MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – DECEMBER 2012

It’s the end of 2012 and there’s a killer on the cover of Q. Not an actual killer, but Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers.

2013 will see the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones, a year which will see new music and a documentary, this getting a single page feature from Q.

Charlotte Church gets a two page interview, where she reveals pensioners still turn up at her concerts thinking she will perform her opera hits.

The band Keane get a five page profile as Q goes on tour with them in Japan, and are having a more successful time that Roy Keane did in Japan ten years previously.

Also featured is someone else looking to have success in a foreign country, asking why Breaking Bad isn’t available in the UK.

Q features the recent trend of musicians becoming DJs, with a profile of Radio 6 Music stars Cerys Matthews, Jarvis Cocker, Guy Garvey and Huey Morgan.

Cover star Brandon Flowers is interviewed as part of an eight page feature on The Killers, revealing that he believes he will one day overtake The Osmonds as the world’s most famous Mormon.

In live reviews, Q goes to see George Michael in London, back on the concert trail after a near fatal bout of pneumonia.

The magazine ends with a Q and A with Florence Welch, who reveals she has no plans to follow David Cameron on Twitter.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 21.6.2019

1. Liam Gallagher – Shockwave
2. Two Door Cinema Club – Talk
3. Of Monsters And Men – Alligator
4. Keane – The Way I Feel
5. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend

50 YEARS OF TOP OF THE POPS : MAY 30 – JUN 5

It’s June now, and summer is almost here, so what does the birth and deaths register of pop have in store for us.

Tim Burgess is 47 this week.

Tom Robinson edges another year closer to a Bus Pass, where he can travel along the 2-4-6-8 Motorway

Meanwhile, there’s two Stones birthdays this week. Bet Mick buys 2 for 1 presents for Ronnie and Charlie too.

(PEDANTS BEWARE : Yes, I know Ronnie Wood isn’t in this video, but there appears to be no Stones appearances on TOTP with Ronnie Wood on Youtube)

(DISCLAIMER : First video introduced by Jimmy Savile)

Tony Hadley turned 54 this week, but let’s throw this curveball into the mix. Pop fact, Tony Hadley made a 3 second cameo appearance in the video for this song.

I went to Tim Rice-Oxley from Keane’s birthday party this week. Where was it? Somewhere only we know.

Bit of 90s nostalgia now …

Meanwhile, Kelly Jones turned the big 40 this week.

This week’s sad anniversary ……. three years since Andrew Gold from Wax died.

Back to birthdays, and I doubt Tony McCarroll, formerly of Oasis will be getting any cards from Liam and Noel. He got sacked soon after this performance.

And finally, to end this week, a shot of JD ……. Jason Donovan that is.

And, it would be rude not to.

50 YEARS OF TOP OF THE POPS : MAR 7 – MAR 13

We begin this week’s round-up celebrating the birth of Paul Cattermole of S Club 7. I love S Club 7 and I don’t care who knows it.

Also celebrating a birthday this week, is a singer called Cheryl, a national treasure who had a TV career as well. Not her soon to be back on X-Factor. I am, of course, referring to Cheryl Baker.

Sharing a birthday with her is Gary Numan.

And “Freak Like Me”, from the week when Gary Numan was a member of the Sugababes.

It’s easy to mock Keane (the band, not Roy Keane though) but this is a brilliant song.

And now, a band that is as easy as 123, and are not to be confused with AC/DC …… ABC (Warning : Video introduced by Jimmy Savile)

Remember “What I Am” by Emma Bunton? Well, it’s a cover, and the original by Edie Brickell is far better.

Emeli Sande gets everywhere, and she’s even made it onto this blog. Easy to mock her, but this song is bloody brilliant.

46 this week, was 90s one hit wonder Lisa Loeb. This is a brilliant song. (Also, feel free to look up “I Do”, which should have been her second hit, if there was any justice)

Last week, we had The Proclaimers, this week, our twins (It won’t be a weekly thing) are Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte.

