Entertainment For Lively Minds
Steve Hill's blog
Wedding party songs
I've been asked to dj on my sister in laws wedding - anyone with any tips to the best songs to play to get the party going? It's not a "serious music" crowd so Im looking for the obvious floor fillers. Thanks a lot.
Roman holiday
I'm taking my step-daughter to Rome for a holiday on Friday, never been there before, any tips? I'm thinking of good restaurants, friendly bar (to watch the Italy vs New Zealand game) and (ahem) and decent record shops. Any tips on how not to get ripped off would be appreciated as well. Ta massive chaps and chapesses.
Three unsung albums that you return to.....
We all have albums that we love probably more than we should, probably more than they derserve. Not the greatest albums ever, nonetheless albums we happily return to. No reasons need to be given, no background stories. Name 3. For me:-
The Blue Aeroplanes - Swagger
Shack -HMS Fable
King Creosote - Bombshell.
And the massive?
Most played bands/artists on ipod
I've been working through my iTunes to see who are my most played bands/artists. Transferring info to excel, lots of inserting and deleting has brought me to my top 20.
20. Wire 19. Fall 18. Nick Lowe 17. Prince 16. Van Morrison 15.Nick Cave 14. Elvis Costello 13. Go-Betweens 12. Smiths 11. Bowie 10. The Men They Couldnt Hang 9. Billy Bragg 8. Squeeze 7. XTC 6. Alarm 5. Madness 4. HJH 3. Robert Pollard 2. R.E.M. 1. Guided By Voices.
Suprising list, I would never have guessed that was my "top 20".
The Beatles sing in American accents
This is a plea to the Beatles listening massive. I have read/heard many, many times that The Beatles sang in American accents. Could you please point me in the direction of obvious American diction in their songs? Ta chaps/chapesses.
Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
I've just joined my local library which has a cd section. Picked up Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets. Hear of it but never heard it before. I've been playing it whilst cooking this evening - it sounds bloody great. Where has this album been all my life? Can anyone recommend any more Eno? I wouldn't know where to start. Ta, Massive.
I-Phone apps
I've just bought an i-phone and am looking for advice for good apps to download. Any suggestions? Doesn't have to be music based. Ta.
NME Top 100 Tracks of the decade.
NME's top 100 tracks of the decade has been announced. I'm suprised that i've got 47 of those songs on my i-pod, much more than I would have expected.
List of 100 below.
This Year's Winner of the X-Factor will sing...........
Last year the winner of the noxious X-Factor Alexandra Burke released a version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallellujah”. This release for me was a bit of a double-edged sword. On one side it was great to see a great song reach a larger audience, making the writer a few bob in the bargain. However the other selfish part of me feels like “we” lost the song to the general music public. So I was wondering which previously chart-free songwriter may be lucky this year. Will Simon Cowell thrust Richard Thompson’s “The Great Valerio” onto Radio 1 listeners’ eardrums? Will Cheryl Cole enjoy one of her young charges singing “Time” by Tom Waits or “The French Inhaler” by Warren Zevon. So Posse, which song would you love or hate this years X-Factor winner to perform? Don’t forget its bound to be this years Xmas No.1. Let’s make it a good one eh?
Christmas starts tonight.......
Tonight I will commence the playing of my Christmas i-pod playlist. Too early you say? Let me explain. My father started this tradition with my family. We would come back from the neighbourhood bonfire/fireworks party and he would drag out his Nat King Cole and Andy Williams Christmas lp’s and the whole family would sit, listen and enjoy. Sadly my father passed away when I was 15, but I always remember this part of his personality with huge joy and continued his Bonfire night tradition when I had a family. Even though my daughter is now 17, she asked me this morning “Christmas songs start tonight then.” So be as cynical as you like there is one 38 year old Welshman who will hoist a glass to his father whilst Nat begins to sing “Chesnuts roasting on an open fire....” tonight. Happy Christmas to all the posse.
Did Michael Jackson play an instrument?
Can't remember ever seeing Michael Jackson actually playing an instrument, can anyone remember seeing him strumming a guitar or playing a piano?
Steve Winwood Question (it's a bit of a long shot....)
Wondering if any of the Word Massive can help me?
Many moons ago I VHS-taped a version of Steve Winwood on the (not Old Grey) Whistle Test playing a piano and vocal version of Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys. The tape has been mislayed, probably lost and I'd love to hear that version again.
Does anyone know whether a piano and vocal version lurks on a Winwood B-side or 12" extra track that I could snap up on ebay?
Many thanks lads and lasses.
Running the London marathon Sunday 26th
Hi all,
I'm running the London Marathon a week on Sunday for Heart Uk. My father died of a heart attack in his early fifties and my father in law had a series of heart attacks in his forties so it's a charity close to my heart (excuse the pun).
If any of you would be so kind to sponsor me I would be very appreciate.
www.justgiving.co.uk/stevejackswan
Fraser, If this contravenes web rules please delete. Ta.
Pastoral music
I'm running the London Marathon a week on Sunday and have been doing a lot of training whilst listening to my ipod. Near where I live there is miles of cycle tracks (built upon old railway tracks) and whilst running along these paths, through the trees certain songs sound, well, just perfect. I'd loosely describe the kind of music as "pastoral". A kind of acoustic, birds chirping, English countyside kind of music. A few artists that have really hit the spot are Nick Drake, Vaughan Williams and Skylarking era-XTC. Could anyone please recommend any more to make my runs more enjoyable on my ears. Ta chaps and chapesses.
U2 "Get On Your Boots" sounds a bit like............
Listening to U2 playing new track "Get on your boots" last night on Jonathon Ross I thought the melody to the verse was a tad familiar to Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up" (the line where Costello sings "Though you try to stop it she's like a narcotic etc).
It's availble to listen on spotify.
spotify:track:3CJdDqehVinU810wsTjt6v
http://open.spotify.com/track/3CJdDqehVinU810wsTjt6v
Anyone else hear a similarity or is it just me?






