Thursday 15 December 2011

Hallelujah for inappropriate Xmas music...


So, here I am in the edit stages of my first draft of the long writing project. My head is spinning, the house is a tip, the Xmas cards largely unwritten... and one minute I think it's worth all that and that the piece isn't bad and then CRASH it's the worst thing ever written and what the hell am I doing? But that's normal. I think. Isn't it?

Anyway, night off last night for our girl's last primary school Xmas show. Her class did some Beatles songs (and I really can't comment on that for many reasons...) but the class below hers did a brilliant job with three Queen songs. They did possibly the most enjoyable version ever of "We will rock you" (not a favourite song of mine in normal circumstances), a good "Another one bites the dust" and then a version of "Don't stop me now" which actually brought a tear to my eye in a Freddie-was-my-childhood's-Jesus (hilarious!) kind of a way. "DSMN" is a song that gets played/sung/covered so much these days (it was in the panto here last week too - the baddie sang it...) but there was something about a group of 10 year olds singing it with gusto and abandon (and style - well, done that teacher!) that really moved me. I was about their age when the song came out (in 1978) and I remember absolutely loving it (though I was never what you would call a Queen fan). One of my older brothers had the 7 inch single (like the devil he had a lot of the best tunes...) and I remember listening to it over and over in his room (when he was out - I don't think I was allowed in otherwise). I sang along a lot too no doubt - it really is the best song for that time of life (and I'm pretty sure I never even noticed the "sex machine" section of the lyrics until recently...). Here is one of the best front men ever at work:




Another favourite from brother's record collection around then was also from 1978, this one by George Clinton's Funkadelic:




But I think that one involved more dancing around the room... and in those days I actually believed that one nation under a groove was a possibility (I know better now of course...).

So who needs Santa songs and "Jesus, it's your birthday" or whatever. Not me, baby, not me. Let the good times roll... on the jukebox/record player/mp3 player at least.

x

13 comments:

Batteson.Ind said...

Awwwwww... Man! Funkadelic are the best! Maggotbrain is going to be funeral song... It will be playing in it's entire, live from 78 version while I'm lowered in. :)
Happy Christmas! ;)

Rachel Fox said...

I know - I remember being so excited to listen to it. Loved the funk!
Did see Clinton live in Leeds once in the '90s but it was a bit too far from the original time/atmosphere. Not exactly a party.
x

hope said...

:)

Dave King said...

I'm all for the apparently inappropriate song. I went to a funeral recently and the deceased had chosen Cabaret to be played. It raised some eyebrows, but I thought it just what was needed. So if we can occasionally prise a song or two out of that ole devil...

Ken Armstrong said...

I now like the idea of young people singing 'Don't stop me now' (apart from the sex-machine bit... sass-machine, perhaps?)

G'wan, stick yer neck out, if it's gotta be a Christmas song, what's it gonna be? Perhaps your next post will cover this. :)

Rachel Fox said...

We've talked about Xmas songs on blogs before, haven't we? I think it's partly I like the odd Xmas song rather than loads of them all put together. One Xmas song in amongst other things I can enjoy - hours of them is just too much for me!
I can't think of one favourite right now. I seem to end up listening to more Ella Fitzgerald than usual at Xmas time. That's all you'll get from me today...
x

Rachel Fox said...

Sorry Dave, missed you! I love some of the Cabaret songs... and wrote about funeral songs way back here

http://crowd-pleasers.blogspot.com/2008/09/duck-here-comes-final-curtain.html

Good to be back in touch too!
x

Enchanted Oak said...

Hallelujah for Freddie! Thanks for this bucket of holiday cheer! I enjoyed it enormously.

Rachel Fenton said...

Anything s'long as it's not Feliz Navidad (again!!!), or Slade.....

Alla's good for me, or some circle mouthed toffs singing carols while I make mince pies :o

Rachel Fenton said...

Alla!!! WTF - I wrote ELLA!!!

Rachel Fox said...

Yes, happy moslem xmas, Rachel. Take 2 major faiths into the shower...

Glad you enjoyed the music, EO. Seasons greetings to you and yours!

x

Domestic Oub said...

Don't Stop Me Now is possibly my favourite eva song. And is definitely the only song that I MUST sing along too. It makes me happy!

Rachel Fox said...

Yes, I'd forgotten how much I liked it! They sang it with the right spirit somehow - and that reminded me.
x