tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23250370427579923272024-02-20T08:35:46.977-08:00PopMonologuesThis blog collects short videos I’ve recorded using the lyrics from well-known pop songs. It’s not art. It’s pop!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-57926956123691827672016-05-07T17:29:00.002-07:002016-05-07T17:29:59.069-07:00The Pop Kids (Pet Shop Boys)<div>
This single is the first off the Pet Shop Boys' new album SUPER, which reached number 3 in the UK and German charts a few weeks ago. The single failed to chart, but made it to number 1 on the Billboard dance charts.<br />
<br />
I'm sure many pop fans identified with this song as soon as they heard it. I've seen several tweets saying things like "it's the story of my life" referring to this Pet Shop Boys single. The song is excellent, with a retro-nineties sort of vibe, and the lyrics take you on a melancholic trip down memory lane. Yes, we were the pop kids, we loved the pop hits and we quoted the best bits.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hope you like my interpretation. Comments here or on Twitter. </div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oe5kj53m-DQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oe5kj53m-DQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-40291822760297562692015-01-03T13:42:00.002-08:002015-01-03T13:42:51.407-08:00Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now (Samantha Fox)<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ah, the Fox. S-s-Samantha Fox. A much better vocalist than people give her credit for and able to sustain a career for much longer than anyone would have imagined. This was the biggest hit from her sophomore self-titled album, at least in Europe. Stock Aitken Waterman were the perfect pop sound for her, although she would find bigger success in the US with the harder clubbier sound of her Full Force-produced singles. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The lyrics of this song are about a woman leaving her lover. In this case, I thought the concept of escaping a manipulating controlling man, as hinted at in the words, could be used to give it a darker meaning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/--G6j-yplWQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-14082597850151801182014-12-02T14:04:00.003-08:002014-12-02T14:04:36.204-08:00I'll Remember (Madonna)<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've been dying to do a Madonna Song for ages, but simply didn't dare. Her songs deserve better than me doing cheap interpretations in front of an iPad. Then it occurred to me that I'll Remember would work as a monologue to a deceased loved one, so here's my attempt.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The song itself is a lovely ballad that reached number 2 in the US. This was at the time of "Letterman-gate", but somehow the backlash it didn't hurt the single's performance. In the UK the single stalled at number 7, which was a low for a Madonna single not previously available on an album. The song was largely ignored in the rest of Europe. Some expected the song (which featured in the Maverick-funded film "With Honors") to be nominated for an Oscar. Although Madonna had performed Sooner or Later, the winning song at the 1991 Oscar ceremony, she was not the writer of that song and I don't think the Oscar-voting members of the Academy were ready to nominate her. The Foreign Associate Press did, however, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award for it (neither of which she won). Sadly, she's never performed the song live. Maybe there's hope for her new tour?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EAGH_X6mYg0/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/EAGH_X6mYg0?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/EAGH_X6mYg0?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-57671255801545063862014-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:002014-10-12T13:20:14.986-07:00Ride on Time (Black Box)<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This song came out in 1989 and shaped dance music for the 90s and beyond. Italo House pianos, sampled vocals, model fronting the act... and a killer beat that beckons you to the dancefloor. Not the most obvious choice for a monologue since the lyrics make little sense, I thought it would be perfect to represent one of "those nights". For the record, I was completely sober whilst filming. </span></div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/p8CSRhsslzQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-78323855884145496502014-08-09T05:57:00.000-07:002014-08-09T06:02:50.168-07:00So Close to Forever (Debbie Gibson)<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A first for PopMonologues: a b-side! This song was the flip side to the single "Anything is Possible". Turns out it wasn't possible for Debbie Gibson to have another major hit, which is a real shame. The single was the lead for Debbie's album of the same name, which was a sales disappointment. This song showcases Debbie's "despairing in love" side (which she had already turned into a huge hit with "Foolish Beat"). It's a simple-sounding melody which would not have sounded out of place in a musical. I have taken the words and adapted them to a situation where a groom outside a church laments what could've been (pardon the Tiffany pun).