Last time I wrote about my new venture I said I was a bit disappointed, but business models change and I have had to quickly adapt to a new reality. It seems the modern-day traveller/holiday-maker wants limited or no interaction with their host, but they do want all the nice touches that transform a trip from being an ordinary one, to a really special one.
So, I am now akin to the Scarlet Pimpernel (which is very apt as most of my guests so far have been French), where no-one ever sees me in person but each party now gets tailor-made treats and helpful local guides left for them. It only took a month, but already Alyson’s Highland Adventures (AHA) has had to be truncated to Highland Adventures (as Alyson is now nowhere in sight). My favourite sesame seed snack is now redundant!
The upside of this covert behaviour is that I get to spend a lot of time on my own in the holiday hideaway getting it ready for the next set of guests, and in the corner of the kitchen I have placed the high quality radio appropriated from my mum’s old retirement flat. I love listening to the radio, which is why I can’t work at home on my computer with it switched on (would be far too diverting). Listening to the radio whilst doing all those practical jobs needed to get a house ready for guests however is a totally different matter, and something I’ve been really enjoying. This week, whilst doing probably the seventh “deep clean” in a month (got to keep those 5 Star reviews coming), this song popped up on the airwaves and it was a joy to listen to. My feather duster and I had a fine old time flitting from room to room, like Cinderella without all the wildlife in tow (or was that Snow White?).
Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) by Looking Glass:
Until I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 at the cinema a couple of years ago, I don’t think I had ever consciously listened to Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) by Looking Glass before, but it played a big part in the movie, just as the songs from Awesome Mix Vol. 1 had done for the first film in that really popular franchise. I had been meaning to write more posts featuring songs from GOTG for a while, as I have a whole category dedicated to them on my sidebar (link here), and here it was falling into my lap.
Awesome Mix Vol. 2 was also full of ’70s songs that were played over and over by the lead character on an old Walkman, as a link to his dead mother and home in Missouri. Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) plays in the opening scene, a flashback to before the lead character Peter, played by Chris Pratt, was born. When Peter reunites with his father Ego, played by Kurt Russell, the song comes to represent their conflict. To convince his son to help him rule the universe (Ego was aptly named), he quotes the song – Just as was the sea for the sailor who left Brandy behind, Ego left Peter’s mother to die on Earth while he went off to conquer the universe.
Here is a clip of that opening scene where they make great use of the Looking Glass song. It really threw us however when we went to see it, how young Kurt Russell looked in 2017. I thought they had maybe cut and paste old footage of when he was a young buck, but I have just discovered it was 20 per cent good make-up and the rest was done via the wonders of CGI, where they used a very similar looking younger actor and mapped his features to the older Kurt’s. Of course in interviews at the time, Kurt said very little of it was down to CGI and all that was needed was a bit of make up. Tut tut Kurt, your own narcissism was getting the better of you I think.
As for Looking Glass, they were an American pop rock group that formed part of a genre called the Jersey Shore sound. Although this 1972 song was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard chart, it didn’t ever feature on the UK Singles Chart, which is why I probably hadn’t heard of them before. The song was not typical of the band’s sound however, which caused a problem at concerts. Audiences expected pop songs like this one, but Looking Glass usually played rock, which left the crowds disappointed.
So, “What’s It All About?” – I have a feeling the song only appeared on the radio the other day because there is a lot of interest at the moment in all things Marvel-related. The film Avengers: Endgame was released recently and amongst many other fine actors, it stars local girl Karen Gillan from the GOTG series. I remember well going to see her in school concerts what seems like no time ago – Just look at her now. I have also noticed my GOTG posts getting a fair amount of views of late, so here’s another to add to the series.
I have sought out many Scottish-themed DVDs for the holiday hideaway, but perhaps I should add some GOTG ones as well. Fans of Karen/Nebula might want to travel to the Highlands to find out a bit more about where she comes from. As it turns out, just a few streets away!
Until next time….
Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) Lyrics
(Song by Elliot Lurie)
(Dooda-dit-dooda), (dit-dooda-dit-dooda)
There’s a port on a western bay
And it serves a hundred ships a day
Lonely sailors pass the time away
And talk about their homes
And there’s a girl in this harbor town
And she works layin’ whiskey down
They say “Brandy, fetch another round”
She serves them whiskey and wine
The sailors say “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“Yeah your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea”
(Dooda-dit-dooda), (dit-dooda-dit-dooda-dit)
Brandy wears a braided chain
Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
A locket that bears the name
Of a man that Brandy loves
He came on a summer’s day
Bringin’ gifts from far away
But he made it clear he couldn’t stay
No harbor was his home
The sailor said “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my love and my lady is the sea”
(Dooda-dit-dooda), (dit-dooda-dit-dooda-dit)
Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes
When he told his sailor’s story
She could feel the ocean fall and rise
When she saw his ragin’ glory
But he had always told the truth, Lord, he was an honest man
And Brandy does her best to understand
(Dooda-dit-dooda), (dit-dooda-dit-dooda-dit)
At night when the bars close down
Brandy walks through a silent town
And loves a man who’s not around
She still can hear him say
She hears him say “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my love and my lady is the sea”
(Dooda-dit-dooda), (dit-dooda-dit-dooda-dit)
“Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my love and my lady is the sea”
What's It All About? 
