Rob Compton

Still on the same orchestral theme (sorry) two British favourites:

Banks of Green Willow (George Butterworth)

Land of the Mountain and the Flood (Hamish MacCunn) - used as the theme music for the 1970's TV series "Sutherlands Law" starring Iain Cuthbertson

plus anything by Ralph Vaughan Williams

rgds
Rob

Marky B

I am now listening to a Vaughn Williams CD. Aah,magic.
Ta Ta
Marky

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Marky B

Based upon a Russian folk tune?
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Freddy

Spot on Sir, spot on

In that case perhaps I should have dedicated it to Chelsea

Has the pc/censorship lot got onto Elton John 'cause on the rare recent occassions I have heard him sing this he seems to have changed the lyrics to this line

"a couple of the sounds that I really like are the sound of a switchblade and a motorbike"

or am I mistaken?

Freddy

The world wags on.

DB7

Strange choice that. Like Born in the USA it's one of those misunderstood songs.

mysteriesofedgarwallace

Sorry, old chap your PM got lost when they changed the forum over.

Currently listening to The Stranglers............

Gibbie

Although, I don't know if Elton John is the Millwall type, but certainly the tune fits with certain Lion fans.

Gibbie

Yes, that is what Springsteen was saying, but he played it both ways on that one. This came out when I was in college and they really played up the flag bit at his concerts, while the lyric is a putdown like Elton John's Made in England...

But the joke’s on you, you never read the song
They all think they know but they all got it wrong

And, the Clash were always about the confrontative left wing thing - home is bad!:

The British boots go kick them
Got 'em in the head
Police ain't watchin'
The newspapers been read

I wouldn't vote for it as an England team anthem. But, at least with Joe Strummer there wasn't ambiguity for false sincerity.

Pulling our chain.

Clinton Morgan

I like Frank Zappa.

David Brent

Yes, those were the times when everyone seemed to take turns to knock the country (although times were bad) but I like the rousing chorus to "This Is England". Nevermind what the lyric's say, the chorus is the catch.
Same with songs by artists like Billy Bragg, Ralph McTell & the late Kirsty MacColl.
Billy Bragg's always having a go at the establishment but a lot of his song's are very English. His great track "Greeting's To The New Brunette" includes the fabulous line - "How can you lie there and think of England when you don't even know whose in the team?"
Ralph McTell's "Street's Of London" isn't all complimentary to the city but is still uplifting and touches all ex-pats around the world.
Kirsty MacColl was looking for "A New England" but wanted you to meet her in "Soho Square" (great track).
Like Springsteen some of these artist's will take the occassional dig at their own country but beneath it all they are still deeply patriotic.

Dave.

David Brent

"Nice 'n Sleazy" does it

Dave.

mysteriesofedgarwallace

everytime!!!!!

Jim

I LIKE SHIRLEY JONES!!

Good morning boys.

Freddy

Found this cutting taken from the Times some Saturdays ago. A great, great song

STORY OF THE SONG
THE BOXER
Simon & Garfunkel (1969)
<span style="color:blue">It took five months, 100 hours of studio time, a lift shaft and a church. "The Boxer" is an extraordinary acoustic achievement for the time. The tale of defiance and survival, about a boy who fights his way from poverty with his fists, tumbles out in a flourishing cadence, played by the country session guitarist Fred Carter Jr, and unfolds into a slow-build wall of sound.
Paul Simon began the lyrics on a plane, after opening a Bible and finding the phrase "workman's wages". Unhappy with increasing criticism, Simon was in
belligerent mood: "The song was about me," he said. "Everybody's beating me up, and I'm telling you now, I'm going to go away if you don't stop." When the usually non-composing Art Garfunkel heard a melody line in his head and suggested using it, Simon was so impressed he ditched a whole verse ("I am older than I once was/ And younger than I'll be") to make way for the middle-eight. Garfunkel's gliding solo was first recorded in Nashville, with Pete Drake on pedal-steel, and then cut again in New York on a piccolo trumpet, the two instruments blended in the studio by Roy Halee. For the chorus, Halee
was chasing a specific percussion sound. The drummer, Hal Blaine, took his kit to the CBS building on 7th Avenue (a street named in the song) and set it up by a lift. When the tape rolled and Simon & Garfunkel sang "lie-la-lie", Blaine came down on his snare as hard as he could. "Right next to this open elevator shaft it sounded exactly like a cannon shot!" he recalled.
As Christmas neared, Simon and Garfunkel visited a church, a location for a TV special. Knocked out by the ambience, the duo decided to record the vocal harmony overdubs there, and the song was complete.
Robert Webb</span>

The ditched verse they talk about is on the live double album of them at Central Park.

The world wags on.

Gibbie

Great quote: "Billy Bragg's always having a go at the establishment but a lot of his song's are very English. His great track "Greeting's To The New Brunette" includes the fabulous line - "How can you lie there and think of England when you don't even know whose in the team?""

Now that is full English!