45 this week was Graham Coxon of Blur, one of the best singles bands of the 90s, if not ever. So, we’ll include their two Number Ones, “Country House” which beat “Roll With It” by Oasis to Number One.

The definitive answer ……… both Oasis and Blur are brilliant. Oasis are better than Blur, but “Country House” is better than “Roll With It”

….. and “Beetlebum”, their second Number One, which is actually far better than the single which followed it, “Song 2”.

Also big in 1997 was Eternal, currently on ITV 2’s ‘The Big Reunion’. Not a massive Eternal fan, but this is superb.

28 this week was Danny Jones from McFly/McBusted, performing “One For The Radio”, ironically, on the TV.

If he was alive today, Scatman John would have been 72.

Born this week (in England, but shhhh about that) in 1960 was Adam Clayton of U2. Here they are before they became too big for Top Of The Pops. Anyway, you wouldn’t have been able to fit a 30 foot lemon into Television Centre.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 25.10.2013

1. Franz Ferdinand – Evil Eye
2. Arlissa – Into The Light
3. VV Brown – The Apple
4. Lucy Rose – Movin On Up
5. Keane – Won’t Be Broken

And so, X-Factor continues, with yet more vague themes. Last week – Love and Heartbreak.

So, here’s five songs that the performers would have been better off singing.

FIVE LOVE SONGS

1. James – Just Like Fred Astaire
2. Erasue – Always
3. Billie Piper – Day And Night
4. 10CC – The Things We Do For Love
5. The Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

FIVE HEARTBREAK SONGS

1. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
2. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
3. Paloma Faith – New York
4. Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone
5. Blink 182 – I Miss You

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 18.10.2013

1. Franz Ferdinand – Evil Eye
2. London Grammar – Strong
3. Lorde – Royals
4. Aviici – You Make Me
5. Keane – Higher Than The Sun

The X-Factor live shows are back. Yay! As is tradition, I shall do a Top five, where possible, on the previous week’s theme.

I give it about two weeks before they give up and make up the themes as they go along.

Last weekend, was 80s Week, and there was a disappointing lack of songs from 1979 and 1990 performed.

FIVE SONGS FROM THE 1980s

1. Falco – Rock Me Amadeus
2. Starship – We Built This City
3. Simple Minds – Don’t You Forget About Me
4. Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love
5. Reynolds Girls – I’d Rather Jack

THE SOUND OF 2012 : 1-25

So, here we go, the waiting is over ……… the best 25 songs of 2012

1. Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
2. Wonder Villains – TV
3. Coldplay ft Rihanna – Princess Of China
4. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
5. M83 – Midnight City
6. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
7. Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen
8. Little Mix – Wings
9. Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care Of Our Own
10. The Killers – Runway
11. Lenka – Everything At Once
12. Paloma Faith – Thirty Minute Love Affair
13. Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone
14. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
15. The Shins – Simple Song
16. Keane – Silenced By The Night
17. Paul Weller – The Attic
18. Tegan and Sara – Closer
19. Ren Harvieu – Open Up Your Arms
20. Katy Perry – Wide Awake
21. Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle
22. Jessie Ware – Wildest Moments
23. Fun ft Janelle Monae – We Are Young
24. Little Boots – Headphones
25. Can Bonomo – Love Me Back

So, congratulations to Taylor Swift, the winner of ‘The Sound Of 2012’, and a deserving winner at that.

If you live in a cave, and the only internet access you have is this blog, here’s the winning song and the previous winners.

The Sound Of 2011

The Sound Of 2010

The Sound Of 2009

The Sound Of 2008

The Sound Of 2007

The Sound Of 2006

2012 : THE HALF-TERM HALF CENTURY

Amazing to believe, but we are now officially at the half-way point of 2012.

As is tradition, this halfway mark is commemorated by a half-century of the best songs of the year so far.

