Your "showcase of Great Britain" line-up?

[thetapeworm]

It seems everyone who watched the Olympics closing ceremony has better suggestions about who should have been performing and what music should have been used for the sections where there wasn't a live act. This got me thinking about a dream line-up but I'm struggling to fill a substantial amount of time while trying to showcase music from a number of different periods and styles. It's all too easy to be self-indulgent

So, money and availability (apart from those no longer with us), no object who would you have picked and what songs would they have performed? If you wish to include music where the lead singer (or significant member) is no longer around can you think of a suitable replacement (i.e. perhaps not using Jessie J for Freddy Mercury) that could do the part justice?

This shouldn't just be a case of you creating a perfect mix tape for your own consumption, you have to try and make everyone happy across all ages and consider that the audience is global.... and a lot of them watch X Factor.

What would be the best opening track?

Is there a perfect closer?

This is what they gave us according to The Telegraph

The Telegraph said:

Emeli Sande – Read All About It

Urban Voices (gospel choir) – Because (by the Beatles)

Julian Lloyd Webber with London Symphony Orchestra – Elgar’s Salut D’Amour

LSO - God Save the Queen

Madness with Hackney Colliery Band – Our House

Household Division Ceremonial State Band – Parklife

Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls

One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful

Beatles – A Day in the Life (not live)

Ray Davies – Waterloo Sunset

LSO – Parade of Athletes (written by David Arnold for the Ceremony)

Elbow – Open Arms

Elbow – One Day Like This

Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God remix 2012)

Urban Voices Collective and the Dhol Foundation – Here Comes the Sun (by George Harrison)

John Lennon – Imagine (performed by Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir and Liverpool Signing Choir)

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

George Michael – Freedom ’90

George Michael – White Light

Kaiser Chiefs – Pinball Wizard

Annie Lennox – Little Bird

Ed Sheeran – Wish You Were Here (by Pink Floyd) with Nick Mason, Mike Rutherford and Richard Jones

David Bowie – Space Oddity / Changes / Ziggy Stardust / Jean Genie / Rebel Rebel / Diamond Dogs / Young Americans / Let’s Dance / Fashion (not live)

Russell Brand and Bond – Pure Imagination / I Am the Walrus

Fatboy Slim – Right Here, Right Now and Rockafeller Skank

Jessie J – Price Tag

Tinie Tempah – Written in the Stars

Taio Cruz – Dynamite

Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing (recorded)

Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life

Beady Eye, with Liam Gallagher – Wonderwall

Electric Light Orchestra – Mr Blue Sky (recorded)

Eric Idle – Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Muse – Survival

Brian May and Roger Taylor – Brighton Rock

Brian May, Roger Taylor and Jessie J – We Will Rock You

London Philharmonic Orchestra – National Anthem of Greece

London Welsh Male Voice Choir and London Welsh Rugby Club Choir – Olympic Anthem

The Who – Baba O’Riley / See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You / My Generation

Take That - Rule The World

Perhaps you think this hit the nail on the head? When you see it written down it certain looks impressive IMO.

(Apologies if there are errors in the list of tracks, feel free to correct it, the source didn't include Take That for some reason)

[TheHeretic]

Well, I could think of a few they could have added on. status Quo, Gorillaz, Motörhead, Def Leppard, Elton John (he may have silly hats, but a hell of a voice), a bit of Phantom of the Opera, always enjoyed that, Jamiraquai would have been good with a big dance troupe, The Darkness, and maybe a bit of Massive attack.

[thetapeworm]

I'd totally overlooked Jamiroquai, good call.

[davepoth]

I would have gone with fewer acts and more songs per act, although I think the mix of acts was probably about right. I would have ditched Beady Eye and got Noel in instead to do Don't Look Back in Anger, which would have fitted the tone of the night better. I think you could probably have done without Madness too since all they did was reprise their Jubilee performance less well. Emeli Sande really didn't need to sing her song twice. The Kaiser Chiefs shouldn't have covered a Who track when The Who were performing; that's just bad manners.

