Labour Hits (& Misses)
‘TONY Blair took a chance with his choice of music to herald his speech at this years Labour Party conference.
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| ‘I am an anarchist…’ |
When the driving punk strains of Sham 69s If The Kids Are United began to play, the temptation for Gordon Brown to pogo up and down and then flob a large greeny at his boss must have been hard to choke down for the man who would only be king if Tony would let him.
This was Sham 69, the accessibly proletarian Oi band who brought to our ears such seminal hits as Borstal Breakout, Information Libertaire (So don’t try to tell me who I am/Youre not my Uncle Sam) and Spunky Candy. On the face of it Hershams finest were less than the perfect choice to accompany the man who is, well, The Man.
But what about those lyrics? What did Tony and his in-house DJs think was in them that had anything to do with the leader and his message?
For once in my life Ive got something to say/ I wanna say it now for now is today, goes the start. Only Tony says thing nearly every day, and unless we are mistaken now is always today.
I dont want to be rejected/ I dont want to be denied/ Then its not my misfortune/ That Ive opened up your eyes.
Pretty clear on that point, then. Tony speaks with messianic purpose, and tough luck on us if we dont like the truth talks. As the chorus chants, If the kids are united, then well never be divided. So there. In your face,
daddy-o.
But what has brought about this new tougher Tony? We know hes coated in Teflon, but now hes got studs and very possibly smells of glue.
Is Tony a punk at heart? Should we give him a punk name? What about Dick Smear, Matt the Talc or Jesus Vomit?
Perhaps its best to put things in context and see what has gone before. Its time to take a look at how Tony has hitched his battlebus to pop music over recent years. Lower the Red Flag to half-mast, political anthems have had their day.
* When Im 64 – Cherie Blair (2003). An apparently impromptu rendition of The Beatles hit. Accompanied by an almost mute Tony, Cherie sang before an audience of Chinese students at Beijings Tsinghua University.
* Proud – Heather Small (2003). What have you done today, to make you feel proud?’, the song asked as Labour celebrated, er, itself.
* Lifted – Lighthouse Family (2001). Middle-of-the-road music for Mondeo Man. An appeal for steady and unspectacular progress. Job done.
* Lets Work Together – Canned Heat (2000). Played before the Prime Ministers party conference speech. Come on, guys, lets sing in perfect harmony
* All Together Now – The Farm (1999). In the 1999 Scottish elections, Labour thought it was a good idea to belt out a song about carnage in the First World War. Nice.
* Praise You – Fatboy Slim (1999). The song, with its chorus (‘I have to praise you like I should’), was played as Tony Blair took to the Labour Party conference stage. Did anyone say God complex?
* Things Can Only Get Better – D:Ream (1997). Back when Tonys grin was supported by a pair of shining eyes, voters heard the words and listened to the clear message.
But music is not only Tonys forte. Lets not forget those pre-Blair Labour calls to arms:
* My Guy’s Mad At Me – Tracey Ullman (1980). Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock once appeared in a pop video, sitting in a greasy-spoon cafe while Ullman sang. And the electorate winced.
* The Red Flag – Jim Connell (every year). Rise up as one and give full throat to the barely fluttering flag: Look round, the Frenchman loves its blaze/ The sturdy German chants its praise… Power to the people! The real people. Power to the Reaple!
* What If God Was One Of Us – Ugly Rumours. Tony Blairs rock band at University never made it big.
And then there are those hits that have yet to be played as Tony speaks:
Jealous Guy Gordon Brown
Little Lies Fleetwood Mac
Youre So Vain Carly Simon
Should I Stay Or Should I Go The Clash
Kum-bay-ah The Family Blair
So send in your suggestions for what Tony should dance to at the next four labour conferences to the usual address, or to Paul Sorene – paul.sorene@btinternet.com.
After all, what with Sir Cliff Richard no longer recording, British pop needs a saviour…’
Posted: 29th, September 2005 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
