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Flash and the Pan — Hey St. Peter
Album: Flash and the Pan
Avg rating:
6.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1159









Released: 1976
Length: 4:15
Plays (last 30 days): 1
The morning was cold and lonely
City lights old and grey
The sun arose trying to smile
Gave it all away
The honky-tonk called a stranger
The stranger couldn't pay the bill
Made a stand, raised his hand
Sang a song, no time to kill

I said, Hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
I've got a tale to tell
I've just been down in New York town
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell

Billy was out of fashion
Manhattan was years ago
Yesterday he wasted time
Money was kind of slow
Billy had friends of glory
Billy was a friend of fame
Took a chance, raised his hand
Sang a song, now he's back in the game

Hey, St. Peter
Before you ring your bell
Just been down in New York town
Done my time in hell
Done my time in hell

I said, Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell
Comments (127)add comment
 lizardking wrote:

...and now you stream internet radio in your Chevy Colorado (lol...no idea what you actually drive now) while getting slightly better fuel economy, on your way to the Weed Dispensary and Liquor Store for a blissful weekend!

This is a pretty fun/silly once a decade type of track! Cya back in the 2020s! 



It's almost 2023 now, and I went +2 to 8 today because of the cool interlude and would be happy to hear this one annually even!  LLRP!!
Very heavy synthesizer for a 1976 song.  I wonder if that's a brand new ARP String Ensemble we're hearing, same as what Gary Wright used in Dream Weaver.
March Madness related?
"Down Among the Dead Men" is fabulous as well. 
Great to hear an Aussie classic on Radio Paradise. 
The cover of this always reminded me of the Nevil Shute novel 'On the Beach'
Love this song! Gave it a solid 10. Brings back great memories, so different from other songs when it came out. Definitely one of those love-or-dislike songs that will generate RP comments. THIS is what makes Radio Paradise completely different from everything else out there.
Still have the 8 Track! I know what your thinking!!
 jkrue66358 wrote:

Love Flash & The Pan!!



Maybe add 'Make Your Own Cross!'
Love Flash & The Pan!!
 ExploitingChaos wrote:

1976?!
Really? Whoa dude



I remember it from 1979...
 Foot wrote:
Why don't you add Media Man to the mix?


Why don't you?
Haven't heard this since the Beercentennial year
8 > 9
1976?!
Really? Whoa dude
Aaawesome! Haven’t heard it for quite a long time.
Why don't you add Media Man to the mix?
First listen?   Annoying.  Will give it a few more listens.  
 mikegrinker wrote:
 
 
Well, I just gave it a 7 and it appears to have gone from a 5.9 to a 6...
I'm no musicologist. Like the sound and like the jam. Can we tug this one into the 6's?
Pre-Buggles!
(anonymous) wrote:
I've always liked these guys. They evolved from the Easybeats, who did some great late 60s stuff ("Friday on My Mind") and one of them - either Flash or Pan, not sure which - is the brother of the shorts-wearing guitarist in AC/DC.

That would also make him the brother of the pants wearing guitarist in AC/DC (Malcom).  George was also a co-producer on AC/DC's first six albums (High Voltage through Powerage so basically the Bon Scott era minus Highway To Hell) along with his songwriting, production partner, and former band mate from Flash And The Pan Harry Vanda.
WTF?

Man I didn't like this back then and it sure hasn't grown on me...
 (anonymous) wrote:
I've always liked these guys. They evolved from the Easybeats, who did some great late 60s stuff ("Friday on My Mind") and one of them - either Flash or Pan, not sure which - is the brother of the shorts-wearing guitarist in AC/DC.
 
Only posted 18 years ago.... Time are like flies
 coloradojohn wrote:
This was on the radio the summer of '79. I drove a thirsty '70 Cutlass with massive G-60 racing slicks. Life was beer, weed, and bliss...
 

and some Jensen 6 x 9's?
Farewell George
I remember this as a favorite on a tape I made of an WHFS broadcast when I was in college.  It was a great playlist amongst my cassette library. Ah, nostalgia.....
Couldn't stand it then....definitely nothing has changed.
Thank you for playing this.  Hadn't heard it in so long.  It's a great song, but the best part is what they do with the vocals.  

