Today we are beginning a new series – this time on directions. We have already looked at the cardinal points of the compass (East, West etc.). This series will focus, rather like an early video game, on the simpler – Up, Down, Left, Right, Forward and Back. It may be that the world is populated with such songs or then again not, this is what we are seeking to discover.
Up on the Roof” is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released late that year, the disc became a major hit in early 1963, reaching number 5 in the US and number 4 on the R&B singles chart. In the UK it was a top ten success for singer Kenny Lynch, whose version was also released in 1962.
Pick Up the Pieces” is a 1974 song by the Average White Band from their second album, AWB. On the single, songwriting credit was given to founding member and saxophonist Roger Ball and guitarist Hmaish Stuart individually and the entire band collectively. It is essentially an instrumental, apart from the song’s title being shouted at several points in the song.
“Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, released as the lead single from the band’s 1975 album The Besy Years of Our Lives. It was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Alan Parsons. In February 1975, the song reached number one on the UK chart and received a gold certification from the BPI in October 2021. It spent nine weeks in the Top 50, and as of 2015, has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.
“I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down” is a song written by Homer Banks and Allen Jones. Originally recorded by soul duo Sam & Dave in 1967, the song was famously covered by Elvis Costello with his backing band the Attractions in 1980 for their album Get Happy!! Costello’s version was drastically rearranged from the original, turning it from a slow soul ballad into an uptempo Northern soul-style dance track. It was a commercial hit in the UK, reaching number four on the charts over a stay of eight weeks.
Running Up That Hill” is a song by Kate Bush. It was the first single from her 1985 album Hounds of Love, released in the United Kingdom in August 1985. It was her first 12 inch single. It was the most successful of Bush’s 1980s releases, entering the UK chart at number 9 and eventually peaking at number 3, her second-highest single peak. The single also had an impact in the United States, providing Bush with her first chart hit there since 1978. The song’s title for Hounds of Love and all subsequent releases was “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)“.
“Word Up!” is a funk and R&B song originally recorded by American funk band Cameo in 1986. The song was written by band members Larry Blackmon and Tomi Jenkins. Its frequent airing on American dance, R&B, and contemporary hit radio, as well as its MTV music video (in which LeVar Burton appears as a police detective trying to arrest the band), helped the single become the band’s best known hit.
“The Only Way Is Up” is a song written by George Jackson and Johnny Henderson and originally released in 1980 as a single by soul singer Otis Clay. In 1988, it became a chart-topping single for Yazz and the Plastic Population. Released as a single in July 1988, the song became an instant smash hit, spending five weeks at number one in the UK, and ultimately becoming the second biggest selling single of the year.
“Running Up That Hill” was covered by Placebo, releasing it originally on the bonus disc of their 2003 album Sleeping with Ghosts, then featuring it on Covers in 2007. Placebo’s take on the song is more downbeat than the original. It has been described by O magazine as “sound[ing] more like a pact with the Devil” than the original “deal with God”. The video features their fans lip synching to the lyrics.
