Monday 3 December 2007

You ain't nothing but a dead dog

Songs paying tribute, or even just casually mentioning, dead dogs.


  • Old Shep - Elvis Presley. In which Old Shep gets old and has to be executed, despite saving Elvis's life. There's gratitude.
  • Bellman - The Watersons. He's gone where the good doggies go.
  • Swarthfell Rocks - The Watersons. Poor Lilter! "A finer little hound never ran above the ground/He was the bonniest little hound in the number." But alas he bought it in a hunt around Ullswater. Foxes 1, Hounds 1.
  • Old Tige - Jim Reeves. In which faithful Old Tige guides his owner through the mist to safety, despite having been dead for three years. Spooky!
  • Old Blue - many artists, including Joan Baez and The Byrds. "When old Blue died he died so hard/He shook the ground in my back yard". That's one big dog.
  • 12 Dog Blues - Seasick Steve. In which Trixie has 12 pups, then goes missing, presumed dead.
  • It's All Good - Seasick Steve. In which Boss the hound is no longer around. "I used to sit at home and play for my dog, but he's dead now..."
  • Dogsongs 1 and 2 - The Be Good Tanyas.
  • Dead Dog Song - Okkervil River


Honourable mention to Bedd Gelert (has anyone recorded this?) - in which poor old faithful hound Gelert is wrongly accused of infanticide and skewered by his master Llewellyn, when in fact he was saving the bairn from a ravenous wolf. That's what happens when you jump to conclusions.

Thursday 29 November 2007

How are you spelling that?

Songs where a word is spelled out for the benefit of the listener, or perhaps just because the songwriter needed to fill up an awkward gap.

  • 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street - The Jam: A.P.O.C.A.L.Y.P.S.E. apocalypse!
  • A.B.C. - The Jackson Five. Technically they're not really spelling out a word.
  • B.A.B.Y. - Rachel Sweet
  • D.I.S.C.O. - Ottowan
  • D.I.V.O.R.C.E. - Tammy Wynette, Billy Connolly
  • D.O.A. - The Foo Fighters
  • Don't You Love Me No More? by Henry Priestman - R.E. D.U.N. D. A. N. T. spells "misery". Not sure he's got that quite right, but heck, great song.
    (YouTube)
  • Feeling Called Love - Pulp. F.E.E.L.I.N.G. C.A. Double L.E.D. L.O.V.E.
  • Fire in Cairo - The Cure. F.I.R.E.I.N.C.A.I.R.O.
  • Give Him A Great Big Kiss - The Shangri Las. When I say I'm in love you best believe I'm in love L.U.V. (Also quoted by the New York Dolls in the intro to Looking For A Kiss.)
  • Gloria - Van Morrison. G.L.O.R.I.A.
  • H.A.P.P.Y. Radio - Edwin Starr. Station H.A. (H.A.) P.P.Y.
  • H.O.A.R. - Bo Burnham. With a capital H-O-A-R / Ignorance is bliss / Who needs feminism / With an ass like this.
  • Legal Man - Belle & Sebastian. L.O.V.E. love is coming back.
  • L.O.V.E. - Nat King Cole, Joss Stone. L is for the way you look at me /
    O is for the only one I see /
    V is very, very extraordinary /
    E is even more than anyone that you adore can.
  • L.O.V.E. - Al Green
  • M.E.T.H.O.D. Man - Method Man (also a contendor the eponymous records list I haven't posted yet) (YouTube)
  • Pinhead - The Ramones. D.U.M.B. everyone's accusing me.
  • P.R.E.T.T.Y.G.R.E.E.N. - in Pretty Green covered by Mark Ronson feat. Santo Gold
  • P.U.N.K. Girl - Heavenly (YouTube)
  • R.A.M.O.N.E.S. - The Ramones
  • Respect - Aretha Franklin: R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
  • R.O.C.K. - Bill Haley
  • R.O.C.K. in the USA - John Cougar Mellencamp
  • Rollin' - Limp Biskit. L.I.M.P. Biskit is right here.
  • Venice Queen - Red Hot Chilli Peppers. G.L.O.R.I.A. Is love my friend
  • Y.M.C.A. - The Village People
  • Yvonne - The Saw Doctors. Y.V. O.N.N.E. Yvonne.