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bL93wD6l6CU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-3951619315210728422014-06-24T09:28:00.002-07:002014-06-24T09:28:54.094-07:00Lost in Your Eyes (Debbie Gibson)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ah, Debbie Gibson. Queen of heart-felt teen ballads. I absolutely adored her in the late 80s. She was virtually unknown in Spain, where I grew up, and her songs were like a little secret I only had knowledge about. I briefly met her in 1993 outside the Dominion Theatre in London, where she was perfectly cast as Sandy in Grease. She was adorable, signed a CD for me and even posed for a picture. Unfortunately someone was handing Craig McLachlan (her co-star) a theatre programme at the same time and all you can see in the picture is part of our faces and the programme right in the middle. If you're reading this, Debbie, I'd still like a picture!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After her record-breaking US number one with "Foolish Beat", "Lost in Your Eyes" was another number 1 for her in the US. Inexplicably, it only made number 34 in the UK. Whereas "Foolish Beat" was about teenage desperation at losing one's first love, this was completely the opposite. My performance of the song is a completely straight reading this time: no twists, just a monologue about being in love.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jAnTFxDoi2w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-80198419284349146342014-05-10T02:32:00.000-07:002014-05-10T02:32:31.547-07:00So Macho (Sinitta)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Gay anthem extraordinaire! First released in 1985, this single could only manage number 47 in the UK initially, although it spent 11 weeks in the chart. In 1986 the song re-entered and climbed all the way to number 2 (kept off the top spot by "The Lady in Red"), gaining a further 17 weeks in the top 75. Sinitta is often remembered as a one-hit wonder, but she actually managed a further 3 top 10 singles. And contrary to popular belief, she only started working with Stock Aitken Waterman after "So Macho" was a hit, not before. Now more famous for her relationship with Simon Cowell, appearances on reality shows and "that" leaf outfit, it is a shame (shame shame) that her great pop voice isn't heard anymore. Check out the re-releases of her first two albums for some great pop gems and PWL mixes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyhow, in its original form, this is a song about a gorgeous girl who knows what she wants. Although I find the lyric about not wanting "a boy who thinks he's a girl" verging on homophobia, this was he 80s so we'll cut her some slack. My version? About a deluded gay man who obviously thinks he's in a position to be picky when he hasn't got the looks to back his demands up. Filmed in an empty changing room, I'd have loved to film this in a gym full of hot men (Olivia Newton-John eat your heart out) or a busy gay club, but resources don't allow... This is very tongue-in-cheek, I hope you like it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rVpVh8h9Ynw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-11064094948330021552014-03-17T16:41:00.002-07:002014-03-17T16:41:51.885-07:00Affirmation (Savage Garden)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This song does what it says on the title. It's an affirmation of beliefs, most of which I share (some I don't). Some of the beliefs are reminiscent of the "Wear Sunscreen" essay which was made into a UK number 1 single by fellow Australian Baz Luhrman, in particular the line about beauty magazines promoting low self-esteem. In any case, it's a beautiful, strong lyric, and it lends itself very well to a monologue. I first imagined performing it as a union address, then it hit me that it could make a good lecture. Don't ask me how, but I managed to sneak into a lecture hall and use their equipment to record it. I don't own the copyright for the images I have used. If any of the owners object to my use, please get in touch.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ugWpMRG9im8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span id="goog_504358773"></span><span id="goog_504358774"></span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-69630149924365790052014-03-01T03:58:00.002-08:002014-03-01T03:58:50.431-08:00My First Night Without You (Cyndi Lauper)<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The second single from Cyndi Lauper's third album "A Night to Remember" (25 years old this year). The album is a true gem, even though it had disappointing sales. Disappointing was also the performance of this single, which could only reach number 52 in the UK charts and missed the top 50 in the US as well, after the top 10 success of its predecessor "I Drove All Night". It took 5 years for her to have another UK top 10 hit (her final so far) with the re-worked version "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" in 1994.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was moved by this song from the first time I ever heard it. It is so charged with emotion and delivered with such desperation that it gives me goosebumps. I should therefore have stayed well away from it for a PopMonologue, since my delivery could never match the rawness of Cyndi Lauper's. But it's such a great lyric, and it lends itself so well to a monologue, that I couldn't help myself. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recording yourself whilst driving, balancing an iPad on the dashboard and doing your best to make sure the sun hits your eyes while you say the line "the sun is in my eyes so I can't see" is not conducive to a great performance, as I was multitasking to the extreme. This was my second-best take (I managed to delete the best one by accident). Hope you like it.</span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/eiT_5111J-E/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/eiT_5111J-E?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/eiT_5111J-E?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-25509052646175352252014-01-25T08:55:00.001-08:002014-01-25T11:39:57.838-08:00It's a Sin (Pet Shop Boys)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This song came out when I was 16. I attended a catholic school and suspected I was gay, so the lyrics about how every thought, word and deed were a sin resonated with me in a way that few songs ever have. I wanted to film this in a confessionary at a church, but despite several attempts to sneak into several unnoticed, I haven't managed. So I used a (rather noisy) chapel instead. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wewfi7MIHhk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-13332721394494399502013-12-12T13:14:00.000-08:002013-12-12T13:14:50.160-08:00Lie To Me (Gary Barlow)<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The best Gary Barlow single that never was. The song was supposed to be the third single from his "Twelve Months Eleven Weeks" album, but the record company cancelled the single and dropped him after poor sales and media backlash. I firmly believe that if this had been the first single the album would have had a very different reception. I could have easily been the equivalent to Robbie's "Angels" but alas, it didn't happen. It's a beautiful song with a heartfelt lyric and remains my favourite song of his. If only I could find that elusive radio edit...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pKBRaT0udPQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-30044234742426597692013-11-25T16:05:00.000-08:002013-11-25T16:06:06.659-08:00I Just Don't Have the Heart (Cliff Richard)<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cliff Richard joined forces with Stock Aitken Waterman in 1989 for his 101st single. It hit the top 3 and is one of the few Cliff Richard songs that could be played in a club at the time.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a good example of a song with a happy singalong tune but lyrics that don't match the mood of the music. In the original, Sir Cliff sings about being a complete coward and leaving his lover without so much as a by-your-leave. How unkind. This is a theme that Mike Stock also used in the Jason Donovan / Sam Fox track "Too late to Say Goodbye". So pop stars can be bastards who'll leave you and not even bother to tell you. Who knew?</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SjUqqiMw35E?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-36714268660196577292013-10-20T14:03:00.002-07:002013-10-20T14:03:35.842-07:00Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (Pet Shop Boys)<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">80s greed, Thatcherite economics, looks over talent... This song has it all. After the disappointing chart position of "Love Comes Quickly", the follow-up to "West End Girls", Pet Shop Boys came back with this amazing single (an early mix of which had actually been released before "West End Girls"). Of course, nowadays the relative failure of their second single would have got them dropped from their record label, so let's be glad that this single was a hit. It was their last single to miss the top 10 until four years later, when "Being Boring" only reached number 20. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A straight reading of the lyrics. Let's make loadsa money!</span></div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/FKac-_lFtWI/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FKac-_lFtWI?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FKac-_lFtWI?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-40561288988148086112013-10-12T03:24:00.001-07:002013-10-12T03:24:45.978-07:00You Came (Kim Wilde)<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I loved this song from the moment I first heard it in 1988. I also loved the lyrics, about being in love with someone whose presence changes you for the better. Only I was wrong. Many years later I found out that the song (written by Kim and her brother Ricky) was actually about the love of a parent for their child, which made it even lovelier. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This song became very special to me after my husband and I adopted our son. I used to sing it to him when he first came to us. He's now a bit old to appear here, but it still feel the same way. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you very much to Nico, who was a complete star during the recording, and to his mum and dad for letting me "borrow" him. He's a scene stealer!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/lVt03TQRI_w/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lVt03TQRI_w?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lVt03TQRI_w?