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London Songs
Written by Jimmy
The BBC hosted London Songs last night on TV, which featured their collection of the best songs about London. I think this might have been a follow up of a March 2010 show at Barbican where artists inspired by London performed their favourite London Songs. First I’ll give you my top three, purposely chosen because their not the obvious ones (Waterloo Sunset, London Calling, Baker Street, LDN, Hometown Glory):
3. The impossible to find London Town by Laura Marling:
2. Always The Jam Down in a Tube Station at Midnight
1. Donovan, Sunny Goodge Street
And a special mention – we also did a little song about London called Invading London which we like… Have a listen:
Second, it is worth outlining the short list of candidates I considered:
- Adele, Hometown Glory
- Allen, Lilly – LDN
- Blur, Under The Westway and For Tomorrow
- Bucks Fizz, London Town
- Clark, Petula – A Foggy Day in London Town (also covered by Sinatra)
- Clash, London Calling and White Man In Hammersmith Palais
- Costello, Elvis, London’s Brilliant Parade
- Coward, Noel, A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
- Dire Straits, Sultans of Swing and Walking in the Wild West End and Portobello Belle
- Donovan, Sunny Goodge Street
- Duffy, Warick Avenue
- Dury, Ian, Peter the Painter
- Grant, Eddy – Electric Avenue
- Gregg, Hubert – Maybe Because I’m A Londoner
- Jam, Down in the Tube Station At Midnight
- Kinks, Waterloo Sunset
- Light of the World, London Town
- Lynn, Vera — Lamberth Walks
- Marling, Laura, London Town
- Martyns, Primrose Hill
- McTell, Ralph, Streets of London
- Pet Shop Boys, West End Girls
- Paxton, Tom, Leaving London
- Poques, A Rainy Night in Soho and Misty Morning Albert Bridge
- Procol Harum, A Souvenir of London
- Radio Head, Fake Plastic Trees
- Rafferty, Gerry – Baker Street
- Roxy Music, Do the Strand
- Saturday Morning Canasta Club, Invading London
- Small Faces, Itchycoo Park
- Squeeze, Up the Junction (Battersea) and Cool for Cats (Clapham)
Third if you would like to look at the very long list here are two sources: Wiki has an exhaustive list that is worth checking out – click here. and Time Out did their top 100 London songs – click here.
Fourth, it prompts the question that will require further research, but you then have to ask about top New York, LA and San Fran songs and then figure out how many other cities have a good collection of ‘city songs.’ Another day, another day.
Jimmy