I'm off to Belgium later today for a work trip to Brussels followed by a day's sightseeing in Leuven. I'll do my best to scour some bargain bins and find a bit of Benelux bop and boogie to bring back for you.
Before that, though, we have the little matter of the first Single Song Sunday of the year. The song selected for that honour is "Blue Moon".
Written by the crack team of Rodgers and Hart, the tune first appeared called "The Bad In Every Man" in the 1934 film "Manhattan Melodrama" starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy. It was already on its third title and set of lyrics by then, and after one more rewrite became "Blue Moon" later that year.
The song topped the Variety sheet music sales charts in early 1935 but no recorded version would do so until 1961 when The Marcels hit the No. 1 spot in both the US and UK. That is why I am starting with them even though there are two earlier versions included - Elvis Presley (No. 9 in the UK in 1956) and Nat 'King' Cole (1957).
After that things start veering off all over the place. I am sure many of you will be familiar with the Cowboy Junkies' reinterpretation from 1988, but perhaps not the football chant version found on the On-U Sound' 1991 compilation "Pay It All Back Volume 3" credited to Barmy Army. Not one that is going to make the "Now That's What I Call On-U" hits collection I suspect.
Last month I posted about the 1986 album "Underworld Shakedown" by Greek band The Last Drive and mentioned that it included a remake of an old standard which I was saving for a future Single Song Sunday, This is it. In the interest of balance I have included a version from 1991 by Macedonian band Raketamagazin. The two countries don't see eye to eye on many things but maybe "Blue Moon" can bring them together.
Finally we have Guts McGeorge with the Mandatory Reggae Version. I know nothing about Guts. Apart from this 1970 single Discogs lists only one other recording which was the B side of a Lloyd Charmers single. Lloyd also produced this so maybe Guts was his imaginary friend.
"Blue Moon" - The Marcels
"Blue Moon" - Elvis Presley
"Blue Moon" - Nat 'King' Cole
"Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis)" - Cowboy Junkies
"Blue Moon" - Barmy Army
"Blue Moon" - The Last Drive
"Blue Moon" - Raketamagazin
"Blue Moon" - Guts McGeorge
In England the football chant version is most commonly associated with petrochemical giants Manchester City who number Oasis among their celebrity supporters. I'm not a fan of either but we will start the videos with Oasis Jr to get it out of the way,
Without even hearing it, I knew that I'd love the Guts McGeorge version.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great few days in Belgium, Ernie, and look forward to hearing what you bring back.
Spookily, there's more reggae over at my blog today, solely of the live variety and opening with a songs performed at the Cirque Royal/Koninklijk Circus in Brussels nearly 45 years ago.
I'll be going to a gig at the Bozar Arts Centre tonight which is about half a mile from Cirque Royal. Not reggae though, some sort of jazz opera with banjos. I will report back.
DeleteHave fun in Belgium. As a United fan I can't put up with Blue Moon tbh but I do have a soft spot for the Cowboy Junkies version
ReplyDeleteBlue Moon is the only song I can play on the harmonica.
ReplyDeleteCan I recommend the version by Cybill Shepherd, from the Moonlighting soundtrack? It always makes me feel a little wibbly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jQPxmtQREw
With you on the harmonica and C on the concertina we have the makings of a supergroup.
DeleteI nearly had Cybill in the video section but decided against it on the grounds that there was a risk of excessive wibbliness among the many men of a certain age in my audience.
Loved the Sha Na Na version but by eck Ricky Gervais has let himself go a bit - good tubes though. Could have done without the gobbing at the end - what was that all about.
ReplyDeleteThank you, love your blog. When Blue Moon is mentioned, the first thing to come to my mind is Sunshine of your Love by Cream. When the guitarsolo starts, at 2'00", it cries Blue Moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3y8jf01UY8
ReplyDelete