There was a lesbian kiss in the montage of famous film kisses.
I want to punch Bob Costas and Matt Lauer in the face right now. My God, I thought they would never SHUT UP.
I don’t think I’ve ever sat through a whole opening ceremony before. That was terrific and loony. The Olympics should spend more time making fun of itself.
I understand that they were only playing snippets, but I was still hoping there would be a list somewhere. I can make a list based on what I’ve read in this and the other thread, but I wondered what other songs/artists were played.
Even though I’ve never been into sports, I used to be an Olympics nut. Both the Summer and Winter Olympics were broadcast highlights of my life, second only the Oscars. I used to video record (then later, Tivo) entire Olympics and then dub down the most interesting things to me. Then I gradually changed and I stopped watching television (not for any snobby reason, but because 1) I really can get obsessive and had to cold turkey TV and 2) going to movies took over my life). I don’t miss not having a television, except during the Olympics. I’m heartbroken at what I’ve already missed and what I know I’m going to miss. London. I love London. The Olympics in London. The Olympics in my favorite city in the universe. I’m going to go and have a good cry now.
Put Danny Boyle in charge of every Opening Ceremonies from now on. Lighting the torch to a Pink Floyd song about madness? Genius.
Specifically this kiss:
Like many, many things there, it would have gone way over the heads to non-Brits whereas Brits would have recognised it in an instant.
Well that was fantastic. I’m gonna do a Michelle Obama and say that for the first time in a long while I feel very proud to be British.
Those are the things that make us great -
The NHS (free to all at the point of delivery), punk rock, scary and indelible children’s books, protest and resistance (including the suffragettes), being silly, getting on with it despite the (artificial) rain, multi-cultural society, naff dancing, making fun of ourselves…
Gold medal to Danny Boyle (artistic director), and all involved!
Some people have asked for a track list, so here’s one:
[spoiler alert]
PART ONE
Captain Algernon Drummond, William Johnson Cory - Eton Boating Song
Elgar, AC Benson - Land of Hope and Glory
The Jam - Going Underground
Muse - Map of the Problematique
Big Ben Chimes
Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen
The Clash - London Calling
Simon May - EastEnders Theme
The Shipping Forecast
Sir Hubert Parry, William Blake - Jerusalem
Elgar - Nimrod
Handel - Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Eric Coates - Dambusters March
Handel - Music for the Royal Fireworks
Monty Norman - James Bond Theme
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield - In Dulci Jubilo
Vangelis - Chariots of Fire
BBC News 1954
Arthur Wood - The Archers Theme
Winifred Atwell - Black and White Rag
PART TWO
Sugababes - Push the Button
OMD - Enola Gay
David Rose - The Stripper
Lionel Bart - Food Glorious Food
Irwin Kostal, Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Rizzle Kicks - When I Was a Youngster
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Colin Tully - Gregorys Girl Theme
William Pitt - City Lights
The Who - My Generation
The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
Millie Small - My Boy Lollipop
The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night
The Beatles - She Loves You
Mud - Tiger Feet
Led Zeppelin - Trampled Under Foot
The Specials - A Message to You Rudy
David Bowie - Starman
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
Duran Duran - The Reflex
New Order - Blue Monday
PART THREE
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
Soul II Soul - Back To Life
Happy Mondays - Step On
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
Prodigy - Firestarter
Underworld - Born Slippy
Jaan Kenbrovin, John William Kellette - Im Forever Blowing Bubbles
Blur - Song 2
Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers
Tigerstyle - Nacnha Onda Nei (contains Michael Jackson - Billie Jean, Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure and Ilaiyaraaja - Naanthaan Ungappanda)
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Radiohead - Creep
Muse - Uprising
Kano & Mikey J - Random Antics
Tinie Tempah - Pass Out
MIA - Paper Planes
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize
PART FOUR
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Roll Deep - Shake a Leg
Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Oasis - The Hindu Times
Oasis - Wonderwall
Emeli Sande - Heaven
William Monk/Henry Francis - Abide With Me
Pink Floyd - Eclipse
The Beatles - The End
The Beatles - Hey Jude
David Bowie - Heroes
Eric Spear - Coronation Street Theme
Ron Grainer - Doctor Who Theme
John Philip Sousa - Monty Python Theme/The Liberty Bell
David Bowie - Absolute Beginners
At the beginning of the ceremony, children’s choirs from the four Home Nations each sang a different song. I recognized “Jerusalem”, but what were the other three songs?
‘Flower of Scotland’, ‘Danny Boy’ (for N.Ireland, though it’s a general Irish theme), and ‘Bread of Heaven’ for Wales.
Thank you! (D’oh, of course I recognized Danny Boy, I just promptly forgot that I did… :smack:)
I like to keep track of what sport the flagbearers compete in. No surpise that track & field had the most with 60, or swimming with the third most with 19, but I’m guessing most people wouldn’t guess #2. It is Judo with 20. Gymnasitics had only 1 (canoe had 5)
Brian
That is the way the locals pronounce it. “Cape Verd”
I wasn’t paying close attention, but every time I looked it seemed to be Taekwondo - where did that end up in your list?
Not to drag this down into an anti cell phone rant, but what the fuck is up with all the people snapping pictures while marching onto the field? Because there won’t be enough photographic recordings of the event? Really? You have this supreme and unique experience and you spend it looking through the viewfinder of your phone?I know I’m in the minority on the cell phone thing, but did anyone think that was approriate?
12 years ago a lot of the athletes would have been brandishing their still cameras or their camcorders. It’s just that now everyone has a cameraphone.
Yep. At this stage they’re basically tourists. Like most tourists, they want to record their ‘Kodak moment’. There are thousands of photographic and video recordings of the event, but none of them are from the individual’s perspective. They want their own, personal images with their own voices, their own perspective, their own friends, etc. that they can share with their friends and family, instead of saying ‘What? You didn’t see me on TV?’
Of course they didn’t spend their time looking through their viewfinders. Most of them were waving and talking and taking in the sights, and jut pointing their cameras with their free hands. That’s going to be some pretty shaky video!
TKD had 11, which is fourth most. Shooting had 10, and Boxing had 9
Fencing had 4 including the US (because she won the first fencing medal for the US in 90+ years)
Brian
Am I wrong about this sequence of events in the “Digital Era” bit?
–Girl drops her phone.
–Guy finds her phone.
–Guy calls girl to tell her he has her phone.
Huh?
Pretty sure it was: girl loses phone, guy finds phone, girl uses her buddy’s phone to call her phone.
The thing about that lesbian kiss is that now it has become the first lesbian kiss to be shown on TV in many other countries now. Including, I suspect, Saudi Arabia.