Song of the Week: Wednesday Jones (dixie)
Stephen Duffy
Wednesday Jones (dixie)
This track is from a compilation of Stephen Duffy tunes from that decidedly odd period in his career where he insisted on being known as ‘Tin Tin’.
The self-penned liner notes tell the sorry tale of young Stephen: 19 year old manages to leave soon to be mega-famous band (Duran Duran) at precisely the wrong moment, but writes catchy song in bedroom (‘Kiss Me’), it’s good and gets him attention and Madonna likes it too, it goes to the top of the charts and he goes on Top of the Pops, he’s the next bright young thing and great things are expected with that brand spanking new three album deal (for Virgin/10), they’re wanting some more chart topping synth-pop gold and er, he comes up with this. Needless to say, the record company don’t like it. And neither do the record-buying public. In fact, they don’t seem to like anything he does. Stephen describes these early pre-Lilac Time efforts as ‘the years I tried to forget’.
And he’s right, we probably should forget most of it – except this strange little number, because it’s actually a great pop tune in a perverse kind of way.
‘Wednesday Jones’, Stephen Duffy, 1986 from They Called Him Tin Tin
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Tags: song of the week
October 30th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I never got into the Lilac Time as his ‘TinTin’ period (and that bloody awful ‘Kiss Me’ song) marked him out in my eyes as an idiot fop.
That one you posted was quite sweet however – though one more grain of sugar and it would have crossed the Twee Line for me. The Twee Line is a fine line.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
ISBW, I feel very flattered that you even listened to this considering your previous feelings about Mr Tin Tin. The Lilac Time are well worth having a listen to, they’re a lot more folky. I can’t comment on their tweeness I’m afraid as I have quite high twee resistance and am generally oblivious to it.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
My favourite from the Tin Tin era is Top 75 electro-clunker Hold It!, which on this album is a different version and not the actual single version. I like him, but he’s lacking something, rather like the Lightning Seeds are just one hook short of a raft of classic pop songs, and I can can never quite work out what.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I always had a soft spot for Stephen in all of his incarnations but he has always been out on a limb all of his own – he must surely be the only pop star who was so narcissistic he had to record his own reply record, following Kiss Me with Unkiss That Kiss.
The Robbie Williams hook-up remains one of the most unlikeliest events in pop.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
F-C, I know what you are getting at. I like Stephen Duffy, but I don’t love him. And I certainly don’t love the Lightning Seeds! I much, much prefer Edwyn Collins or Roddy Frame for example – I think they are somehow warmer, less… arch?
Hello and welcome Bruce. ha! I like your comment about narcissism. Unkiss that Kiss is one to forget I think. And you are right about the work with Robbie Williams. Sadly, for me, it’s a bit like the Manics trying to save Kylie in the early 90s – it didn’t work!
October 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
It’s a mashup of Deram-era Bowie, My Life Story and The Divine Comedy, which can only be a good thing. I’d prefer to hear this over most Duran
October 30th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
You’d prefer to listen to this over Duran Duran?! Are you mad?! I saw the Save A Prayer vid at the gym earlier in the week and was reminded of all the things I love about them – top tunes, expensive over the top videos, empty posturing, espadrilles, John Taylor. Love it!
November 1st, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Hey there. Great post as usual. Hope you’ve had a cool weekend. I had a fantastic Halloween here. Take care. Cheers!
November 1st, 2009 at 4:17 pm
It’s a tad twee and knowing not necessarily a bad thing, think this is one of the joys of spotify , in that you can listen to bands like this later albums for free. Which is what I ddi recently and although I wouldn’t buy any of them they’re not too bad and there’s flashes of goodness here and there across the all.
Oh and I like “kiss me”
However Songs about people named after days of the week never a good thing though :)
November 1st, 2009 at 4:25 pm
good spot Mondo – deffo very ‘My Life Story’ isn’t it??
Like the stripped down feel of it. Bit of a ‘music hall’ feel to the sound too hasnt it? AWhich again smacks of MLS and Deram Bowie.
Duran have always been one of my guilty pleasure tho – Saw them when they reformed the full line up (2000 ish?) at Wembley at it was stunning! They have made so many great pop songs.
Are you a ‘Durany’ Cocktails?
P
November 1st, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Happy Halloween to you Keith – good to hear you’ve had a great weekend, hope the coming week is just as good. It’s not long till Christmas now you know!
What other songs are there about people named after days of the week BLTP? Other than Ruby Tuesday. Which is bloody awful – so yes, you have a point on that one.
Piley, am I missing out on something here with My Life Story? I just thought they were some indie group with strings from the mid-90s that I never took too much notice of! And I wouldn’t say that I’m a Durany, no – just a pop fan. They had some fabulous songs and I love the 80s OTTness of them. I also have a longstanding crush on John Taylor… I am quite envious of you seeing them for that reason alone!
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:40 am
On matters twee, Cocktails, I am reminded that the twee-est act I ever saw was one of your countrymen, a chap called Darren Hanlon, who some friends lured me to see as a cruel experiment. The wretches had a bet on how many songs I’d last, unbeknowns to me – and it was in fact only three. Some lyrics about ‘eating jam sandwiches in my pyjamas’ caused me to exit swiftly. I felt a bit bad as he seemed like a really nice bloke, but I just can’t go too far down the twee end or I start wanting to slash up cinema seats with my penknife.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Ooh, I’ve never heard of Darren Hanlon – sounds like someone I should be looking out for! I’ve got a few twee treats in store actually over the coming months. If any are really bad, I’ll give the heads-up so you can close your ears.