Just a simple song but God I love it Embedded in me, so bittersweet I’m addicted, I’m a melancholic Sing it again, I’ll be your Poll forever: THE BOO RADLEYS - ILM artist poll #60 or new numbering #65

Hmm, that's disappointing. Probably had to make it? Without Wake Up Boo! I doubt that I would ever had "discovered" The Boos, and even though I (and probably many others) played the song to death years ago and I don't listen to it that much anymore, it's still easily top 10 material for me. This one's straight from the textbook of perfectly written pop songs, it's no wonder that it was a huge hit.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_BPxGUU0W4Q/VTqykDfVn9I/AAAAAAAAAkI/Lx-rYlJuNL4/w400-h398-no/Lazarus%2Bm.jpg

34. Let Me Be Your Faith
From: Lazarus (B-Side)
Released: Nov 16, 1992
161 Points, 6 Votes

yeah, saying probably was the wrong thing to say but i did say that it seems low.

xpost

"Let Me Be Your Faith" did make my list.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SOeJBOsthaQ/VTqod_sR-xI/AAAAAAAAAik/zt5npV2xj-w/s400-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP%2Bm.jpg

33. Everybird
From: Boo Up! EP (B-side)
Released: Sept 91
170 Points, 6 Votes

sorry, not a b-side. the actual single.

messed me up because of the title.

So many of the early EPS like that.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SOeJBOsthaQ/VTqod_sR-xI/AAAAAAAAAik/zt5npV2xj-w/s400-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP%2Bm.jpg

32. Sometime Soon She Said
From: Boo Up! EP (B-side)
Released: Sept 91
176 Points, 6 Votes

lol at the juggernaut that is the Boo Up! EP.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m84aVhpBgr0/VTrD6EHwxqI/AAAAAAAAAk4/kwhaXMM4Y7Q/w400-h406-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bpart%2B1%2Bm.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u2DXix28bk8/VTrEQgpSwGI/AAAAAAAAAlg/uSrGQ7cGbj8/w400-h385-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bpart%2B2%2Bm.jpg

31. C’mon Kids
From: C’mon Kids and Single
Single Release Date: Oct 7, 1996
183 Points, 6 Votes

Sounds like Queen.

stopping now. the numbering works as i was able to post the first 10. had plans to go on tonight but something has come up. it is after all early Friday Night here in Los Angeles.

so now this poll is probably going to have to run into Sunday.

Very interesting. Thanks Bee OK.

That's my number #1 gone already then: "Song for Up!" I struggle to rank such things frankly, but finally had to concede its extended beastly coda is my favourite couple of minutes of their oeuvre. Some of the time anyway.

Two of mine have shown up, "One Last Hurrah" and "Comb Your Hair."

CD2 artwork for Wake Up Boo! (#8) was included in the Singles/EPs poll. this was the first (and only) appearance for C’mon Kids so i included the CD2 artwork on the songs poll.

That's my number #1 gone already then: "Song for Up!" I struggle to rank such things frankly, but finally had to concede its extended beastly coda is my favourite couple of minutes of their oeuvre.

I love that whole EP and voted for all four tracks off it, but 'Song For Up!' only just scraped into my 25 because although the "extended beastly coda" is excellent, I don't think much of the song until that point. I find it difficult to pick between the other three because they're all great in different ways. Seeing as everything else has already placed, I assume 'Foster's Van' will make an appearance too, but higher up. I played this EP to death in my first term at university. In those pre-internet days there was no way of finding out what the lyrics were and for the life of me I couldn't work out the bit at the end of the chorus of 'Everybird' and decided it was "make me feel....unscared" (which isn't even a word). Now that I know it's "...the same" I can't even hear how I managed to get it wrong before.

Found this interview from 1991 (featuring Sice with hair) last night which includes video clips of Kaleidoscope, The Finest Kiss and Everybird - I didn't even know there were videos for those songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92EYG-Z1l0

Sounds like Queen

Really?

The "Have we ever let you down" bit.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L0q-Ee7v9C0/VTqXqP6uHfI/AAAAAAAAAf0/n3tOXIODzJs/s400-no/Kingsize%2Bm.jpg

30. Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass
From: Kingsize
Released: Oct 9, 1998
187 Points, 7 Votes

we are back.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

29. Best Lose the Fear
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
189 Points, 7 Votes

Just catching up.

Happy that Comb Your Hair made the list. It's always been one of my favourites on Kingsize. Feel like it would have made a much better first single than Free Huey. One of my favourite Boo choruses.