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-68282790479173244312013-08-26T02:47:00.001-07:002013-08-26T02:47:21.980-07:00Live your Life Be Free (Belinda Carlisle)<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From the very first moment I ever heard this song, I thought to myself that the lyrics about seeing your (ex?) lover with his current girlfriend (or wife), yet offering to be there should he change his mind, would work a lot better if the chorus went "leave your wife, be free". Of course such a statement would not have been deemed conducive to radio airplay, particularly in conservative early 90s USA. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As it was, this song, the lead single from Belinda Carlisle's fourth solo album, wasn't a hit in the US. Her career as a solo artist was a lot longer and more successful in other territories. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Interpreted from a man's point of view, there's an implication that the object of the performer's desire is a closet case, and he's being encouraged to come out. I hope the writers don't mind the slight change of lyrics. I think they bring a whole new meaning to the words.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mORAms1C-iA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-55366153461911543642013-08-10T03:03:00.000-07:002013-08-10T03:03:20.983-07:00I Should Be So Lucky (Kylie Minogue)<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kylie's debut hit in many territories (The Loco-motion came first and was Australia's biggest hit of the 80s before Stock Aitken Waterman became involved) and still one of her most remembered hits (despite zero airplay even from 80s radio stations). General opinion is that the song encapsulates the prototype S/A/W song: banal lyrics and repetitive chorus. It is, no matter how many times she tries to make it somehow credible. Kylie had a bit of an epiphany when she read part of the lyrics at the 1996 poetry Olympics: after a period of denial of her pop persona and her PWL catalogue, she reclaimed the song and her past. She did not embrace it, though, wanting to give her past and edge it simply doesn't have. During the following years and sometimes to this day she tends to perform it as a torch song ballad, but thankfully she performs it in its original form too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her reading at the poetry Olympics was self-deprecating and full of irony. I think the lyrics CAN be the basis of an honest performance of longing and the realisation that one's hopes for love sometimes are only dreams. Here's my attempt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ldg5Y-ezmM0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">P.S.: I'm going to give the Minogueologues a rest for a bit. It's been one every other one so far! I'll keep posting Minogue-unrelated PopMonologues, though. As always, comments welcome.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-3362439345271100172013-07-25T15:36:00.000-07:002013-07-25T15:36:48.627-07:00Ziggy (Céline Dion)<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Written for the French musical "Starmania", the song "Un garçon pas come les autres (Ziggy)" was revived for the English adaptation of the Musical, retitled "Tycoon", with English lyrics by Tim Rice. Céline Dion recorded both French and English versions of the song, and the French version was a huge hit in France in 1993.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The song is about a woman who is in love with a gay man. With a little lyric tweak (forgive me Sir Tim) here's my version of it about a gay man in love with a straight man. Comments welcome.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Dn9_UUek2vE/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dn9_UUek2vE?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dn9_UUek2vE?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-19930803712115453232013-07-20T17:26:00.003-07:002013-07-20T17:26:56.938-07:00Can't Get You Out of My Head (Kylie Minogue)<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another
Minogueologue! Kylie's career-reviving biggest international hit. The dreamy
vocals, multi-layered production, futuristic video, relentless promotion and
THAT dress helped it to become a huge robotic-dance-inducing floorfiller.
Written by pop royalty, the legends that are Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, the
lyrics convey an almost-painful sense of longing. Whilst Kylie's delivery is
sensual, I've gone for a regret and sadness-filled reading, verging on the
obsessive.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6jp-g96uLAU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-73739801484366490702013-07-15T16:47:00.001-07:002013-07-15T16:47:48.397-07:00You'll Never Stop Me Loving You (Sonia)<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Quite why
the "From" which is clearly part of the chorus was left out from the
title is anyone's guess. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was
Sonia's debut single and only number one. In its original form it's meant to be
a happy song from an infatuated teenager, but without the Stock Aitken Waterman
pop production the lyrics reveal an all-out obsessed stalker, possibly a murderer.
I don’t think this is the
interpretation Mike Stock was aiming for when he wrote it, but it’s the angle I've gone for. Does it work for you? </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/GvSg-Rt0yfs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-72443945105151152882013-07-12T10:03:00.001-07:002013-07-25T15:37:10.919-07:00Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi (Kylie Minogue)<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kylie.
