Voices: The Top 10: Songs on the ‘wrong’ album

‘Imperial Bedroom’ by Elvis Costello is not on Imperial Bedroom (Getty Images)
‘Imperial Bedroom’ by Elvis Costello is not on Imperial Bedroom (Getty Images)

This list was suggested by James Hannam, who nominated no 7. It is a kind of companion list to Top 10 Songs That Don’t Sound Like the Rest of the Album. It is interesting how often a band will name an album after a song only to decide to put that song on the next one. In reverse chronological order, then…

1. “Warpaint” by Warpaint is not on Warpaint. It is on their debut album, The Fool, 2010. Thanks to Idca.

2. “Bring It On” by Gomez is on Liquid Skin, 1999, not Bring It On, 1998. Nominated by Richard Johnstone, Matt Korris and Paul Duckett.

3. “Dry” by PJ Harvey is not on Dry, her debut album, but on Rid of Me, 1993, her second. Thanks to Sean Kemp.

4. “Imperial Bedroom” by Elvis Costello is not on Imperial Bedroom, 1982, but on Out of Our Idiot, 1987. “Almost Blue” is on Imperial Bedroom, and not on Almost Blue, 1981. Thanks to Dan Dennis and Kevin Cheeseman.

5. “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” by Neil Diamond is on I’m Glad You’re Here with Me Tonight, 1977, but also features as a duet with Barbra Streisand on his album You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, 1978. Nominated by Graham Fildes.

6. “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” by AC/DC is not on If You Want Blood You’ve Got It, but on Highway to Hell, 1979. And “High Voltage”, 1975, was on TNT, and not on the original High Voltage album (although it was on a later international album of the same name). Thanks to Blair McDougall and Sean Kemp.

7. “Houses of the Holy” by Led Zeppelin, 1975, isn’t on Houses of the Holy but on their next album, Physical Graffiti, because they decided it didn’t fit (it wouldn’t have done). Thanks to James Hannam.

8. “Starless” by King Crimson is on Red, 1974, and not on Starless and Bible Black, released earlier that year, although there is a track called “Starless and Bible Black” on Starless and Bible Black. Thanks to Chris Barraclough and David Bertram.

9. “Waiting for the Sun” by The Doors, 1970, is on Morrison Hotel not on Waiting for the Sun. Nominated by Euan McColm, Lee Manuel and Kevin Cheeseman.

10. “Largo al factotum”, the aria including the line “Figaro! Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!” is not in The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, 1786, but in The Barber of Seville by Rossini, 1816, although it’s the same character from the trilogy of comic plays by Beaumarchais on which both operas are based. Excellent nomination from Jeremy Benson.

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There is always one, and this week it is Tim Carrington, who points out that “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan is on Highway 61 Revisited, 1965, and not on The Rolling Stones by the Rolling Stones, 1964. He adds that he saw them both at Madison Square Garden on consecutive nights doing that song in the 1990s. Respect.

The “No Beatles” rule for my Top 10s has a little-known supplementary: no Queen, either. So James Hannam’s other opening nomination, “Sheer Heart Attack”, which is on News of the World and not on Sheer Heart Attack, was not accepted.

Next week: Things you would expect to see more of based on childhood comics, such as anvils, people shaking their fists and quicksand.

Coming soon: Journeys across the political spectrum, such as Tony Benn one way and Oswald Mosley the other.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk