Tuesday Tunes 314: Wedding

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A couple of weeks ago I played Billy Idol’s Hot In The City, and in the comments a couple of people remarked on their favourite song of his. That song is also the one of his that I like best, and this gave me an idea for a new theme. So here we go with six songs with wedding in their title.

Having credited him with the prompt there is only one place I can really start, isn’t there:

Billy Idol originally released White Wedding on his eponymous debut album in July 1982. The album didn’t make the UK charts but got to #45 in the US. This track was also released as a single, peaking at #36 in the US but again not being a UK hit. It was then re-released as a single in July 1985 to promote the Vital Idol album, a collection of remixes. This time it got its due reward in the charts, reaching #6 in the UK, and the album did well here too, getting to #7. Looking back this is such a familiar song that it seems strange that we didn’t take to him at first, and I still like this one – and the video is good, too.

If you want a video that is full of people enjoying their music, this one is for you:

Van Morrison and The Chieftains collaborated on an album in 1988. That record was Irish Heartbeat, and Marie’s Wedding was one of its tracks. This video includes a range of Irish musicians in addition to Van and The Chieftains, among them the recently departed Maire Brennan. The song is typical of the joyous feeling of the whole record: I bought it at the time and still love it today. If you enjoyed this, you have a treat in store when you find the album!

My next choice for today is an absolute beauty:

Don Henley released For My Wedding on his fourth solo album, Inside Job, which came out in May 2000 and peaked at #7 in the US, #8 in Canada and #25 in the UK, going Platinum in the US and Gold in Canada. For me the album was a welcome return from him, eleven years after his previous record, The End Of The Innocence. Overall, I didn’t think it was as good as his other albums, but with this as its standout track it still had something going for it. This wasn’t released as a single, but I’m wondering if the fact they made a video for it means that was a possibility they were considering. It did make #61 on the US Country chart, though, based on airplay. The song and video are gorgeous.

I’m going back to my folk roots for this one, from my teenage years, with apologies for an audio-only clip:

Richard Thompson released Nobody’s Wedding on his debut solo album, Henry The Human Fly, in April 1972 – his first record after leaving Fairport Convention. He has since remarked that this was the worst selling record ever released by Warner Bros, though I’m not sure if that is true! I bought the record and really liked it. The album featured contributions from some former Fairport colleagues, and the full list is a who’s who of the English folk scene at that time. John Kirkpatrick plays accordion on this and the fiddle is by Sue Draheim, both of whom were much in demand. I saw John in concert at the uni folk club as part of a duo with his future wife, Sue Harris, and it was a lovely evening. I love the way this plays out with the tune of Marie’s Wedding – see song two above!

My penultimate tune for today is a cover version, though I suspect many will prefer these vocals to the original:

Wedding Song is by Bob Dylan, and was the closing track on his Planet Waves album, released in January 1974. I know his voice isn’t to everyone’s taste so I have chosen this version by Maria Muldaur, who included Wedding Song on her album Heart of Mine: Maria Muldaur Sings Love Songs of Bob Dylan, about which Wikipedia has absolutely no information other than that it reached #1 on the US Blues Albums chart. I did find another website, concord.com, which confirmed that the album came out in August 2006 and said this about this song, which closed the album: “Wedding Song, a love song set in an unlikely minor key, is a dark and mysterious profession of devotion that is so boundless it defies comprehension.” So now you know! Maria plays fiddle on the album – at the suggestion of Bob – and I think she really does justice to this beautiful love song.

I’m closing this little selection about what is a happy day for most with a recently released song, by one of my newer favourites:

Nathan Evans released his third album, Angels’ Share, a collaboration with Saint PHNX, in January of this year. The PHNX boys are brothers Alan and Stevie Jukes, who formed their band in 2016, and the whole album is a delight. The Wedding is just one of many great songs on the record, though I can’t get out of my head the thought that I know the tune from somewhere, and it’s killing me! I have a vague idea that it might be a Russian folk song, though it has elements of Greek in it too. If anyone knows, please do tell! As well as this album they have also collaborated on a single, Home (World Cup 2026) which, as its title suggests, was the official song of the Scottish team for this year’s footy fest. Unfortunately for them all, Scotland’s first qualification for the World  Cup since 1998 ended like all of their others – a failure to get beyond the initial group stage – so the title of that song now feels sadly prophetic. This one is still great, though.

