Tuesday Tunes 273: Numero Quattro

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As I’ve said before, I don’t usually run these mini-series for more than three weeks, but as I have so many more numbers songs I thought I’d go round again. I had been debating with myself not to, but a comments chat with the lovely Carolyn on last week’s offering convinced me. You’ll see why, later.

Let’s get things going with a longtime favourite:

It almost frightens me to say it, but Queen released Seven Seas of Rhye as a single in February 1974 and then included it on their second album, Queen II, the following month. Where did 51 years go! A brief instrumental version had been included on their debut album, Queen, released in July 1973, but as Freddie Mercury hadn’t finished writing it at that point they held it over to their second album. It became their first hit single, peaking at #10 in the UK, and the album was also their first big success, reaching #5 in the UK, and also making #49 in the US. Seven Seas of Rhye, along with the non-album B-side See What a Fool I’ve Been, was released as a single sooner than planned due to a huge bit of luck. In February 1974, David Bowie was unable to appear on the BBC’s regular weekly show Top of the Pops to perform Rebel Rebel, and a replacement act was urgently needed. Queen were booked for the show and lip-synched this song. EMI then rushed the single out on 22 February, just five days after the television appearance was confirmed. A case of right place, right time!

This next one is an even longer time favourite. The video is showing its age a bit, but it is still a little piece of musical history – watch out for David Crosby wearing what looks like roadkill on his head:

The Byrds  released Eight Miles High as a single in the US in March 1966, and in the UK in May, and it then featured on their third album, Fifth Dimension, which came out in July 1966. The single got to #14 in the US and #24 in the UK, and the album made #24 in the US and #27 in the UK. A 16 minute live version of the song was then included on the live half of the double album set Untitled, which was released in September 1970 in the US and November in the UK. It only reached #40 in the US but did much better here in the UK, where it got to #11, no doubt helped by my purchase. I did toy with the thought of playing the full live version but decided that would be too self-indulgent, but do check it out if you’re interested – it’s epic!

I’ve played this next one twice before, for other themes, but the song is great and the video is very cute:

Presumably for copyright reasons that video isn’t available in the Caribbean area, which strikes me as odd, so I offer my apologies if that is where you are reading this. It is actually a new-ish official video, released in April 2020, but the song of course goes back much further. You can’t keep a good song down, and this is absolutely charming: such a good accompaniment to a simple, but very uplifting, little song. Three Little Birds was originally released on Bob Marley’s 1977 album Exodus, which reached #8 here, #20 in the US, and was #1 in his Jamaican homeland. It was also a single here in the UK, released in September 1980, and peaked at #17. If you are ever in need of brightening up your day, this video will do it for you. It has accumulated more than 192m YouTube views in the past five years, and that many people just must be right!

I’m stretching things a little for this next tune, as there isn’t a number in its title, but the word is there. This is another longtime favourite of mine, so I just had to squeeze it in somehow:

Rikki Don’t Lose That Number was the opening track on Steely Dan’s third album, Pretzel Logic, which was released in February 1974 and reached #8 in the US and #37 in the UK. It was then taken as a single and became their highest charting in the US, where it peaked at #4, and also made #3 in Canada. It wasn’t a UK hit at the time, but did make #58 here when it was re-released in 1979. I’ve always loved the song and it seems I’m not alone, as John Lennon was complimentary about it in a 1974 interview. I’m in the best of company!

I’m closing today with the song that was suggested by Carolyn, who was convinced that I had played it before. I was equally sure that I hadn’t, and she then suggested that maybe I had played a charity video which used it. Still no sound of dropping pennies here! It isn’t someone I would usually look to but I watched the video that Carolyn suggested, and decided that I had to play it. The song is by Christina Perri, and is a hit single of hers called A Thousand Years. This special video was made for World Down Syndrome Day in 2018, and it is absolutely lovely. Hankies at the ready:

The mums in this video and the dad who created it met online and got together to show the world just how ordinary and fun life with the condition is and how they “Wouldn’t Change a Thing”. As you saw, it is a carpool karaoke lip sync in support of World Down Syndrome Day 2018, and features 50 mums and their children singing along to Christina’s song. This video inspired the start of the charity Wouldn’t Change A Thing which was set up in June 2018. This parent volunteer led organisation continues to work with its mission ‘To make negative perceptions of people with Down Syndrome a thing of the past.’

The charity has run successful awareness campaigns, a Wouldn’t Change A Thing book gifted free for new parents, school resources and more, all motivated through love of their children and their wish for positive change to perceptions. They freely admit that they were inspired to make this video by a similar one earlier in 2018 by Singing Hands – a UK organisation whose videos have helped many in their group learn Makaton signing for supporting their children’s communication development. This link will take you to that one if you’d like to watch it too.

And I will freely admit that I knew next to nothing about Christina Perri before Carolyn suggested this, but I am happy to say that I think this is a beautiful song, even if I wouldn’t have been likely to play it before. If you’d like to see Christina’s original version you’ll find it here. The song was originally written in 2011 for the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 movie, and became a sleeper hit single, going on to sell more than 10m copies in the US and 3m in the UK. Christina has shared her support for the Wouldn’t Change A Thing idea and has waived any copyright claim to the music in support of the campaign. As of now, the video has more than 11m views and the original Singing Hands version has 1.9m. I always like a story of a song doing good things to support those who might need it.

That feels like an appropriate place to end this week’s set of songs. Will numbers return next week? Who knows – I sure as hell don’t!  I’ll be back in a couple of days with, sadly, another of my tribute posts. Until then, I wish you a good week. 😊

58 thoughts on “Tuesday Tunes 273: Numero Quattro”

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  6. The only one I hadn’t heard was from Queen, and it was okay, but the rest were excellent choices. I especially liked the last one with the moms and kids. It has always been a beautiful song, and that just made it even more so. 🙂

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  7. Hi Clive, I am behind on my blog visits but I am sure glad to have landed here today for this wonderful post.

    Rikki Don’t Lose That Number is a jam and glad you included it, also, laughing with the Bob Marley video and the smoking. It reminded me of when my boys were little and we found a very old CHS of curious george and they were smoking – it was funny.

    Also, the down syndrom video from 2018 was truly a heart tug and great idea for a video. On a side note, that song will always be imprinted in my brain because I made a five minute video of a wedding for a friend’s daughter, and that song was the main one featured fo some of the photos part. They ended up divorced a few years later, but i was glad to help put together a small video – and their mum was a good friend of mine from a yoga class.

    anyhow, a bit of memory lane and enjoyment here

    xxxx

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  8. I’ve always loved the Christina Perri song, but that is the first time I’ve seen this touching video. As you guessed, I didn’t make it through without shedding a few tears. I know this will sound blasphemous to you and likely anyone else who reads my comment, but I was never a fan of Queen or Bob Marley. I always love Steely Dan and the very distinctive voice of their lead singer.

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  12. Nice to hear The Byrds. Loved the video and the haircuts!

    Steely Dan – wonderful and that Skunk Baxter guitar solo….

    Christina Perry’s ‘A Thousand Years’ is a great song! I’ve never heard the 50 Mums 50 Kids version. What a heartwarming video.

    Maybe there are more ‘Thousands’ which could be included in another ‘Numbers’ week. I’m thinking maybe: ‘Thousands are Sailing’ by the Pogues, ‘A Thousand Trees’ by the Stereophonics (both tell an interesting story) and ‘Swords of a Thousand Men’ by Tenpole Tudor (its a fun song and has a fun video).

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    • I think four weeks is enough for now, though there are still loads more I could play! The only Van Halen song I know is Jump – not really a fan, and I don’t think they had anything like as much success here as they did over there.

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  17. If you’re wondering where 51 years have gone, imagine how I felt after reading that ‘8 Miles High’ was released 59 years ago! It doesn’t seem possible. Great songs!
    ‘Wouldn’t Change A Thing’ is a lovely video featuring 50 spectacular kids and their lovely mums; thank you for sharing it today.
    Wonderful music, Clive.

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  19. I may be crazy, thinking I saw the beautiful Down Syndrome video on here before, but I’m glad I got to see it again. 😊 Now, we will see if it triggered a memory for anyone else about seeing it on here or if I am simply crazy. 🤣
    Thanks for the shout out, your selections started my day with a smile and a tear! The Three Birds video was fun, and yes, that looks like road kill on Davy’s head. 🤣
    Got a laugh from your meme, too.

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    • We’ll see, but the clincher for me is that I would have tagged Christina Perri if I’d played it before, and her name wasn’t recognised. So that just leaves the option of your sanity 🤣

      It’s certainly worth seeing again, and I thought it right to link both the original song and the one from which they stole the idea. You’re welcome for the shout out – I wouldn’t have played it without your help.

      Glad you liked some of the others too, and the meme 😊

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  20. Thanks for this selection! I heard the long version of Eight Miles High when I saw the Byrds at the Albert Hall in ’69 and I’ve still got the programme. BYW didn’t every seriously music-interested person own Pretzel Logic back then? I certainly did🥳

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    • Thank you, I’m pleased you liked them. That’s quite a memento to have – I never got to see them. Those first three Steely Dan albums were a huge part of the soundtrack to my uni days.

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      • I also saw my guitar hero Roger McGuinn solo at Dingwalls around ’82 or ’83. I desperately wanted to get his autograph but he disappeared as if in a puff of smoke straight after the gig.😢

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      • That always disappointed me when they did that. I have been to loads of folk music gigs and they all know the importance of being available for their fans after the show. Rock musicians less so, in my experience.

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