Podcast: andrew bird bowerbirds counting crows doves eagleowl eagles gossamer albatross guillemots hate beak hawk and a hacksaw housemartins lovely sparrows woodpigeon
by Matthew
7 comments
Toad 2.0
Toadcast #37 – The Oddcast
Bill Oddie, for those of you who don’t know, is a legendary British television birdwatcher – twitcher as they’re known. He is also the subject of one of the most famous of all mondegreens: Madonna’s “Bill Oddie, Bill Oddie, put your hands all over my body”.
Anyhow, as a legendary feather flutterer it seemed only appropriate that his name should adorn a podcast entirely made up of bands with ornithological names. We have everything here, from the albatross to the gull to the guillemot to the owl to the sparrow to the pigeon. Honestly, this podcast could have been twice the length that it is, there were just so many appropriate bands – no Flock of Seagulls, for example, no Sparrow & the Workshop, no Sheryl Crow.
So I hope you enjoy it. While you’re listening to this, Mrs. Toad and I will be enjoying the End of the Road Festival, and hopefully getting a few interesting interviews in for you all. It’ll be my first ever attendance as a legitimate press person, so I am feeling very full of myself at the moment, but with a bit of luck I’ll justify the inflated sense of self-importance and bring back some fine bits and pieces for you to enjoy in the next week or two.
01. Hate Beak – Feral Parrot (02.27)
02. The Eagles – Outlaw Man (04.52)
03. Eagleowl – Motherfucker (10.55)
04. Woodpigeon – Knock Knock (15.22)
05. The Lovely Sparrows – Department of Foreseeable Outcomes (19.45)
06. The Bowerbirds – In Our Talons (23.47)
07. Doves – A House (35.30)
08. Counting Crows – Start Again (38.12)
09. Andrew Bird – Why (Live) (46.32)
10. Guillemots – Take Me Out (Live Lounge) (50.43)
11. A Hawk & a Hacksaw – Portlandtown (56.07)
12. Gossamer Albatross – Held Hands (59.57)
13. The Housemartins – Me & the Farmer (63.26)
Glad to see the Housemartins on there…
Yeah that was a major cheat. It was only suggested late on and I was already over my hour limit, but I thought fuck it – what am going to do, sack myself?
Portlandtown is from a Hawk and a Hacksaw’s second album, ‘Darkness at Noon‘.
I’ve been returning to it fairly regularly since I first got hold of it three years ago, and still think it’s incredible. It’s one of those albums that reveals and more little nuances and subtle details with each listen.
The track itself is a cover of an old folk song by Derroll Adams.
The Ginger Oracle speaks. You’re like an encyclopedia, Bart.
Mind you, if I could just be arsed using Google for the purpose for which it was intended…
Porn?
Whoa! Tell us what you really think of the stupid Republican Veep pick!! Love it!
My favourite mondegreen is from the first verse of Don’t Blame It On The Boogie By The Jackson Five:
We spent the night in Bristol
At a heavy metal disco.