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Music Trivia -> Lighter Side of Serious Bands -> S
Some bands don't wait around for Weird Al to parody one of their songs, and take a pre-emptive strike and write a silly song of their own.
Entries Beginning with S
"Safety Dance," Men Without Hats
"The Safety Dance" was a huge global synth-dance hit, but the extended version was played more often on the radio. Soon afterward a touring Chippendales revue would do squat thrusts and other exercises with their pants off while a performer would karaoke or lip-sync to the song. They were "Men Without Pants". They would commence stripping down.
He's Got No Pants On!
"Salute to Ohio State University," Rolling Stones
I saw the Rolling Stones for the second time at Ohio Stadium in late May 2015. They actually surprised EVERYONE in the audience (including me - an OSU alumnus) with their cover of 'Hang On Sloopy' which is the OSU football team's fight song. Later on, Mick did the Ohio State cheer by yelling 'O-H!' and the crowd yelled back 'I-O!' in response. Later on, ever the master of ceremonies that he is, Sir Mick fired off a chant with 'M-I!' and the crowd booed! Was Mick trying to spell his name 'MICK' or was it the name of OSU's main football rival 'MICHIGAN' as in Michigan University? BTW, the opening act for that evening was Kid Rock and he's from the state of Michigan!
I Got Stoned at Ohio State University 2X
"Saturday Night Fever, Born to Run albums," Sesame Street / Muppets
Ever seen the album "Sesame Street Fever"? Muppets are used to lampoon the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. Ernie, Bert and the Cookie Monster represent the Bee Gees and Grover takes the place of John Travolta. The cover art of "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band also has been parodied with the Muppet touch. The original album features Bruce with his Fender guitar leaning on Clarece Clemens who's wearing a wide-brimmed hat and playing his saxophone. Sesame Street released the album "Born to Add". On the cover art Bruce is replaced by Bert and the Cookie Monster fills in for Clarence. This album is credited to "Bruce Stringbean and the S. Street Band".
R.I.P. Jim Henson
"Seamus," Pink Floyd
"Seamus" is the 5th track of the band's classic album Meddle. It is a playful 2 and half minute blues jam featuring a dog howling along with the band. Heralded by many fans as the Worst Pink Floyd Song.
Agrimorfee
"Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered…," Pink Floyd
Just weird sounds for 5 minutes. And I really like it.
Clever Name
"Several Species of...," Pink Floyd
The entire title (which cannot be entered in the field above is "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict"...it is actually Roger Waters imitating squirrels and chipmunks and an early-Scottish lunatic, thanks to the magic of multi-tracking and a bit of imagination. Found on the album Ummagumma, possibly the weirdest recording you are to likely ever hear.
Agrimorfee
"Sex Doll Tour," Sylvain Sylvain / Glen Matlock
Sylvain Sylvain is a veteran of the protopunk band New York Dolls. Glen Matlock is from the Sex Pistols. These 2 performers played their old bands' chestnuts and their solo music in their own solo acoustic guitar sets. For the encore they played more Dolls, Pistols, solo and glam rock hits together. They played this tour in small clubs and cafes. It was billed as "Punk Goes Acoustic" and the tour was billed as the "Sex Doll" Tour 2014. Get the drift?
Planet Jet Boy
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," Paul McCartney + U2
On Live 8 in 2005 we all remember Pink Floyd's last stand. But there was more. Sir Paul McCartney sang the Beatles classic "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 backing him up. Afterwards, he and Bono shared a few drinks and talked about how they got into music. They both lost their mothers to breast cancer when they were boys and they both picked up instruments and formed important rock-n-roll bands with some friends. Bono's real name is Paul Hewson, and with Sir Paul the two found that they have so much in common and became fast friends. It's PAUL AND PAUL.
One British, One Irish
"She Bop," Cyndi Lauper
I'm not sure what category this belongs to but here goes: I take it we all know what this hit's lyrics are about. In the video where Cyndi appears before a judge in a "morality tribunal" courtroom (on a "bopping" charge no less) the judge opens a thick lawbook. On the cover it says "The Big Bopper" which is the stage name of J.P. Richardson - who died in the 1958 plane crash that also took the lives of Buddy Holly and Richie Valens.
