Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Excerpt From a Teenage Opera

My radio listening is all messed up this week as the radio programmes are all on at the wrong times, thanks to the UK putting the clocks back last weekend and the USA not changing until this weekend.

So, as Steve Wright in the Afternoon didn't start until 10am this morning, I thought I'd listen to the oldies part of yesterdays show that I missed while I was at work. It turned out to be quite an interesting half hour.

Three of the songs in the middle of the oldies were little gems, all depicting sad and lonely lives, and curiously all mention milk in their lyrics!

The first one I've always loved from the early days of hearing it requested on Ed "Stewpot" Stewarts Junior Choice. "Excerpt from a Teenage Opera" by Keith West is the official title, but I always thought it was the "Grow Sir Jack" song! Great lyrics about an old shopkeeper / milkman taken for granted, moaned about for not showing up for work one day, and then missed by all guilty townsfolk who wished they'd been nicer to him when they find out he's died. They don't write them like that any more. How many songs can claim a harpsichord solo in the middle? Pure class!



The video itself is very "of it's time". I turned 5 in 1967 and remember wearing the little dresses, cardies knitted by auntie, long white socks, t-bar leather shoes and the bow in the hair. As for the little boy in the collar, tie and blazer, awwww!!!

Next up were The Jam's "Town Called Malice", depressing lyrics set to a great motownesque dance beat and"The Days of Pearly Spencer" by David McWilliams, depressing lyrics set to a string backing track and sung down a payphone.

Enjoy!







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