Friday, August 23, 2024

Weekend Listomania (Special "More Songs About Buildings and Food -- No, Just Food!" Video Edition)

[I originally posted a version of this back in 2008, and let's not even discuss how long ago that was. As usual, I've substituted some new entries and done some general rewriting, the idea being that you won't think I'm the lazy slacker I actually am. Thank you for your kind indulgence. -- S.S.]

Well, it's Friday, and you know -- or suspect -- what that means.

Yes, my congressional-manual-catharsis-technician Lauren Boebert and I will be following the road company of the new musical version of The Left Hand of God as part of their on-going tour of manicure joints at various shopping malls in safely Red states.

As a result, posting by moi will necessarily be somewhat fitful for a few days.

But until then, as always, here's a fun project for us all to contemplate:

BEST OR WORST POST-BEATLES COMMESTIBLE-THEMED POP/ROCK SONG OR BAND NAME!!!!

That's right, songs (and band names) referencing food and drink (nutritional value not important). Sorry about the post-Beatles thing, but otherwise there would be old songs too hideous/numerous to mention (so I won't mention any).

Another totally arbitrary rule: If anybody even mentions the band Bread, swear to god I'll take a hostage.

Why?

First of all, they mostly suck. Second of all, I am convinced they were in fact named in honor of money, not the staff of life.

Okay, here's my totally top of my head Top Ten:

10. The Murmaids -- Popsicles and Icicles

And speaking of Bread, I had no idea until yesterday that this pleasantly cheesy period (1964) piece of girl group schmaltz was actually written by Bread auteur David Gates. Hey -- I still think Bread sucks.

9. The Newbeats -- Bread and Butter

Also from 1964. I always liked this song, but until I found the video on YouTube I don't think I had ever seen the guys responsible for it, who are, let's face it, three of the biggest dorks ever. Interestingly (or tragically), the blonde guy in the middle went on to co-write Bette Midler's ever irksome "Wind Beneath My Wings."

9. Squeeze -- Black Coffee in Bed

I have a tendency to forget it, but these guys are fucking gods. I mean, wow.

8. Smashing Pumpkins -- Mayonaise

Believe it or not, I went through a period where I felt obligated to mention Billy Corgan and his pathetic bald dome in every Listomania I posted. Not sure why, except I figured I needed to be au courant.

7. ZZ Top -- TV Dinners

I was always partial to the Hungry Man Fried Chicken dinner, myself. Nice mashed potatoes and a cherry cobbler.

6. The Beatles -- Savoy Truffle

Not George Harrison's best song, perhaps, but the horns are a nice touch.

5. UB40 -- Red Red Wine

From the songbook of the great Neil Diamond, of course.

4. King Curtis -- Memphis Soul Stew

From Wiki: "On Friday August 13, 1971, at the height of a New York heat wave, King Curtis was carrying an air conditioner unit into his apartment at 50 W.86th St. He found his access blocked by two men administering drugs to themselves. He asked them to move. There was a scuffle, and one of the men, later identified as Juan Montanez, stabbed King Curtis in the heart with a knife. Curtis was hurried to Roosevelt Hospital, but was dead on arrival. The funeral was held four days later. As the mourners filed in, Curtis' Kingpins played an hour long version of "Soul Serenade" and a number of musicians got up to play. Jesse Jackson preached the service, and Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Cissy Houston, Brook Benton and Duane Allman were among those attending. Aretha sang the closing spiritual, 'Never Grow Old'. The Atlantic Records office closed for the day."

3. Hot Tuna -- Hesitation Blues

One of the things I loved about these guys was that they had actually wanted to call the band Hot Shit.

2. Blondie -- Eat to the Beat

I'll grant you drummer extraordinaire Clem Burke steals this one, but my god -- will you check out the cheekbones on the singer?

And the number one song about foodstuffs, it's so yummy that it's not even a contest so why are we talking, is --

1. Led Zeppelin -- The Lemon Song

What -- you mean it's not about citrus fruit?

Awrighty then -- what or who would your choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

39 comments:

