to suspect that the Boo Radleys released Wake up in a cynical attempt to fund their retirement?

[chipmunksex]

They were young, but they were savvy; they knew that their particular brand of indy/pop would not be 'down with the kids' forever.

So one morning in the early nineties a plan was hatched to rake in the cash for many years to come, by penning a tune so unbelieveably catchy and cheesy it would be in demand for coffee adverts and children's television trailers for decades!

I have never heard of them!

I've written an album in my mind. It's called "Utilities". On it there will be songs called Beautiful, We Won, Driving Fast, Goal, and so on. Nice songs that will get used again and again whenever a TV show needs some music, like they do with Gold, You're Gorgeous, We Are The Champions etc

for the

It's a bloody good song and why shouldn't they. People are always told to make plans for retirement :o

This is a stonking plan tiggy

We also need some more atmospheric numbers though

I love that song

I was a bit that they're using it on CBeebies...

Especially as they've chosen the bit that goes "this could be the last time".

YANBU! I remember thinking 'wtf' when it came out. Grown on me though

There are plenty of one/few hit wonders who will get royalties for the rest of their lives from just one catchy song. Boo Radleys are certainly not alone.

as much as Pulp did with "Year 2000"!

but i take your point, Wake Up was quite a move from Giant Steps.....

Donovan must have been similarly cynical when he wrote Sunshine Superman, - money grabbing git

Like Kool and the Gang and Celebrate Good Times (or whatever it is called).

And The Clash is having a bumper year this year with London's Calling.

songs about having a bath would be playing all the time i reckon, or weather

My brother always said he wanted to write either a massive Christmas hit or a song for that ended up on an advert. Sorted for life!

I wish I had even an iota of musical talent dammit!

I'm number one! Better than the rest!
I'm number one! You're number two at best!
I was by far the best, in the competition or race.
You really thought you could win, but I pissed over your face!

[chorus]
I won won won won won won, you didn't win a bit.
I won won won won won won, you're a losing piece of shit!

etc

It's a bit post-watershed tiggy

But it made me lol!

Sounds great, Tiggy. Perhaps you could video yourself performing it and stick it on Youtube for me?

we could make it go viral in minutes

You're a losing piece of shit!

Epic!

DH was very pally with the band at the time and says that "they all felt a bit strange about the change of direction upon adding all the brass but excited and sensed it was a hit". The one member he is still good friends with is by no means retired though!

The first thread that I am able to offer actual expertise on I think

I don't care that it's a blatantly commercial song, I just love hearing the Boo Radleys on my telly box all these years later!

Messrs Barlow and Williams have this area pretty much covered, don't they, between them.

Examples:

Greatest Day (wedding, Olympics, multi-purpose big day song)
Let Me Entertain You (the start of any concert ever)
Rock DJ
Millennium

Barlow even did a Jubilee song!

Oh, and U2 anyone? Beautiful Day? They even penned a song for Martin Luther King Day.

Not dumb, these musician types, eh?

What HAVE you done today to make you feel proud? hmm?

I love that song so much! Always brings a smile to my face - both for the upbeat tune and the memories it invokes.

I love "wake up" too. When it came out I was a teenager, doing my A levels, in love with my first "proper" boyfriend and the world was my oyster. It may be a bit of rose tinted specs but the weather was good that summer and after the exams we all just chilled for weeks - in the park, at the pub etc. It was, with hindsight the best time of my life and that song was there in the background. I always think of waking up late in the morning at the first ever house party I went to and hearing it as we tidied up the horrific mess cans and takeaway cartons etc. Fab times with fab people which sadly came to an end when we all went off to university. I'd love to have a time machine and go back for a bit, leave all the worries about work, bills, kids etc behind for a few hours. My grandma used to feel like that about world war 2 and now I'm older I really know why.

I thought you were going to say it had been rereleased and I was going to feel old that I can clearly remember it from the first time around. As it is it's not being rereleased so I'm clearly not old at all