And another thing…

Right time, right vid! Brilliant Ellie, will you give us another PB on 1997 – 2010 please.

http://twitter.com/Quietzapple

We shall be looking Forward soon.

Fu – u – u nny how the ludicrous Guradinain counter headlines the 4% reduction in Tory Lead – eh?

Phil Collins, widely derided by the left for his sucking up to royalty, and dumping numerous wives (one by fax), singing a dreary song which was penned as a lucrative film tie-in after he had already sold out his art, post-Genesis, and chased after the lucrative, capitalist marketplace? That Phil Collins, do you mean?

Yeah. Great idea. Keep ‘em coming, Labour.

Okay, let’s get a few things straight: Collins’ first wife left him – not the other way round. And he did not divorce his second wife by fax – that’s an urban myth.

And he did not sell out his art – he just realised that he and the public wanted occasionally to hear more commercial-sounding songs!

Don’t dis the Phil, okay?

Wasn’t Phil Collins featured as a Labour supporter after he was promoted by the Tories as one of Theirs???

Yep.

Lord, are we expected to check out / . …. ummm

Kenny Everett?

Fairy nuff, Tom.

Does that mean you also excuse his cheating the country by living in a tax haven?

It’s an easy hit for the Tories, isn’t it?

Oh! You mean THAT Phil Collins, the one who left the UK for Switzerland, because Labour were going to tax the rich when they won the election.

I misunderstood. I thought it was the Phil Collins who was one of several super-rich figures living in tax havens who were singled out for criticism in a report by the charity Christian Aid in 2008.

I’m sure however that it will be a fine soundtrack to the memorial film for a movement that one had beliefs, ideals and a heart.

RIP…suddeo.

In the words of Noel Gallagher:

“Vote Labour. If you don’t and the Tories get in, Phil is threatening to come back from Switzerland and live here – and none of us want that.”

I love it the way some politically-minded individuals imagine that if you’re a fan of someone, you have to defend every single thing they’ve ever done. I would never judge music according to the politics of the artist. The funding members of Genesis were all public schoolboys. So what? “Supper’s Ready” wasn’t genius because of that? I love Phil Collins’ solo stuff. I like the sound of his voice, I love his use of the horn section, I love all his schmaltzy love songs. He’s a tax exile, you say? Been married three times? And your point is? Has any of that had an adverse effect on his music? No. Do I wish he was a British resident? Yes. But I will continue to buy his albums and listen to his music nonetheless. If that annoys some people, so much the better.

“Don’t dis the Phil, okay?”

Agreed. This song is in my personal Top 10 songs of all time by anyone anywhere.

For New Labour to use it would be just about the ultimate ‘dis’.

At the end of the day, I have to admire your spirit, Mr Harris.

Even if your every intention is blatantly evil.

I smell a straw man argument.

His apparent lack of interest in paying his way tax-wise has absolutely nothing to do with commenters’ observations that his music is utter [insert appropriate four-letter word].

I wish that Jagger et al would pay tax in the UK, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying Sticky Fingers earlier.

And Iain Dale is a massive Cliff Richard fan. Go figure!

“I would never judge music according to the politics of the artist.”

You are to be admired then, Tom.

Unfortunately, others in your party are making a bed for you to lie in.

“@shanegreer @wallaceme It’s like Boris liking the Clash. How can he listen to something which is fundamentally opposed to everything he is?”

And I’m only giving you the highlights.

“@eljmayes I am not familiar with that work. But any Labour supporter who likes James Blunt should be expelled from the party.”

Like I said. A very easy hit for the Tories so, in my humble opinon, a great choice for an election theme song.

Great choice. I was only humming the words this afternoon,

Take a good look at me now,
‘cos I’ll still be standing here,

as I stood outside the White Hart in the wind and driving rain with my pint half full of rainwater and my ciggie gone soggy.

“I love it the way some politically-minded individuals imagine that if you’re a fan of someone, you have to defend every single thing they’ve ever done”

Does this same thing count for people who lead your European grouping, or are the rules different for musicians?

Still, if you didn’t know you were quoted on Five Live this morning. Sadly I can’t remember the story, but whatever it was I’m sure I disagreed with you

I think that was the fine sound of a point being missed.

It’s not the fact that his music is good/bad/crap or that he is a tax exile, but the fact that, as a tax exile with stated views on the Labour Party his hand-crafted work of genius be the sound track to a piece of weird Socialist fantasy.

The only things it doesn’t claim is that Jesus Christ was once a PPC for Workington and Mother Teresa used to edit Tribune.

“I love it the way some politically-minded individuals imagine that if you’re a fan of someone, you have to defend every single thing they’ve ever done. I would never judge music according to the politics of the artist.”

Do you have permission from Kerry McCarthy to think like this? Do you realise you’re not toeing the socialist line here?

Stepney – you did get that I was joking about the Phil Collins video? You did know that the “Against the Odds” video BevaniteEllie is championing is a record of Labour achievements? Yeah, you knew that…

Phil Collins’ solo stuff is far superior to Peter Gabriel’s as well.

There is his brilliant well-known songs but doubters should check out the haunting ‘Long Long Way to Go’ from the No Jacket Required album. Top stuff.

You rotten lot taking the mick out of Tom’s musical tastes and adoption by Labour. I am surprised you have not dug deeper for more apt musical titles .

Anyway anorak corner, Take A Look At Me Now is written in D flat major, has a lot of suspended chords and black notes. Got the music next to my joanna.

As soon as your born they make you feel small,
By giving you no time instead of it all,
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school,
They hate you if you’re clever and they despise a fool,
Till you’re so fucking crazy you can’t follow their rules,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.

