Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman was the man who pulled out the brilliant piano solo. Thunderclap Newman, which is a great name for a band to be fair, were the brain-child of The Who’s Pete Townshend, and he actually plays bass on this single, which is as close as a member of The Who is going to get to a #1 single, sadly. It’s clearly a song that lends itself well to advertisements – make up your own mind as to whether or not this is a good thing. (In keeping with the theme of ‘revolution’, the song apparently has a snippet of ‘La Marseillaise’ towards the end, though I can’t hear it.)Īnd, after a bit of research, I can confirm that ‘Something in the Air’ has been used to advertise British Airways, Austin Minis, Coca-Cola and mobile phones. I just wish it had a little more oomph to it. Hand out the arms and ammo, We’re gonna blast our way through here… It’s a deceptively angry song. Normal service is resumed for the final verse, as the revolutionary fervour is upped. But it saves this record from slipping into slightly dull and forgettable territory. Like someone doing the Charleston on acid. Thank God, then, for the demented piano solo that comes along out of nowhere, all jazzy and jarring. Midway through, and I’m starting to get a bit bored. I should also have mentioned all the acts that will top the charts by channelling The Beatles’ sound. In my last post, I mentioned all the times that a Beatle will top the charts solo. I called it the start of the post-Beatles era, but the Fab Four’s influence is here in this record. A gentle clarion call for young, liberal types. The revolution’s here… You know it’s right… They sound more like a bunch of slogans strung together than an actual song. We have got to get it together, now… They are very sixties-ish lyrics. The lyrics are forward-facing too – There’s something in the air – a change is a-coming. Light, floaty, chords forever heading upwards… A positive sounding song. It was in an advert for something, I realise, midway through the first listen, and it is prefect background-music-for-an-advert. Something in the Air, by Thunderclap Newman (their 1 st and only #1) One of those songs where you press play and go ah yes… I know this… The first number one of the post-Beatles era.
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