91Èȱ¬

Good tune, looking forward to the album release on March 8th.

good song definately a grower though, hoping for a proper single release closer to the album because this song just doesn't feel like a first single in the same way as Clint Eastwood or Feel Good Inc.

yeah its ok, nothing special in my opinion.

i just cant ever stop myself thinking the whole Gorillaz thing is just to keep Damon amused as he isnt good at anything else. including living a quiet life. and he still feels the to get one over Coxon.

i love gorillaz. they always keep things fresh, arty, but i agree with harry, 'stylo' is definatley not as strong lead single as 'clint eastwood' or 'feel good inc.'. the latter still gets played regularly on my iPod.

oh, and hey everyone! it's my first post. i'm gareth:) pleasure to join you all!

I say this song has far less potential and first-listen impact than Feel Good Inc... which is a shame because I was looking forward to this album... I'm a wee bit dubious about it now.

Yes I know I said recently , that I wouldn't comment on Chartblog for a while . but there is someting in the words of this review , that has absolutely had me thinking , ever since someone brought it to my attention.

We are talking about the wonderfully talented Damon Albarn , and the review states :

"He also has to be the only lead singer/songwriter in popular music history who has not attempted to relaunch himself as a solo act . "

Just think about that for a second ...

The reviewer is stating that Damon Albarn is the only lead singer/songwriter ever NOT to relaunch himself as a solo act !

The only one !

Well you guys may not have noticed this comment , but as soon as a colleague read this , they notified me , and we brainstormed a few singers that totally dis - prove that comment . (It was great fun too ! )

Right . We are looking for singer/songwriters in bands who started up side projects ( like Damon, BLUR to Gorilllaz ) but not as a solo act .

1) DAVE GROHL

Dave is the main singer/songwriter of the Foo Fighters and he has just LAUNCHED a side project called THEM CROOKED VULTURES with Josh Homme from QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE , and John Paul Jones from LED ZEPPELIN . . Definitely NOT a solo act .

2) JOSH HOMME -See above . From QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE to THEM CROOKED VULTURES .

3) NEIL TENNANT

Neil is lead singer and co songwriter of THE PET SHOP BOYS who have had countless hits and 4 Number 1 singles.

Did he relaunch himself as a solo act ?

No !
He formed ELECTRONIC with Bernie SUMNER of NEW ORDER and Johnny Marr from The Smiths . They had hits such as Getting Away With It and Disappointed .

4) BERNIE SUMNER

Singer/songwriter of New ORDER
Did he relaunch himself as a solo act ?
No , he formed ELECTRONIC.

5)JACK WHITE

Main singer/songwriter of THE WHITE STRIPES.
They dis-banded.
Solo act ?

No he formed THE RACONTEURS who had a wonderful top 5 hit with Steady As She Goes , did 2 albums , and then he formed THE DEAD WEATHER.

In between he released a duet with ALICIA KEYS called ANOTHER WAY TO DIE , from QUANTUM OF SOLACE .

6)ALEX TURNER

Singer/songwriter of the ARCTIC MONKEYS , who have had 3 number 1 albums.
Relaunched as a solo act ?
No !
He formed THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS with Miles Kane , and they had a number 1 album with THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT.

Ok , there's 6 in detail , here comes the summary of loads more...

7)JOHN LYDON

THE SEX PISTOLS to PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED

8)SIMON LE BON

DURAN DURAN to ARCADIA , never solo.

9) LUKE STEELE

THE SLEEPY JACKSON to EMPIRE OF THE SUN

10) DAVE WAKELING

THE BEAT to GENERAL PUBLIC .

11)JAMES BOURNE

BUSTED to SON OF DORK

12)CHARLIE SIMPSON

BUSTED to FIGHTSTAR .

13)ROBERT SMITH

THE CURE to SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES to THE GLOVE .
Never solo .

14)PAUL HEATON

THE HOUSEMARTINS to THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

15) SIMON NEIL

BIFFY CLYRO to MARMADUKE DUKE.

So there you have it ladies and gentleman , proof that the brilliant Damon Albarn IS NOT the only singer/songwriter in pop music history , not to relaunch himself as a solo act !

There must be tons of others , can anyone name anymore ?

Feel free to be divine in your method Thranjax.

Love to all , see you soon.

Spirit .

Glad you appreciate the list , it was done in 5 minutes of brainstorming and was great fun to do .

Glad you accept that there are many lead singer/songwriters who have attempted to relaunch themselves but NOT as a solo act .

Damon is in very good company.

I guess Spirit's rule to be divine in my method is a nod towards the Divine Comedy, since Neil Hannon has yet to record an album under his own name.

