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Student tunes...

Bryan Burnett | 20:04 UK time, Friday, 10 September 2010

As the round of fresher's weeks kicks off, there's no need to get signed in for the Get It On student disco on Monday night. What are the songs that remind you of student years? Who did you see at the university unions? What album would send your beloved off to college with?

Lectures are over at ten past six so head down to the Get It On union for the first tune...

Comments

  • Comment number 1.


    Ignore me. I just want to annoy DC...

    >8-D

  • Comment number 2.

    Who said that?

  • Comment number 3.


    It wisnae' me...

  • Comment number 4.

    As one of the uneducated masses, I attended Dundee Uni at weekends only, 1982-85. It was great fun but I won't tell you any stories!!! 'Jack & Diane' - John Cougar.

  • Comment number 5.

    I like his version of Terry Reid's No Expression.

    A few of the more memorable nights at the Union.

    Sweets For My Sweet - The Searchers - A name band - a big deal
    Race With The Devil - The Gun - Perm city
    Iron Man - Black Sabbath - Even at 21 Ozzy was ruthless with hecklers unfamiliar with this genre
    No Lights on the Christmas Tree - Alex Harvey - He was MD on Hair and played this with a pick up band. Very funny.
    My Heart Beat Like A Hammer - Fleetwood Mac - Anyone seen Jeremy Spencer?
    Eyesight To The Blind - The Who - Tommy had just come out
    Border Song - Elton John - With bass and drums and never better

  • Comment number 6.

    A fortnight tonight. Who's coming out to play!
    Say yea or nay! All bloggers welcome!

  • Comment number 7.

    Yea! glad you confirmed - I need time to decide who I'm going to be!

  • Comment number 8.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 9.

    #6, Count me in Paolo, have yooz decided a time and venue?

  • Comment number 10.

    #6. I'll be there...so will Maria.

  • Comment number 11.

    All the bloggers are coming - book a table for four.

  • Comment number 12.

    First rounds on you!

  • Comment number 13.

    #7

    You can go as me Gaie!

  • Comment number 14.

    Some memorable nights at the Union's*!?:... Okay, I'll play & continue to pish against the hurricane!

    John Street... One Way Street ~ 9 Below Zero (1981)

    Queen Margaret... I've Seen The Word ~ Blancmange (1982)

  • Comment number 15.

    Freshers` Ball in 1979 was Slade and in 1980 Gary Glitter.
    Both were at Cinderella`s (was it called that then Julie?)

    Coz I Luv You - Slade
    Angel Face - Glitter Band (one for Babs)


    Not being cheeky btw. She used to fancy one of them I believe.

  • Comment number 16.

    Thanks, Adam, but it was said the lassies' hearts were all a flutter at your presence the last time. I think that would confuse me way too much. I'll stay a quine if it's all the same to you.

    however, we did also have Slade, though it was earlier than 1979, not telling how much!

    and Atomic Rooster - Tomorrow Night

  • Comment number 17.

    Monday.

    Bryan Ferry's version of (what a) Wonderful World


    Check out his duet with Twiggy in 1974



    J.O'B.

  • Comment number 18.


    What was BF thinking when he agreed to do that RJ??

    The Persuaders were a good shout last night Paolo. Didn`t know that version.

    Lassies, Gaie? It was only me, Paolo and the Git that were oot that night. The only flutterin was when PP was on the phone to his bookie.

  • Comment number 19.

    BF and Twiggy - new careers as models for M&S in the twilight of their lives.

  • Comment number 20.

    well Adam, it must have just been a rumour to kid on it was a huge night out instead of just 3 of you, one of whom was on the phone.


    STUDENT DAYS

    sorry, folks, doing a Henri here, couldn't help massel'


    1st week, 1st year at Uni - I doubt if it was called fresher's week then, but 3rd year students were given the job of looking after the infants and in our case this involved being taken on a tour of the town drinking a Blue Lagoon in every pub. Don't know what was in it, I only know it was the Bols that made it blue; this became an increasingly hysterical joke as the night wore on. By the time we were set for home we'd been in a lot of pubs. I have a vague memory of Joan and me resorting to hands and knees up the final flights of steps to our hall - none of this lying around in the street waiting to become famous on Boozed-up Britain, we girls had our dignity to think of. Anyway, the disco music of the time was

    * When I'm Dead and Gone - McGuinness Flint

    * I Hear You Knocking - Dave Edmunds

    * American Pie - Don Maclean

    The other music, the kind you had in your room, was played on a record player, the size of whose speakers was probably the most important aspect of your street-cred. I didn't have a record player. Go figure. Compulsory purchases for those who did?

