The Radar: Connections Game

Current standings:

Rich: 18/34 correct, 46/183 points (25%)

Steve: 7/13 correct, 26/99 points (26%)

 

2022-03-03: THE RADAR

Steve's connection. Rich got it. Hooray!

The initials of the artists, in sequence, spelled out "The Radar".

  • Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere
  • Eddi Reader - Patience Of Angels
  • Arrested Development - Mr Wendal
  • Alice Russell - Crazy

 

2022-02-24: Afterlife

Steve's connection. Rich got it after hearing the titles so he can have the point.

All four song titles refer to some aspect of an afterlife.

  • Radiohead - In Limbo
  • Oasis - (As Long As They've Got) Cigarettes In Hell
  • Portishead - Elysium
  • Florence + The Machine - All This And Heaven Too

 

2022-02-17: Falsetto

Steve's connection. Rich didn't get it.

All four songs are sung in falsetto:

  • Neil Young - After The Gold Rush
  • Reef - Consideration
  • Geneva - Tranquillizer
  • The Charlatans - A Man Needs To Be Told

 

2022-02-03: Cluedo characters

Rich's connection. Steve failed.

The four song titles referenced Cluedo characters:

  • Tim Burgess - White
  • The Black Tambourines - Green
  • Duke Special - Wake Up Scarlett
  • Paul Weller - Peacock Suit

 

2022-01-27: Wordle answers this week

Steve's connection. Rich got it on the first song!

The four song titles contained words that were the answers to this week's Wordle games:

  • Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll
  • Rodriguez - Sugar Man
  • The Dickies - Whack The Dalai Lama
  • Beth Orton - Mount Washington

 

2022-01-20: Tom Hanks films

Steve's connection. Rich was successful!

  • Thundercat Inferno
  • Lush - Ladykillers
  • Fontaines DC - Big
  • Frank Ocean - Forrest Gump

 

2022-01-13: Playing card suits

Steve's connection. Rich was not successful (but he didn't know the first two titles, to be fair).

  • Husky Rescue - Diamonds In The Sky
  • Little Boots - Hearts Collide
  • Rob Dougan - Clubbed To Death
  • Motorhead - Ace Of Spades

 

2021-12-09: How do you like your steak?

Steve's connection. Rich was not successful.

  • The Bluetones - Are You Blue Or Are You Blind?
  • Jonathan Wilson - Rare Birds
  • The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Theme From The Pink Panther
  • IDLES - Well Done

 

2021-12-02: Covers of songs also covered by The Beatles in the documentary "Get Back"

Rich's connection. Steve guessed correctly.

  • Alt-J - House Of The Rising Sun
    • Traditional (but made famous by The Animals)
  • Beth Rowley - I Shall Be Released
    • Bob Dylan
  • The Beach Boys - Rock And Roll Music
    • Chuck Berry
  • Tracy Chapman - Stand By Me
    • Ben E King

 

2021-11-18: Songs mentioning other artists

Rich's connection. Steve guessed correctly.

The lyrics of each song mentioned other musical acts.

  • The Fratellis - For The Girl
    • The Rolling Stones and The Stone Roses
  • Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love
    • The Style Council and The Jam
  • The Beatles - Yer Blues
    • Bob Dylan
  • Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes
    • T Rex, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones

 

2021-11-11: Revolutionaries

Steve's connection. Rich was not successful.

All titles had the name of a revolutionary (three actual revolutionaries, and one who likely just has the same name):

  • Townes Van Zandt - Pancho And Lefty
  • Cast Of Hamilton - Washington On Your Side
  • Jamie T - Castro Dies
  • Alabama 3 - Mao Tse Tung Said

 

2021-10-21: Races

Steve's connection. Rich guessed correctly.

  • Yello - The Race
  • Vangoffey - Race Of Life
  • The Flaming Lips - Race For The Prize
  • Queen - Bicycle Race

 

2021-10-14: Relatives in Artists

Steve's connection. Rich was not successful.

Each artist had a relative hidden at the start of a word in their name:

  • Shane MacGowan And The Popes - A Mexican Funeral In Paris
  • Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)
  • Mumford & Sons - Roll Away Your Stone
  • Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Good To Know

 

2021-09-23: Levi Adverts

Steve's connection. Rich guessed correctly.

All songs were used in adverts for Levi jeans (adverts which were briefly a cultural phenomenon). Chosen because this was show number 501, a number associated with the Levi brand. Songs were:

 

2021-09-16: Clint Eastwood

Steve's connection. Rich guessed correctly.

All songs shared titles with Clint Eastwood films:

  • Clock Opera - Changeling
  • Black Grape - Kelly's Heroes
  • Gorillaz - Dirty Harry
  • Metallica - The Unforgiven

 

2020-03-12: Radar #1

Steve's connection.  Rich didn't get it.

