By Loud Atlas
For decades my local cinema (at the time Europe's oldest) gave little tickets as proof of two transformative hours spent with a bunch of strangers in a darkened room. The time was magical and I collected dozens of the stubs, before throwing them out by accident as a near-adult, oops.
Nowadays, the humble ticket and indeed the little old cinema, have been displaced by 21st-century sensibilities: the multiplex and the QR code, that scramble of black and white pixels, which will remain stuck in my inbox forever once I'm done with it. It allows the same experience but in an entirely different unromantic way.
Tickets, passes and invitations, whether physical or not, open up new doors and avenues - sometimes literally - to new exciting experiences and whole new worlds.
Musically, as we shall hear, some artists are interested in using their passes to access travel, out-of-this-world experiences and the enjoyment of donning authoritative clothing. Like me, you may also wonder: “Where exactly are all the songs about return travel?”
A humble Invitation is where it starts. “Me? You want me to come to your wedding/soirée/shindig? I am flattered!” The late Quincy Jones' richly-instrumented instrumental stirs the soul – the warm glowing feeling which comes with an invitation.
Train tickets were all the rage in popular music of a certain era, as it turns out! They're always one-way and never without a ripple of heartbreak, too. It's the hearts of The Marvelettes which are breaking here. The conductor gets the full backstory as they hope to escape to Destination: Anywhere.
Call me Mr Obvious, but this list without the next song would be verging on sacrilege. You may have heard of The Beatles. It turns out that Ticket To Ride has never been zedded. Invitation sent and RSVP'd. It's in. A remarkable record for its time and still sounding great almost 60 years after its recording.
A trip to the theatre can be an extortionate affair, as can attending major sports events. But not all sales of tickets go to faceless corporations (or, indeed, into the greedy pockets of a ticket tout). The proceeds from a Charity Ball go to a good and noble cause, overseen and organised by Fanny.
TootArd was founded by two brothers who are from the Golan Heights, a region bordering Syria and Israel. They don’t have Israeli citizenship, so instead of a passport, they have a Laissez Passer or "let him pass". (Credit to nominator Uncleben for the context). Theirs is the unique sound of the week!
At certain times of life, passes can mark key milestones: a free bus pass or a work pass, perhaps. A teenager with her first taste of freedom soon realises that life isn't all it's cracked up to be. A drivers licence (it's stylised that way, sorry grammarians) should be a pass to adulthood, adventure and independence, but for Olivia Rodrigo it becomes a ticket to a reminder of her heartbreak and loneliness.
Some tickets are special, not just for the experience they offer, but they look snazzy too. This one's a golden ticket found enclosed in a chocolate bar wrapper. It allows young Charlie Bucket a chance to meet his hero, zany chocolatier Willy Wonka. Pure Imagination comes from the 1971 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel in which Gene Wilder plays the enigmatic Wonka, inviting the group of visitors/victims to the chocolate room – a ticket to the expansion of their imagination.
There are invitations, and then there are invitations. Della Reese’s well-stocked larder is overflowing with fruit, candy, a ring and even a spare Christmas tree, in Come-On-A-My-House. Groovy.
Power is a funny thing, but there is a certain fashion that is unmistakably powerful. A change into something a bit brighter, and a clipboard as an accessory can bring unimaginable power. Once tickets are sold, the Access All Areas passes are handed out to the crew. To be The King of Hi-Vis is to be at the peak of professionalism. A Half Man Half Biscuit is quite the sight in fluorescent yellow.
For all the joy that a ticket can bring, there is a catch. A Ticket Inspector is the law enforcer to make sure your ticket's valid. They're likely to be the first – or last – person to see you or your ticket. And they'll probably even fine you too if you're unlucky enough. Charming. The Chats give a concisely punky summary of the job.
Quite unbelievably (and probably fictionally), Paul Simon locks himself out at the backstage door and can't get back in without a Wristband. A deeper social meaning develops towards the end of the song – wristbands, and the freedom they represent, are out of bounds to some.
A couple of larger-than-life vocals to end this list. If there's a Note of the Week, then it's at roughly 55 seconds into this next song. Metaphorical perhaps, but with some dark shades, River’s Invitation tells the story of a woman who's tempted by the depths of the river. Those astonishing vocals are Aretha Franklin’s, inviting in themselves!
Finally, a song that has the delightful double of ticket and invitation. The Letter from Joe Cocker's lover invites him back into her life, he just needs a ticket for an aeroplane to fly back into her arms.
Over in the Bs, just the one previously zedded song, but more ticketed avenues are explored, including what precisely happens behind the scenes at a Willie Nelson gig.
Access-All-Areas Admission A-List Playlist:
Quincy Jones - Invitation (Nicko)
The Marvelettes - Destination: Anywhere (ParaMhor)
The Beatles - Ticket To Ride (Suzi)
Fanny - Charity Ball (ShivSidecar)
TootArd - Laissez Passer (Uncleben)
Olivia Rodrigo - drivers licence (Marconius7)
Gene Wilder - Pure Imagination (from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory") (bluepeter)
Della Reese - Come-On-A-My-House (Nicko)
Half Man Half Biscuit - King of Hi-Vis (vastariner)
The Chats - Ticket Inspector (Vikingchild)
Paul Simon - Wristband (Uncleben)
Aretha Franklin - River's Invitation (Nicko)
Joe Cocker - The Letter (AltraEgo)
Backstage Pass B-List Playlist:
Tyrone Davis - One Way Ticket (To Nowhere) (BanazirGalbasi)
Silver Cooks & The Gondoliers - Mr. Ticket Agent Man (Nicko)
Wendy Waldman - Come On Down (Fred Erickson)
The Magicians - An Invitation to Cry (TarquinSpodd)
Beck - Strange Invitation (happyclapper)
The Kills - Ticket Man (Bobby Legwarmer)
Passport - Get Yourself A Second Passport (TatankaYotanka)
Tracy Chapman - She's Got Her Ticket (Suzi)
Big Star - Thirteen (Uncleben)
Johnny Cash - A Backstage Pass (severin)
Hank Williams - Wedding Bells (TarquinSpodd)
Cosmo Sheldrake - Come Along (Nicko)
The Osmonds - One Way Ticket To Anywhere (TarquinSpodd)
Guru's Wildcard Picks:
Harry Nilsson - The Lottery Song
The little lottery ticket with its half a dozen numbers could be a key to whole new life.
Gladys Knight - Licence To Kill
From the 1989 Bond film of the same name. The enigmatic secret agent has that special pass to do just what he likes. Perhaps not a classic among the 007 pantheon but infinitely better than a few of them. Moody.
English Teacher - Not Everybody Gets To Go To Space
Space exploration is an expensive business. You'll need X amount of money for a ticket or qualifications beyond belief. Or, widely speaking, a pass.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Enter with: songs about tickets, passes and invitations. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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