By ParaMhor
“Now, my own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose. I suspect that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of, or can be dreamed of, in any philosophy. That is the reason why I have no philosophy myself, and must be my excuse for dreaming.” - J.B.S. Haldane
“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.” – Carl Sagan
“You want the taste of dried leaves boiled in water?”
“Er, yes. With milk.”
“Squirted out of a cow?”
“Well in a manner of speaking, I suppose…”
“I’m going to need some help with this one.” – Douglas Adams
I have been there (and there) and lived to tell the tale. Well over 300 songs nominated and I am now questioning my own (and your) existence. If you are still there, here’s a very small selection from what was on offer this week.
Keeping to the rubric, the A-list is hopefully composed of space pop, synth music and other astral sounding music on the lighter side. The B-list hopefully lets the respective bands spread their limbs a little. I have also added an additional short list of soundtracks for fellow nostalgics.
We begin with the magnificent Sparks, who hooked up with Giorgio Moroder and made an instant classic. The Number One Song in Heaven is peerless pop from 1979, as influential in its way as anything else out there. Nominated by Tarquin Spodd.
Speaking of which, Giorgio’s own album, released a year or so earlier had this as its title track. Thanks again Tarquin Spodd for putting up From Here to Eternity.
So on to Madonna and her fabulous Ray of Light. SweetHomeAlabama is gobsmacked that this is unzedded. As am I. Don’t think she ever sounded better.
Severin suggested the Boney M title track, Night Flight to Venus. As he says ‘Well, if this isn't space disco then I jolly well don't know what is.’ A pretty fabby mix of disco and cozy powell drumming, love this!
Boney M - space disco with a first class ticket Night Flight To Venus
No slouching in the rhythm stakes as we move on to the Beastie Boys and Intergalactic. Happyclapper happily provided the nomination for what was a nailed-on A-lister as soon as I heard it.
Next up, another cosmic thing from the mighty B-52s. Think this most covers what I was looking for this week – fab pop tune about the great out there. Thanks to ShivSidecar for nominating Planet Claire. And I’m with you on preferring to believe that the Morse Code intro spells "Your tea's ready".
Not sure how many songs from Ziggy remain unzedded, but here’s another to add to the list. Moonage Daydream is an absolute banger, due in no small part to the guitars. As Maki says ‘I have lost count of the number of times I flown to the moon with Mick Ronson on this one.’
Jobriath has yet to trouble the Marconium. A life of extremes, including what was then the largest advance for a record, Max Visconta Nuclerosea reminds us about Space Clown, an ‘absurd glam ballad, full of beeps, bells, whistles, soaring strings, oohs, ahhs and other spacey sounds, including a full on simulated spaceship takeoff.’
Sparky’s Dream might not at first blush seem to fit this week’s theme. A closer look would reveal, as happyclapper says of the Teenage Fanclub classic: ‘If this isn't the most uplifting tune you've ever heard then you know some seriously uplifting tunes’
If she lived in space, man, I'd build a plane
Out of luck, so beam me up to hear her talking again
She painted pictures that never dried
Always try and keep the feeling alive
David has offered up an old spiritual, here interpreted by Woody Guthrie. As he says of Ezekiel saw the wheel: ‘This song, which we sang in choir when I was a child, truly frightened me. Our choir master showed us a Christian image of a wheel within a wheel, both covered in eyes and flames, floating above the earth, watching everything we do.’
This next one if probably the most unfamiliar on the list. Tarquin Spodd explains that ‘Susan Dietrich aka The Space Lady is a doyenne of "outsider music" and makes cosmic sounding noise and has done for many years.’ Was bowled over by Synthesise Me. Many thanks.
Think I’ve said before that I would listen to Karen Carpenter reciting the phone book. Here, she takes the Klaatu original and makes it her own. Was undecided whether to include the rather clumsy intro, but this was their official video. Thanks to BanazirGalbasi for adding Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.
To finish. What does God say? Early doors Vanwolf put up Are We Here? by Orbital and was instantly transported back 30 years. Alison Goldfrapp adding to the bliss in Are we here? Cannot think of a better ending.
I left out quite a few songs that I love as even I couldn’t manage to shoehorn them in. They will keep. Thanks to everyone for contributing this week. The B-list is a little looser, but I hope reflects the theme equally as well.
Huge thanks to our esteemed Landlord for keeping this place going and to Marco and helpers for our encyclopaedia, without which we would be lost. Share and enjoy.
The Astral A-List Playlist:
Sparks – The Number One Song in Heaven (Tarquin Spodd)
Giorgio Moroder - From Here to Eternity (Tarquin Spodd)
Madonna - Ray of Light (SweetHomeAlabama)
Boney M - Night Flight to Venus (Severin)
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (happyclapper)
B-52s - Planet Claire (ShivSidecar)
David Bowie - Moonage Daydream (Maki)
Jobriath - Space Clown (Max Visconta Nuclerosea)
Teenage Fanclub - Sparky’s Dream (happyclapper)
Woody Guthrie - Ezekiel Saw The Wheel (David)
The Space Lady - Synthesise Me (Tarquin Spodd)
The Carpenters - Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (BanazirGalbasi)
Orbital - Are We Here? (Vanwolf)
The Great Beyond B-List:
Pink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive (ShivSidecar)
I Signori della Galassia - Proxima Centauri (pejepeine)
Leftfield - Phat Planet (Happyclapper)
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Firecracker (Song Bar Landlord)
Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock (AltraEgo)
Parliament - Mothership Connection (SweetHomeAlabama)
Wonky Alice - Sirius (Vanwolf)
Public Service Broadcasting - Sputnik (MussoliniHeadkick)
Alien Sex Fiend - EST (Trip to the Moon) (Carpgate)
Joe Meek and the Blue Men - I Hear a New World (Vastariner)
Spectrum - The Stars Are So Far (MussoliniHeadkick)
James Holden - Contains Multitudes (Uncleben)
Mildlife - Return to Centaurus (Nicko)
Dexter Wansel - Theme from the Planets (Nilpferd)
A TV and Film Theme Retro C-Selection:
Bernard Herrmann - Prelude, Outer Space and Radar (from The Day The Earth Stood Still) (Nicko)
Barry Gray Orchestra - Mysterons Theme (MussoliniHeadkick)
Jon Pertwee - Who is the Doctor? (ShivSidecar)
Barry Gray Orchestra - Space 1999 theme (happyclapper)
Dudley Simpson Orchestra - Blake’s Seven closing theme (Carpgate)
Syrinx - Tillicum (Marconius)
The Peppers - Pepper Box (Marconius)
John Williams - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Marconius)
Jeff Wayne/Richard Burton - Horsell Common and the Heat Ray (tincanman)
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
I will get this zedded one of these days:
Sophie and Peter Johnson – Television Satellite
Sheila B Devotion – Spacer
Dollar – Shooting Star
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Fine whines: songs about getting older (but not necessarily getting old). The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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