  1. ZZ Top - Arrested for Driving While Blind

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ch-ch-ch-Cherry Bomb - Runaways
    Tangerine - Led Zeppelin
    Custard Pie - Led Zeppelin
    Red Meat - Jo Jo Gunne
    Strawberry Flats - Little Feat
    Hamburger Midnight - Little Feat
    Willin' - Little Feat (weed, whites and wine) (the three food groups)
    Penny Lane - Beatles (fish)
    Strawberry Fields Forever - Beatles
    Glass Onion - Beatles
    Honey Pie - Beatles
    Ballad of John & Yoko - Beatles (eating chocolate cake in a bag)
    Moby Grape (band name)
    Brown Sugar - Stones
    Sugar Sugar - Archies
    Sugar Babe - Youngbloods
    Bitch - Stones (horse meat pie)
    Monkey Man - Stones (lemon squeezer, cold Italian pizza)
    Till the Next We Say Goodbye - Stones (fancy food, fancy wine)
    Mother's Little Helper - Stones (frozen steak)
    Rock Lobster - B-52's
    Candy Store Rock - Led Zeppelin
    Cuddly Toy - Monkees (cherry delight)
    Tapioca Tundra - Monkees
    Jam Up and Jelly Tight - Tommy Roe
    Sweet Pea - Tommy Roe
    Peaches 'N Cream - Ikettes
    Sweet Cherry Wine - Tommy James & the Shondells
    I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Gladys, Martin, CCR
    Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows - Kesley Gore
    Do You Like My New Car - Mothers (cream corn, Yahoo!, rancid Budweiser)
    Latex Solar Beef - Mothers
    Ice Cream for Crow - Captain Beefheart
    Abba-Zaba - Beefheart (Abba-Zaba go-zoom Babbette Babboon)
    Call Any Vegetable - Mothers
    Peaches En Regalia - Frank Zappa
    Ice Cream Man - Van Halen
    New Potato Caboose - Dead
    Breakfast In Bed - Dusty
    Black Coffee - Ike & Tina
    My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small
    Electric Prunes (band name)
    Strawberry Alarm Clock
    Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds - Beatles (marshmallow pie, tangerine, marmalade)
    I Am the Walrus - Beatles (cornflakes, custard, egg)
    Stereo Chickens - Jerry Jeff Walker
    Deacon Blues - Steely Dan (Scotch whiskey)
    Black Cow - Steely Dan
    A Taste of Honey - Beatles
    When I'm 64 - Beatles (bottle of wine)
    Bottle of Wine - Fireballs
    Piggies - Beatles (bacon)
    Hairy Ass Hillbillies - Jerry Jeff Walker (I drunk all my whiskey and smoked all my beer)
    Vegetables - Beach Boys
    Wondring Aloud - Tull (toast as the butter runs)
    Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
    Do It Again - Steely Dan (water, milk & honey)
    Sour Grain - Humble Pie
    FM - Steely Dan (grapefruit wine)
    Sangria Wine - Jerry Jeff Walker
    Hotel California - Eagles
    VR in Santa Barbara

    There are a million more
    On the Border - Eagles
    Cheeseburger In Paradise - Buffett
    Coconut Telegraph - Buffett
    Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan (Cuervo Gold)
    Rice Pudding -Jeff Beck Group
    Pride of Cucamonga - Grateful Dead
    Stealing Watermelons - Elvin Bishop
    Shout Bamalama - Otis, Wet Willie (I love a chicken baby)
    Spill the Wine - Eric Burdon & War
    Lola - Kinks (coca-cola/cherry cola)
    You can't Always get what you want - my favorite flavor cherry red
    Starfucker - Stones ( Your tricks with fruit)


    VR in Santa Barbara

    workin' for peanuts is all very fine, but I can show you a better time: - )

    There are a million more

    ReplyDelete
  3. Vicki — that’s a great list, but you might wanna switch to decaf.😎

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never touch the stuff. That list was the product of a bunch of us during an after concert party at on old friend of ours' place. She lives right around the corner from where the Loud family used to live.

      VR

      Delete
  4. Too Much Pork for Just One Fork by Southern Culture On the Skids
    Lola by the Kinks (champagne and coca cola)
    Guava Jelly by Bob Marley & the Wailers
    Rolly Polly by the Little Willies (ha ha)
    rs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. spelled it wrong actually is Roly Poly - contains a whole shopping list of foodstuffs!

      Delete

  5. Southern Culture On The Skids - "8 Piece Box", "Fried Chicken And Gasoline", "Banana Puddin'" (I guess these guys are hungry a lot)

    ReplyDelete
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5zzrJjefTs

    A New Zealand classic about cannibalism; "Puha and Pakeha"

    Puha is a wild green, Pakeha is the Maori name for the invading Europeans. Bon Appetite!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You get a coveted PowerPop No-Prize© for that one, pal. 😎

      Delete
  7. Nice Monty Python reference! (cheesy comestibles)

    Along the line of cool treats:
    Popsicle-Jan and Dean (sometimes called Popsicle Truck)
    Ice Cream Man-Jonathan Richman
    Uncle Joe, the Ice Cream Man-Mindbenders (written by Graham Gouldman).

    Regarding the last entry, Lefsetz recently really smoked out the 10cc fans; makes me wish I'd went to their recent northern IL show.

    King Curtis deserved to be called "king." What a tragedy.

    Bread: I heard them via my older sisters' records and of course on the radio and have a soft spot for them. Power pop fans should check out "Down on My Knees," an album track that is terrific. Also, for budding guitarists the riff of "Mother Freedom" was just as popular as "Smoke on the Water" among the garage bands in my town.

