Thank Flahavan it’s Friday.
To celebrate a glorious summer weekend, would you be partial to another music competition?
This week the theme comes courtesy of our highly esteemed columnist Slightly Bemused who suggests your favourite song that puts a smile on your face.
Here’s mine.
Reply below to be in with a chance of bagging yourself a €50 Golden Discs voucher redeemable in any Golden Discs store.
The winner will be chosen by my next door neighbour’s Yorkshire Terrier.
Lines MUST close on Saturday at 1pm.
Last week’s winner here.
Nick says: Good luck!
Meanwhile…
….Bodger writes:
Further to queries last week, I am attending to the important backlog of winners who have yet to receive a voucher. You will be contacted over the weekend. I am very sorry for the delay.
A brilliant suggestion by SB
I’m going to have to restrain my amount of entries this week!
Or it could be short lived!!
So, my first has to be an unlikely Pipkin pick, (and it’s not going to go down well in some quarters, and I’ll probably get gate or minimum a yellow card from Nick!)
but from the first opening notes I can’t but help smile.
Knowing that it’s only 197 days till youknowhat!! And it means I get to watch my all time favourite movie ever,
It’s A Wonderful Life and hopefully this year see family for Christmas dinner, after what was a s*#t storm ( thanks Mille for the word!) of a year!!!
We were robbed of Christmas last year!
The cheese factory that is Miss Carey,
All I Want ……
It’s 27 years old and still manages to put a smile of my face, for a song that allegedly only took fifteen minutes too write!.
https://youtu.be/aAkMkVFwAoo
Enjoy!
And happy ……….. Friday!
If I get away with this I’ll be back later, but I’m less confident about some of my other picks??.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPeY7Mq3hC0
I don’t even have to put an ounce of thought into this weeks one. It’s straight up and easy with a big dollop of sunshine. Have a nice sunny weekend wherever you are people.
Bill Withers – Lovely Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEeaS6fuUoA
“Whores of the Lizard People” by King Kong Company
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjoxeYHKEWI
Great for when out on a run and it t serves as an important public service announcement.
Smiled!
MPA-evertime)
Pusha T – M.P.A. (Explicit) ft. Kanye West, A$AP ROCKY, The-Dream.
https://youtu.be/R0NpahenvAg
Elton John – Tiny Dancer
https://youtu.be/yYcyacLRPNs
Great shout
All time favourite song. Impossible not to watch that iconic scene from Almost Famous with Tiny Dancer playing and smile.
I totally agree. And that is the perfect cue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qW9wqUI4Lg
Hahaha fair play
For me, it has to be Deee-Lites Groove is in the heart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etviGf1uWlg
Electric 6 – Gay Bar
Never fails to put a smile on me ;)
https://youtu.be/IslF_EyhMzg
https://youtu.be/VoVNeUvCDY4
Waterford’s own Gilbert O’Sullivan. Matrimony.
Particularly this video of it. The get up of Gilbert, the jumper with the G on it, the white shoes, the “dance”, the bewildered looking oul wans and a song written to put a smile on your face and from a simpler time.
Just a Gigolo by Louis Prima
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkrb4h4weW4
The song can mean so much to so many people, it can be a sad song, a happy song, a song of acceptance of life’s direction, a song to throw your hands into the air and do a silly dance to and even a fantastic scene in one of the Greatest comedy movies of all time, Young Frankenstein:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP08VQEWyOw
”Igor!”
”Froderick!”
;)
Brilliant. I like That Old Black Magic with Keely Smith too.
I like Dave Roth’s version too of Gigolo too – Mad phekker. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lN-4lX0QyZc
My vote goes to Kooks by David Bowie.
This song was (apparently) written after the birth of his son and is wonderfully upbeat and happy, echoing the joyous mood which comes after the arrival of a baby. I truly love this song, it always makes me smile and even now evokes some lovely memories of dancing in the kitchen with my dearest little lady.
https://youtu.be/jCaMwqtwJTc
Lol … I was singing this to my 6-year old daughter in the car when we were heading off on a little errand yesterday. She was strangely mesmerised and rather pertinently, slightly bemused.
