1978 – Think Bensonium

Song 5: You’re the one that I want, Grease (Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta)

Roderick Benson — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 20:33:02 +0000

Monday 8^th of August 2022

So sadly often when I add a new song to the post Covid Island Discs section it is because a famous singer has passed away. As I write this post I have just heard that Olivia Newton-John has lost her long battle with breast cancer and has passed away at the age of 73. Although I could have cited one of her tunes while I was originally compiling the song list, I never did. So it only seems appropriate that tonight I should add the Grease classic “You’re the one that I want” which probably reflected Olivia at her musical peak. RIP Olivia

The tributes are starting

Day 406: Planet Claire, B52s

Roderick Benson — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 23:00:08 +0000

Now this song fits the psychedelic sci-fi pop genre perfectly. A complete classic from the rather “out there” band the B52s. This is their third appearance in Covid Island Discs. Enjoy Kate’s continuous singing of a single note being electronically mixed with her synthesizer. Very cool.

She came from Planet Claire
I knew she came from there
She drove a Plymouth Satellite
A-faster than the speed of light
Planet Claire has pink air
All the trees are red
No one ever dies there
No one has a head

Day 361: Hammer Horror, Kate Bush

Roderick Benson — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 00:00:54 +0000

Countdown to the year anniversary of Covid Island Discs T -6

So this song was a hit from Kate Bush’s album Lionheart. Is is a particularly intense and musically dramatic song and the accompanying video has all the Kate Bush trademarks including great choreography and the persistent image trace of her moving arms. The guy dressed all in black with a black hood adds a menacing touch to the video to match the menacing feel the lyrics of the song also create.

The song itself is based around the film production company Hammer which is based in London and produced many classic horror movies including Baron Victor Frankenstein, Count Dracula, and the Mummy, which Hammer reintroduced to audiences by filming them in colour for the first time. Apparently Kate Bush used to supply screams for horror movies so I wonder if she actually worked for Hammer in her early days?

Day 341: Roxanne, The Police

Roderick Benson — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 00:00:14 +0000

Wow how could I have left this song for so long. What an absolute rock classic. Love the upstroke guitar strum throughout the song. Probably one of the best Police songs ever.

Day 318: Still the Same, Bob Seger

Roderick Benson — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:55 +0000

Time for another Bob Seger song. This song reminds me of the Gambler song by Kenny Rogers. I sometimes like to imagine that the gambler subject of both songs is the same person

What I mean by this is the interesting idea of how in one context a person can appear to be someone who has something valuable to contribute but in other people’s eyes they are a scoundrel. Our fictional gambler character on the train to nowhere helped Kenny find an ace that he could keep but as an acquaintance of Bob he is just a guy who never changes his bad gambling habits.

Day 297: Honesty, Billy Joel

Roderick Benson — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A very pretty and very wise song by Billy Joel. Sadly the sound quality of the video is a little poor.

Day 283: Merry Christmas Darling, Karen Carpenter.

Roderick Benson — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

As everyone will be well aware there are plenty of Christmas classics that fill our radio stations every year. While I have included some I am also on the hunt for less well known ones for Covid Island Discs.

I have only ever posted one Carpenter hit so far all the way back on day 190. This is a song Karen did for Christmas and I thought I would include it here because while the song might seem a bit cheesy Karen’s Carpenters voice really was phenomenal. Sadly she passed away much too young from anorexia nervosa.

Day 269: Baker Street, Gerry Raffery

Roderick Benson — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Another timeless classic. One of those pieces where the saxophone really become the key instrument in making the song so distinctive.

Day 253: Song for Guy, Elton John

Roderick Benson — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I remember falling in love with this piece by Elton John when I first heard it as a child (released in 1978). I just love the piano chord progression with the clever use of synthesizer and the gentle castanet percussion sound. This is not an entirely musical piece for it ends with the single and simple line “Life isn’t everything”. Amen to that.

Interestingly, my youngest daughter absolutely loves this song.

Day 237: Werewolves of London, Warren Zevon

Roderick Benson — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

One of those songs everyone has heard and knows. Surprise they didn’t use this song for the American Werewolves in London movie.