Cool Britannia

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GoogaMooga
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Cool Britannia

Postby GoogaMooga » 13 Jan 2020, 03:12

1996 and all that:

The summer of 1996 was long, hot, and magical. London was swinging again, and then there were those cover features about "Cool Britannia" in Newsweek and Vanity Fair. That slogan stuck, so much so that Tony Blair adopted it when he won the General Election for Labour in April 1997. Little did he know that the Britpop era was already in its death throes when he did that photo op and got all pally with Noel Gallagher. I left London the day after the General Election. It was an ignominious departure, but never mind that. When Robbie Williams shot to number four in the UK singles chart with the power ballad "Angels", the Gallaghers had seen the writing on the wall. "The bar's shut," Noel told his wife, "we're moving out." But one could argue that Britpop was already dying as early as the summer of 96. Dying just as it was hitting its peak. England lost to arch rivals Germany in the European Cup on June 26th, on home turf, natch. I was working in Wardour Street, cutting a film of mine, and I had a good view of the street below from my window, saw how dejected football fans trudged home from the pubs, with Union Jacks slung over their shoulders like capes. The party was never meant to last. But one could be forgiven in thinking it would, when Baddiel and Skinner took the official Euro 96 anthem "Three Lions" to number one in the chart earlier that summer: "It's coming home, it's coming home, football's coming home..." Then in 1998 or thereabouts, I saw Lightning Seeds in concert in Copenhagen. They only played that song reluctantly. They were clearly sick of it. The party was over.

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Last edited by GoogaMooga on 13 Jan 2020, 12:45, edited 1 time in total.
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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Jimbly
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Re: Cool Britannia

Postby Jimbly » 13 Jan 2020, 12:42

Believe it or not Angels though a huge seller only got to number 4.
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

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GoogaMooga
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Re: Cool Britannia

Postby GoogaMooga » 13 Jan 2020, 12:44

St Jeemo the Humourless wrote:Believe it or not Angels though a huge seller only got to number 4.


:D Thanks! (I know I can always rely on you to correct these things.)
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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Jimbly
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Re: Cool Britannia

Postby Jimbly » 13 Jan 2020, 12:46

GoogaMooga wrote:
St Jeemo the Humourless wrote:Believe it or not Angels though a huge seller only got to number 4.


:D Thanks! (I know I can always rely on you to correct these things.)


just one of those things that stuck in my head about certain singles not getting to number 1. Strawberry Fields, Vienna etc
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

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GoogaMooga
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Re: Cool Britannia

Postby GoogaMooga » 13 Jan 2020, 12:49

St Jeemo the Humourless wrote:
GoogaMooga wrote:
St Jeemo the Humourless wrote:Believe it or not Angels though a huge seller only got to number 4.


:D Thanks! (I know I can always rely on you to correct these things.)


just one of those things that stuck in my head about certain singles not getting to number 1. Strawberry Fields, Vienna etc


Yeah, it is a bit surprising, since it has become a favorite for family occasions.
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck


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