Showing posts with label Four Tops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Four Tops. Show all posts

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

TUNE DOCTOR'S PLAYLISTS - 'Our Bloody Valentine'


Ah Valentines...sometimes it's not just about a fluffy bunny, a padded greeting card or treating your partner to an 'Early Bird menu' at the Harvester. You could very well be single, indulging in a dinner for one or you could very well be heartbroken and be eating said fluffy bunny. Lucky for you we have all bases covered with TuneDr's very own Valentine's playlist, in love, the breakup and being alone.


Flycasual:-
In Love: Big Muff - 'My Funny Valentine' (1998)

Yep, they're called Big Muff. A track I first heard whilst I was falling in love with my now wife in New York.

The Breakup: Isaac Hayes - 'Walk On By' (1969)

Sometimes you need a girl to shit in your heart to truly start appreciating songs. Isaac Hayes' classic rendition of the Burt Bacharach composition is a firm favourite of mine and one such song. You hear so much more clearer after having your heart broken, at least that's one positive.

Alone: Soft Cell - 'Sex Dwarf' (1981)

Just because she liked 50 Shades of Grey didn't mean she'd go for this! Single now and are you surprised? Lets face it, if you're listening to this you are, or should be alone. "They all love your miniature ways". Horrifically good! I'm just glad the official video was of poor quality but if for any reason you need to ruin the mood on Valentine's day, see the video here.....





Old Pa's Corner:
In Love: Art Garfunkel - 'I've Only Got Eyes for You' (1975)

We have all been there, in a crowded place, but not being aware of anybody else but her or maybe making a horrible journey, that normally you want to end as soon as possible, but because she is with you, you want it to go on for ever. Why? because you Love her. You are in Love of course.    

The Breakup: Righteous Brothers -'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' (1964) 

Possibly one of the best records ever made, certainly in my top twenty. You always know when 'that loving feeling' is going. You feel the pain, the twisting Knife in your heart, you want to die, what is left in life, she was your world, your future, you love her!




Alone: The Four Tops - 'Ask the Lonely' (1965)

'Ask The Lonely' is one of the most underated 'breakup'songs of all time and one of my favourite/greatest voices of all time, the great  Levi Stubbs. Along with The Temptations, they knocked out some of the best pop music which my ears have had the pleasure to have heard. This is pure brilliance in the space of 3 minutes. You're stunned into submission, with the shear excellence of what can be achieved in such a  short space of time. When it finishes you just want to hear it again and again....isn't it great, when you can look back on 'all that pain' and now enjoy 'all that pain'.

Bob Marley once said ...'when music hits you feel no pain'. Seriously Bob! 'Go ask the lonely!!'

'Ask Me!'!
I'll be there


Shell Hunter:-
Love: The Lightning Seeds - 'Sense' (1992)

Its the simplicity of this track that I love. Who can explain the reason you feel the way you do when you're in love. "The only reason is just because". Fabulous!

Breakup: Limp Bizkit - 'Re-Arranged' (1999)

When you're hurting and hate the world, metal and angriness can be the best medicine. Fred Durst gets it so right in this seriously bitter song which I remember constantly playing after getting my heart broken many moons ago.

Alone: Beck - 'Nobodys Fault But My Own' (1998)

Beck beautifully encapsulates how you feel when you are on your own. You go over what you should/could have done differently and ultimately struggle not to blame yourself for what went wrong in your relationship.

London Scouser:-
In Love:  Dr Hook - 'A Little Bit More' (1976)

As a kid, I was subjected to Cliff Richard & Dr. Hook by my Mum. Nowadays that's tantamount to reaching for the phone and calling Childline. Now I'm getting older, I realise that the latter of Mum's choices have written some seriously great tracks. (Sylvia's Mother, Sexy Eyes to name a couple) and this one in particular gives me goose bumps when I hear it. Thanks Mum


The Breakup: Puddle Of Mudd - 'Blurry' (2001)

A great song which deals with a couple splitting up with a child in the middle. Thankfully I've never experienced this. But out of bad things, good things happen. This song.

Alone: Calexico - 'Alone (Again Or)' (2004)

One of my favourite covers by one of my favourite bands of probably my favourite Love song. Nuff said.

Sfw:-
In Love: - The Black Keys - 'You're The One' (2007)

This always makes me think of my wife and that is a good thing.


The Breakup: Ryan Adams - 'Call Me On Your Way Back Home' (2000)

When I first heard Heartbreaker it made me realise however bad I felt, Ryan felt worse.

Alone: Nirvana - 'In Bloom' (1992)
Anger, fear, hate,  Yoda used all of these to describe the dark side whereas I would also add Nirvana. I used to listen to this on my own. It may explain how I turned out!


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Tuesday, 10 April 2012

WEDNESDAY CLUB - Jimmy Lafave/Four Tops/Left Bank - Walk away Renee

Hey Folks! an Extra helping of WEDNESDAY CLUB this week, poor old SFW is at the Docs so I hope this will do for all you TUESDAY BLUES  fans. Get well soon SFW. We love you!

MIDWEEK CRISIS you are in for the high jump, come to WEDNESDAY CLUB and face it with Jimmy, the Tops and Left Bank, they never walk away
Is this the best version - you decide!

JIMMY LAFAVE - Walk away Renee


FOUR TOPS - Walk Away Renee(1966)


LEFT BANKE - Walk Away Renee(1966)

I did not think it was possible to get any better than the Four Tops version of the Left Banke's song 'Walk away Renee' It is Tamala Motown at its very very best. Lead vocalist Levi Stubbs(R.I.P.)  is in my top 5 all time voices. It is just pure magic and I never and never will get tired of hearing it. 

When I heard the Jimmy Lafave version it was only by chance, I was searching out some Dylan covers's  and he is quite prolific in that respect. I saw it on one of his albums and thought I would give it a listen and it just blew me away. It is another one of these songs I wanted to share and with my enthusiasm all I did was put people off. It is a great take, he has superb voice and it is a slowed down version. You can almost touch the pain, it is that good. Definitely up there now in my best all time break up songs.

I first heard the Four Tops version in 1966 when I was in a car on the way to an athletics meeting in Forrest, 20 miles east of Inverness. I was representing my school in the high Jump. I remember the guy from Gordonstoun College for Boys (Prince Charles once attended there) had his coach. He was about 6 foot 5 wore one spiked shoe and the other foot was bare. He had an amazing technical jump and received massage after every jump, he had specially prepared isotonic drinks.  I was in bare feet and had a weird jump style it was a cross between the scissor jump and the frosbury flip. For sustenance, I had a bag of crisps and a coke. But it seemed to worked.

I was determined not to let this ponce beat me. We both equalled the games record, but the ponce beat me on count back. I had more failures than him.

On the way back I heard Walk away Renee again and it more than made up for my failure. That was the end of my High Jump career. You have to be 9 feet tall to be any good.

So I walked away.

For more Wednesday Club high hurdles
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