Sunday
Sunday is derived from pre-Christian Egyptian astrology.
Well here we are at the end of an eventful weeks posting, and I get the chance to finish on a high. There are many great songs connected with Sunday and I wish I was able to offer all the ones that were on my shortlist. But unfortunately my lack of bandwidth says that this cannot happen.
In 1933 Rezso Seress, the Hungarian composer, wrote 'Gloomy Sunday'; a song that rapidly became known as the 'Hungarian suicide song'. Various people made cover versions - not least Billie Holiday and, of course, the Associates - and it supposedly inspired lots of suicides throughout the world. The claim was not diminished when Seress himself committed suicide in 1968 as did Billy Mackenzie in 1997.
The Associates - Gloomy Sunday (mp3) (buy)
Late 1978, early 1979 saw Blondie riding the crest of a wave. 'Parallel Lines' had hit number one in the album charts. 'Hanging on the Telephone' had been in the top ten, while its follow up 'Heart of Glass' had gone to number one in both the UK and US. How could they equal this? By releasing 'Sunday Girl' to go back to number one. My top ten of 1979 had both hits in it. My friends saw it as infatuation. They were probably right, but it's still a great record.
Blondie - Sunday Girl (mp3) (buy)
In 1990 The Sundays provided something a little different to the shoe gazing wall of sound that filled the indie charts. MBV, Ride, The Jesus and Mary Chain etc were all well and good but with the vocals often removed to the background the jangly sound of The Sundays was very refreshing. They are one of the finest live acts I have seen and Harriet Wheeler was simply gorgeous. So rather aptly I finish with:
The Sundays - Here's Where the Story Ends (mp3) (buy)
2 comments:
sunday girl is the only bit of vinyl the mrs owns. she says it's for the french version b side but we all know it's for the cover
x
I've been aware of that Gloomy Sunday tale for a little while, but not of the Associates cover so thanks for the feature.
Admittedly the song is very haunting, but I can't help but think it does no end of compelling promotion for the song itself. If a song is dubbed "the Hungarian Suicide Song" and an urban legend emerges that "all that hear it end up killing themselves", then everybody will want to hear it.. not only to defy that legend but to dispute its existence. Its probably something to remember when we all become massive pop stars....
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