Acapella

Kelis is an artist who I either love a lot or she really annoys me. It all depends on the song of course. Her best solo songs were Get Along With You and Lil Star and collaborations included Got Your Money with Ol' Dirty Bastard and with Richard X on Finest Dreams. Her new single Acapella is extremely catchy and is produced by David Guetta and is below. It has already been a number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club chart. It is released in the UK on April 26th on download and on May 10th on CD single. I can't believe downloads and CD release dates are still different but there you go. There has been very few new songs that I've liked so far this year and this is definitely one of them. .

The Curious Case Of Costume Complusive Disorder

I Like this. From Funny Or Die.

Lady Gaga Gets Arrested! - watch more funny videos

Modern Talking

I know I am getting older when I listen to Ireland's national Radio One more regularly instead of the more pop and music playlist orientated radio stations. Radio One's shows consist mainly of news and current affairs or rather the recession and give out about the government shows. From 12 to 1pm, Monday to Friday, there is a music mix show presented by Ronan Collins and it includes songs from the 1950's to this year. The songs are usually Frank Sinatra, County and Western, easy listening. The other day there was a slight break from the norm when a europop song from 1984 was played. It was You're My Heart, You're My Soul by Modern Talking. The German duo in Modern Talking is Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen. They also had a hit in the UK with Brother Louie and several hits around Europe especially in France and Germany. When I heard You're My Heart, You're My Soul being played on the radio the intro seemed to go on a bit too long and I thought that the presenter had put on the instrumental version by mistake. It was actually the 12" version which is really the only version that europop songs should be played and that version is below. .

Love The Pop You're With

A lot has been written in the Irish media this week about Jedward being dropped by Sony and signed by Universal. I really felt that Louis Walsh knew exactly how the contracts would play out and the story got extra coverage because of it, the clever businessman that he is.

There has been a huge amount of positive media coverage of John & Edward in Ireland since they were on The X Factor. They are perfect for a children's TV show but as a pop act I've always thought they were dreadful. The argument is, as made by Louis and the media that children love them, is one that wears thin quickly and is an excuse for praising little talent. Of course there are pop acts over the decades that have became famous on that aspect of little talent but even the biggest chancers of pop could sing, dance or act a little bit. I actually liked Ice Ice Baby when it was originally a hit for Vanilla Ice. There is a mash up using Under Pressure that I have meant to post over a year now. It's a mix of the song with Michael Jackson's Rock With You. I think it works well and is featured below. Like every mash up I post I know not everyone will like it. I have to admit that I love it when people like the songs I post. John of Pop Music Notes in particular has posted some lovely comments here recently. A few posts ago one of my favourite bloggers Yuri said that a Toto song I posted was 'horrific'. That made me smile and laugh. It summed up for me what pop is. In two words pop is personal taste. I also love it when bloggers don't always like other pop bloggers favourite songs or stars. I love the fact that Paul of Fizzypop isn't Gaga's biggest fan despite the myriad of pop he likes himself. I think the worst thing that bloggers can do is agree with someone else when that person is criticising a pop star even though they may actually like the song or album in question. It does happen. I know I like the pop blogs I read every week such as John's, David's, Paul and Yuri's because they believe in and love the pop they tell the world about. As my friend Susan says 'Write for yourself and if anyone else likes it, then, that's a bonus'. Writing my blog is like being back in 1984 again except this time I know people who like the sort of pop I've liked all my life. All the pop I have loved over the last few years is just a variation on the songs I liked as a teenager. Music can be an insular thing but writing about and sharing what you like changes that. I haven't really being listening to new chart songs recently, I think I lost a bit of interest when I wasn't allowed to write about the Irish charts. In the summer I will have more time to listen to new music and I look forward to that. Anyway! Here's today's song. Queen & David Bowie's Under Pressure meets Rock With You by Michael Jackson. This one is for John.

Glamorous Material

Paul Fizzypop has a post on the MaDonna Summer project here. I like some of the songs but definitely not all. Maybe it's because I like both artists so much individually. A mash up of a Madonna song that I like very much of is below. It's a mash up of Material Girl with Fergie's Glamorous. The audio is by DJ Mei-Luwn and the video is by VJ Brewski. I know not everyone will like it but there you go!

Stop!

