the bomb

GMS takes a break from dexys week to point you in the direction of this excellent observer article on british protest music and the anti-nuclear campaign - featuring, among others, michael foot, tony benn, peggy seeger, billy bragg and GMS-favourite Martin Carthy.

CND is fifty this year, and this weekend sees the anniversary of the nagasaki bombing. music, maestro:

uncle tupelo - 'atomic power' (louvin brothers cover, live, 1992)

yo la tengo - 'nuclear war' (sun ra cover, from prisoners of love)

nation of ulysses - 'atomic bomb' (from 13-point program to destroy america)

the crystals - 'little boy' (from back to mono)

derrick harriott - 'fat man' (from trojan - jamaican hits)

george clinton - 'atomic dog' (from computer games)

rivers cuomo - 'the bomb' (ice cube cover, from alone)

Halloween hi-jinx with the chill spectre of Phil Spector

Galactic Mystery Solvers is proud to welcome its Halloween guest blogger Phil Spector, fresh from wearing fright-wigs, appearing in court, producing pop records in the 1960s, and generally being crazier than a stuck pig.

Hello kids. Mwahahahahaha! If, like me, you’re nuttier than a squirrel’s “crib”, and love nothing more than the grim Spector – sorry, spectre – of DEATH, then I guess you’ll agree that Halloween’s just the ticket. I like Christmas too, but that’s in December. Other things I like include pop songs with loud drums on them, automatic weapons, and Galactic Mystery Solvers – an Oxford-based music blog that takes a sideways look at indie rock, hip hop, dictionaries and 1997.

Alright already. Anyone who knows jack shit about my career knows that I cast a long, terrifying shadow over the music world. Here are some songs that reflect my frightful presence (on the music scene, that is!). These tracks might not seem “spooky” in the conventional sense – in fact, they might seem like a bunch of songs that in some way reference my oeuvre, but are otherwise unconnected. But they are, one and all, “haunted” by the chill spectre of – who? – Phil Spector.

Mwahahahahaha!

Nation Of Ulysses – ‘Today I Met The Girl I’m Gonna Marry’ (from 13-Programme To Destroy America)

Darlene Love – ‘(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry’ (from Back To Mono)

Spiritualized – ‘She Kissed Me (And It Felt Like A Hit)’ (from Amazing Grace)

The Crystals – ‘He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)' (from Back To Mono)

Isaac Hayes – ‘Ike’s Rap / You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’ (from To Be Continued)

Righteous Brothers – ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling' (from Back To Mono)