Seven Songs for the Week #88

What a career Toni Basil has had. It is worth your time going onto YouTube and after familiarising yourself with the brilliance of Mickey, work forwards and backwards to see the scope of her work. Toni first appeared onscreen with Elvis Presley in one of his forgettable 60s films, before she recorded this Northern Soul-style stomper for an experimental Bruce Conner film that she also was the star of. She danced with Davy Jones in the Monkees' Head and her work with The Lockers brought Hip Hop dance moves onto national tv in 1975 - nineteen seventy five! https://youtu.be/NqVhYKynIIo I can hear echoes of Mickey in the modern pop of Olivia Rodrigo and Chappel Roan - there's a Hot To Go/Mickey mash-up on YouTube.

David Byrne chopping his right forearm with his left hand and smacking his head while bending backwards? She choreographed that too.

Gift of Screws popped up on an album cover quiz on the Steve Hoffman Forum this week. And people think I don't have any hobbies... Fleetwood McVie rhythm section.

Domestically my home is still in a state of upheaval (no floor) so I haven't really had any chance to listen to much stuff recently. Finally starting to listen to it and this alt take of the title track shows the value of Ringo. His drumming gives the song a momentum it needs (and which is absent from some of the other tracks on the album). Ringo gets namechecked in the song (as Ritchie) and performs a little fill. Ringo prides himself on never playing the same fill twice (maybe he can't remember them) and so you get a different Ringo fill here.

Saw China Crisis for the second time this week. Back in 2018 I was brought along to see them on the promise of a great gig and even though (or because of) it took place in a tiny venue, it was a top night out. It help that Gary Daly is a proper front man. Loquacious and funny, like a proper Scouse, he deftly keeps things going. After four opening songs at the gig, he drolly announces "we really hit the ground fooken running, how about that" and we were off. You might think a China Crisis gig would not be funny, but you'd be wrong. I'm still not overly familiar with their catalogue - I only own one album (Flaunt the Imperfection) , so this song stuck out to me.

I have never knowingly listened to Iron Maiden before. Of course, one knows Iron Maiden, how could you not? I am a huge fan of drummers, and so was drawn to the story of Nicko McBrain (not his real first name, but that is his real surname). Nicko retired from playing live with Iron Maiden this week after 42 years and at the age of 72. Nicko had a stroke at the start of 2023 and it seems enough was enough. His replacement has been announced already, and apparently they have been waiting in the wing for a bit because IM decided to have a Nicko understudy ready just in case. However Nicko hasn't left Iron Maiden. It's all very well organised. Anyways, I decided to listen to some Iron Maiden - it's good, innit?

Found myself watching some Charlie Brooker stuff on YouTube, and this was the theme tune to Weekly Wipe, in case you were trying to place it.

Less is more. Zappa turned this nice riff into some interminable song on Joe's Garage, the riff is better. Goodnight!