Obscure Singles Heard at CVS

I’d worry about what happens, horror-movie style, when the rhythm gets you.

all 20th century moral panic, first they said the rhythm would get us, then X was gonna give it to us, nothing fuckin happened

Hound Dog Taylor: "Gimme Back My Wig" & Rufus Thomas: "Can Your Monkey Do The Dog?" at Slim Chickens

NGL, I honestly did start feeling a little concerned about the encroaching rhythm and what it might do once it got me

Not obscure, but it seemed the playlist was “Gay 80s Hits” this morning at the Giant— Erasure’s “A Little Respect,” “West End Girls,” and then (most shockingly) Paul Parker’s “Right on Target.” I was having a great time and my husband was like “i know we’re big homo but people are staring at us because yr dancing” lmfao

the McDonald's near me regularly plays Paul Carrack's "Don't Shed a Tear"

Garbage: "Special" at Whataburger

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/08/30/passionate-kisses-the-soundtrack-at-cvs/

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/08/30/passionate-kisses-the-soundtrack-at-cvs/

Pavement’s “here” at Starbucks
Does this count? Feel like it’s a borderline case

Unf not the live version with the line about being dressed to suck lol

I think that counts… def not something I would expect to hear at Starbux (or any corporate/chain retail or foodservice environment really).

The song after that was that Mariah’s “fantasy” which felt more on-brand

Maybe they’re browsing Pfork’s “greatest songs of the ‘90s” playlist

Maybe. Manager was of that age

Not really surprising as it was 100% on brand, but yesterday I heard “Not the Only One” by Bonnie Raitt in the titular CVS. I found myself singing along, anticipating the melody and chord changes, despite having no idea what it was and probably not having heard it in 30 years. Kept waiting for the big singalong chorus to hit that would help me identify it, and when it never did I had to Shazam it. Really nice song despite the total absence of said chorus though. Good job, CVS!

Let’s give ‘em something to snack about

I was thinking about Bonnie earlier, wondering if she ever played around with the lyrics to “can’t make you love me” during soundcheck at shows…”turn off the bed” etc

Night Ranger “When You Close Your Eyes” 11:30pm in the Ralphs supermarket

so weird, the McDonald's near me had this one on a rotating playlist last week, heard it twice in three days

is Night Ranger making a comeback?

America: "Riverside" at Jason's Deli

Today they were playing “wolf tickets” by THE CLICK at the chevron mini mart on telegraph and ashby

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/08/30/passionate-kisses-the-soundtrack-at-cvs/

WE'VE BEEN SEEN

Six months ago i heard a song while at a local grocery store, totally knew it but had no idea who did it or what it was called. It had a vaguely late 80s eagles vibe to to it so I went as far as listening to shit off glenn fry and don henely and even goddammn timothy b schmit records but could not place it and it was driving me crazy.

Last weekend at the same grocery store at the exact same checkout I was talking to a coworker I had run into when it came on and I fucking freaked out and busted out my phone while explaining the story to her.

FUCKING POCO. I knew the name but realized I never actually knew what exactly they did but weirdly timothy b schmit used to be the bass player pre-eagles so I wasn't that far off I guess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGEBXL11THc

timothy b schmit used to be the bass player pre-eagles

As did Randy Meisner.

Man, I have heard that song 10,000 times and never even once thought about who sang it.

How many more songs must there be like that one? In one ear, out the other.

Some real late-era Henley Buckingham.

lol that video - it’s hot! We get it!

Human League: "Mirror Man" at Whataburger

Positve K: "I Got a Man" at Whole Foods

WHAT'S YA MAN GOT TO DO WITH ME

FUCKING POCO. I knew the name but realized I never actually knew what exactly they did but weirdly timothy b schmit used to be the bass player pre-eagles so I wasn't that far off I guess:

That's the original line-up of Poco too but it's a long long way from "Pickin' Up the Pieces". Richie Furay looks like he's standing at the back trying not to be seen.

Xp lol

love that Poco song, had never heard it before

Richard Marx produced and co-wrote one of those Poco tracks.

Peter Murphy: "Cuts You Up" at Kroger

Mr. Mister - Broken Wings

Had no idea who did this song but have heard it many times.

@Vons

If we're doing hiding-in-plain-sight classics heard at Vons – for me it was ELO's "Livin' Thing" (the other night)... I had never really focused on the song (beyond knowing it from "Boogie Nights," and hearing it here and there), but went home and really listened to it... goddamn!

In my dreams I’m walking in slow motion down an endless CVS aisle with a Michael McDonald supermix on at half speed

ELO's "Livin' Thing" is great, in fact I love a lot of their singles. The only album I bought from them was Xanadu but that was really only for Olivia Newton-John. I really need to explore their albums one day as most of their stuff is before my time.

Xpost

"The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen at Fred Meyer.

Sorta relevant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7r27hWIefk

"Broken Wings" is, alas, not obscure nor forgotten. It's never gone away.

Tupac giving it new legs helped

"In a Big Country" at Trader Joe's, is that an obscure song in the US?

Not really, tho I guess I haven’t heard it in a while…

"Honey" by Robyn at Target