When they’ve tortured and scared you for twenty odd years,
Then they expect you to pick a career,
When you can’t really function you’re so full of fear,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV,
And you think you’re so clever and classless and free,
But you’re still fucking peasents as far as I can see,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.

There’s room at the top they are telling you still,
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill,
If you want to be like the folks on the hill,
A working class hero is something to be.
A working class hero is something to be.

If you want to be a hero well just follow me,
If you want to be a hero well just follow me.

They’re pretty desperate about this then . .

One of my son’s mates just did a big deal with him, should I have a word?

Or let The Music stand?

Mark M,

“Does this same thing count for people who lead your European grouping, or are the rules different for musicians?”

Does Michal Kaminski have any musical talent?

If so I would enjoy a nice Christmas You Tube video featuring him, Dan Hannon, William Hague et el.

Just an empty space. Apt.

I’ve read all the posts twice now and I’m still not sure which posters get the joke and which don’t. Could it be my sarcasm meter is totally off whack today?

Just to clarify, and because I supported the video (by, err, joining the Facebook group), here is the actual link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA3H07Se0ZQ

I would never judge music according to the politics of the artist. The funding members of Genesis were all public schoolboys. So what?
*********************************************

Carries with it, that statement, a slight whiff of, ‘I wouldn’t judge their music by the fact that they went to public school but I would judge *them*.’

It’s a shame that as a sensible right-winger you nevertheless hang around with people for whom ‘class war’ is virtually their reason for living.

Phil Collins and “taste” are not good bedfellows.

And as for “Bevanite” Ellie – is she the one who did the video which had Ernest Bevin in, rather than Nye “Good bloke, that Joe Stalin” Bevan?

Comedy Central here. All good stuff. Keep them rolling, Tom.

Love the way she has stolen the Suffragettes blood, sweat and tears in getting votes for women, and assigned the glory to the Labour Party.

Smoke and mirrors.

How about

Things can only get better>

I think that not getting Tom’s jokes is a natural consequence of his wicked humour.

ShamBall … your supported vid … comments moderated … pffft!

Strange how you claim you don’t give a fig for an artist’s political views but you’re perfectly prepared to use their work to support *your* political views.
I smell yet another Nu Labour double standard.

“Strange how you claim you don’t give a fig for an artist’s political views but you’re perfectly prepared to use their work to support *your* political views.”

Oh for crying out loud – for the last time, Labour are not planning to use Phil Collins music in a PEB. I was joking! (Good grief!)

Plodder:

“In 1912 George Lansbury(Lab) clashed w/Asquith(Lib)over women’s suffrage.Lansbury resigned 2 fight by-election supporting Suffragettes #ato” as tweeted BevaniteEllie

I seem to recall that Asquith really didn’t understand the fuss, or the urgency.

@DickP

Eliza Carthy played in a concert organised by Boris some months back. She came up with this gem

“No-one wants a Tory mayor”

Well, Eliza my dear, much as I love your music, I have to point out to you – more people wanted Tory mayor than a Labour one.

Never mind.

Armando Iannucci on the forthcoming change of government.

“I don’t think there’s going to be dancing in the streets. It will be like knowing you have to go in for a knee operation. You know it’s going to happen, it’ll get done and you’ll probably walk a little bit better as a result, but you’re not really looking forward to it.”

Spot on.

@QZ.

As usual, you miss the point. No Suffragettes, no votes for women for a long time. For Labour to claim it as their doing, as the video trumpets, is at best 1 one tenth truth.

Never mind.

Tom … you should have give Ellie (Stilettoed Socialist)a little advice … she deletes ALL comments that have any criticism of Labour or the vid.

What a joke … but predictably typical.

Spartan, I’ve just left my first ever comment on her blog. Let’s see how long it lasts.

@Tom: Do you ever get the feeling that a few ‘whoosh-o-meters’ have gone so far off their scales that they need recalibrating for future tests?

Rubbish Plodder, were it not for the Labour movement breathing down their necks it would have taken another ten years for female suffrage to have a look in.

You’re rarely right, how do you cope?

and this:

” more people wanted Tory mayor than a Labour one.”

No they didn’t. Lots of people wanted a celebrity, and many women fancied BoJo as a dinner guest.

Oh, and some imagined that their car crimes would be forgiven.

Stewart … they’ll prob stay now because l posted on Tom’s and Labourlist about it although her excuse is a complete fabrication but …hey ho.

Mario Lanza every time for me. Phil Collins possibly wouldn’t make it into the finals of X factor today. Labour have done a superb job of dragging modern music down to the lowest common denominator.

Thankfully some of us still fight against it but it’s not easy with the quality of ‘music’ thrown out from the media today.

You’re seriously blaming the government for The X-Factor?

@Tom “You’re seriously blaming the government for The X-Factor?”

That’s no more fanciful than some of the claims by the sycophant(s) on this site.

One might expect a pro sycophant like Simon to find like – they usually project their own means of operation into their pics of others.

His history includes suggesting that “after all the fuss (re Lynn Truss) the result wasn’t even close”

and disquisition on whose adultery occurred first.

Might not any tory not engaged in sycophancy have noted from the Daily Mail that the local Tory association was threatened with another selection. all women? And that adultery was not the only factor in the doubts about the lady’s history?

@Quietzapple, not sure you can label me as a sycophant. It certainly never made the local press last time I didn’t vote Tory.

Tom,

Are you embarrassed by Labour’s “official” Against All The Odds video?

Re-writing history like that smacks of the dodgy antics of a double-glazing salesmen trying to force an unwanted product on pensioners.