Weekend Listomania (Special White Men Do It on the One! Audio/Video Edition)

Well, it's Friday and the beginning of the big July 4th Weekend, so you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental pre-barbecue meat-pounding czar Fah Lo Suee and I will be heading off to somewhere to do something and I wanted to insert a BP/Gulf oil spill joke at this point but the whole thing's just too depressing so the hell with it.

That being the case, and since things will be otherwise quiet around here till Monday, here's a totally irrelevant but hopefully amusing little project for us all:

Best or Worst Use of Handclaps on a Post-Elvis Pop/Rock/Soul Record!!!

No arbitrary rules of any kind, you're welcome very much. And yes, I know that I've probably done this one at some point in the past, but I'm doing it again for two very good reasons. A) The amazing similarity between the two songs in the number 4 entry was unknown to me last time out. And B) I've always wanted an excuse to post yesterday's Bette Midler "Fiesta in Rio and I Had the Clap" song. So there.

And my totally top of my head Top Five is:

5. The Hounds -- Call Me




I have no idea who the guys doing this song are, but damn -- those handclaps totally sell it.

4. The Angels -- My Boyfriend's Back

	[Angels] - My Boyfriend's Back .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

...in a tie with...

The Beatles -- I Want to Hold your Hand




The same handclap pattern in both songs -- coincidence? I think not!

3. OK Go -- You're So Damn Hot



Because, as you know, we like to have something recorded in this century, even if it's kind of mediocre and derivative.

2. The Who -- Who Are You



God, I love this video. Plus, you get to see them actually doing the claps beginning at approximately 4:34. And the bit at around 2:28, when Moon starts mugging shamelessly and you THINK they're going to do the claps, never fails to crack me up.

And the Numero Uno if-you're-happy-and-you-know-it-clap-you-hands moment in all of recorded music, frankly, just has to be...

1. The Zombies -- Tell Her No




The single echoed clap, at approximately 1:53...is there a more perfectly positioned sonic detail of any kind in the entire history of rock-and-roll? Obviously not, says I. BTW -- this is the mono version; avoid the stereo mix -- where said single echoed clap all but disappears into the ether -- like the proverbial plague.

Alrighty then, holiday revelers -- what would your choices be?

[Shameless Blogwhore: My paralle Cinema Listomania -- theme: Best or Worst films with a deeply cynical view of America or American democracy -- is now up over at Box Office. As always, I would take it as a personal favor if you could take a moment to go over there and leave a comment, despite the clunkiness of the new posting system. Thanks!]