Wednesday 8 January 2020

David Bowie: Top 100 Songs

First posted 1/8/2013; updated 1/5/2020.

Image from showbiz411.com

David Bowie

Glam-rock singer/songwriter born David Robert Jones 1/8/1947 in Brixton, London, England. Died 1/10/2016 in New York City. He changed his name to David Bowie to avoid confusion with the Monkees’ Davy Jones. (v – Kon-Rads; Reds & Blues; King Bees: 11/63 to 8/64; Manish Boys: 8/64 to 4/65; Davy Jones: 65; Lower Third: 3/65 to 1/66; The Buzz: 2/66 to 12/66; solo: 66-; Tin Machine: 89-92). In 1972, he became a producer for Mott the Hoople (“All the Young Dudes”) and Lou Reed (Transformer). In 1977, he worked with Iggy Pop as a songwriter and producer for Pop’s The Idiot and Lust for Life albums.

Bowie’s 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.)

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Space Oddity (1969) #1 UK
2. Heroes (1977)
3. Changes (1971)

DMDB Top 5%:

4. Let’s Dance (1983) #1 US, CB, UK, CN
5. Under Pressure (with Queen, 1981) #1 UK
6. Life on Mars? (1971)
7. All the Young Dudes (Mott the Hoople, 1972)
8. Fame (1975) #1 US, CB, HR, RR
9. Starman (1972)
10. Young Americans (1975)

11. Lust for Life (Iggy Pop, 1977)
12. Ashes to Ashes (1980) #1 UK
13. Ziggy Stardust (1972)
14. Golden Years (1975)
15. Rebel Rebel (1974)
16. The Jean Genie (1972)
17. Modern Love (1983)
18. Dancing in the Street (with Mick Jagger, 1985) #1 UK, CN, AU
19. Sound and Vision (1977)
20. China Girl (1983)

DMDB Top 10%:

21. Blue Jean (1984)
22. Suffragette City (1972)
23. Lazarus (2015)
24. This Is Not America (with Pat Metheny, 1985)
25. Sorrow (1973) #1 AU
26. Fashion (1980)
27. Blackstar (2015)
28. Day-In Day-Out (1987)

DMDB Top 20%:

29. Absolute Beginners (1986)
30. Heroes (The Wallflowers, 1998)
31. Diamond Dogs (1974)

32. The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
33. Tonight (with Tina Turner, 1984)
34. Never Let Me Down (1987)
35. John, I’m Only Dancing (1972)
36. Where Are We Now? (2013)
37. Cat People (Putting Out the Fire) (1982)
38. Drive-In Saturday (1973)
39. Rock and Roll Suicide (1972)
40. DJ (1979)

41. Underground (1986)
42. Knock on Wood (1974)
43. Boys Keep Swinging (1979)
44. The Man Who Sold the World (Nirvana, 1993)
45. 1984 (1974)
46. Moonage Daydream (1972)
47. The Laughing Gnome (1967)
48. Scary Monsters and Super Creeps (1980)
49. Jump They Say (1993)
50. TVC 15 (1976)

51. Under the God (Tin Machine, 1989)
52. Let’s Spend the Night Together (1973)
53. Time Will Crawl (1987)
54. Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy (with Bing Crosby, 1977)
55. Loving the Alien (1984)
56. Success (Iggy Pop, 1977)
57. Alabama Song (1980)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

58. Hallo Spaceboy (1995)
59. Queen Bitch (1971)
60. When the Wind Blows (1986)

61. China Girl (Iggy Pop, 1977)
62. Time (1973)
63. Beauty and the Beast (1977)
64. My Death (live, 1972)
65. I Can’t Read (1997)
66. The Heart’s Filthy Lesson (1995)
67. All the Young Dudes (1973)
68. Wild Is the Wind (1976)
69. Pretty Pink Rose (with Adrian Belew, 1990)
70. I’m Afraid of Americans (1997)

