the benefits of oil
sad man pop songs of the 90s
I think we’ve all reached a point where there’s a lot less guilt around music guilty pleasures, these days. If someone’s listening to Backstreet Boys on repeat, then I think we’re all in agreement that they’ve made a good choice. If I hear someone humming a Girls Aloud tune to themselves, then my day has just been made and I now have ‘Sound of the Underground’ stuck in my head. Cheesy music is good, it nourishes the soul, we all love a bit of cheese.
But then there’s the stuff you really wouldn’t want anyone to know you’re listening to on repeat. I don’t know what that is for you, but here’s my actual guilty pleasure, beyond JLS and Westlife albums… it’s not cheesy music, it’s what I like to call oily music.
Oily music is the music of men who have had illustrious careers, and now are in the late 90’s and 00’s singing songs about marital issues with an angst that kind-of makes my skin crawl but also it’s so damn singa-longa-GOOD. It has that gooey guiltiness in the same way that cheese does, but it’s oily, so it’s a bit more… slimey, if that makes any sense.
Disclaimer: most of these songs aren’t any GOOD. In fact, some are BAD. But at the same time, they are the best. Do you know what I mean? You don’t? That’s fine.
Mike + The Mechanics - Now That You’ve Gone
I had a real come-to-Jesus moment when I started listening to Genesis, and all that opened up for me in terms of music. Hello, Phil Collins, hello Peter Gabriel… but had you all forgotten about Mike Rutherford!? Another band member to break off and release a hit, in the form of ‘Over My Shoulder.’ But we’re not here to talk about that. No.
I want to highlight the ABSOLUTE BANGER of a tune which they dropped in the early 2000’s which I can only describe as the sad little brother to Cher’s ‘Believe.’ You have to play this one loud. This type of sound is also what I like to call “Leonardo DiCaprio In The Nineties” which I will not explain.
Also a big shout-out to Paul Carrack who sings on this one (and ‘Over My Shoulder’), because I never knew he even existed until I realised ‘Mike’ of ‘The Mechanics’ wasn’t singing on the tracks. Which is fair, because if Mike Rutherford had this voice I would have voted he replaced Peter Gabriel in 1975 instead of Phil (but I love you Phil!!!!). Please enjoy more Paul Carrack songs by listening to Squeeze’s ‘Tempted’ and Aces’ ‘How Long.’
Simply Red - Fake
Time for my OILY KING, Mick Hucknall of Simply Red. If there was ever a role model for middle of the road, middle-of-the-life-crisis adult contemporary, it would be him. Similarly to Mike and the Mechanics, of course there’s a hit song *cough*Stars*cough* that I could bring up, but no. It’s 2003, and he’s singing lyrics that have the french-chef’s-kiss of approval from me and my 2003 self who may have said this on a playground at one time:
I read a book, and it’s YOUR FACE
Also some major love for just everything he does in this performance, especially with the hands.
Elvis Stojko - Let Me Be The One
And a very special mention goes to Elvis Stojko’s ‘Let Me Be The One.’ Stojko is actually a two-time silver medal Olympian figure skater, and I love him for his brief foray into the world of ‘adult contemporary with an edge’ music, to quote him. A very brief foray, as he has only that one song on Spotify which was released in 2009 and he has 3 monthly listeners, one of which is me.
This one sadly doesn’t exist on Youtube but do listen if you can (or… don’t). My favourite part of this song is the breathy whispered breakdown which makes you feel like he’s having an identity crisis in a library.
(dis)Honorable Mentions
Others on the playlist include another sad-man bop by Mike and the Mechanics (why did they get a whole human man to just mime playing a tambourine here? it is beyond me), ‘Shape of My Heart’ by Sting which to be honest is in a far superior league from all the other stuff on this list (sorry Sting), and a TOTO song which came from an album that also featured a Skrillex collab. Hoo boy!
If you have any terrible songs which you clutch to your chest, please let me know. And NO JUDGEMENT. This is a safe space for oily, oily music.
things i liked
✶ This week begins October, and if you’re not in the loop, about a thousand online drawing challenges have launched this week also. ‘Inktober’ has been running for a few years now, and involves a list of drawing prompts, one for every day of October (31!). Now lots of different artists make up their own lists, and because I love to draw, I thought I would give it a go this year. I’m going to try and follow Sha’an D’anthes’ prompt list, Peachtober.
✶ I’m now on the second batch to try and perfect Justine Snacks’ blueberry cookies. So far, the trick is using frozen FRESH blueberries, not the stuff you get in a bag at Aldi.
✶ I have to give another mention to Squeeze’s ‘Tempted’. Because up until this week I vaguely thought it was a Stevie Wonder song or something. There’s so much goodness in this lil song in terms of chord structure and melody. Real classic but also unpredictable!
✶ Love this simple snakey illustration:
Another week, another five minutes of your life spent reading this newsletter. To what end? Only time will tell. Or maybe now you’re a Paul Carrack fan.
Click on the heart! And claim your prize!
Olivia 🌈