I used to have this album.  Fun times back then, and I still like this song.
Sounds like a production from Glee.
 Grammarcop wrote:
Sorry, can't take it seriously. 
 
Somehow I doubt they intended this song to be taken seriously, though the two guys who wrote this number were in the business for a while.  The were both in The Easybeats and wrote the classic "Friday On My Mind", which I prefer to this number.
 junebaby65 wrote:

This is mainstream?  Where is played on a regular basis?

 
The late 70s.
Me thinks they had been listening to Elton John "Where to now St Peter". Never mind - we can all get influences from everything.  This is just a bit of fun whereas the Elton John one is more serious...
Stylist wrote:
Great classic original piece of music! The current average rating is really to low for it

   

aelfheld wrote:

It's neither original nor, of greater import, good. 

The rating is much too high for this dreck.

 
Just goes to show that music is a personal thing.
It's a bit arrogant to pronounce something "bad" just because you say so!
For instance, I despise  the music of Talking Heads and, for the life of me, can't understand why ANYONE likes them. But, I say live and let live.

Personally, I really like this track and think it is indeed original. How many songs are sung through a megaphone?? (Well, OK, maybe 'Winchester Cathedral'....)
 joempie wrote:
A bit very mainstream for RP. Would be bearable, if I hadn't already heard it 1000 times everywhere else.

 
This is mainstream?  Where is played on a regular basis?
 coloradojohn wrote:
This was on the radio the summer of '79. I drove a thirsty '70 Cutlass with massive G-60 racing slicks. Life was beer, weed, and bliss...

 
...and now you stream internet radio in your Chevy Colorado (lol...no idea what you actually drive now) while getting slightly better fuel economy, on your way to the Weed Dispensary and Liquor Store for a blissful weekend!

This is a pretty fun/silly once a decade type of track! Cya back in the 2020s! 


Some deep tracks are best left in obscurity. This is one.
It's a decent enough tune, haven't heard it it maybe 25 years and I haven't missed it particularly. I'm set for the next 25 on it too.

The voiceover shit makes me wanna hear Mexican Radio, so that's good. 
This was on the radio the summer of '79. I drove a thirsty '70 Cutlass with massive G-60 racing slicks. Life was beer, weed, and bliss...
Haven't heard this in a long time......

 
 Stylist wrote:
Great classic original piece of music! The current average rating is really to low for it
 
It's neither original nor, of greater import, good. 

The rating is much too high for this dreck.
A bit very mainstream for RP. Would be bearable, if I hadn't already heard it 1000 times everywhere else.
Great classic original piece of music! The current average rating is really to low for it
gruß an de Duxe oller Schlawiner und ans Kyalami
Sorry, can't take it seriously. 
Flashback to.....mid teens Hell.
Very  70s Broadway sounding
dull
Awesome 70's classic
Originally released in 1976. 
Surprised this song is played........not really pop, prog or ressive........kinda not good.......it is short.
Yes!  Where's Media Man?
These are my Gods.  Thank you RP!  F&TP was very popular back in the early 80's in the remote and beautiful beach town of Mar del Plata, Argentina.  How do I miss those days!
{#Bananajam}{#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Drummer}{#Dancingbanana}
Dizz Knee Land and Hey St. Peter — great couple of songs from the late 80s, early 90s.  How about "Me and Elvis" by Human Radio for a hat trick?
Oh. My. F'ing. God - I haven't heard this song in forever! Thank you so much! Now I need to go find the flip slide, "Walking' In The Rain".
So much win for me! {#Good-vibes}
 Kaisersosay wrote:
Hey is the guy MC 1000 foot Jesus singing

 
Two of these guys were from The Easybeats - they composed the classic "Friday On My Mind".
@ least its better than. . . .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4kZ_zfPB90
This song sounds way better when you hear it only once every 10 years or so,
wow, so bad on so many different levels all at the same time!
1989??—-WHAT??