    * My Sweet Lord - George Harrison

    * Sweet Baby James - James Taylor

    as well as Carole King's Tapestry and Neil Young's Harvest. Sorry, folks, don't like either of their voices.

    I do remember someone in a room above playing

    * Layla - Derek & the Dominoes

    over and over and over. I had no problem with that.

    Through the years, I don't remember too many great live gigs - we certainly didn't have the money the bigger unis did to spend on major bands (aha! so THAT'S why Glasgow's about to run out of cash), but we did have a great folk club with the likes of Fraser Spiers, Fraser Nimmo, Archie Fisher - and the concert by Rab Noakes being a real highlight.

    * Together Forever - Rab Noakes

    (anyone like to buy a rare vinyl copy of Do You See the Lights? Just found out it might be worth a bit)

    A bit of a Sweet cult grew up for a while with boys in make-up, shock horror

    * Ballroom Blitz - Sweet

    and more boys in make-up with

    * Suffragette City - David Bowie or better

    * Jean Genie - David Bowie

    and guess who passed up the chance to see Ziggy Stardust in Dundee a couple of weeks before finals?

    Meanwhile, however, I had become the proud owner of a Hitachi Stereo cassette player. Laugh if you will, the sound I thought was pretty darned good and every Saturday afternoon was the wonderful Rock Show with Alan Freeman

    * Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo - Rick Derringer

    * Here They Come - Ten Years After

    then there were the 21st birthday parties - where you invited your 100 very best friends and everyone had an identical party with the same disco and the same 100 people. I didn't have a 21st birthday party. 4 friends would have seemed so inadequate.

    * All Right Now - Free

    * Hi Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck

  • Comment number 21.

    #20

    75% of bloggers is a good turnout.

  • Comment number 22.

    #7 #9 #10
    Half seven in the Counting House George Square. Cheap and handy for stations and we can take it from there. Five so far plus Norrie and Capn Ramius have said they'll go and Scotch will drop in so that's eight. If Glen comes it'll be 23.

  • Comment number 23.

    #14
    I saw Nine Below Zero about then as well in Strathclyde Union where I also saw Lindisfarne, Squeeze, New Musik, Bodysnatchers Tom Robinson, Gary Glitter (yeah i was right up the front with hand outstretched when he sang Do you wanna touch me and

  • Comment number 24.

    sorry just threw up there. oh aye and Runrig in a halls of residence. Did I ever tell that story. Oh and Matchbox. Every week for four years practically i saw bands in Strathclyde Union. Damned if i can remember who they were.

  • Comment number 25.

    #1

    apparently not a goal so ner ner ne ner ner

  • Comment number 26.

    #21 if I'm in, is that still 75%?

    My recollection of Freshers week is bouncy castle discos, free Guinness nights and cheese and sherry parties. The only highlight was Runrig. But I can't remember the set, owing to the Guinness and sherry. Terrible combination.

    The slogan for one of the societies was "Eat grass, ya bass". Didn't understand the purpose of most of any of the societies beyond the initial obligatory cheese and wine/ sherry party. Even they were rubbish.

    There was also the protest outside the Glasgow Union orchestrated by the Queen Margaret Union lefties aka Socialist Workers. The folks who never attended lectures or tutorials but showed up at lunchtime without fail to distribute their pamphlets and disturb your meal. One worked for me - "Lang, yer wrang" - canvassing for the abolition of the poll tax. I went along and shouted at him. Would be nice to think I did my bit in getting rid of it. As if.

    Anyway - after all that and the great weather forecast blip of the decade, all I can remember worthy of mention musicwise is this:
    Pet Shop Boys It's A Sin
    Unless you count Marrs Pump Up The Volume . Not the best shout on a bouncy castle full of half-cut 18 year olds.
    mean pickings compared to some of the other stuff I've read here.

  • Comment number 27.

    Dundee Uni December 1979. Confession time...

    The Pretenders had just gone to number one (I try without success to tell my kids that a "Number One" could be something different from whatever they burst out laughing at...")

