I was just wondering how many rock songs, album titles, album covers, etc, we could come up with which relate to trains.
Here are a few suggestions to get us started....
Particularly poignant this week, the cover from Motorheads 1986 album, Orgasmatron, which includes the track "Ridin' with the Driver"
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/9/thumb_33601.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=33601)
then there is Saxons "Princess of the night"
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/9/thumb_33600.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=33600)
and I've always liked the cover artwork for Diamond Heads "Am I Evil"
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/9/thumb_33602.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=33602)
or what about
Cinderella "Heartbreak Station"
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/9/thumb_33607.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=33607)
or Soul Asylum "Runaway Train"
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/9/thumb_33608.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=33608)
and finally for my suggestions Jethro Tull "Locomotive Breath"
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/9/thumb_33609.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=33609)
There must be loads more out there, so what are your suggestions?
There's " Turkish Tram Conductor Blues" by The Move , (light rail system).
"Canadian Pacific " by George Hamilton IV though this is a country song.
Long Train Running by the Doobie brothers and Slow Train Coming by Bob Dylan.
John P
not a song about a train but Queens Breakthru uses a steam train in the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q22oGInO-uo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q22oGInO-uo)
Last Train to London - ELO
Southern Pacific - Neil Young
Marrakesh Express - Crosby Stills Nash & Young
I'm sure there are others as well.
Last train to clarksville -the monkies
Spanish Train by Chris De Burgh
Downtown Train by Bruce Springsteen
Homebound Train by Bon Jovi
Mystery Train by Bon Jovi
Rock 'N' Roll Train by AC/DC
Honky Tonk Train Blues by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Little Boy Named Train by Green Day
Long Train Running by The Doobie Brothers
Runaway Train by Soul Asylum
Trains And Winter Rains by Enya (apt song with the current weather!!)
Midnight Train by The Men They Couldn't Hang
Midnight Train by Bryan Ferry
And don't forget the rock band from San Francisco - Train
She Caught The Katy is a blues classic, first brought to my attention by The Blues Brothers. Plenty more to be had amongst the Blues I suspect.
Two from The Cure:
Jumping someone else's train
Another journey by train - admittedly a rather obscure B side :)
The video for the former is worth a look - it is a speeded up London to Brighton cab view
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1oWf07FRCw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1oWf07FRCw)
Think the who were rail fans wot with the 5:15,and the precursor to tommy,a quick one.Theres also cream with train time,and white room mentions platform tickets and restless diesels.Even the clash had a go with train in vain
There's also Locomotion by OMD, and we mustn't forget The Locomotion (not Kylie's version) by Grand Funk Railroad.
Someone already chimed in (get it :P) with one ELO song ... how about "Across the Border" (has railway bells ringing in the intro & refers to waiting @ the station, the 9:05, & the southbound train) ... "Hello, My Old Friend" (has 'High-rise tower blocks with panoramic Views of trains and coal, Tiehead railway tracks tread faithfully, The gas works to behold'"), and "Train of Gold" of course,
(Strangely enough, despite having both a dockside and an airport lyric, "Night in the City" has no railway station ...)
City of New Orleans.. recorded by Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson (and also by Steve Goodman, who wrote it)
Also there's Cream's "The White Room"... more about the station than the actual trains, but there is a mention of "restless diesels".
Red Sea - Hellbound Train
https://youtu.be/yFmHk1mRxU4
Main Line Riders - Ride the Main Line
https://youtu.be/00JCK8i9IiU
How about Midnight Special. ... Has been released by many artists
Southbound train,Mountain. And Hendrix could hear his train a coming.
We seem to have moved from the original post "Rock songs about trains" to songs about trains generally so here is my two pence worth:
Night Train - Oscar Peterson, Georgie Fame and many others
The Train I Ride - old skiffle song
Rock Island Line - ditto
Morningtown Ride The Seekers
Pacific 2-3-1 Honegger
Last Train to San Fernando Johnny Duncan & the Blue Grass Boys
The Runaway Train Vernon Dalhart
Waterloo Sunset The Kinks
The Slow Slow Train Flanders & Swann
The Wreck of Old 97 Johnny Cash/June Carter, Willie Nelson et al
Coronation Scot Vivian Ellis
There are many many more but that will do to be going on with
My favourite, although blues -' Smokestack Lightning' Howling Wolf and others
Train in vain - THE CLASH
Wow, I'm getting quite a playlist here,
German rockers UFO not only covered Mystery Train, but also had a track called Midnight Train, of course Guns and Roses had a "Night Train" on their appetite for destruction album (although I'm not sure that's the railway sort of train) and Bob Seeger sang about the "Down Town Train".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMbBYL6bvOI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMbBYL6bvOI)
..and , sadly this week, just from starting post
Locomotive - MOTÖRHEAD..
I should of course include Ozzy doing Crazy Train, but to be honest I'd rather watch these two than Ozzy, so here are two twins covering Crazy Train as an instrumental on harps!
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR2RVaXKQiE#)
And for something a bit more lively
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ciNVt3nos&list=PLaI2lDf3IVfssGKCid7NCQdkueUvzP2XR (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ciNVt3nos&list=PLaI2lDf3IVfssGKCid7NCQdkueUvzP2XR)
Disclaimer: This song has one naughty word in it.............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owShKaLrvBg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owShKaLrvBg)
The Rock Island lsland line by Lonnie Donnigan , last train to Clarksville by the Monkees And the classic Last Train To Glasgow Central by Billy Connelly
The Train and the River - Jimmy Guiffre
Didn't The Who do a track called "Ivor the engine driver"?
Cheating a bit on this one - John Coltrane "Blue Trane"
Midnight train to Georgia
come on train (earl scruggs)
last train out of sydney - (actually is last PLANE, but is normally mis heard and chanted by 10,000 drunken cold chisel fans)
:laughabovepost: :laughabovepost: :laughabovepost:
Deltics by Chris Rea
Love Train by the O'Jays
Rudy by Supertramp
Might not count but it does mention trains and has recordings of a Paddington platform announcement and a departing Western
Two by Ten Years After...
...Choo Choo Mama
...Standing at the Station
And another by Cream...
...Traintime
No Rock Songs but.... :thumbsup:.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7i83yoQSo0#)
André
Does Waterloo Sunset qualify?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s_yumYPFm4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s_yumYPFm4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg8DhjQOtzM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg8DhjQOtzM)
Trains & Boats & Planes by several artists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uto9t8k-Flg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uto9t8k-Flg)
Half of the songs by Johnny Cash seem to have references to trains....!
Railroad Song - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Mystery Train - The Band (from the Last Waltz)
Freight Train - Nancy Whiskey & Chas McDevitt
6-5 Special - Don Lang & the Frantic 5
Quote from: mr bachmann on January 01, 2016, 10:41:20 AM
Freight Train - Nancy Whiskey & Chas McDevitt
6-5 Special - Don Lang & the Frantic 5
Strangely enough "Freight Train" was the first one to come to mind for me, and I used to watch 6-5 Special on TV as well. However the first record I ever bought (I bought 2 78's together actually) was "Last Train to San Fernando" by Johnny Duncan & the Blue Grass Boys (the other 78 was "Diana" by Paul Anka). I seem to recall Elvis also releasing a song about a train too, but I can't remember the Title.
Quote from: Tdm on January 01, 2016, 11:47:05 AM
I seem to recall Elvis also releasing a song about a train too, but I can't remember the Title.
That would be Mystery Train, again ...
Quote from: MikeDunn on January 01, 2016, 12:29:06 PM
Quote from: Tdm on January 01, 2016, 11:47:05 AM
I seem to recall Elvis also releasing a song about a train too, but I can't remember the Title.
That would be Mystery Train, again ...
Was Mystery Train in Feb 1957 got to no 25 in the UK charts. :help:
Another one but not really rock is
The Train is coming by UB40 and also by Shaggy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egizl2f6AdY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egizl2f6AdY)
Half Man Half Biscuit - Time Flies by...
I love the reference to The Chigley Skins
"End of The Line" An old favorite foot tapper of mine and one that's in my driving compilation! 8) A tribute to Roy also!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqhdRs4jyA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqhdRs4jyA)
On the basis of all this excellent music I have a suggestion to make. Why not have background music on a PA system at exhibitions, with this playlist accompanying visitors viewing of the layouts? :bounce: :claphappy: :bounce:
Quote from: Buzzard on January 01, 2016, 09:19:33 AM
Rudy by Supertramp
Might not count but it does mention trains and has recordings of a Paddington platform announcement and a departing Western
ANYTHING with a Western on it counts for me.
