the-theme-is
We will call attention to forgotten gems and songs that have stood the test of time!
(We wish to stand out from the other blogs out there with this collection of rarities.)
Blog Founder:
singinginthewire
Moderators:
docmartn
evilgirl333x2
burlveneer
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burlveneer Burl Veneer's Tumblr -
docmartn "Untitled" -
evilgirl333x2 Black Lace Bra Kind of Woman -
45andsingle 45andsingle -
aquavelva Mistakes Were Made -
artoftherecordstore The Art of the Record Store -
athousandvoicestalk A Thousand Voices Talk -
awordoraline A word or a line -
chatdimuse ..ܟchät dí Mušéܐ . . -
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docshoe Doc Shoe's Music Blog -
dropdead61 All Down the Line -
enchantingwizardofrhythm Enchanting Wizard Of Rhythm -
everygreatsongever Every Great Song Ever -
glowgirl We're All Mad Here -
guessimdumb GUESS I'M DUMB -
iheart45s a brilliant mistake -
imguss I'm Guss -
incrediblebittersweet bittersweet me -
infinitebackbeat Let's Get Lost. -
isoldmysoultofilm You're only as healthy as you feel. -
jjgeek Geek Music for Geek People -
jonathanbogart Exist Yesterday. -
kellybee kelly bee -
lonepilgrim Another mansion -
nedison N E D i S O N -
perfectlyuneven perfectly uneven -
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pinkprincess17 favored by a princess -
purepopfornowpeople Psychotic Dung & Carburetor Reactions -
readingwritingandarithmetic in the light of all my darkest mornings -
samuelmcintyre Sam Mcintyre -
sgrshack Untitled -
sissypissy sissy pissy -
socentralrain Talk About The Passion -
softcommunication soft communication -
sordidguiltypleasure Sordid Guilty Pleasure -
stephenkpeeples Untitled -
thegirlnextdumpster A Roast But With Crying -
vrac-musique Vrac-Musique -
wemakeourownmovies Unlikely Japan -
whatsthesound What's The Sound? -
yeeshkulmk2 One Fan's Trip Through The Music Of Pink Floyd -
yellowsarong it's more than just a bit of grass. -
zen-rocks-cowboyhats A Hobo With Stars In My Crown
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Artist: XTC
Track: Great Fire
Album: Mummer
Year: 1983
Theme: The Elements
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Artist: XTC
Track: No Language In Our Lungs
Album: Black Sea
Year: 1980
Theme: Body Parts
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Rocket - Andy Partridge (1991)
“Ernest Noyes Brookings lived in the Duplex nursing home, where his naïve but mind juddering poetry was documented by David Greenberger for the magazine Duplex Planet. David asked me if I would set one of Ernest’s pieces to music, which I excitedly agreed to, and chose ‘Rocket’. Strap yourselves in, I tried to make the melody and meter of the music hang on to Ernie’s wild logic/illogic bucking bronco. So, put aside all thoughts of astral matter, refresh yourself with a glass of fancy cows milk and yell ‘we want hoopiter!’ Blast off!”
- Andy Partridge
The Theme is Extraterrestrial.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Artist: XTC
Track: Another Satellite
Album: Skylarking
Year: 1986
Theme: Extraterrestrial
Andy Partridge - “History of Rock and Roll”
Recorded for Morgan Fisher’s 1980 anthology of one-minute-or-less pieces, Miniatures.
The Theme Is Funny
Artist: The Dukes of Stratosphear
Track: Open a can of Human beans
Album: 25 O’Clock , England
Year: 1985
Theme: Food
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Your Dictionary - XTC (1999)
Andy Partridge on the song:
I tried and tried NOT to write a divorce song, I really did, you have to believe me. The last thing I wanted was to come over as a grieved cattle bum crying into his beer in the bar of heartbreak motel. Or even worse, as Phil Collins. I mean, divorce is so… middle-aged and crap.“
Trouble was, the internal stale steam kept building, the pus kept expanding inside my head. I needed a safety valve, maybe if I just put all the hurt in one song. Not even that XTC should record this song mind you. Just let me release this cak out of my head, then I can move on.
Boy did this thing come together quickly, and do you know what?, I felt better, clearer about things the second I finished the demo. In fact, I felt so different, I became very reluctant about going back to the state of mind I was in when I wrote it. This would only make a difficulty if the band ever recorded it, and of course we wouldn’t choose to pick it for the album. It sounding so petulant and snide. Nobody would want to record ‘Dictionary’. So, no problem. This dog doesn’t need to return to his vomit. I feel different from that now.“
Oh dear! Everyone in the band loves it, our new record companies love it, the producer loves it and the few friends who’ve heard it, love it. I was to be hoist by my own petard. Protesting meekly would do no good. If everyone else likes it so much, I must be in the wrong. Perhaps it was my embarrassment at penning such a childish tantrum of a song. Very reluctantly I agreed to record it, hoping secretly that it would fall at the last hurdle. But no, it came out fine, and I was left feeling annoyed for writing such a self exposing shanty.
One of the most gorgeously vicious songs ever recorded.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
No One Here Available - Andy Partridge (1985)
XTC frontman A.P. recorded this reggae-tinged novelty outgoing answering machine tune during the mid-eighties, heyday of the cassette ansaphone.
“Here it is, that Jacob Marley and the Wailers answerphone message. One of a series I made for my then brother in law in 1985. Stick it on your phone, feel free. Hearing it now, it sounds more like Robert Morley and his waders.” - A.P.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
XTC - Science Friction
This one’s very new-wavey.
