Single of the Week on Ken Bruce's Radio 2 show is...

You bunch of miserable gits

When I was young, I'd listen to the full top 40 with Mark Goodier every Sunday (and tape the stuff I liked the sound of ). I slowly stopped doing that around the age of 13 but I still like to catch glimpses of it while I'm cooking and the like.

I remember my dad saying to me that somewhere along the line he stopped paying attention the charts and he really regrets it, cuz now he doesn't know what's going on - I don't want that to happen!

Blimey Jonny, you mean you've actually heard of 'tapes'? Are you sure you're 19?

I used to do the same thing... the first chart show I ever remember taping was from the week New Order re-released 'Blue Monday' in 1988 - not a bad start, although I seem to remember taping stuff like Debbie Gibson and Bros as well

I did it for a couple of years, but then discovered girls (although it took them a bit longer to discover me)... but all those tapes are now landfill, sadly

Glendarian wrote:

So I got great satisfaction when Forget Myself entered the charts at No. 12 and really enjoyed telling them so. Hasn't converted either of them though.

How old are they? You wait, I bet they'll love Elbow when they get older... in the same way that it took me 20 years to appreciate the finer lyrical and musical nuances of Squeeze.

lee spoons wrote:

Blimey Jonny, you mean you've actually heard of 'tapes'? Are you sure you're 19?

I used to do the same thing... the first chart show I ever remember taping was from the week New Order re-released 'Blue Monday' in 1988 - not a bad start, although I seem to remember taping stuff like Debbie Gibson and Bros as well

I did it for a couple of years, but then discovered girls (although it took them a bit longer to discover me)... but all those tapes are now landfill, sadly

Man, I hadn't even heard of CDs till I was at least 8, and even then they seemed to be some crazy invention that I didn't want in on. My dad's vinyl collection had slowly become my vinyl collection, and I'd spend loads of time recording them onto tape just because I can. Goooood tiiiimes.

Grumpy old woman I may be , but I do have happy memories of taping the Sweet, T Rex, Slade etc. on our "ultra-modern" cassette recorder in the 70s. It was just a case of sticking the thing next to the speaker of the radio or TV and so quite a few songs had loud shushes in the middle as someone walked into the room... I think I actually started by recording the odd song off Top of the Pops on an old reel-to-reel.

Anyways, back OT anyone know how One Day Like This is actually doing?

It's not out for a few weeks... but I'd be interested to see if TSSK starts climbing back up the charts now it's on Radio 2.

I hope so, not least as it would be more ammunition for my kids. They're 12 and 13 btw, high time they got into better quality stuff than the latest X Factor winner & the like...

Seems some people really like Radio 2 and others can't abide it!

I don't mind Ken Bruce's show and i quite like Steve Wright's too - although it's better when Radcliffe sits in - and obviously Radcliffe and Maconi together is a quality show.

I think it can only be a good thing that Elbow have a single of the week on R2, i don't see how it can do them any harm.

R2 = Parents radio; therefore record of the week is uncool; therefore Elbow are uncool; therefore Elbow does not appeal to the younger kids who believe that cool is important (which is damn near all of them); therefore Elbow don't sell squillions of records. QED

Just my opinion.

Quote :

R2 = Parents radio

Certainly not this parent!
But generally speaking isn't it the parents who spend money on records not the kids? (Not that I care, except of course for hoping that Elbow do well...)

Hotblack wrote:

R2 = Parents radio; therefore record of the week is uncool; therefore Elbow are uncool; therefore Elbow does not appeal to the younger kids who believe that cool is important (which is damn near all of them); therefore Elbow don't sell squillions of records. QED

Just my opinion.

I think you're missing the point here. What about Coldplay? Keane? Snow Patrol? Cherry Ghost? The f***ing Kooks? Razorf***inglight? All of these have had number one albums recently as far as I can remember, and all of these have had MASSIVE exposure on R2. Surely even we poor sad uncool parents who have to put up with Steve 'Love The Show' Wright every day deserve better than that lot?

