alan aldridge has died

It has just come to my attention via the Afterword site that Alan Aldridge has died.
Bugger.
For those of you that don't know, he was a much in demand illustrator, and has had his work featured on many books and records, probably the best known of which are for Elton John and The Beatles.
Here's a selection of his work that l currently own, in fact the Bob Dylan poster is framed, at the top of my stairs.
Aldridge also did a load of science fiction covers for Penguin books back in the day, that l used to have, but have since gone walkabouts.
I may have to start collecting them in the future, to go with the rest of my crap, as they just look so good.

And here's Alan Aldridge himself, supporting the Labour party in 1970, with a tiny Edward Heath in the palm of his hand (from Getty Images).

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happy bedtime reading

Happy bedtime reading for kids at the Charlie Brooker household.
The children's version of Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist'.

From his twitter feed, which is here

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leeds united v manchester united 1976

Ahhh....this takes me back.....the old days, when football was still a working class game, followed by a lot of young lads like myself (at the time), who could afford it on low wages.
It was still mainly standing, hooliganism was rife, and a ticket to the game (pay on the day) cost about 75 pence (equivalent to about £6 now).
Times have moved on to such an extent, that l have been to The Jackie Charlton suite in (dirty) Leeds' ground for my brothers wedding reception, and now mainly go to Leeds for comic fairs (and the odd gig).
Still miss the old school football and crowds though.
Photos are from here, where there is also a short video.

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RIP Rick Parfitt

Breaking my December absence and capital letters in the title embargo, as the boogie master himself has died.
Drink now in hand - Piledriver on.

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the cure - love cats

This came on the radio while l was in the kitchen earlier on today, cooking up a right old feast. It's a song you really can't help singing and dancing along to, and if you don't do so, you are someone l won't have a lot in common with.
The Cure - 'Love Cats'.
Me and Mr Parrot certainly had a wild old time



Here was me, dancing  earlier.
I dressed Mr Parrot the same way.

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robert vaughn and the man from uncle

I've just learnt from the BBC website that the actor Robert Vaughn has died. As the article states, to us older folk, he will always be remembered from his role as Napoleon Solo in 'The Man From UNCLE', which is one of the first TV shows that l really loved. I remember having a plastic lighter / gun combo that was part of their marketing, which brought me much enjoyment on the mean streets of Singapore (when l wasn't setting fire to my eyebrows or local wasteland), but prefered his partner in espionage foiling, Ilya Kuryakin (played by David McCallum). However, both of the stars were heroes to me at the time. I know he's had a good innings (as had Leonard Cohen), but it's still a sad day, and adds to the gradual erasing of my (not many to start with) happy childhood memories.

I blame God.

Here's two versions of the title sequence





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the chemical brothers - hey girl hey boy

Today's top tune.
The Chemical Brothers - Hey Girl, Hey Boy.
If the world is going to hell in a handcart, and being led there by the privileged few, we may as well party! (or revolt).
Where's my Ecstasy?



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status quo at cardiff in 1976 and their live ep, plus richie malone meeting rick parfitt.

A short interview with Rick Parfitt and the non speaking John Coghlan of Status Quo before they played Cardiff Castle in 1976.
It's funny to hear the interviewer make such a big thing of the fact Quo had been together for 14 years, which, as he says, "Is quite unusual", and wondering how they have managed to stay together for so long. The year before, Quo had even issued a live EP featuring 'Roll Over Lay Down', 'Gerdundula', and 'Junior's Wailing' to celebrate their 13th year together.
Obviously l took the day off school to go and buy it on the day of release, as l was wont to do with bands l liked.
How times have changed. That is like looking as far back as 2002 from now. There are absolutely loads of bands who have been together since then, and many, many more who have been together a lot longer.



Here's the EP



And here's Richie Malone, Rick's replacement (due to Rick's recent heart issues), meeting him at a soundcheck in 2008, and now living the dream.




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the new strand shopping centre in bootle

Here's an old postcard of what was dubbed The New Strand in Bootle. I remember it opening in 1968, seeing Ken Dodd there,  being tickled with his tickling stick (Oeerr!), and lurking around the area when l was a little nipper, when l wasn't playing football in North Park.

Sadly it's now known as the place from where Jamie Bulger was taken from in 1993. 

Although l support Manchester United (it's a long story), l'm proud to be from Liverpool, and love going back there. There's been an awful lot of bad stuff that's happened to the place over the years, and the regeneration of the city centre and riverside has been staggering, but it's about time some more of the regeneration money spread to the outer parts of town, where there is still a lot of poverty and the associated problems that go with that. I know money has been spent in Bootle, but there's no pride in being known as 'Only the tenth worst area for unemployment in Britain'. 

Still, lots of happy memories from my time there, and the roads are now a lot busier.

