[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Kym Sims and Too Blind To See It

Today's Transcript:

Stereophonics Local Boy In The Photograph - A photograph is something that needs to be developed in the dark - Dark in the world of chocolate is the opposite of milk - “Milk” rhymes with “silk”, which is made by worms - Worms come in many different types, including mealworms, earthworms and of course tapeworms - Tapeworms live in the stomach - The stomach is a part of the body that can often ache and in fact is probably the second most common achy body part after the head - Head is often associated with shoulders in the world of shampoo - Shampoo can be made with lots of different things such as Aloe Vera, jojoba and even beer - Beer can go flat, as can tyres - Tyres are made from rubber, as are rubber bands, which are very good if you want to stop a poster from unravelling - “Unravelling” shares many of the same letters as the word “travelling”, as in The Travelling Wilburys, who were a classic rock combo consisting of legends such as Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and of course Roy Orbison - and Roy Orbison was a famous blind musician, who along with Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles would never use sheet music, cos they were literally “too blind to see it” - Which links us to Kym Sims and Too Blind To See It.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - The biggest f*ck up in recent times from Comedic Vitty, perhaps his best since accusing Don McLean of being dead:
*Roy Orbison isn’t actually blind at all y’see, he was just a wearer of big sunglasses. What a mistaker to maker eh?
- TRACK INFO: - Released December 1991
- Went straight in at number 5 and then spent the following 11 weeks on the chart too
- MC FACT ATTACK: - I dunno if you are aware but Kym made a brief return to music in 1996 when she signed to a new record label (must have bribed em) and released her comeback single “We Gotta Love”, which flew straight in with a rocket... at number 58. Whoops.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Jeez, took me forever to find this on a compilation. I did eventually though, you can catch it on CD 1 of “Hed Kandi: Back To Love 3”. I can see the queues forming at HMV from here...[/color]

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

The Smiths and This Charming Man

Today's Transcript:

Kym Sims Too Blind To See It - Kym Sims Too Blind To See It was a top 5 hit in 1991, the same year that Smells Like Teen Spirit was released in the UK by Nirvana - Nirvana have had an enormous influence on much of the music that we enjoy today, and their success and popularity in this country can be traced back to their first exposure on one of Radio 1’s legendary Peel Sessions - The Peel Sessions provided the taste for much of the music that we enjoy today - Quite simply it was John Peel that gave bands such as Pulp, New Order and The Smiths their first break, and it was him that introduced so many of these legendary names to the world - Music is all about innovation and discovery, and nobody did more for new music in this country than John Peel - So it seems only fitting that on a day when we celebrate his life and the music that he’s brought us, we take this opportunity to play a record by a band who, like so many before and after them, owe their popularity to the vision of Mr John Peel - It was a personal favourite of Johns and its title I don’t think could be more apt - It’s The Smiths and This Charming Man
- RIP John Peel



Tedious Facts:

TRACK INFO: - Released November 1983, re issued August 1992
- Spent 12 weeks in the chart first time around and reached number 25
- Spent 5 weeks in the chart upon re issue, peaking at number 8
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Get it on “The Smiths: Singles”.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Ian Brown and F.E.A.R

Today's Transcript:

The Smiths This Charming Man - The Smiths were led by Morrissey, who this year played solo gigs at Reading and Leeds - Leads of a different type are what you might have hanging by your back door if you own several dogs - Dogs have a far more sophisticated sense of smell than humans, which is why they are so good at being sniffer dogs and sniffing out drugs - Drugs are often prescribed to alleviate pain - If you add an S to “pain” you get “Spain”, which is where David and Victoria now live - Liv Tyler is a famous actress and the daughter of Steven Tyler from Aerosmith - Aerosmith scored a top 13 hit in 1989 with “Love In An Elevator” - Elevator is what the Americans call a lift - “Lift” rhymes with “sift”, which is what you’d be doing if you were panning for gold - Gold is measured in carats - Carrots of a different type are eaten by rabbits - Rabbits are indigenous to the British Isles and come in a number of different colours, the most popular being white and brown - and when you think of the word “brown”, in the context of iconic rock front men from yesteryear, who’ve gone on to enjoy an impressive solo career, you think of the mighty Ian Brown - Which links us to Ian Brown and F.E.A.R

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - I couldn’t care less if there were any cos it’s the most underrated track of the last five years... pure genius from a music god.
*Oh but what the hell - rabbits are not indigenous to the UK. They were brought over by either the Normans or the Romans (and we’re not talking Cook or Abramovich).
- TRACK INFO: - Released September 2001
- Disgracefully it only reached number 13 and spent just 4 weeks in The UK Top 40... what a joke.
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Ian’s debut album with the mighty mighty Stone Roses was recently voted the Best British album of all time by Observer Music Monthly - and quite rightly too.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from his third and highest charting solo album to date, “Music Of The Spheres” (number 3 in Oct 01). If you don’t own an Ian Brown album then quite frankly you should... or better still why not just go out and pick up a copy of the aforementioned Stone Roses debut from your local music retailer. F*ckin amazing album...