>>>"Hey, St. Peter" (b/w "Walking in the Rain") (1976 Australia, 1978 worldwide) - Aus No. 5, US No. 76
Hey is the guy MC 1000 foot Jesus singing
A truly terrible song.  But I do appreciate a bit of facetious fun, Bill ~ thanks! {#Cool}
Great Band, great music!
 radiojunkie wrote:
It was one of those songs that got a lot of airplay "back in the day," and I was never sure why. And I'm still not.
Ugh...next you'll be playing "I Don't Like Mondays."
 

This hasn't aged well....
Remember hearing this on the radio of my mean green '70 Cutlass 'S' Coupe...Party Summer '79, lots of beer and Frisbee and ROCK!
You guys are way to critical. You should just enjoy the tune or turn it off. Personally, I remember Flash and the Pan as a different style of music coming into a time of hard and acid rock. It was nice to get something different at that time and I still love the tune!
I happen to still like this song, but beyond that I'm surprised at how strong the memories are that this song brings back. Mmmm... 8)
It was one of those songs that got a lot of airplay "back in the day," and I was never sure why. And I'm still not. Ugh...next you'll be playing "I Don't Like Mondays."
i don't normally rate songs badly on RP....but this is a prime example of why i do not listen to "normal" radio as songs of this ilk are quite common there. i concur with the many posters here who wish for this song to be removed permanently from the playlist.
would be a decent pop song without the dreadful chorus...
Sometimes it absolutely amazes me the dreck that makes it into rotation compared to some of the songs that get rejected; this being a prime example of the former.
" Hey , Saint Peterrrrr..... It really feels like Hellllllll......"
coding_to_music wrote:
Ah, this band was just a flash in the pan...
Wonder how they knew in advance?
What the hell is this song trying to be? Ugh!
Oh, my. I last heard this in July 1979, just before being posted to the American Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. I hated it then. Now I remember why.
Ah, this band was just a flash in the pan...
I don't have to like this song and you can't make me.
WOW! I feel a flashback coming on. I like it. Thanks
KevDogRedux wrote:
I'm still lovin' it all these years later. Great stuff. Kinda Jim Carroll light!
Hmmm. . . Jim Carroll light -- the man who wrote Basketball Diaries and then recorded CAtholic Boy; interesting concept . . . not sure this fits in with his musical works; much too melodic , me thinks.
"Done my time in Hell..." Could it be that Bill's not enjoying his visit to New York City?
I'm still lovin' it all these years later. Great stuff. Kinda Jim Carroll light!
Good One, I like It
MrMorgan wrote:
Common you guys, lighten up on Flash and the Pan. This is truly a classic song, whether you really like it or not. Remember when this came out, they were brave enough to tread on water and try to come up with something different..................great song! ! !
Truly a Classic!!!! This was a breath of fresh air when it came out.
Common you guys, lighten up on Flash and the Pan. This is truly a classic song, whether you really like it or not. Remember when this came out, they were brave enough to tread on water and try to come up with something different..................great song! ! !
ce wrote:
Oooohhh... Flash and the Pan! memories! They've made better, though, like "Waiting for a train"
I've always liked "Media Man," too. Oh, the MTV memories! When it was actually WATCHABLE!
Truly craptastic!
DavidCarrico wrote:
I've begun to feel your nausea more and more each time I hear this.
I liked this the first time i heard it... but I liked it just a little bit less each subsequent hearing... untill the end, where I began to downright hate it. now... if this song was played in the waning days of progressive radio, it (and others like it) can probally be blamed for the downfall. You notice, most songs on corporate radio rocket to the top, stay there for a couple minutes, then slowly fade from public memory. Its sad... and The reason I originally stopped listening to anything cast out over the air.
the_om wrote:
Sadly, my vinyl copy of this album disappeared one weekend in college. I still remember the cover with a gazillion frisbees in the air among a bunch of beachgoers in folding chairs. Wish I still had it...