My era is somewhat older but we have (in no particular order)
Chattanooga Choo Choo
The Atkinson, Topeka and the Santa Fe
Take the A train
Finally, not necessarily tunes to do with trains, but how about "Tuxedo Junction" and, what I was thinking the day my Class 180 crawled into Paddington with 4 (sic) engines out (leaving just one working :worried:), and the driver and me praying we got 'greens' because we could never have restarted the train had we been stopped, "Comin' in on a wing and a prayer".
For those who want the whole story the engines were restarted by our relief crew, and the train conked out completely about 100 yards off the end of the platform when running ECS to Old Oak Common.
'Over the points' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads
It's a song from a locomotive's point of view - http://m.nhacso.net/nghe-nhac/over-the-points.VllQVUtb.html (http://m.nhacso.net/nghe-nhac/over-the-points.VllQVUtb.html)
Oh, and I nearly forgot that ever popular John Denver classic song "I'm leaving on a jet train" :D
Oh, OK, I'll just get my coat before I go...... :goodbye:
Everything But The Girl's 'Anytown' has the evocative line ' Standing in the driving rain, I can hear the Oldham train' in it, which always brings to mind a DMU on a viaduct disappearing into the gloom for me!
Did someone already mention "Manic Monday" by the Bangles? :
...Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine
And if I had an airoplane
I still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long
Just to figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train
But the boss is already there...
Roger taylor Queen's drummer Freedom train
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SLHg2DmbY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SLHg2DmbY)
One absolutely obscure (and totally pointless) song that no-one has so far mentioned is 'New Delhi Freight Train' recorded by both Little Feat and others .
The opening few lines of the single verse contains the following immortal words:
'Some people think that I must be crazy
But my real name is just Jesse James
An I left them half-crocked, hard-knocks of black rock county
Just to ride on that New Delhi Train
Ridin on that New Delhi Freight Train
Ridin down that New Delhi Line
Ridin on that New Delhi Freight Train
Well I left my love behind...'
AFAIK, New Delhi is in India, while Jesse James was an American who never went beyond the shores of the USA, so make of the words as you will. Perhaps Terry Allen (the composer) was 'geographically challenged...?'
Not exactly rock, but how about "Life flies by when you're the driver of a train" from Chigley.
John P
Not sure about that one John but there is "Time flies by (when you're the driver of a train)" by Half Man Half Biscuit which is on the Back in the DHSS album. I borrowed the album (vinyl and before CDs were around) from someone at work many years ago. I've still got it >:D
Correct it is Time flies by.
John P
Supertramp...Rudy.
It starts with "Rudy's on a train to nowhere" and mentions a whole load of stations en-route to Bristol Temple Meads over the station tannoy.
Ahhh' Bristol T.M. the place my trainspotting started towards the mid 60s!
Returning to the Original Post, here are a few 'Rock' additions from the Bridgiesimon collection -
Aerosmith – Train Kept a Rollin
AC/DC – Rock N Roll Train
Megadeth – Train of consequences
Metallica No Leaf Clover
Rush – A Passage to Bankock
Ozzy Osborne – Crazy Train
Guns and Roses – Night Train
REM – Driver 8
Jimmy Hendrix – Hear my train a comin'
Counting Crows – Ghost Train
'Train of Consequences being a particular favourite -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNyqlVV2e4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNyqlVV2e4)
Best wishes for 2016
Simon
Quote from: Komata on January 01, 2016, 10:03:56 PM
'
AFAIK, New Delhi is in India, while Jesse James was an American who never went beyond the shores of the USA, so make of the words as you will. Perhaps Terry Allen (the composer) was 'geographically challenged...?'
There is more than one 'New Delhi' in the USA so the reference was probably one of those.
Checking 'New Delhi US' will give a couple of Wickedpedia notes.
The last train to Trancentral By KLF
Kasabians Underdog includes lyrics about being on a train.
a couple more -
Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull
Train Train by Blackfoot
Train in Vain by The Clash
Blue Train by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
Slow Train Coming by Bob Dylan
Best wishes
Simon
Not sure if it has been mentioned or if it qualifies but David Gilmour's Rattle that Lock has the SNCF station announcement sound in it several times :D
Slightly depressing but 10 cc's under your thumb is about a stationary train. Not a newspaper train cause that would be a stationery train......
Already mentioned Jethro Tull Locomotive breath fantastic memories...