The ultimate pop princess. She's one of very few acts who've managed to
transition from pop puppet to pop legend. Despite some misguided attempts at
credibility, acting sometimes like a teenager who needed to show the world how
mature she was, she appears to have come to terms with what her audience wants from
her and balance it with enough creativity and style to still be herself.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The key
to Kylie's early success was of course the behemoth that was The Hit Factory.
Stock, Aitken and Waterman are among Britain's top producers, and Mike Stock
one of the best British songwriters ever. Their legacy should be similar to
that of Michael Gordy's Motown. Yet the latter get critical acclaim and radio
play and the former gets derided, endlessly referred to as cheesy, naff,
throwaway, and forgettable, with radio all but banning them. Even 80s radio
stations stay away from them - trying to erase a legacy of literally hundreds
of hits - with very few exceptions which don't stretch much further than Better
the Devil You Know, This Time I Know It's for Real, Never Gonna Give You Up
and, rarely, Say I'm Your Number One. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I always
loved the bit at the beginning of the video for Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi where
Kylie is waiting (stood up by some moron who clearly hasn't realised he's
keeping KYLIE MINOGUE waiting) and - after doing that thing that French people
do of replying in English when you're actually doing your best to speak their
language - a wise "old" French woman offers the timeless advice:
"if a man is involved, do not be so sure". I also absolutely love the
bit in the out-takes of "Kylie - the videos" where we see Kylie
getting her umbrella jammed in the door, but I digress. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although
my reading of this particular song is very literal, I think it's a lyric that
lends itself to a little PopMonologue. I guess you could call this one a Minologue, or a Minogueologue! I recorded just one take and decided that
it was good enough. I have played with the meaning of some of SAW's other hits.
All will be revealed...</span><br />
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qrg2Sraumu4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All feedback welcome.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-53957353762559706862013-07-11T15:45:00.000-07:002013-07-25T15:37:28.947-07:00I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For years
I've thought that the lyrics of this song would make a great audition piece, so
this was the first video I recorded. There's so much emotion in the text, which
reads like a monologue (don't most pop songs? - except duets, which sometimes
read like dialogues, with the exception of the frankly godawful "When
You're Gone" by Bryan Adams and Mel C, what's the point of duetting if
you're both singing the same lines at the same time). Back to topic: the
character in this song takes us from vulnerability to strength, from victimhood
to empowerment. Gloria Gaynor delivered it beautifully on the original
recording, but as it's nearly always the case with pop songs - and even more in
the case of disco - the depth of the text gets lost in the music, often shouted
out with abandon at wedding discos and hen nights.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wlPn6N9P6A4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Love feedback. Feel free to comment.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2325037042757992327.post-78734288956444369732013-07-11T13:28:00.000-07:002013-07-11T13:28:05.628-07:00Another side of pop!<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This blog collects short videos I’ve recorded using the lyrics
from well-known pop songs. The
videos are not meant to be a self-indulgent display of any acting abilities I
may have. I'm not an actor. I've never had any training of any sort. I did lots
of theatre at school and university, but that’s
it. I've recorded the videos for fun and because I like the idea of seeing
something that we're all familiar with from a different angle.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pop songs
are often dismissed as throw-away in terms of lyrical content, and I wanted to
bring new meaning to them, or at least present them in an alternative way. I'm
not interested in doing "credible". It wouldn't cross my mind to do a
Nirvana, Bob Dylan or Oasis song (to the relief of those performers and their
fans, I'm sure). It’s not art. It’s pop!</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So far
all the videos I've done we're originally sung by women. And the songs I've
chosen rather camp affairs. Looking at my list of possible ideas for other
videos, I can see a definite pattern emerging. Does that make me a
stereotypical gay man? How one hates to see one's individuality is in fact a stereotype.
Meh. The fact of the matter is that the songs lent themselves to the concept of
what I want to do with PopMonologues. And camp work for little drama queen
moments, which is how one could easily define these videos.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All the
videos have been recorded in single takes using my iPad, so excuse the poor
sound quality and lighting. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although
it somehow feels wrong to deliver these songs without their tunes, I had a lot
of fun planning the setup and recording them. I hope you like them. All
feedback welcome!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">PopMonologues</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614890974204734096noreply@blogger.com0