Sunday 18 November 2007

Stuff 'n' that

Inspired by watching a band called Free 'n' Easy, while eating fish 'n' chips with liberal application of salt 'n' vinegar, I felt it was time for a list of bands with 'n' in their name.


  • Guns 'n' Roses. Controversial. Appetite for Destruction's original cover has Guns N' Roses, while its replacement has two blobs that might be meant to be apostrophes, one either side of the N. The general consensus seems to be Guns N' Roses.
  • Salt 'n' Pepa. Controversial. Wikipedia has them down as Salt-n-Pepa, which would rule them out for this list; their album Hot, Cool & Vicious has Salt 'n Pepa on the cover, Very Necessary has Salt 'n' Pepa. What is a pedant to do?
  • Sniff 'n' The Tears (Wikipedia - sad to read that they failed to get Driver's Seat into the UK Top 40 because of a problem at the pressing plant)
  • Kid 'N Play. Ruled out for only ever using one apostrophe on their covers. And for favouring a capital N.
  • Steve 'n' Seagulls. From Finland!

Thursday 1 November 2007

Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves

Again, either real or imaginary sisters are allowed.


  • The Andrews Sisters
  • The Bangles
  • The Beverley Sisters
  • B*Witched - Edele and Keavy Lynch
  • The Boswell Sisters (LastFm)
  • Breeders - Kim and Kelley Deal
  • Brothers and Sisters
  • The Cheeky Girls
  • CocoRosie - Sierra Rose Casady ("Rosie") and Bianca Leilani Casady ("Coco")
  • The Corrs
  • The Darby Sisters (LastFm)
  • The Dezurik Sisters (If you like yodelling...)
  • The Ennis Sisters (LastFm)
  • The Jackson Sisters (LastFm)
  • The Lewis Sisters (LastFm)
  • Kate & Anna McGarrigle
  • Mary Mary - Erica Monique Atkins and Trecina "Tina" Evette Atkins
  • The Miller Sisters (LastFm)
  • The Nolans
  • On! Air! Library! - twins Claudia and Alley Deheza
  • The Paris Sisters (LastFm)
  • The Peasall Sisters (MySpace)
  • The Pointer Sisters
  • The Puppini Sisters
  • The Rogers Sisters
  • School of Seven Bells - twins Claudia and Alley Deheza
  • The Scissor Sisters
  • Shakespeare's Sister
  • SHeDAISY: Kassidy, Kelsi, and Kristyn Osborn
  • Silly Sisters (Fine Horseman on LastFm) - Maddy Prior & June Tabor, not really sisters.
  • Sister Sledge
  • Sisters of Mercy
  • The Soul Sisters (LastFm)
  • Twisted Sister
  • Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - Rachel and sister Becky
  • Voice Of The Beehive - formed in London in 1986 by Californian sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland
  • The Watson Twins - identical twin sisters named Chandra and Leigh Watson

Brothers in Arms

Bands with brothers in them - either real or imaginary.

