Wednesday 24 March 2010

SUGARBABES. Vonda Shephard, the best thing about Ally McBeal, Walk Away Renee

9 comments:

Outed said...

Prefer the Ricki Lee Jones version but you know, a good song is a good song is a good song.

lilith said...

I am afraid that I loved Ally McBeal. For a couple of seasons at least.

call me ishmael said...

No shame in that, I think most people did, Lilith.

I was just delighted m. outed, to hear a female version of this; any such, I guess, would transform the bravado of the originating Four Tops' version, which I coulnae bear, d'ye ken, raucous and shouty, hip-swivelling, finger-snapping, Motown formula; I only knew it was a good song, a good song, a good song, when, surprised and transfixed, I heard it on Ally McB.

Agatha said...

Dear Mr. Ishmael and Lilith,
I just loved Ally Mc Beal. Totally addicted for several seasons. Witty, tightly written,an ensemble piece despite the eponymous heroine, it looked just gorgeous, with all those improbably thin, improbably legally-qualified clothes horses "working" in improbably clean, shiny offices maintained by improbable income streams from increasingly improbable clients. After the introduction of Barry Humphries in full female impersonation mode, it became embarassing to admit to liking the show, and I had to give it up in favour of something with more gritty realism. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Now there's an epic that stands the test of time. Apart from Season 7 of course. Even the most ardent apologists for the Buffyverse find Season 7 almost intolerable.
But Ally McBeal in its hey day was something special. The music, the walrus of luurve, the lawyers dancing in their unisex bathroom. Could you post the Barry White Bathroom Dance, dear Mr. Ish, for those unfortaunates who have never seen it?
Best Regards,
Agatha

call me ishmael said...

It'll be in the sunday supplement, agatha, thanks; something to look forward to.

Murder One was the first of those type of series, the one with the bald guy. But the music was shit.

call me ishmael said...

.....that type of series.

mongoose said...

Murder One was excellent. The bald guy was the pivot of it all though. It turned to crap when he left and the other guy took over.

Lawyers, eh? Maybe the Hoon will retrain and go on the telly as an acted Lawyer. Or the panto circuit! Those scripts would write themselves.

call me ishmael said...

Strangely silent, mr m, on les chanteuses.

mongoose said...

Sulking.

Naw, just busy at the moment. Vonda is good. And I listen to lots of the Be Good Tanyas of a weekend at a post-pub retreat of ours.

Some friends of mine worked in Chile for a while and pointed me at Maura O'Connell. (Ignore the radio twat - starts about a minute-and-a-half in.) There are strange connections between Chile and Ireland.