By Olive Butler
This week, there were a couple of different versions of ‘I’m Leaving It All Up To You’ nominated; as a 70s obsessive, I was always going to pick the Donny & Marie Osmond version. Next up are Wet, Wet, Wet whose desperate efforts to win back their lost love leave them in that eternal quandary: new clothes, new hair or new bed?
This leads us nicely into Dollar – “Passion or poison, bullet or knife? / I just can’t choose how to off my baby” wails Thereza Bazar (though if I were in a duo with David Van Day, I’d find the choice considerably easier). “If you dither you die / And dyin’ is for fools” sings Stephanie de Sykes and frankly it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment, while Racey urge us to “Quit that messed-up fence-sitting time / You’ll only get splinters where the sun don’t shine”.
“My mama can’t tell if I’m a girl or a boy” is the confused cry of Leo Sayer. “My beard says boy, but my voice says girl / What shall I do now, who shall I be?” Tony Orlando & Dawn have no such gender identity indecision, instead they’re unable to decide whether to put his mother in a nursing home or have her move into the spare room so that she can retain a sense of independence.
Nana Mouskouri’s ‘Purple Is The Colour of My Procrastination’ was too gorgeous to exclude, and Vengaboys join the assisted dying debate to a surprising but seductive Latin-infused hi-energy beat.
And finally to Milli Vanilli.
Wait a second...
No.
No. No. No.
I’ve been in two minds over these lists for the last 24 hours or so. Like a disgraced British politician who once wrote two opposing newspaper columns before deciding on the one which would best advance his career, I actually prepared two very different A-Lists… and after two days of agonising uncertainty and indecision, I think perhaps I’ll submit this one instead:
The Equivocally Indecisive A-List Playlist:
1) Talking Heads - Tentative Decisions (Loud Atlas)
2) The Who - I Can’t Explain (ShivSidecar)
3) Janis Joplin - Move Over (Fred Erikson)
4) Elvis Costello - What Do I Do Now? (Noodsy)
5) French Kicks - You Could Not Decide (vanwolf2)
6) Joni Mitchell - I Don’t Know Where I Stand (Suzi)
7) Ella Fitzgerald - Undecided (BanazirGalbasi)
8) Marcel Zanini - Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas (swawilg)
9) Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Nicko)
10) Heptones - Make Up Your Mind (Uncleben)
11) La Sonora Matancera - Indecisión (magicman Ft. translation by Maki)
12) Dionne Warwick - I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself (magicman)
The Between-Two-Stools B-List Playlist:
1) Peter Hammill - The Moebius Loop (TatankaYotanka)
2) Al Bowlly - Riptide (untergunther)
3) Tony Bennett - Undecided Blues (Pop Off!)
4) Heatwave - Mind-Blowing Decisions (Nicko)
5) Wet Leg - Too Late Now (happyclapper)
6) The Zombies - I Can't Make Up My Mind (George Boyland)
7) The Rolling Stones - Sittin’ On A Fence (amylee)
8) Lovin’ Spoonful - Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind? (SweetHomeAlabama)
9) Los Bravos - Black Is Black (IsabelleForshaw)
10) The Three Degrees - Year Of Decision (Marconius7)
11) The Young Rascals - How Can I Be Sure? (ParaMhor)
12) Simon & Garfunkel - Overs (barbryn)
Guest Guru’s Z-List:
Sonny & Cher’s cover of a song that received several nominations this week, bookended by a couple Of 1956 doo-wop sides.
The Harptones – What Is Your Decision?
Sonny & Cher – I’m Leaving It All Up To You
The Clovers – Devil Or Angel
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Pussy-footing? Perhaps it's songs about indecision. Is it? The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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