Strange tracks on compilations

[Jockice]

I've previously mentioned that a mate of mine in the very early 80s had a punk/new wave compilation called Street Level, which contained A Walk In The Park by the Nick Straker Band, which I can safely say was not influenced by the Sex Pistols or even Bowie.

Well, this morning I went for a swim and sat in the jacuzzi for a while as the weekly aqua-aerobics session took place. This consists of a group of mainly women moving around to music.

This morning the soundtrack seemed to be some sort of 90s commercial funk thing. M People, Lighthouse Family etc. Mark Morrison's Return Of The Mack was as raucous as it got.

Anyway, I went to get changed and as I got out of the shower I heard the unmistakable sound of The Who's Baba O'Riley. Not my favourite band but it took me a bit by surprise after what I'd already heard. They must have put a different CD on I thought and waited for the next track before leaving. It was Dreams by Gabrielle, probably the epitome of 90s commercial funk. Great song mind.

What on earth was going on there? Either the woman giving the session had done a compilation of her favourite songs, one (and one only) of which happened to be early-70s rock, or thus was a commercially-available album with one stand-out (in every sense of the word) track.

Any other examples? Anyone?

[NoSleep]

My favourite compilation is filled to the brim with strange tracks (all produced by Giorgio Gomelsky, which is probably why the album is so good):

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Marmalade-100-Proof/release/1885714



The most outstanding track is Ottilie Patterson's "The Bitterness Of Death", which alone is worth the price of the album (and the easiest/cheapest way to get a copy of the track; trying to hunt down the single or album it is from (3000 Years Of Ottilie Patterson) would be costly and there's no other track like it there). And many of the other tracks are great.

Trivia: the track by her husband, Chris Barber, became the theme tune for Russell Harty Plus.
Trivia: there's a track each from two future members of 10cc.
Trivia (EDIT): The version of The Bitterness Of Death on the album, 3000 Years Of Ottilie Patterson, is different to the one on the compilation (which is probably the single version with improved vocals, including some layering). So the compilation wins.

[Gregory Torso]

If I can interpret this thread as "strange times you heard incongruous songs" then a few years ago in China some bloke drove past with his car blasting out Ken Laszlo's Hey Hey Guy]
Which is a top tune

[Jockice]

If we're doing that, I once heard Microdisney's Herr Direktor played on daytime radio in Spain.

[Gregory Torso]

Sorry, didn't mean to derail your thread.

[non capisco]

If we're doing that, I once heard Microdisney's Herr Direktor played on daytime radio in Spain.

I once heard 'Rape Me' by Nirvana in the Morrisons in Acton.

[Jockice]

Sorry, didn't mean to derail your thread.

It's fine. That's what threads are for!

[ajsmith2]

I once heard 'Rape Me' by Nirvana in the Morrisons in Acton.

I once heard the title track from Squeeze's 'Domino' in Morrisons in Patrick... in 2016. Very odd.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

What on earth was going on there? Either the woman giving the session had done a compilation of her favourite songs, one (and one only) of which happened to be early-70s rock, or thus was a commercially-available album with one stand-out (in every sense of the word) track.

It's the theme music for CSI:NY, so maybe that's her favourite TV show.

[Gregory Torso]

In the late 90s, my mum bought the "Cold Feet" soundtrack which along with the expected shite like the Sterophonics and that New Radicals song, somehow also featured Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker". Vividly remember mum exclaiming "what is this fucking rubbish?" before skipping it on to I don't know fuckin Dodgy or whatever.

[Chriddof]

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Cold-Feet-Original-Soundtrack/release/4069130

She would have skipped it on to "Ready To Go" by Republica, at that point a song so ubiquitous you might as well have switched on any given TV channel and waited a few minutes to hear it. Also fitting this thread, the last track of Disc 1 appears to be a Gary Glitter song which is pretty bloody surprising given this comp was released a few years after Glitter's first arrest. Another thing that's surprising is that Dodgy are nowhere to be seen on it - would have thought that "Good Enough" would have been a shoe-in.

[TheMonk]

Well, this morning I went for a swim and sat in the jacuzzi for a while as the weekly aqua-aerobics session took place. This consists of a group of mainly women moving around to music.

This morning the soundtrack seemed to be some sort of 90s commercial funk thing. M People, Lighthouse Family etc. Mark Morrison's Return Of The Mack was as raucous as it got.

Anyway, I went to get changed and as I got out of the shower I heard the unmistakable sound of The Who's Baba O'Riley. Not my favourite band but it took me a bit by surprise after what I'd already heard. They must have put a different CD on I thought and waited for the next track before leaving. It was Dreams by Gabrielle, probably the epitome of 90s commercial funk. Great song mind.