71. Be My Wife (1977)
72. Heroes (We Could Be) (Alesso with Tove Lo, 2014)
73. Quicksand (1971)
74. Little Wonder (1997)
75. Memory of a Free Festival (1969)
76. White Light/White Heat (live, 1972)
77. Up the Hill Backwards (1980)
78. Black Country Rock (1970)
79. Panic in Detroit (1973)
80. Bang Bang (1987)

81. Look Back in Anger (1979)
82. New Killer Star (2003)
83. Breaking Glass (1977)
84. Slow Burn (2002)
85. Heaven’s in Here (Tin Machine, 1989)
86. Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
87. Rock and Roll with Me (1974)
88. We Are the Dead (1974)
89. Buddha of Suburbia (with Lenny Kravitz, 1993)
90. It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City (1975)

91. The Prettiest Star (1970)
92. Five Years (1972)
93. Oh, You Pretty Things (1971)
94. Andy Warhol (1971)
95. Outside (1995)
96. Black Tie White Noise (with Al B. Sure!, 1993)
97. One Shot (Tin Machine, 1991)
98. Baby Universal (Tin Machine, 1991)
99. Stateside (Tin Machine, 1991)
100. Arnold Layne (with David Gilmour, 2006)

Resources and Related Links:

on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday 5 January 2020

Family & Friends Gather For Sunday Service Ahead Of Kate's Birthday

As they come to the end of their Christmas break and prepare to return to London ahead of term commencing at Thomas's Battersea on Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined the Queen for Sunday service at St Mary's this morning.


Of course, the Duchess celebrates her 38th birthday on Thursday.


To mark the occasion, the couple have continued their tradition of inviting family and close friends for a weekend at Anmer Hall.


The close-knit group includes James and Laura Meade. James is Charlotte's godfather and Laura was chosen as one of Louis' godparents. They were accompanied by George's godmother Emilia Jardine-Paterson and her husband David. Other godparents and friends in attendance were Oliver Baker and neighbours the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley.


Michael and Carole Middleton were also in attendance. Carole's wearing a coat she's sported on several occasions including Christmas Day in Bucklebury 2012. They enjoyed a sun soaked holiday over Christmas with Pippa and her husband James Matthews, and James Middleton and his fiancée Alizee Thevenet in St Barts. No doubt over dinners and drinks at Anmer, there's been plenty of discussion about the upcoming wedding which is due to take place this year.


James Middleton's upcoming nuptials are not the only ones on the cards among the set. One of William's closest friends Thomas van Straubenzee will marry Lucy Lanigan O Keefe, a teacher at Thomas's Battersea, later this year (Was there any royal matchmaking involved?) After Thomas' short lived marriage to 'Hogwarts Heiress' Melissa Percy, there were rumours he had rekindled his romance with Kate's friend and Charlotte's godmother Sophie Carter. However, that was evidently not the case as Sophie married Robert Snuggs in 2018 and Thomas found love again with Lucy. The Times reports George, Charlotte and perhaps Louis will be page boys and flower girls at the wedding.


The Queen arriving in purple.

Embed from Getty Images

Kate greeting well-wishers with Laura Meade after the service.


The group making their way back to Anmer.


Kate wrapped up in a new printed coat for the service.


The designer of the coat was a mystery until a reader (thank you Anonymous) discovered it's from a past Roksanda collection. The deep blue and rusty orange print Denton coat is from 2016 and has been sold out for some time. It retailed for roughly £2,500.


Emily identified Kate's stylish hat as the £95 Hicks & Brown Suffolk Fedora.


Kate accessorised with her sapphire and diamond earrings earrings and carried her quilted Jaeger clutch.


Kate wore her brown suede Stuart Weitzman Zipkin boots. They have been in her closet since shortly after the wedding.


**************

In other news, to mark the start of a new decade Buckingham Palace shared a new photo of the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George taken on the day of the Queen's pre-Christmas luncheon. I love the posing of Charles and George and the future King's tartan trousers :)


Before I sign off, my thoughts have very much been with readers of Duchess Kate and Mad About Meghan living in Australia. I know so many of you feel the same. If you wish to donate to help in the incredible effort underway to tackle the ferocious fires, please click here for a list of options.
on No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday 4 January 2020

The Doors released their debut album: January 4, 1967

First posted 1/4/2012; updated 1/4/2020.