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Travis and Driftwood

Today's Transcript:

Ian Brown F.E.A.R - If you remove the E from “F.E.A.R” and then reverse the remaining 3 letters, you get “RAF”, which stands for The Royal Air Force, who are one of the three armed services, along with the army and the navy - Navy rhymes with “gravy”, which is traditionally served in a gravy boat - The plural of boat is “boats”, as in rowing boats which you might find on a lake - Lake first name Ricki is a US talk show host, a bit like Oprah Winfrey - Oprah Winfrey is also an actress who starred in The Colour Purple alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover - Danny Glover has made some of the most important movies of all time, such as Lethal Weapon 2 and Lethal Weapon 4 - Lethal Weapon 4 was released in 1998, the same year that France won the World Cup under the management of Jacques Santini - Jacques Santini is now in charge at Spurs - Spurs’ first choice goalkeeper is Paul Robinson - Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked and presumably had to make a raft to float his way to safety, and he drifted aimlessly like driftwood floating on the water and breaking into pieces, pieces and pieces - and when you think of driftwood in the context of great songs by a popular Scottish band who might happen to be here with us at Maida Vale, you think of Driftwood by Travis - Which links us to Travis and Driftwood:- LIVE

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - In the aftermath of Travis’s superb live version of Driftwood, the one obvious flaw in the link went ignored/unnoticed:
*Jacques Santini wasn’t France’s manager when they won the World Cup back in 1998, that was Aimé Jacquet. Santini only took over in 2002... tut tut.
- TRACK INFO: - Released May 1999
- The second awesome Tedious track in 2 days to only peak at no. 13, spending 5 weeks on the chart
- MC FACT ATTACK: - According to Will Kinder’s rockumentary this morning, Frank, Dougal, Noel and t’other one first formed Travis (named after Dave Lee) in 1987 - oh and remember Dougal is a massive fan of shortbread too. FACT...
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Originally from The Man Who (number one in June 99), but now available on the new Travis Singles collection out in the shops on Monday... pre order your copy now kids.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

They Might Be Giants and Birdhouse In Your Soul

Today's Transcript:

Travis Driftwood - Driftwood can cause a major hazard to shipping - “Shipping” shares many of the same letters as “shopping”, which is an activity popular with girls - “Girls, Girls, Girls” was a big hit for Motley Crue - Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee used to be the other half of Pamela Anderson - Pamela Anderson shares the same surname as Clive Anderson, who supports Arsenal - Arsenal nearly got beat at the weekend by Southampton - Southampton is the home city of Craig David - Craig David is a good example of a famous person with very neat and particular facial hair, and in that respect shares something in common with both George Michael and Bob Geldof - George Michael and Bob Geldof are two names you’d associate with the original Band Aid record, released in the Christmas of 1984 - 1984 was the title of a classic book by George Orwell - George Orwell is a famous author and in that respect shares something in common with Enid Blyton and Sue Townshend - Sue Townshend (phonetically at least) shares the same surname as Andy Townsend, who used to play for Chelsea - Chelsea is the name of the daughter of Bill Clinton, who used to be the president of the United States Of America - and the United States Of America is the country that is home to the band They Might Be Giants - Which links us to They Might Be Giants and Birdhouse In Your Soul.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - There was some dispute over the nationality of They Might Be Giants on the texts, although detailed internet research did (for once) prove Dave to be in the right. His link was somewhat snookered by the following however (a topic raised by Mr Jonny Culshaw):
*Driftwood isn’t necessarily a “hazard” to big iron shipping, as it’s usually just nice little bits of wood that they use in Art Attack or whatever. Dave tried to back up his link by chatting emergencies, capsized yachts and jammed propellers... but he was wrong. FACT. Jon wins...
- TRACK INFO: - Released March 1990
- Hit number six in the UK and remained in the chart for a total of 11 weeks
- MC FACT ATTACK: - There was an 11 year gap before the return of They Might Be Giants to the UK Singles Chart. “Boss Of Me” (the Malcolm In The Middle theme tune) reached number 21 in July 2001, their first UK single since “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”, which flopped at no. 61 in June 1990.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from their only UK album “Flood”, which reached number 14 back in April 1990 and spent a total of 12 weeks on the UK Album Chart.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Massive Attack and Unfinished Sympathy

Today's Transcript:

They Might Be Giants Birdhouse In Your Soul - The band They Might Be Giants were formed in Boston, Massachusetts, which is in America, thus making them 100% American - American Idiot is a top record by Green Day - Green Day are one of the few musical artists in the world whose name includes the word “green”, the other one being of course Green Gartside of Scritti Politti - Scritti Politti had a big hit with “The Word Girl” - The word “girl” rhymes with “twirl”, which is a type of chocolate - Chocolate melts when subjected to moderate heat, as does wax - Wax is a primary ingredient in a candle - Candle In The Wind is a song you’d associate with Elton John - Elton John’s other half is called David Furnish - Furnishings is a broad term incorporating carpets and curtains - Curtains need runners - Runners of a different type are often found at the Olympics - The Olympics were first invented in Greece - Greece won the last Euro championships, while the next ones are to be hosted by Switzerland and Austria - Austria is the home of Mozart, who sadly died before he was able to complete his aply titled “Unfinished Symphony” - Which links us to the similar sounding record, (and quite frankly awesome) Massive Attack and Unfinished Sympathy

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Major major mistake today that crumbles the whole link:
*“Unfinished Symphony” was actually the work of Franz Shubert, not Mozart. Ah the sniff of research...

- Also Chris’s stumble when introducing the track can count as somewhat of a flaw today, or at least go down as slightly unfortunate. He was struggling to hit the end break into the pips, and mis pronounced his line “5 minutes of absolute pure bliss” as “5 minutes of absolute pure jizz”... much to Comedy Dave’s amusement.
- TRACK INFO: - Released February 1991
- Yet another track/album to peak at 13, much like a lot of last weeks. Spent 9 weeks on the chart...
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Consistently voted as one of the most influential and therefore best singles of all time, for example - it came 10th in NME’s “100 Greatest Singles Of All Time” list (published November 2002).
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from one of the most influential albums of the 90’s, “Blue Lines”. Originally released in April 1991 and reached no. 13 (another one!), it has spent over 76 weeks on the UK album chart since (including re issues through to 2002).

