I have the antidote.
Hearing the Joy Division song Atmosphere, at the end of the Ian Curtis biopic Control, reminded me of a similarly titled top 10 hit from the 1980s, performed by the comedian Russ Abbot.
Russ Abbot - Atmosphere
"(xylophone intro)
Oh what an atmosphere!
I love a party with a happy atmosphere,
So let me take you there,
And you and I'll be dancin' in the cool night air!
Well we're at the dancin' party,
And you're out there havin' fun,
And your girl is there beside you,
And you feel like number one!
So get your body movin'...
'Cos tonight has just begun...
OH WHOA! Let it go!
WHOOA! Let it show....
Aaah Aaah Aaah Aaah!
Oh what an atmosphere!
I love a party with a happy atmosphere,
So let me take you there,
And you and I'll be dancin' in the cool night air!
OH OH
Oh what an atmosphere!
I love a party with a happy atmosphere, yeah mmmm,
Music everywhere,
And soon we'll be dancin' in the cool night air!
Now we're out here all together,
Everybody's hand in hand,
We can make it last forever,
When we're dancin' with the gang!
Well you've got your favourite records,
And Frankie's got his band!
HUH!!!
OH WHOA! Let it go!
WHOOA! Let it show....
Aaah Aaah Aaah Aaah!
Oh what an atmosphere!
I love a party with a happy atmosphere,
So let me take you there,
And you and I'll be dancin' in the cool night air!
OH OH
Oh what an atmosphere!
I love a party with a happy atmosphere, mmmm yeah,
Music everywhere,
And soon we'll be dancin' in the cool night air!
(Riotous eighties party noises)*
(Repeat chorus and fade out)"
* (Presumably the sound of Filofaxes being opened and shoulder pad subsidence.)
Joy Division - Atmosphere
"Walk in silence,
Don't walk away, in silence.
See the danger,
Always danger,
Endless talking,
Life rebuilding,
Don't walk away.
Walk in silence,
Don't turn away, in silence.
Your confusion,
My illusion,
Worn like a mask of self-hate,
Confronts and then dies.
Dont walk away.
People like you find it easy,
Naked to see,
Walking on air.
Hunting by the rivers,
Through the streets,
Every corner abandoned too soon,
Set down with due care.
Don't walk away in silence,
Don't walk away."
With the exception of their shared title, these two songs are polar opposites, each negating the other. If you had a friend whose addiction to Joy Division had left him poised on the edge of a nervous breakdown, you could pull him back from the brink with repeated plays of the Russ Abbot song.
Conversely, insanely happy people could be brought plummeting back down to earth by the dour existentialism of Ian Curtis.
There must be other pairs of songs which act as antidotes to each other. They don't necessarily have to share titles; they just have to be opposed in sentiment.
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Say what you like about
Say what you like about Russ' voice, his Christmas jumper and those slightly creepy glances to the camera, that's a better chorus than Joy Division/New Order managed in 30 years.
So true...
Here here! I think Russ is due for a comeback...
Lowe-ish
Is it just me or does Russ sound like Nick Lowe on this?
Russ never went away of course and has enjoyed a successful stage career, most recently appearing in the touring version of The Producers.
Wrong way round
Really it's the Russ Abbott song that is depressing of course.
Here's a pair:
Sit Down - James
Stand - REM
Here's another one...
"Hey You"
1) side 3 track 1 of Pink Floyd's magnum opus of alienation and general grumpiness "The Wall"
2) Breakdance group the Rock Steady Crew's only top ten hit.
Some other "same title, completely different style" that came to mind…
It's My Life - Talk Talk & Dr Alban
Heartbeat - Buddy Holly & Steps
Music - Madonna & John Miles
It's Only Love
An underrated Lennon song from Help! or that duet between - shudder - Bryan Adams and Tina Turner.
Or The Power Of Love. Feeling a bit introspective following Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Christmas hit? How about a bit of Huey Lewis and The News to wake you up? With a dose of Jennifer Rush to bring you back again? One pill makes you larger, etc.
Too Much Perspective
Imagine my shock when The Spice Girls' hit turned out not to be an Elvis cover, but a subtle reference to a Basement Tapes song.
Drugs - yes or no?