In 1988 Sam Brown released the single Stop! in the UK, it wasn't a hit, only reaching number 52 in the charts. The following year it was re-released and was a top ten hit in the UK reaching number 4. It was also a top 5 hit in Canada, Australia and got to number one in the Netherlands. The follow up single Can I Get A Witness didn't repeat the success of Stop! as it only reached number 17 in the UK. To date Stop! is still Sam's biggest hit but it's a great one. In 2004 Jamelia covered Stop! and it got to number 9 in the UK and was also a top 20 hit in Ireland. Both versions are good but I still prefer Sam's version.

See you there, Mr Clooney

Last Christmas my friend Rosie sent me a christmas message by Granny O'Grimm. I had no idea who Granny was and it was then I discovered on Youtube her story of Sleeping Beauty. I thought it was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. At the time I didn't post the clip to my blog but I wish I had! This Sunday, with the help of' God, Granny may win the Oscar for Best Short Animated film. For anyone who hasn't seen it yet here it is. Fair play to the makers, Brown Bag Films, that this film is still easily embedded in blogs and websites all over the world. There are Irish connections to 5 Irish nominations this year including The Secret Of Kells for Best Animated film. Some day Ireland may have a government that acknowledges that there are talented and creative people in this country and who celebrates them long before they have to go international by themselves to do so. Brown Bag Films fab website is here.

Here's how Granny reacted to her Oscar nomination.

The Second Time

It's for You as performed by Niamh Kavanagh will be Ireland's entry for the Eurovision in Oslo this coming May. Last night on RTE's Late Late Show the song scored maximum points from both selected juries and a nationwide vote. Of the 5 songs on the show it was by far the best. Boyzone's Mikey Graham came second with a song called Baby Nothing's Wrong which was also also pretty ok. Mikey co-wrote and sang the song which should only help to raise his own profile more combined with his appearance on the current Dancing on Ice series. Niamh Kavangh previously won the Eurovision in 1993 with In Your Eyes, a worthy Eurovision winner. I can't believe that's 17 years ago. She will be a great representative for Ireland and I think it's our best song in years. It reminds me of a couple of other songs including The Rose but that's never a bad thing.

Like Peter Lorre Contemplating A Crime

For some reason I thought, for years, that the song Year Of The Cat was by Cat Stevens. It's not, of course, but is by Al Stewart. It has that lovely, dreamy feel that a Cat Stevens song also has. Year Of The Cat got to number 8 in the US charts in 1976 and was produced by Alan Parsons of whom I'll post a song here soon.

Something Toto

Several of my CDs are greatest hits and on these I have often heard great songs for the first time. Such is the case with a song by Toto called Georgy Porgy. It was a single on their debut self titled album back in 1978. It was written by David Paich who wrote several of Toto's most famous songs including Rosanna and Hold the Line, he also co-wrote Africa. The female backing vocalist on Georgy Porgy is Cheryl Lynn. David Paich also co-wrote Cheryl's hit single Got To Be Real with Cheryl and David Foster. Does anyone remember that song in both the film Paris Is Burning and also a fab episode of Sex In The City that made us all love the show a little bit more?

Here's Toto with Georgy Porgy, a song that still sounds gorgeous 32 years later.

If I Was An Animal I'd Be A Lion (And Other Wonderful Ciccone lyrics)

How did I miss this one! While reading through Mike A's fab Flip4bearz site this evening I found a song by Madonna which I hadn't heard before. This for me is like getting a Christmas present in March! The song is SuperPop and was one that almost made it onto the Confessions On A Dance Floor album. It is pure Madonna bubble gum and is now stuck in my head for ever. It's Vogue name check part two circa the Ain't No Big Deal era. I love the line If I was A Star I'd Be Who I Am Today the most. You tell 'em, girl!

Feel Free

One day, while working in one of my many bookshop jobs, I was walking down the stairs and there, queuing up at the tills with all the other customers, was Belinda Carlisle. I always remember just seeing her and that buzz you get when a famous person would come into the shop. She was dressed very well and had a very cool bag and looked very beautiful. She had an almost majestic look about her. A year or two later I would see her in concert, supporting Cher, both stars were brilliant. No matter how many times you see a famous person in concert it is always almost more memorable when you see them in a place like where you work. Belinda Carlisle has had some classic pop hits. (We Want) The Same Thing, Summer Rain, Half The World, La Luna, and Vision of You are some of my most played songs by her. My favourite comes from early in her solo career when she released her second solo album Heaven on Earth. It is her version of I Feel Free, the song by Cream. That single was only released in the USA but it wasn't a hit for her. It was the fourth single release from Heaven On Earth and I think should have been a hit as well. Here it is.