What on earth was going on there? Either the woman giving the session had done a compilation of her favourite songs, one (and one only) of which happened to be early-70s rock, or thus was a commercially-available album with one stand-out (in every sense of the word) track.

Perhaps it was a playlist and she had meant to choose Big Mountain's shithouse version of Baby I Love Your Way but her stubby finger selected the track above it.

[bim sherman shirts]

I once heard the title track from Squeeze's 'Domino' in Morrisons in Patrick... in 2016. Very odd.

In the run up to Christmas a couple of years ago the Morrisons in Kilmarnock played Depeche Mode's 'Personal Jesus' amongst a playlist of the usual festive tunes.

[Darles Chickens]

On Now 39, the final track of the second disc, the grand finale is...



I mean, pretty much the entire disc is awful, even by 1997 pop standards, but it's mindboggling to consider that No Way No Way got a place on that compilation.  There's a perennial rumour that the whole thing was a bet that someone (usually said to be Bill Drummond) could get the worst record ever to number one.  I have no idea how the Now compilations worked, regarding how the material was selected, but someone with plenty of industry contacts was somehow able to bypass whatever quality control they had, and get a fairly high profile slot for this appalling song.  It wasn't even a big novelty hit.

Even the inlay blurb didn't really have that much to say about it.

[Captain Z]

Slightly off-topic but following up on the 'heard in shops' tangent - I don't very often go in a Poundstretcher, but on both of the last 2 occasions there was some gorgeous melodic techno/progressive house (in the style of Tripswitch, Minilogue, James Monro etc) playing over the soundsystem. The first time I just assumed a bored employee had put on their own mix or whatever, but the same thing happened many months later. It's not as if it's some commercially popular stuff, I'm into that type of music and even I couldn't put my finger on the artists or songs playing. Ok it could have just been the same employee, or maybe Poundstretcher radio is just very cool.

[itsfredtitmus]

hmhb and stump on c889383334233

[BJBMK2]

On Now 39, the final track of the second disc, the grand finale is...

-

I mean, pretty much the entire disc is awful, even by 1997 pop standards, but it's mindboggling to consider that No Way No Way got a place on that compilation.  There's a perennial rumour that the whole thing was a bet that someone (usually said to be Bill Drummond) could get the worst record ever to number one.  I have no idea how the Now compilations worked, regarding how the material was selected, but someone with plenty of industry contacts was somehow able to bypass whatever quality control they had, and get a fairly high profile slot for this appalling song.  It wasn't even a big novelty hit.

Even the inlay blurb didn't really have that much to say about it.

-

On the subject of Odd Ways To Close Out Now 39, the first CD ends with Pulp's This Is Hardcore. Fantastic single, but I imagine it sounded a bit incongruous, bopping along to the Spice Girls and Boyzone, only to be greeted at the end by a booming, nightmarish soundscape disguised as a pop song. 

[Twed]

The South Park Chef Aid album featured Mousse T - Horny with an acted voice-over pointing out its incongruity.

[The Culture Bunker]

I remember about 20 years ago a friend had some compilation called "The Best Punk Album Ever" or some such shite title. But it had Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" on.

Great song, but I think the man himself would be deeply insulted to be labelled "punk".

[Jockice]

I've previously mentioned that a mate of mine in the very early 80s had a punk/new wave compilation called Street Level, which contained A Walk In The Park by the Nick Straker Band, which I can safely say was not influenced by the Sex Pistols or even Bowie.

Well, this morning I went for a swim and sat in the jacuzzi for a while as the weekly aqua-aerobics session took place. This consists of a group of mainly women moving around to music.

This morning the soundtrack seemed to be some sort of 90s commercial funk thing. M People, Lighthouse Family etc. Mark Morrison's Return Of The Mack was as raucous as it got.

Anyway, I went to get changed and as I got out of the shower I heard the unmistakable sound of The Who's Baba O'Riley. Not my favourite band but it took me a bit by surprise after what I'd already heard. They must have put a different CD on I thought and waited for the next track before leaving. It was Dreams by Gabrielle, probably the epitome of 90s commercial funk. Great song mind.

What on earth was going on there? Either the woman giving the session had done a compilation of her favourite songs, one (and one only) of which happened to be early-70s rock, or thus was a commercially-available album with one stand-out (in every sense of the word) track.

Any other examples? Anyone?

This morning it was a 70s/80s rock compilation. Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi etc. So imagine my surprise when I got out of the shower and heard I Wonder Why by The Pastels.

Not really. It was The Who again, Pinball Wizard this time.

[non capisco]

I was browsing in a charity shop today and there was an old '70s dance hits compilation full of things like  The Spinners, Kool And The Gang, McFadden & Whitehead, Teddy Pendergrass etc. Then I noticed buried in the middle of side 2 was 'Funky Moped' by Jasper Carrott.