Video Viewer
"She Don't Use Jelly," Flaming Lips
A song about people who eat skin cream on toast, use magazines as tissues, and dye their hair with citrus fruit.
Ned Riley
"Shiny Happy People," R.E.M.
Kate Pierson of the B-52s joins the band on this one. The song is incredibly upbeat and cheerful, especially compared with the band's previous work. However, even this peppy tune has a serious side. It was inspired by the protest and massacre at Tiananmen Square.
Brian Kelly
"Short People," Randy Newman
This song satires prejudice by saying that short people shouldn't have a reason to live.
Paul Warren
"Shout," Tears For Fears
This song basically says: shout out about whatever is bothering you? You shouldn't give a shit about what anyone else thinks.
Shout, Shout,
let it all out
these are the things
I can do without
come on
I'm talking to you
come on
Shout, Shout,
let it all out
these are the things
I can do without
come on
I'm talking to you
come on
Celeste
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite," R.E.M.
Michael Stipe can be heard laughing at his own inability to pronounce "Dr. Suess" correctly.
...
"Silly Shoes," Relient K
A stupid freestyle rap with them rapping about pizza parties, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and rhyming with orange.
RK_FAN_FOREVER
"SIOGO," Blackfoot
'Siogo' is the 6th band by the Southern/hard rock band Blackfoot. It was released in 1983. They are Native Americans and their bassist claimed that the album title was Native term for 'togetherness' but a roadie had another story. A sign on the tour bus had that acronym on it - it means 'Suck It Or Get Out'. To add further impact, one of the songs on 'Siogo' is 'We're Going Down' which repeatedly refers to the pornographic slang term 'dining at the Y'.
DJT Is Not The Only Famous SMF
"Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat," Don Henley
Don Henley is best known as the front man of the Eagles, whose music was known for its sometimes poetic style. Mr. Henley took that style to a successful solo career in which he recorded several songs with social commentary. Then sometime in the early '90s, he recorded a laid-back rendition of this lighthearted tune from the classic musical 'Guys & Dolls,' and it got a surprising amount of radio play.
Raphael
"Smart Girls," Brian Wilson
This is a single that has not been officially released, but is available on the 'net on an mp3. The "genius" of the Beach Boys actually raps (quite as good as one would expect) about his recent tastes in women, complete with samples of classic Beach Boys tracks accompanying him along the way.
Sample lyrics:
Wouldn't it be nice/If PhDs/were stroking me with hypotheses? God only knows what I'd be/Without smart girls Hip hop and harmony/I'm wiser now, I know where it's at/Intelligence is an aphrodisiac So if you're seekin' that perfect mate/Listen to Brian, beauty's good but/ Smart girls, talkin' 'bout smart girls/Sexy legs with high IQs Smart girls, I love the smart girls/You brainy babes with your attitudes
Sample lyrics:
Wouldn't it be nice/If PhDs/were stroking me with hypotheses? God only knows what I'd be/Without smart girls Hip hop and harmony/I'm wiser now, I know where it's at/Intelligence is an aphrodisiac So if you're seekin' that perfect mate/Listen to Brian, beauty's good but/ Smart girls, talkin' 'bout smart girls/Sexy legs with high IQs Smart girls, I love the smart girls/You brainy babes with your attitudes
Agrimorfee
"Smithereens 11 album," Smithereens
I've seen the Smithereens play twice and got to meet them too. I asked guitarist Jim Babjak how the album 'Smithereens 11' got it's name. He said it's based on the Frank Sinatra/Sammy Davis Jr./Dean Martin movie 'Oceans 11' from 1960. The album cover art is based on the paperback book adaption of that flick, with appropriate alterations made. He told me all this himself.
RIP Pat Dinizio
"Snoopy vs. The Red Baron," The Royal Guardsmen
Though The Royal Guardsmen are a serious band in a few ways...Their Snoopy series were more of a hit than their other songs.
Paul Warren
"Something Happened To Me Yesterday," Rolling Stones
This song is almost reminiscent to Bob Dylan's 'Rainy Day Women #12 and #35' with the brass and the witty ending.
Paul Warren
"Song of the Viking," Todd Rundgren
This song seems very Monty Python-ish. Singing on how the Vikings live.
Paul Warren
"Songs From the Big Chair (album)," Tears For Fears
On the cover is Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. They are both Brits and in the UK straight men wear earrings on the right ear and gay men on the left. Because in America the earring wearing scenario is vice versa the cover picture was flipped so that Roland has his LEFT ear pierced (for the American audience). Roland and Curt are both heterosexual, and they are both married and are fathers. The album made multi-platinum in the U.S.A.
Observant Orlando
"Soul Godfather Imitation," John Mellencamp
When I saw John "Hoosier" Mellencamp live at the Palace Theater last year at the end of the main set (as in before the encores) an assistant placed a bluish-purple cape-cloak on John's shoulders a la James Brown. Note that in his video for the 1981 hit "Ain't Even Done With the Night" he also wears a cape and keeps "escaping" from it so he could grab the mic stand and sing another verse, also in emulation of Soul Brother Number One.
Buckeye Scott
"Souvenir for 'Surrender'," Cheap Trick
We all know that guitarist Rick Neilson does some notorious, sometimes kooky stuff during a Cheap Trick concert. Every show has a few songs you can count on them playing and 'Surrender' is one of them. When Robin Zander sings, 'Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year? / Every time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear? / When I woke up, mom and dad are rolling on the couch. / Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my KISS records out'. then Rick tosses a souvenir to the audience and of course people try to catch it just like they do Rick's guitar picks. Well, it's not a KISS record but it's a Cheap Trick LP outer cover (no LP or jacket inside) and it is sealed. Glued into the LP cover's perimeter are guitar picks from the band and the designs on them are all different. Rick tosses this item at every show during this song. Last night I saw the band play again and after their show I ran into the lucky couple who caught the item Rick tossed. It was just as described here - the album featured was the 1979 classic 'At Budokan' and the copy was SIGNED by the band members! This was the first time I actually saw one of these special souvenirs and that's because I happened to run into the lucky couple who caught the valuable collector's item. Lucky bastards ; )
I've Seen Cheap Trick Live 5X!
"Starship Heading Into The Punk Frontier," The Ramones
In the early 70s Jeff Hyman was in the NYC glam/protopunk band SNIPER. He was the singer and his stage name was "Jeff Starship". Not "Jefferson Starship" but just using his real first name. He left the band in early 1974 and became "Joey Ramone" of the legendary first punk rock band, the RAMONES.
I Saw The Ramones Live 4X!
"Strange guitars! ," Cheap Trick
Guitarist Rick Neilson has some unique guitars. One double-neck has the body built to resemble himself (the necks are his 'legs'). He has an 8-neck guitar that he plays usually just for the song 'Surrender'. Needless to say, it's bulky, massive and difficult! He plays other strange guitars too.
I've Seen Cheap Trick Live 4x!
"Street Fighting Man," Rolling Stones
Not the song itself, the single jacket cover art. It depicted cops hovering over a protester on the ground. Just prior to the song's release was the infamous 1968 riot at the Democratic National Convention. The record label decided to be cautious in the wake of the controversy and political turmoil and ordered the records destroyed. About 18 records were saved somehow — one was auctioned off for $17,000 in 2011.
I Got Stoned at Ohio State University 2X
"Sussudio," Phil Collins
Phil explains that he was making a demo tape and had just programmed his drum machine and was adding vocals to be edited later. The name "Sussudio" came right out of his head. There was no time to edit it with a new name so Sussudio it was. Because this great song topped the charts in the U.S., Canada and beyond there are now some adult women today with that name (honest!).
Philphile
"Sussudio," Phil Collins
This was a BIG hit in 1985, topping the charts in the USA, Canada and elsewhere. Later that year, the comical group E-GAD! did a parody of this classic: "Su-su-sushi-oh!".
Sushi Dinner for my Japanese Girlfriend + Me
"Sweet Caroline," Neil Diamond
NBC News during the last decade sometime one night was ending their installment chock full of tales of hate, war, corruption and arrogance with some "cutesy-wutsey" heart-tugger like they always do. They reported that Neil Diamond's hit "Sweet Caroline" was inspired by Caroline Kennedy (daughter of President JFK). The song was written around 1960 when Caroline wasn't even a teenager yet. And on top of that - they call this bit of trivial chicken doo-doo NEWS???
Watt The Devil
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