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.

toodle pip

mr freedom

Back in the 1960's, when London used to be the epicenter of coolness, it's kind of hard to believe that these two men (Tommy Roberts and John Paul) ran one of the coolest shops in town. Mr Freedom.
It's even harder to believe, looking at what they are wearing, that the shop sold trendy clothes to the rich and famous.
There is still a Mr Freedom outlet going today (look here), but the coolness has long gone, despite the expensive prices.

However, back in the day, as well as the clothes, they did have a (now really dated) advert that featured some great electronic music. Jean Jaques Perrey - 'Moog Indigo'.



And here's Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones wearing one of their t shirts (Which can now be purchased here).

toodle pip

scrotox

Here's breakthrough for all the men reading (or a special gift for that man in your life).
Scrotum area looking too wrinkled? Fear not! Here's the solution!
Scrotox!!!!
Yes - you read that correctly - SCROTOX.
Make the scrotum in your life smoother, larger, and with the added bonus that it will hang lower. What's not to like?
For more information - look here.
Send your money off now.

toodple pip

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)



toodle pip

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.



toodle pip

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.



toodle pip

jimmy savile jokes and references before his death

Some excellent, near the knuckle (for the lawyers at least) Jimmy Savile jokes on 'Have I Got News For You' in 1992, plus a banned Johnny Lydon interview with Vivienne Goldman at the BBC in 1978.





toodle pip

l may be intelligent after all!

According to news in The Independent yesterday, people who are messy, swear a lot, and stay up late, are more likely to be intelligent.
There's hope for me yet,as l certainly have all three of those characteristics!

toodle pip

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.



toodle pip

the kea parrot

This is a Kea Parrot. Looking a lot more magnificent and spectacular than the mangy, bad tempered little bugger l have in my house.
There are going to be some strong words with him to get his act together and produce some goods, otherwise he may be replaced #.

toodle pip

# Only joking - l love the little git!

sky bet

Todays predictions!

toodle pip

the edge supports mencap (again)

The Edge (From U2) seems to be an all round decent bloke, who has always supported Mencap causes.
Here is is again, promoting the latest Mencap campaign that launched on Friday - 'Here I Am'.
For more information about the campaign, visit here.

toodle pip

strange japanese poster

I'm pretty sure l have put this up before, but if so, it's still worth repeating.

A very strange Japanese (I'm guessing) poster. As for what is being advertised, who on earth knows (unless you can read the script underneath).

If it's for a show, l bet it was pretty unusual and 'challenging', but l would still be interested in seeing it.

toodle pip

the clintons discuss dylan

Bill and Hilary Clinton discuss the presidency and Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize for literature (not)

toodle pip

jose mourinho works out what's wrong

Jose Mourinho and his team try to work out what is going wrong at Manchester United, after the other recent managers have all failed.
I wish they'd get a bleeding move on, because it is crap at the moment.

toodle pip

paul gambaccini shows how to get old

I think l am turning into Paul Gambaccini, or at least l'd like to, judging by how his home life appears to be.
If l could keep all of my comics and books, retain the parrot, but have all of the music he owns, plus the larger house, organisational aspect (and probably a cleaner), l think my sexual persuasion could be changed.
I'm not wearing the pink jumper though.

toodle pip

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.



toodle pip

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.

toodle pip

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.

toodle pip

empire of the sun - two vines and pink floyd - wot's uh the deal

Freaky psychedelic electronic rock alert! Here's Empire of the Sun's newie, 'Two Vines', from their album of the same name. Marvellous.
Pass the drugs (but don't touch the brown acid).



And on a related note, here's an 'Obscured by Clouds' Pink Floyd track, the largely ignored (but great song) Wot's...Uh the Deal. I would say it would be a great song to cover on solo acoustic guitar, but plenty of people have already had that idea on youtube.



toodle pip

women's shoes that are pretty 'out there'

Women's shoes that are cool and trendy, mad, ingenious, or just plain stupid. You decide.
Lots more are here.

toodle pip

a classic freddie mercury tattoo

Watching part of Tattoo Fixers last night, l was reminded of this. A classic tattoo of Queen's Freddie Mercury.
He must be so proud (in the afterlife).

toodle pip

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



toodle pip

oliver reed's drinking advice

Because l've been reading a lot recently, plus listening to music and watching films and box sets, I've actually not been drinking that much, (not a drop for the last 13 days at the moment), but when l do, l can certainly relate to this advice from Oliver Reed.

toodle pip

billy bremner's son has taste

Billy Bremner of Dirty Leeds United must have been really proud of his sons bedroom decoration. An extremely large poster of Manchester United's George Best.
Good lad.

toodle pip

bastille - good grief and wet wet wet - wishing l was lucky

I love the Bastille song 'Good Grief' (see, l don't just listen to old stuff), but every time l hear it l want to sing Wet Wet Wet's 'Wishing l was Lucky' to parts of it. Is it only me that can hear some similarities?
It must be the stress of listening to recent records, and trying to keep up with the kids.
I need a lie down and a cup of Horlicks (and lots of medication).





toodle pip

johnny burton - pole vault man

The song that Oasis should have covered, as it sounds just like them, only years ahead of it's time.
Johnny Burton - Pole Vault Man from 1972



toodle pip

todays football bet

Today's results (hopefully) 

COME ON!!!!

toodle pip

edible pizza box

The Americans are always so much ahead of us when it comes to stuffing your face with classy food.

Now they have a Pizza box that's actually made out of pizza, and therefore edible as well!

They advertise 'No Waste', but l wouldn't like to be the one cleaning their toilet bowls the next day.

Those crazy yanks etc...

toodle pip

tom jones - detroit city

Although this is a shameless attempt to re-create the success of his 'Green Green Grass of Home' hit, with it's theme of returning home, it's spoken interlude and melancholy mood, but it's actually a pretty good song in isolation.
Tom Jones with 'Detroit City'.



toodle pip

will young - masterbation record holder

I can't say l'm much of a fan of Will Young's music, but he's gone up in my estimation with the straight faced way he answered the question of what world record he would like to break (on daytime TV).
"The amount of times l can mastebate in a day" - six is his record apparently.
The presenter looks pretty unsure of how to proceed, while Geri Halliwell just cracks up completely.
Splendid stuff, and something to aim for (ffnnaaarr).
From here.



toodle pip

the schrodinger's immigrant

While l am prepared to admit that some of the 'youngsters' admitted into the UK yesterday looked older than 18, l think the underlying fear is this. The Schrodinger's Immigrant.

If you don't know what the above is based upon, (Schrodinger wise) check out this.

toodle pip

a rabbit spreads some joy

C'mon kids!!! Everybody loves rabbits!!!

toodle pip

a waterlogged pitch at dundee, and cheap prices at football games

This is good old fashioned football, despite the weather!
Dundee's Den's Park in 1936.

On a related note, here's some kids queuing to get into games (without tickets in advance) for 20p and 35p, not so very long ago. The 35p turnstile is at Liverpool.
There's not a chance in hell they could do that now, as the kids and working classes are being priced out (if they already haven't been).

toodle pip

george and dhani harrison's symmetrical faces, and what is life

George Harrison and his son Danni's symmetrical faces.
At first glance they look identical, but you then notice the many differences, and not just with the youthful skin of Dhani's.

And here's a song by George - 'What is Life'.

toodle pip

spanking machines

I've got a friend who may be interested in buying one of these. Designs (or ideas) for Spanking Machines, from the 1930's and 1940's.

toodle pip