The Wedding Present Cup: Stage 1, Group 3

  



Group 3

  • I Found That Essence Rare
  • Caroline No
  • Once More
  • Big Rat
  • Swimming Pools, Movie Stars
  • Go Wild in the Country
  • Something And Nothing
  • A  Million Miles
  • (The Moment Before) Everything's Spoiled Again
  • Mystery Date
  • Octopussy
  • Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Theme From Cheers)
  • Boing!
  • Kerplunk!
  • You Can't Moan, Can You? 
  • Blue Eyes

The Results

Beach Boys cover 'Caroline No' became the second song to achieve 'nul points'. Both Keg and Gav F characterised it as 'TWP-by-numbers' cover; others were more vehement. Ian, for example, commented that, 'the original is awful from an entirely over-rated album IMHO and this has not improved it.' Johnny was customarily concise: 'No, just that, No.'


The 'Theme From Cheers' was regarded with a little more affection, a few of the panel having fond memories of seeing it live. Not fond enough to see it to double figures though. Again, I will give the final word to Johnny: 

Maybe if you’re a sixth form band playing a covers set in the back room of the Sprocket and Pigeon in Wakefield on Sunday teatime, and you like Cheers!, and you think doing this would be full of amusing irony then go for it; if not, then don’t. 

The other two covers, 'Go Wild in the Country' and 'I Found That Essence Rare', also found themselves towards the bottom of the table. Opinions regarding the Bow Wow Wow original were very divided. Mandy was enthused: 'Loved the original, love the frantic chaos of this cover.' Harry was very much in the negative camp: 'It's quite an achievement to produce something worse than the original, but they manage it with some ease in the end.' Although the Gang Of Four cover didn't attract many more points, it did receive generally more positive comments, with a few noting that it might have been better rewarded in a different group. Keg went as far as to say that the original 'sounded positively pedestrian' in comparison to TWP's cover.


'Kerplunk!' is a 24 Songs track that doesn't seem to have caught the attention of the panel. It did attract this rather melancholy comment from Keg: 'Never had Kerplunk as a child. Always coveted it. Always left disappointed at Christmas. See also Buckaroo, Mouse Trap and Operation.' Several people enjoyed the appearance of some brass on 'Big Rat', but a big score from Joanna was nowhere enough to take it through. '(The Moment Before) Everything's Spolied Again' came much closer, receiving strong support from Keg and Harry; Gav F was not so impressed: 'one of worst songs on Tommy.' 'You Can't Moan, Can You?' came even closer, tying with 'Mystery Date' but losing out owing to the fact that 10/17 judges gave the latter a higher mark. 

At the top of the table, there were three clear winners, 'A Million Miles', 'Blue Eyes' and 'Octopussy' finishing streets ahead of the rest. 'Octopussy' got a 10/12 from over half of the panel; Gav M's comment was typical: 'magisterial, devastating.' There was some dissent, however. James confessed that he is 'not a massive Seamonsters fan,' although he did recognise the closing track was 'a very powerful song though & a fitting end to the album.' Keg was even more heretical:

I've never particularly taken to this song, nor do I think that Seamonsters is their greatest ever album. Bleak? Epic? Am I supposed to be moved? It goes on too long for me. So let's give it a zero.

Group winner 'A Million Miles' inspired some wistful, romantic nostalgia from Gav M and James:

I fell in love to this song. I was 15, early 1988, at a house party and I shared a kiss and a passionate few minutes with a posh girl from the local private school. I walked back home in high spirits singing this song to myself - I look back on this song with much fondness. I never did see her again...

I tried to woo someone as a youngster by getting a friend to write the lyrics out with a calligraphy pen and sent it through the post.. never heard anything back!

Early tracks 'Once More' and 'Something And Nothing' qualified with ease. The former, according to Johnny, is 'the sound of a dropped bag of chips and a thousand shattered dreams that kick you in the guts at three in the morning on the taxi rank after Sandra from accounts laughs at your advances.' Keg thought the latter, 'a highlight of George Best - domestic drama delivered in under four minutes.'


Both 'Boing!' and 'Swimming Pools, Movie Stars' attracted a mix of decent marks and zeros. I'm a big fan of the August Hit Parade single, but James thought it merely 'average.' Johnny, Gricey and Kirk blanked 'Swimming Pools', but Gav M praised a 'fab little song with great poppy hooks.' Harry found some of his personal experiences reflected in the lyrics: '"If only you would call" - we've all been there Dave.'







Comments

  1. The co-ordinatorMarch 4, 2024 at 5:46 AM

    Would probably take the two that just missed out over the two that just got in!

    ReplyDelete

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