Mix Tape Friday: 52 Girls
I’m in a girlie mood this week. I get much of my creative inspiration from The B-52’s — hairdo and hemlines, catch phrases and cosmic things — so let’s base today’s mix tape on one of my favorite tunes by the B’s: 52 Girls.
Interesting mix of girls today — dynamic and danceable, sad and swooning — even a song about a prime minister. Celebrate the ladies today with pretty pink pop.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions :: Alison
Richard Buckner :: Ariel Ramirez
The Who :: Athena
The Four Tops :: Bernadette
Kiss :: Beth
The Twilight Singers :: Bonnie Brae
Warren Zevon :: Carmelita
Simon & Garfunkel :: Cecilia
Billy Bragg :: Cindy of a Thousand Lives
Big Star :: O, Dana
Beck :: Debra
Robyn Hitchcock feat. Peter Buck + Scott McCaughey :: Elizabeth Jade
Beulah :: Emma Blowgun's Last Stand
Lyle Lovett :: Fiona
John Hiatt :: Georgia Rae
The Brunettes :: Too Big for Bridget
Johnny Thunders :: Gloria
Neil Diamond :: Holly Holy
Ian Hunter :: Irene Wilde
Split Enz :: Iris
Van Halen :: Jamie’s Crying
Jon Astley :: Jane’s Getting Serious
Donovan :: Jennifer Juniper
Belle & Sebastian :: Photo Jenny
Guided by Voices :: The Best of Jill Hives
Clem Snide :: Joan Jett of Arc
Michael Nesmith & The First National Band :: Joanne
Steely Dan :: Josie
John Fred & His Playboy Band :: Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)
The Beatles :: Julia
The Decemberists :: Leslie Anne Levine
Blood, Sweat, & Tears :: Lucretia McEvil
Rod Stewart :: Maggie Mae
The English Beat :: Stand Down Margaret
Lloyd Cole :: Margo’s Waltz
Nick Lowe :: Maureen
The Association :: Along Comes Mary
The Allman Brothers Band :: Melissa
Grant Lee Phillips :: Mona Lisa
Pete Yorn :: For Nancy (Cos’ It Already Is)
Prince :: Darling Nikki
Rickie Lee Jones :: Walk Away Renee
Billy Joel :: Rosalinda’s Eyes
Bruce Springsteen :: Rosalita (Come out Tonight)
Edison Lighthouse :: Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
Cake :: Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town
Death Cab for Cutie :: What Sarah Said
The Ramones :: Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
The Four Seasons :: Sherry
Elton John :: Susie (Dramas)
Camper Van Beethoven :: Tania
The Rolling Stones :: Sweet Virginia
Some of my very favorite songs are on this list. If I’d ever had a daughter, I would have named her after John Lennon’s beautiful and haunting “Julia.” The Four Tops’ tune is another Top 100; I embarrassed myself every damn day this week shouting “Bernadette!” whenever I played it. (Speaking of self-embarrassment, I went way over the top singing Michael Nesmith’s “ah-HA-ah” in “Joanne”; it’s great for those days when you feel a bit cowboy.) And what about that one-two aural punch of “Irene Wilde” and “Iris”! There’s brilliance in alphabetical order, kids.
One of my least favorite songs — Kiss’ “Beth” — is also included here, because … well, because that’s the only song I can find with my name, dammit. Guys always sang that to me in high school and college. Blech. The only person who can get by singing it to me is Sherman Alexie. Well, I’d also giggle if Bruce Campbell or Keith Olbermmmmm serenaded me with it.
Strangely, some of my favorite ones did NOT make the list. I included Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecilia” because it has such great energy — but I prefer “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her.”
R.E.M. doesn’t sing a lot of songs to girls — except “Hey, Hey Nadine,” which I included on a mix tape a month or so ago — but Mr. Buck is representin’ the beloveds with Robyn Hitchcock.
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Labels: girls, I get off on alphabetizing, mix tape, MP3 links are for sampling only and are disabled after two weeks, pretty pink pop, sing it to me and you may not hear this Beth calling
posted by Cup @ 12:02 AM
35 comments
35 Comments:
Excellent mix. Though I do believe I shall have to add a few just for me. Like Janie's Got a Gun, Barbara Ann, Black Betty, Polythene Pam, Dear Prudence. Hmmm...I might have to just add and make a whole new list for me. But awesome mix as always from DJ Beth.
Nice work (as usual). When I was but a wee lad (maybe 7 or 8) I was big into KISS. My sister used to entertain her friends by making me sing Beth to them (which I then knew by heart).
Excellent mix. I am about to head on an 8 hour bus trip to London, so I am going to download these tracks, much tahnks!
I am lucky in that the Pixies and Elvis have tunes called Allison.
