The Daily Tonic: Just One Would Do

Thanks for all your stories of celebrity shopping. There were miles more than we knew what to do with, but a few of them made such neat little pairs that we’ve included them below. There’ll be more to come.

Today’s Question: What’s the weirdest errand you’ve ever been asked to run on behalf of a star?

Send your stories of pulling favours for the famous to hello@popbitch.com and we’ll send some goody bags to the best ones.

PT writes:
“Way back in 1993 I worked at Our Price in Walthamstow. One dull Sunday there was a sudden flurry of excitement in the shop as Brian Harvey of East 17 appeared at the till. He asked for the new M People single and when I asked which format, CD or cassette, he said “Both” and promptly pulled out a massive wad of £50 notes. My colleague informed him that just one would do.”

codenamesharp writes:
“In 1998 I was working in a record store in Australia and sold Jason Donovan The Prodigy’s Fat of the Land CD. Nice chap, super friendly and took the time to chat. Highlight for me – he gladly signed the Stefan Dennis 12″ single we had pinned up in the staff room. I can’t remember exactly what he wrote but it was something about being jealous of Stefan’s singing ability. Even our two hardened ‘indie cool’ staff members loved him after that.”

JT writes:
“Temping at an online furniture business, we sold Sol Campbell foot-tall light up letters for his 40th birthday party. After telling us it was essential they arrive for the day of the party itself, his assistant got in touch the day after the party to return the lights, claiming that they didn’t work and they weren’t interested in an exchange. Cheapskate.”

M writes:
“I sold Johnny Marr a pair of shoes before the first Smiths TOTP from my vintage shop. Nothing unusual except my cat had shit in them a few days before I put them on sale. He brought them back afterwards saying ‘they didn’t fit’…”

S writes:
“I once sold a copy of the TV Times to Deirdre Barlow that had her face on the front cover. I didn’t say anything but she held it up and pointed at it and her own face about 12 times and laughed her head off.”

N writes:
“I remember Christian Bale coming into Waterstones Piccadilly with his daughter. He bought her some Usborne Sticker Dolly Dressing books in the children’s department, then went down to fiction on the first floor, where I’m told he started browsing in the E section, obnoxiously close to where Bret Easton Ellis’ books were on faceout, with his own face plastered over copies of American Psycho.”

Ten songs – taken from the last four decades, right up to this week’s charts – have been cracked apart and cobbled back together into a two-and-a-half minute quiz round.

It’s your job to identify the artist and the song title. You get a point for each. Ten song titles. Ten artists. Twenty points in total.

[Audio Round #86: Play here]

The Simpsons’ joke “Lee Carvello’s Putting Challenge” is now a real life game
[Play it here]

A cute bat here, if that’s your thing…
[Squeaking on YouTube]

Joy Division x Hot 8 Brass Band
[Listen on YouTube]