Blue Moon on Radio 5 Live

[Gary James]

It's an excellent piece and I'll probably try and listen to others as well. Gary was spot on in terms of the songs taking you to certain moments or bringing memories to the forefront of your mind. I'm with him in terms of the melancholic sound being my preference, I've said a few times I wish that we sang the whole song pre-games rather than go into the sped up version which the majority of people stop singing through. It's an anthem and when it rings around the stadium it's special. Speeding it up just ends up with it petering out pretty quickly and then everything is flat again until the next song is started.

Totally agree about the singing it without the speeded up version. The singing they played from 20 minutes after Maine Rd's last game is a perfect example. If I remember correctly that was spontaneous, no prompting, we just did it as we waited for Badly Drawn Boy or whoever. The on pitch formal singing waited for us to finish and Blue Moon was wonderful that day. Similarly, before the last Maine Rd derby the PA system broke just before the players came out. There was silence for a few seconds then we all started chanting with a fervour that the 'professional' music cannot match.

I really enjoyed doing the show and I'd urge everyone to listen to it because I think it's a nice positive from a radio station which, to be frank, we are often critical of the way the media portray us.

 

[Gary James]

Everyone sang it before they hijacked it
A useless bit of info but it was in the Musical Carousel & Frank Sinatra first recorded it in 1945
About 20 years before Gerry & Pacemakers

True. One area they often overlook is the Utd angle in 1958. Gene Vincent released a really popular version late 1957 and, in the days before one formal chart dominated, this was played a lot. By the time of the disaster it was in the public consciousness as much as it was years later when Gerry Marsden's version came out. United did apparently sing it in the months after the disaster.

By the late 1960s we're all singing it. There's film at the NW film Archive of fans at the 1969 FAC final homecoming; at one of the 1970s homecomings and at the 1976 homecoming singing it (with real passion, scarfs aloft etc.). It was usually associated with success and all successful teams sang it. In the late 70s and 80s LFC won so much that I think we all started to give up on it. I remember being on the Kippax about 1985 when some started singing it and others started chanting 'Dirty Scouse Song' over it.

 

[bluevengence]

Took me right back to 2003 like it was yesterday....RIP Maine rd

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

He does Countdown now (yes I am an FOC) and he’s really decent on it (unlike the smug rag numbers fucker from Essex)

Don’t really like him on that, I don’t like how he puts pressure on the contestants when one is a bit behind the other. Keeps mentioning it, but the other presenters the show have had always tried to put them at ease. Still haven’t had one as good as Richard Whiteley.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Don’t really like him on that, I don’t like how he puts pressure on the contestants when one is a bit behind the other. Keeps mentioning it, but the other presenters the show have had always tried to put them at ease. Still haven’t had one as good as Richard Whiteley.

You reckon anne Robinson put people at their ease? I think Murray does it really well

 

[paulchapo]

Every fucker used to sing it. Not quite sure when Liverpool decided it was there’s and everybody else got bored of it?

Possibly after Hillsborough, as pointed out, we were still singing it in the mid 80s.

Every set of fans used to sing YNWA years ago. I remember a cracking rendition by us on the Holte end after Paul Power scored.
Not sure when it started to be known exclusively as a Liverpool song, probably because Gerry Marsden sang it.

 

[brazilians hurt]

Sure we used to sing ynwa before the dippers hijacked it.

For me the dippers can keep it frankly its shite - just a personal opinion

 

[bennyboy]

Totally agree about the singing it without the speeded up version. The singing they played from 20 minutes after Maine Rd's last game is a perfect example. If I remember correctly that was spontaneous, no prompting, we just did it as we waited for Badly Drawn Boy or whoever. The on pitch formal singing waited for us to finish and Blue Moon was wonderful that day. Similarly, before the last Maine Rd derby the PA system broke just before the players came out. There was silence for a few seconds then we all started chanting with a fervour that the 'professional' music cannot match.

I really enjoyed doing the show and I'd urge everyone to listen to it because I think it's a nice positive from a radio station which, to be frank, we are often critical of the way the media portray us.

I thought it was a great show spoiled by Nevan with that Proclaimers shite at the end.lol.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

You reckon anne Robinson put people at their ease? I think Murray does it really well

Forgot she did it tbh.