...plus the mushroom cloud in the background. Yes, a memorable cover from a cd with a number of good cuts. This was released in '79 if I remember correctly and got a sizable amount of radio play in the waning days of progressive radio.
8O Is this a joke?
Alright RP...why are you punishing us..?
Reminds me of "The Buggles", Video Killed the Radio Star (Trevor Horn - the first video on MTV). Not sure if I want to hear it again though!
Ah, youth sentiment, cool song
I love the instrumental break.
wow never thought I would hear this one again and thanks for the info. I can hear the easy beats in there
Originally Posted by Ineptune: Wow! I loved this band's wry cynicisn and satire. It's pretty dark stuff from the days when "spoken word" was how the lead vocals were described...as Rap had not emerged. Co-leader, George Young, is brother to Angus and Malcolm Young from AC/DC. He and fellow Pan man, Harry Vanda, were originally on the radar with a 60's band called The Easybeats who hit with "Friday On My Mind" and stayed together to produce all the early AC/DC projects.
GREAT!!!! love those 80's....keep 'em coming. this song is funky and cool.....jazzy, too. :bananabanger:
What a surprise. Another crap ass song. :roll:
Can\'t stop tapping feet....damn it.
Sadly, my vinyl copy of this album disappeared one weekend in college. I still remember the cover with a gazillion frisbees in the air among a bunch of beachgoers in folding chairs. Wish I still had it...
Sorry. Didn\'t like this back in the early eighties. And even though I\'ve matured and try to give all musical genres an objective ear, I\'ve decided that this still sucks.
A gem...Love the 80\'s!
Originally Posted by Ineptune: Wow! I loved this band's wry cynicisn and satire. It's pretty dark stuff from the days when "spoken word" was how the lead vocals were described...as Rap had not emerged. Co-leader, George Young, is brother to Angus and Malcolm Young from AC/DC. He and fellow Pan man, Harry Vanda, were originally on the radar with a 60's band called The Easybeats who hit with "Friday On My Mind" and stayed together to produce all the early AC/DC projects.
great post. you hit the nail on the head. their first album (this one) was solid with many good songs: Walking in The Rain, Man In The Middle, Down Among The Dead Men, African Shuffle come to mind.
What, this wasn\'t good enough for ELO?
Originally Posted by eric: Yes, but unfortunately in the context of modern times, it's dated and basically sucks ass :)
i guess if you like some of the angst driven, semi-rap, sam kinison sound alikes that i hear on the modern airwaves today, i think i'll stick to some of my dated sounds.
Originally Posted by eric: Yes, but unfortunately in the context of modern times, it's dated and basically sucks ass :)
Maybe "modern" times suck. Or just designations on music beyond their inherit merit. To me, this sounds just as good as Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello and any of a number of bands still well-regarded today.
Yayyyy! Love this. Sounds great coming out of Gomez and \"Ping One Down\".
Is Flash And The Pan the band that did \'5 Minutes (Uncle Eric)? Been trying to find that song for years. Does anybody know?
Originally Posted by Kurt_from_La_Qui: if you put it into the context of what was happening musically at the time, this was one heck of a song.
Yes, but unfortunately in the context of modern times, it's dated and basically sucks ass :)
if you put it into the context of what was happening musically at the time, this was one heck of a song.
Oooohhh... Flash and the Pan! memories! They\'ve made better, though, like \"Waiting for a train\"
Man! What a throw back. I liked this album when it came out. Maybe it is just me, but the song seems to hold up to its age pretty good
having been in college in the time of this song, I now recall how awful music of the time could be... this song proves it. If you need a guilty pleasure, how \'bout the Buggles...
What a wonderful flashback, a great reminder of the pre-ultra-synth 80s, as mentioned elsewhere, definitely a guilty pleasure. That "guy" was George Young, brother of Angus Young of AC/DC.
This takes me back so far I\'m not sure if it\'s just a flashback or a past life experience. I like that honky tonk piano in the middle, but overall I think they live up to their name quite well... fun for the pure novelty, as always.