Saturday, June 13, 2009

test match special


Recently I've been watching the excellent BBC series "Empire of Cricket". The episode about the history of the game in the West Indies the other day was particularly fine and had a tremendous musical soundtrack with a song to illustrate almost every stage of the story. Unfortunately there seems to be a large Kensington Oval-sized hole in the internet where youtube videos of--indeed any reference to--many of these songs ought to be, so instead I humbly offer my top five cricket songs...

5. Cod reggae and dodgy Jamaican accents from Stockport-based MOR seventies hitmongers: yes it's Dreadlock Holiday by 10CC
4. Tortuous-cricketing-metaphors-R-Us from 10CC-era Aussie one-hit wonders Sherbet: Howzat
3. Yet another one from the seventies: the rambling but rather fine When an Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease by Roy Harper.
2. Top calypsonian Lord Kitchener tells the tale of the Windies landmark test series victory in post-Windrush England: Cricket Lovely Cricket
1. It could only be our favourite TV sport theme tune from a group of musicians whose combined understanding of the laws of cricket probably won't be troubling the scorers...



P.S.: I notice that erstwhile Divine Comedian Neil Hannon is making a move towards the barely mined seam (ahem) of cricket in pop music with his new combo the Duckworth Lewis Method. Sounds promising...

5 comments:

Wanderer said...

Nice list (except number 4 of course!).

Hoops Hooley said...

Thanks. There are worse actually: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbqBE8Ac7QA. Cringe.

Cocktails said...

I happen to like Howzat...

I don't like Kevin Bloody Wilson you'll be pleased to know. In fact, I'm suprised that he is still recording this stuff. Who the heck is encouraging it?!

You might be interested in this: http://www.cricinfo.com/columns/content/current/story/254346.html

For the record, I don't actually like cricket - a friend of a friend just happens to run that website.

Wanderer said...

Kevin Bloody Wilson - quite something!

Hoops Hooley said...

Thanks for the cricinfo tip Cocktails (trying again with that URL). It's a much better selection than mine.

As is this one which I found today. Can't believe I forgot HMHB's timeless tribute to Fred Titmus.

We'll draw a veil over bloody Kevin Bloody Wilson.