Jerry
Don't forget "Big Big Train" either
Three more
Last Train to San Fernando (Johnny Duncan).
What am I doin' hangin' round? (The Monkees).
Steam Engine (The Monkees).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_train_songs
has billions...!
[smg id=33658 type=preview align=center caption="Howzabout 'Train Train' by the Count Bishops?"]
To go back to the original posting, Motorhead also used to cover 'Train Kept a-Rollin' in their early days. I have a flex-single somewhere which was given away with a music publication at that time (about 1977-78)
"Silverton" is my one of my favourites by C.W. McCall with a great little video to with it.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a_19VDqQgo#)
Bob Dylan has "Duquesne Whistle" in which a train noise is frequently referenced.
Webbo
Surprised that nobody has got the Guns'N'Roses 'Night Train'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCdgDG4s1Y4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCdgDG4s1Y4)
A passage to Bangkok - RUSH
Hardly a rock song but Flanders and Swann made a record of the Beeching cuts and many of the branch lines he lopped off.
It's called "The Slow Train" and is on You Tube along with many pictures of our lost past.
Attempts to paste the link here have failed, but it is worth a listen for those interested in the era.
Not a rock song but "The City of New Orleans " by Willie Nelson is
about the best train song and it's all about the train itself.
Quote from: EtchedPixels on January 02, 2016, 04:25:47 PM
Don't forget "Big Big Train" either
Wasn't that the Triang "0" Gauge Hymek ?? sorry :offtopicsign:
Jerry
"The City of New Orleans" was also sung by Arlo Guthrie as posted earlier in this thread. It is one of my favourite songs and not just favourite railroad songs.
Webbo
How about
"Frankfort Special" and "Mystery Train" by Elvis and "Last train to Expo 67" by Duke Reid.
From the film "The Sound of Music" came the song "Climb every mountain", which surely can only be a musical history of the BR "Peak" Classes 44/45/46. :D
Or maybe not. :no:
Not rock, but...
Hobo Blues by John Lee Hooker
When I first thought to hobo'in, hobo'in,
I took a freight train to be my friend, oh Lord
Its a long, long way from rock and roll but Trains by Reginald Gardiner . I can remember the noise in Snow Hill tunnel (just).
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgZlT1IA8-U#)
Here's another
"Downbound Train" by Chuck Berry.
U2 - Zoo Station 8)
Zoo Station (Berlin Zoologischer Garten) was the main railway station in the former West Berlin, and when the wall went up became the eastern terminus of the U-Bahn 2 (Untergrundbahn 2, ie "underground railway 2"), usually called "U2".
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bke27CYB8NE#)
(Ok, the song's really about childbirth, or even rebirth, but the metaphors are all trainy!)
Mike
Showing my age a bit....
Orange Blossom Special - Johnny Cash, The Spotnicks etc.
Come On Train - Johnny & The Hurricanes
Let It Rock a.k.a Rocking On The Railroad - Chuck Berry
Riding On The L&N - John Mayall, Dr Feelgood, 9 Below Zero etc.
Smokestack Lightning - Howling Wolf, Yardbirds etc.
All Aboard - Chuck Berry
I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow - Johnny Cash
Big Train - Booker T & MGs
Cheers, Ian
Not rock but almost rocksteady: Train to Skaville - Ethiopians
Also Don't sleep in the Subway by Petula Clark.
How did I manage to forget "How long has this train been gone" by Billy Preston ?
Best regards,
Joe
P.S. I would also like to mention some of the lyrics of "Rainy Night in Georgia by Brook Benton :
"I find me a place in a boxcar
and take my guitar
to pass some time.
the distant moaning of a train
seems to play a sad refrain,
to the night"
That's what I call poetry !
How about four train songs from one band?
Velvet Train, Gravy train, Slow Train and Railroad.
All from none other than Status Quo!
Found this in a junk shop this week....
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/8/thumb_35040.jpeg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=35040)
anyone else remember
"the 6.5 Special"
seem to remember it as a theme tune, but I think it was also a single :hmmm:
Over the points
Over the points
Over the points
Over the points.................
Opening sequence on YouTube.
Train a'comin - Steve Earle
Train Bound For Nowhere - Eric Clapton & Mark Knopfler (J J Cale song)
Canadian Pacific - Gordon Lightfoot
Downbound Train - Bruce Springsteen
The Day We Caught The Train - Ocean Colour Scene