World of Chig   

3.9.02

Single Of The Week



This was going to be Underworld, but a visit to the record shop yesterday sprang a surprise on me. Let's backtrack slightly. Two years ago, I was 'consorting' with an attractive Mexican man, who came to visit me (from London, not Cancun). On a visit to Brum's finest record store, Swordfish (so cool, they don't have a website), we heard some tracks playing instore from an album which was so intriguing that my Mexican chum bought it there and then. He was hooked on the Latin rhythms of one Senor Coconut, and so was I. We knew nothing about him at the time, but the album was fab! My Mexican friend left, we fell out, I forgot about Senor Coconut. Fast forward two years, and I'm in Swordfish again yesterday, where Senor Coconut's new single is prominently displayed in the racks (unlike Woolies and HMV, where it's not in evidence at all). I realise that this is the strange cover version of Kraftwerk's 'Tour de France' that I've heard for a few seconds on Radio One. I buy. £1.80 well spent! Not only is it a sublime Latin version of the cycling song, but Senor Coconut has also turned his attention to the Teutonic tones of 'Showroom Dummies.' He's actually a German man who spends his time in Chile and dresses (in his spare time, when he's not recording under other aliases), like Margarita Pracatan. And it turns out there's a whole album of it. Bossa nova Kraftwerk! Merengue Kraftwerk! Kraftwerk, cha cha cha! I feel a purchase coming on...

This Sunday's number one? Atomic Kitten again, methinks, equalling Blondie's two week run with the song, and successfully repelling those Liam-shagging Appleton sisters, who seem to have gone for the 'schooldisco.com' look lately. Mind you, I think their single's okay, unlike this Guardian writer.

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