Comments on: NICK BERRY – “Every Loser Wins”

By: Mark G

Mark G — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:46:46 +0000

Tom Watt did a mumbling version of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” if I remember correctly. He should have known/done better, having previous as a sometime member of the Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, back in the “Norman Sleek” days…

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:35:38 +0000

Ooh! Reading David Buckingham’s 1987 BFI monograph ‘Public Secrets: Eastenders & its Audience’ for professional reasons, I discover that in addition to the three BBC Records hits documented by Punctum, a further four singles were released by members of the Eastenders cast in 1986; Tom Watt (Lofty), June Brown (Dot Cotton), Oscar James (Tony Carpenter – ‘Love Riding High’, promoted with a picture of the actor bearing the legend “TWENTY ONE MILLION OF YOU KNOW THIS MAN”) and Peter Dean (Pete Beale – ‘I Couldn’t Get A Ticket To The World Cup’).

None of these records troubled the Top 100.

By: anto

anto — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:59:18 +0000

re:88.. and very good he is in it too. I thought he upstaged everyone in his first full episode. In particular he’s shown up Shane Ritchie and his non-stop bonhomie (is Ritchie given a script or do they just flick him on with a rocker switch?) which seems like such schtick compared to the more self-contained charisma of Mr. Essex.
The turnover of cast members in EastEnders is such that it doesn’t do to become too attached to characters because they often leave after a few months (or are axed by myopic Producers) but I would like it if he sticks around.
The name Eddie Moon actually sounds like a fictitious rock star. The young David Essex might well have appeared in The Rise and Fall of Eddie Moon

By: Erithian

Erithian — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:39:39 +0000

As presaged by Anto at #30, David Essex has now joined Enders, as Eddie Moon, the uncle of Shane Richie’s character. They had him singing in his first episode, a suspiciously tuneful rendition of “I’m Orient till I die” sung to baby Tommy. The Swede and I have instigated a lyric watch to see how many lines the scriptwriters can slip in: in Tuesday’s episode he was already talking to Alfie about a “silver lining”.

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:44:37 +0000

And there’s Lyanne Compton (she played Melody around 1988/89… c’mon, you remember) who sang the coda of Saint Etienne’s How We Used To Live. Not as big a hit as The Ugly Duckling by Mike Reid.

By: Erithian

Erithian — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:56:19 +0000

To the list at #46 we can now add Preeya Kalidas (Amira) who’s in this week’s top 40. (Although Wiki says she also had a “featuring” credit on a minor hit from the Bombay Dreams soundtrack in 2002.)

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 10:24:35 +0000

Dear Sarah,
Winning some, losing some.

By: sarah ashby

sarah ashby — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:44:42 +0000

dear nick
hi how are you

By: Mutley

Mutley — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:07:55 +0000

Since the above discussion about Eastenders-related music we’ve had the Boris Johnson Rap. Boris appeared in Eastenders in Nov 2009 although if you blink you will miss it. I’m not sure that the two are related other than for Boris to build up a portfolio for showbiz life after mayoralty (Britain’s Got Talent?)

By: punctum

punctum — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:03:20 +0000

“You’re Holding Me Down” by the Buzz, the most extreme British pop single ever, Joe Meek’s premature suicide note, sung – or buzzsawed? – by the great Tam White. RIP big man.

By: Erithian

Erithian — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:23:59 +0000

Since he gets a brief mention at #54 upthread, Tam White RIP.

By: AndyPandy

AndyPandy — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:04:11 +0000

David Whitfield – best thing to come out of Hull since William Wilberforce – in fact they should rename the Humber Bridge The David Whitfield Bridge ;-)
And if he did nothing else at least he stopped the fuckin’ Housemartins from being the most succesful act in chart terms connected to Hull

By: Caledonianne

Caledonianne — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:47:33 +0000

A cream cracker under the Tardis.

London Lee is right. Early Brookside was superb.

