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December 13

Which derby matches has Michael Owen played in?

Michael Owen has played for Liverpool F.C., Real Madrid, Manchester United and Newcastle United. But did he play in derby matches for all those clubs (against Everton F.C., Atlético Madrid, Manchester City and Sunderland F.C. respectively)? --OpenToppedBus - Talk to the driver 11:22, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Never mind, I just discovered Soccerbase and have confirmed that the answer is yes. --OpenToppedBus - Talk to the driver 11:27, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Quote: "And so it begins..."

Where does this come from? I've heard it a few times in films and on TV, said rather archly as though consciously making a quotation. Now it starts an advert by a UK supermaket chain See YouTube clip. A Google search just brings up random stuff from all over the net. Help please. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Alansplodge (talk • contribs)

In 1995 Blur's Country House single started with the words "So the story begins". --TammyMoet (talk) 15:57, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It's certainly far older than that. StuRat (talk) 19:09, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Ha, yes. Classical antiquity in fact. Its modern use almost certainly derives from the Latin phrase "sic infit" ("so it begins"), one such use occurring in the Metamorphoses of Apuleius and likely numerous other works that pre-date that one. Steve ^T • C 22:37, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks very much for that; however, I can't imagine that Morrisons are aiming their TV adverts at classical scholars. There surely must have been a more recent and popular incarnation of the phrase. Alansplodge (talk) 12:26, 14 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Gotcha! It's from the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and is spoken by Théoden as the enemy appears in front of Helm's Deep (actually "So it begins"[1]). I'm not sure if it's in the book too, but it would fit with its classical pedigree. Thanks for looking. Alansplodge (talk) 12:41, 14 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Fakest hits

I distinctly remember, in the late 1970s or early 1980s, a greatest hits album being advertised on television. The album was of fairly standard big band, generic 1950s/60s-style pop tunes. Anyway, it later came to light that the singer (last name Whitaker/Whittaker/something similar?) had never actually released an album prior to the "hits" package. In other words, the songs were recorded on the spot in order to assemble a bogus album that would capitalize on the purported (and fictitious) celebrity status of the singer. Google turns up nothing of the sort, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only one who remembers this... Evanh2008 ^{(talk|contribs)} 15:20, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not the band you're thinking of, but it is happening right now. A band called "Blow it Up" released their first album in June 2012, titled Greatest Hits. The electronic band called Sheep on Drugs did the same thing in 1993. --Jayron32 15:29, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

No, it is neither of those. But thanks! Evanh2008 ^{(talk|contribs)} 15:43, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure you're not thinking of Roger Whittaker; too early and with lots of hits. Alansplodge (talk) 18:32, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Nope. Not him. Evanh2008 ^{(talk|contribs)} 09:26, 14 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There are quite a few artistes who have released albums titled "Greatest Hits" as their debut albums: from Mrs Miller to Goldie Lookin Chain. This page has a list and some other interesting facts about greatest hits albums. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:02, 13 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting link. Thanks for it! Evanh2008 ^{(talk|contribs)} 09:26, 14 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

That's an interesting link, to quote: "When Garth Brooks assumed the alter ego of Chris Gaines, his first and only album under the Chris Gaines pseudonym was entitled "Greatest Hits". The whole album acted as if Gaines was already an established singer with several pop hits under his belt, even listing a fake backstory and chart positions in the liner notes." However, our article doesn't mention a "Greatest Hits" album.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:54, 14 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Greatest Hits (Chris Gaines album) Evanh2008 ^{(talk|contribs)} 09:26, 14 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It would be even funnier imho to title a debut album Greatest Hits Volume 2. —Tamfang (talk) 21:48, 25 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

There were a lot of albums released at that time of the format "Lurleen Bumpkin Sings the Greatest County Hits" where an unknown sang what weren't his own prior hits but hits for others. Saturday Night Live parodied this many times, most famously with Eddie Murphy's Buckwheat Sings. μηδείς (talk) 18:50, 17 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]