Sagittarius, and my name is Isaac

Eating dinner at a pub last night while the last Modest Mouse album played in its entirety over the system, I wondered once again why no one had done a mashup of their ubiquitous single "Float On" and the classic 1970s track of that name by the Floaters. I've searched in vain for such a thing online and still haven't been able to find it. I'm not too technically savvy, or I'd do it myself.

I'm not sure which approach would work better, putting the Floaters' smooth talking over the Modest Mouse music or to lay Isaac Brock's David Byrne-ish vocal over the ethereal Floaters music. I'm inclined to go with the Floaters vocals over the MM track. Incidentally, I don't really know when Isaac Brock was born; I just picked Sagittarius at random. So if you know, drop me a line.

The Floaters' song is an entertaining tune, but undeniably funny. It's proven to have lasting appeal as well, redone in the 80s by Stetasonic and not too long ago by Full Force (with a bunch of high-profile guests). You can't knock the Floaters' game, either. They know what they want and they have a plan to get it.

Ralph (Aquarius), the women's libber in the crew, likes a woman who loves her freedom and can hold her own, although the latter may just be an indication that he likes heavy drinkers. Charles (Libra) has the most vivid, fully realized play. He wants a quiet, dignified woman (a Miss Universe-type), but interestingly, his is the only ideal woman who actually says anything. True, what he imagines her saying is "Charles, yeah" but it's more subjectivity than any of the other women are permitted.

Paul (Leo) strikes me as the poet of the group. His vocals suggest shyness and perhaps because of that he's not terribly picky, claiming to like "all the women of the world," which presumably includes my aunt whom I've never thought of as a wildflower. Skylark reference noted, however. Larry (Cancer) is obviously the group's star and it shows the confidence of the group that he sings last. Larry's tastes are inclusive as well, but he's a bit opportunistic. He's looking for a woman who "loves everything and everybody," so we figure Larry wants to know up front what he can expect from any relationship. But, Larry's up front about it and he let's women know what they can expect: "sharing your love with Larry." All of the guys know their way to Love Land, something they must have learned from Charles Wright.

It's really a classic song and if the mashup community can be bothered to paste Jay-Z rhymes on everything from the Beatles to Pavement, certainly they can find time to bring the "Float On"s together.