I Don't Like Mondays - The story behind the song.....

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

I Don't Like Mondays - The story behind the song.....

Tango · In the Long Grass

RE: Channel 4 - Mon 23 Jan - 23:05 - I Don't Like Mondays

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

The program started and ended with the song. At the end the Police chief condemned the song as idiotic,and the NBC reporter had similar comments. Most incredibly, one of the girls shot refered to the fact that she heard the song every Monday at about 2pm, when she started work and enjoyed it!

Most interesting was the interview of her father, Wallace, in the last part. He still lives in the same house that faces the school and the time of the interview was when the kids were leaving school. He was in total denial of his part in the incident (interestingly enough, he married his daughter's cell mate), and didn't believe the way he raised his daughter had anything to do with it. His ex-wife believed he was the one who should have been in jail.

She was tried as an adult rather than a minor. She pleaded guilty to killing two people, and did not face a jury. This may have spared her the death penalty, Obviously, many of those who were shot or who lost a family member all wanted her dead and believed she would do it again if released. This was not a view shared by those detached from the incident.

As for Brenda Spencer, ultimately she came across as a fairly stupid girl/woman whose ambitions were to find any excuse to get out of jail and work on a fork lift truck. A lot of her parole hearing related the shooting to the abuse she suffered at the hands of the father, though that seems to be de riguer for elicting sympathy these days.

The Spencers came across as a family made disfunctional by a father who wanted to have affairs yet be able to return to his wife and thought nothing of the consequences of giving a 16 year old girl a rifle for Christmas.

I don't believe she would reoffend if released. In the context of the light sentences handed out to the happy slapper murderers in this country yesterday http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view.php?ArtID=1964, she seems to have had a bad deal. I guess it all depends on whether you believe prison is to rehabilitate or punish. Her notiriety (the first school spree killer) has ensured she is still behind bars.

Having watched the programme, I do feel that Mondays, unlike Bowling for Columbine which condemned the lax US gun laws, came across as a nasty opportunistic song. People were affected by this incident, and hearing the song brings back a lot of bad memories.

I never felt the song was apt for either Live Aid or Live 8. It's never been one of my favourite songs, but watching this, made it seem even lesser. Time to retire it, methinks.

-- Edited by ArrGee at 12:56, 2006-01-26

Katharina · Dave

RE: More 4 - Wed 25 Jan - 23:00 - I Don't Like Mondays

Tango · In the Long Grass

he didnt play it at edinburgh 50000 he played rat trap and indifference instead and i think everyone enjoyed it much more cos it was amazing

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

I just watched the programme. What a bizarre man her father is? I can't believe anyone could still live in that house, but he does! She came across as very disturbed to me, both her and him disturbed and stupid. What kind of a man would give their 16 year old a gun for Xmas? Yes he was in total denial. Her mother had said she was suicidal, and he gave her a gun for Xmas. Well it wasn't herself she killed in the end...

It was certainly interesting to see the background to it all. She will now have parole hearing in 2009 and remains in prison for a further 4 years. If she gets released what kind of life would she have? She's destined for misery and an awful life whatever happens. No-one outside of prison would accept her, she'll be a loner just like her father. And being institutionalised from such a young age, as well as being so fragile emotionally, and lacking any kind of intelligence, how would she cope? I don't think she'd reoffend either, ArrGee, but we only saw what the reporter wanted us to, these views are never unbiast.

I'd never thought about the effect the song had on those involved, but was amazed that one woman liked the song. I'm sure Bob's intentions were never irresponsible or to drag it up for these people, he was just very shocked at the incident, and showed his horror in his music, in the way he normally expresses himself.

Drunc · She's So Modern

Bob has always been very interested in the news and this just happened to be an event that occured at his musical peak. Everyone knows the story behind the song but I didn't know the interesting facts revealed by Argee.

Me, I bought this single as an inocent naive 10 year old at the time of it's release because I loved it, and I still do.

Unfortunately I don't think Bob has enough worldwide hits at his disposal to be able to leave this one out at a concert without outraging anyone but the most devoted fan. I'm sure he would omit it if he didn't need to impress the audience.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

In light of recent events.....

BTR · Tonight

RE: I Don't Like Mondays - The story behind the song.....

suss · In the Long Grass

Not sure if this is the same programme, but fits the thread

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=r6xoZ8Mf6zI

Confess I didn't watch it all, but may be of interest to anyone not entirely familiar with the story.....

noelindublin · Loudmouth

At one stage Brenda Spenser wanted to meet Geldof but Geldof has always refused to meet her. Also I saw that the woman who was interviewing Bob when the telex machine was typing away, died. She was a dj at one of the American radio stations- She was called Caroline Corley at worked at a student radio station in AtlantaState University - the largest student run radio station in the Us, in the seventies.

She began her career at Georgia State University in Atlanta, at a time when it was the largest entirely student-run radio station in the country.

