The Top 10: Songs with a colour in the title by artists with a colour in their name

Lots of blues and blacks, but we managed most of the rest of the paint colour chart too

John Rentoul
Saturday 02 June 2018 15:22 BST
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‘The Red & the Black’, by Blue Oyster Cult (from the album ‘Tyranny and Mutation’, above) scored four colours
‘The Red & the Black’, by Blue Oyster Cult (from the album ‘Tyranny and Mutation’, above) scored four colours

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This list was suggested by Peter Yates, who started with “Nights in White Satin” by the Moody Blues and “Green Tambourine” by the Lemon Pipers. I allowed lemon as a colour.

1. “Captain Scarlet Theme”, Barry Gray, 1967. Thanks to Jonathan Isaby.

2. “Black Night”, Deep Purple, 1970. Thanks to Paul Turner, David Lister, Jules Lewis, Jonathan Isaby and Rob Marchant.

3. “The Red & the Black”, Blue Oyster Cult, 1973. “Claiming four here if oyster is allowed as a colour,” said Mark Thomas. Also nominated by Garry Veevers and Luke Dyks. Could also have had “Black Blade” (Jason Lewis).

4. “Goodbye Blue Sky”, Pink Floyd, 1979. Nominated by Holly Baxter, Wendy Aylward, Oli Coulson, DJ Crowhurst, Mitch Knight and George Bosanko. Could also have had “Jugband Blues”, “Green is the Colour”, “Marooned”, “Any Colour You Like” or “In the Flesh?”.

5. “Union City Blue”, Blondie, 1979. Blonde is a colour, isn’t it? From Spinning Hugo. Or “A Rose By Any Name”, nominated by Tim Hailstone. Also nominated by Mitchell Stirling, who also suggested “Blue Boy” by Orange Juice, “Black Cherry” by Goldfrapp and “Bright Lit Blue Skies” by Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti.

6. “Green Heaven”, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, 1984. From DJ Crowhurst, Sam Freedman and David Bertram. Could also have had “Purple Stain”.

7. “Chocolate Girl”, Deacon Blue, 1987. Nominated by David Higham, Juanita Fogarty, Jonathan Isaby and Alasdair McGowan. We could also have had “Fergus Sings the Blues”, but I didn’t allow the same colour twice.

8. “Sky Blue and Black”, Jackson Browne, 1993. From David Nicol, Roger McCormick and David Webster.

9. “Blue Orchid”, The White Stripes, 2005. Thanks to Jules Lewis, Dickon Fethers and Sam Freedman.

10. “Out of the Black”, Neneh Cherry, 2014. Nominated by Sam Freedman.

Bubbling under the Top 10: “Yellow Ledbetter”, Pearl Jam (David Lewis), “Brown Eyes”, the Red House Painters (Mary Elwin). Several nominations for “White Room” by Cream, but I don’t like it.

There’s always one, and this week it is Thomas Penny, who nominated “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”: lyrics by Bernie Taupin.

Next week: politician-sportspeople, such as Matthew Parris, who recorded a time of 2:32:57 in the London Marathon in 1985 while an MP.

Coming soon: demolished buildings, such as the original Penn Station, New York, pulled down in 1963

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

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