    Anyway, I managed to pochle (as Chair of the Entertainments Committee) four of the six available tickets for my College to the Chrissie Hynd visit to the City of Discovery.

    (Except "Discovery" was still moored to the London Embankment in those days...!!)

    So we four managed to get, somehow, to the Uni Hall. It was a great night. Lots of classic Pretenders tracks were played and the 150 audience loved it.



    Half time came and we dispersed to those places people go to at half time.I found myself following a group of people exiting the hall and in front of me was a short, dark haired woman wearing a pair of tight leather jeans. Well, naturally, I was fascinated by this and so kept following......


    Until I found myself inside the Ladies toilet, and Chrissie Hynde's personal Bouncer pinned me to the floor....



    Everybody has their 15 minutes of fame, I got mine for following the wrong queue.






    Please play Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders

    DC


    dreaming of Dundee Uni....

  • Comment number 28.

    #18 "What was BF thinking when he agreed to do that RJ??"

    The cheque maybe?

    J.O'B.

  • Comment number 29.

    Our students union had a policy (no doubt with the best of intentions) that anyone could form and have a society affiliated to the Union provided they had a minimum membership of 12 and a constitution. Since our social group at the time contained four Paul's we decided to see if we could recruit another 8 and form the Paul Society. We got 12 and wrote up a ridiculous constitution based entirely on puns such as no Apauling behaviour, we would all support pauland and we would all have to paulish our shoes in the morning. Unbelievably at the ratification meeting of the union societies it got passed because there was nothin in their fair and open policies that could refuse it. We got our grant which we eh celebrated with. The Union changed their rules shortly after. One of the Paul Society's members is currently one of Scotlands top QCs.

  • Comment number 30.

    You see, you leave the blog for a day to attend to a client's book launch, deal with visiting in laws en route to Paul's performance in Dundee. What happens? Everyone turns into henri hannah. Glen must be distraught.

    Although I'd really wanted to hear Clarence Carter or Eddie Kendricks on Friday night I could hardly feel let down by Higher Ground.

    This was unquestionably the best ever GIO show in the year or so since I've been listening (from a play list viewpoint, but the studio atmosphere was great too) and it seems we/they might have stumbled upon a formula for Friday at long last - Soul allows Friday to be upbeat and feelgood without taking the commercial channels head on.Moreover, there is enough great material to run that weekly - we didn't even get to stuff like the Average White Band.

    Funny how new outbreaks of common sense are only obvious in retrospect.

    Great shout with The Persuaders, Paulo, and like Bryan, that's gone staight to the henripod.

    regardez youse

    henri

    PS anyone notice my partner Smiffy's brother-in-law, Paul Galbraith, playing his eight string classical guitar with the SSO at the Caird Hall on BB2 on Saturday evening? Completely remarkable.Nicola Benedetti was pretty astonishing too.I think it'll be on the iplayer.


  • Comment number 31.

    #29

    I see your legal eagle chum is counsel for the Gamekeeper's Association - surely a conflict of interest.

  • Comment number 32.

    #30

    Paul Galbraith is remarkable. His development of the instrument and extension of the repertoire deserve recognition. (I speak as someone who has just had his second classical guitar lesson.)

    He and David Russell show that Scots can still be world class.

  • Comment number 33.

    Monday for the Students:

    '2HB' by Roxy Music (Bryan Ferry solo version is better)
    or for some hopeful students that never made it
    'Your Application's Failed' by Roxy Music

  • Comment number 34.



  • Comment number 35.


    #4 - Julie - Me too. I left school at 16. It took me another 16 years to realize that further education was a good thing. I blame the Milanda boy.

    ;o)

  • Comment number 36.

    Something by Bread then, Senga?

  • Comment number 37.

    #31 Even as a student hbe was no stranger to conflicts of interest

    #36 or something by R Skelly

  • Comment number 38.

    #26 and #30
    There is an easy way to dispel all doubts. Buy the first round on the 25th.

  • Comment number 39.

    #27
    Sure that was brass in your pocket or were you just pleased to see her

  • Comment number 40.


    #22 - Paolo - Me and Henri will be in Blackpool. I blame the Milanda boy.

    ;o)

  • Comment number 41.

    When Smiffy gets a haud of ye, that bump on yer heid will be the least of your worries

  • Comment number 42.


