I was shocked to hear of rapper Coolio’s death today. He was only 59. Then again I suppose that is quite venerable for someone in the area of popular music.
As you may have guessed rap is not my thing. Indeed in the past I have been known to say the genre is spelled with a silent ‘c’ at the beginning.
Whatever, no-one who was around at the time could have missed this, his biggest UK hit, a No 1 in 1995. (I’ll pass over his spelling of gangster.) It is a very good reimagining of Stevie Wonder’s Pastime Paradise.
Coolio: Gangsta’s Paradise
Artis Leon Ivey Jr (Coolio); 1/8/1963 – 28/9/2022. So it goes.
I type this just after the UK has officially left the European Union.
Given that the Conservative (and Unionist) party has been in government in the UK for the majority of my lifetime (64% of it to be precise; a ratio of not quite two to one) a quote from The Who seems entirely apposite.
Another of the good lady’s favourites. I bought the album Too Low For Zero for her Christmas that year on the basis of this.
The track is an almost perfect latter day popular song, with a great Stevie Wonder harmonica solo. I especially liked the lyrical echoes of Amoreena from Tumbleweed Connection.
It’s also unusual in the John canon for giving a writing credit to Elton’s long time guitarist Davey Johnstone.
Elton wears a wig with a quiff in this. It suits him!
Elton John: I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues
As I recall (and this internet site corroborates) I Donât Know Why was the A-side to My Cherie Amour but it got turned over so that that saccharine song became the hit. I still think this is a better track.
