Hell’s Bells – It’s The London 2012 Olympics!

(An Olympic Playlist and a look at the music of the London Olympics 2012…)

Apparently, the London 2012 Olympics start today. Funny. There’s been nothing in the papers or on the news about it…*

Not that it will all go seamlessly. The weather has been so bad recently that until this week we were in severe danger of hosting the first 100m final where all participants were wearing scuba gear. And from the moment that North Korea’s football team walked out at Glasgow’s Hampden Park to find South Korea’s national flag on the scoreboard we knew there would be fun to be had. (I can imagine the London Olympic Organising Committee talking to Scotland on that one: “Guys – we’ve been organising an entire Olympics here without a problem, and we give you ONE THING to get right….”)

Right from the moment that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Leona Lewis played Whole Lotta Love on top of the number 13 bus (first stop Beijing) four years ago, hopes have been high that the country’s biggest cultural export (that’s pop and rock music – and certainly not sporting greatness) will be properly honoured. Which is another way of saying “Let’s hope they don’t get JLS, Cliff Richard, The Wanted and One Direction to represent how British music influenced the world”.

Fortunately it appears that Tony Blackburn was overlooked in the role of musical curator and leaving aside an Olympic themed concert being headlined by Duran Duran tonight in Hyde Park (as Tony Parsons tweeted “Who is running the 1500 metres? Seb Coe and Steve Ovett?”) all is going well. Keith Moon has yet to confirm or deny his appearance however, despite being invited to play by the organisers.

Danny Boyle’s Opening Ceremony playlist (according to what was leaked to the Press) looks amazing: a rare case of someone getting it exactly right. (I’d expect no less from the director of Trainspotting). Blur are playing a huge gig much to the chagrin of the noise-sensitive residents around Hyde Park to finish off proceedings, and Dizzee Rascal, Mark Ronson and The Wanted performed last night as the Olympic Torch careered through London. Which is nice if you like that sort of thing.

A more quirky musical event was a mass bell-ringing at twelve minutes past eight this morning. I think 20.12 rather than 08.12 might have been a better time however. Perhaps someone didn’t know how the 24 hour clock system works….

In honour of that event, and to get into the spirit of things, I played Hells Bells on my iPod** and then needlessly set off the ringer on my phone for a couple of minutes. My fellow passengers on the morning train were, I am sure, appreciative of this community-minded gesture. Especially those who woke up especially to get into the spirit of things.

This naturally got me thinking of an Olympic playlist. I have come up with a few suggestions, but why not get other people to do it for me unleash the creativity of the Every Record community and see what suggestions you can come up with.

Here’s ten of mine. What would your Olympic themed records be?

• Shed Seven: Going For Gold
• Iron Maiden: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner
• Neil Young: After The Gold Rush
• Queen: Bicycle Race
• The Flaming Lips: Race For The Prize
• Van Halen: Jump
• The Black Keys: Run Right Back
• Raging Slab: Bent for Silver
• Bruce Springsteen: Racing In The Street
• Queens of the Stone Age: The Bronze

Record#77: Shed Seven – Going For Gold

* If you ignore the absolutely relentless blanket coverage, that is.

** Yes – I really did…