Enjoy

1. Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care Of Our Own
2. Coldplay ft Rihanna – Princess Of China
3. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
4. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
5. Little Boots – Headphones
6. Ren Harvieu – Open Up Your Arms
7. Fun ft Janelle Monae – We Are Young
8. The Shins – Simple Song
9. Black Keys – Lonely Boy
10. Keane – Silenced By The Night
11. Mayer Hawthorne – The Walk
12. Ladyhawke – Sunday Drive
13. Can Bonomo – Love Me Back
14. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
15. Thea Gilmore – London
16. Lloyd – Dedication To Me Ex
17. Hot Chip – Day and Night
18. Paloma Faith – Picking up The Pieces
19. Amy MacDonald – Slow It Down
20. The Maccabees – Pelican
21. Cher Lloyd – Want U Back
22. Gotye – Eyes Wide Open
23. Michael Kiwanika – I’m Getting Ready
24. Ben Howard – Only Love
25. Ed Sheeran – Small Bump
26. Alex Clare – Too Close
27. Chiddy Bang – Ray Charles
28. The Big Pink – Stay Gold
29. Eugene McGuinness – Lion
30. Dappy ft Brian May – Rockstar
31. Rita Ora – RIP
32. Taylor Swift – Ours
33. Will Young – I Just Want A Lover
34. Nicola Roberts – Yo-Yo
35. Marina and the Diamonds – Primadonna
36. Lana Del Ray – Born To Die
37. Professor Green – Never Been A Good Time
38. Maroon 5 – Payphone
39. Jedward – Watermark
40. Marina and the Diamonds – Power and Control
41. DJ Fresh – Hot Right Now
42. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
43. Foster The People – Don’t Stop
44. Alyssa Reid – Alone
45. Lawson – When She Was Mine
46. Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid
47. Miles Kane – First Of A Kind
48. Horrible Histories – Flame
49. Gemma Ray – Rescue Me
50. B.O.B – So Good

Half-Term Half Century 2011

Half-Term Half Century 2010

Half-Term Half Century 2009

Half-Term Half Century 2008

Half-Term Half Century 2007

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 11.5.2012

1. Saint Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart
2. Saint Etienne – You’re In A Bad Way
3. Keane – Silenced By The Night
4. Fun ft Janelle Monae – We Are Young
5. Marina and the Diamonds – Primadonna

Paul Heaton celebrated his 50th birthday this week, and this milestone deserves a Top Five, a song of his for every decade he has been alive.

FIVE PAUL HEATON SONGS

1. The Beautiful South – Old Red Eyes Is Back
2. The Beautiful South – The Table
3. The Beautiful South – This Could Be Our Year
4. The Housemartins – Shelter
5. The Housemartins – Caravan Of Love

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 20.4.2012

1. Fun ft Janelle Monae – We Are Young
2, Keane – Silenced By The Night
3. Embrace – You’re Not Alone
4. Saint Etienne – You’re In A Bad Way
5. Hector Nicol – Hearts Song

It’s Robert Smith’s birthday tomorrow. The only reason I remember this is because it is on the same day as a mate. Happy Birthday Greg if you are reading this.

So, to commemorate this, here’s a Top Five The Cure chart.

FIVE SONGS BY THE CURE

1. Close To Me
2. Friday I’m In Love
3. Lullaby
4. Lovecats
5. Push

On Monday, it is St George’s Day. Having done St David, Andrew and Patrick, it’s only fair to do George. So, for all my English readers, here’s a St George’s Day chart.

FIVE SONGS BY ENGLISH ACTS

1. Pulp – A Little Soul
2. Cast – Finetime
3. The Charlatans – Blackened Blue Eyes
4. Duran Duran – Wildboys
5. The Beautiful South – Old Red Eyes Is Back

FIVE SONGS BY ACTS FEATURING SOMEONE CALLED GEORGE

1. George Baker Selection – Little Green Bag
2. Wham – Freedom
3. One Night Only – Say You Don’t Want It
4. Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
5. The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun