Here’s a moment.
Two blokes mucking about with a simple melody.
One guitar.
One keyboard.
Paul Weller.
Noel Gallagher.
Brilliant.
https://www.50odd.co.uk/moment/
Oasis released ‘Definitely Maybe’ on the 29th of August 1994.
25 years ago.
It sold 8 million copies.
‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ was released on the 2nd of October 1995.
24 years ago.
Some might say (see what I did there?) that it’s sold over 30 million copies.
In August 1996.
23 years ago.
Oasis played two concerts at Knebworth in that year.
Each to 250,000 people.
So half a million people in total.
In just two nights.
(2,500,000 people applied for tickets.
Meaning they could have sold out 10 concerts.
Not 2).
Oasis.
In the middle of the 1990’s.
Oasis.
Were the biggest band in the world.
Be Here Now.
‘Be Here Now’ was released on the 21st of August 1997 and it’s sold about 12 million copies.
22 years ago.
This third album sold 424,000 copies in 1 day.
Meaning it sold faster than both ‘Definitely Maybe’ and ‘Morning Glory’.
In fact, it got to 1 million sales faster than any other album in history.
A record it kept for 18 years.
Until a 25 year old Adele came along in 2015.
Quality.
Most of ‘Be Here Now’ was written on a luxury island.
Jonny Depp played guitar on Fade In-out.
The cover cost 100,000 dollars.
And the songs weren’t all that.
‘D’You Know What I Mean’ was good.
Because that song is not ‘D’You Know What I Mean’.
It is ‘Wonderwall’.
(Click and have a listen to the first 20 seconds).
And ‘Stand by Me’ is OK.
And ‘I Hope, I Think, I Know’ is quite anthemic I suppose.
And ‘Don’t Go Away’ is cool.
But the other songs?
Nah.
Not really.
Not the same quality as the first two albums.
At all.
Me.
Clearly my view is tainted by my own personal experiences.
For example.
I bought ‘Morning Glory’ at the airport.
On CD.
As I was flying out to Magaluf to meet 5 friends of mine who were half way through a 2 week holiday.
(Interesting flashbacks).
So I love that album.
But ‘Be Here Now’?
That’s a tricky album to love.
Here it is: https://www.50odd.co.uk/be-here-now/.
I’m going to see if.
22 years on.
It’s grown on me.
My life is happier.
Because I now know that this happened.
And because I have actually heard it.
Happier.
Luciano Pavarotti and James Brown.
Singing ‘It’s a Man’s World’.
Together.
Live.
(Check out the admiration they have for each other).
Here it is: https://www.50odd.co.uk/happier/
I think you really do have to decide what kind of a world you want to create for yourself.
But decide properly I mean.
Not just say silly empty words.
That make you sound like a nob.
When nothing happens.
Again.
Decide!
Properly.
Then really, really fucking focus.
And be consistent.
And resilient.
And don’t give up.
David Bowie.
I think that David Bowie decided to become a legend.
I really do.
I think he just decided.
Fearlessly.
And here’s how I define legend.
David sits on Parkinson.
Next to Tom Hanks.
Telling a little story about how he was asked to write some lyrics for some song.
That he made a really shit job of.
So Paul Anka was asked to mend the lyrics problem he’d created.
And so Anka did.
And Paul Anka wrote My Way.
For Frank Sinatra to sing.
And then David Bowie said, well, I was really pissed off about that.
So I wrote this other song.
As a strange kind of revenge attack.
That was a bit like My Way structurally.
Called Life On Mars.
And then he just stands up and sings it
With just a piano.
And it was absolutely fucking out of this world.
Absolutely flawless.
Legendary.
Because I don’t think that David Bowie is actually singing.
He’s telling a brilliant, unique story that he made up.
That makes you tingle.
Anecdotes.
OK.
So here’s what you need to do now.
Think of your best anecdote.
Then compare it to this bit of David Bowie’s life.
And if it’s absolutely nowhere near as sexy.
Create an actual anecdote that gets closer.
An anecdote of your own.
Maybe not as sexy as David’s.
But get as close as you can.
