"It was the 80s"

[bladespark]

I'm listening to a collection of somebody's favorite music from the 80s. By and large it's nostalgic, as I heard most of this growing up. There's some good rock, like "Money for Nothing" and "867-5309" and so on, and some of the really absurd stuff, like "Eyes Without a Face" and "Rock me Amadeus" that one can really only explain by shrugging and going "It was the 80s." (The phrase "It was the 80s" explains everything from crack cocaine to neon leg warmers, I've found.) But I've run into a few songs I'm quite unfamiliar with. For example, the song "Nellie the Elephant" which I really can't explain except to say that it's a bunch of exceptionally British singers, who... er... I really can't explain at all, actually, you'd have to just listen to it.

But even more bizarre than "Nellie the Elephant" is a song I just finished listening to, titled "Say, Say, Say" which is a joint project, a collaboration, a duet even, between Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. Admittedly this was before ol' MJ jumped the shark entirely by getting his 25th nose job and getting caught doing inappropriate things with little boys, but still! Michale Jackson and Paul McCartney!

Surreal.

Comments

[aurora77]

You know, it's strange when something obscure comes up twice in a very short time period. I ran into the "Say, Say, Say" music video while looking for something else just last week. And now you're mentioning it. It truly was odd!

I'll have to go find "Nellie the Elephant."

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

I could probably toss a copy in your direction.

[aurora77]

Catch me on IRC sometime, then. :D

[mactonight.livejournal.com]

I wear neon leg warmers. >>

My mp3 player has only 60's-80's music on it. :)

[rabbitsystem.livejournal.com]

"Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk and said goodbye to the circus,
Off she went with a tumprty-trup, trump, trump, trump!"
That one?

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Yup, that one.

[rabbitsystem.livejournal.com]

I sang that when I was a kid. In fact I think it was the theme tune to an animated kids TV show.

[svashtar.livejournal.com]

Nellie the Elephant is by the Toy Dolls, who were and are an excellent happy punk trio out of Newcastle Upon Tyne. They have several albums out, and Olga (aka Michael Algar) is a charismatic wanker.

I saw them in concert once. Went way out of my way to see them because I knew I'd never get another chance.

They are a lot of fun both in concert and on CD. The song is on an album from 1983 called "Dig That Groove, Baby". It's well worth picking up. The music is a lot of fun.

Never, ever liked Say Say Say.

It is one of the weakest songs Paul McCartney has ever done. And he has some truly sucky post Beatles songs. (obLindaJoke: what do you call a dog with Wings? Linda McCartney.)