You know, I was in exactly the right mood for Brandy. Hadn’t heard that song in a long while. It goes down smooth and easy.
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Yes, smooth and easy is just the right description for it! You will know it from years back no doubt but most of us in the UK only discovered it in 2017 when the film came out.
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Yes, I’m picturing you now as the Milk Tray Woman! Dressed head to toe in black, jumping out of aeroplanes and off cliffs, climbing in through the window to deliver the treats unseen, and all because the guests love… tailor-made treats 🙂
Such a nice coincidence about Brandy and this week’s Saturday Snapshots. As soon as Mr SDS saw the pic on SS he knew who it was and kept saying, “you’ll know the song when you hear it” but I just didn’t (and haven’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy). He remembered it from the original release but also that it was used in the Charlie’s Angels film. Well, we had a soundtrack album of that… and still I don’t remember it. Just a blank spot there for some reason!
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It does sound a bit like that doesn’t it but no, not dressed in black and no Milk Tray, just trying to work out the best “extras” (ooh er missus) to suit each guest. Met the newest ones earlier this evening and pitched it right for them I think (blokes, so foodstuffs in the fridge as opposed to flowers, reed diffusers!). Now will leave them to it, with no input from me at all – Seems to be what people prefer.
Yes, another coincidence with the Brandy song and clever of Mr SDS to work it out as I only really discovered the song a couple of years ago when I went to see the film. Not really your thing I know but I do think you might like GOTG as there are some great characters in it – Been on telly a lot of late which is why both Rol and I perhaps thought of it at the same time. I’m sure I creep him out writing about songs that feature over at his place, but so does Chris as trawling round the various blogs definitely gives you inspiration for new posts.
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I would never have guessed that it would be this particular Snapshot!
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Aha (excuse the pun), good to know I can still surprise. I am a big fan of the GOTG movies and they have been on telly quite a bit of late so was an obvious pick for me – Would never have known what they looked like though, so the Snapshot alone would have been useless.
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I would! (But I went for the gag reply instead.)
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Looking forward to more of these GOTG posts, Alyson. My favourite part of Avengers – Infinity War was when they used Rubberband Man by The Detroit Spinners to introduce the Guardians to the movie.
I think I understand where your holidaymakers are coming from. If ever we rent holiday accommodation, I want to have as little contact as possible with the owner when I’m actually there. It’s nothing personal, I just don’t think you can relax if you’re worried they’re going to pop up at any moment, no matter how good intentioned!
I actually found myself listening to the Looking Glass album on the interweb the other day. Don’t tell any of our cool friends. Nothing stood out as much as Brandy, but then a well-placed movie soundtrack appearance can often elevate a song above its contemporaries.
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Not seen Avengers Infinity War yet but if it features the GOTG then I really must seek it out.
Yes, I now realise that guests want very little contact with their host, but it is tough getting your head round the idea you simply leave a key for your lovingly decorated and furnished new abode, to total strangers – All based on trust I suppose and so far only one set of guests have let me down (although no permanent damage).
Would never have recognised Looking Glass from the picture and they pretty much resemble most other bands from that era (lots of hair and beards), but that one song is what they are pretty much known for, despite them being primarily rock group. Love it.
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I hope you’ve provided your guests with a copy of Local Hero – one of my Top 10 films of all time; funnily enough, another of my 10 is also Scottish.
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Sadly no, not yet, but it is brilliant isn’t it. We went to Pennan last year, where they filmed it, and of course had to have the obligatory picture in front of the red phone box. We just about wrecked the car getting into the village though, as a steep and winding road – At one point we had to reverse backwards to let another car past and the burning smell that ensued didn’t bode well.
Well I know your other Scottish film isn’t going to be Trainspotting because you said you’d never watched it all the way through. Could it be Gregory’s Girl?
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No, but it is another Bill Forsyth film.
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Now I thought it was going to be the one about sinks, but no, it’s the one about wafers! Remember going to see it at the cinema when it came out – A scarily long time ago now.
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