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Monday, 19 January 2026

Pun Fun 3: The Contenders

Voting is now open for Pun Fun 3. Readers were challenged to insert a musical instrument related pun into a popular song title. 

And what a musical melange they have come up with between them. The list of instruments reads like the sleeve notes for a dreadful 1970s jazz fusion album or a one-off collaboration between the Mahavishnu, Penguin Cafe and Electric Light Orchestras.  

Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry and a very warm welcome to Mark who has been a member of the voting panel previously but has joined the ranks of competitors for the first time.

I mentioned last time out that if the number of entries increased I might ask you all to select your top five rather than just your top three as has been the case to date so you can spread the love a bit wider. Let's give that a go. If it leaves you paralysed by indecision we can go back to the top three next time.

Voting is open to all readers not just those of you who entered. Let me know your top five in order of preference. I'll award 7 points for your first choice, 5 for second and then 3, 2 and 1 for the rest.

You can either submit your votes in the comments section below or by email to leggies27@hotmail.co.uk if you would rather preserve the sanctity of the secret ballot. 

The deadline is next Sunday (25 January) and we will announce the results a week today. 

Here are the contenders, listed alphabetically by artist. 

  1. While My Sitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles
  2. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into Keytar - Billy Ocean
  3. Hanging On The Xylophone - Blondie
  4. Cello I Love You - The Doors
  5. Trumpet Up - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
  6. Return to Fender - Elvis Presley
  7. Rowche Drum Bell - The Fall
  8. How Can You Mend A Broken Harp - Al Green
  9. That Drummer Feeling - Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
  10. Whistle Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
  11. Timpani, I'm Not Your Daddy - Kid Creole & The Coconuts 
  12. Mindless Violins - Newtown Neurotics
  13. Man on Bassoon - REM
  14. Get Hofner My Cloud - The Rolling Stones
  15. Not Too Bassoon - Throwing Muses

Maybe when this is all over we can keep the band together and take the show on the road.

5 comments:

  1. My podium would feature

    Gold: Trumpet Up - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
    Silver: How Can You Mend A Broken Harp - Al Green
    Bronze: Man on Bassoon - REM

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    Replies
    1. Happy to take just the three but if there were two more you admired you can add 4th and 5th place

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  2. The challenge of coming up with an amusing pun, the enjoyment of reading the full list of contenders and finally, the fun of trying to guess who might have suggested what. It's the feature that keeps on giving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and the sackfuls of payola changing hands to make sure that whichever pun is the up 'n' comingest is getting the label push needed for success...not that I'd know anything about that sort of thing.

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