I was going to say Pete Doherty, but he has released a solo album, unfortunately.

Gerard Way? I don;t remember a solo from him.

Eddie Vedder?

Axl Rose?

Phil Oakey - I know he did Electric Dreams, but no solo as such.

NEIL HANNON from the DIVINE COMEDY to the DUCK WORTH LEWIS METHOD . cool .

Jack White does have a solo career he released a single last year called Fly Farm Blues.

According to Lord Google, Eddie Vedder has released a solo album, it was a soundtrack. Nothing for Gerard Way or Axl.

Fraser, i am reminded of a Jasper Carrott line: Everyone makes mistakes, as the Dalek said climbing off a dustbin.

Bradley from S Club 7.

I wonder what happens if you complain about your own comment.

Nothing apparently.

Bradley was not the lead singer of S Club 7. How dare you.

BTW, I took "he also has to be the only lead singer/songwriter in popular music history who has not attempted to relaunch himself as a solo act" to be a lighthearted exaggeration to make a point, rather than a declaration of empirical fact.

Lord Google also says Mali Music and Democrazy are Damon Albarn solo issues.

Lord Amazon says differently about Mali Music: "Ko Kan Ko Sata Doumbia, Toumani Diabate, Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn".

He agrees on Demo Crazy though.

Oh I think Lords Google and Amazon know better than any mere "artist" does about their own work Fraser.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I have no idea. I said that this: "Ko Kan Ko Sata Doumbia, Toumani Diabate, Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn" --

might not be a list of names, but a statement in Malinese where Mali in general is declining any further musical input from the Lord of Parklife. No offence intended to anyone!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

"This decision has been made because it contains words or phrases in a non-English language. Non-English languages, codes, and text speak should not be included in your posting."

For the love of...

That is a ridiculous rule. In fact, it's making me lose my raison d'etre, and my joie de vivre has gone out the window.

Yt ppl gt awy wit typin lk dis?!?

This house rule seems to be (at best) indirect discrimination and at worst outright racism.

I vote for the latter and say that we must rise up against our cruel dictators! (the mods)

I mean, "non-english languages and codes" ?? If it's in code, what difference does it make whether it's in English or not?

Depressingly, Stylo failed to chart this week. I hope it does soon. I'm really dissappointed. (I mean, I wouldn't have bought the single if I'd have known it wouldn't have made it).

Oh well, at least the industry and Damon get some money. The silver lining to the cloud, as it were.

Harry, this isn't a mod issue, it is an ingrained HOUSE RULE. I think it stinks for the reasons mentioned above.

Can´t one even mention Abba´s Voulez-Vous? Or is is just non Western European languages that are off limits? So we can´t talk about hits from Hungaria anymore? I´m with you here Thranjax.

Hungary, obviously. *blushes*

²Ñü²Ô³¦³ó±ð²Ô.

Hungaria was a great country! Shame about the civil war, and the gateway to another dimension that sucked it into oblivion so we never remember it existing. :)

At 37, looks like german place names are ok. Even an umlaut!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

But we draw the line, apparently, at Polish song names, so I can't talk about Polish music to you. And that comment named one of my favourite polish songs!

Shame really about the Great Empire of Hungaria that never gets a mention these days. Or indeed Polandia for that matter.
What was that Czech czoon called again? Oh you know the one. The one that wasn´t about politics. At all.

Actually, there isn´t an umlaut anywhere there (37) Thran. Umlaut is au and äu and suchlike. I don´t even know how to make a german u with the dots, let alone what it´s called. A German u maybe? It´s a long shot, but hey, who´s still around to notice...

9C says it's a U-umlaut.

You have to press alt and key in the relevant code on your number pad then release alt.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Lol. You're going to catch me with deleted posts soon!

That at 46 was an experiment to see if the german word for forbidden was forbidden. It seems that it is!

Alright i stand corrected. I knew it. ALWAYS check Wikipedia! :)
Cheers for the info btw, it goes splendidly; Mzczunchen. Möåöäöunchen. M£$$€unchen.

Post 50! Half a century of oppression!

Oh, cracked it now. München!!! They can´t keep us down!

Ne te confundant chartbloggimi

Too right!

In a nod to Thranjax having so many posts removed because of him writing in a foreign language , I am gonna write what I think are Thranjax's ten favourite foreign language song title songs.....

I am aware , I will have to post in chunks , just in case . . .

Well I already posted one at 40 and they were having none of it!

1) MI CHICO LATINO - GERI HALLIWELL

Yeah , bit of a shock that Thranjax's favourite Geri song isn't IT'S RAINING MEN , but there you go !
A life full of surprises .