Rainy Day Women - Bob Dylan or White Light White Heat - VU
versus
Drugs Don't Work - Verve or I Wanna Be Staight - Ian Dury
Drugs Don't Work...
...apparently nowt to do with those of the, er, 'recreational' variety but rather a commentary on the non-efficaciousness(!) of those prescribed to help Ashcroft's Dad through a nasty (and terminal?) illness.
I knew someone would point that out
hence the other option.
This Poison -
This Poison - Magazine
Antidote - The Fall
I prefer Russ Abbot
I much prefer the Russ Abbot song... I must be the only person alive who doesn't think the sun shone out of Joy Division's collective behinds.
No...
...you're not.
Excellent!
That's a relief, then!
Confession
I play in an occasional, extremely shambolic, covers band. A few years ago we somehow ended up playing a show at one of the All Tomorrows Parties events at Butlins in Camber Sands, taking the stage at 2 o'clock in the morning after Sonic Youth had finished their set. Our opener? Joy Division's "Atmosphere" segued into the Russ Abbot tune of the same name.
It's the only time I've ever had bottles thrown at me.
Paired songs
I remember that one of parishoner Danny Baker's phone-in subjects was "songs that contradict each other" - e.g. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by that lot again, and "Love Will Keep Us Together" by the Capt and his Tenille.
Best I could come up with was "Some Fantastic Place" by Squeeze v "Come To Milton Keynes" by The Style Council.
D'y'see?? D'y'see??
All You Need, indeed
I always thought that All You Need Is Love is a big lie of a song title. In any context - marriage, world peace, whatever - you quite clearly need an awful lot more. Which is why I prefer the James Carr song (You Got To Have Something) Stronger Than Love.
I don't dislike Joy Division
but the Russ Abbott song is still the better one.
You get to shout 'HEY!' in it at some point, it contains a number of Who-oh's, a couple of Aah-Ahh-Ahh-AAAAH's, and contains the phrase dancin' in the cool night air.
What's not to love ?
Oh well perhaps you're right
Just watched Russ and I must admit it had me in fits (apologies to the late Mr Curtis)
I agree
It is insanely catchy. Which Joy Division isn't.
Actually I like Joy Division
I was just making a joke. Perhaps you chose not to acknowledge it because of it's poor taste or just didn't find it funny. Which is fair enough.
Russ Abbot feature in The Word please...
a cover is probably too much to ask. An in depth look at the recording session that produced this timeless classic...
A Couple of Suggestions
Same title different songs:
Modern Love - David Bowie and Peter Gabriel
Blue Monday - Fats Domino and New Order
I imagine that it's...
...rather difficult to write a depressing xylophone solo. I suppose Radiohead might manage it.
This may be known by one &
This may be known by one & all, but I remember Peel introducing this on TOTP as 'Russ Abbott with his cover of Joy Division's Atmosphere'
That Joy Division clip has reminded me...
of something that I had managed, after decades of effort, to forget: that Ian Curtis's lasting achievement was not the unrivalled bleakness of his portrayal of urban angst and alienation, or even his "look who's just been tasered" jerky dance, but rather his uncanny ability to sing flat on every single note. Not just most notes, in your traditional crapmongous Lou Reed-type way, but every single one.
Remarkable.
singing flat
My wife dragged me along to see Rufus "Never Knowingly Understated" Wainwright last year, and I overheard one of those annoying, achingly trendy, divorcees who seem to comprise roughly 30% of Rufus's fanbase say to her friend on the way out "I love the way he sings just under the note - it's so clever". And there was me thinking dear old Roof was just a little flat that evening...
Russ Abbott
He had a band did nt he 'The Black Abbotts ' before he went solo..and brought out his first album called Abbott with a bearded look and a baby up his jumper ...before he went veggie ...
Never understood Ian Curtis .remember seeing them live when I pretended wildly to have a good time even though that seems a contradiction in terms ...given alot of the subject matter ...
Joy Division Vs INXS
Is Never Tear Us Apart a riposte to Love Wll Tear Us Apart?
Joy Division live was for me an incredible experience - they didn't play for an audience, they played for themselves.
Strange bedfellows
Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel and TeN
Black night - Buddy Guy and Deep Purple
All night long - Lionel Richie and Rainbow
Five to One - the Doors
54321 - Manfred Mann