Calling all 'Spillers!In a couple of weeks I will be performing one of my favourite annual tasks - namely manning the PA at my local Primary School's Summer Fair (note: it's a Fair not a Fayre - I wouldn't do it if it were the latter). As well as doing the usual lost child announcements and letting people know that the draw for the 'name the teddy bear' event is about to take place, I get to play three hour's worth of music - and they leave it to me to decide what to play. I know - with my reputation!
I have a shortlist of favourites that always work wonders but I'm looking for fresh ideas this year and you can probably guess what's coming next...
What would you play?
I need things with a big summer feel to them. Songs that will make people think I want to stay here and listen to this while little Alfie/Rosie spends another 10p trying to throw a hoop round the neck of a large cuddly tiger which we don't really want in the house (or, more likely, which we donated to the school last week because we were desperate to get rid of it). It doesn't have to be something well known, just something which will make people sit up and listen (and maybe even swing their hips a bit).
Ideas, please...
19 comments:
ToffeeBoy, that is the best gig ever!! First off - no Gary Glitter. I think that goes without staying, but hey...
So me and Mrs Frod are discussing it and this is what we have so far:
"Summer Wasting" B&S
"Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side" Magnetic Fields
"Canyon Arrow" The Autumn Defense
"One Day Like This" Elbow (ITV football be damned!!!)
"Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" Sigur Ros (aka track 2 on the new album which is currently streaming on last.fm and is basically amazing)
"Good Enough" Dodgy
"Nantes" Beirut
"Swinging Safari" Bert Kampfaert and his Orchestra
"California Love" Tupac'n'Dre (again)
"Sunday Shining" Finlay Quaye
"Jailbird" Primal Scream
"Rise and Shine" Cardigans
"My Father My King" Mogwai
And a bit of Sun O))) for good measure.
(Note: the last two may not be entirely great...)
Oh that has made me so excited, I just want littleFrod to grow up a bit quicker so I can apply for that job. Happy trails!!
Also, on a side note, I'm new to this last.fm malarkey. Anyone else on it? How do I find people? Ta.
I don't know if it's what you're looking for, but this morning I was thinking of Can't Stop Moving by Sonny J, and how I enjoyed it last summer or the one before that.
Oh and I'm on last.fm, under the same name.
I have some summery/sunny suggestions...
Sunny Side of the Street--Jimmy SMith
Children of the Sun--Mandrill
Sunset cafe STOMP--Louis Armstrong
Lucky old Sun--LA
Summertime--Nina Simone
Asleep on a Sunbeam--Belle & Sebastian
Song for Sunshine--B&S
So Sweet--Cab Calloway
Happy Feet--CC
Lovely day--Bill Withers
If kids are going to be around, I'm not sure these lyrics pass, but two musically wonderful songs are both called Sunshine, one by Mos Def and one by De La Soul
Actually, Lupe FIasco also has a song called Sunshine, and I think it's safe for everyone, and a good song, too. Sweet lyrics. Could do a mix just of songs called sunshine...
This would be good, but only if you can get everyone to dance on a cosmic platform in silver lame and cumberbunds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uONF0zJz2Oo
What's your shortlist of favs?
Some excellent suggestions so far - I'm sure some of them will make it to the final playlist. I particularly like the Jimmy Smith and Cardigans noms. Don't know the Sonny J track - I'll check it out.
Here are a few I've played the last few years that always work well are:
Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff
Summer Breeze - The Isley Brothers
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley
Chestnut Mare - The Byrds
Sparky's Dream - Teenage Fanclub
Long Hot Summer - Style Council
Oo-ooh, pleasesirmesir !!
Pink vs Ray Parker Jr - Get This Ghostbustin' Party Started mash-up. (I can email you this mp3 if you want.)
Zoe - Sunshine On A Rainy Day. Works whichever way the weather swings.
The Go! Team - Bottle Rocket.
Shack - Natalie's Party.
Silver Sun - Top Trumps.
The Sundays - Summertime.
A mix of known & obscure:
Notorious - The Swalk.
Swing Out Sister - Breakout.
Guillemots - Trains To Brazil.
Robert Palmer - Change His Ways.
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Sesame Street.
China Crisis - St.Saviours Square.
Bob Marley - Three Little Birds.
When you think you've got them softened up, ambush 'em with stuff like perennial DD-faves ...
Absentee - We Should Never have Children. (Actually, that one will get you fired!)
Hank Wangford & Bhundu Boys brilliant take on Ring Of Fire.
Th'Legendary Shackshakers - Jipsy Valentine. (Ace Fair-not-fayre riff)
Dread Zeppelin - Living Loving Maid. (More fair-ride lyrics with added WTF? musical mystery)
Fountains Of Wayne - Stacy's Mom. (Good game, watch who goes red and looks shifty!)