The first four songs that were played at the beginning of Radar episode #1 (but in reverse order to make it harder):

  • Charlotte Hatherley - Alexander
  • The Jane Shermans - Young & Hungry
  • Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes
  • Julian Casablancas - Out Of The Blue

 

2020-03-05: Sawmills Studios

Rich's connection.  Steve didn't get it.  (Robin texted in with the right answer.)

Four songs recorded at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall (because today is St Piran's Day!).

  • Muse - Sunburn
  • Supergrass - Going Out
  • The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
  • Oasis - Bring It On Down

 

2020-02-27: Spike Jonze

Steve hoped to trick Rich with a connection similar to another recent one, but Rich got it right away!

Four songs with music videos directed by Spike Jonze:

  • Beastie Boys - Sabotage
  • Weezer - Buddy Holly
  • Tenacious D - Wonderboy
  • Daft Punk - Da Funk

 

2020-02-20: Masked Singer

Steve's connection.  Rich did not guess.

Vocalists who all appeared on the 2020 series of The Masked Singer (UK).

  • Hot Leg - Heroes
    • Justin Hawkins (Chameleon) in a non-Darkness side project
  • The 1999 Manchester United Squad - Lift It High (All About Belief)
    • This squad included Teddy Sheringham (Tree)
  • Scissor Sisters - It Can't Come Quickly Enough
    • Jake Shears (Unicorn)
  • Skunk Anansie - Rise Up
    • Skin (Duck)

 

2020-02-06: Michel Gondry

Steve's connection.  Rich circled it but ultimately missed.

Four (plus a bonus fifth!) songs with music videos directed by Michel Gondry:

  • Foo Fighters - Everlong
  • Bjork - Army Of Me
  • The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl
  • Massive Attack - Protection
  • Radiohead - Knives Out

 

2020-01-16: John F Kennedy

Steve's connection. Rich did not guess (until he looked up the lyrics online, but it doesn't count!).

Four songs mentioning John F Kennedy (plus a fifth song which mentions him but not by name):

  • Pearl Jam - Brain Of J
    • Who's got the brain of JFK?
      What's it mean to us now?
  • The Postal Service - Sleeping In
    • Last week I had the strangest dream
      where everything was exactly how it seemed
      where there was never any mystery
      of who shot John F Kennedy
  • Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire
    • JFK
      Blown away
      What else do I have to say
  • Guns N' Roses - Civil War
    • And in my first memories
      They shot Kennedy
      I went numb when I learned to see
  • Inspiral Carpets - Saturn 5
    • Laying down the lifeless corpse of
      President 35
      The lady crying by his side is
      The most beautiful woman alive

 

2020-01-09: Misunderstood lyrics

Rich's connection. Steve guessed it.

Four songs with lyrics that are popularly misunderstood.

  • Babybird - You're Gorgeous
    • A male photographer exploits female models - not a love song.
  • REM - The One I Love
    • Using people ("a simple prop to occupy my time") - not a love song.
  • The Police - Every Breath You Take
    • Obsession and jealousy of a possessive lover - not a wholesome positive message (but still about love, possibly).
  • Lou Reed - Perfect Day
    • A reverse-misunderstanding - Lou Reed says this is in fact the simple romantic song it appears to be, and isn't about love of heroin as many people assume.

 

2020-01-02: Alcoholism

Steve's connection. Rich guessed it.

Four songs with lyrics about excess consumption of alcohol:

  • The Handsome Family - So Much Wine
  • Weezer - Say It Ain't So
  • The Beautfiul South - Old Red Eyes Is Back
  • Santino Fontana - Greg's Drinking Song

 

2019-10-31: Halloween

Steve's connection.  Rich did not guess it.

Four songs whose titles implied the event of Halloween on October 31.

  • David Bowie - Hallo Spaceboy
  • Foo Fighters - Weenie Beenie
  • JJ72 - October Swimmer
  • Little Jackie - 31 Flavors

 

2019-10-24: Album covers featuring dogs

Steve's connection. Rich guessed it.

Four songs from albums which feature dogs on their cover art.

  • Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
    • Tusk (the album) has a photo of a dog pulling at a trouser leg
  • Blur - Magic America
    • Parklife shows greyhounds racing
  • Beck - Sissyneck
    • Odelay shows a Komondor jumping over a hurdle
  • Kate Bush - Cloudbusting
    • Hounds Of Love has Kate Bush and two dogs on the cover

 

2019-10-17: Computer keyboard keys

Steve's connection. Rich guessed it.

Four songs with titles which reference keys on a computer keyboard.