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:46:34 +0000

Re 77: I adore Where Are You Now, but a quick flick through the Popular comments would suggest it is now largely unloved and forgotten.

Granted it wasn’t via tv, but David Whitfield rose to fame as the first winner of Opportunity Knocks (then radio only). Yes, I was ignoring Cara Mia’s US success (more down to Mantovani’s St Peter-at-the-gates arrangement?), but his long run of hits in the UK was down to a local talent show – the US had Mario Lanza, Al Martino etc who could steamroller David’s rubbery operatics.

By: AndyPandy

AndyPandy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:14:09 +0000

68 – saying Jackie Trent’s number one is unloved is rather contentious to say the least and how could David Whitfield be viewed as some kind of TV hype when he was accepted at the time as a superior singer of semi-operatic pop with a massive following both male and female. (incidentally I remember my dad recounting that during his National Service there was a fellow squaddie in his billet who was just such a fan).And to further diminish any accusation of localised hype he had a Top Ten hit in America when Vera Lynn notwithstanding that just didn’t happen.

By: Steve Mannion

Steve Mannion — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:40:13 +0000

re #64 Sod Ashes To Ashes, would watch THIS

By: a tanned rested and unlogged lørd sükråt wötsît

a tanned rested and unlogged lørd sükråt wötsît — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:01:25 +0000

40 million years on

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:25:12 +0000

A visit from Miss Protheroe to the tomb of the Cybermen…

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:16:42 +0000

re 65: ‘A cream-cracker under the doomsday device’

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:08:29 +0000

I immediately downloaded the Journey original of DSB last year when I watched the first episode of Glee online so I can testify to it’s influence. Later episodes include music ranging from Duffy’s ‘Mercy’ to the Stones’ ‘You can’t always get what you want’.
If I was a songwriter down to my last million I’d be begging my agent to get my song onto the show.

By: thefatgit

thefatgit — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:46:57 +0000

@70…this week #99 to #5 Glee Cast with “Don’t Stop Believin’”. 2010 looks like it’s going to be an interesting year.

By: Steve Mannion

Steve Mannion — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:26:34 +0000

On a related note, it’s going to be interesting to see how songs from Glee perform in and affect the charts (both in the US and here) as they emerge. It would help if they weren’t ALL covers…

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:48:22 +0000

Well thing is the Eastenders audience really ISN’T “super-localised” in UK cultural terms – globally this record doesn’t register at all, but it’s an example of something from a different area of mass-culture simply overwhelming the charts, crashing the sale on which they’re calibrated.

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:40:20 +0000

Great Guardian column on the future of the single, Tom, but I was intrigued by the idea that “hits” might become “nothing more than random eddies of local preference” if they cost less than a Pot Noodle. Here’s an example of a super-localised hit that wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without its TV connection. Same goes for a ton of unloved Popular entries going back to Where Are You Now and David Whitfield’s brace. Likewise, event singles like Bad Romance will always be rare, or they wouldn’t feel like events.

To me at any rate, pop has always been about cheering the goodies (Gaga) and booing the baddies (Berry). I still do the same to James Alexander Gordon’s classified football results – it’s amazing how few I don’t care about one way or the other.

As for Every Loser Wins, it’s simpering and useless but not offensive like Grandma/Liverpool/Lady In Red. The thing that most irks me is the opening line, blatantly lifted from Barry Manilow’s Looks Like We Made It. And the fact it goes on and on… a 3 for me.

By: Jimmy the Swede

Jimmy the Swede — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:37:10 +0000

I certainly couldn’t imagine Roxy as Number Two, though. The girl is entirely vacuous and is only capable of one facial expression. Number Six would have buggered off within five minutes of her assuming charge of the Green Dome!

Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden play off each other magnificently and it is a shame that Kemp does not return for more lengthy stays between his rather alarming appearances on shows examining the world’s murder gangs. The Phil and Grant chemistry is pure gold (as is Garry and Minty) and a far cry from the usual drab story lines, which have all the imagination of an episode of “Bargain Hunt”.