[a duncandisorderly]

If we're doing that, I once heard Microdisney's Herr Direktor played on daytime radio in Spain.

there is a madrid-based station with a daytime 'proper' rock show... thursdays, possibly other days. I've caught a few of them. I once arrived in our flat in madrid, straight from the airport, put the radio on to be greeted by bruford's "adios a la pasa", as the DJ chap called it. there followed a lengthy exposition on bruford's own rock CV (including mentions of his stints in gong & genesis) & annette peacock, the guest-vocalist on the track. guy knew his stuff.

[Billy]

The Now albums are full of all sorts of random shit that missed the top 40. I think it was a record label agreement - ok, we'll give you major hit track X but only if you include obscure flop Y with it.

Now 42 has a baffling amateur dance remake of 'The Passenger' from an act so unknown they don't have a Wikipedia entry, and the whole sound of it fits together so badly that it probably started out as an anonymous instrumental club track that later got the Iggy Pop samples thrown over the top in a desperate attempt to make it chart.

[Desirable Industrial Unit]

I mean, pretty much the entire disc is awful, even by 1997 pop standards, but it's mindboggling to consider that No Way No Way got a place on that compilation.  There's a perennial rumour that the whole thing was a bet that someone (usually said to be Bill Drummond) could get the worst record ever to number one.  I have no idea how the Now compilations worked, regarding how the material was selected, but someone with plenty of industry contacts was somehow able to bypass whatever quality control they had, and get a fairly high profile slot for this appalling song.  It wasn't even a big novelty hit.

It's not weird at all though, really - Now compilations just featured anything that had been in the charts (that was released by a record company they had a licence with) since the last one they spat out, so Vanilla would qualify.  They always had curiosities that peaked at number 39.

Yeah, Bill Drummond's always been the rumour, because he's the most obvious troublemaker.  Johnny Vaughan probably had a hand in it though - Vanilla got in the charts purely through the Big Breakfast when he was hosting.  They were on constantly before having a record deal, and the single getting released was seen as some kind of victory for the show.

[Jockice]

I was browsing in a charity shop today and there was an old '70s dance hits compilation full of things like  The Spinners, Kool And The Gang, McFadden & Whitehead, Teddy Pendergrass etc. Then I noticed buried in the middle of side 2 was 'Funky Moped' by Jasper Carrott.

A single that literally nobody bought for the A-side. I wonder if Florence is still a virgin...

[Famous Mortimer]

Now 42 has a baffling amateur dance remake of 'The Passenger' from an act so unknown they don't have a Wikipedia entry, and the whole sound of it fits together so badly that it probably started out as an anonymous instrumental club track that later got the Iggy Pop samples thrown over the top in a desperate attempt to make it chart.

From a video with a staggering 812 views, it just seems they originally decided to wait over 3 minutes before getting to the Passenger bit (which isn't even a sample, just a crappy soundalike):

https://youtu.be/JSPWywC7kho

[Brundle-Fly]

I remember about 20 years ago a friend had some compilation called "The Best Punk Album Ever" or some such shite title. But it had Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" on.

Great song, but I think the man himself would be deeply insulted to be labelled "punk".

I once spotted a cheap and cheerful Punk compilation in a service station. Apparently, Long Hot Summer by The Style Council was what everybody was pogo-ing to at the Vortex back then.

[Chriddof]

I remember about 20 years ago a friend had some compilation called "The Best Punk Album Ever" or some such shite title. But it had Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" on.

Great song, but I think the man himself would be deeply insulted to be labelled "punk".

I had that compilation as a teenager. This is it:

https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Best-Punk-Album-In-The-WorldEver/release/1695933

Virgin had a load of different comps out during this period of various different genres all with the same "The Best [X] Album In The World... Ever!" title. (The ellipsis and exclamation mark were very important.) Even as a teenager with a sketchy knowledge of punk at this point, I could tell that Joe Jackson had not exactly been a regularly featured artist in Sniffin' Glue. Weird thing is that The Damned's "New Rose" (on Disc 1) starts with Dave Vanian going, "...is she really going out with him?" before the drum beat starts. Hmm.

Another weird thing is how it ends with a spoken word track. One by John Cooper Clarke, which makes sense of course, but it still feels a little surprising after non-stop music.

[Ferris]

The Beer Store (yes that is it's name, welcome to Ontario's shitty licensing laws) near me regularly plays the entirety of Close to the Edge by Yes.

[NoSleep]

I had that compilation as a teenager. This is it:

https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Best-Punk-Album-In-The-WorldEver/release/1695933
Weird thing is that The Damned's "New Rose" (on Disc 1) starts with Dave Vanian going, "...is she really going out with him?" before the drum beat starts. Hmm.

Both Dave Vanian (literally) and Joe Jackson are quoting the opening line of Leader Of The Pack by the Shangri-Las.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTA_7RwPUPA