Boo! Forever was my number three. Such a sad sounding song.

I still have a soft spot for Wake Up Boo. It was the reason my friends wouldn't take me seriously when I said they were one of my favourite bands at school but it's just a great song.

I don't think C'mon Kids is the best song on that album but I still like it. Their second biggest hit in the UK but I think that was probably down to it being sold for 99p when it came out instead of it being that popular. Always thought What's In The Box was a much better single.

Very surprised that Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass placed. It doesn't really stand out on Kingsize at all.

i voted for both of those.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SOeJBOsthaQ/VTqod_sR-xI/AAAAAAAAAik/zt5npV2xj-w/s400-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP%2Bm.jpg

28. Foster's Van
From: Boo Up! EP (B-side)
Released: Sept 91
194 Points, 6 Votes

and there it is, all songs from Boo Up! made it.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R5eeiB0qqwQ/VTvMFxrREqI/AAAAAAAAAmw/lafJxTfYJo0/w400-h419-no/Every%2BHeaven%2BE.P.%2Btwo%2Bm.jpg

28. Naomi
From: Every Heaven EP (B-side)
Released: 1991 (Rough Trade)
199 Points, 7 Votes

you guys sure know how to pick them, all these B-sides making it sure does make me proud.

I still have a soft spot for Wake Up Boo.

C'mon Kids is a good song too, but there are indeed better tracks on that album.

I like Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass a lot as well (it's just a simple song but god I love it - pardon the pun!!), although it only finished last in my top 25. But there was a lot of competition for that last spot... There were so many great tracks from Kingsize that I had to leave out. Comb Your Hair would have been a good choice for a single indeed, but I still think that Kingsize should have been the first single. But I remember hearing a story about the making of the album a long time ago: the band had pretty much finished making the album, but Creation Records wanted to release a catchy uptempo song as the first single and there weren't any on the album, so Carr had to write Free Huey. Don't know how much of that is true, and what the source of the story was. Mr Carr himself still believes that it's a great song, and while I don't really disagree (it is a good song), the biggest problem with it is that it doesn't really fit on Kingsize in my opinion.

Best Lose The Fear was my #11. A pretty cool track, one of the better songs on Giant Steps. It's my friend's favourite Boos track (he forgot to vote - tsk tsk!).

I'm surprised that there have already been so many old tracks (pre-GS era) in top 40. I guess that there are quite a few boogaze fans in here. Firesky and Let Me Be Your Faith were the only "oldies" that made it to my top 25, which actually does surprise me a little. Foster's Van and a few others for example were hanging around the #25 spot when I was sorting the list, but fell on the "wrong" side of the line in the end.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UjneqnYieyo/VTvR861svxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/r0ONrBzzx1U/w400-h388-no/Everything%27s%2BAlright%2BForever%2Bm2.jpg

27. Memory Babe
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: March 1992
205 Points, 7 Votes

and there it is, all songs from Boo Up! made it.

Speaking of B-sides, I absolutely love them and think that The Boos are pretty much the greatest B-side band (and A-side band...) of all time, but I'm looking at my list now and just realised that I only have 3 B-sides in my top 25. That's yet another shocker for me. But then again, I didn't award any bonus/penalty points for any tracks and tried to remain as "unbiased" as possible - while compiling my list I was thinking what songs I actually listen to the most. And I often tend to neglect the early EPs and albums a bit... But seeing how all these songs are featuring in this poll now, I guess that must change now.

Yeah I'm surprised to see all the Boo Up! songs make it. I haven't listened to it in a long time. Didn't even consider voting for anything from it.

Every time I see your name (Kitchen Person) here, I think that you're Steve Kitchen who played trumpet on Wake Up Boo.

― Tomiboo, Saturday, April 25, 2015

Should point out that I'm not him, just a really big Associates fan.

oh shit, just realized that i messed up the numbering:

28. Foster's Van
27. Naomi
26. Memory Babe

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UjneqnYieyo/VTvR861svxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/r0ONrBzzx1U/w400-h388-no/Everything%27s%2BAlright%2BForever%2Bm2.jpg

25. Smile Fades Fast
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: March 1992
210 Points, 7 Votes, 1 Number One

I like Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass a lot as well (it's just a simple song but god I love it - pardon the pun!!), although it only finished last in my top 25. But there was a lot of competition for that last spot... There were so many great tracks from Kingsize that I had to leave out. Comb Your Hair would have been a good choice for a single indeed, but I still think that Kingsize should have been the first single. But I remember hearing a story about the making of the album a long time ago: the band had pretty much finished making the album, but Creation Records wanted to release a catchy uptempo song as the first single and there weren't any on the album, so Carr had to write Free Huey. Don't know how much of that is true, and what the source of the story was. Mr Carr himself still believes that it's a great song, and while I don't really disagree (it is a good song), the biggest problem with it is that it doesn't really fit on Kingsize in my opinion.