I would have made more of an effort to get Bush and Bowie in live. The Queen thing didn't work too well IMO; everybody remembers how good Freddie would have been.

[FourWheelDrift]

davepoth said:

Bowie in live.

Since they played Heroes a lot during the medal ceremonies performing it live for the Athletes would have been a nice touch.

I thought at first he came out of one of the lorries, but it turned out to be some kind of emaciated stick insect of a model wearing an un-buttoned shirt called Stella Tennant. I should have realised quicker, Bowie has bigger boobs.

[TheHeretic]

The only to ever do a Freddie song justice was George Michael.

[bebee]

Where were the Stones?

[TheHeretic]

bebee said:

Where were the Stones?

On the mountain bike course.

[Crackie]

Considering the occasion and the people present in the stadium; We are the Champions might have been a better choice than We will rock you.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Sex Pistols featured twice in the opening ceremony, but were missing from the closing one. In fact, punk/new wave was completely overlooked.

[Hackney]

So difficult to capture everything - so much musical innovation has come from the UK

Some possibles from me:
Chems
The Specials
Portishead
Depeche Mode
Leftfield
Orbital
Primal Scream
The The

[CrabDan]

Burial.

This music is any Uk city in a nutshell.

I'd have to throw in some Roni Size too. Everyone knows the UK (and in particular, Bristol) is the birthplace of Drum & Bass.

Edited by CrabDan on Monday 13th August 21:41

[TheHeretic]

The Human league. I actually have their 'Credo' album on at the moment. Very 80's!

[Freakuk]

DM good choice
Coldplay
Happy Monday's maybe

[Gokartmozart]

I think Adele whould have sung if not pregnant.

I would have liked to have seen Florence and the Machine in place of Annie Lennox.

I think Duran Duran doing Rio or even a cover after the Brasilian secction would have go down well.

Sterophonics would have been good too.

No Stones or Clapton references I think was pretty poor.

Bowie would have been great too, but I have seen comments on other threads regarding is ill health.

[Condi]

CrabDan said:

Burial.

This music is any Uk city in a nutshell.

I'd have to throw in some Roni Size too. Everyone knows the UK (and in particular, Bristol) is the birthplace of Drum & Bass.

Edited by CrabDan on Monday 13th August 21:41

You think?

While they might be seminal acts in the bass genres they are hardly stadium-filling feel-good tracks, which was the whole point of the evening. Also what are the chances of 75% of the countries caring, or indeed knowing, about dubstep, if not DnB? I highly doubt any of the African nations have heard of Dubstep, hell, even Australia had barely heard of it 18 months ago.

[Japveesix]

Joss Stone - possibly covering something appropriately uplifting
Pulp - Common people
London calling - covered by someone cool
Clapton - playing something cool, perhaps just guitaring for someone more modern/current
Radiohead - covering someone dead (T-Rex/Queen?)
Elton John - Saturday night's alright for fighting (to lighten the mood after radiohead)
Bit more Bee Gees
Tulisa - I think she'd go down well
Will Young (I like his voice) - Light my fire

plus a load of the stuff that was on anyway.

[Flat6er]

Japveesix said:

Tulisa - I think she'd go down well

[Miguel Alvarez]

Off the top of my head I'd have gone with in no particular order.

Soul II Soul
Maxi Priest
UB40
Madness
Black Sabbath
Pet Shop Boys
Annie Lennox
Oasis
Simply Red
Sting
Jamiroquai
Jessie J
Lemar
Leona Lewis
Spice Girls
Blur
The Prodigy
Tinie Tempah
Tom Jones
Shirley Bassey


And I wouldn't have had Trevor Nelson narrating either.

[TheHeretic]

The Prodigy featured for a wee bit in the opening ceremony, IIRC. At least Firestarter was played.