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Foo Fighters and Monkey Wrench

Today's Transcript:

Massive Attack Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack are from Bristol, the city that provided the backdrop for some of the external shots in the classic TV series Only Fools And Horses - Only fools and horses go out in the midday sun - “Sun” rhymes with “Run”, which is a beautiful song by Snow Patrol - The lead singer of Snow Patrol is called Gary - “Gary” is the name that links the footballers Lineker, Pallister and Mabbutt - Gary Mabbutt used to have to wear a protective face mask thingy, which made him look a bit like the fella out of Phantom Of The Opera - If you add the letters “T, I, O, N” to opera you get “operation”, which is what you’d have to have if you needed your tonsils out - Tonsils are a part of the body that are commonly removed, and in that respect share something in common with the appendix and the gall bladder - Bladder rhymes with “Adder”, which is one of the most common indigenous snakes in the UK - The UK is the birthplace of the actor Michael Le Vell, who plays Coronation Street character Kevin Webster, who is a mechanic - Mechanics often require the use of a spanner, and a spanner in America is called a “monkey wrench” - Which links us to the Foo Fighters and Monkey Wrench.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Today’s main flaw then:
*Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, not “only fools and horses” as incorrectly stated by Dave. He said it was just one of those inaccuracies that “slips through the net” now and then... i.e every day.
- TRACK INFO: - Released May 1997
- Spent a total of 4 weeks in the chart and reached a high of number 12...
- MC FACT ATTACK: - This chart placing makes it the Foos (joint) 3rd highest charting single ever, with the others being Times Like These (also no. 12 - Jan 03), This Is A Call (no. 5 - July 95) and of course All My Life (no. 5 - Oct 02).
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Track 2 on “The Colour And The Shape”, the Foos 2nd album that reached number 3 in the UK also in May 97... fascinating eh?

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

The Cranberries and Linger

Today's Transcript:

Foo Fighters Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl used to be the drummer with Nirvana and has also played drums with The Queens Of The Stone Age - The Stone Age was a period of history that was satirised in the animated series The Flintstones - The Flintstones Movie starred Halle Berry and John Goodman, who played Roseanne’s husband in the American TV series Roseanne - Roseanne’s surname is Barr - If you add the letters “I, S, T, E and R” to bar you get “barrister”, which is the sort of person you’d have to employ if you were called to appear in court - A court of a different type is the most practical place to play tennis - Tennis is played with a racket, as is squash - Squash in the world of concentrated fruit drinks is also sometimes referred to as being “cordial”, which bizarrely is also a word that you might see on an invite - An invite is something you might receive for a wedding - The Wedding Present were fronted by David Gedge - “Gedge” rhymes with “wedge”, as in wedges, which is a way of serving potato - The potato famine is the reason that many Irish people fled Ireland and emigrated to America, from places such as Mayo, Clare and Limerick - and Limerick is the city that is home to The Cranberries - Which links us predictably to The Cranberries and Linger.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - A couple of technicalities today:
*You can’t employ barristers directly, you have to employ a solicitor first - and then they in turn employ the barrister.
*The Wedding Present ARE not were fronted by David Gedge - their new single is out in a fortnight.
(*There was also some dispute over Rosanne’s surname, although Dave said he liked that link so “he’d keep it”. Fair enough...)
- TRACK INFO: - Released February 1994
- Spent 11 weeks in the chart, reaching a high of number 14
- MC FACT ATTACK: - It’s a bit of a dull one today (I apologise) - the video for Linger was inspired by the 1965 sci fi film "Alphaville"... nah I’ve never seen it either.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from their March 94 number one debut album “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?”, but also now available on their 2002 collection “Stars - The Best Of 1992-2002”.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

The Prodigy and Breathe

Today's Transcript:

The Cranberries Linger - “Linger” rhymes with “finger”, which is a word associated with fish in the world of food - “Food” was the record company that used to be home to Blur - Blur is the band that used to include Graham Coxon - A coxon is somebody you might find on a boat, as is a captain - Captain Stubing was the captain of The Loveboat, which was an American TV series in the 70’s and 80’s - The 70’s and 80’s directly followed the 60’s, the decade that saw the first man on the moon - Moon is the surname that links former Who drummer Keith and Queen Vic landlord Alfie - “Alfie” is a current film starring Jude Law - Jude Law is now separated from Sadie Frost - Sadie Frost shares the same surname as Sir David Frost, who is probably most famous for Through The Keyhole - Keyhole is a type of surgery - “Surgery” rhymes with “perjury”, which is what you get done for if you lie in court - “Caught” is what robbers and fish hope never happen to them - Fish have gills - and gills allow fish to breathe (underwater) - Which links us to The Prodigy and Breathe

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Supposedly flawless but I wouldn’t say that Sir David Frost is “most” famous for Through The Keyhole (here comes the Media student in me). He’s been one of the most important and influential presenters in the history of the BBC over the last 50 years. Lloyd Grossman on the other hand...
- TRACK INFO: - Released November 1996
- The Prodigy’s second UK chart topper, spending a total of 17 weeks in the Top 40
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Breathe is The Prodigy’s biggest selling single in the UK, selling a massive total of 16 copies. FACT.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Track 2 on their second number one album “The Fat Of The Land", Track 1 incidentally being the legendary “Smack My B*tch Up”. Classic.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

New Radicals and You Get What You Give

Today's Transcript:

The Prodigy Breathe - If you remove the last letter of breathe you get “breath”, which is something you might see when it’s cold - Coldplay are fronted by Chris Martin, who wrote Gravity for Embrace - Embrace is what you might give an old friend or relative if you’d not seen them for a while - “While” rhymes with “aisle”, which is something that you’d find in a supermarket, along with beans and kitchen roll - Roll With It was a big hit for Oasis - “Oasis” is a five letter word beginning with O, as is “opera” - Opera is something that you’d have to get dressed up for, as are christenings - Christenings involve wetting the baby’s head - HeadJam is a programme presented by Vernon Kay - Vernon Kay shares the same surname and Bolton birthplace as comedian Peter Kay - Peter Kay was on Jonathan Ross on Friday night, as was our very special guest this morning Gwen Stefani - and Gwen Stefani’s No Doubt are a good example of an American band whose name consists of two words, with the first one beginning with the letter “N” - and in that respect they share something in common with the New Radicals - Which links us dreadfully to the New Radicals and You Get What You Give.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Well not exactly hard to spot today was it (*cue you all scratching your heads*):
*THE New Radicals have three words in their name, not two - with the second beginning with N, not the first. There you go, jobs a gooden.
- TRACK INFO: - Released April 1999
- Went top five and spent a total of 17 weeks on the chart
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Second time as a Tedious Link this year, first appearing back on March 23rd.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from the top ten album “Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too”, also released back in April 99. Coincidence eh?

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Third Eye Blind and Semi-Charmed Life

Today's Transcript:

New Radicals You Get What You Give - Ex New Radicals frontman Greg Alexander has written songs for other people in the past, including Ronan Keating from Boyzone - Boyzone is the band that launched the acting career of Coronation Street star Keith Duffy - Keith Duffy shares the same surname as Patrick Duffy, who was the man from Atlantis - Atlantis was the name of a city under the sea - The sea was the setting for classic films such as The Poseidon Adventure and A Perfect Storm - A Perfect Storm starred George Clooney, who used to go out with Lisa Snowdon - Mount Snowdon, as well as being something that Jordan has obviously done, is also the name of a mountain in North Wales - North Wales is the birthplace of Carol Vorderman - Carol Vorderman is good at Maths - “Maths” shares many of the same letters as “moths”, which can eat your clothes - Clothes are something that you have to hand over, along with most of your other possessions when you go to prison - One of the most famous and notorious prisons in the world was Alcatraz, which is situated on an island in San Francisco Bay - and when you think of San Francisco, you think of the band Third Eye Blind - Which links us to San Francisco based Third Eye Blind and Semi-Charmed Life.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Quite a few “queries” (as Dave puts them) today:
*Atlantis was a city destroyed by the sea and was actually on the land, so it wasn’t a city under the sea as such.
*George Clooney is apparently still dating Lisa Snowdon.
*Plus technically it’s not the moths that eat your clothes, it’s their larvae that forms the holes in the clothes.
- TRACK INFO: - Released September 1997
- Only reached number 33 but did remain in the UK Top 40 for a total of 5 weeks.
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Third Eye Blind are one of Tiger Woods’ favourite bands... FACT.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from their non charting self entitled album “Third Eye Blind” - complete with a colourful, jolly album cover. Nice...

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Skunk Anansie and Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)

Today's Transcript:

Third Eye Blind Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind are from San Francisco, which is in the American state of California - California’s state capital is called Sacramento and is somewhere that the early settlers probably settled during the famous Gold Rush - “Rush” is a surname that links footballer Ian with singer Jennifer, who had a big hit with “The Power Of Love” - “The Power Of Love” is also a song title that appears on the discographies of both Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Huey Lewis & The News - The news is something that often appears with the weather - “Weather With You” was a big hit for Crowded House - Crowded House are from New Zealand, as is Zane Lowe - Zane Lowe shares the same surname as Rob Lowe, who starred in the film St. Elmo’s Fire - “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” was a track taken from the soundtrack of said movie, and was recorded by John Parr - If you add an “O” and a “T” onto the end of John Parr you get “John Parrot”, who is a famous snooker player and big mates with Everton’s Duncan Ferguson - In between two spells at Everton, Duncan Ferguson briefly played for Newcastle United - and Newcastle United play in black and white, which are the same two colours that appear on the fur of a skunk - Which links us to Dominic Byrne’s birthday Tedious Link track (and one of his personal favourites), Skunk Anansie and Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good).

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Flawless, absolutely flawless... as The Ones once sang.
- TRACK INFO: - Released February 1997
- Spent six weeks in the chart, peaking at number 13
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Skunk Anansie split in 2001, but their lead lesbo singer Skin went solo (good mornin) with her debut album “Fleshwounds” last year. It bombed and never made the Top 40... shame.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from their multi platinum October 96 album “Stoosh”, which reached the grand heights of numero.. er nine, in the UK Album Chart.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Soup Dragons and I'm Free

Today's Transcript:

Skunk Anansie Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good) - The lead singer of Skunk Anansie is called Skin - Skin is something that both humans and tomatoes share in common - Common People was a big hit for Pulp - Pulp is something that you might find in the middle of a fruit - Fruit is something that you should eat every day, as are vegetables - Vegetables essentially come in three main colours: green, orange and red, which coincidentally is also the colour sequence of a standard set of British traffic lights - Traffic lights allow people to cross the road safely - “Safety Dance” was a big hit for Men Without Hats - Hats are worn on the head - Heads is the opposite of tails in the world of coins - Coins are manufactured in a mint - Mint is something that you might grow in your garden - Gardens and garden makeovers are the speciality of Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and Tommy from Ground Force - Like the time when they went to South Africa to do a makeover on the garden of Nelson Mandela - and Nelson Mandela is a phenomenal man, who suffered years of political imprisonment, but now fortunately can wake up every morning and say “I’m Free” (but not like John Inman) - Which links us to the Soup Dragons and I'm Free.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Apart from the fact that I very much doubt Nelson Mandela wakes up every morning (14 years after being released) and says “I’m Free”, there were also a couple of other problems today as well:
*”Green, AMBER and red” is the colour sequence of a standard set of British traffic lights, not “green, orange and red” as suggested stupidly by Dave.
*Technically Men Without Hats also had a big hit with “THE Safety Dance”, not just “Safety Dance”. Mind you a great record so we can forgive the Vitty.
- TRACK INFO: - Released July 1990
- Reached number 5 and spent 3 months on the chart in total (12 weeks)
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Song originally recorded by The Rolling Stones in September 1965, and released on their UK album “Out Of Our Heads” the following month.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from their only UK hit album “Lovegod”, which reached number 7 back in August 1990.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Stretch 'N' Vern (presents Maddogg) and I'm Alive

Today's Transcript:

Soup Dragons I'm Free - One of the members of the Soup Dragons is the brother of Steve Coogan, who invented Alan Partridge - “Partridge in a pear tree” is a famous line in the world of Christmas songs - Christmas songs that are of a religious nature are referred to as being carols - Carol’s daughters in the world of EastEnders are Bianca and Sonia - Sonia used to play the trumpet - The trumpet is a close musical relative of the cornet - A cornet is what you might have your ice cream in, with red sauce and nuts - Nuts are what you should avoid if you happen to suffer from a nut allergy - Other popular allergies in modern life include hayfever and seafood - Seafood is often caught using nets - “Nets” is a word that links curtains, tennis and football goals - Football goals are commonly found in prison compounds so that the inmates can benefit from some physical activity while they’re doing their “stretch” - and when you think of the word “stretch” in the context of good dance records from yesteryear, you think of Stretch 'N' Vern and I'm Alive - Which links us to Stretch 'N' Vern (presents Maddogg) and I'm Alive

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Glaringly obvious one that screwed the whole thing up today:
*Steve Coogan had a brother in The Mock Turtles, not The Soup Dragons... mmm nice research Dave.
- TRACK INFO: - Released September 1996
- Spent 9 weeks on the chart, reaching a high of number six in it’s first week of release
- MC FACT ATTACK: - This track samples the Earth Wind And Fire/Emotions hit “Boogie Wonderland”... number 4 back in May 79.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Available on Disc 2 of the “Dance Decades” Box Set..

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

REM and Shiny Happy People

Today's Transcript:

Stretch 'N' Vern (presents Maddogg) I'm Alive - Stretch 'N' Vern’s “I’m Alive” was released in 1996, the same year that Born Slippy was a big hit for Underworld - Underworld person Karl Hyde was a guess who of mine the other day and therefore joins my exclusive list of former guess whoees, along with Piers Brosnan and Dr Hilary Jones - “Jones” rhymes with “bones”, which are what you have to watch out for when eating scaly fish - Fish used to be the lead singer of Marillion, who scored mid 80’s mega hits with “Kayleigh” and “Lavender” - Lavender is a popular flavour of bathroom deoderising spray - Spray is something that can be a hazard on the motorway - Motorways have services, where it’s important to take a break because tiredness kills - “Kills” rhymes with “hills”, which are what you would expect to see throughout much of Switzerland - Switzerland are a major European producer of clocks and cheese - Cheese can be hard or soft, as can contact lenses - and contact lenses should be removed before you go to bed because when you’re asleep your eyes do rapid eye movements, which is a recognised medical fact and is known in the trade by its abbreviation "REM" - Which links us to the fabulous REM and Shiny Happy People.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Nope, I believe the word is “watertight”. DAVE WINS.
- TRACK INFO: - Released May 1991
- Spent an 11 week stay in the chart, peaking inside the top ten at number six
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Shiny Happy People features backing vocals from Kate Pierson of the B-52’s.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from the now (kinda) legendary album “Out Of Time” (number one back in March 91). Other singles lifted from the album included Radio Song, Losing My Religion and Near Wild Heaven.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Incognito and Always There

Today's Transcript:

REM Shiny Happy People - REM’s Shiny Happy People featured backing vocals from Kate Pierson from the B-52’s - The B-52’s were formed in Athens, Georgia and scored their first hit in 1979 with the release of their single “Rock Lobster” - Lobster is very expensive and in that respect shares something in common with champagne and caviar - Caviar is actually fish eggs from the fish called a “sturgeon” - If you remove the T from sturgeon you get a “surgeon”, which is somebody who does operations on people - People Everyday was a 1992 hit for Arrested Development - Arrested Development have a singer called Speech - “Speech!” is what you might shout when somebodies just blown out all the candles on their birthday cake - Birthday cake is often made out of sponge - A sponge of a different type is what you might wash yourself or your car with - “Car Wash” is a current record from Christina Aguilera and Missy Misdemeanour Elliott, and is taken from the soundtrack to “Shark Tale”, which features the voices of Will Smith, Robert De Niro and Peter Falk, who played Columbo - and Columbo was one of the greatest detectives ever, who in order to crack crimes would sometimes be forced to work under cover, or as the Italians might say “incognito” - Which links us to yet another belter of a tedious link, Incognito and Always There.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Hmm, not really:
*There was however thousand of queries regarding the Arrested Development song title, with me and many others being proved wrong by Mr Vitty. He is in fact correct as “People Everyday” was the title of their Oct 92 hit, not “Everyday People” (currently lined up ready to go on one of my compilations as we speak).
- TRACK INFO: - Released June 1991
- A 1991 number six hit like REM yesterday, spending a total of 9 weeks on the chart
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Always There features the vocal talents of Jocelyn Brown, one of the most recognisable voices in disco music. Jocelyn was 40 at the time this song became a hit, and is 53 now.
ALBUM DETAILS: - Just like Stretch 'N' Vern on Friday, taken from the excellent “Dance Decades” Box Set, which is out now.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