    #36 - #37 - He learned to walk again. Eventually.

    ;o)

  • Comment number 43.


    #41 - But he said he would take my Ma to the tea dance! He calls her Widow Breedge and tells her she has a charming accent. I've never seen Ma blush before!

  • Comment number 44.

    Senga, I remember Milanda but apart from that I've no idea what you're on about...

    ...Student Unions...

    My main memory of Teviot Row in 1979 was two songs played constantly on the Juke Box.

    Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
    Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits

    The result is a can't think of one without associating it with the other and even get the two mixed up!
    As both were played absolutely to death I should be sick hearing them but not the case, either one would be good to hear yet again.

    Paul from Ayr

  • Comment number 45.


    #44 - Paul - Did Billy Connolly never go to Edinburgh? You were deprived!

    Listen for 3 minutes & 50 seconds.

    My response to your response is on the previous thread.

    ;o)

  • Comment number 46.

    All this user's posts have been removed.Why?

  • Comment number 47.

    Monday

    I told my 'Queen at the QM' story last year so won't bore you all with it again. Osibisa were another great live act on the student circuit at the time.

    Although it wasn't in a student union, one of my stand out gigs of the times was the original Roxy Music at Green's Playhouse (73, I think). These days people probably don't think of Roxy Music in these terms but it was utterly raucous and totally mental. People were ripping the seats up to get more space to jump about(something forbidden in the later Apollo).

    Instead of having 'Virginia Plain' or 'Do The Strand'(which are great) my memory is the undernoted numbers provoking meyhem.Great fun.

    'Editions of You' or 'Pyjammarama' - Roxy Music

    regardez youse

    henri










  • Comment number 48.

    Gaie and Henri (and anyone else who is remotely interested)

    You missed a treat from GONG, who appeared at Glasgow ABC last Thursday.

    The band consists of the original members Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy and some newer members, most notably Theo Travis on flutes and saxophones who is a brilliant substitute for Didier Malherbe.

    This band just gets better all the time: full of energy, fun, comedy and, of course, outstanding musicianship, except maybe for 77 year old Gilli, who, while brilliant in places, seemed lost on stage half the time. But this is all part of Planet Gong and she was well received by an enthusiastic audience.

    Most of the music was from the Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy but with some stuff from their latest album 2032 which is the fourth part of the trilogy (I know).

    Hawkwind fans would have enjoyed support band Nik Turner’s Space Ritual who were also excellent.

    A good night all round followed by a cup of tea.

  • Comment number 49.

    Student Gigs:

    A couple of memorable gigs at the Capital in Union Street, Aberdeen while studying at Grays School Of Art at Garthdee:

    Billy Bragg touring on the release of 'Talking With The Taxman About Poetry' album: (How about the rousing: 'Help save The Youth Of America').

    Also The Pogues on the back of their album 'If I Should Fall From Grace With God' (How about 'Thousands Are sailing)?

    And talking of student days in Aberdeen, I always meant to ask Bryan, did you know Garry Stein from Northsound Radio? We were pals growing up in Dunblane, and I broke his arm in a 'play-fight' once... and his mum was nae too chuffed with me I recall! No idea why I mention that. Must be a slow day at work.

    M

  • Comment number 50.

    I once saw Steve Hillage perform with a Scottish Orchestra doing an orchestral version of Tubular Bells. It was interesting, but I can't remember it all that well. And then he had an interesting album called 'Fish Rising' that was quite well thought of.

    The change in the music scene will ensure that Gilli won't be the only one working at 77 - mind you, so will we all, musos or otherwise. I reconciled myself to this years ago and it no longer troubles me at all. Good on her - wish I'd managed to go now.

    regardez vous

    henri

  • Comment number 51.

    Well, delighted it was a good gig - well attended? Age range? - and interesting you mention Hawkwind as they're another band I remember seeing back in the student days. It's a puzzle to me - I can remember several bands from 1st year (Atomic Rooster, Wishbone Ash, Hawkwind, Slade, Skid Row) - and then it's a complete blank apart from the folk club. I didn't do the student experience to the max - was very homesick and mostly saved the fun for holidays. And how.
    However,

    Hurry On Sundown - Hawkwind

    would be good.

  • Comment number 52.

    #48

    Gilli was probably told repeatedly to think about a pensionwhen she was younger. Let this be a warning. With the cutbacks you will face the stark choice in your old age of touring with Gong or the workhouse.

