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31 A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square Judy Campbell [download]
Swoonsome London-based romance made famous by Vera Lynn. The song’s most memorable performance took place during the air raids of 1940
‘It was the beginning of the air raids, but we went out, because we wanted to go out. The Shepherds Bush Empire had such nice shows, and you could see people like Margot Fontayne dancing. Judy Campbell was a successful young starlet then. I suppose “A Nightingale Sang…” just hit the right note for the time. Oh, it was so divinely escapist: “There was magic abroad in the air/There were angels dining at the Ritz…” It was nothing to do with air-raids. It was a popular song. Well, Judy Campbell came on in a satin evening frock, looking glamorous – and when she got to the point where she sang, “a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square”, she held up her hand and sang, “Hark!” you know, for the nightingale. And then “Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!” the air raid siren wailed! So instead of the nightingale, we got the siren! And the theatre just fell about they laughed so much, and Judy Campbell just died laughing on stage. It was just a yelp of laughter from the audience, they quite forgot the air raid!.’ Sylvia Harris
Available on The Best Of Vera Lynn compilation (1999)
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32 London Dungeon The Misfits
US punks’ ode to a night in London’s cells
‘During our early years we tried to do an English tour with The Damned. When we completed our first three shows we walked off the tour after not being paid. We went to London and after that I went to Canterbury with Sid Vicious’s mom Anne. Our singer Glenn Danzig and guitarist Bobby Steele went to see The Jam at the Rainbow. A bunch of skinheads started a fight with Glenn who turned to watch Bobby run down the block! To protect himself, Glenn pulled a piece of glass from the Rainbow’s broken window and got arrested. In Brixton jail he put the lyrics together for “London Dungeon”. We worked on the song to audition for The Clash’s second world tour. When our drummer Joey Image fled to the USA for drugs, we aborted that tour and left our clean-faced rotting corpses in your London Dungeon.’
Jerry Only, The Misfits
Available on ‘The Misfits’ (1979)
33 A13, Trunk Road To The Sea Billy Bragg [download]
Bobby Troupe’s iconic ‘(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66’ is transplanted to Essex
‘I was sick of hearing people sing songs about America. How did we know that Amarillo, New Mexico wasn’t as dreary as Dagenham? There was a punk perversity about it, but also a pride in singing about my manor. “Starts down in Wapping/ Girl there’s no stopping/By-pass Barking and straight through Dagenham down/ To Grays Thurrock/Romney and Basildon…” And the dual carriageway to Southend does have a mythic weight for boy racers that’s part of that rock ’n’ roll dream. If Springsteen could romanticise New Jersey, I didn’t see why I couldn’t do the same for estuarine Essex.’ Billy Bragg
Available on ‘Life’s A Riot With Spy Vs Spy’ album, bonus disc (1987)
34 I Can See For Miles The Who [download]
Pete
Townshend’s psych-pop masterpiece
This
song may
namecheck the Taj Mahal and Eiffel Tower, but was allegedly inspired by
a hazy night spent gazing across London from Highgate. The cover of the
album it appears on - 'Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy' - shows
seminal mod hangout The Railway Hotel, now the site of four blocks of
flats, each named after a band member.
See more album covers that picture London
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65 comments
c'mon, Gerry Rafferty's song belongs to top 10!
LONDON LONDON by Caetano Veloso
"The battle of epping forest" splendidly sang by Peter Gabriel when he was with Genesis, totally crazy version of east london
i've always liked "play with fire"
I agree, Shakespeare by Akala is easily the best rap song ever and is actually by someone from London!
Many of the people on that rubbish list are from nowhere near London, for example The Streets (Mike Skinner) is from Birmingham and talks cockney to sound cool. Overall a very poor list.
the best song to come out of london is 'shakespeare' by akala
What about that one by Catatonia "london sucks the life out of me...and the money from my pocket"...forget the name of it but no truer words spoken haha...The Pogues - Misty Morning Albert Bridge, White City...love 'em...Elvis Costello - I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea?
I think Walking Down The KIngs Road by Squire is the ultimate mod london song.
I am missing "London calling" by The Clash and "Panic" by The Smiths...
Elvis Costello's most fully formed child is "London's brilliant parade" (noone bought it!). Pogue's "The old main drag" (produced by Elvis). Finally,"Comeback to Camden" by Mozza (loved by Elvis). In the words of the real king "what shall we do with all this useless beauty?"
Snub it in another top 50
Dire Straits, "Wild West End", takes you on a little tour of London. Give it a listen.
how about "There's an A Bomb on Wardour Street" by the Jam
I think "Leave the Capital" by the Fall should be in it. But I'm obsessed with the Fall
Hey what about "i like london in the rain" By Variety lab ?
(remix of blossom dearie)
What about " London Rain " by Heather Nova ?
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