U2 and Pride (In The Name Of Love)

Today's Transcript:

Incognito Always There - Incognito’s Always There featured the vocal talents of Jocelyn Brown - Brown Sugar was a big hit for The Rolling Stones - Rolling stones gather no moss - Moss grows on rocks - Rocks was a big record in 1994 for Primal Scream - Primal Scream are fronted by Bobby Gillespie - Bobby Gillespie shares the same surname as both Dizzy Gillespie and Keith Gillespie, who plays on the wing - The plural of wing is “wings” - “Wings” is a word which links chicken with buffalos - Buffalo Stance was a big hit for Neneh Cherry - Cherry is a flavour of yoghurt - Yoghurt is good if you’ve had a hot curry - Curry comes from India, as does the Indian elephant - Elephants are also indigenous to Africa, as are wilderbeast and lions - and the term for a collective group of lions is a “pride” - Which links us (shock horror) to U2 and Pride (In The Name Of Love).

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Dave ran it 30 seconds short but there wasn’t a flaw as such today, just one point he should have really worded better:
*African elephants are indigenous to Africa y’see, as Indian elephants obviously aren’t indigenous to Africa... like durr.
- TRACK INFO: - Released September 1984
- Had an eleven week run on the 84 chart, peaking at nombre trois (thats number 3 in French kids)
- MC FACT ATTACK: - U2’s first ever top five single, and their second most successful of the 80’s (in terms of chart position). The track was also dedicated to Martin Luther King Jnr...
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from “The Unforgettable Fire”, U2’s fourth (and second number one) album, released just over 20 years ago back in October 84.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Alanis Morissette and Hand In My Pocket

Today's Transcript:

U2 Pride (In The Name Of Love) - U2 guitarist The Edge’s real name is actually Dave Evans - Dave Evans shares the same surname as the late Barry Evans, who sadly fell off a cliff in the Lake District - The Lake District is an area of outstanding natural beauty - Beauty is only skin deep - Deep was a big hit for East 17, who were led by Tony Mortimer and Brian Harvey - Brian Harvey is dating model Emma B, who was supposed to be going on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, but now apparently isn’t and has been replaced bizarrely by Antonio Fargas, who played Huggy Bear - Huggy Bear was a police informant for Starsky & Hutch - A hutch is where most people would keep a domestic rabbit - The plural of rabbit is “rabbits” - Rabbits have feet, which are lucky, a bit like Four Leaf Clover - Clover is what you might put on your toast - “Toast” rhymes with “Ghost”, which was a 1990 film starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore - Demi Moore is from America - America is bordered to it’s north by Canada - and Canada is the country musically that has produced Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams and of course Alanis Morissette - Which links us to Alanis Morissette and Hand In My Pocket.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - One major one today:
*The late (and great) Barry Evans from EastEnders in fact died in Scotland, and not in The Lake District. That is unless he fell all the way down a massive cliff from Scotland to The Lake District... mmm hmm.
- TRACK INFO: - Released October 1995
- Shockingly spent just 3 weeks inside the UK Top 40, peaking at a disappointing number 26
- MC FACT ATTACK: - When Alanis’s album “Jagged Little Pill” finally hit the 1 million sales mark, Maverick Records honcho Madonna gave Alanis platinum nail polish to celebrate... rich b*tch.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from Alanis’s aforementioned debut UK number one album “Jagged Little Pill”, released the previous month in August 95...

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

The KLF and Justified And Ancient

Today's Transcript:

Alanis Morissette Hand In My Pocket - A pocket is something you’d tend to find more than one of on a snooker table - A snooker table is very heavy and if you tried to move it on your own you’d probably give yourself a hernia - The word “hernia” shares many of the same letters as “Narnia”, which is a fictional land in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - The wardrobe is a great place to hang your shirts - Shirts have collars, as do dogs - Dogs smell if they’ve been out in the rain - Rain was a big hit for Madonna in the year 1993 - 1993 was also the year that “Twist and Shout” was a number one chart topper for Chaka Demus & Pliers - Pliers are a member of the tool family, along with the hammer and the screwdriver - “Screwdriver” in the world of bar stewards means a vodka and orange - Orange first name Jason used to be in Take That along with Howard Donald - Donald Trump is married to Ivana Trump, and owns loads of flash stuff like planes and cars and boats and stuff - Boats are used around the world to transport everything from crude oil to ice cream - and when you think of ice cream and ice cream vans in the context of great records from the early 90’s, you think of Justified And Ancient by The KLF - Which links us to The KLF and Justified And Ancient.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Superb but not seamless:
*Donald and Ivana Trump are of course divorced (and have been for 12 years), with Donald paying out one of the largest divorce settlements in the history of the world ever.
- TRACK INFO: - Released December 1991
- Spent a massive 3 months on the chart after initially reaching number two upon release
- MC FACT ATTACK: - This song was number one in 18 nations, and featured guest vocals from legendary “first lady of country” Tammy Wynette (now aged 62).
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from “The White Room”, KLF’s top 3 album released back in March 1991... rock on tommy.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Oasis and D'You Know What I Mean?

