The sequel to the long-ago By the Numbers took a few liberties not taken in the original: an ordinal, rather than cardinal number (“21st Century Schizoid Man”); a song in which part of the title, but not the actual number, is mentioned (“5 D,” which uses the word “dimension”); and the Prince song, in which “4″ is used in a sense other than numerical. Not to mention that the Brothers Johnson, as did Shuggie Otis in the original, don’t actually say “23,” but do say “22.” I figure that this departure from stylistic purity will help if ever I do By the Numbers 3.

Track listing for 111144-2:

1. The Fixx: Saved by Zero
2. Len Barry: 1-2-3
3. Prince: I Would Die 4 U
4. The Byrds: 5 D (Fifth Dimension)
5. Dave Dudley: Six Days on the Road
6. Rosanne Cash: Seven Year Ache
7. Herman’s Hermits: I’m Henry VIII, I Am
8. The Temptations: Cloud Nine
9. The Yardbirds: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
10. Neil Sedaka: Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen
11. Alice Cooper: I’m Eighteen
12. Paul Hardcastle: 19
13. King Crimson: 21st Century Schizoid Man
14. The Brothers Johnson: Strawberry Letter 23
15. Edwin Starr: Twenty-Five Miles
16. Toni Basil: I’m 28
17. The Showmen: 39-21-40 Shape*
18. Little Carl Carlton: 46 Drums 1 Guitar
19. Paul Simon: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
20. Sammy Hagar: I Can’t Drive 55
21. Candy and the Kisses: The 81
22. Nena: 99 Luftballons
23. Wilson Pickett: Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do)

* Occasionally shown as “39-21-46.”

Tags: songs with numbers

This entry was posted on Sunday, 7 March 2010, and is filed under New and Unreleased. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.