I was at my storage unit today, named “Big Yellow” with bright yellow branding everywhere. I was mildly amused when a certain song by Coldplay came on the radio there.
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Some random connections this has just made me think of:
I still have this DVD of an indie film my friend was in 21 years ago. The launch event for it was the first time I ever did live sound work (because it was in a cinema and their tech guy didn’t know much about audio) and the only gig I ever played with my band Fay Wray.
That friend would later write a play with the writer of Mamma Mia (who was also the mum of a different friend of mine).
The guy who wrote/directed the film and played one of the main characters, would go on to star as Noel Gallagher in the video for Acquiesce. (Which I only found out the other day when he posted about it on LinkedIn.)
And my friend Ben, who’s in the film as an angry video store employee, would become the guitarist of The Sisters of Mercy (and a whole bunch of other stuff).
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Makes me want to be at a festival. Which I am not this summer yet again -.-
But we have tickets for the tour in October.
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Bo Rap is the 90s?? Well I suppose Freddie died in 91 - did they re-release it? I can’t remember.
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I think they did after either Wayne’s World or the Lee Evans bit
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The first half of that Lee Evans performance is amazing! Which makes the second half incredibly disappointing.
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it is one of my few cheats. i listened to it in the 90s
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At a minimum will be listening to The Element Song once today likely with many additional tracks
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Very much one of those “He was still alive??” deaths, but RIP Tom Lehrer, I’ve liked his stuff for a very long time.
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He’d had a number of headlines the past few years on his decision to put all his music into the public domain during his life
I’d hadn’t realized he was still alive until some of those 2020ish articles
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RIP Tom Lehrer. I have two of his CDs and a book of his sheet music for piano, all of which have brought me great joy.
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Yes, he made all his songs public domain, so you can listen to all of them here:
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I once saw a documentary about the NYT obituary department. Really interesting! They have so many obituaries ready-to-go at a moment’s notice (which means that a sizeable piece of work is keeping them up-to-date).
Recommended – I really enjoyed it.
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An acquaintance’s first journalism job was working for the AP’s obit department (motto: you expire, we wire). She got to call people up and say “I’m writing your obituary, would you like to help?”
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Well crap. He is a regular on my comedy music Pandora station, and I knew he was still alive and nearing 100. Was hoping he’d make it that long. He has brought much joy to my trips to and from work. Such a great talent.
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"Oh the Catholics hate the Protestants
And the Protestants hate the Catholics
And the Hindus hate the Muslims
And everybody hates the Jews…
But not on National Brotherhood Week! National Brotherhood week!
New Yorkers love the Puerto Ricans because it’s very chic!
Stand up and shake the hand
Of somebody you can’t stand
You can tolerate them if you try…"
A loss. A Scout Leader introduced me to his work when I was 12 or 13, and several of his songs are permanently embedded in my brain…
“Our mess sergeant’s tastes buds were shot off in the war, but that handicap hasn’t stopped his esprit d’corps! It’s simply marvelous all the ways they’re using plastics nowadays, it makes a fellow proud to be a soldier!”
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Loved Lehrer’s stuff. I did Chemistry at Uni so naturally found the Elements song.
All the talk online has also reminded me of the existence of Stan Freberg, Alan Sherman, and Flanders and Swann.
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This one needed a video!
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