  • Alessi - identical twins Billy and Bobby Alessi
  • The Allman Brothers - Duane & Greg
  • The Avett Brothers - Seth & Scott
  • Bay City Rollers - Alan & Derek Longmuir
  • The Beach Boys - Brian, Carl, & Dennis Wilson
  • The Bee Gees - Barry, Robin, & Maurice Gibb
  • The Bellamy Brothers - David & Howard
  • The Bhangra Brothers (LastFm)
  • The Blues Brothers - Jake & Elwood Blues
  • Bros - Matt & Luke Goss
  • Brother Beyond - no brothers involved
  • Brotherhood of Man - no brothers involved
  • Brothers and Sisters
  • The Brothers Johnson - George and Louis
  • Cafe Quijano - Manuel, Óscar, and Raúl Quijano
  • Camel - started by brothers Andrew and Ian Latimer
  • The Cate Brothers - twins Earl and Ernie Cate
  • The Chemical Brothers - Chemical Tom and Chemical Ed, but not really brothers
  • The Christians - Garry, Roger, and Russell
  • The Clancy Brothers - Patrick, Tom, Bobby, and Liam
  • Crowded House - Tim & Neil Finn (see also Split Enz)
  • Dire Straits - up until Making Movies, David Knopfler, brother of the more famous Mark, was in the band. Allegedly, Mark used to re-record David's rhythm guitar parts after David had left the building.
  • The Doobie Brothers - not really brothers
  • The Dransfields - Barry and Robin Dransfield
  • Drenge: Eoin Loveless and his younger brother Rory
  • Dust Brothers - not really brothers
  • Earth, Wind & Fire - Maurice & Verdine White
  • The Everly Brothers - Don & Phil
  • The Felice Brothers - Ian, Simone, and James
  • The Flying Burrito Brothers - not really brothers
  • Frightened Rabbit - Scott & Grant Hutchison
  • The Frogs - Jimmy & Dennis Flemion
  • Gentle Giant - featuring the multi-instrumental Shulman brothers!
  • The Gibson Brothers - Chris, Patrick, and Alex
  • Hanson - Isaac, Taylor, and Zac
  • The Hanson Brothers - Rob & John Wright are really brothers, and all the band take on pseudonyms of Ronnie, Johnny, Tommy, and Ernie Hanson.
  • The Hives - "Howlin" Pelle Almqvist (vocals) and Nicholaus "Arson" Almqvist (guitar)
  • INXS - Tim, Andrew, and John Farriss (before they were INXS they were called the Farriss Brothers)
  • The Isley Brothers - at various times they included O'Kelly, Jr., Rudolph, Ronald, Vernon, Ernie, and Marvin Isley, plus brother-in-law Chris Jasper.
  • The Jackson Five/The Jacksons (cos actually there were six of them) - Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and Randy Jackson. Drummer Johnny Jackson was not related.
  • James and Bobby Purify - not really brothers, although the first "Bobby Purify" was James Purify's cousin.
  • The Jonas Brothers - Kevin, Joe, and Nick
  • The Kings of Leon - Caleb and Jared Followill
  • The Kinks - Ray and Dave Davies
  • Level 42 - Phil and Rowland Gould
  • The Living Daylights - Norman Watt-Roy (Blockheads bassist) and brother Garth
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ronnie Van Zant and brother Johnny were both in the band, though not at the same time.
  • Men Without Hats - Ivan Doroschuk and his brothers Stefan and Colin.
  • The Neville Brothers - Aaron, Art, Charles, Cyril, and Ivan.
  • New Kids on the Block - Jordan and Jon Knight
  • Oasis - Noel and Liam Gallagher
  • Os Mutantes - Arnaldo Dias Baptista and Sérgio Dias
  • The Osmonds - Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, and later "little" Jimmy.
  • The Panic Brothers - Richard Morton and Ref Meuross
  • The Perkins Brothers Band - Carl, Jay, and Clayton
  • The Proclaimers - identical twins Charlie and Craig Reid
  • The Psychedelic Furs - Richard and Tim Butler
  • Radiohead - Colin and Jonny Greenwood
  • The Ramones - not real brothers, not really called Ramone, but we'll let them on the list nevertheless
  • The Replacements - Tommy Stinson and step-brother Rob
  • The Righteous Brothers - not really brothers
  • Runrig - Rory & Calum MacDonald
  • The Scorpions - Rudolf and Michael Schenker
  • Secret Machines - Brandon and Benjamin Curtis
  • Sly & The Family Stone - Sly and Freddie Stone
  • Spandau Ballet - Gary and Martin Kemp
  • Sparks - Ron and Russell Mael
  • Split Enz - Tim and Neil Finn (see also Crowded House)
  • The Stanley Brothers - Carter and Ralph Stanley
  • Stornoway - two sets of brothers, Rob and Ollie Steadman, and Brian and Adam Briggs
  • The Stooges - Ron and Scott Asheton
  • The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver - Gavin and Iain Sutherland
  • T-Connection - brothers Theo and Kirk Coakley
  • That Petrol Emotion - John and Damien O'Neill (see also The Undertones)
  • The Thompson Twins - not really brothers (and there were three of them). Named after the bowler-hatted twins in Tintin.
  • The Traveling (sic) Wilburys - not really brothers, not really called Wilbury
  • The Twinkle Brothers - Norman and Ralston Grant
  • UB40 - Ali and Robin Campbell
  • The Undertones - John and Damien O'Neill
  • Van Halen - Eddie and Alex of that ilk. Wolfgang is Eddie's son, but that's a whole nother list.
  • Voodoo Glow Skulls - Frank, Eddie, and Jorge Casillas
  • The Wailers - brothers Carlton and Aston "family Man" Barrett
  • The Walker Brothers - Scott, Gary, and John, but not really brothers
  • Was (Not Was) - David and Don Was (not their real names, not really brothers)
  • We Banjo 3 - Enda and Fergal Scahill, and Martin and Dave Howley. Two sets in the same band!
  • The Wolfe Tones - Derek and Briand Warfield
  • Young Marble Giants - Philip and Stuart Moxham