  • Comment number 53.

    #51 I have some complete blanks in my life too....

  • Comment number 54.

    With seven children you're worried about blanks?

  • Comment number 55.

    I'm in the workhouse now, thanks to fiscal neglect when younger and possibly too many of those blank moments.

    Are there any vacancies in Gong? Glen could join too, now that he's mastered the mandolin and moved on to the classical guitar.

  • Comment number 56.

    I'm already in their tribute band - Thong

  • Comment number 57.

    #50
    Fish Rising? Is that the album with Salmon Chanted Evening on it?

  • Comment number 58.

    #50

    By coincidence I caught Fish Rising too in the days before the net.

    Steve was playing with the SNO in the Kelvin Hall.

    I think they played Hergest Ridge too.

  • Comment number 59.

    #24

    Runrig were barred from Edin Uni Teviot after the unison bouncy of the crowd and its impact on the debating hall floor/main bar ceiling.

    *Just* before my time.

    Didn't stop us getting Mr D Munro elected rector, mind.

  • Comment number 60.

    A song that reminds me of student years is

    AND YOU TRIED SO HARD from CAMEMBERT ELECTIQUE by GONG who appeared at Glasgow ABC last Thursday

    If any other bloggers were to request this it may get played – my efforts don’t even merit a mention. Scotch, not you ‘cos….. well, you know why.

    #51 Gaie – everyone looked over 21 to me.

  • Comment number 61.

    R

  • Comment number 62.

    #44

    The song we - the ESCA mob - played to death on the Chambers St Jukie (always the better one I thought) was The Pogues - Fairytale of New York.

    And in The Moon (aka Pollock Halls Refectory Bar) for about a week non-stop at the end of Autumn Term 1988.

  • Comment number 63.

    #29

    Yep - that's common. Was on EU's Societies' Council for a while.

    If it seems like I was on *everything* then that's probably no co-incidence. If you wanted to "get involved" (I still hate that phrase 20+ years on) then you could do so in *everything*.

    So I had a load of mates on multiple committees, all crossing over and usually meeting up after various meetings in the Teviot Main Bar on a Tues evening about 9pm. And we formalised this by forming the "Fat Bds with Pints Society" - to provide mutual support for those of us of the more portly nature.

    I didn't actually meet the membership criteria at the time (being or having been over 13.5 stone), but I do now.

    Former FBs now include a QC, one of the UK's top fundraising consultants, a senior national staffmember of a political party & a global VP of a finance company.

  • Comment number 64.

    When I started work I had a good friend there called Marcia. She was a day release student at Stow College, and she was particularly keen on Gong. It was her birthday yesterday so I'm sure she'd be very happy to remember those far off days when we used to have a laugh in the Tea room.

    For Marcia:

    And You Tried So Hard - Gong

  • Comment number 65.

    Much Remembered Tracks from various student clubs - from both sides of the desk:

    * REM - Shiny Happy People
    * Right Said Fred - Deeply Dippy
    * Adamski - Killer
    * Transvision Vamp - Baby I Don't Care
    * The Farm - Altogether Now
    * EMF - Unbelievable
    * James - Sit Down
    * Runrig - The Cutter (more from student bedrooms than clubs)
    * Enigma - Sad(e)ness Part I
    * KLF - 3AM Eternal
    * Wonderstuff - Size of a Cow
    * Zoe - Sunshine on a Rainy Day
    * Erasure - Abbaesque
    * Vic Reeves/Wonderstuff - Dizzy
    * Ugly Kid Joe - Everything About You
    * KWS - Please Don't Go
    * Black Box - Ride On Time
    * Beats International - Dub Be Good to Me
    * B52s - Love Shack

    Amazingly no Bragg
    Surprisingly no Cure (but I stayed away from Potterrow & the indie kids)

    and the regular run in to the end of the night on Fridays at Teviot (ah, you don't need the band names do you?)

    * Come On Eileen
    * YMCA
    * New York New York
    * Loch Lomond

  • Comment number 66.

    We all heard it Bryan....

  • Comment number 67.

    A new life in the colonies beckons.

  • Comment number 68.

    I hear they're looking for people for an adventure in Darien...

  • Comment number 69.

    Naw, they need your pennies

  • Comment number 70.

    Great shout DC!

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