Obscure Singles Heard at CVS

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: "100 Days, 100 Nights" at FedEx Office.

Not obscure, but my Foodtown hit me with a stealth Michael McDonald three-fer last night:

Steely Dan - Peg
Doobie Brothers - What a Fool Believes
Carly Simon - You Belong to Me

Which makes me wonder once again where they get their music--no algorithm would have come up with that.

Once went to a restaurant where the playlist was weirdly similar to my wife's main playlist. We asked about how they chose the music and they told us they usually just choose a sing they like and then dial up the Spotify radio for that song. Maybe you encountered something similar.

Eisley: "Golly Sandra" at James Coney Island.

R.E.M. - "Carnival of Sorts" at the coffee shop

Not to be the obscurity police, but isn't early REM pretty on-brand for a coffee shop?

Valid question. When I heard it, this thread was the first thing I thought of. Like, deep cut for 2019. Can't remember what came on next, but def was not thread-worthy.

There should be an alternative thread to this where we say "I heard 'More Than a Feeling' at Sufficient Grounds!"

Friend & Lover: "Reach Out Of The Darkness"
Hollies: "Here I Go Again"
Moody Blues: "Question"

All in almost that order at Goodwill.

Almost because there was possibly a non-obscure album track snuck in between somewhere?

The not-obscure enough "She's About A Mover" came after the Hollies.

Talking Heads: "(Nothing But) Flowers"* and Elliott Smith: "Waltz #2 (XO)" at Jack-In-The-Box.

*Actually have this a lot whilst out and about over the years.

Madonna’s “Deeper and Deeper” sounds good early in the morning at Whole Foods.

Rolling Stones: "Heart of Stone" & (Young) Rascals: "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" at Goodwill.

Blondie: "Atomic" and Three Dog Night: "Shambala" at Fuddruckers.

Carol Douglas - "Doctor's Orders" at White Castle

Im more surprised fuddruckers still exist?

They've, rebooted a number of times.

1988-91: peak flair era

94: email stations!

96: internet stations!

97-99: visors are hip on waitrons

01-03: flipflop-friendly-fridays (get bottomless fries)

09-11: Craft Beer theme nites

14: weed joekz “hidden” in menu (discontinued after Foxnews story/boycott)

17: IPA TIL U PUKE fridays

They also have 95% less crazy crap on the walls!

Simple Minds: "Sanctify Yourself" at Wendy's.

Michael Penn: "No Myth"
English Beat: "Tears of A Clown"
Bangles: "Going Down To Liverpool"

All at Jack-In-The-Box.

Awww, I love "No Myth"

Simple Minds: "Sanctify Yourself" at Wendy's.

― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain)

I'm surprised Wendy's didn't ask'em to rewrite it as "Satisfy Yourself"

New York Dolls: "Personality Crisis" at Freebirds

My wife reports hearing "Boris The Spider" at Starbucks yesterday.

The Raincoats version of “Lola” at Chipotle

Lenny Kravitz: "Dig In" and Beck: "Think I'm In Love" at Jack-In-The-Box.

Red Right Hand by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Party City.

Presumably part of some seasonal Halloween playlist. I should have stuck around to see what else they had on, but I just dropped in real quick for a Moana piñata.

James Brown, "I'll Go Crazy" at the supermarket last week.

Opus - "Live is Life" at the Verizon Store

Television - See No Evil, at Walgreens.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, June 4, 2015 12:55 PMbookmarkflaglink

^^^ hahaha, what the hell?! Lock thread.

― Little Latin Lupe Feebfiasco (Dan Peterson), Thursday, June 4, 2015 1:06 PM bookmarkflaglink

It sounded pretty good. Peppy, kinda "indie." Went well with the hair care products.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, June 4, 2015 1:08 PMbookmarkflaglink

Add me to the list! I was in the grocery store trying to find some falafel mix. I had to resist the urge to rock right out there in the natural foods aisle. It segued into some Fastball song.

Heard the incredibly popular and well-known "Love Will Tear us Apart" at Kroger.

Like "Welcome to the Jungle," no, it's not some underground hit. But again, watching the Boomers inspect packaged cheese while Ian Curtis has it out on the P.A. was some crazy shit for 8:35 on a Saturday morning.

Til Tuesday: "Why Must I" and Best Coast: "The Only Place" at Jack-In-The-Box.

Sheena Easton: "Strut" at HEB.

My local Dairy Queen must use an OMD Pandora channel for Muzak, because I dropped in for an Orange Julius and heard both "Sailing On The Seven Seas" and "Pandora's Box" in the 15 or so minutes I was there.

― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, May 20, 2019 6:07 PM (four months ago) bookmarkflaglink

Did this again yesterday, and heard "Walking On The Milky Way" plus "Time and Tide" by Basia.

Carly Rae Jepsen: "Julien" at Taco Cabana.

^^Possible obscure single of the future.

Another Possible Obscurity of The Future--Zedd & Katy Perry: "365" at Taco Bell.

Chuck Willis: "C.C. Rider" at Walmart.

What ya talking about, "C.C. Rider" plays every time I walk into a Walmart.

At least in my head.

'switchin to glide' at gourmet fresh

Stereolab - "Miss Modular" at Whole Foods

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dear Prudence

― Austin, Friday, June 17, 2016 2:27 AM (three years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden

Cool! At this rate, maybe someday Siouxsie's "Lord's Prayer" will hit the in-store playlist.

Baby Huey & The Babysitters: "One Dragon Two Dragon" at Jack-In-The-Box.

Cool! I was just reading about them in Aaron Cohen's (brilliant, essential) Move On Up: Chicago Soul Music and Black Cultural Power.

Queen: "Radio Ga Ga" at IHOP.

I also heard this odd, like underdub of the not obscure at all "Brown-Eyed Girl". Felt a little slower, more acoustic, and I don't think it had all the full-ham Van at the end (the "bit-by-bit-by-bit part). Definitely had the rest of the original vocal parts and backing. Checking the newest Bang Masters box on Spotify, I see there's the original stereo mix, a mono edit (probably the censored 45 mix), and then some blocks of earlier takes, which it kind of sounds like it was harvested from.

Listening further, I see that it was probably Take 6, the first full take. One of the things that was throwing me is that electric guitar part isn't quite there yet, and isn't as prominent in the mix. Also the drum and bass breakdown part appears here after the last verse instead of before it. The full-ham Van bit is also present and accounted for.

Gary Wright - "Love is Alive"

Not super obscure or forgotten, but I also don't think I've heard it in 30+ years.