Today's Transcript:

The KLF Justified And Acient - Ancient is one way of describing things like the pyramids in Egypt - Egypt is in North Africa - Africa was a big hit for Toto - Toto was the name of the dog in The Wizard Of Oz - If you reverse the letters of “Oz” and add an additional “O” you get “zoo”, which is a place for keeping animals in captivity, like leopards and pandas and stuff - Pandas eat shoots and leaves - Leaves can be a major problem in the autumn when they pose a slipping hazard for the elderly, or those that are just bad on their feet - Feet need to be washed daily, to prevent them from smelling like cheese - Cheese should be avoided by those who suffer from a dairy allergy, as should milk - “Milk” rhymes with “silk”, which is made by worms, which in turn rhymes with “germs”, which can be killed with the use of bleach - Bleach should be only applied while wearing rubber gloves - Gloves come in pairs - Pears are a type of juicy fruit - Fruit is often attacked by bees - The singular form of the word “bees” is the word “bee” - Be Here Now was a 1997 album by Oasis, from which the first single “D'You Know What I Mean?” was taken - Which links us predictably to Oasis and D'You Know What I Mean?

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Just the one today, which I found very funny:
*Fruit tends to be attacked by wasps and not bees - who more often than not go for pollen.

- Dave tried to defend himself but was put down by Chris’s brilliant analogy about a load of wasps going for a plate of grape juice on a summers day.
- TRACK INFO: - Released July 1997
- Reached number one and spent a mammoth 18 weeks on the chart in total (four and a half months)
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Not really a fact as such (more of a guess really), but (I think) this is the longest single of all time ever to reach number one - 7 minutes 41 seconds in total (beating even Bohemian Rhapsody).
- ALBUM DETAILS: - One of only about 4 good tracks on the infamous and aforementioned “Be Here Now”, which upon release in 97 signalled the end of the Britpop era. Mind you, diehard fans like me are supposed to try and sell it to you... so er go buy it.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Nightcrawlers and Push The Feeling On

Today's Transcript:

Oasis D'You Know What I Mean? - Oasis are from the Manchester district of Burnage, as is Max Beesley - Max Beesley has done live shows with both Take That and Robbie Williams - Robbie Williams is from Stoke-On-Trent, as is Phil “The Power” Taylor - Phil “The Power” Taylor won the darts challenge match against Andy Fordham - Andy Fordham shares the same surname as Julia Fordham, who scored a top 19 hit with “Love Moves (In Mysterious Ways)” in 1992 - 1992 was the year that the European Championships were held in Sweden - Sweden is the birthplace of Ulrika Jonsson - Ulrika Jonsson shares the same surname phonetically as Andy Johnson, who plays for Palace - Palace first name Buckingham, or Buckingham Palace as it’s known in this country, is a major tourist attraction in London - London is the capital of England, in the same way that Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark - Denmark is a major European producer of bacon - Bacon first name Richard is a former presenter of Blue Peter, as is John Leslie - and John Leslie is from Scotland, as are Ian McCaskill, Alan Hansen and John Reid from the Nightcrawlers - Which links us predictably to Nightcrawlers and Push The Feeling On.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Strangely seamless this morning.
- TRACK INFO: - Released originally in October 1994, but became a hit on re release in March 1995
- Spent 11 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 3
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Tis very dull but all I’ve got folks: the song was actually a non charter first in 1992, then added John Reid’s vocals for the second version - and then subsequently got remixed by Marc Kinchen in 95.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Lifted from the top five September 95 album “Let’s Push It”... featuring (believe it or not) five top 40 singles. Hmm, I know. How?

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Queens Of The Stone Age and No One Knows

Today's Transcript:

Nightcrawlers Push The Feeling On - “Nightcrawlers” is a term that could be applied to babies that go sleepwalking - Sleepwalking can be dangerous if you’re in a swimming pool - Swimming pools need to be filtered, as does coffee - Coffee is produced on a large scale in Colombia - Colombia is both the name of a track by Oasis and the name of a former space shuttle - If you add the word “*” to shuttle you get “shuttlecock”, which is crucial in the sport of badminton - Badminton is played on a court - Caught By The Fuzz was an early hit for Supergrass - Grass is grown from seed - A seed of a different type is what you might find at Wimbledon - Wimbledon is home to The Wombles, the most famous of whom was probably Uncle Bulgaria - Bulgaria has a capital called Sofia - Sophia Lauren is a famous actress from Hollywood history - History, or more precisely General History, is a massive subject, which takes in everything from The Romans to The Stone Age - and during The Stone age, although life was very primitive, somebody must have been in charge - and the male leaders must have been regarded as The Kings Of The Stone Age, while their female companions must have been known as The Queens Of The Stone Age - Which links us to the quality Queens Of The Stone Age and No One Knows.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Just a couple of technicalities today:
*Babies can’t sleepwalk, as usually they sleep in a cot - hence preventing them from walking around at night.
*Plus one spotted by moi - The spelling of the Oasis track is “ColUmbia” - not “ColOmbia”.
- TRACK INFO: - Released November 2002
- Shockingly reached just number 15, which is a musical travesty
- MC FACT ATTACK: - QOTSA may be a Dave Grohl side project... but are actually quite good. FACT, Mark (that’s me) wins.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Taken from “Songs For The Deaf”, QOTSA’s top 4 album released in Sep 02...