  • Supergrass - Jesus Came From Outta Space
  • Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
  • Super Furry Animals - Out Of Control
  • The Bluetones - Slight Return

 

2019-10-10: Conservative party leaders

Rich's connection. Steve failed.

Four songs with names in which could match successive Conservative party leaders

  • The Divine Comedy - Edward The Confessor
    • Edward Heath
  • Camera Obscura - Come Back Margaret
    • Margaret Thatcher
  • David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing
    • John Major
  • The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing
    • William Hague

 

2019-09-26: Johnny Marr

Steve's connection. Rich guessed it.

Four songs from bands which included Johnny Marr at the time of recording:

  • The Cribs - Nothing
  • Modest Mouse - Florida
  • Electronic - Getting Away With It
  • The Smiths - Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others

 

2019-09-19: Trump campaign music used against the artists' wishes

Rich's connection. Steve did not work it out.

Four songs chosen from the many used by Donald Trump, against the wishes of the artists, at his campaign rallies:

  • Queen - We Are The Champions
  • REM - It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
  • Adele - Rolling In The Deep
  • Elton John - Rocket Man

 

2019-09-05: Band names inspired by literature

Rich's connection. Steve got halfway there but ultimately failed.

The four songs were by bands whose names were literarily-inspired:

  • Modest Mouse - Dashboard
    • From the Virigina Woolf story "The Mark On The Wall" ("...even in the minds of modest mouse-coloured people").
  • The Doors - Love Me Two Times
    • Named after "The Doors Of Perception" by Aldous Huxley
  • Belle & Sebastian - 3... 6... 9 Seconds Of Light
    • Named after "Belle et Sébastien" by Cécile Aubry
  • The Boo Radleys - From The Bench At Belvidere
    • Named after the character Boo Radley from "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

 

2019-08-22: "The (Colour) Album"

Steve's connection. Rich somehow missed it.

All four songs were from eponymous albums that are more commonly known by the colour of their cover:

  • The Band - Across The Great Divide
    • Album The Band is known as The Brown Album
  • Metallica - Enter Sandman
    • Album Metallica is known as The Black Album
  • Weezer - In The Garage
    • Album Weezer is known as The Blue Album
  • The Beatles - Helter Skelter
    • Album The Beatles is known as The White Album

 

2019-08-15: Sum 41

Steve's connection. Rich got close but not close enough!

The four artists had numbers in their names.  The sum of those numbers was 3+5+7+5+6+7+8 = 41, so the connection was the band Sum 41.

  • Oui 3 - For What It's Worth
  • Jurassic 5 - Jayou
  • L7 - Pretend We're Dead
  • The 5, 6, 7, 8s - Woo Hoo

 

2019-08-01: Stanley Kubrick

Rich's connection. Steve guessed successfully.

All four song titles are related to Stanley Kubrick films.

  • Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
    • The Killing (1956)
  • Radio 4 - Eyes Wide Open
    • Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
  • Blonde Redhead - Dr Strangeluv
    • Dr Strangelove (1964)
  • Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining
    • The Shining (1980)

  

2019-07-18: Punctuation

Steve's connection.  Rich guessed successfully.

These acts all use slightly unusual punctuation in their names.

  • Anderson .Paak - Heart Don't Stand A Chance
  • The Go! Team - Huddle Formation
  • Therapy? - Nowhere
  • D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better

 

2019-07-11: Anti-vax

Steve's connection. Rich sort of half got it.

Jessica Biel made some comments recently which were interpreted as being against vaccinations.

  • Electric Six - Jessica Dresses Like A Dragon
  • Elephant Stone - Love The Sinner, Hate The Sin
    • Jessica Biel starred in The Sinner
  • Ladyhawke - Vaccine
  • The White Stripes - Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine

 

2019-06-06: Harder, Better, Faster Stronger

Steve's connection. Rich did not work it out.

The connection was a song which has superior adjectives to these four - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk.

  • Andrew WK - Party Hard
  • Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc
  • REM - So Fast, So Numb
  • Crowded House - Something So Strong

 

2019-05-30: Names of Britain's Got Talent Judges

Steve's connection. Rich did not work it out (but guest presenter Skye did).

  • David Lindup - The Zodiac
  • Alesha Dixon - Son Of A Preacher Man
  • Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Do It With A Rockstar
  • Simon & Garfunkel - America

 

2019-05-23: Musicians who went into politics

Rich's connection.  Steve guessed successfully.

  • Midnight Oil - Put Down That Weapon
    • Peter Garrett became a member of the House of Representatives in Australia
  • Blur - Best Days
    • Dave Rowntree stood for election as an MP, and has been elected a county councillor
  • Longpigs - Dance Baby Dance
    • Crispin Hunt stood for election as an MEP in this year's European Parliament election
  • Nirvana - Serve The Servants
    • Krist Novoselic is a political activist

 

2019-05-16: Bob Dylan namechecks

Steve's connection.  Rich did not work it out.