― Tomiboo, Saturday, April 25, 2015

I read that about Free Huey somewhere too. I'm sure Martin wanted The Future Is Now to be the lead single but Creation hated it. Personally I think it should have gone.

Comb Your Hair
Kingsize
The Old Newsstand At Hamilton Square
Eurostar

That would have been a great run of singles.

i like your thinking, those would have been good singles.

going to go ahead and reveal this now, "Free Huey" received zero votes.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-13vN7GP1i8w/VTqVUVWuZ2I/AAAAAAAAAfE/VJkG0GZtTls/s400-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bm.jpg

24. Four Saints
From: C’mon Kids
Released: Aug 14, 1996
215 Points, 7 Votes

very happy about this, my number two.

I don't think C'mon Kids is the best song on that album but I still like it.....always thought What's In The Box was a much better single.

They're similar in that they both have that noise-guitar thing going on to deliberately shake off some of the newly accrued fans, but I much prefer C'Mon Kids.

and there it is, all songs from Boo Up! made it

I'm delighted by this. Foster's Van is brilliant, but I never seemed to be able to convince anyone of this, so (more than two decades later) I'm relieved to see I'm not alone on this one. I even met Martin Carr once in a pub in Camden and told him it was my favourite Boos song. He didn't even say that he liked it, just something like "ooo...that's an old one" (this was around 1996).

And even more surprised / delighted / relieved to see Naomi make it. Again, this is a track I always rated but seemed to be the only one. By the way, when you say From: Every Heaven EP (B-side), I know what you mean, but I wouldn't really call any of the tracks A-sides or B-sides from those early EPs. It's not like later on, when, say, 'Wish I Was Skinny' was clearly the A-side single and the other tracks were the B-sides. It was quite normal in 1990/1991 for indie groups to release EPs where all four tracks had equal billing and the name of the EP wasn't the name of any of the tracks and none of those tracks would be released on any subsequent album. The EPs were more like mini-albums in their own right, rather than a single with some filler.

very happy about this, my number two.

Yeah, I had to tinker with my list to make sure it got in. It didn't make my original cut, but I knew that was just *wrong*.

And even more surprised / delighted / relieved to see Naomi make it. Again, this is a track I always rated but seemed to be the only one. By the way, when you say From: Every Heaven EP (B-side), I know what you mean, but I wouldn't really call any of the tracks A-sides or B-sides from those early EPs. It's not like later on, when, say, 'Wish I Was Skinny' was clearly the A-side single and the other tracks were the B-sides. It was quite normal in 1990/1991 for indie groups to release EPs where all four tracks had equal billing and the name of the EP wasn't the name of any of the tracks and none of those tracks would be released on any subsequent album. The EPs were more like mini-albums in their own right, rather than a single with some filler.

good point, at first i didn't say B-side but then there were a few in a row and wanted to point out that they weren't the first song on the EP.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

23. Upon 9th and Fairchild
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
221 Points, 8 Votes, 1 Number One

going to go ahead and reveal this now, "Free Huey" received zero votes.

Smile Fades Fast was someone's #1? Wow, that's surprising! Not that there's anything wrong with it, but the track that comes right after it on EAF is much better. That's Firesky of course, my favourite song from the boogaze era.

I'm also glad to see Four Saints here - it's amazing (my #14), and the weird little solo from 2:30 onwards is one of my favourite Boos moments (pretty sure that I already mentioned this before in the other thread though).

They're similar in that they both have that noise-guitar thing going on to deliberately shake off some of the newly accrued fans, but I much prefer C'Mon Kids.

"We didn't want to scare away the hit-kids, we wanted to take them with us to somewhere that we'd not been before. All we wanted to do was make a different type of album than Wake Up... All we wanted to do was try something new - to keep ourselves fresh and interested. We were very surprised to find that it was seen as a deliberate attempt to scare away newly created fans. That would have been an extremely foolish thing to do."

interesting, i know i liked the new direction and didn't really know why they didn't keep on the Beatles path.

or to me Wake Up! seems to be very Beatlesish.