Funnily enough, I've just had a conversation with the bloke who runs the courier service we use - at a guess I'd say he's in his early 40s, and he said 'the day I listen to Radio 2 is the day I die'. He still listens to Radio 1 - as do his teenage children. So I'm obviously hopelessly uncool

If it's any consolation, Lee, personally I don't think Radio 1 is any better than Radio 2. (Which shows how totally cool I am )
Is Virgin still around? I used to listen to that when I was out & about in the car more but it was years ago so haven't a clue what it's like now. The music was OK but the adverts used to drive me bonkers - same with Caroline. I'm lucky enough to be able to listen via the computer now (which is where I discover my new music too), but when I'm out in the car it's CDs all the way for me.

XFM FTW!

And 6 Music...

lee spoons wrote:

I think you're missing the point here. What about Coldplay? Keane? Snow Patrol? Cherry Ghost? The f***ing Kooks? Razorf***inglight? All of these have had number one albums recently as far as I can remember, and all of these have had MASSIVE exposure on R2. Surely even we poor sad uncool parents who have to put up with Steve 'Love The Show' Wright every day deserve better than that lot?

Maybe. But all those bands had massive exposure on R1 early on as well.Have R1 ever really picked up on Elbow? I know LOTFW had a lot of exposure on the Edith Bowman and Whatsisname afternoon show. Sorry to be so cynical but did it make any real difference?

I know it sounds like I'm a miserable grump but I'm just trying to be realistic and/or pragmatic here.

Zane Lowe championed Grounds For Divorce somewhat and Jo Whiley's had them in the Live Lounge a couple of times.

But yeah, Radio 2 are more Elbow-aware but simply being on Radio 2 doesn't make a band decent - The Kooks and Razorlight are testament to that theory, as they're pure dross... something that Radio 1 know all about, 99% of the stuff they play is plain crap - Elbow and Cherry Ghost aside, of course.

I think the problem is also the dilution of music over hundreds of possible outlets.
These days there are heaps of digital stations, music channels and online access which cater more for individual tastes rather than broad appeal.
When i was a lad....You had Top of The Pops every Thursday and that was basically it unless you had cable TV.
Remember terrestrial TV only had three, then four channels, and the number of radio stations available was limited.

I actually miss TOTP, just for keeping up with who is in the charts - not that they are meaningful. (But we must relate to the younger generation, before we turn grey and crinkly ! )

Lets hope any exposure helps get some more sales, and if not then maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Lets face it, if Elbow had the commercial success of other bands, would they have produced the quality we love. I'm sure they would have been under corporate pressure to churn out "more of the same" and although it doesn't make them zillionaires, i think they must be pleased with the critical acclaim. I can't think of another band in my collection who have four truly great albums.

ChrissyBoy wrote:

I actually miss TOTP, just for keeping up with who is in the charts - not that they are meaningful. (But we must relate to the younger generation, before we turn grey and crinkly ! )

Lets hope any exposure helps get some more sales, and if not then maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Lets face it, if Elbow had the commercial success of other bands, would they have produced the quality we love. I'm sure they would have been under corporate pressure to churn out "more of the same" and although it doesn't make them zillionaires, i think they must be pleased with the critical acclaim. I can't think of another band in my collection who have four truly great albums.

I can't argue with any of that. Well said that man.

ChrissyBoy wrote:

Lets face it, if Elbow had the commercial success of other bands, would they have produced the quality we love. I'm sure they would have been under corporate pressure to churn out "more of the same" and although it doesn't make them zillionaires, i think they must be pleased with the critical acclaim. I can't think of another band in my collection who have four truly great albums.

Well said, that man.

This thread sums up exactly how I feel these days, that Radio 1 plays utter parp. Listen to xfm and 6music these days (repeating myself another sign of getting older). However, nowt wrong with a bit of Terry on Radio 2, he's an institution that guy Think the problem too is that albums tend to be bought more by grownups, so the singles chart is mostly for kids and therefore you get the less commercial bands with a bit of talent dare I say, doing better in the album charts.

Actually heard Elbow on Radio1 today !
Edith played ODLT at 3.40ish.

Good girl Edith, gotta love that woman.

Well, considering Guy and she were an item at one point it's nice to see there's no animosity.

IIRC she made Forget Myself her single of the week, and that came out very shortly after they split up. I'm certain they are still friends.