Talking of The Olympics (as J.P. is elsewhere)

[Rob Hall]

Good call Will - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIiG6oc1XYo

Here's one for the hurdlers: Marcia Griffiths' "Feel Like Jumping" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjHvLwee-CQ

[judith]

I am wondering if there any other former competitive athletes on the forum? I was and I realized when I was looking at songs, it was more from that view than anything else. My son (who also competed in sports) and I used to love to watch the Olympics. Sadly, we haven't for years. For obvious reasons. Also, my uncle was an olympics team physician and loved it, until he couldn't stand it any more. I remember his stories from the days when it was like jumping on the buss with bandmates (he was highly skilled in the sport he was physician for, that may have been a requirement at that time) transitioning unto the overtly noticeable occupation by big business, big government. When he began, there was perhaps one outside personnel member other than physician traveling with his/each team. When he quit, there were about 15 per athlete or something like that. In his experience, the transitions became noticeable, obtrusive, leading into the Mexico City Olympics (1968). Then, in the wake of the power salute, the Tlatelolco massacre, the hawks swooped in alongside big business (which is as it would have become anyway as the two are inseparable). After Munich, well you can imagine. I wonder how many paid personnel per athlete today? 100?

Enough of that. Back to the music.
I seem to remember an issue about difficulties getting tickets:
Let Me In
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qslQJLnk0qw

At one time, London was notorious for having the most skilled pickpockets in the world. In the 60's, it was rumored one could study pickpocketing at a school in London. According to Google, Barcelona now has that honor, or Rome.
Dying Pickpocket Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRxm2erB7xg

One more for the athletes:
The Victor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUrep3XOZsU

[Rob Hall]

Well, seeing as how I hijacked this thread and proposed an Olympic-themed playlist, maybe I ought to make a few things clear in the light of Judith's post.

The reason I thought that an Olympic-themed thread might be a good idea was because Charlie was a competitive runner in his day. Also, given his broadcasting track record (no pun intended), I'm sure he would have jumped (no pun intended) at the chance to devise a sports-based track list on the occasion of the Olympics coming to London. Thus, it follows (to my mind at least) that there might be an opportunity to get a bit of forum activity going on the subject.

Having said that, the commercial nature of the contemporary Olympics is undeniable and, like Judith, it is years since I have been remotely interested in paying any attention to it. In fact, come August, I hope to be as far away from the whole thing as possible.

But there is still innocent fun to be had in swapping ideas, and wondering what might make up a Charlie Gillett Olympic playlist.

In the absence of a song mourning the loss of the amateur ethic in sports (if you can think of one, please post it) here's one that might give pause for thought:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc0vb5jImuE

[will vine]

Yes, unbridled capitalism, corruption, nationalism, ludicrous hype, irrelevant tittle-tattle, and no sense of proportion about anything. Professional sport - the world in a nutshell.

Anyway, one here for the 10,000meter runners - Round and Round...Memphis Jug Band
http://youtu.be/EI9aJrpzZOY

also......Take This Hammer ( b/w I Threw it All Away).....Short Shorts.....White Line Fever.....One Nation Under a Groove (Feet Don't Fail Me Now)...

The Victor (Judith's suggestion) - a flag raising national anthem for one of the emergent nations?

[kas]

The loss of amateur spirit is something we as a nation of sports obsessives are collectively mourning (and moning about). Too many doping scandals and post-career tragedies.

But to get back on the lighter side:
Javelin throw has been one of our proudest events in the summer olympics, with more gold medals than you'd expect from a small country.

Hence - The Javelins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsOe6pvqru0

The Mohawks have dedicated their song to The Champ:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpWIggaXycQ

[judith]

Javelins and short shorts. Here's one for the runners who are passing the baton.

Reach Out (I'll Be There)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EaflX0MWRo

[Rob Hall]

Lest we forget the equestrian events - "Mi Caballo" by Duo Ayacucho:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG-wEPT2ohM

[judith]

On that note, Urna. Luckily, her CD, Amilal, translates the titles. I know there are tons of songs that Charlie would play, but I am lost in translation.

My Brown Horse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv27dFZRfx4

[Rob Hall]

The Mohawks have dedicated their song to The Champ:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpWIggaXycQ

This is a great track kas, thanks.

