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Sunday, May 09, 2010
Henry Gross: Shannon
I had been planning to post something like Glad by Traffic to celebrate our gains in the general election. Instead we went backwards, so here is the saddest song I know.
Shannon was a hit in the USA in Britain in 1976 and was inspired by the death of a red setter belonging to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Shameful maudlin choice, Jon! What next, Seasons in the Sun? ;-)
ReplyDeleteVery minor nitpick - Shannon belonged to Carl Wilson, not Brian. Some sources say that Carl sang backing vocals on that track, but I can't hear him myself (though I can hear one voice at times that sounds very like Al Jardine, also of the band).
ReplyDeleteAndrew, if we *must* have songs about dead dogs belonging to members of the Beach Boys, far better this than Mike Love's "Wrinkles".
ReplyDeleteOh come on! "Wrinkles you're such a good doggy I'm bettin'/You're happy up there in doggy heaven"! What could be better? ;)
ReplyDeleteNo BB on this Henry Gross track...
ReplyDeleteAGD! Didn't know you read this blog! What a small world...
ReplyDelete(If AGD says there are no BBs on the track, BTW, I believe him - he's one of the world's biggest experts on the band)
ReplyDeleteHelen
ReplyDeleteI am happy to reassure you that Seasons in the Sun will never appear here. I hated it when it came out.
So Shannon is just "after The Beach Boys". A long way after them.