“And if the homework brings you down, we’ll throw it on the fire and take the car downtown”
Hah! Wonderful!
As is the song, millie. Great choice, as always :-)
Brilliant choice Millie!
+9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
excellent
Hothouse flowers – Thing of Beauty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woa0GFwhciQ
Kate Bush – Prelude
https://youtu.be/1UQiw4Wa6II
“Mummy
Daddy
The day is full of birds
Sounds like they’re saying words”
Just gorgeous
Some damned fine shouts in there already – I’d pick Electric 6 but it’s so hard to top “Danger! High Voltage”
So many to choose from, so many !
All that said and with the aural lick of the aforementioned tune having left its sting (I just had to listen to it when Micko’s selection prompted it). the choice i’ll make is from now defunct Aussie band The Lucksmiths. Puts a smile on my face in a rest-the-chin-on-the-fist-staring-dopily-out-the-window sort of way.
Tune in question is “Young and Dumb” –
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=70dXe9smsnA&list=RDAMVM70dXe9smsnA
“But hold on, the best things happen
When you don’t know what’s going on
Slow down and don’t say nothing
Just remember that we’re still young
And kinda dumb…”
Harvey Danger, Flagpole Sitta. Tongue in cheek song about paranoia and much else. You’re instantly swept along by its pure infectiousness. A great antidote to some of the more “serious” 90’s rock acts.
“Been around the world and found
That only stupid people are breeding”
And the link, https://youtu.be/wYsMjEeEg4g
First noticed this as the theme to Peep Show, really summed up David Mitchells unbelievably neurotic character.
Also, SuperHans…..excellent comedy, not sure how much of it you would get away with these days even though its only about 10 years old?
I always think of the “this crack is very more-ish” line at the mere mention of SuperHans.
whenever this comes up on my list my pace picks up and I can’t help smile or screech along location permitting
https://youtu.be/BvkHa7s1yGc
You’ve got the love, Candi Station
Sit On My Face – Monty Python
Always brings a smile :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dax_tnZRExc
:)
I’m on the beach, there’s a cold drink in my hand and some mean fish on an open grill, bet your botty I’m smiling
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=eYOD0SyYgsI&feature=share
Just finished my Thai takeaway dinner with my friend to celebrate her birthday. She was having fish – cooked it herself, and she is an amazing chef! I sent her this link as I do every week. She likes to listen to all kinds of music, and without doubt that happens on every one of Nick’s competitions :-)
Anyway, she laughed when she read your post here, Janet, and said I would not be having any of that. I am not a fish eater, and she reminded me of the time when I was working there we went to a very nice restaurant right on the shore of the Aegean Sea – she is in Montenegro, in Tivat, though this restaurant is in Budva. Famously, she and her boyfriend (who happened to be my boss) got a whole big serving of ‘shells’. No idea other than they were shellfish of some kind, but amusing as his name is Kjell, he is Norwegian, and it is pronounced very close to ‘shell’. They followed this up with large platters of sizzling fish.
When ordering, they put in theirs, and the waiter turned to me, who ordered a steak and a dish they do of fried potatoes and onions, similar to bratkartoffleln. The poor lad looked offended, but the steak was great, and the two smug demons opposite me ate their shells and fish with every appearance of enjoyment!
So the Thai was good this evening (green curry as the main), the lady enjoyed her fish, and we had a great trip down memory lane. Then her husband called (not Kjell, he has moved on) and as normal our call ended.
:)
you have put an awful goo on me now for thai,
as I know you’re not a million miles away have you tried Kin Khao in Maynooth ? His wife’s thai, it’s pretty authentic …yum
Ooh, no. I must try them. My brother lives in Maynooth, so I may cadge a bed and treat them as part of my bribing… I mean as fair exchange for the bed :-)
more than fair price, check out the beef cheek red curry
It’s pretty amazing that dish! Best addition to Maynooth since Nic and Cyril opened Chocolate Bar…
+ the soft shell crab !