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Tears For Fears and Shout

Today's Transcript:

Queens Of The Stone Age No One Knows - The lead singer of The Queens Of The Stone Age is called Josh, and he’s very tall - Tall people have to be careful when walking under doors and under low beams - “Beams” is a word associated with light - Light travels faster than sound - “Sound” rhymes with pound, which is the unit of currency in the United Kingdom - The United Kingdom is a member of the EU, as is France - France is a nation of keen cyclists - Cyclists often shave their legs, as do women - Women statistically have longer hair than men - Men At Work had a 1983 hit with Down Under - Under the bridge is where trolls live - Trolls under the bridge feature in the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff - Gruff is the name of the lead singer of The Super Furry Animals - Animals can attack you if cornered or provoked - and if you were being attacked by an animal, and needed to raise the alarm and attract help, the best thing to do would be to “shout” - Which links us to Tears For Fears and Shout.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Seamless link? no no no no no no...
*Where to start eh? Chris and Kinder did a classic old skool afternoon style demolition job on Dave’s link...
*The unit of currency in the United Kingdom is pounds sterling, not just “the pound”
*France isn’t necessarily a nation of keen cyclists, they just have The Tour De France
*Cyclists often shaving their legs (for aerodynamic reasons) is not proven enough to generalise as Dave did. Chris in fact insisted he’d just made it up altogether...
*Griff is actually the lead singer of the Super Furry Animals (although granted pronounced Gruff)
*Trolls don’t actually live under bridges... only in fantasy. Kinder said “trolls” should also be singular. Chris said yeah, as you don’t get groups of trolls hanging around under there playing cards and smoking.
- TRACK INFO: - Released December 1984
- Reached number 4 and spent a staggering sixteen weeks on the chart (that’s like 4 months folks)
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Tears For Fears’ Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith met in Bath, and the bands name actually derived from Arthur Janov’s primal scream therapy... and I’m not reading this I promise
*cough*.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Track 4 on this years re issued Tears For Fears Greatest Hits collection “Tears Roll Down (1982-1992)”... if you are taking notes.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Bomfunk MC’s and Freestyler

Today's Transcript:

Tears For Fears Shout - Tears For Fears were made up of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith - Curt Smith shares the same surname as Will Smith, who’s a big fan of this show - Show Me Heaven was a number one for Maria McKee - Maria McKee shares the same first name as Maria Vidal, who in turn shares one name in common with Vidal Sassoon, who’s a major name in the world of hair - Hair needs to be trimmed regularly, as do roses, which are something you might buy annually on Valentines Day - Valentines Day takes place every year in February - February is month number 2 out of 12, while 12 divided by 2 is 6 - 6 is the number of bullets held in a standard revolver - “Revolver” is the title of a classic Beatles album released in 1966 - 1966 is the year that Keanu Reeves was born - Keanu Reeves shares the same surname as Vic Reeves, who’s real name is actually Jim Moir - Jim Moir was born in Leeds in 1959, but was brought up in Darlington - Darlington is where George Stevenson invented the rocket and developed the concept of locomotion - Locomotion was a hit for Kylie Minogue in 1988, whilst Spinning Around topped the charts in the summer of 2000 - and it was in the summer of 2000 that Bomfunk MC’s scored a big hit with Freestyler - Which links us to Bomfunk MC’s and Freestyler.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - Moyles and Kinder on the attack again:
*Roses need to be pruned, not trimmed
*George Stevenson invented “the rocket” (his first steam train), which Chris said could have been very misleading to the listeners
*A standard revolver holds five rounds, with six bullets in each round
*Plus crucially, Keanu Reeves was born in 1964 not 1966. He was btw born in Beirut, Lebanon... a bit of premature fact attack if you will.
- TRACK INFO: - Released August 2000
- Reached number 2 in the chart and spent 12 weeks inside The Top 40...
- MC FACT ATTACK: - It’s all I’ve got kids: Freestyler was kept off top spot by 7 Days from Craig David... or should that be Craaaaaig Daaaavid.
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Lifted from the Bomfunk MC’s top 33 (oh aye) album “In Stereo”, which spent a short stint of... er 2 weeks inside the UK album chart.

[MC]

Today's Tedious Link:

Prince and Raspberry Beret

Today's Transcript:

Bomfunk MC’s Freestyler - The term “freestyler” might refer to somebody who is good at rapping - Wrapping of a different type is what you have to do at Christmas - Christmas takes place every year, a bit like Eurovision and The Grand National - National Velvet is a classic horse based film starring Nanette Newman - Nanette Newman shares the same surname as Paul Newman, who now spends most of his time making salad dressing - A dressing room is where you might get changed if you were appearing on Top Of The Pops - Top Of The Pops is presented by Fearne Cotton - Fearne Cotton shares the same surname as Dot Cotton, who is in EastEnders - EastEnders is on BBC One 4 nights a week and then repeated in the form of an omnibus on a Sunday - Sunday is the busiest day of the week if you’re a priest - Priest first name Maxi had a 1988 hit with Wild World - World Party was the band that Guy Chambers used to be in before he started writing songs for other people - and the word “people” shares many of the same letters as “purple”, which musically is the colour you’d most associate with the artist Prince - Which links us to Prince and Raspberry Beret.

Tedious Facts:

- FLAWS: - A pretty crucial one today:
*Nanette Newman wasn’t actually in National Velvet, she was in International Velvet. FACT, Dave loses.
- TRACK INFO: - Released July 1985
- Spent 8 weeks in the chart and reached number 25
- MC FACT ATTACK: - Err... Prince is weird. You can tell I did a fair bit of research today can’t you?
- ALBUM DETAILS: - Unsurprisingly available on numerous Prince albums, although I would recommend 2001’s “The Very Best Of Prince” if forced to pick - including other tracks such as Purple Rain, Kiss, 1999, Little Red Corvette and Sign 'O' The Times.