Something better than walking into TESCO just as they were marking down the buns that you actually went in there to buy.
(That’s one of mine).
Your World.
There’s time for you.
But life’s short.
I think you really do have to decide what kind of a world you want to create for yourself.
But decide properly I mean.
Not just say silly empty words.
That make you sound like a nob.
When nothing happens.
Again.
Decide!
Properly.
Then really, really fucking focus.
And be consistent.
And resilient.
And don’t give up.
Please take a look at the video here: https://www.50odd.co.uk/your-world/
I was 21 when this song was released.
In 1989.
30 years ago.
Utterly ridiculous.
30 bloody years ago.
Voices.
Anyhow.
Here are two of the most distinctive and lovely voices to appear together on one song.
Roland Orzabal and Oleta Adams.
Woman in Chains was also written by (full name) Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana.
Crazy name.
Lovely song.
PS
In 1985, Oleta Adams was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith while she was performing in a hotel bar in Kansas City, Missouri.
While Tears for Fears were on a US tour there.
Two years later, they invited her to join their band as a singer and pianist on The Seeds of Love.
Here’s the super tune (and cheesy video): https://www.50odd.co.uk/voices-2/.
In 1980 I was 12.
So in 1990 I was 22.
Yep; I’m a child of the eighties.
Music.
Music played a big part of my growing up.
Then it faded away a little.
And now it’s back.
I get nostalgic.
The Eighties.
So here I am.
Listing the best selling singles from 1980 to 1990.
The top 10?
No.
The top 11, actually.
Because one of my favourite tunes ever is at 11.
Hey; it’s my blog…
| 1 | “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” | Band Aid | 1984 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | “Relax” | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | 1983 | 1 |
| 3 | “I Just Called to Say I Love You” | Stevie Wonder | 1984 | 1 |
| 4 | “Two Tribes” | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | 1984 | 1 |
| 5 | “Don’t You Want Me” | The Human League | 1981 | 1 |
| 6 | “Last Christmas”/”Everything She Wants” | Wham! | 1984 | 2 |
| 7 | “Karma Chameleon” | Culture Club | 1983 | 1 |
| 8 | “Careless Whisper” | George Michael | 1984 | 1 |
| 9 | “The Power of Love” | Jennifer Rush | 1985 | 1 |
| 10 | “Come On Eileen” | Dexys Midnight Runners & the Emerald Express | 1982 | 1 |
| 11 | “Tainted Love” | Soft Cell | 1981 | 1 |
Here it is.
Number 11: https://www.50odd.co.uk/the-eighties/
My favourite cover version.
My favourite video.
My saddest song.
It reminds me that it will all end.
And that reminds me to try to be all that I can before it does.
Please go here: https://www.50odd.co.uk/hurt-2/
Love at First Sight?
Love at First Sound?
Both?
This is a lovely thing.
Give it a moment.
It wakes up and deepens from 1:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sw0mTi8BRI.
I get affected when I watch this.
And when I listen to this.
I think it’s because of Dorota’s husband’s calm, knowing look.
It’s just his wife, you see.
Singing.
Like she probably does at home.
Dorota.
Dorota Osińska wandered onto the set of ‘The Voice’ in Poland in the winter of 2013.
A few weeks later.
She’d won the entire series.
Here it is: https://www.50odd.co.uk/affected/
I am always interested in which craftsmen and women.
That other true craftsmen and women admire.
So I was interested to hear which eight pieces of music George Michael liked most.
When he appeared on Desert Island Discs.
In 2007.
George’s Favourites.
So here they are:
- Kanye West – “Gold Digger”
- Rufus Wainwright – “Going to a Town”
- Gnarls Barkly – “Crazy”
- Goldfrapp – “Paper Bag”
- Pet Shop Boys – “Being Boring”
- Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
- Roxy Music – “Do The Strand”
- Amy Winehouse – “Love is a Losing Game”
George’s most favourite from these eight.
Was Amy.
Goldfrapp.
Here’s one of George’s choices that I’d not heard before.
Goldfrapp.
Paper bag.
Please go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw3Z-kUMC7g