Retro Runners - When Will I Be Famous?

With thanks to Bros, for the useful line.

This month’s suggested playlist is ‘famous names’. As ever the playlist editor’s decision is final to allow for my ridiculous biases, on tunes I just don’t like.

The deal is any tune that has a famous person’s name in the title, be it a real or fictional person will be included.

This is what I’ve got so far:-

Michael Caine - Madness

O Superman - Laurie Anderson

There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis - Kirsty MacColl

Robert De Niro’s Waiting - Bananarama

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

John Wayne is Big Leggy - Haysi Fantayzee

Einstein A Go-Go - Landscape

Geronimo - Sheppard

Grace Kelly - MIKA

Joan Of Arc - OMD

The Joker - Steve Miller Band

Just Like Jesse James - Cher

Free Nelson Mandela - Soweto Singer

Rasputin - Boney M

Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz

Prince Charming - Adam and The Ants

Bruce Lee - Robbie Williams

Sherlock Holmes - Sparks

Andy Warhol - David Bowie

Black Man Ray - China Crisis

Roll Over Beethoven - ELO

Electric Barbarella - Duran Duran

Barbie Girl - Aqua

Walks Like Rihanna - The Wanted

Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5

Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) - Scritti Politti

Marvin Gaye - Puth and Trainor

Rock Me Amadeus - Falco

So please fellow retro runners, if you know of a famous person/character missing from this Who’s Who of Running Tunes, then please let me know.

I’ll finish it up and release at the end of September

Happy running everyone...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Ballad of Tom Jones - Space and Cerys Matthews

Ballad of Davey Crockett - loads of people 😂

Picasso Visita el Planeta de los Simios - Adam and the Ants

Come home (Cardinal Pell) - Tim Minchin

Maybe not the last one considering the charges Pell is facing!

The Pope Song - Tim Minchin. **huge warning on this one, it’s a little offensive, well, maybe**

Genghis Kahn - Iron Maiden

Angel of Death - Slayer

Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer

Michaela Strachan You Broke My Heart (When I Was 12) - Scouting for Girls

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden

Churchill’s speech - kinda Iron Maiden... May not count as it’s Churchill, but I sometimes use it in my warm up.

God save the Queen - couple of options... sex pistols for me (and it’s kinda a 2 in 1)

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Tom Jones is in

Axel F is in

Michaela Strachan is in

GSTQ is in

Picasso too

Davey Crockett too

The others I have to listen to them - Editor’s choice and all, but I’m thinking of a follow on list for more ‘parental advisory’ and Cardinal Pell, well I’m still thinking of him...

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

I think Cardinal Pell is a bit too out there.... whilst I agree with the sentiments..., for that reason the Pope is out too. Sorry, but I guess you won’t be shocked.

Genghis is in.

But who exactly is the Angel of Death - I couldn’t actually run to this at all, I wanted to cry!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Old Testament angel of death, although the song is about Josef Mengele. It’s one of my power finish songs.

Not surprised about the pope... not one I play often with the windows open 😂

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Oh Mr M hits my sensitive button as my family history is Jewish in origin and I just couldn’t put it in even though it’s hardly complimentary. But the famous names Mark 2 list is just about done...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Oops... sorry, i didn’t think there.

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

No worries, I asked the question and you told me the answer

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I have my triggers too... I guess anyone deliberately hitting them is very rare.

[MikeJones68 Graduate]

Crockett's theme - Jan Hammer?

[Hidden in reply to MikeJones68]

Done and In!

[icklegui Graduate]

Jackie Wilson Said - Van Morrison or Dexy's Midnight Runners ?

Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode

I'd add Vincent by Don Maclean but that's more for crying than running!!

[Hidden in reply to icklegui]

Oh Vincent, I see what you mean on the sad part, but useful for a cool down part of your run? So it and both Jackies are in as to is Personal Jesus

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to icklegui]

Oooo, I love personal Jesus!! 😉

[Hidden in reply to Mummycav]

`me too...

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Are you my long lost twin Jan??!! We like the same thing xx

[Hidden in reply to Mummycav]

where we separated at birth ???

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to Hidden]

How come I wasn’t the one who ended up in Italy?? 😩 x

[Hidden in reply to Mummycav]

that’s because I got the dark hair and Mr JCR - not sure I’m up for partner swapping having invested so much time and effort into him!

But then you got the blond tresses and blonds have more fun, just maybe not in Italy

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to Hidden]

phew, couldn’t start the time & effort investment again that would be exhausting!! Blondes def have more fun, but dark is mysterious??!! Yorkshire will have to be my Italy...just need to eat more cornettos..lol xxx

[Hidden in reply to Mummycav]

Yeah Im way too old to start again. Cornettos are the best, so that gets my vote for your Italian conversion

[Agelesslass]

Buddy Holly Weezer

Einstein Kelly Clarkson

Frank Sinatra Cake

Paul McCartney Scissor Sisters

[Hidden in reply to Agelesslass]

Done!

[Agelesslass in reply to Hidden]

Bette Davies eyes Kim Carnes

Vincent Don McLean

[Hidden in reply to Agelesslass]

Done and in

[icklegui Graduate]

Had inspiration over lunch: some a bit weird

Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus

Henry the Eighth - Herman's Hermits

Flash - Queen

Ballad of John and Yoko - John Lennon

Doctor in the Tardis - KLF

[Hidden in reply to icklegui]

Okay I like them all - and the list is now so long these are going on the second playlist - the extra cut! Love it...

[Agelesslass]

James Dean Eagles

[Hidden in reply to Agelesslass]

Going on the second playlist - the extra cut, as I have sooo many tunes. Who knew there were so many names to fight over?

