My Top Ten: Hollies

Showing posts with label Hollies. Show all posts

Sunday, 14 September 2025

Snapshots #413: Songs Used In Adverts

Yesterday we had a picture of John Lydon at the top of the page because I thought he was surely the best / worst example of a pop star appearing in an advert. And then I discovered Snoop Dogg in the Money Supermarket ad. And John had some competition.

Here is George's choice of the best "pop" "songs" used in adverts... although George would like to qualify that, "I think the link is best described as “songs related to UK adverts”, as some of the songs were not actually used but were the basis for the advert. For example, “Que Será Será”, because I’m 100% sure Doris Day did not sing about mushrooms and fried onion rings."

Did you ad-entify them all?

15. Bohemian Rhapsodist.

Antonin Dvorak - Symphony no. 9 (Hovis)

14. Unforgettable part in the King's Bible.

A small part of "unforgettable" plus King James...

Etta James - I Just Want To Make Love To You (Diet Coke)

13. Hawaii Jack, boogying pig, football squad.

Jack Lord, some Rocking Ham and 11.

Lord Rockingham’s XI - Hoots Mon (Maynard's Wine Gums)

12. Trowel and mortar specialists.

Call them if you need any pointing done.

The Pointer Sisters - I’m So Excited (Crunchie)

11. Sorry, I can't attend. I have another engagement that night.

Sorry, I have a clash in my diary.

The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Levis)

10. Erstwhile Isley Brother.

He started out playing with the Isleys.

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Crosstown Traffic (Wrangler)

9. Wounded stag owner, Reed, circa.

Jacques and the wounded stag. Lou Reed. Ca.

Jacques Loussier - Air on a G String (Hamlet)

8. Johnsons.

Holly Johnsons.

The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (Miller Lite)

7. Mediocre amateurs, lost inside.

MedioCRE AMateurs.

Cream - I Feel Free (Renault 21)

6. A div and (his) duds are often mixed up.

David Dundas - Jeans On (Brutus Jeans)

5. You're the tray of nice things I upset yesterday.

That's a line from Gaye by Clifford T. Ward.

Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Levis 501)

4. It's Sneers Week! In a way.

Anagram!

New Seekers - I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (Coca-Cola)

3. Sweeter alternative to the gravy train.

Honeybus - I Can't Let Maggie Go (Nimble Bread)

2. Denied starting fires between Harry Truman and Red China.

From the opening lyrics to We Didn't Start The Fire...

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray.

Doris Day - Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)

We hope it's chips, it's chips, we hope it's chips...

1. Confused band, ft. Lelah.

"ft. Lelah" was an anagram for one of George's favourite groups...

The Fall - Touch Sensitive (Vauxhall Corsa)

Thanks again to George for suggesting this week's songs. As someone who worked in advertising for far too many years, I couldn't have done this one myself.

Normal service will be resumed next week.

Friday, 7 March 2025

Bertie Fridays #6: Albert Hammond

We're back to flipping through Bertie The Dog's record collection. He only buys discs by people with Bert in their name...

My father is a doctor, he's a family man

My mother works for charity whenever she can

And they're both good clean Americans who abide by the law

And they both stick up for liberty and they both support the war

My happiness was paid for when they laid their money down

For summers in a summer camp and winters in the town

My future in the system was talked about and planned

But I gave it up for music and The Free Electric Band

Despite the lyrics of his only UK hit, Albert Hammond was born in London in 1944, shortly after his parents had been evacuated from Gibraltar.

Albert began his musical career aged just 16 with Gibraltarian band The Diamond Boys, but his first chart success came 6 years later, in 1966, with a Top Ten hit as part of...

The Family Dogg - A Way Of Life

He went on to enjoy a successful career as a solo musician, but I'm guessing he made most of his money as a songwriter. He's the writer or co-writer of a surprising range of hits from across the decades...

The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe

The Pipkins - Gimme Dat Ding

Blue Mink - Good Morning Freedom

The Fortunes - Freedom Come, Freedom Go

Leo Sayer - When I Need You

Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

Whitney Houston - One Moment In Time

Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias - To All The Girls I've Loved Before

Diana Ross - When You Tell Me That You Love Me

Quite a list. A great songwriter... though I'd argue he's not much cop as a weather man...

This Bertie's got an OBE, an Emmy, an Ivor Novello award and he's been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Though surely his greatest claim to fame is being mentioned in a Half Man Half Biscuit song...

Dragging my guitar round maternity ward

I was in search of the umbilical chord

But it was all in vain so I jumped on a train

And when I reached my home the kids were on the patio

Looking quite upset, so I asked them what was wrong

And they said: “Beware, there’s an Albert Hammond bootleg in the house in there

An Albert Hammond bootleg in the house

Some man who introduced himself as Stanley Rous came in

And left this Albert Hammond bootleg in the house”

No clues as to next week's Bertie. Those of you who are paying attention should be able to guess him.

Sunday, 14 July 2024

Saturday Snapshots #352: A Top Ten Posterior Songs

I almost ran this picture yesterday, but I figured it would be too much of a giveaway... so I featured the colossal arse that is Tom Hanks instead.

Here are ten songs we sit down on - or synonyms for posterior, if you prefer.

10. Frankie's pall was rather dull and unfashionable.

A dull and unfashionable person is a dowd. Frankie was pals with Johnny.

Johnny Dowd - Opus III: Caboose

9. Larry aches after playing Twister.

Untwist "Larry aches" and you get...

Ray Charles - Shake A Tailfeather

8. If I could be for only an hour, tiny.

"If I could be for only an hour," is a line from Jackie.

Little Jackie - 28 Butts

7. Inside Reece and Steve's peach.

Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton made Inside Number 9.

The Nectarine No. 9 - This Arsehole's Been Burned Too Many Times Before

6. In this world, we've got to find the time for things that come in bottles and lamps. See?

"In this world, we've got to find the time," is a line from The Life Of Riley.

Genies come in bottles and lamps. C?

Jeannie C. Riley - The Back Side Of Dallas

5. Policeman stuck in School of Grease.

Rydell High was the school in Grease.

Bobby Rydell - Honey Buns

4. Scary Christopher in Forest of Dean.

Christopher Lee was pretty scary. Hazell Dean was an 80s pop star, in a wood.

Lee Hazlewood - Poet, Fool Or Bum

3. Golden King, Silver Queen, Blue Prince.

Golden King, Silver Queen and Blue Prince are all types of holly.

The Hollies - I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top

Good song, though I have a special fondness for the Kevin Rowland version.

2. Californian kestrels, ahoy!

I See Hawks In LA - Stop Driving Like An Asshole

1. The Colonel stops frying and lets daylight do its work.

KFC without the F, using sunshine instead...

KC & The Sunshine Band - Shake Your Booty

You

Get off your arses next Saturday morning for more of the same...

Sunday, 15 October 2023

Snapshots #314: A Top Ten Carrie Songs

The late, great Carrie Fisher introduces our Top Ten Carrie songs. Yesterday's image of Sissy Spacek would have been an extra clue for anyone who remembers her break-out performance.

Let's Carrie on with the songs...

10. How I wish we were still together.