Monday 29 October 2007

Girl's (Full) Name Songs

Songs

  • Bridget Cruise - Turlough O'Carolan
  • Carolina Rua - Mary Black (YouTube)
  • Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles
  • Emanuelle Beart - The Would-Be-Goods
  • Emily Jean Stock - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
  • Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
  • Fanny Power - Turlough O'Carolan
  • Ingrid Bergman - Billy Bragg
  • Janie Jones - The Clash
  • Judy Teen - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
  • Maggie May - Rod Stewart
  • Mary Blaize - Kate Rusby

Tuesday 9 October 2007

Girl's (First) Name Songs

The name of the song must be purely the name. Dear Prudence doesn't count. See also the list of Girl's Full Name Songs.

  • Adella - UB40
  • Alison - Elvis Costello
  • Aja - Steely Dan. Is it about a girl?
  • Amanda - Aisha Duo
  • Amelia - Joni Mitchell
  • Amie - Damien Rice
  • Anna - Arthur Alexander
  • Anna Stesia - Prince
  • Angelina - Louis Prima
  • Angelou - Van Morrison
  • Angie - Rolling Stones
  • Angie - Bert Jansch (instrumental)
  • Babooshka - Kate Bush
  • Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys
  • Bernadette - The Four Tops
  • Bertha - Four Men & A Dog
  • Betty Jean - Chuck Berry
  • Billie - Pavement
  • Billie-Jean - Michael Jackson
  • Brandy - The O'Jays
  • Britney - Busted
  • Calypso - Suzanne Vega
  • Candida - Dawn (odd to write a song about a yeast infection)
  • Carol - Chuck Berry (Chuck teaching Keef)
  • Caroline - lots of these

