(#239, 11th November 1967)
Few acts have got poorer from doing Motown knock-offs - at least since Motown themselves stopped doing stomp-stomp-clap (which would be round about now). The stomp here much outweighs the clap, and the big chugging riff just ups the stomp even more, to the point where the whimsical listener can hear glam future as well as soul past. 7
Written by Tom on Thursday, July 6th, 2006 | 2,501 views |
The UK's 1000+ Number One Hits since 1952, reviewed, in order, irregularly, for as long as I can bear to keep doing it. A history of pop in the shape of a chart.
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Tom invented Freaky Trigger on a bus journey in the mid-90s. Typically, it took him 5 years to do anything about it. He also runs a marketing blog - blackbeardblog.com - and writes about pop music for whoever wants it.
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FT's koganbot on July 12th, 2006
What happened to all the people who used to comment on Popular?
FT's Alan on July 12th, 2006
I do hope the new format hasn’t turned ppl away :-(
is the commenting process off putting / much different?
FT's Tom on July 13th, 2006
I don’t think it is - you have to fill in maybe two more fields.
The entries are getting plenty of hits, too. So where is everyone? Maybe it’s just that this is quite a boring run of hits.
FT's hipster on July 15th, 2006
This song - although I love it - is allllllways overdone at karaoke bars here in the US and yet you don’t hear nearly so much Motown. Kinda sad…
Chris Brown on July 21st, 2006
This clearly isn’t the best chart-topper of 1967, but I think it might be the least pretentios. And you sort of have to admire that.
FT's Alan Trewartha on July 21st, 2006
less pretentious than “Puppet On A String”? good god man
Chris Brown on July 23rd, 2006
Well, I did say “might be”!
But actually, after a bit of thought, I still sort of think so. I can’t completely explain why, but ‘Puppet On A String” is inane, which isn’t quite the same thing as unpretentious.
FT's rosie on July 27th, 2006
I just got lost for a while, that’s all. Moving Oop North (back to my roots), upgrading my operation system, bumming around on the beach, that sort of thing.
But I’m back now that I’ve found my way in here. Presumably safe from the spammers, for a while?
FT's Doctor Mod on August 3rd, 2006
“Puppet on a String” is inane but it doesn’t claim to be otherwise. It is inanity for inanity’s sake. Hence it is not pretentious. That bloody San Francisco song strikes a pose of love, truth, and freedom and all that–but it’s just about cashing in on a trend. Now that’s pretentious–and the song is inane to boot.
“Baby Now That I’ve Found You” is a case of what you see (or at least hear) is what you get. No pretence, and if it is inane it is not cloying so.
And, hey, it’s got a great beat and you can dance to it–which is more than can be said for most of the number ones from around this time.
Lena on November 5th, 2006
Some things are great because they are simple, but something tells me this song is more complex (musically) than I can explain.