10 Sunday afternoon songs

Despite popular demand, I am once again passing the excess of time I have on my hands by presenting for your delectation a further 10 songs from my iPod random shuffle. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed listening to them, but somehow I doubt it!

1. “Let There Be Love” by Nat King Cole. I think this is from my favourite Nat King Cole album, “The Best of Nat King Cole” (yes, a variation of an old Alan Partridge joke there). I seem to recall my mum absolutely loving his gorgeously smooth voice and so do I.

2. “I’m Okay” by Olly Murs. Oh crikey. Today my iPod is beginning to reflect my MOTR side. I don’t particularly like this song – honest! – but I borrowed my son’s album and burned it onto iTunes for reasons that now escape me. I don’t dislike the lad (Olly, that is), though, despite his appearance on the X Factor (or was it Britain’s Got Talent?). Actually, it’s quite catchy. He sounds like a pound shop Adam Levine.

3. “Brave and Strong” by Sly and the Family Stone. I’ve only got one of their albums so it must be from the stunning “There’s A Riot Goin’ On” album I have on vinyl (in the loft, obviously. Where else?) and on CD. The two singles, “Family Affair” and “Runnin’ Away” were hits even in England and quite bloody right too. If you don’t own this record, then why not?

4. “Dancing Queen” by Abba. Ah, but not THAT version. This is from Abba’s “Live At Wembley Arena” album which I was given for Christmas either last year or the one before. The album was recorded in 1979, I remember that much, but according to Wikipedia says, so it must be true, that Joe Strummer was in the audience. I confess I do love Abba’s music and always had a soft spot for the blonde one. Benny, I think it was.

5. “Gates of Eden by the Doobie Brothers. Love this one, recognised it instantly from the “Sibling Rivalry album which although not being one of their best (by some distance) it still represented a comeback to form of sorts.

6. “In A Haze” by the Wondermints. I knew instantly from Darian Sahanaja’s vocal that this was the Wondermints but it took until about halfway through the song before I remembered what it was called. Their songs are beautifully created and played by some of the best musicians on the planet. If the Beach Boys had started out in the 1980s, they’d have sounded like this.

7. “The Descent (Pages 1 and 2)” by the Manic Street Preachers. Honestly? Obvious who it was right from the first note, got the title quite quickly but I had to look up “Postcards From A Young Man”. Nice use of strings on this one which somehow doesn’t detract from the essence of the Manics. Didn’t they do well?

8. “Wasn’t Born To Follow” by the Byrds. McGuinn was easy enough to pick out so it’s The Byrds from their legendary album “Best of the Byrds”, or more precisely “The Notorious Byrd Brothers” album from 1968, which I didn’t know. Also, I didn’t know it was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

9. “Tomorrow Belongs To Me” by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. This is, ahem, an old Nazi boys tune which appeared in “Cabaret”. Alex, bless him, manages to turn into something quite personal.

10. “Male Ego” by the Beach Boys. Unmistakably the Beach Boys, if only for it’s harmonies and the voices of Brian and Carl Wilson and Mike Love. Crap song though which I have as a “bonus track” on the utterly dismal “Keepin’ The Summer Alive”.