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"Dancing in the Street", "Heart of Rock and Roll", etc.: Are there any...

I

ixnay

"Dancing in the Street", "Heart of Rock and Roll", etc.: Are there any...

... British equivalents?

Over the decades, we've had songs like

Twistin' USA - Danny and the Juniors
Dancing in the Street - Martha and the Vandellas
Heart of Rock and Roll - Huey Lewis and the News
and I'm sure there are others that I can't think of right now that rattle off cities...

Then there's

Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
R.O.C.K. in the USA - John Mellencamp

that mention famous rock and soul acts.

My point being... those cities and acts are all... American (afaik).

Are there any songs by British acts that rattle off fellow UK acts and UK cities (in celebration) in the manner of the songs I just listed? If not, why not?

ixnay
 
ixnay said:
... British equivalents?

Over the decades, we've had songs like

Twistin' USA - Danny and the Juniors
Dancing in the Street - Martha and the Vandellas
Heart of Rock and Roll - Huey Lewis and the News
and I'm sure there are others that I can't think of right now that rattle off cities...

Then there's

Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
R.O.C.K. in the USA - John Mellencamp

that mention famous rock and soul acts.

My point being... those cities and acts are all... American (afaik).

Are there any songs by British acts that rattle off fellow UK acts and UK cities (in celebration) in the manner of the songs I just listed? If not, why not?

ixnay
Click to expand...

I don't know about the UK because I have (sadly) not travelled there yet. But I was in Spain, France, and Italy in 2011 and was amazed at how Americanized their Classic Hits radio was. The French oldies FM - "Nostalgie" played the occasional French language oldie - but about 75% of their playlist was American songs (in English, of course) from the 60s and 70s. They leaned heavily on The Beach Boys...and much of their music references Southern California and Hawaii surfing spots that most Americans probably can't relate to - much less Europeans. Can't surf on the Mediterranean.

And you want to talk about being Americanized - the French AOR station was called "Kiss FM." (again - in English)
 
Here's a few. I don't know much about British pop music, but I imagine there were lots of songs released in the UK that were their equivalent of Top 40 that we've never heard this side of the Atlantic.

Mull of Kintyre is about a place in Scotland.
Ferry Cross the Mersey is about a river in Liverpool.
Belfast by Elton John is about the city in Northern Ireland.
London Calling by the Clash
Going Down To Liverpool by Katrina & the Waves, though the cover by The Bangles is better known in the US.
Caledonia by Dougie Maclean (That's the Roman name for Scotland)
Anarchy in the UK by the Sex Pistols
 
Paul McCartney's "Helen Wheels" namechecks a few locations in the UK. Birmingham (the one in England, not ours in Alabama), Glasgow in Scotland (where the live version of "Coming Up" was later recorded), and of course, Liverpool and London.

"Werewolves of London" and "Pinball Wizard" both mention locations within London.

"West End Girls" was about the "West End" of London, not our traffic nightmare here in Nashville near the Vanderbilt campus.
 
I was just listening to "Sultans of Swing", and it referenced London.
 
All Over The World, by British group Electric Light Orchestra, visits London and other cities.
 
Looks like "Helen Wheels" is the leader so far (I hadn't heard it in about 10 years so I Googled the words), but the contest continues. ELO's song mentions cities in various countries so it doesn't qualify.

ixnay
 
Last edited:
ixnay said:
Looks like "Helen Wheels" is the leader so far (I hadn't heard it in about 10 years so I Googled the words), but the contest continues.
Click to expand...

And I'm still waiting for songs that rattle off names of UK singers/rockers like the Conley and Mellencamp songs I cited at the beginning of this thread.

ixnay
 
ixnay said:
And I'm still waiting for songs that rattle off names of UK singers/rockers like the Conley and Mellencamp songs I cited at the beginning of this thread.

ixnay
Click to expand...

Then find one yourself!
 
A number-one hit in the UK, though not well known here except from his TV show; Benny Hill's novelty song "Ernie, The Fastest Milkman In The West" name-drops Teddington, a London suburb; Ernie's rival for the affections of the lovely Sue is "Two-Ton Ted from Teddington."

I haven't seen much from British radio folks on these boards; maybe someone will eventually pick up on this?
 
I can't think of any UK hits or rock/pop tracks that reference cities, but there are a few that come to mind (mostly 60's tracks) that reference specific places: Sunny South Kensington by Donovan (neighborhood in London); Play With Fire by the Stones (references several London neighborhoods); Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks (neighborhood/area of London).

There are undoubtedly numerous others.

Probably not what the OP is looking for, though...

One of the earliest US tracks that named cities I think might have been Route 66, written by Bobby Troupe (sp?). The Stones did it, and a few other 60's bands did it.

The song names a lot of cities along that famous highway.
 
ixnay said:
... British equivalents?

Over the decades, we've had songs like

Twistin' USA - Danny and the Juniors
Dancing in the Street - Martha and the Vandellas
Heart of Rock and Roll - Huey Lewis and the News
and I'm sure there are others that I can't think of right now that rattle off cities...

Then there's

Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
R.O.C.K. in the USA - John Mellencamp

that mention famous rock and soul acts.

My point being... those cities and acts are all... American (afaik).

Are there any songs by British acts that rattle off fellow UK acts and UK cities (in celebration) in the manner of the songs I just listed? If not, why not?

ixnay
Click to expand...

The only such song I can think of off the top of my head is "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople (actually written by David Bowie) which mentions T. Rex.
 
hm insulators said:
The only such song I can think of off the top of my head is "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople (actually written by David Bowie) which mentions T. Rex.
Click to expand...

That's one act the song mentions. *Only* one. I'm looking for songs that rattle off a bunch of acts.

ixnay
 
ixnay said:
That's one act the song mentions. *Only* one. I'm looking for songs that rattle off a bunch of acts.

ixnay
Click to expand...

In that case, there aren't any. Sorry, but that's the answer to your question.
 
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