  • Jesus Jones - Right Here, Right Now
    • "A woman on the radio talked about revolution
      when it's already passed her by
      Bob Dylan didn't have this to sing about 
      you know it feels good to be alive"
  • Frank Turner - I Am Disappeared
    • "I keep having dreams
      Of pioneers and pirate ships and Bob Dylan
      Of people wrapped up tight in the things that will kill them
      Of being trapped in a lift plunging straight to the bottom
      Of open seas and ways of life we've forgotten"
    • "Posters of Dylan and of Hemingway
      An antique compass for a sailor's escape"
    • "I'm by the roadside with my thumb out
      A car pulls up, and Bob's driving"
  • The Who - The Seeker
    • "I asked Bobby Dylan
      I asked The Beatles
      I asked Timothy Leary
      But he couldn't help me either"
  • Counting Crows - Mr Jones
    • "I wanna be Bob Dylan
      Mr Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky
      When everybody loves you
      Ah son, that's just about as funky as you can be"

 

2019-05-02: Game Of Thrones cameos

Rich's connection. Steve guessed successfully.

  • Snow Patrol Ask Me How I Am
    • Gary Lightbody played a Bolton soldier and sang "The Bear And The Maiden Fair" in season 3.
  • Sigur Ros Stormur
    • The band were musicians at Joffrey's wedding in season 4, and recorded a version of "The Rains Of Castamere" for the show.
  • Coldplay Don't Panic
    • Will Champion played a drummer at a wedding in season 3.
  • Ed Sheeran - Wayfaring Stranger
    • Ed Sheeran played a soldier and sang "Hands Of Gold" in season 7.

 

2019-04-25: Only Fools And Horses

Steve's connection. Rich guessed successfully.

  • Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Albert Goes West
    • Uncle Albert
  • Billy Bragg & Wilco - Hot Rod Hotel
    • Rodney Trotter
  • Mexrrissey - El Primero Del Gang
    • Derek "Del Boy" Trotter
  • The Strokes - One Way Trigger
    • Colin "Trigger" Ball

 

2019-04-11: Singers who wrote Adele songs

Rich's connection. Steve did not work it out.

  • OneRepublic - Love Runs Out
    • Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic co-wrote "Rumour Has It" with Adele
  • Tobias Jesso Jr - How Could You Babe
    • Tobias co-wrote "When We Were Young" with Adele
  • Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night Of The Soul
    • Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) co-wrote "River Lea" with Adele
  • Bob Dylan - I Want You
    • Bob Dylan wrote "Make You Feel My Love", famously performed by Adele

 

2019-04-04: Hazards for divers

Steve's connection. Rich guessed successfully.

  • Grinderman - Depth Charge Ethel
  • Radiohead - The Bends
  • Hundred Reasons - Drowning
  • Gruff Rhys - Shark Ridden Waters

 

2019-03-14: Singers who have been guest vocalists for Gorillaz

Rich's connection. Steve guessed successfully.

  • Terry Hall - Chasing A Rainbow
    • Terry appears on the single "911" by Gorillaz & D12
  • Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side
    • Lou appears on "Some Kind Of Nature" (Plastic Beach)
  • Gruff Rhys - Drones In The City
    • Gruff appears on "Superfast Jellyfish" (Plastic Beach)
  • Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street
    • Bobby appears on "Stylo" and "Cloud Of Unknowing" (both Plastic Beach), and "Bobby In Phoenix" (The Fall)

 

2019-03-07: Instrumental songs named "Theme From..."

Steve's connection. Rich guessed successfully.

  • Ben Folds Five - Theme From Dr Pyser
  • Space - Theme From "Baretta Vendetta"
  • Blur - Theme From Retro
  • The Divine Comedy - Theme From Casanova

 

2019-02-28: Theme tunes from each season of True Detective

Steve's connection. Rich did not work it out.

  • The Handsome Family - Far From Any Road
    • Theme tune from season one of True Detective
  • Leonard Cohen - Nevermind
    • Theme tune from season two of True Detective
  • Cassandra Wilson - Death Letter
    • Theme tune from season three of True Detective

 

2019-02-21: Song names similar to Jamiroquai album titles

Steve's connection. Rich guessed successfully.

  • Sheavy - Automaton
    • Jamiroquai album: Automaton (2017)
  • Junior Senior - Dynamite
    • Jamiroquai album: Dynamite (2005)
  • Prince - Planet Earth
    • Jamiroquai album: Emergency On Planet Earth (1993)
  • Kacey Musgraves - Space Cowboy
    • Jamiroquai album: The Return Of The Space Cowboy (1994)
.