The Doors

The Doors

Buy Here:

Released: January 4, 1967

Charted: March 25, 1967

Peak: 2 US, 43 UK, 42 CN, -- AU

Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, 0.6 UK, 12.5 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: classic rock

Tracks: (Click for codes to singles charts.)

  1. Break on Through to the Other Side [2:29] (4/8/67, #64 UK)
  2. Soul Kitchen [3:35]
  3. The Crystal Ship [2:34]
  4. Twentieth Century Fox [2:33]
  5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) (Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill) [3:20]
  6. Light My Fire [7:06] (6/3/67, #1 US, #1 CB, #1 HR, #7 UK, #2 CN, #16 AU, sales: 1.0 million)
  7. Back Door Man (Chester Burnett/Willie Dixon) [3:34]
  8. I Looked at You [2:22]
  9. End of the Night [2:42]
  10. Take It As It Comes [2:23]
  11. The End [11:41]
Songs written by Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore unless noted otherwise.

Total Running Time: 44:00

The Players:

  • Jim Morrison (vocals)
  • Ray Manzarek (keyboards)
  • Robby Krieger (guitar, bass)
  • John Densmore (drums, percussion)

Rating:

4.643 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings)

Quotable: “One of the best first-time outings in rock history” – Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Awards:

About the Album:

The Doors is “a tremendous debut album, and indeed one of the best first-time outings in rock history.” AMG The group “more than fulfilled the promise of their infamously challenging gigs around Los Angeles throughout the previous year.” AZ The album is an “amalgam…that sounds fully psychedelic” BL as it introduces “the band’s fusion of rock, blues, classical, jazz, and poetry with a knockout punch.” AMG

“Light My Fire was the cut that topped the charts and established the group as stars, but most of the rest of the album is just as impressive, including some of their best songs: the propulsive Break On Through (their first single), the beguiling Oriental mystery of The Crystal Ship, the mysterious End of the Night, Take It as It Comes (one of several tunes besides ‘Light My Fire’ that also had hit potential), and the stomping rock of Soul Kitchen and Twentieth Century Fox.” AMG

“Whether belting out a standard like Back Door Man or talk-singing such originals as ‘The Crystal Ship’ and I Looked at You, leather-clad vocalist Jim Morrison exuded both sensuality and menace.” AZ “Though he fancied himself a poet, Morrison ultimately had greater impact on the nation’s leather pants industry.” BL

“The 11-minute Oedipal drama The End was the group at its most daring and, some would contend, overambitious.” AMG It “helped rewrite the rules on rock song composition” AZ and provided a “haunting cap to an album whose nonstop melodicism and dynamic tension would never be equaled by the group again, let alone bettered.” AMG

Robbie Krieger’s “lean, spidery guitar” AMG and “Ray Manzarek’s swirling organ provided the melodic backbone for the apocalyptic hoodoo of Jim Morrison” BL and his “captivating vocals and probing prose.” AMGThe group’s collective instrumental talents “virtually defined the rock-blues-jazz-classical amalgam that was acid-rock.” AZ

Notes:

A 40th anniversary edition added two versions of “Moonlight Drive” and the song “Indian Summer,” recorded in August 1966. A 50th anniversary edition added a second version of the album in mono as well as a live set from 1967.

Review Sources:

on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

R.E.M.: Top 100 Songs

First posted 9/22/2011; updated 1/5/2020

R.E.M.

l to r: Mike Mills, Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, and Peter Buck. Image from TheGuardian.com

R.E.M. formed in Athens, GA. Active 1980-2011. Developed huge following with college audiences in the early 1980s as one of the first "alternative rock" groups. R.E.M. is the abbreviation for Rapid Eye Movement, sleep’s dream stage. Members: Michael Stipe (v), Peter Buck (g), Mike Mills (b), and Bill Berry (d: 80-98). Buck, Mills, and Berry worked with Warren Zevon on the one-time collaboration Hindu Love Gods in 1990. Buck was also in Minus 5 (95).