We actually made rock and roll history once when Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats came in to the studio, She wrote in her Peak biography. Back then, the station had one of those loud old-fashioned teletype machines like you see in the movies. There was some big story coming across the wire and the damn thing was so distracting that Bob stopped the interview to read the story live on the air. Inspired by that news report, later that afternoon he penned the biggest hit record of his career, I Dont Like Mondays.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
... the woman who was interviewing Bob when the telex machine was typing away...

This telex machine is a work of fiction. Geldof was in the UK when the shooting happened; check out the recordings of the first live renditions in San Diego.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
... the woman who was interviewing Bob when the telex machine was typing away...
This telex machine is a work of fiction. Geldof was in the UK when the shooting happened; check out the recordings of the first live renditions in San Diego.

This is Caroline Corey's account of interviewing Geldof. Would she make up a story? The Rats appeared in San Diego about a month after the shooting. There is no account of where Geldof was in Jan 1979, but maybe he was on a publicity tour of the US before the American tour of Feb/March 1979.

They did play Atlanta on March 28 1979, a full two months after the shooting. Wonder what it say in the bible ie Is That It? Honest I don't have a copy, but would be interesting to find out the exact timeline.

He may have written the song after the radio interview and in that case it would be around for about a month, before he played it live for the first time. He hardly wrote it during the SD performance- it must have been 'in development' in his head or on tape for a while.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:

Wonder what it say in the bible ie Is That It? Honest I don't have a copy, but would be interesting to find out the exact timeline.
He may have written the song after the radio interview and in that case it would be around for about a month, before he played it live for the first time. He hardly wrote it during the SD performance- it must have been 'in development' in his head or on tape for a while.

In Is That It? , they played the song for the first time about four months after the incident. It was about a month as you stated. He was not in Atlanta, listen to the San Diego tapes.

If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself. (A quote often attributed to Goebbels, but it's not his)

-- Edited by ArrGee on Thursday 20th of February 2014 08:32:44 PM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Geldof says that Fingers was there during the interview, and his story seems to be corroborated by Caroline Corey, the dj.Funny he says that the song was first performed at the Fox Theatre in London. The mystery thickens.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
Geldof says that Fingers was there during the interview, and his story seems to be corroborated by Caroline Corey, the dj.Funny he says that the song was first performed at the Fox Theatre in London. The mystery thickens.

There's no Fox theater in London. As an aside, Geldof claims to have met Fingers in the dole queue, but then how could Fingers and Garry Roberts have been forming a band and then asked Geldof to be manager?

The thing is that Geldof likes to tell an interesting story. Being in Atlanta is more interesting than seeing a report on the TV in the Uk. I believe Geldof saw news items coming through in Atlanta, but not the one he wrote the song about.

Go to page 192. Apparently song was performed four months after the incident....

Is That True?

-- Edited by ArrGee on Thursday 20th of February 2014 08:15:54 PM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
Geldof says that Fingers was there during the interview, and his story seems to be corroborated by Caroline Corey, the dj.Funny he says that the song was first performed at the Fox Theatre in London. The mystery thickens.
There's no Fox theater in London. As an aside, Geldof claims to have met Fingers in the dole queue, but then how could Fingers and Garry Roberts have been forming a band and then asked Geldof to be manager?
The thing is that Geldof likes to tell an interesting story. Being in Atlanta is more interesting than seeing a report on the TV in the Uk. I believe Geldof saw news items coming through in Atlanta, but not the one he wrote the song about.
Go to page 192. Apparently song was performed four months after the incident....
Is That True?

-- Edited by ArrGee on Thursday 20th of February 2014 08:15:54 PM

The Fox Theatre is in San Diago. Bob was stuck at home when the Ethiopian Famine broke.Paula was the breadwinner, Geldof freely admits this, so he can't be too much of a fantasist. He seems to me to have a very good memory. He was recounting the Rats early days when the first played around Ireland, including Cork and Limerick,, and told a story of how the band was lost in the middle of nowhere and had to ask a farmer for directions.

suss · In the Long Grass

Now you see it; now you don't.

Went back to watch rest of that 'story' and it's been disabled for copyright reasons.

Guess we'll never know the real story behind whereabouts when song first inspired/written. Not dissimilar to the Rat Trap written in Bewley's scenario.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
The Fox Theatre is in San Diago. Bob was stuck at home when the Ethiopian Famine broke.Paula was the breadwinner, Geldof freely admits this, so he can't be too much of a fantasist. He seems to me to have a very good memory. He was recounting the Rats early days when the first played around Ireland, including Cork and Limerick,, and told a story of how the band was lost in the middle of nowhere and had to ask a farmer for directions.

I know the Fox Theater is in San Diego. That is where they first performed the song. To quote Geldof addressing the audience at the start of I Don't Like Mondays..

27-Feb-1979 "Is there anybody here who goes to the sierra macer gray school ? about a month ago we read in the paper in England about Debbie Spencer, I think it was, Linda? who took a gun and went down to the school and shot up her friends..."

28-Feb-1979 "What happened was we were watching the box in London and next minute San Diego came on the TV screen and there was a picture of this girl, I think it was Brenda Spencer who decided one day that she'd get up take her Christmas present, go down to the school where she was and kill or try and kill a lot of her friends."

