his … Continue reading Doc Carroll with The Royal Blues – ‘Old Man Trouble’
Author: Aidan Curran
Larry Cunningham and The Mighty Avons & Strings – ‘Lovely Leitrim’
24 January 1966 Ireland's 1966 number ones include eleven Irish singles by eleven different Irish acts, making it by far the most successful year for Irish acts topping our charts. If that suggests a new-found '60s national self-confidence or cosmopolitan swagger, let me pull the handbrake straight away by reminding you that this is still … Continue reading Larry Cunningham and The Mighty Avons & Strings – ‘Lovely Leitrim’
Taio Cruz – ‘Dynamite’
26 August 2010 Oh, so they were making generic US whoop-holler EDM for the Tesco piped music in 2010, were they? (Genuine question: at that time I was still living in France, where all my local supermarkets played uncensored versions of the sweariest US and UK chart hits.) To call 'Dynamite' EDM-by-numbers implies it goes … Continue reading Taio Cruz – ‘Dynamite’
The Beatles – ‘Day Tripper’ / ‘We Can Work It Out’
19 December 1965 I find the 'Day Tripper' riff useful for tuning a guitar. Otherwise, I've never really warmed to this particular Beatles hit. The clunky chorus pay-off of "To find out / And I found out!" has the same this'll-do anti-energy as their other occasional hits-to-order, like 'Can't Buy Me Love' and 'Help!'. Snazzy … Continue reading The Beatles – ‘Day Tripper’ / ‘We Can Work It Out’
The Seekers – ‘The Carnival Is Over’
5 December 1965 The tune is trad. arr. of the Russian folk variety. However, the lyrics of 'The Carnival Is Over' are by a Dionysius 'Dion' O'Brien trading as Tom Springfield and indeed a brother of Dusty. You'll recall from my encomium on the magnificent 'What Have I Done To Deserve This?' how Mother Springfield … Continue reading The Seekers – ‘The Carnival Is Over’
Flo Rida ft. David Guetta – ‘Club Can’t Handle Me’
5 August 2010 Flo Rida, like an anti-intellectual faction of The Black Eyed Peas, and David Guetta, court jester to the crass blingerati partying while the world economy burned: between them, the ambient noise of our 2009-10 charts. Now, in that era's depressingly familiar synergy of inanity, they've joined forces for a 'collab'. And when … Continue reading Flo Rida ft. David Guetta – ‘Club Can’t Handle Me’
Dickie Rock and The Miami – ‘Wishing It Was You’
22 November 1965 After 'From The Candy Store On The Corner To The Chapel On The Hill' and 'Every Step Of The Way', 'Wishing It Was You' is Dickie Rock's third Irish number one single in a row to centre on getting married in church. However, this time Dickie's tale is one of woe: the … Continue reading Dickie Rock and The Miami – ‘Wishing It Was You’
Chris Andrews – ‘Yesterday Man’
8 November 1965 One person relieved to see The Late Late Show survive RTÉ's turbulent summer of 2023, and with its original theme, must surely be '60s English pop star Chris Andrews. What we know as The Late Late Show theme is actually his other 1965 hit, 'To Whom It Concerns'. Even the thinnest sliver … Continue reading Chris Andrews – ‘Yesterday Man’
Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – ‘We No Speak Americano’
29 July 2010 If in 2010 you were only consuming the latest pop sounds by whatever you overheard on TV stings or a passing radio—and it happens to us all—chances are you still knew the bleepy Charleston of 'We No Speak Americano'. Electro-this-that-and-the-other was having a moment at the end of the '00s and into … Continue reading Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – ‘We No Speak Americano’
Eminem ft. Rihanna – ‘Love The Way You Lie’
22 July 2010 Rihanna doesn't have a writing credit on this track, but she had been a high-profile victim of male domestic violence and abuse before 'Love The Way You Lie' was released. As a result, the chorus lyric she sings is uncomfortable. Still, it's her choice and her lived experience, and they're complex things, … Continue reading Eminem ft. Rihanna – ‘Love The Way You Lie’