Matt Berry – Take My Hand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdqu-HObUbo
You may know Matt Berry better for his acting, or his speaking voice which is legendary, but he’s quite the songwriter too.
My wife walked down the aisle to this gem of a song and it always puts a smile on my face, sometimes it even makes me cry (happy tears of course, just in case she’s reading).
Talented fellow Matt, anything I have heard by him has gone down very well indeed. only heard him recently.
Take a Bow
has to be men at work…land down under. I met a man in Brussels..6ft 4 and full of muscles
Great song. On one of my overseas trips the Australian army had a detachment with the UN forces. They decided to have a barbie on one of their national days – might have been ANZAC Day as they did an impassioned version of The Band Played Waltzing Mathilda.
Followed by a rousing version of Land Down Under to bring spirits back up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfR9iY5y94s
Always puts a smile on my face
and here is a lovely version
A song of hope and better days ahead :)
George Harrisons “Here comes the sun”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEgBMTMUanU
Beautiful – great call.
That is a wonderful version. I always thought that George was not able to show his true genius as one of the Beatles, but he made up for it afterwards.
And I have forgotten the amount of times that I had Homeward Bound on full volume, either on the stereo or in my head, when things were not going great.
Should this be ‘Here Comes The Sun Silently For Me’? :-)
Larry Graham & Graham Central Station – POW
Featuring… funk, operetta, mock baroque, yodelling and lasers, lots of lasers… all performed at the speed of light!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tcdDHwgBzt0
‘Let it happen bassplayer…..’
Time flies by – Half Man Half Biscuit
https://youtu.be/bpx7uM-5Y3Q
Rare live version too – https://youtu.be/XIje_d6eWnE
I LOVED Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley for that matter as a kid and when I first heard Back in the DHSS and Time Flies By, I thought it was one of the best and funniest things ever.
Anyways, the only time it ever pops up for me nowadays in on my Spotify Daily Mix list. And when it does I smile. A lot!
The Sultan of Ping FC – Where is my jumper? –
Brings back so many memories of wild parties and lost properties . Also the lyrics are very funny (my dog will be so so angry, put it to the testo and so on). A cracking tune guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-dl9KTYAVk
100%
And when I put it on now the 3 year old goes around saying “where’s my jumper gone?” which really puts a smile on your face :)
That Petrol Emotion – Sensitize
https://youtu.be/oMXbXDUURSM
This track just bounces along and always makes me feel good. I remember the old Olympic Ballroom on Pleasant Street heaving when these guys played and everyone was bouncing along. This band should have had so much more success.
The Sweet – Little Willy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM6I-pmV0RA
Because the current La Señora Gorda-Delgado says a little willy always puts a smile on her face :-)
Max Sedgley – Happy
It does exactly what it says on the tin and a great video to boot
https://youtu.be/ugEgKA24dig
choosing this as I happen to be listening to it right now; the Beach Boys at their most lightweight and beautiful
“In an ocean, or in a glass
cool, cool water is such a gas!”
https://youtu.be/mky-UhxUKoM
Kneejerk reaction was to nominate a camp classic guilty pleasure like “Life is a Rollercoaster” by our Ronan (too kitsch) or The Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mum” (but I mowed “Mrs Robinson’s” lawn earlier) . And I’m glad no one recommended “C’est La Vie” or “Shiny Happy People” as the taste police are busy cleaning the Coors off their riot shields in D2 (OMC “How Bizarre” you might say). So I’ll humbly suggest Jens Lekman’s quirky romantic & very tender as it turns out A&E tale of a chap slicing off his finger while cutting an avocado after his girlfriend crept up behind him in her brand new silent sneakers & threw her arms around him. It always manages to bring a tear to my eye & a smile to my face simultaneously
Jens Lekman with “Your Arms Around Me”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axmMxWBPSTc
Smile !