Great list! Some great driving songs - 'Cecilia', 'Bernadette' and 'Sherry' - all good voice workouts in the privacy of my own vehicle.
And how about Billy Bragg's cover of 'Walk Away Renee'? Bill's best spoken lyric.
My must-haves would have included 'Sally Cinnamon' - Stone Roses and 'Sally Maclennane' - The Pogues. Oh, and 'Liza Radley' by Woking's finest.
Love it. I'm a fan of all 52+ Girls. Yeah, man!
p.s. Iggy Pop: "Candy," "Ann," "Johanna"
I am most impressed! That's quite a list! I really liked the "Irene Wilde" from Ian's live "Welcome to the Club" which leads into "Cleveland Rocks". I hadn't heard the studio version before.
Before anyone thinks to add these, how about the White Stripes live version of "Joline" and the Fratellis' "Chelsea Dagger"?
Wait, my memory is failing me. "Just Another Night" separated "Irene Wilde" and "Cleveland Rocks" - Doh!
Georgia Rae, OK! You get big props for that one, but where in the F is Vicky Verky? Good thing I used her on my Green Monkey Mix. (RIP)
Also - "The Best of Jill Hives" isn't one of my favorite GBV songs (I like it well enough) but it has one of my favorite lyrics - "Every child of God's a brat and she's dying to escape them." Not pleasant, but interesting...and kind of funny.
I can't wait to get my grubby little digits on this mix! (bandwidth exceeded ...sigh) I've never heard a song with my name. That has always bothered me :O( So many great tunes about gals! Suzanne by Leonard Cohen is my fav.
Love it, love it, love it!
I'm glad I came over today, it's icing outside and work is slow...music warms the heart...
Oh ho! Lovely concept, and even lovelier follow through, although I will need to return to grab those elusive songs. Once again your popularity exceeds your bandwidth.
I must tell you that I got pretty excited when you mentioned having a song about a female prime minister. I have a great one, which I shall have to post sometime - Hefner's The Day That Thatcher Dies. You'd love it.
ARTFUL DODGER: Thank you, sir. I had a limit of 52 girls and didn’t want to repeat a name, so I left out some good ones. But now I’m kicking myself — I have an excellent cover of “Black Betty” by Young Fresh Fellows. And I’m not sure when I cut Siouxie’s “Dear Prudence” …
PEZDA’S GHOST: Your damn lucky sister and friends. Please — oh, please! — have your ghost since a few bars of “Beth” for me. That would ROCK!
ALLISON: I went back and forth on the Pixies-or-Costello question, and decided to let a classic kick off the tape. Enjoy the bus ride and London.
WAPENTAKE: I went with Rickie Lee Jones’ “Walk Away Renee” because she’s one of my best friend Renae’s favorite artists. I love Billy’s version — as I do his “Cindy of a Thousand Lives” included on today’s tape.
ERIK DONALD FRANCE: Isn’t it a damn good song??? I nearly included “Candy,” but used it a few months ago. The other Iggy suggestions are going into the Next Time folder.
Too late to download even my own namesake song! But I think for today I'll sing everyone's name when I talk to them or think of them. Especially glad that I talked to my friend "G" "L" "O" "R" "I" "A" as that was much fun.
MATHDUDE: I’m an old chick, so I’ve been listening to the studio “Irene Wilde” for decades: I always incorporate Ian’s accent when I sing it. Good suggestions that are also going into the Next Time folder.
BECKEYE: You know, now I’m asking myself why I didn’t even go into my Squeeze folder when putting together this week’s tape; maybe I haven’t forgiven Glenn for cheating on me. The GBV’s lyric is pretty cool, isn’t it?
MELLOWLEE: Damn! How did I forget “Suzanne”???
DABICH: Hope some of the tunes get you up and dancing across your office floor.
BARBARA BRUEDERLIN: I have some Hefner; I’ll have to go back to see if I have “The Day That Thatcher Dies.”
JUST WALKING AWAY: Tell your G-friend that the Johnny Thunders version is FAB! And sing with Rickie Lee all day long.
mix tapes... cassettes... those were the days...
hi Beth you don't know me I hopped in here from Mellowlee's blog
here have a
♥
it is a tag... pass it to as many folks as you care to...
If it makes you feel any better, the only rock reference to my name that I can think of is in Belle & Sebastian's "If You're Feeling Sinister."
Apparently, I'm going to go "to my death because she couldn't think of anything to say/everybody thought that she was boring so they never listened anyway."
Oh, and I am apparently into S&M and bible study.
One song I've heard a few times at karaoke - sung very well, too, thank god - is "Angie" by the Stones. How do you feel about that one?
Don't think my nom de blog is in any song titles I know of, but maybe I should look. A variation of my real name has been used in a 60s tune - a rather annoying tune, too, I might add.
