Readers, our brief affair has been swell, but I fear this is goodbye. Once you lot see that I've failed to put Squeeze's Tempted in the A-list, and Dorian discovers that: a) rather than create a top 10 with a neat balance of genres, I've fallen for a pack of female soul singers and 1980s synths; b) I've included the Wedding Present, in full knowledge that they appeared in the jealousy list too; and c) I've given space to Drive-By Truckers, neither he nor you will have me back. My one hope is that Darceysdad will hold a place for me in his heart, but I fear Mrs Darceysdad might have something to say about that.
In my defence, all I can say is that I feel rather proud to have given space to so many women. Admittedly, I could have found room for Maria McKee, Kate Bush or Kirsty MacColl too, but I hadn't spent the weekend singing their songs. On the B-list are: Elvis, Marie's the Name; Bonnie Prince Billy, Ease Down the Road; Billie Holiday, Don't Explain and I'm a Fool to Want You (yes, both!); Leonard Cohen, Famous Blue Raincoat; Biz Markie, Just a Friend; Dru Hill, In My Bed, the So So Def remix (I can feel its bassline thrumming in my veins as I type); the Sapphires, Who Do You Love?; the Andantes, Like a Nightmare; Lorraine Ellison, Stay with Me; Ann Sexton, You've Been Gone Too Long. . . wait, that's 11 already, I'm back with the female soul singers, and still haven't mentioned Squeeze. Yikes.
Dorian Lynskey returns next week and as an antidote to RR's bias towards lyrics and lyricists would like you to consider instrumentals. Although he also tells me that preference will be given to artists usually better known for their vocals, so maybe it's not that much of an antidote. Anyway, some rules: when he says instrumentals, he means no vocals whatsoever. No wordless wailing, no whispering, no ululating, no yodelling. And no sampled voices. Also, no classical music: the field is too big, the list too small.
These songs have already been A-listed: Rhapsody in Blue, My Favourite Things, Telstar, Green Onions, Sonnet to Hank Cinq, Goon Gumpas, Hallogallo, Djed, Dunwich Beach Autumn 1960, Jacob Street 7am, Walk Now, In a Silent Way/It's About That Time, Take Five and Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean. Nominate them at your peril.
As ever, the Readers Recommend archive and A-Z are here, and the deadline is midday on Monday.