Hocus Pocus
https://youtu.be/nnkkXn69z3U
twill make you smile
This makes me smile because when it pops up on my music list- on public transport- my standing hips MUST remain stationary.
Romanthony – Bring U Up (Jasper James Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2lwJmRbYdA
Jungle Book – I Wanna Be Like You
https://youtu.be/uX2mopyE5Z0
It’s a toe-tapper, it’s a thigh-slapper, it’s guaranteed dad-dancing and smiles all around
My mother bought for all of us the soundtrack to The Jungle Book on a Little Long Playing Record – a single-sized record played at 33 rpm. I always loved this, and the Elephant’s March
Us too! We used to play it over and over. Was always partial to King Louis
The Jungle VIP :-)
The elephant march..
My kids still demand that they stand on my feet and I walk them round the gaff singing ‘the aim of our patrol, is a question rather droll..’
Miles davis’ So What, gets the ronnioe jordan treatment
https://youtu.be/lANilh2bLo4
Makes me smile, shuffle and swagger simultaneously. !
What a groove – friday just got funky.
Maceo and the Macs – Soulpower ’74
https://youtu.be/jZKlTcV1tbA
follow that sax,it certainly makes me smile -inside and out.
Speedomoeter Happy
https://youtu.be/Ofd9UfhsXj8
What a take on this one, probably posted previously.-
I love this – smiling, nodding and tapping my toes as I type
What about
Tears of a clown
Smoky Robinson
https://youtu.be/ZaMX0Cs5Bc4
Ernie – Benny Hill. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI
I hear that he conducted the most rapid dairy product conveyance in the Occident!
There’s a bright golden haze in the meadow – Ray Charles singing Oh What a Beautiful Morning
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dGoJxZqyFAc
Okay, so I seem to have got away relatively unscathed from my first pick.
So I’ll try another, this time from the movie The Greatest Showman, the song is brilliant and uplifting but the reason it still puts a smile on my face is remembering watching my seven year old niece and her classmates singing it at their Christmas performance !!
Smiling and tears at the same time,
This Is Me
https://youtu.be/CjxugyZCfuw
Enjoy!
On the beast with two backs album that is “69 Love Songs” , Stephin Merritt who is something of a cunning linguist penned this hilariously evocative ballad with a twist that turns even my semi permanent rictus into a smirk when I listen to him croon
“Papa was a rodeo, Mama was a rock’n’roll band
I could play guitar and rope a steer before I learned to stand
Home was anywhere with diesel gas, Love was a trucker’s hand
Never stuck around long enough for a one night stand
Before you kiss me you should know
Papa was a rodeo”
Had the distinct pleasure of seeing this neglected gem performed live at the Olympia in another lifetime aeons ago.
The Magnetic Fields “Papa Was a Rodeo”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fllQTBPDalk
One that always makes me smile is Atomic Kitten and Whole Again. Nothing inappropriate, but it always makes me think of Little Slightly, and anything that makes me think of her makes me smile.
I was present when she joined the world, and carried her in my arms to the nursery, as they had brought her mother to her room in the wrong type of gurney (no baby basket attached. While when had been mewling in her mother’s arms, she fell asleep in mine. Did not even blink as I was accosted by a nurse making sure I was not running off with a baby. I had gotten too far ahead of my escorting nurse, who arrived to set things right. Nonetheless wrist, and in the little ones case, ankle bracelets were still checked. I have them both upstairs.
Anyway, I could not overnight, so I got in the car with Little’s Grandmama and set off for the family home. I turned on the radio, and Whole Again was playing. A few days later I had to return to my job posting on another continent, and did not see my Little Slightly for another 8 weeks. But Whole Again had made the local charts, and was a regular on the airwaves.
So every time I hear this song, I thing of my little daughter, and the fact that I do feel more whole when I am with her. And just thinking of this makes me smile, and I have not yet played the song :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V0xQkk9kbc
That’s adorable.