    Bob in IL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bread did some dreck. But they were talented and tight in spite of being a little too white. Bob in IL mentions Mother Freedom. Fuck yeah. I was in a band that did that tune along with their "Easy Love" (which I sang in the first person) and "Look What You've Done."

      Saw them three times unintentionally. Once our boyfriends' band opened for them at the Whisky. That was early on, probably late '69. Next I saw them in Anaheim. The reason I went is because Steely Dan was opening behind their debut record. Third time was when Burton Cummings opened for them, also in Anaheim. Cummings did mostly Guess Who songs interspersed with some new cheesy stuff. It was on a date I had with a polyester shirted, white belted attorney. The third time was interesting because, in addition to Gates, Griffin, Knechtel & Botts they had fuckin' Dean Parks on lead guitar. "Mother Freedom" was a stretched out mother.

      And I still maintain Gates' "Been Too Long On the Road" is a pop masterpiece.

      VR

      Delete
  8. One More for The Road - Frank Sinatra

    Captain Al

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  9. Yvonne Elliman's second LP - from 1972 - is titled "Food Of Love", and the very cool Track one/Side one is called "Casserole Me Over"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Her best performance ever. Never heard her sing so emphatically and convincingly, A classic, I mean, so passionate when she delivers lines like "Watch while I puke in your chicken foot soup."

      As Harry Hoo would say, "Amazing,"

      VR

      Delete
  10. ice Cream Truck - Pere Ubu

    For anyone ever driven nuts by an ice cream truck playing that damn tinkly jingle over & over &....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can actually play the Mr. Softee theme on the piano. I used to warm up with it at band gigs, which did not endear me to the my colleagues. 😎

      Delete
  11. XTC - Apple Venus
    XTC - Oranges and Lemons

    ReplyDelete
  12. NRBQ - RC Cola and a Moon Pie

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mexican Wine - Fountains of Wayne
    Pineapple Head - Crowded House
    Senses Working Overtime (all the world is biscuit shaped...) - XTC

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Okay, I'd forgotten the Fountains of Wayne song -- love that!!!

      Delete
  14. And of course... The French Toast Man - Rev. Fred Lane and his Hittitie Hotshots

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Kinks: Hot Potatoes
    Blue Ridge Rangers: Jambalaya (yeah, I know it's a pre-Beatles song)
    Big 'Aye!' to Scottish band Orange Juice
    Does Goat's Head Soup count? Or American Pie? Or Bananarama?

    And speaking of Bread, I always reflexively disliked them until I found out about ultimate session cat Larry Knechtel being in the group.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Rob B Mullen8/23/2024 4:21 PM

    Vickie's list is quite the challenge, I'll do my best. 1st, Steve you listed two of my favorite bands, Squeeze and Hot Tuna
    Jorma, I'm not worthy
    Here we go -
    Zappa - Yellow Snow
    Simon and G - Scarborough Fair
    Sammy Hagar - Rick Candy
    Hot Tuna - Burgers
    Robert Johnson - They're Red Hot
    Carly Simon - Your So Vain
    th,th,th,th,th, That's all folks
    Porky Pig 🐷
    rob

    ReplyDelete
  17. “Fish Heads” - Barnes & Barnes
    “Red Beans” - Professor Longhair
    "The Spam Song" - Monty Python
    "Reds" - The Morells
    “St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast” - Frank Zappa
    "Hot Dog" - Buck Owens
    "Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" - Archie Bell and the Drells
    "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes Theme Song"
    “Daddy Wants A Cold Beer” - The A-Bones
    "Somebody Buy Me A Drink" - Oscar Brown Jr, David Johansen
    "Boozy Blues" - Toni Price
    "Too Much Coffee" - Toni Price
    "The Bottle Let Me Down" - Merle Haggard
    "Pointless Drinking" - Amy LaVere
    "Why I Drink" - Go To Blazes
    "Haze Of Drink" - Slobberbone
    "I'm At Home Gettin' Hammered (While She's Out Gettin' Nailed") - Jesse Dayton

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now I gotta pull out my Morells album....