So about a month after the incident with it fresh in his memory, no mention of being in Altanta reading the story on a telex machine. It's just a story... So all those people that claimed to be there, simply weren't.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Most people thought the song was about common human dislike for the first day of the week after a weekend of rest. I did for some time. Once the genie was out of the bottle, so to speak, it didn't matter yet many still comment, as Jonathan Ross did at Live 8, that the true subject matter of the song makes it's popularity a bit baffling. Looking back, it does seem opportunistic.

Prison is to punish and rehabiltate, it's not either or. She's definitely been punished enough and I hope rehabilitated. She should probably be released taking everything into account.

As for the SE1 killing/attacks, I still fail to understand how you can jump up and down on a human being's head, and/or kick it repeatedly and moreover do this and not intend to kill that person. The correct charges should have been murder and attempted murder and the correct verdicts guilty. Instead, the British justice system will see these convicts out for the turn of 2020.

Remind me not to go to London for the New Year celebrations that year.

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Great story telling song Think he tried the write an Olivers army type of song (which was about the north of ireland) He always talks about this song and it's story telling

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Brit justice Don't make me laugh mate

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Anyone how does not know what this song is about Must be living on Mars

Mark L · Loudmouth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfJOhD7TeXc

Graham Parker smells a rat.

Interesting he thinks 2 Elvis Costello songs were in the mix for this.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Mark L wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfJOhD7TeXc
Graham Parker smells a rat.
Interesting he thinks 2 Elvis Costello songs were in the mix for this.

Weird bit of video. Apart from the casual seventies racism from Parker (or is it disguised jealousy) it shows Bob on auto pilot and is an interesting on the road vignette of a rock star basically dealing with success- the long touring, the giving of 'good copy' than can leave one scratching ones head, how self justifying rock stars can be, and in a way it's all a bit sad- the climb to 'the top' just seems to make Geldof a bit wired, paranoid and an unreliable witness to his own success.

It's fascinating in a way. Great insights like 'Pete and Gerry loved it (Mondays) instantly'. Somehow I feel Bob was in the full throes of arriving at being the rock star he always wanted to be and as he could function as normal as long as his rock star mouth moved.

This is from the same interview that surfaced a while back as he is sitting alongside Gerry. More embellishments of the story of writing Mondays : ' I wrote it as it was actually happening' - but overall it just gives a glimpse into a 'man at the top' who from this brief piece lead with his mouth, the sense would follow later.

Finally not sure if Graham Parker was taking the proverbial as Geldof has said he was a fan of Graham Parker/Rumour on more than one occasion. I certainly think the Rats and GP were on the same bill in the late seventies. The one Graham Parker album I had I though was not that great, certainly nothing compared with the Rats. Infact Bob covered You Can't Be Too Strong so I suspect that there relationship might have been a bit more friendly than GP's 'quips' make it seem. He was pandering to the Aussies after all smile

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Blimey charlie, it's some pesky kids from Blackrock College and that song....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmr9gWSaaC0

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
... the woman who was interviewing Bob when the telex machine was typing away...
This telex machine is a work of fiction. Geldof was in the UK when the shooting happened; check out the recordings of the first live renditions in San Diego.
This is Caroline Corey's account of interviewing Geldof. Would she make up a story? The Rats appeared in San Diego about a month after the shooting. There is no account of where Geldof was in Jan 1979, but maybe he was on a publicity tour of the US before the American tour of Feb/March 1979.
They did play Atlanta on March 28 1979, a full two months after the shooting. Wonder what it say in the bible ie Is That It? Honest I don't have a copy, but would be interesting to find out the exact timeline.
He may have written the song after the radio interview and in that case it would be around for about a month, before he played it live for the first time. He hardly wrote it during the SD performance- it must have been 'in development' in his head or on tape for a while.

So they turned up in Atlanta in March 1979, no chance they took a few snaps then is there?

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
The Fox Theatre is in San Diago. Bob was stuck at home when the Ethiopian Famine broke.Paula was the breadwinner, Geldof freely admits this, so he can't be too much of a fantasist. He seems to me to have a very good memory. He was recounting the Rats early days when the first played around Ireland, including Cork and Limerick,, and told a story of how the band was lost in the middle of nowhere and had to ask a farmer for directions.
I know the Fox Theater is in San Diego. That is where they first performed the song. To quote Geldof addressing the audience at the start of I Don't Like Mondays..
27-Feb-1979 "Is there anybody here who goes to the sierra macer gray school ? about a month ago we read in the paper in England about Debbie Spencer, I think it was, Linda? who took a gun and went down to the school and shot up her friends..."
28-Feb-1979 "What happened was we were watching the box in London and next minute San Diego came on the TV screen and there was a picture of this girl, I think it was Brenda Spencer who decided one day that she'd get up take her Christmas present, go down to the school where she was and kill or try and kill a lot of her friends."
So about a month after the incident with it fresh in his memory, no mention of being in Altanta reading the story on a telex machine. It's just a story... So all those people that claimed to be there, simply weren't.

The same old story...

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Never in a million years