Never one to pass up the opportunity of shoehorning in a bad pun, spoonerism or in today's case a malapropism, this post offers up a trio of tunes based on gin.
"Gin makes you maudlin," I was once advised by a sage/soak in a pub and apart from the occasional batch of homemade sloe gin or rhubarb gin*, I rarely touch the stuff.
Trawling my music collection, I am spoilt for choice when it comes to wine, beer or whisky. Less so for gin, it appears.
However, in November 1999 The Divine Comedy unleashed a classic standalone single to promote a Best Of compilation, with Gin Soaked Boy. There was even a moody monochrome video featuring Neil Hannon watching horse racing! But, as ever, the real star turn is Hannon's handy way with a lyric. I love this song.
No relation of course to the equally wonderful Gin Soaked Boy by Tom Waits from his 1983 album Swordfishtrombones.
Next up is Pet Shop Boys with a fabulous B-side from 2009 titled Gin And Jag. I hadn't particularly followed the Boys' career and was particularly negligent in the 21st Century. Thank goodness then for JC over at The Vinyl Villain, who provided a year long, comprehensive series focusing on PSB singles.
I got to hear Gin And Jag for the first time in May 2023 when it was featured in Part 19 of the series. JC included the song's lyrics, introducing Gin And Jag as "one of those songs which benefits from repeated listens." And he's right of course.
As the song inevitably doesn't have an official video and all of the YouTube clips feature a static image, I've instead plumped for a fan-made remix, which at least has gone to the additional effort of some animated/slideshow stills.
JBoy's Dusk Remix of Gin And Jag dates from 2011 and is one of only two videos/remixes (both PSB) posted to YouTube by JBoyOTown, to give them their full nom de plume. The original was downtempo, this ups the beats a little, giving it a slightly more trip hop feel and stripping away some of the layers of the studio version whilst retaining Neil Tennant's full vocals and acerbic lyrics. A good effort.
Given the loose gin theme, I feel obliged to include US pop rockers Gin Blossoms, who were apparently big in the early 1990s, split in 1997 and reformed in 2001 (arguably a shorter gap than many artists leave between albums, but there you are) and apparently continuing to this day.
Found Out About You is the sole song by Gin Blossoms in my music collection. No idea how I came about owning it, but I can tell you that it was originally released in 1989 for the debut album Dusted.
This is a re-recorded version, released as a single and featured on breakthrough album New Miserable Experience. Single and album peaked in the UK at #40 (April 1994) and #53 (March 1994) respectively.
Based on this return visit, I remain unlikely to seek out further Gin Blossoms experiences unless someone suggests otherwise.
Anyway, don't be maudlin, it's Thursday and apparently Thursday's child has far to go! Just don't forget to come back here tomorrow for some Friday loving and giving.
* It probably doesn't need to be said, but I don't actually make the gin. It's the cheap, shop-bought stuff, infused for up to 12 months with rhubarb that I've plucked from the garden in the summer or sloes that I've foraged in the wild, just after the first frost of the year. What I like about both is that they don't taste of gin in the slightest.
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