The Bluetones - 'Autophilia'

The Bluetones - 'Autophilia'

Saturday Night Jukebox Shell Hunter The Bluetones

Saturday Night Jukebox...

Everyone has a guilty pleasure

Has anyone seen my Chas and Dave tape?

The Bluetones got it right about my first car.....

 

The Bluetones - 'Autophilia (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Car)' (2000)

Part 1

Does everyone remember their first car? I used to roll my eyes when my mum used to get all excited when a 2CV rolled by ranting about her first car but now I'm the same. It wasn't until my 18th birthday that I fancied taking to the roads myself and I got driving lessons for it. My mum came home one day and said she drove past the perfect car for me, a 1974 VW beetle. I was infatuated with them from a young age with their cute and friendly bug shape, so lifelike I thought! We went down to take a look and Cupid struck. I was in love! It was bright red, lowered, with fat with a 'PH' wheels, massive chrome bumpers and spoiler. I even loved the cheesy stickers of the word 'Jazz' and a couple of saxophones on the side a previous owner had lovingly placed on. It came complete with black furry dice and a California licence plate! If that wasn't enough, after a test drive the sound was like 100 Harley's cruising down 66, loud and proud, I had to have it! It was a beautiful beast but looks were deceiving, it needed urgent welding surgery to pass it's mot, luckily 'Ginger Barry' down the road was happy to oblige in return for a pint or 2 down the local. I imagined Luke Skywalker the first time he set eyes on the Millennium Falcon in his screechy tone, saying 'what a piece of junk!' and me answering with Han Solo's defensive manor 'She may not look like much kid, but she's got it where it counts!'

Almost as sexy as my Jazzman...

Needless to say, with my incentive now parked on the drive at home, I passed my test first time and was eager to pop my driving cherry to college the following week. I had already painstakingly created a masterpiece for my first car tape knowing full well I would always have a full house being the first of my group to have a car. I also decided to call my car Jazzman, which he was known to all and I spoke to him like he was my best pal. I remember getting behind the wheel of Jazzman for the first time, adjusting the mirror and seat, ejecting the Chas and Dave greatest hits tape that was already in the cassette player from when we bought it and excitedly putting in my own mega mix. I was not a bit nervous, driving was not like the panicky, sweaty driving lessons but I felt free and blissfully independent! Off I went and how the people stared as I drove by! You could hear me coming a mile away and I was now part of an elite club. Fellow beetle owners would knowingly wave and nod as we passed each other on the road. I had arrived!

Come back next week for Part 2..........

Have a listen to my gulty pleasures playlist!

sfw Pada 12:32 6 Komentar

COVER NERD! - The Bluetones - Woman In Love

COVER NERD! - The Bluetones - Woman In Love

Cover Nerd Neal The Bluetones

Once again it's cover time in my bi-weekly spot where I share with you some of my favourites.

Tell me what you think and please feel free to submit your favourite covers by clicking here

The Bluetones - Woman In Love (2002)

I love karaoke, however I need a beer or two beforehand.

I’ll start off by saying, I know I’m not a good singer, but I am told that I put on a good show. A few years back, I was on holiday in Pattaya, Thailand with Shellhunter and Old Pa & Ma. We decided to go out for a couple of pre-meal  Singha’s (I have to admit I hadn’t discovered Chang at this point) and found a quiet-ish bar to start the evening off.
After a while the music that was being played over the sound system stopped and a voice told us that it was karaoke time. We turned around to see this tall Thai person, microphone in hand start belting out a variety of songs. The voice was female, but we all agreed that we were witnessing a ladyboy in action. She/He was really good and we decided to stay a bit longer as the drinks kept on flowing. By now I had plucked up the courage to put my name down and started to look through their catalogue for my staple karaoke fave – West End Girls, I was gutted to find that they didn’t have it. As I was flicking through and on the verge of giving up I saw the Barbra Streisand classic Woman in Love and remembered that one of my favourite bands The Bluetones had covered it. I decided that it would be a fitting and ironic song for the occasion. When my time came, I belted it out to the best of my ability and was pleased that my fears of being laughed at were unfounded. I finished to a round of applause and a standing ovation from at least 5 people (albeit 3 have already been name checked earlier in this story) in the bar.

Don't bee sad, was my version really that bad ??

I haven’t performed it since, as there aren’t many ladyboy run karaoke bars in the Camberley area, which I feel is a shame !!
Before I had to worry about things like mortgages, I used to spend my money on DVD’s and CD’s, I used to buy the CD singles of my favourite bands, just to get the extra tracks, and hopefully a cover. This song was on the 2nd CD single of After Hours, and was also on their compilation album A Rough Outline (which features a few other covers too) I have recently had a clear out and thrown a number CD’s which is a shame but I did copy the tracks I liked to a hard drive to gather dust in a much smaller pile.

NERD ALERT! - I'm reliably informed that I went to Junior School with Mark Morriss, although I'm sure he doesn't remember much like I don't !!

Check out my other Covers here

And if you wanna subscribe to the Cover Nerd Spotify playlist, please click here

sfw Pada 22:00 3 Komentar

SATURDAY NIGHT JUKEBOX - The Bluetones - 'Sleazy Bed Track'

SATURDAY NIGHT JUKEBOX - The Bluetones - 'Sleazy Bed Track'

Saturday Night Jukebox The Bluetones Tune Doctor

The Bluetones - Sleazy Bed Track (1998)

17 years and 6 albums later, The Bluetones have decided to call it a day. It's a sad moment for me as I have really been with them all that time. From their humble beginnings in Hounslow in 1996, when they released their UK number 1 debut album, which launched them into mega Brit pop fame, to their last ever Farewell gig at Shepherd's Bush Empire this September. It's almost like they slipped out the back door.

The Bluetones' songs hold so many memories for me growing up. I remember being given their first album 'Expecting to Fly' for my 14th birthday from my best friend who was supposed to be accompanying me and my parents to a weekend in Paris. At the last minute, she revealed that she didn't have a passport, so disappointed, I went alone. It was a great sunny weekend as it happened, and I won't forget going into HMV on Champs-Elysees and finding 'Slight Return' playing!

The Bluetones - In Loving Memory, 1995 - 2011

After their second album, I gradually grew out of them and into my grunge phase until I met my now husband who revealed he'd loved them from the start too. We began seeing them at least once a year when they were touring. It was at one of these very concerts at Shepherd's Bush, on December 12, 2003 that my husband proposed. In true rock and roll style he said "If they play Slight Return as their encore, I'll propose." "Yeah whatever," was my response. We'd seen them at least 5 times between us and they had avoided the song each time. Sure enough it was the last song of the night and he said the words(probably under duress too as it was obviously a surprise to him). I was delighted of course and the rest as they say is history. We played it at our wedding and I can't listen to it without getting a bit misty eyed.

However, Sleazy Bed Track has to be my favourite song because of its sparse, laid back, romantic guitar and snare combination. I feel the lyrics have managed to suitably capture the pain felt in a emotionally trapping relationship. Despite it being a sad and emotive song, it doesn't stop me wanting to hear it over and over. It was also great Sleazy Bed Track got the recognition it deserved by featuring on the Scott Pilgrim Vs The World soundtrack(great film)! Anyone else got any Bluetones memories? Share them with me in honour of their passing!

Heathrow is home!

sfw Pada 08:41 5 Komentar