I remember younger millie learning every word of that song and setting it to (some truly awful) juvenile dance steps. This and the Tragedy cover by Steps (remember them?) were enough to convince me I wasn’t cut out to be in a girl band.
Heh! I had a twelve year old put me in no doubt that boy bands would not be in my future. Kids are wonderful!
I enjoyed Steps’ version of Tragedy, but I was in the land of Turbofolk when it came out…
For me it’s Bongo bong by Manu Chao. Had many a kitchen boogie with my kids to this.
https://youtu.be/cfLIlP-GAmg
Lanigan’s Ball from The Bards, featuring, of course, the delightful Julia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3s3F1VXFQ4
The kind of night out that everyone needs to experience at least once in their lives.
My other fave that puts a smile on my face is High Voltage by Electric Six with Jack White on backing vocals!
https://youtu.be/R-FxmoVM7X4
Johnny Horton – Battle of New Orleans
This song always puts a smile on my face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL7XS_8qgXM
Summers in the 80s (Canada), watching re-runs of the Monkees on TV: https://youtu.be/xvqeSJlgaNk But the Del Vikings come a close 2nd : https://youtu.be/rEQ8O8ggqSY
Divine Comedy – Tonight We Fly
https://youtu.be/ypeegdF7GyM
This song to me represents pure exhilaration and joy. Imagine being able to fly above the world and observe life down below. What could be more wonderful? The music pulses and races you along as if you are careering through the clouds. As ever the lyrics from Neil Hannon shine through
Used to have this dream for years as a kid after reading the BFG.
Hannon is a brilliant lyricist. This one always puts a smile on my face:
National Express
https://youtu.be/p_GLSgJ39Dc
Let us not forget My Lovely Horse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxf6ECuRcWM
There are many many songs that make me smile but this is the one that makes me turn it up and sing it loud
They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse in Your Soul
https://youtu.be/NhjSzjoU7OQ
I’d also like to give a shout out to this Lionel Richie Classic
https://youtu.be/nqAvFx3NxUM
And this Aussie one hit wonder which came to me much too late for the comp two weeks ago (it was yesterday!)
https://youtu.be/g5B8AFvWk8Y
Most songs by Madness and I’d pick Baggy Trousers
In a stellar career Bob Dorough collaborated with Miles Davis, Allen Ginsberg and Lenny Bruce amongst others. Yeah, whatever…
His coolest achievement though was as writer and director of Schoolhouse Rock, an animated educational series where where he put the multiplication tables to music, part of which was later sampled by De La Soul.
Bob Dorough – Three Is A Magic Number
https://youtu.be/eVwnmVTjnoI
If Hot Chip’s masterful mash up of Bruce Springsteen and LCD Soundsystem doesn’t raise a smile, Mike, who features at 0.36 in the 80’s homage-style video, surely will.
https://youtu.be/PyN_d28-sfw
What about
Tears of a clown
Smoky Robinson
https://youtu.be/ZaMX0Cs5Bc4
Common As Muck
Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Rubber Duck!
https://youtu.be/9BZQ6ad1QdE
Patrick Street – Music for a found harmonium.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ueKDXXtcS0A
Let’s just say… if you vote for me, all your wildest dreams will come true…
The Specials – A message to you Rudy
https://youtu.be/cntvEDbagAw
Say what you will about the Rose of Tralee, but as an early-90s participant, this song was top of the charts at the time. I know I’m not the only ‘Rose’ of that time who belts out this song, to this day, reveling in the friendships made over sneaky cigs and maybe a bit too much booze!
https://youtu.be/6NXnxTNIWkc
https://youtu.be/TSGuaVAufV0
Most of my favourite happy tunes have been turned into ads for washing powder, meusli or trainers.
I have one left that I pray to fuk gets left alone – Wilson Pickett, 6345789.
