Friday, June 2, 2017

Two Great Songs That Sound Great Together: Response Songs

Two Great Songs That Sound Great Together is an occasional series on these pages where we listen to songs I often coupled on mix tapes in my youth. Today's picks don't quite fit that criteria because two of the four songs below come from this century and many years after I bought my last Maxell XLII-S 90 cassette, but I have certainly played them back to back on mixes made for my iPod.

These are best described as response songs... a composition inspired by an earlier one. In fact, that's exactly how Elefant Records described this song by the School in the fall of 2015: "'Do I Love You?' is an upbeat Northern Soul-inspired track, a girl's response to the famous Frank Wilson song." I have one of two known original copies of Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," anonymously bought at an auction in 2015. Just kidding, Drew. I hope the doctor didn't need to use the paddles on you after reading that. I have Wilson's song on 'The Best Northern Soul All-Nighter... Ever!' Terrible name and packaging but there's no arguing the 60 classics spread over two discs is a wonderful place for a novice to start.

Frank Wilson - "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)"
The School - "Do I Love You?"

Elefant again! Two fine examples to illustrate why they are just about the best label out there. This one is surely in the running for the best answer song ever. Certainly helps when you have someone so brilliant posing the question in the first place. I'm going to cut this short. I get so blue thinking about the death of Carey Lander. If you don't have all five of Camera Obscura's albums, go get 'em right now.

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?"
Camera Obscura - "Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken"

8 comments:

drew said...

Four great tunes Brian.

I was laughing at your Frank Wilson line but as you know I gave JC my original copy of it a few weeks back in Glasgow as I am totally sick of the song,

Like you I get kinda down when I listen to Camera Obscura these days which I know I shouldn't. I don't know that if they tour again I could go, well I would but it may be with quite a heavy heart.

Rol said...

I wondered where that other copy is. Mine misses its long lost brother.

Very familiar with the latter two, never heard The School song before though... very good!

JC said...

Laughing out loud here Brian!!! Especially after my 'faux pas' with the EBTG covers posting.

I was all set to feature Frank Wilson at my place very soon....it was to be post #1500 in a few days time and would have referred to the generosity of Drew giving me such a piece of treasure.....

Just need to go to Plan B for said posting.

Brian said...

I knew he was generous, but somehow, through the fog of that Saturday morning, I didn't realize JC had received a £25,000 single from Drew. I could have almost bought that story, but Drew blew it when he said he was sick of it. Nobody gets sick of that song. I regret posting Frank Wilson today. JC deserved to use it for post No. 1500. It really is amazing how, with our thousands of records, we seem to be thinking of the same songs and how to use them on our blogs at more or less the same time. It is so common for all of us to trump (sorry) each other.

Rol, The School is just about my favorite band out there these days. I recommend all three of their albums, but I would start with middle album Reading Too Much Into Things Like Everything. Liz Hunt is quite a songwriter, and I'm such a sucker for the trumpet and violin in pop songs.

The Swede said...

I was a TDK AD90 man myself. It was you who introduced me to The School (plus several other bands) Brian, for which I remain eternally grateful. You're absolutely right by the way, nobody gets sick of Frank Wilson's 'Do I Love You', surely?

Swiss Adam said...

Funnily enough, I've been hammering the Frank Wilson tune recently too.

drew said...

I must confess it wasn't one of the two originals but a 80s repress.

JC said...

You bastard Drew....I was planning to retire on the proceeds of your generosity!