That’s all for today, though I leave you with my usual reminder of where I’m sharing this post. Firstly, at Esme’s Senior Salon Pit Stop, and then at Cathy’s Monday’s (On Sundays) Music Moves Me. Do pop over and take a look.

I’ll see you again soon, so until then take care 👍

41 thoughts on “Tuesday Tunes 314: Wedding”

  1. Pingback: Tuesday Tunes 315: Bride | Take It Easy

  2. I listened to part of your playlist earlier in the week and tried to come back several times to finish up and comment and your blog was gone! I finally found it again today-strange but anyway, I enjoyed your post. The PHNX The Wedding Song also drove me a little crazy because I never knew the name of the song it so reminded me of (like you!) and I’m glad one of your commenters found the song. After I looked it up I remembered I knew it as The Snake Charmer’s song The Internet told me that it was popularized during the 1893 Columbian exposition in Chicago, IL (United States). I like learning trivia like that, so thank you! Oh, and the Bob Dylan Wedding song, I did like the cover you posted better than the original. Dylan’s voice works for some of his music but I don’t think it’s an obsessive love song type of voice. Alana ramblinwitham

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  3. Clive, great selections. I would add Noel Paul Stookey’s “Wedding Song (There is love)” as one of the best plus it is used in weddings after he wrote it for his bandmate Peter Yarrow. But, I have a special fondness for Etta James’ “At Last,” which my wife and I danced to at our daughter’s wedding. Keith

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    • I’m pleased you enjoyed these. That Don Henley one is lovely, isn’t it, and the video really enhances it.

      I did three posts themed around ‘love’ in Feb 2025 so that might be a bit soon to reprise those. I’ll think about it, but I have already decided on next week’s theme, which will be related to this one. Come back on Tuesday!

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      • I prefer Maria’s voice to Bob’s, though to be fair he doesn’t groan as much on his own version of this one.

        I saw that you had returned to normal life. Hope it’s going well – and there will be two more posts before Tuesday 👍

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  5. I had never really thought about songs with ‘Wedding’ in the title, other than Billy Idol’s of course. My wife chose the songs for our wedding, and our first dance was to Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You. I had Maria Muldaur singing ‘Midnight At The Oasis’ on a single in 1973, and still love to hear it now.

    Best wishes, Pete.

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    • After a couple of people mentioned the song it seemed a good idea for a theme. These were an easy set for me to compile. Nice choice for a wedding dance. I’ve always liked Maria Muldaur’s voice too.

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  6. This was a really enjoyable read! Great work. I’d love for you to check out my latest work at lucazani.ink, if you’re interested! Appreciate any feedback.

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  8. Who doesn’t like a nice wedding, and some very nice tunes The Nathan/PHNX sounds very giddy, in a good way. And I’ll agree in this case- Maria over Dylan. (I’m just polishing off some thoughts on a wedding. Probably wind up posting it on the Anniversary it was scheduled for, knowing my tardiness!)

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  12. Terrific Don Henley choice. In the Eagles documentary, he candidly states how he hated being a solo artist: too much pressure to do it all…perhaps that was behind the slowdown – although he also has venomous words for David Geffen, who sued him for not releasing enough music – just as Geffen sued Neil Young because his music releases weren’t “commercial” enough…wow.

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  13. Billy Idol’s White Wedding is the only one I knew. I’m not a huge Idol fan but he has a few songs I like. I enjoyed Don Henley’s wedding song. The soft melody spoke to my tender side this morning. This is an interesting theme. I’m surprised wedding is used in all of your song picks. Good job! Thanks for joining the 4M party, Clive. Have a boogietastic week!

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  14. Totally enjoyed your song choices this morning, Clive. I’ve been listening to a lot of Don Henley and the Eagles lately and I love his wedding song and it’s poignant video. Maria Muldaur’s wedding song has always been a favorite of mine and, of course, we can’t top Billy Idol’s huge hit, White Wedding. What a classic that is! While taking piano lessons, I learned to play a song called Streets of Cairo; some made-up lyrics you may be familiar with are “All the girls in France do the hula hula dance…” Anyway, heres the tune …. it may be what you’re remembering:

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  15. I like that last one. All I can remember about another song with a similar tune is that it begins with ‘In the South of France…’ The boys at my junior school used to sing it, with alternative lyrics. I think I’ll have a listen to Bob Dylan’s version of that Wedding Song.

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