There’s little to say about this ‘Smooth Jazz’-pioneering breakthrough instrumental hit by the chinically-advantaged emaciated-Brian-May-resembling AOR saxophonist, other than that it has always had an unnerving tendency to continually crop up in the most unexpected places. ‘Ambient’ compilations, adverts for ‘ambient’ compilations, local radio post-midnight ‘Love Zones’ (usually requested by “Jenny listening in Stockport there”), the soundtrack of Pretty Woman, shopping centre tannoys, bus station tannoys, bus passenger ringtones, stage hypnotist backing tapes, even once when idly watching CNN only for the presenter to say mid-current affairsing “…and now here’s a bit of a break, Kenny G with his hit Songbird“, and turning slightly sideways to watch Mr. G miming while stood next to the news desk on his own. Not bad for a single that was already fairly legendary for a mental Top Of The Pops performance featuring some live extemporisation akin to the sound of a choking goose, and for the made-up lyrics “Kenny G’s not Mr T, and should piss off”.
Here, bookended by a nice bit of meaningless introductory chat, is the full track and the full original video, performed on what looks uncannily like the set of BBC1′s long-forgotten and unlamented daytime magazine show The Garden Party:
For a long time, Songbird was Radio 1′s official standby record for national emergencies, but I think the only time it got an airing as such was after the announcement of John Smith’s death in 1994.
That bizarre CNN recollection reminds me of the time Donna Lewis performed her hit I Love You Always Forever on BBC Wales Today in 1996, with the keyboard where the newsdesk normally was. It never looks right.
Then there was Glenn Hoddle’s attempt to use Kenny G’s music to soothe the emotions of the players he was kicking out of his World Cup squad. Frankly, if I were Paul Gascoigne, I’d be smashing up the lamps in the room. And, in fact, erm …