[Agelesslass]

Calling Elvia Dire Straits

Romeo and Juliet Dire Straits

[Hidden in reply to Agelesslass]

They are in on the extra cut list...

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to Agelesslass]

Aw, I love Romeo & Juliet...that’ll be lovely as a cool down 😉

[Agelesslass]

So Long Frank Lloyd Wright Simon and Garfunkel

[Hidden in reply to Agelesslass]

In on the extra cut list - to be finalised by end of the month

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

I just shot John Lennon - the cranberries

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

It’s going on the extra cut list... thanks I like The Cranberries but didn’t know this one

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Motorhead- Hawkwind (later covered by Motörhead)

[mrrun Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Motorhead, ideal for interval speed runs. Slower parts and cooling down walk call for something more sensible and gentle. Marylin Manson, perhaps?

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to mrrun]

Marilyn great for finding a rhythm... but I like to speed up at the end

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

It’s on the ‘extra cut’ list - thanks for the suggestions

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Did the pope song make it? 😂

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

still under consideration...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Hidden]

😂😱

[Jell6 Graduate]

Elvis Impersonator. Manic Street Preachers

[Hidden in reply to Jell6]

It’s in and on the ‘extra cut’ playlist as we have soo many tracks...

[mrrun Graduate]

Emm. Roll Over Beethoven is written by Chuck Berry not ELO. It was them who butchered it but never mind.. So:

Billy Jean, M Jackson

Angie (as in Angela Bowie), Rolling Stones

Eleanor Rigby, The Beatles

Delilah, Tom Jones

Roxanne, The Police

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to mrrun]

Delilah is a cover too... PJ Proby recorded and hated it first.

[mrrun Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Did he? Didn't know that. Hated it? Was he to blame?

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to mrrun]

He recorded it literally weeks before Tom, then hated it and refused to put it on the album... finally released years later.

Just looking for it... controversially it’s on “The best of.. the EMI years”

[icklegui Graduate in reply to mrrun]

Love ELO, hate that cover! Also I did not know about Angie. However, can you imagine a less appropriate running tune! (Maybe Vincent, as i suggested...)

[mrrun Graduate in reply to icklegui]

Lol, well, l don’t do ‘running’ tunes, l literary listen to my favourite music while running, never running to a beat. And that could be anything from early Miles Davis to hard driven rock at full blast with Johnny Cash and classical music in between. Music and running are great friends.

[icklegui Graduate in reply to mrrun]

Ahah but... *air piano* "Angie....I still love you babeeeeey, every where aaah look aaah see your eeeeyes" *cries* *trips over*

[mrrun Graduate in reply to icklegui]

Haha, look, his singing there is the absolute top end (try singing the verse if you don’t believe me), song structure and the way they played it was exceptional. They had Taylor on guitar still, and once he left they turned into a cabaret act. I enjoy listening to it and running slow. And then breaking it down and running harder with Rammstein.

[icklegui Graduate in reply to mrrun]

That's the problem, it's good, and it's emotional so would result in 😢 !! Also, I listened to Desert Island Discs with David Beckham on a run once and he only went and chose Wild Horses - maaaaaan.

[Hidden in reply to mrrun]

Yes, I agree on Roll Over but it’s a broad church so I’ll put both in... Now on second playlist - the Extra Cut version, as there are so many...

[Razouski]

Wow - you've got me thinking Jan.

All I've come up with so far is

Jacky Wilson Said - Dexy's Midnight Runner

Joan of Arc - Orchestral Manouevres in The Dark

Marilyn Monroe - Pharrell Williams

JFK - Muse

[Hidden in reply to Razouski]

Sorry - visitors, family, and holidays all getting in the way...

Jackie Wilson - in, Joan of Arc - of course it’s in, Marilyn and JFK have to be in considering their famous affair!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Dunno how I missed this one out

John Kettley - A Tribe of Toffs

[Hidden in reply to UnfitNoMore]

in

[Tartancat Graduate]

I could only think of 2 with famous names, but couldn't remember who sang them. Googled them both and weirdly they are both by Landscape!

My name is Norman Bates

Einstein a Go Go

[Hidden in reply to Tartancat]

in

[ELSW73 Graduate]

Elvis ain’t dead - scouting for girls

[Hidden in reply to ELSW73]

It’s on list 2, as list number 1 is full....

List 2 to be released later this month - list 1 just done...

[sarah65]

John Kettley is a weatherman - Tribe of Toffs?

[Hidden in reply to sarah65]

in

[sarah65]

Oliver’s Army Elvis Costello

[Hidden in reply to sarah65]

Okay - so it's real or fictional people - I do have a ‘names’ list that this could go on, but I think this one was just anti-war rather than named after a particular Oliver - but I do love the song and it’s already on this playlist

open.spotify.com/user/janca...

[Tartancat Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I always thought this referred to Oliver Cromwell- no idea why. I'll have to listen to the lyrics again (been an awfully long time since I last heard it!)

[Tartancat Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yeah definitely NOT Cromwell. What was I thinking!!

[sarah65]

Dear Prudence Beatles/Siouxsie

[Hidden in reply to sarah65]

Yes she’s in as she was the sister of Mia Farrow

[Hidden]

Catherine the Great, the Divine Comedy (I love the Divine Comedy)

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

In

[Agelesslass]

Victoria The kinks

[Hidden in reply to Agelesslass]

Yes she was the Queen so she is in

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate]

Hey Mickey by Toni Basil?? We can pretend it’s about Mickey Mouse????????? 😂👏🏻

[Hidden in reply to Mummycav]

You are stretching it a bit!!!!

But it is you and I love the song, so it is in...

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Haha...😉 xxx

[Woodrunner Graduate]

Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz ?

and Al Capone, think it's by Prince Buster

[Hidden in reply to Woodrunner]

both in