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terence trent d'arby and sananda maitreya

It's a year old now (l like to try and keep up with what's happening), but there's an interesting interview with Terence Trent D'Arby by Kate Mossman in The New Statesman (to be found here), talking about his fame, and how it affected him. Plus a few thoughts on Lenny Kravitz.
In 1987, D'Arby was a superb looking black rock/pop superstar, with infectious hit singles and a magnificent crossover album (Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby).
Then it was downhill sales wise, and hello to Sananda Francesco Maitreya.
Still, he may well be a lot happier now, and if l had the money, l'd certainly do whatever l wanted, and sod everyone else.
Here's when he was red hot and sexy.

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the waterboys - fishermans blues and savage earth heart, plus the retreat - come alive

After the last post, here's some clips by The Retreat and The Waterboys








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the retreat into dementia

I'm either losing my marbles, or l have too many CDs. Either way, l've just rigged up some equipment to convert streams from the computer and old cassette tapes onto CDs, or stash away digitally before the tapes get too knackered (a technical term). 

One favourite tape of mine that l was given by a girl l met in Dublin is from a band called The Retreat, who gigged and lived around Plymouth. They released a cassette of an album they recorded in 1990, and very good it is as well, albeit heavily influenced by The Waterboys Fishermans Blues period, which is no bad thing, as, at that time, The Waterboys were probably my favourite band, which is why l was in Dublin in the first place.

After listening to the cassette again, making the recording, and transferring it to CD and my ipod, l made a CD cover for it (I'm a very sad man), and went to stash it away (alphabetically of course). That was when l discovered and dimly remembered that l had bought their limited 1993 European pressing of the album on CD, so there was no need for me to have digitalised it in the first place.

Still, l've now got two very slightly different copies, with slightly different CD covers, so who's laughing now?

Right - now onto my old Spike Milligan cassettes.

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luscious jackson - naked eye

Luscious Jackson - 'Naked Eye'
No reason for posting this, apart from the fact that it was a great single in the 1990's. Easily their best song (or at least the best one of theirs l've heard)



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t2 trainspotting trailer

I can't wait for this film to be out. T2 Trainspotting, the follow up from Trainspotting, one of the most iconic films of the 1990's. The trailer looks great (I suppose that's the whole point of it), and if the actual film is half as good as promised by this, l will be a happy man.
I, like many people , loved the original film, l was a huge fan of the book by Irvine Welsh (plus his others), and immersed myself in the soundtrack of the film.
This is all especially great, as l didn't even realise the cast had got back together to film it, so the trailer was a huge (and extremely pleasant) surprise.
Let's get Christmas over with and BRING IT ON!!
Out on January 27th 2017.



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bug powder dust - bomb the bass

A top tune from what doesn't seem that long ago,  but is in fact, over 20 years old.
'Bug Powder Dust' by Bomb The Bass, from their 'Clear' album..
To say l love it is an understatement.



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the putin and trump sexy love in and jo jo gunne - run run run

It's a bad state of affairs when Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin could become the most powerful leaders in the world. An alternate future could also mean we are slowly heading towards a third world war.
Either way, the future's not looking too bright.
Photograph from here.

So to cheer everyone up, here's a catchy song from a few years ago.
Jo Jo Gunne with Run Run Run. I defy anyone to not like it.



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the sex pistols - anarchy in the uk - yawn!

Myself and a friend of mine (Stevie Boy / Tarren / Kitten), used to say 'Yawn' on an extremely regular basis whenever something was a bit boring, which to us, was on numerous occasions.
Yes - we could be annoying, but both loveable little rascals at the time, or at least we have convinced ourselves we were.
It is still used now and again, but l didn't realise we may have inadvertantly got it from here, because we can't remember how we started using it.
A review in National Rockstar on 4th December 1976 of The Sex Pistols first single - Anarchy in the UK.

And here is that ground breaking single, the first of a few excellent releases from them.
I'll have to try and dig my Sex Pistols singles out, but l've got a hunch that my brother buggered off to Leeds with them.



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surprised by the exorcist

I haven't started watching the new TV series of The Exorcist yet, as l'm recording them with a view to watching them all in one sitting. I did however, watch the film version of The Exorcist again recently, and saw something that surprised me - a demonic face appearing for a split second behind Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn). I've seen the film on many an occasion, got the video, DVD, and expanded DVD (with scary extras), but have never noticed this before.
I guess l must have been distracted during my other viewings, drunk, or hiding with terror behind the settee.
Either that or l need my eyes testing.

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lost rolling stones record cover from 1969

I got this from Andrew 'Loog' Oldham's twitter account. He was the (very cool yet annoying to the establishment) manager of  The Rolling Stones back in the 1960's, and this, according to him, is the cover from an unfinished lost album project in 1969.

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charlie watts is a happy man!

This makes a change as far as Rolling Stones photographs go. The band are looking sullen, while the notoriously dry witted and gloomy facaded Charlie Watts is actually smiling.
I wonder how long it took the photographer (unknown to me) to persuade them to do this shot.

And here's the classic response from Charlie about what it's like working with The Stones



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