Their song “Losing My Religion” is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999. Their album Automatic for the People (1992) is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.)

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Losing My Religion (1991) #1 AR,MR

DMDB Top 5%:

2. Everybody Hurts (1992)
3. Radio Free Europe (1981)
4. The One I Love (1987)
5. It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (1987)

DMDB Top 10%:

6. Man on the Moon (1992)
7. What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? (1994) #1 MR
8. Drive (1992) #1 MR

DMDB Top 20%:

9. Shiny Happy People (1991)
10. Stand (1988) #1 MR

11. The Great Beyond (1999) #1 AA
12. Imitation of Life (2001) #1 AA
13. Fall on Me (1986)
14. E-Bow the Letter (1996)
15. Bang and Blame (1994) #1 MR,CN
16. Bittersweet Me (1996) #1 AA
17. So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) (1984)
18. Orange Crush (1988) #1 AR,MR
19. Daysleeper (1998) #1 AA
20. Strange Currencies (1994)

21. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (1992)
22. Nightswimming (1992)
23. Superman (1986)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

24. Supernatural Superserious (2008) #1 AA
25. Crush with Eyeliner (1994)
26. Don’t Go Back to Rockville (1984)
27. Moon River (1984)
28. Find the River (1992)
29. Pop Song 89 (1988)
30. Driver 8 (1985)

31. Bad Day (2003) #1 AA
32. Finest Worksong (1987)
33. Lotus (1998)
34. Can’t Get There from Here (1985)
35. Talk About the Passion (1983)
36. Star 69 (1994)
37. Radio Song (w/ KRS-1, 1991)
38. Hollow Man (2008)
39. Leaving New York (2004) #1 AA
40. Electrolite (1996)

41. Ages of You (1985)
42. Pretty Persuasion (1984)
43. First We Take Manhattan (1991)
44. Gardening at Night (1982)
45. Perfect Circle (1983)
46. Maps and Legends (1985)
47. All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star) (2001)
48. Turn You Inside Out (1988)
49. Tom’s Diner (live, 1991)
50. Ignoreland (1992)

51. King of the Road (1984)
52. Low (1991)
53. #9 Dream (2007)
54. Texarkana (1991)
55. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1992)
56. Near Wild Heaven (1991)
57. Wendell Gee (1985)
58. The Wake-Up Bomb (1996)
59. Animal (2003)
60. Aftermath (2004)

61. King of Birds (1987)
62. I’ll Take the Rain (2001)
63. All I Have to Do Is Dream (1986)
64. Swan Swan H (1986)
65. At My Most Beautiful (1998)
66. Catapult (1983)
67. Tongue (1994)
68. Love Is All Around (1991)
69. Femme Fatale (1986)
70. Begin the Begin (1986)

71. We All Go Back to Where We Belong (2011)
72. Uberlin (2011)
73. Get Up (1988)
74. Photograph (w/ Natalie Merchant, 1993)
75. Mine Smell Like Honey (2011)
76. Pilgrimage (1983)
77. Discoverer (2011)
78. Electron Blue (2004)
79. Wanderlust (2004)
80. Fretless (1991)

81. Hope (1998)
82. Toys in the Attic (1986)
83. You Are the Everything (1988)
84. I Believe (1986)
85. Time After Time (Annelise) (1984)
86. How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us (1996)
87. World Leader Pretend (1988)
88. Country Feedback (1991)
89. These Days (1986)
90. Exhuming McCarthy (1987)

91. The King of Comedy (1994)
92. Cuyahoga (1986)
93. Fun Time (live, 1992)
94. Sitting Still (1983)
95. Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars) 1982)
96. There Shoe Goes Again (1983)
97. Bandwagon (1985)
98. Crazy (1985)
99. Rotary Ten (1986)
100. White Tornado (1986)

Resources and Related Links:

on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)