Tuesday Tunes: Mini Week

There were a couple of ways I could have approached this Top Ten. I could have gone the generic motoring songs route (Driving In My Car by Madness, for example); I could have played cheesy word play games (I Want That Min by Debbie Harry); or I could have picked some really obscure Mini references (British Racing Green being both a popular Mini colour and a sublime piece of pop songery by Black Box Recorder). However, it turns out that if you look deep enough into the obscure, foreign and just plain daft corners of popular music, there are at least 10 more directly Mini related songs. So here are a few:

10. Stavangerensemblet: Morris Mini
I have to put this at the bottom of the Top Ten because I’ve never heard it, and it may well be rubbish. It is certainly Norwegian however, and has a good title.
9. Antonelli: Mini Cooper
Not quite sure what this little electroloungepop number has to do with the greatest car of all time, but it’s pleasant enough, and has a good title.
8. Richie Kavanagh: Courtin' In A Mini Car
It’s cheeky, but it’s kinda fun.
7. Christian Fischer & DJ Murphy: Mini Monster
Keeping up the traditional 7 minutes of electronica per top ten.
6. Echo and the Bunnymen: Rust
Echo and the Bunnymen, denizens of the dark side of 80s pop, wrote this tribute to the Mini for it’s 40th birthday. Probably.
5. The Sisters of Mercy: 1959
Spooky ethereal goth music is ideal for anyone who owns a black Mini named after Death’s horse.
4. Horace Andy: Mini Mini
I have a suspicion that the Mini Horace Andy loves to see young girls in is not one designed by Alec Issigonis, but the song works either way.
3. They Might Be Giants: Seven
OK, so one slightly obscure Mini reference slipped in (the Mini was launched as the Austin Seven, for the uneducated), but I could resist the sheer insanity of this track.
2. Corduroy: Mini
Finally, a song which was actually about the car, released around the time of the Mini’s 35th birthday, publicised at the event and with an actual Mini!
1. Quincy Jones/Don Black: Get a Bloomin' Move On!
Sorry Corduroy, but there’s no topping this as the ultimate Mini song, better known as The Self Preservation Society, or 'that one off The Italian Job'. Get yer skates on mate...