[Rob Hall]

"El Canoero", I believe, translates as "the canoeist":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Y6VK8T0Hs

[kas]

This song goes to all the loose limbed highjumpers, longjumpers and polevaulters (and why not the swimmers):

"Look Before You Leap"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDBkcSFKCB4

[uiwangmike]

(and why not the swimmers)

And while we're in the Aquatic Centre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl3xFnoDZ_I
OK, it's a bit desperate, but I was interested to find this version of the song that uses the tune (familiar to us fans of Vin Garbutt and Count John Mc Cormack) of The Star of the County Down.

[will vine]

Changing the subject.....................but then again, not.
God Save The Queen. The poor woman.

It's bad enough that she should have yet another pop concert foisted upon her to mark her diamond jubilee, but, for the love of God, Sir Elton John? Dame Shirley Bassey? Sir Tom Jones? Sir Paul MacCartney? What a staggering lack of imagination. Now I read that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is commissioned to write a commemorative song for the dear monarch in collaboration with Sir Gary Barlow (well it's probably only a matter of time).

Did I go through all the muck and bullets and Sundays at The Roundhouse for this? I wouldn't have them in my backyard.
I fear I may have turned into Victor Meldrew.

LATE UPDATE...........I have now read that, in another equally staggering lack of imagination, only to be surpassed I suspect by the finished article, the BBC is filming a documentary of Gary Barlow visiting Commonwealth countries as part of this project to write the bloody song. They declined a possible interview opportunity with Barlow and the pro republican prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard.

And finally the great weekend has arrived - The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. I hope she enjoys her day at the Derby today and her rain soaked day on the river tomorrow but I can't imagine for one minute she'll derive any pleasure from having Madness pounding out their thirty- odd -year- old nonsense from the roof of her house. How very wacky ! One is not amused.

And the Lloyd Webber / Gary Barlow project flagged up above is every bit as risible, patronising, and self serving as we have come to expect. I am not any kind of monarchist but, if only in the celebration of her dogged endurance, H.M. The Queen deserves far better than this tripe.

For readers not resident in Britain or familiar with British custom I should point out that the height of celebratory excitement for a large swathe of the population here is to indulge in a cup of weak tea and a piece of cake.

Well, that's got the holiday weekend off to a satisfying start.

[Willy]

I've enjoyed this thread, having ignored it til now (the title threw me) but I fully approve of it's message. After the shock of seeing the Tiswas (a childrens programme) style 2012 logo and hearing how much fatcats got paid for coming up with it and then seeing the godawful tastless crap that has been strewn around the shops for tourists to buy -sorry, scoff at, I have closed my eyes and ears to it all and will wait for the games to begin..but it still bothers me that the message it sends out to the world is that we have nothing new to offer -no vision, no style, no innovation and all because a bunch of boredroom beaurocrats are running the show.

Here's one for the hurdlers: Marcia Griffiths' "Feel Like Jumping" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjHvLwee-CQ

"Feel Like Jumping" Fanruddytastic tune!. Haven't heard that since I was a Tweeny. Sampled from The Ethiopians song "Train to Skaville", as was "54-46, That's my Number" -I just read. Thank you Rob, for that link.

Hi Judith :)
Your link to My Brown Horse turns out to be Reach Out and I'll be There -again, so I looked it up and this must be what you intended:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv27dFZRfx4
I've not heard anything quite like it. Her voice soars so easily and freely. Simple and beautiful (plus lovely "bongos"). She seems to become the horse in parts, (A technique still used by hunters from eons back, -from my David Attenborough school of learning)
Just found her website http://urna.com/site/ and a film starring her good self, entitled "The Two Horses of Ghengis Khan": No doubt better watched on the big screen, still..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdGuwthcZk

[Alan Balfour]

Ever since this topic started I've been busting my brains to think of the British athlete who ran in the Olympics twice and also an avid listener to Honky Tonk.

The lightbulb has glowed Paul Nihill.

LATER ADDITION

Unearthed a 70s address book of mine and Paul Nihill is in there. Then he was living in Gillingham, Kent and hosting a Radio Medway show - Movin' & Groovin'.