"Red and orange and pink and green, orange and purple and blue." So went the song, except as Richard Of York will tell you, the song got it a bit wrong. So here are seven songs, in the correct polychromatic order.
First up, red, and my favourite Kings of Leon song. Yes, I prefer it to that one that was popular because it had "sex" in the title. This is Red Morning Light, from the Followill boys.
Orange is a little trickier, and I'm going to bend the laws of spelling and etymology. I remember seeing this on t-shirts and in graffiti a lot, back in the day. From late-80s Fall, this is Kurious Oranj.
Coldplay get a lot of stick, some of it deserved, some of it not. Remember when they first broke through though? There was hope, for a while, that they might turn into REM and not U2. Oh well, it was either this or Ringo. So this, of course, is Yellow.
Talking of REM, I really wanted to cheat here, and pick something from the Green album. But no. Instead, here are The Kinks and the timeless classic that is The Village Green Preservation Society.
There are untold songs with blue in the title. Untold. So how to choose? Well, Chris Isaak was in the running, but in the end I reverted to type, and stuck to The Style Council, and Have You Ever Had It Blue?
Indigo. That's tricky, actually. In the end, I happened upon Indigo Eyes by Pete Murphy, or Peter Murhpy as he styled himself after Bauhaus. It's perfectly serviceable, if forgettable, but it's no Bela Lugosi's Dead, is it?
And finally, we crash down to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, with violet, and a chance to prove I am not a fossil stuck in the 80s and 90s (I am though, really). This is Violets For Roses by the beguiling Lana Del Ray.
What songs would be in your rainbow? 
Excellent selection. You've got me thinking...
ReplyDeleteIf you're thinking top tens, some colours are a lot easier than others!
DeleteOoh, what a great idea and interesting selection. You've got me thinking too about what would be in my rainbow of songs. (Perhaps too a rainbow of bands?) Will have to report back!
ReplyDeleteA rainbow of bands is an interesting idea - thank goodness for the Indigo Girls! What about Viole(n)t Femmes for a bit of a cheat?! I had also though about doing a rainbow of albums too.
DeleteA bit predicable but surely Blue Monday should be there
ReplyDeleteIt would have, if I hadn't already featured it (twice!) in my "days of the week" series, Thank you for the days.
DeleteInitial thoughts in a totally random order-Orange Crush/REM,Pretty Green/The Jam,Pretty in Pink/Psychedelic Furs,99 Red Balloons/Nena,Goodbye Yellow Brick Road/Elton J,Purple Love Balloon/Cud,Behind Blue Eyes/The Who.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it I might make that a playlist for the car I like it so much!
Tell you what, mate, that's a spot-on selection, damn sight better than my effort!
DeleteAn idea that's brilliant in its simplicity, Martin, and a very solid selection. I'll be honest, I haven't played Yellow by Coldplay this time around. I loathed (and I mean loathed) the song the first time I heard it, I've heard it many, many times since and I don't have quite such a violent reaction but it's just not for me.
ReplyDeleteLana Del Rey, on the other hand, is a wonderful choice to close. I've only recently acquired Blue Banisters and it's a great album. And I'll step up for Pete(r) Murphy. You're right, Bauhaus were always going to be a tough (impossible) act to follow, but I do like a lot of his solo material and I have a particular soft spot for Indigo Eyes.
Great stuff all round, thanks!
Cheers, Khayem. I must agree, the Peter and Lana tracks were both new to me, discovered while researching this post. Very much like them both.
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