My wife loves that Van Halen song. I'm not very familiar with it.
"Sweet Virginia" is a very underrated song and for some odd reason, doesn't get played at all on classic rock stations. I love "Josie," though I love "Peg" more lyrically, as an adult.
How's about for next Friday, "Caroline" or "Joey" by Concrete Blonde?
omg.
I have over 20 of your feeds in my reader. I wonder how long it will take me to download all that music... OH! That's right! I don't have to share my connection anymore so it won't take long at all! Heeheheheheeehahahaaahaha!
*happy/evil jingrin*
p.s. I know my unplugged isn't what it used to be... it will be what it once was... soon I hope! I swear!
Beth, I'll send it, just in case.
Another fine mix Ms. Coffey. Introduced me to many new tunes, but as you know I am way old school. I would like to think that RCofCHS and I were too cool to ever sing Beth to you, but I bet we did, but with nasty lyrics. Walk away Renee is one of the best ever, and this version alone was worth the price of admission. This list has two of the lovely Huble sisters, as well as my ex on it. But I have to cast my vote for Sweet Virginia. My favorite song from my favorite stones album. Also the song I ended up singing in the front yard at two in the morning the first time I ever got drunk. Good times.
We must be on the same wavelength Beth, I've had "Bernadette" in my head for a week for no apparent reason. Thanks for the Neil D, but I have to say, I was always confused by that song, makes her sound like a nun or something
Thanks for the music!
RC will like the Maggie Mae, but would have suggested Sweet Jane I bet
Now there's another great idea for a mix tape from filegod1: Songs that demand to be sung when one is drunk. Of course, the idea of what song everyone sang the first time they got drunk is a good idea a well. Me, I was in Daytona, having consumed two baby Miller's. Probably was singing something dumb from "Hotel California" or Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville". Yeah, that was probably it.
Too bad you'd don't go by Elizabeth, there's always Counting Crows "Goodnight Elizabeth". I'm surprised you didn't have Maggie's Farm or Layla. I did notice I have a ton of Jayne songs, One of my pics would have been "Jayne Says" or "Sweet Jayne" (cowboy junkie's version), and lets not count out Breaking Benjamin's "Diary of Jayne".
As usual I downloaded most all of them! There were only 5 or so I already had so THANKS!
I'm loving this Ian Hunter song. Never heard it. Thanks, Beth!
The only songs I know of that reference my name are Dierks (hottie) Bentley's "What Was I Thinking" and Kenny Rogers' "Coward of the County." In the latter, Becky gets raped by some local boys and then her boyfriend beats them down...possibly to death. It's all such fun! As you might gather, I prefer the Dierks song.
Thanks for including Julia. My daughter just named our new dog Julia after that tune. We call her Juju, as you may have seen on my blog.
Okay, it's a bit outside the genre, per se, but I can't help but want to see "88 Lines for 44 Women." As a coda, perhaps?
GLEDWOOD: Welcome to the Cup! I try to pass that tag every day …
PISTOLS AT DAWN: I love a pious leatherman; it’s so much dirtier that way.
MOXIE: I like “Angie” — but “Sweet Virginia” was included as a long-distance dedication.
GRANT MILLER: I hope you played it and acted like David Lee Roth all weekend, for the benefit of your ravishing wife.
WRITE PROCRASTINATOR: “Josie” puts me back in the freshman boy’s dorm at UGA, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.
JIN: Let me know if there are any disabled MP3 links you can’t live without.
BARBARA: You are so good to me, dear.
FILEGOD1: I’m going to say that you and RCOFCHS did sing naughty “Beth” ditties to me every morning in homeroom … and yet I still adore you two. May I tell the story of that first drunk?
HOLLYC: “Bernadette” is just the best, isn’t it? “Sweet Jane” was on the original list — but French talked me into “Jane’s Getting Serious.” He has too much influence on my decisions, I’m afraid.
RENAE: [Wow — I love the back-to-back CHS comments!] I still have the Miller carton “postcard” you sent me … somewhere …
BLUEZ: Except that I can’t stand Counting Crows; they bore me. Hope you enjoy what you downloaded!
BECKEYE: I love “Irene Wilde.” I’ll include the Dierks the next time I do this theme.
BLOWING SHIT UP WITH GAS: “Julia” is simply one of the most beautiful songs recorded during my lifetime.
KFLUFF: I considered it, but it’s such a good idea for a future theme.
very comprehensive... is it Neil Sedaka who did "Dee Dee Dinah?" there's an add for ya, and "Diana" by Lillian Axe... two vibes from different sides
Well done Beth, I'm enjoying the mix tape as we speak. I'll bet you're worn out on 'Beth', but come on now, that's a great song. They did one more record and they were done after that as far as I was concerned.
How 'bout "Jane Says" and "Sweet Jane"?
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