Bad Day

At one point this attempt at a Beatles song as played by My Bloody Valentine was considered for release as a single, but in the end the honour went to “There’s No Other Way”, and taking into account that song’s chart performance it probably was a good choice. Nonetheless, “Bad Day” has the word “hit” written all over it; relentlessly melodic, good to dance to and easy to sing along with, baggy drums, wahwah guitars, organs and a melodica to add a little colour. It’s difficult to imagine Leisure without it (though it’s even harder to imagine the album without “Sing”, and that didn’t stop the Americans from dropping the record’s one undisputed masterpiece in favour of the vastly inferior “I Know”… but I’ll bitch about that at a later date).

In 1991, a ”Leisurely Mix” was released on a rare 12″ promo that nowadays costs a lot more than it’s worth.

French Song

This weird little instrumental, which consists of about half a dozen of riffs pasted together, that goes on and on and on for about eight minutes was a bonus track with “Tender”. Its closest companion in Blur’s catalogue is probably “Berserk” (with the accelerating pace from “Intermission tagged on for good measure), but whereas that song appeared to be on acid this one has had a few too many Bacardi Breezers. Or maybe even more tellingly: the 1991 song borrowed from Syd-era Floyd, while bits of riffs from ”French Song” sound not unlike “Bend Me, Shape Me” by The American Breed.

What’s French about it? Fucked if I know.

Me, White Noise

“I’d really like to use him (Phil Daniels) again, because he’s one of these people that… he’s just great company, but I don’t think it’ll work again” – Damon Albarn (1995) 

Two different versions of this song exist (not counting the live performance that was given away on a CD with The Observer newspaper), one with vocals by Damon and one with Phil Daniels, of “Parklife” fame. And he was in some film too, I believe. And on EastEnders.

The Phil Daniels version appears as a hidden track on Think Tank. You have to rewind at the start of “Ambulance” to hear it. Recorded late at night in Devon by a drunk band and actor, Phil sounds slightly psychotic, shouting lines such as “You look at the wall, what does the wall say to you? I ain’t a mirror, fuck off!”, backed by an aggressive track that sounds unlike anything else in the entire Blur catalogue.

Damon’s “alternate version” is a b-side on the single for “Good Song”, has completely different lyrics, and its key line is “being English isn’t about hate, it’s about disgust, we’re all disgusting”. Someone was a bit grumpy when he did his vocal!

The music aside, the only constant factor between the two versions is the chorus, “why am I here? I’m here because I got no fucking choice. And furthermore, you’re booOOORINGGG” (cue very scary vocal effect). Pissed off to be in England instead of Morocco perhaps? Nonetheless, one of the very best songs on Think Tank.