2) LIVIN LA VIDA LOCA - RICKY MARTIN

It is a little known pop fact that back in 1991 , in Puerto Rico , Thranjax taught Ricky Martin how to dance !

3) VOULEZ VOUS - ABBA

Thranjax has been to Sweden several times , and each time it co-incided with the 2 couples of Abba divorcing .

Go figure !

Just what was going on late at night in that Volvo factory ?

4) B*WITCHED - C'EST LA VIE

Thranjax loved their sexy Irish accents , but was taken by the fact that their first 4 singles all went to number 1 !

1) Everyone needs a little bit of latin inside them Spirit.

2) If by "how to dance" you mean "to fade into obscurity" and by "taught" you mean "persuaded", then yes.

3) Assembly, my dears, rivets and spigots.

5) DORIS DAY - WHATEVER WILL BE , WILL BE (QUE SERA , SERA )

One of Thranjax's favourite romantic comedies is Pillow Talk , where Doris stars alongside the gorgeous Rock Hudson .

Nuff said !

5) Doris by day, Rock by Night.

LOL

Not sure I can continue with your chart , with you breathing down my neck !

:)

B*WITCHED - I don't remember them very well. Will check google.

Oh yes, remember them now. Cellar 52 I think, under the oil stove.

At 63, will back off a bit then Mr S.

Well I will continue and try to get to 10 .

6) TENPOLE TUDOR - WUNDERBAR

Back in the 80's Thranjax lived with a German shot putter called Helmut Kuntz .

Their days involved walking their seven dogs in a local park .
It was a Utopian PARADISE , before Helmut suffered a bizarre gardening accident .

7) LUCIANO PAVOROTTI - NESSUN DORMA

Back in the 80's , in a small Italian village , Thranjax challenged an 8 stone Pavorotti to a spaghetti eating contest .

It is this moment in history ,where the singer got a taste for fine food, that is largely attributed to Luciano's future weight gain . . . .

Wow Thranjax was busy in the 80s!

8) THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS - J'AI HO

If Thranjax had waited on the train platform for just 5 more minutes , he would have been in this video .

9) VANESSA PARADIS - JOE LE TAXI

Also back in the 80's Vanessa Paradis dated both Thranjax AND Jonny Depp !!

Why on earth she ditched Thranjax , and settled on successful , millionaire , film actor Jonny Depp is a mystery to many !!!!

10) MANIC STREET PREACHERS - LA TRISTESSE DURERA.

All of Thranjax's Motorcycle Emptiness disappears , when he hears this brilliant band !!!

And that ladies and gentlemen , wraps up Thranjax's foreign language song title top ten.....

*Johnny Depp .

Well no doubt , Thranjax will comment on his chart when he has finished winning his Streetwise Scunthorpe Sunday Pub Quiz.....

6) This is, oddly enough, precisely what happened to me during the 80s.

7) Luciano got very enthusiastic, it took ten men to pull me out of him.

8) Yes, I waited on the platform, but when I saw the Pussycat Dolls coming I tossed myself over the edge. ©Max Miller 1940, used with emission.

9) Vanessa found too much pleasure to be a burden, and decided she needed a break. And lots of money.

10) More of a Holy Bible fan myself. 4 Real!

Well as I know Thranjax has got a superb sense of humour , and hasn't sued anyone for at least 5 years , I feel strangely compelled to continue with 11-20 of Thranjax's foreign language song title chart.....

11) DOLLAR - OH L'AMOUR

Thranjax had a huge falling out with Dollar singer David Van Day in 2002 !

Strangely , it had nothing to do with music.
They were both fighting over who would run the Burger Van on Scunthorpe High Street !

12) ZUCHERRO FEATURING PAUL YOUNG - SENZA UNA DONNA

In a chance meeting in a Soho Coffee Shop in 1982 , Thranjax and Paul Young started to discuss music.
Paul's musical career had started to stall , so in a fit of desperation , he paid Thranjax £1000 for artistic advice !

Thranjax famously told Paul :

"Go home son , but on the way , I want you to stop in that big record shop on Piccadilly Circus. Then I want you to go to the old 1960's singles section , and pick up the first single that catches your eye, and then....and this is the important part.... I want you to get a new band together and record the "b" side of this single , NOT the "a" side. "

Paul was understandably shocked at this , but immediately left the Soho Coffee Shop and went to the record shop . He went to the 1960's singles section , and felt a srange power and he picked up the Marvin Gaye classic number 1 from 1969 " I Heard It Through The Grapevine. "

Paul immediately turned the single over to see what the "b" side was.

"Wherever I Lay My Hat , That's My 91Èȱ¬", Paul shouted , to the amazement of the other shoppers.

He raced home , took Thranjax's advice , formed a new band , and recorded the song .