When it's time to tell the hordes to go home, you could try:
Faith No More's version of Easy (Like A Sunday Morning), just for the thrill of knowing that you're only two skip-clicks from playing Jizzlobber!
Whitesnake - We Wish You Well.
Here's Sonny J
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9e_4A7EKoA
Prince - Play in the Sunshine
Stevie Wonder - You are the Sunshine of My Life
Spiritualized - Lay Back in the Sun
Lambchop - Your Fucking Sunny Day
Last.fm has cost me lots of money because they keep playing things I like too much (that's where I found Goldmund, DsD) and I'm called Mnemosene there. There is a Mnemonic that I think may be me too but I can't remember the password.
Legal Man - B&S.
Digital Love - Daft Punk. When this album first came out, even though I hate Daft Punk, I swore up and down that this song would be everywhere that summer. Shows what everyone else knows.
Aphex Twin - Donkey Rhubarb.
Stereolab - Ping Pong. Which could also give you a subversive thrill, what with the lyrics.
Pizzicato Five - Happysad.
Also, I dare you to make an announcement asking for a nurse, as "a child has become lodged in the tunnel of goats"!
Oooh memories of summer fairs (and fayres). Nice challenge. Do you have a parents' sack race? I seriously think you should. Get all the ma's n' pa's tanked up on cheap Lambrusco (is there any other kind?) and then organise a parents' three-legged race (cackle). For shame. Anyway, musically speaking you could always hit them with...
- Bob Marley - sun is shining
- Lou Bega - Mambo Nr 5 (Dads like that one - they think they know how to mambo)
- Len - Steal my sunshine
- The Wannadees - You and me song
- The Monkees - Daydream believer
- Agree with DJ Jazzy jeff - Summertime (my alltime favourite car window and roof open cruisin' song)
- Wham - Club Tropicana
- Aswad - Don't turn around
- The Surfaris - wipe out.
(hangs head)
Toffee I'm cheating. All these songs are from a double CD called 'Summertime - the perfect partner to summer' and it's one of my favourites. you coudl quite confidently just stick it on and leave it - your parents would be in good hands...Amazon has it for buttons: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Summertime-Perfect-Partner-Various-Artists/dp/B00004W1XD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1213702006&sr=1-1
I like the way everyone assumes it'll be a sunny day! Such faith!The words 'summer fair' are usually spelt R-A-I-N and W-I-N-D, in my experience.
However, not wishing to pour cold water on the affair, a couple of accessible 'World Music' suggestions that always bring the sun out in my life are Yerba Buena's album Follow Me and Ska Cubano's album Ay Caramba. The first is full of cool latin grooves (good for the hip shake) - especially 'el burrito' and the second a more full out reggae/cuban mix of music for jumping and jigging. Fun for all the family and packed with fun and warmth.
I always love 'Let the Sun Shine' from Hair, and a memory of a hot 1972 summer is Mungo Jerry's 'In the Summertime'.
Should it rain (God forbid), there's always 'Cold, Haily, Rainy Night' on the Imagined Village album. Stamping in time to the beat will warm up any shivering souls who forgot their brollies.
What can I say? You guys are magnificent!
Because lists are where it's at, here are my favourites from the suggestions so far:
Rise and Shine - The Cardigans
Good Enough - Dodgy
Can't Stop Moving - Sonny J (thanks for the link, ejd. Loving it!)
Sunny Side of the Street - Jimmy Smith
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Natalie's Party - Shack
Breakout - Swing Out Sister (12" discovered in the attic last weekend - now in my iTunes library!)
Play in the Sunshine - Prince
Ping Pong - Stereolab (I think I could get away with it, Catcher)
In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
...and all of fp's noms - cheating or not, they're all sure-fire winners. As for 'Summertime' - I have the music - all I need now is the soft-top car!
Thanks for all these (and the others, some of which I will enjoy discovering) - I am feeling truly inspired
@ mnemonic - thanks for the Lambchop suggestion - but I want to get asked back next year!
@ tempusfugit - IT IS NOT GOING TO RAIN!!!!!
@ snadfrod - I meant to say, re: Gary Glitter - I have this terrible memory of playing Leader of the Gang at the first ever school disco I did (it was a LONG time ago) but I can still picture myself standing on the stage, hands above my head encouraging all the little ones to sing along. Oh dear...
It's old news now, but I couldn't comment yesterday, New Kids On The Block's NEW song is called Summertime.
THinking Of You by Sister Sledge is good too, Girls & Boys by Blur, Young Americans by David Bowie, Bold As Love by Jimi, Mystic Bounce by Madlib, California Soul by Marleena Shaw, Lack Of Afro by Roderigo and this list is long enough already.
Richie Haven's Here Comes the Sun.
For a perfect moment
Toffeeboy. I am just up the road from you at a school fair (Berko) on Saturday but I am on the plant stall. I wish we had you on our PA! We don't get music. I will suggest the call for a qualified nurse to the announcer though. It's worth a try!
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