    • Concrete Blonde
    • David Gray
    • Kirsty McColl
    • Seventh Day Slumber
    • Status Quo
    • Fleetwood Mac
    • Captain Kennedy
  • Carolyn - Merle Haggard
  • Carrie - Europe (YouTube)
  • Carrie-Anne - The Hollies
  • Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel
  • Cecilia Ann - The Pixies
  • Charmaine - The Bachelors
  • Christie Lee - Billy Joel. Written about Christie Lee Brinkley.
  • Christina - Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
  • Christine - Siouxsie & The Banshees
  • Clare - Fairground Attraction
  • Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
  • Claudette - The Everly Brothers (written by Roy Orbison and named after his wife)
  • Cleopha - Scott Joplin (instrumental)
  • Corrina, Corrina - Bob Dylan
  • Daphne - Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli
  • Darlene - Led Zeppelin
  • Deborah - Dave Edmunds
  • Deborah - T. Rex
  • Debra - Beck
  • Deirde - The Beach Boys
  • Delilah - Tom Jones
  • Diane - The Bachelors
  • Donna - 10CC
  • Eleanor - Hot Chip
  • Eloise - The Damned (YouTube)
  • Emma - Hot Chocolate, Sisters of Mercy
  • Emma - America
  • Emma - Alkaline Trio
  • Eugenia - Scott Joplin (instrumental)
  • Evangeline - Icicle Works
  • Francene - ZZ Top
  • Francesca - Richard Thompson
  • Gigolette - Roy Orbison
  • Gloria - Van Morrison (YouTube)
  • Grace - Jeff Buckley
  • Grace - Supergrass
  • Grace - U2
  • Hanna Hanna - China Crisis
  • Hannah - Andrew Gold
  • Hazel - Bob Dylan
  • Helen - Bridge. Brilliant record from the Oxford band.
  • Helena - My Chemical Romance
  • Henrietta - The Fratellis
  • Imelda - Mark Knopfler
  • Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls
  • Isis - Bob Dylan
  • Isobel - Dido
  • Isobel - Bjöaut;rk
  • Jacqueline - The Coral
  • Jacqueline - Franz Ferdinand
  • January - Pilot
  • Jennie - Richard Thompson
  • Jenny, Jenny - Little Richard
  • Jessica (instrumental) - Allman Brothers
  • Jessie - Joshua Kadison (YouTube)
  • Jet - Wings. I'm almost convinced that Jet is meant to be a girl's name.
  • Joanna - The Walker Brothers
  • Jolene - Dolly Parton, Sisters of Mercy (LastFm)
  • Jolene - Cake (LastFm)
  • Josie - Steely Dan
  • Juanita - The Flying Burrito Brothers
  • Judy - The Pipettes
  • Julia - The Beatles
  • Julie Anne - Kenny
  • Juliet - The Four Pennies
  • Kayleigh - Marillion
  • Kimberly - Patti Smith
  • Kitty - The Pogues
  • Lana - Roy Orbison
  • Laticia - The Spectres
  • Laura - The Scissor Sisters
  • Layla - Derek & The Dominoes
  • Layla - Richard & Linda Thompson
  • Leah - Roy Orbison
  • Lola - The Kinks
  • Loretta - Townes Van Zandt
  • Louise - The Human League, Tony Christie
  • Louise - Alexis Korner
  • Lucille - Little Richard (YouTube)
  • L-L-L-L-Lucy - Mud
  • Lucille - Kenny Rogers
  • Lyla - Oasis
  • Lyla - The Districts
  • Mandy - Barry Manilow
  • Maria - Blondie (YouTube)
  • Marie - The Bachelors
  • Mariella - Kate Nash
  • Marina - The Gibson Brothers
  • Margarita - Traveling Wilburys (sic! sic!)
  • Marta - The Bachelors
  • Martha - Tom Waits
  • Mary - The Scissor Sisters
  • Mary Jo - Belle & Sebastian
  • Mathilda - Scott Walker
  • Maybellene - Chuck Berry
  • Melinda - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
  • Melissa - The Allman Brothers Band
  • Melody - Steve Perry
  • Melusine - The Would-Be-Goods. Well, not so much a girl as a mermaid-type thing.
  • Michelle - The Beatles
  • Molina - Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • Mona - Captive State
  • Mona - Bo Diddley
  • Monica - The Kinks
  • Nadine - Chuck Berry
  • Natalia - Van Morrison
  • Nellie - Lindisfarne
  • Nikita - Elton John
  • Peg - Steely Dan
  • Peggy-Sue - Buddy Holly
  • Polly - Kate Rusby
  • Polly - The Kinks
  • Prescilla - Bat For Lashes
  • Ramona - The Bachelors
  • Renee - Talk Talk
  • Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
  • Rosabel - Bella Hardy
  • Rosalee - Jack The Lad
  • Rosalie - Thin Lizzy
  • Rosalie - Alejandro Escovedo
  • Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) - Bruce Springsteen. Disallowed for gratuitous addition of a parenthetical subtitle
  • Rosanna - Toto
  • Rosetta - Georgie Fame & Alan Price
  • Rosie - Jackson Browne
  • Roxanne - The Police
  • Roxette - Dr Feelgood
  • Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
  • Sally Mae - John Lee Hooker (YouTube)
  • Sandy - John Travolta. Why-ay-ay-ay-ay?
  • Sara - Bob Dylan
  • Sara - Fleetwood Mac
  • Sarah - Thin Lizzy
  • Sarah - Bat For Lashes
  • Shambelle - The Police (instrumental)
  • Sherry - The Four Seasons
  • Sheila - Tommy Roe
  • Sheila - Jamie T
  • Sibella - Richard Thompson
  • Sunny - Bobby Hebb
  • Sussudio - Phil Collins. Might be a girl's name, might just be random meaningless drivel. Who cares?
  • Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
  • Suzanne - Lou Reed
  • Sylvia - Focus (instrumental)
  • Sylvia - Pulp
  • Tara - Roxy Music (instrumental)
  • Tulane - Chuck Berry, Steve Gibbons Band - I'm assuming Tulane is a girl's name, but, hey, who knows?
  • Valerie - also popular

