Thomas Dolby on the Tube - I Scare Myself

[TowTruckJoe1]

what year was this??

[xanderdog315]

Dan Hicks is playing in this video w/ Thomas, in the blue jumpsuit w/ the sun glasses!! Yep thats Dan Hicks!!!

[ajittffcure]

This is fantastic. I loved his remarks in the beginning... very funny! :-D

[jerdoe]

right on!

[tricycle69]

how did he get carlos the jackel to play guitar!

[sepulchre10]

I didn't realize T.D. did this song. I had only heard by Dan Hicks before. This is great!

[unencumberedfiddler]

@sepulchre10 I like it also, but it still can't compare to Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks.

[BoiledBunny]

Nice one TMDR - it's April 2010, I am wishing for a coup here! Who knows one day Tony Blair may face trial for war crimes.

[griff500grr]

Beautiful track. Just liked it as a piece of music 'til I was in a f***ed up relationship, then the lyrics took on new meaning. Always loved this version, mainly because of the Fairlight horns. One of the first samplers, also used by Trevor Horn on Frankie Goes To Hollywood, ABC, Art Of Noise +++ That puppy cost £20-30k in the 80s, back when that was a lot of money :) The blue keyboard is a PPG Wave, which you can get as a virtual instrument (for free if you're a bit torrent pikey!)

[renoron1]

As much as I appreciate Thomas Dolby, and as much as I do like the instrumentals here, I really find Dolby's vocal somewhat forced--the words come out, but they really don't mean anything.

I've seen several renditions of this by Dan Hicks, and the lyrics just flow each time, and you believe every word (even after 30+ years of him singing this song). In short, Dan pulls it off with ease, but I'd have to give Thomas a C+ on this attempt.

[steph2763]

you'd better scare yourself !

[stopthrm]

@steph2763 Dan Hicks Cover, and an abysmal one...

[mfitz1969]

@stopthrm Funny, I just listened to Dan Hicks do this song for the first time and I thought his version was dreadful. I suppose it all depends on what one is used to as I have been listening to Dolby's version for 25 years.

[arleneveronesi]

Very good remake of the original Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks song, in an electronic instrument fashion.

[affectivity]

Hey! I like this. I never knew much about Dolby except for his name.

I loved this song when Dan Hicks first did it. Great reinterpretation here.

[stereoloov]

Great cover,although synthetic horns have never been a good idea.But the rest is pure class

[chrishshaw]

I wouldnt call this 'a cover' - it is a reinterpretation of the original in the same way as Madness reinterpreted Labbi Siffre's 'It Must be Love'. The tempo has been brought down and I think it works brilliantly. I share your reservations about the synthetic horns though.

[unencumberedfiddler]

@chrishshaw And I on the other hand felt that he was trying to imitate Dan Hicks' voice and tone.

[postiepimp]

professional slick.musicans who make it look easy.

[spikerooney011]

Thomas has always brought something special to our ears, as a performer, composer and producer. Astronauts and Heretics is one of the most underrated albums of the past twenty years, IMHO. Gerry Garcia's cameo is wonderfully poignant.

[squirrelsrfun]

Well said. The writing on Flat Earth blew me away immediately, while Aliens was a production masterpiece (Pulp Culture, anyone). Though initially I felt Astronauts was a bit forced. 16 years later, however, I feel it's on par with his other work. BTW, speaking of Jerry, Beauty of a Dream is one of the best songs he ever composed, IMO.

"Once in a while

 a girl comes along and opens your heart like a Spam tin..."

Brilliant.

[padistedor]

When I was 16, a friend introduced me to Thomas Dolby through "The Flat Earth" album. I instantly fell in love with it and I still listen to it today. I like to make visitors listen to a few songs and then make them guess who it is. They are always surprised to learn it's TD since all they seem to know of him is "She Blinded Me With Science".

[yehthatsit]

@padistedor What a hoot. I am hoping for a coup in England, however. Or a putsch.

[TPEKHH]

He looks like Tristan Higgs - you know he does

[femailclaudia]

this music gives me the chills...the last accords are amazing..05:05-05:23 thank you

[asatzthree]

im amazed how td turned me on to so much. for example, i got to billy holiday via td. pretty cool, eh? great song.

[tutumrak]

GIVE ME BACK MY CASSETE!

[baddad1968]

i stole this album on cassette from a party in Stirling about 20 years ago and have loved it since

[bootycall97]

I always knew you were a theif.. It was my album you stole fool. I envite you in my house and thats the thanks I get?

[littlemissy2u]

Simply fabulous. Thanks

[padistedor]

I always thought this song was awsome, along with the rest of "The Flat Earth". Thomas Dolby Rules!

[littleshorty2]

Thank you so much for posting this was one of his rarer songs.

[skok65]

How'd he get Tony Clifton to shut up and play guitar?

[whk1067]

Tony Clifton ! Bah ha ha ha ha . . .

[padistedor]

I agree, that was very funny.

[diggitydumbo]

I never thought this gor released as single..then I heard it on XM..I nearly crashed the car!!, very haunting song..but I shall download the original. Many thanks for those involved.

[ladyloca67]

classic

[jazzytds]

A definite underated genius of the electric,synthesized genre. Truly an afficionado of his keyboard craft, thank you for such a song that is me.

[liz1060]

She Blinded Me with Science is a great song and Dolby is a great artist but this version of Dan Hicks tune is terrible, awful, painful, horrible, just wrong in every way.

[DrRobDammet]

Music is never wrong, only the people criticizing it...

[whk1067]

I agree with you liz1060 -- somehow, Dolby managed to suck all of the joy out of this song and turn it into exactly the sort of pretentious schlok that the original was a partial parody of

[pierstheoneandonly]

Wonderful vid. Thanks a lot.

[stevetriple]

Thanks for posting. I am a big Dolby fan.

This song was in fact written by Dan Hicks.

Thomas smoothed it out a bit.

There are 2 versions of the original here on youtube,one with an amazing violin solo

[parkhill62]

.....and then there were 3!

[billybiguns]

massive under rated muse !!!

[Uberplanet]

One of the most under rated and yet OH SO TALENTED performers from the 80's era. Doesn't he do music for video games and motion pictures too?

[andrewdo1]

Hey BrusselZuid, Thanks for posting this great clip of Thomas Dolby playing live. Do you also have a video of the song that Thomas is talking about at the start of this one?

[BrusselZuid]

It was She blined me with Science and I've just uploaded it.