      Delete
    2. Yes you do, it's a classic! Here's the official "Reds" video:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfs-TFt96T0

      Delete
  18. Eat It by Weird Al Yankovic ( a parody of MJ Beat It song)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wharf Rat - Grateful Dead (burgundy wine)
    Hot Dog - Led Zeppelin
    Killer Queen - Queen (Moet et Shandon, let them eat cake, caviar & cigarettes
    Brown Eyed Women - Grateful Dead (red grenadine)
    Easy Wind - Grateful Dead (hide my liquor)
    Living in the USA - Steve Miller Band (somebody gimme a cheeseburger)
    Before You Get Your Breakfast - Jo Jo Gunne
    Black Licorice - Grand Funk Railroad
    Something In the Water - Toni Price
    Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March - Box Tops
    Cream (band name)
    Vanilla Fudge (band name)
    Milk Train - Airplane
    Eggs and Sausage - Tom Waits
    Wild Turkey (underrated band name)
    Wild Turkey - Airplane
    Lime Street - Procol Harum
    Dolly Dagger - Hendrix (Doughnut boys)
    Sweet Wine - Cream
    Piano Man - Billy Joel
    Cold Gin - Kiss
    Tea For One - Led Zeppelin

    VR

    cocaine and quiet beers, sweet candy and caramels

    ReplyDelete
  20. Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast (was that mentioned already?)

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  21. I hate Cherry Pie by Warrant.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Cups and Cakes - The Thamesmen (or was it The New Originals?)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Susan Lawrence - The Sperm Song
    (some people swallow)

    Top that!

    Captain Al

    ReplyDelete
  24. Good ones:

    Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
    Green Onions - Booker T & The MGs
    Cheese & Onions (I may not be able to mention the Beatles, but I will mention the Rutles)


    ReplyDelete
  25. Your ZZ Top song reminded me of the Kursaal Flyers who did a different song also titled T.V. Dinners.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKu6aTGLfE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! The Kursaals…. They were terrific!

      Delete
  26. In addition to the Murmaids' hit, David Gates also wrote "My One & Only Jimmy Boy" by the Girlfriends. It was a Top 50 hit on the Colpix label in 1963 and is one of the best Phil Spector sound-alikes ever.

    Whether you love or loathe Bread (or both), Gates did pay his dues for a long time in the music biz before he hit paydirt. An Australian reissue company called Rare Rockin' put out a CD on his early years and it contains over 30 tracks of songs he wrote (including the aforementioned Girlfriends' track) between 1962 and 1967.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Fucking spell check!That should have read Sussman Lawrence.

    Captain Al

    ReplyDelete
  28. Note: A reasonable likeness of this was supposed to post around three in the morning PST. Internet goblins apparently got the better of it. But, who knows, I was kinda altered at the time,

    Whiskey Train – Procol Harum
    Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum (When I called for another drink)
    Whiskey Women – Mott the Hoople
    Whiskey River – Willie Nelson
    This Town Is a Sealed Tuna Sandwich – Zappa-Mothers
    Already Gone – Eagles (eat your lunch all by yourself)
    Elderberry Wine – Elton John
    Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young
    Another Brick In the Wall – Floyd (meat, pudding)
    White Lightning and Wine – Heart
    Pressed Rat & Warthog – Cream (atonal apples)
    Barracuda – Heart
    White Rabbit – Airplane (feed your head)
    Breakfast In America - Supertramp
    Coconut – Nilsson
    Life Is a Minestrone – 10cc
    Call Me the Breeze – J.J. Cale/Skynyrd (Georgia Peaches)
    Orange Skies – Love (cotton candy)
    Grits Ain’t Groceries – Little Milton
    Walk This Way – Aersosmith (you ain’t seen nothin’ till you’re down on a muffin)
    Eat the Rich – Aerosmith
    Coney Whitefish Boy - Aerosmith
    Back Door Man – Doors (You men eat your dinner, eat your pork & beans, I eat more chicken any man ever seen) (yeah I know it pre-dates the Beatles, but it really doesn’t. They were gigging Hamburg)
    Vegetable Man – Floyd
    Mama Told Me Not to Come – Three Dog Night (Want some whiskey in your water, sugar in your tea)
    Cat Food – King Crimson
    White Sugar – Frampton
    Do You Feel Like We Do? – Frampton (wine)
    Good Booze and Bad Women – Humble Pie
    Humble Pie (band name)
    Whiskey Night – REO (with Joe Walsh on slide)
    Rock ‘n’ Roll Stew – Traffic
    Flying Burrito Brothers (band name)
    Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon (big dish of neef chow mein)
    Supper’s Ready - Genesis
    Daiquiris & Dice - Mother Truckers
    L.A. Freeway – Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark (moldy box of vanilla wafers)
    Texas Cookin’ – Guy Clark
    Homegrown Tomatoes – Guy Clark
    Honky Tonk Women – Stones (gin soaked)
    TV Dinner – ZZ Top
    Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers - ZZ Top
    Loving Cup – Stones (spill the beans)
    Balinese – ZZ Top (whiskey)
    Whiskey Rock ‘n’ Roller – Skynyrd

    VR still hanging with the Santa Barbarians. Los Agaves Mexican food and Charlie Musselwhite earlier. The night is young. Gonna get looser with Eddy & the Falcons spinning. On deck Suzi Quatro


    ReplyDelete
  29. Todd Rundgren - Boogies (Hamburger Hell) - includes Big Mac components list

    ReplyDelete