Week 66 – Think Bensonium

Day 462: Make me smile, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

Roderick Benson — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 23:00:39 +0000

Well here is a rock and roll classic that is yet to appear on Covid Island Discs. This song certainly was a hit back in 1975 and dominated the airwaves when it was released.

Day 461: Night Moves, Bob Seger

Roderick Benson — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 23:00:21 +0000

This is another classic song from Bob Seger capturing the waywardness of love when one is a teenage twenty something or other.

Day 460: Heaven knows I’m miserable now, The Smiths

Roderick Benson — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 23:00:32 +0000

So last week was meant to be the final week of Covid Island Discs until the new delta variant of the virus put an end to the final restrictions of the UK lockdown being lifted. In the final week I cited for the first time a Smiths song which I guess was a bit of an oversight on my part given they are such an iconic English band. Anyway, with the extra month of Covid Island Discs it has given me an opportunity to cite a second Smiths song. This one is probably one of their better known ones.

Day 459: Jurassic Park, Stand Atlantic

Roderick Benson — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 16:25:31 +0000

OK so today I went for my first swim at Grand Central. The last time I swam there was the same week Covid Island Disc started as this was the last time the pool was open before the UK went into lockdown. Although the pool opened again in 2021, I have been back until today

During my swim however I struck up a conversation with a bloke who was in my lane called Matt and it turned out he managed different bands. He picked up on my Australian and then told me about some of the Australian bands he managed. One of them apparently is quite big in Australia and appears regularly on the alternative Sydney rock station Triple J. Anyway, the band is called Stand Atlantic and this is one of their Youtube hits.

Day 458: Country House, Blur

Roderick Benson — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 23:00:43 +0000

So I guess one good thing about being forced to continue Covid Island Discs for another month is I get to cite multiple songs from bands like Blur and the Smiths: both these bands I did not cite until what I thought was the final week of Covid Island Discs so therefore it seemed at that time they were both only ever going to have one song in my giant Youtube playlist. Well now I can undo this injustice. This is another Blur classic!

Day 457: Billie Jean, Michael Jackson

Roderick Benson — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 20:38:44 +0000

OK so as I said in an earlier citation of Michael Jackson’s “Beat it” song Michael Jackson is not my favourite artist which is why this is only the second time he has appeared in Covid Island Discs. However, if “Beat it” is my favourite song this one is definitely my second favourite as it does have that musical intensity that I find particularly appealing. The only thing in the song that slightly spoils it for me is his high pitched “oohhs”.

Day 456: Left of the Middle, Natalie Imbruglia

Roderick Benson — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 23:00:05 +0000

Well as we start a new week of Covid Island Discs which was never meant to be because we were due to come out of lockdown on the 21^st of June. As the final relaxation of lockdown restrictions has now been pushed back to the 19^th of July, I thought I would start this week with this little gem from Natalie Imbruglia. “Left of the Middle” was a hidden track on her first album by that name but this video is Natalie performing this song in 2020. I personally thought this song was one of the best on the album and her version of it in this video is very good to listen to.