Friday, December 18, 2009

Weekend Listomania (Special Les Syllables de Sinatra Video Edition)

Well, it's Friday, and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental danse de recouvrement consultant Fah Lo Suee and I will be off to....well, I'm not at liberty to say, but it involves Sen. Joe Lieberman (Ferengi-Conn.), several Great Danes, the chairman and board of Aetna Insurance, Vanessa del Rio and an IMAX film crew.

So posting by moi will necessarily be sporadic for a day or two.

But in the meantime, here's a hopefully fun little project for us all:

Best or Worst Post-Elvis Pop/Rock Song or Album with the Words "Do" or "Don't" in the Title!!!

No arbitrary rules of any kind, except it's got to be, uh, the words "do" or "don't." Not "does." And not "doesn't." Sorry -- I realize that disqualifies a bunch of good songs, but that way lies anarchy.

And my totally top of my head Top Eight is:

8. The Police -- De Do Do Do De Da Da Da



Hey, what can I tell you -- I just don't think that Sting is the devil. Sorry.

7. Liquorice John Death -- Everything I Do is Wrong




Yup, that's Procol Harum in 1970; producer Chris Thomas got them drunk and then took them into the studio one evening to cut an informal bunch of the rock and r&b songs they had played in sleazy early 60s dives when they were billed as The Paramounts. The droll song itself is by Charlie Rich, from his Sun Records rockabilly period, BTW.

6. Marshall Crenshaw -- What Do You Dream Of?




An overlooked pop gem from an equally overlooked gem of a 90s album. I defy you not to sing along with the chorus.

5. Dionne Warwick -- Don't Make Me Over



Along with "You Don't Own Me," I suspect this is the way every teenage girl in the 60s really wanted to talk to her boyfriend. And probably should have. In any case, yet another brilliant Bacharach/David song.

4. The Animals -- Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood




A Nina Simone cover and, dare I say it, an improvement on the genius original. I actually do a pretty decent solo piano and vocal version of this, although I'd have to have a couple of drinks in me before I'd dare to do it for anybody.

3. The Rolling Stones -- Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)




Goats Heads Soup is pretty weak beer compared to the three Stones albums that preceded it, but this track from it holds up pretty well, I think, and I bet some smart modern band could get a hit out of a remake. Send the royalties to me care of our PayPal account. And I don't want to hear any crap about the extra "o"'s.

2. The Killers -- Don't Shoot Me Santa



As I've said for the last few weeks, I think these guys are basically mediocre, but this way I get to post something recorded in this century, which I think is a good idea. Plus, it does seem there isn't a Listomania theme so obscure that we can't find one of their songs to exemplify it. Hey -- better them than Billy Corgan's pretentious cueball noggin again, right?

And the numero uno doobie doobie do(o) song of them all, it's blatantly fricking obvious, has got to be...

1. The Move -- Do Ya




The original, of course, and none of that ELO shit. Seriously, I'm glad Jeff Lynne ultimately had a hit with this, but it's criminal that the Move didn't get it first.

Alrighty then -- what would your choices be?

[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania -- theme: next disreputable genre film Quentin Tarantino should remake -- is now up over at Box Office. As always, it will really help me out with management if you could go over there and leave a comment, snarky or otherwise. Thanks!]

30 comments:

cthulhu said...

Well, lessee...

Tim Curry, I Do the Rock - whatever you think of "Rocky Horror", Curry put out a couple of pretty good LPs in the '79-'81 timeframe, and this is one of the top cuts from the first one.

more later maybe...

Brooklyn Girl said...

Do You Love Me - The Contours
Do You Want To Know A Secret - Beatles
Do You Want To Dance - Beach Boys

dave™© said...

No "Do You Believe In Magic?"

And then there's "Do It Again" by the Beach Boys.

I remember Greg Shaw raving about "Do Ya" in Creem Magazine when it came out. Took me years to finally find it. Yeah, MUCH superior to the ELO version...

geor3ge said...

Do Bears? - Rowan Atkinson and Kate Bush.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXp_sd5lS44

Anonymous said...

Warning: If anyone mentions a certain Rod Stewart song, I swear I'm gonna take a hostage. I mean it!

John Fowler said...

Top of this Listomania for me has to be:

R.E.M. - (Don't Go Back to) Rockville - from Reckoning
"Waitin' in the station for the bu-us"

There were several "Do you"s and "Don't you"s in last week's list! (eg, Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??)

And the Honorable Mentions, Negative Category:

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here Anymore - from Southern Accents
Elvis C. - (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea - from This Year's Model (UK version)
INXS - Don't Change - from Shabooh Shoobah
Graham Parker - Don't Ask Me Questions - from Howlin' Wind
Richard & Linda Thompson - Don't Renege on Our Love - from Shoot Out the Lights

Honorable Mentions, Positive Category:

Led Zeppelin - Hey Hey What Can I Do? - a B-side apparently, and my favorite track by this band
The Specials - Do the Dog - from their self-titled first

and, close with (why not?)
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Do You Wanna Touch Me ) - from Bad Reputation

steve simels said...

Led Zeppelin - Hey Hey What Can I Do? - a B-side apparently,

As they used to say in the NYTimes TV page -- "not reviewed by us."

Don't know that one and will have to research.

Anonymous said...

does post elvis include elvis?
elvis- do the clam
elvis- don't

steve simels said...

I knew somebody was gonna for "Do the Clam."

I think that deserves a post of its own at some point...
:-)

J. Loslo said...

Do-Whacka-Do, by Roger Miller
Don't Do Me Like That-- Tom Petty
Don't Spill Ketchup on My Toast Bread-- Park Central Squares

Yes, it's obscure, but I couldn't help myself.

Feral said...

Beatles - Love Me Do
Steely Dan - Don't Take Me Alive and Ricki Don't Lose That Number
Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up
The Knack - Good Girls Don't
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

And as we descend into hell...
Elton John and Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart.

Jon said...

(Don't you) forget about these...

Honey Don't - Beatles
Do I Do -- J. Giels
Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac
Don't You Forget About Me -- Simple Minds
Billy, Don't Be a Hero -- Paper Lace

From the times I've seen MC play I always got the impression that "What Do You Dream Of" was one of his personal favorites.

Noam Sane said...

Abba!

Man, would I like to be the jelly in that sandwich.

Elroy said...

Don't Worry Baby!

The song and the sentiment...

Anonymous said...

Charlie Don't Surf - The Clash
Don't Be Denied - Neil Young
Don't Worry About The Government - Talking Heads
Do You Think About Me? - Waco Brothers
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? - Ray Charles
Do The Dog - Specials

(And we used to have an alt-country chanteuse in Boston who called herself Miss Xanna Don't. Always cracked me up...)

Feral said...

And a 2fer:

Beatles - Why Don't We Do It in the Road?

David said...

I seem more attracted to the don'ts:
Ten Don’ts for Honeymoons: The Monochrome Set
Don’t Come Close: the Ramones
Don't Forget to Dance: The Kinks
Don’t Let Go the Coat: The Who
Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White: The Standells
Don’t Shake Me Lucifer: Roky Ericson
Don’t Slander Me: Roky Ericson
(Don’t Fear) the Reaper: B.O.C
Don’t Crash Here: Julian Cope
Do It: The Pink Fairies
Do You Like My New Car?: Frank Zappa
Don’t Sleep in the Subway: Petula Clark
Do You Remember Walter?: The Kinks
Do You Dream in Colour: Bill Nelson
Do It: The Buzzcocks
(Do Not Feed The) Oyster: Stephen Malkmus

David said...

Oh, and as for Tim Curry's "I Do the Rock" -- great track, or as Tim, intones, "STIMULATING, STIMULATING!"

ms. rosa said...

"The original, of course, and none of that ELO shit. Seriously, I'm glad Jeff Lynne ultimately had a hit with this, but it's criminal that the Move didn't get it first..."

This.

MBowen said...

Do It, Baby:

Do It '77 - Twink & The Fairies
Do It Again - The Kinks
Do It Clean - Echo & The Bunnymen
Do It For Love - Hall & Oates
Do It For My Sake - Richard Thompson
Do It Yourself - Drive-By Truckers

dSmith said...

The chorus from the song by the Killers. It's from an older song. From the 70s maybe. Anybody recognize it? It's driving me crazy.

Noam Sane said...

MBowen

Do It 'til You're Satisfied!

NYMary said...

Since it's my job around here to provide Shoes content, I will do so:

"Boys Don't Lie" (which is actually the title of the book I'm writing)

"Do You Wanna Get Lucky?"

"I Don't Miss You" (GREAT blow-off song)

"Feel the Way that I Do"

"Don't Do This to Me" (Another two-fer!)

And I've been listening to a lot of Portastatic, so let me toss in "Don't Disappear" to the mix.

Edward said...

Baby's Got A Brand New Hair Do - Elvis Costello

(I'm going to get hurt again, aren't I);>

Libby Spencer said...

I;m so late I can't believe nobody took the first one I thought of. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying. Gerry and the Pacemakers I think did it.

Libby Spencer said...

Oh and does Do Wah Diddy fit the time frame. Can't recall if it was done post-Beatles.

Libby Spencer said...

OK. You know I can never let the easy ones go when the old DFH bands haven't been covered. Thought of a bunch more.

Do the Freddie - Freddie + the Dreamers (And I've danced to it too)

You Don't Have to Cry - Crosby Stills + Nash

All I really Want to Do - Byrds

Don't Let It Bring You Down - Neil Young

Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr Or George Harrison. Can't quite recall.

Don't kill me for bringing up this one, but it popped into my head:
Don't Worry - Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin

And recycling one from a previous thread:

If You Don't Know Me By Now - still haven't remembered who did it. Think it's been covered by more than one person.

steves said...

Do It Again - Steely Dan (He-he, this one apparently slipped through the cracks.)

Honest I Do - Rolling Stones/Jimmy Reed (Written in 1957. Is that considered post-Elvis?)

Baby, What You Want Me to Do - Also by Jimmy Reed (1959)

Don't Do It - The Band

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

What Do We Do Now (when it's lying there with a busted heart!) -- John Hiatt

Don't Think Twice (once is enuf!) -- Dylan

Noam Sane said...

What do you do?
I don't know, no no no
But I do it every day

Why do you do it?
I don't know, no no no
I do it anyway

I do what I do, indeed I do
I do what I do, every day
Indeed...I do.