from Carpenters' Close To Me to The Cure's Close To Me... live... and featuring.... Bananarama?!

The Cure's Robert Smith did a stint in the following's band....

 

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Swimming Horses

Siouxsie also formed part of spin-off band The Creatures.

 

Here's the magnificent 'Pluto Drive' from their Boomerang album, as performed on Jonathon Ross's show....

 

Pluto is a Walt Disney character. So is Mickey Mouse which gives

 

Suede - Metal Mickey

 

The early 1980s TV show "Metal Mickey" was directed by the former Monkee Mickey Dolenz, so......

 

Monkees - Randy Scouse Git

When there were only 2 Monkees left they did an album (Changes) written and produced by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim who went on to produce The Archies. A spinoff from The Archies was:

Josie and the Pussycats-Every Beat of My Heart

Another act who has had a hit with the same song title is:

 

Rod Stewart - Every Beat Of My Heart

Another act who has had a hit with the same song title is:

 

Rod Stewart - Every Beat Of My Heart

 

while next to that is the Railway Children with Every Beat Of THE Heart

 

now I wonder if the next link is gonna be about books or film? :lol:

No, I'll go for a song set on a train

 

Godley and Creme - Under Your Thumb

 

No, I'll go for a song set on a train

 

Godley and Creme - Under Your Thumb

 

 

Lol Creme is in the producers with Chris Braide

 

At 17, he signed his first publishing deal with Zomba Music and was also signed to Polydor Records aged 18. It was during this period that Braide worked with producer Thomas Dolby on the single "Funny Five Minutes".

 

In 1993, Braide spent six weeks in Italy recording tracks with Mick Hucknall and Gota Yashiki, who were then looking for new artists to produce. Hucknall was played several demo tapes by Polydor A&R man Paul Morgan, but it was Braide's that attracted his attention. Although the resultant album was never released, tracks were re-recorded for a later album produced by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics).

 

http://www.discogs.com/release/182462

 

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/D/dolby_aliensf.jpg

 

to : Thomas Dolby's album Aliens ate my Buick (as Buicks are popular in China!!!)

 

Thomas Dolby - My Brain Is Like A Sieve

Thomas Dolby had a decent career as a producer, including.....

 

Prefab Sprout - The King Of Rock'N'Roll

Anyone in their right mind would say Elvis Presley was the King of Rock'n'Roll. However, this guy is totally out of his mind :D

 

Little Richard - "Long Tall Sally"

Time for a really corny link. Little Richard could perhaps have been known as Little Dick. Which leads to

 

The Sweet - Little Willy

 

The Sweet's vocalist was Brian Connolly whose brother was Mark McManus who played Chief Detective Jim Taggert in the Scottish TV Cop series.

 

However the female vocalist Lorraine McIntosh & wife of the lead singer of this band was also a decent Scottish actress who was a regular in one series of the same TV cop detective show.

 

Deacon Blue - Real Gone Kid

Deacon Blue's first hit was about "a ship called Dignity". Here's another song about a ship

 

Harry Chapin - Dance Band on the Titanic

 

 

The good news is that My Heart Will Go On is from 1998 and so doesn't qualify.

One of the greatest Santana rip off bands was Titanic. Here's their biggest hit:

Titanic - Sultana

 

Great video as well.

Sultana was also the name of the DJ collective who released my 2nd favourite dance track of all time in 1994.... the sublime Te Amo

 

http://www.zibarecords.co.uk/media/te-amo.wav

Gina G had a hit with the (only decent record she ever made IMHO) very similar sounding:

 

Gina G - Ti Amo

Gina G was unbackable favourite to win Eurovision a few years back. Serge Gainsbourg had NO chance in 1990 with:

Joelle Ursull - White and Black Blues

I'll pick up on the White & Black theme (but avoiding Michael Jackson) I'll go for this transatlantic chart-topping single from 1982:

 

Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder - Ebony & Ivory