In 1983 . Wherever I Lay My Hat , went to NUMBER 1 , and became a very famous hit.
It was £1000 , well spent !

When Thranjax , was given this money in Soho , it is unsure what he used the money for , but 2 days later , he reported that he had spent it all.

Sadly after the huge 80's global hit of Wherever I lay My Hat (That's my home ), with the ecomomic downturn and the credit crunch , in 2009 , Paul Young had his hat repossessed .

13) LOS LOBOS - LA BAMBA

This song was a number 1 in the 80's .

In 1994 , when asked by Empire Magazine which film he had watched most in his life , Thranjax stated that he had watched LA BAMBA , the story of Richie Valens over 20 times .

In 1995 , the world saw the release of the soft porn classic " SHOWGIRLS " , about a young woman becoming a lap dancer in Las Vegas.

This film , with an estimated viewing record of 107. ( compiled by Thranjax's wife ! ) , is now his most watched movie.

14 ) MADONNA - LA ISLA BONITA

Whilst he was bending over to pick up a dime in Madonna's dressing room on her Like A Prayer tour , Thranjax injured his back .

It was while he was recovering in a Hollywood Hospital , that he helped Madonna co - write her controversial book " Sex " , and help Jean Paul Gaultier design her now famous "conical " bra , for her "Hanky Panky " tour.

Thranjax can be very useful , when led in bed !

15) THE SPICE GIRLS - VIVA FOREVER

Back in 1999 , Thranjax was heard boasting to his friends in a Scunthorpe nightclub, that before they were famous, he was once in the Spice Girls .

It is still not certain , to this day , which ones he meant .

11 - I won, and after a turn in an industrial blender, the van ran quite well on Van Day for some weeks. Must have been all the ethanol.

16) SERGE GAINSBOURGE AND JANE BIRKIN - JE T'AIME (MOI NON PLUS )

This was a very steamy song , and a number 1 back in 69 .
Appropriately enough !

12 - If only Doctor and the Medics had taken the same advice, we would have had that psychedelic cover of Milk Cow we were waiting for!

13 - 108

14 - LED in bed? LED? It doesn't light up!

15 - Are you sure that was me?

16 - I don't remember the sixties very well.

14 - Maybe I should have written ..

" Thranjax can be very useful when he is "lead " in bed ."

lol

17 ) ELVIS PRESLEY - VIVA LAS VEGAS !

A lot of people think this song is about debauchery , dancing girls and dens of depravity .

The songs origins can be traced back to 1967 , when Thranjax was Elvis Presley's driver , and chauffered The King around Las Vegas in an old , clapped out Vauxhall Viva .

It was one hot Summer night ,when Thranjax and Elvis were driving around in that old Vauxhall Viva that they composed "Viva Las Vegas. "

18 ) BILL WYMAN - JE SUIS UN ROCK STAR

When Bill Wyman sensationally quit the Rolling Stones in the early 80's , Thranjax was asked by ROCK AND ROLL LEGENDS , and party animals Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to play bass guitar on a world tour for The Stones .

However , after a party in Los Angeles in 1982 , where there was an unfortunate incident involving Thranjax , two nuns , a fire extinguisher , Charlie Watts's drumstick , a bugle , a rampaging tiger , a Rolls Royce , Trevor Francis , Bucks Fizz , Bruce Forsyth , a stolen Toucan and a gas explosion , Thranjax was asked to leave The Rolling Stones after only 3 days .

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

20) COLDPLAY - VIVA LA VIDA

Whilst they were on the set of dark horror thriller SE7EN , Gwyneth Paltrow fell in love with Brad Pitt .
Sadly as this romance cooled , and Miss Paltrow was feeling low , in stepped Thranjax who suggested that his good friend Chris Martin may prove to be a more suitable suitor for Gwyneth .
The rest , as they say , is history.

Thranjax has indeed shaped many important moments in pop history , some he can remember ,some he cannot and some where me or his therapist , kindly fill in the gaps for him.

Nonetheless , the effect that Thranjax has had on the pop music landscape is nothing short of stunning !

Thranjax, you've always struck me as a bit of a Forrest Gump type, and now here we have the proof.

"Ah'm not a smart mayn... but ah know wut pop eeyuz."

Brilliant observation Curtains . lol

17 - I don't remember the sixties very well.

18 - You forgot the dwarves. And yes, it took three days to remove me from the Stones.

19 - Moderated!

20 - And I'm the only one who knows what was really in that box....

Brilliant stuff Spirit! Thank you for filling in my gaps. Ohh Err.

Curtains - Less Forrest Gump, more Zelig.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Oh please , who is in charge of moderation today ?

Mary Poppins ?