Like all things that bring happiness, there is always a part of you that is scared it will be taken away from you so you tend to appreciate it more while you have it..
or backing music to cat videos…don’t watch Kitty love on Netflix
Haircut 100 – Fantastic Day
https://youtu.be/BsF4suwvpsY
The Modern Lovers – Pablo Picasso
https://youtu.be/ejmE-F3EJyQ
All Saints – Pure Shores
https://youtu.be/dVNdTXEJv1A
One more for the road, seeing as this just popped up on my Spotify and I couldn’t have stopped the smile on my face even for a second. It’s infectious, cliché, cheesy but in the very best of ways and everyone knows the words.
https://youtu.be/-C_3eYj-pOM
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gate & Tammi Terrell
For me it’s the great Holger Czukay “Photo Song” …
https://youtu.be/ZZ3oeboZ7ts
Holger’s a little less serious here. Still it always brings a smile to my face with the simplest of lyrics:
“Fun is the key to your health
Turning pictures to your heart
Facing the locality
Images melting into one
And there are you
A mirror reflection
And I don’t know
I’m smiling”
Video is just perfect. Done in 1984 when there was still a West Germany, it reminds you how there was always a place in all that Cold War European grey drabness for pure silliness and artistic anarchy.
Remember heading to school for Inter Cert exams, a bunch of us commenting on all those serious Protest Rock power videos on MTV. I mentioned seeing Holger’s “Photo Song” video (you can imagine how little air play it would have got). Everyone stopped, turned around and smiled. “Pure genius that was boy” they all said. World needs a few more Holgers these days…
Ps that’s Jaki Liebezeit playing bass in the vid …
It has to be Katerine La Banane. I translate the Banana. Enjoy : https://youtu.be/h3ilLEN1Qew
SMILE JAMAICA by Chronnix.
– even if you absolutely HATE Jamaica, you can’t stop smiling.
https://youtu.be/vofff0Ei3kk
Derek & Clive Live:
Mama’s Got A Brand New Bag
This is the kinda thing that makes me smile.
Asian Dub Foundation ft Stuart Lee. ‘Comin’ Over Here’.
https://youtu.be/_kkOHtniTts
Techno-Punky politics, delivered by the the 39th Best Comedian Ever and a band I presume is from Birmingham, England.
(Other remixes are available.)
The bulk of posting is done, and I cannot ruin anyone’s day.
Janet: DO NOT click the link. Perhaps don’t read either as it does involve a certain band.
Okay, should be safe to share this now.
A song that always makes me smile, sometimes gloat, is Fernando by ABBA. I used love singing it and knew all the words. I was 9 or ten, and my aunt, uncle and cousins would come down to visit regularly. My uncle used love to get me to sing the song, and as those of you who have read any of my comments around Little Slightly, you may be aware that she does not have a great impression of my singing ability..
It was not any better then. So my uncle would have me sing it, and get great big belly laughs from the performance. I did not care, I enjoyed singing it, and he gave me 50p, which was more than I got for pocket money – well worth it.
Why I smile? As he gave me a hug, he would say that he loved watching my love of singing come out, and wanted to encourage me not to heed the begrudgers.
Why I gloat: my brothers used enjoy telling me that he only did it for the laugh, and I could say ‘yes, but he also gave me 50p!’. You could clearly hear the drums as their hearts sped up in anger.
ABBA, and Fernando
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQsjAbZDx-4
A masterpiece
Even Janet must dig this one!
Ah but there is no need to risk upsetting anyone
nope
I hope that you heeded the warning and had a wonderful, peaceful evening :-)
Coming in mad late, I know, but every thing by this band just has to make you smile, one of the more eclectic bands “Gogol Bordello”. If you don’t know them, check em out. Here’s a taste
https://youtu.be/K3SUPPeuRdU
Great song.
All their stuff is slightly mad but really moreish. I’d love to see them live. Must be nuts.
I don’t know why but the song, and your comment, reminded me of Pink and I’m Comin’ Up
If the party is worth being at, it is never too late :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW1dbiD_zDk
*Finger guns in the air*
Pew pew!