Obscure Singles Heard at CVS

“Hesitating beauty “ fucking wilco

"I Was Made to Love Her," by Stevie Wonder, playing in the work cafeteria at lunch. I don't know how "obscure" it is (being a hit and all), but I rarely hear it... It was a joy to hear that James Jamerson bassline in a public setting.

Aretha's "Day Dreaming" in CVS this afternoon. I'd never heard it on the radio before, and didn't even know it had been released as a single, much less that it was a hit (#5, 1972). Was wonderful to hear, though.

I heard James Brown’s “Living in America” at Whole Foods the other day

Not that obscure, just weird af in this context: Metallica--"Nothing Else Matters" at Wendy's.

That’s the feeling I get when I’m in the middle of my large fries

Air’s “la femme d’argent” at a food court at Tokyo Disneyland

Vitamin C at Chipotle

"Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town,” by Talking Heads, at Chipotle

(a bit surprised to learn that was actually the lead single from Talking Heads 77)

Diamonds and Pearls.

"Bang and Blame" at Chipotle. Maybe they hired the CVS programmer.

Ugh, that’s the worst r e m

It’s a good single

"Half a Mile Away" - Billy Joel album cut at Kroger.

damnnnn

I like this thread because it re-contextualizes song titles for me into these absurdist alternate realities where the original song title was actually "Nothing Else Matters at Wendy's" and "Bang and Blame at Chipotle."

Lost in the Supermarket at the Supermarket

That’s a pretty hip supermarket!

When I walked into Trader Joe's this morning they were playing "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" by Captain Beefheart. When I left a half hour later they were playing David Bowie's "Sound And Vision." In between I heard at least one T.Rex song but not a well-known or popular one; I just recognized Bolan's voice. A strange morning at the grocery store.

Not that surprising though given it’s a TJ’s

"See No Evil" by Television heard at Five Guys this evening.

Boz Scaggs: "What Can I Say?"
Barenaked Ladies: "It's All Been Done"
Queen: "Play The Game"

All at Whataburger

"Real Gone Kid" by Deacon Blue heard at Goodwill. Obscure in the US?

VU's "Lisa Says" at Peet's Coffee.

^nice one

KLF's Justified and Ancient (Stand by the JAMs) at IKEA

(though looking it up, it made it to 11 on the Hot 100, so not actually obscure?)

Neil Sedaka “Laughter in the Rain” at a taco shop in San Diego.

“State Farm (Extended Version),” by Yaz(oo), at Chipotle just now

Chipotle plays some good sh*t

They’re in the middle of a wild punk-funk block... I’ve been trying to use Siri to ID the tracks, but she only knows some of them. NP: “The Mirror,” by someone called Damaged Bug

Now it’s “Huff & Puff,” by Just a Band(?)

I realize some of these who? artists are probably in the realm of stuff that’s chiefly licensed out for commercials etc.; but it sounds pretty great played loud at lunchtime. Whoever puts these mixes together is on-point.

Yeah, I heard The Slits' version of "...Grapevine" in Chipotle once, alongside something that sounded like "Radio Clash" but wasn't. If that programming is coming out of Chipotle corporate HQ, I'm impressed.

Chipotle just moved their headquarters from Denver, Colorado to Newport Beach, California and maybe that has something to do with it?

VP, Soundscapes

I guess it’s time for a moratorium on Chipotle posts — but I just stopped in to pick up dinner, and heard “Falling and Laughing,” by Orange Juice.

Paul's Westerberg ("Love Untold") & McCartney ("My Brave Face") at Kroger.

Ha, I heard My Brave Face at Kroger too. Been in my head for a month now.

Mother Love Bone’s “Stardog Champion” at Five Guys. I forgot that it even existed

Stevie Wonder: "Do I Do" at the Fed Ex Store.

De La Soul's "Buddy" at a Minneapolis airport bar

does "do i do" really qualify as obscure

It doesn't seem to me to have had the shelf life of other Stevie hits, and I don't hear it out there that much if at all.

If you want to be technical, a lot of what gets posted here--particularly in regards to major artists--are closer to deep cuts than genuine obscurities.

Boston: "Something About You" at Randall's.

All at Five Guys:

Spoon: "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
Foo Fighters: "Next Year"
Steve Miller: "Living In The USA"
Ratt: "Back For More"
Bad Religion: "21st Century Digital Boy"

I really want to know where my little Foodtown gets their music.

"Little Children" by Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas was obscure enough, but then they hit me with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyxU9jmk21E

"Walk Tall (Like a Man)" by the Cincinnati girl group The 2 of Clubs from 1967. Going by the YouTube comments, this was a pretty big regional hit in the Midwest. I'm now obsessed with this song.

Blur "There's No Other Way" at Target.

it's funny as this song was not played on KROQ at the time as this was not a hit in America. MWRS 103.1 was around and did play it in the Los Angeles market.

meantg, MARS

Both at CVS:

Evan & Jaron: "Crazy For This Girl"
Steve Winwood: "The Finer Things"