BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song

Subject: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: BeauDangles
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 11:21 AM

Okay, astute 'Catters,

Here is a real head scratcher. I have no real hope of finding this song, but I figured, if anybody would be able to help me you guys could. So here it is:

Back in the early to mid-eighties, I heard a song on an adult contemporary station that I really liked. As so often happens I had tuned into the station right in the middle of the song and the dj didn't give the name of the song, but I think I remember her identifying the group as Fairground Attraction. The song was acoustic I believe, and was sung by a guy. It was about a girl he had loved who had gone off to New York to be a dancer. And that, mein freundes, is the sum total of all I can remember about the song. I never heard it again, but scarcely a day goes by that I don't think about it and regret not learning the name of the song.

Does anybody know this song or the name of the band?

BeauDangles

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: Mbo
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 11:22 AM

Oooh Fairground Attraction was Eddi Reader's old band! She RULES! Let me look...

--Mbo

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: sledge
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 11:39 AM

I'll be seeing her at the Banbury mill 9th Aug, Perfect.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: Mbo
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 11:40 AM

This is gonna be a challenge...so far I cannot find a song that Michael Nevin sings lead on. Eddi sings lead on all of them...unless you mistook her voice for a man, which I seriously doubt, it's too angelic! I'll keep looking!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: Mbo
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 11:43 AM

It's funny, I've always heard "Perfect" in the country cover version by Baille & The Boys. I knew it was a cover, but I didn't know it was Fairground Attraction! Of course, I know Eddi for her more recent stuff. I absolutely LOVE her song "All or Nothing". Man o MAN is that a kickin' song! Love the double bass she uses in her songs. She also does good covers of Si Kahn & Louden Wainright III songs. She does "The Swimming Song" with a pot-and-pan percussion section!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 11:55 AM

Well, I know it's not the song, but the first thing I thought of was Jackson Browne's "For a Dancer."

Just do the steps that you've been shown
By everyone you've ever known
Until the dance becomes your very own
No matter how close to yours another's steps have grown
In the end there is one dance you'll do alone

Not it, but in looking for the lyrics, I was reminded why I like Jackson Browne's songs so much. Wings of butterflies...

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: Bert
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 12:23 PM

Another - Not the right song -

Sal was me gal, everyone called her a daisy
Now other blokes' donahs are all very nice
but Sal was a daisy, no kid.
She had one fault, it was dancing it near drove her crazy
said she was dying to go on the stage
so one night, she went and she did.

First night she danced, I was in the gallery
Sal's frock was short, it didn't reach her knees
one Bob a night, that was all her salary
But when she came out, she never noticed me.

So never let your donah go upon the stage
unless you want to bring some sleepless nights on
for I tell you as a pal, you're sure to lose your gal
The moment that she gets the blooming tights on.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: BeauDangles
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 02:11 PM

Thanks to everyone for jumping into the memory pool with me on this one. So far, nothing rings a bell. But I will say this: I love Edie Reader's song "Half as Much." DOn't know if it is a cover, but it is a great song, and she's a powerful singer.

I s'pose it is possible that I mistook her voice for a man's, but it is also possible I misheard the name of the band. I can say with confidence that it was NOT a folk station. Definitely a mainstream, sort of adult contemporary station.

BeauD

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: alison
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 12:52 AM

the only Fairgroud attraction song I can remember is the same one as Mbo, "Perfect"

"It's got to be-e-e-e-e-e perfect
It's got to be-e-e-e-e-e perfect"

but from what you say I think you could mean "Fairground" by Simply Red... which would mean Mick Hucknell singing.... it was from the 80's.. worth a shot....

"??pleasure at the fairground on the way

and I love the thought of coming home to you
even if I know I won't make it
yes I love the thought of coming home to you
and that little ray of hope shining through"

words are probably wrong.. doing this from memory at the moment... I'll go search...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: alison
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 01:06 AM

found a Fairground attraction site..... no lyrics or sound clips

eventually got some lyrics for Fairground by Simply Red you'll need to scroll down it's the furthest one down the page.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: Help! Yet Another Mystery Song
From: Helen
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 02:57 AM

http://www.cdnow.com/

I did a search at CDNow and they have some samples of a few of the songs on the self-titles album. If you have RealAudio you can listen to them. I remember that there was one song of theirs that I really liked, but I can't remember which one. Also, it's folkworthy to note that the Scottish folksong Jock O'Hazeldean is on a couple of the albums.

Helen