    • Broadcast (LastFm)
    • The Zutons (LastFM), Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse
    • Major Accident (LastFm)
    • Steve Winwood (LastFm)
    • Richard Thompson
    • Reel Big Fish (LastFm)
    • Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris (LastFm ), Patty Scialfa - LastFm)
  • Velouria - The Pixies
  • Venus - The Shocking Blue, Bananarama
  • Vera - Pink Floyd
  • Veronica - Elvis Costello
  • Victoria - The Kinks
  • Victoria - The Fall
  • Yvonne - The Saw Doctors

Friday 28 September 2007

Children, behave!

A list of versions of I Think We're Alone Now.


  1. Tommy James & The Shondells (1967) - YouTube
  2. The Rubinoos (1977)
  3. Lene Lovich (1978) - Free track on LastFm
  4. Tiffany (1988) - YouTube
  5. The Click Five (2005)

  6. Girls Aloud (2006) - YouTube
  7. Inspection 12 (?) - LastFm"
  8. The Pulsar Triyo (?) - Free track on LastFm. Nice.

Wednesday 26 September 2007

Girlie Bands

A list of bands powered entirely by Ladeeez (especially for Chris). Please send a comment with further submissions. They have to play instruments as well as sing, although I'm not ruling out the purely instrumental.


  1. 5678s - as seen in Kill Bill
  2. Babes In Toyland
  3. The Bangles
  4. Bat For Lashes - when they perform live, all the musicians are women, but they're not really what I would call a band
  5. Be Good Tanyas
  6. The Belle Stars
  7. The Bodysnatchers
  8. Dixie Chicks
  9. Cherish The Ladies
  10. Clout
  11. The Go-gos
  12. Ipso Facto
  13. Mr Airplane Man
  14. The Peasall Sisters (MySpace)
  15. Poppy and The Jezebels
  16. The Priscillas - time travel back to 1977!
  17. Robots in Disguise
  18. The Runaways
  19. The Smoke Fairies
  20. The Slits
  21. Thee Headcoatees
  22. The Trishas
  23. Wailin' Jennys
  24. Warpaint