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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excellent pub sign

Witty thinking by whoever came up with this pub sign in Clarkenwell.

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paul simon - american tune (with added bach)

I've heard this song a few times since the American election, and had forgotten how good it is (and relevant now).
Paul Simon, with 'American Tune'.
One of the few great artists of the 1960's who can still sound really great today, and his body of work is more than equal to just about anyone, although if you listen to the Bach piece, it may sound a tad familiar.
Just ignore the bad hairstyle and moustache, and listen to the song.





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brexit sgt pepper picture updated, and leonard cohen - suzanne

Damn!!
Wasn't expecting the Brexit Sgt Pepper picture to be updated so quickly, and with someone l liked so much.
Here it is again, only this time with Leonard Cohen added.

And as a tribute to the sadly departed Mr Cohen......Here's 'Suzanne'



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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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donald trump wakes up

Donald Trump wakes up and realises he has to fulfill at least some of his pre election promises.

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the year so far - brexit sgt pepper

It's been one hell of a year so far, and if you haven't noticed, all of the people on this Brexit Sgt Peppers remake have died in 2016.

By Dogfacedboy.

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new yorker cartoon and uk politics

This New Yorker cartoon sums up how a lot of people in the American election would have voted, but before taking the piss out of the Americans too much, remember that a lot of people in the UK vote for the Conservatives when it is clear that they will bear the brunt of the Tory policies afterwards.

And on a related note...

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new t2 trainspotting poster

A new poster for T2 Trainspotting.

Still can't wait!

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a very happy man

From JB Barrington's twitter account.
This man is in his own world, and very, very happy.

Oi Oi @sleafordmods me Uncle Ray is on his way to Rock City, look after him won't ya....he's proper #GiddyOnTheCiggies pic.twitter.com/MHhvVZP9ic

— JB Barrington (@JB_Barrington) November 4, 2016

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todays tune - country joe and the fish - vietnam song

In commemoration of todays victory for Donald Trump and the rise of the idiots.
Country Joe and The Fish singing Vietnam Song at Woodstock.



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trump and putin - the romance begins

The love that dare not speak it's name.

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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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ministry - jesus built my hotrod and pastor tl barrett and the youth for christ choir - like a ship (without a sail)

Today, l'll start with something rowdy and probably sacrilegious.
Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod.



But to head to the other side, here's Pastor T.L Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir -  Like a Ship (Without a Sail). A righteous bit of gospel that could easily be a Primal Scream song.



Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition.

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jacket at halloween

Halloween may be over, but l can't erase this image of Jacket (a lad from Catterick) out of my tiny little mind.
It's like it's been lasered into my eyeballs for eternity!

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my right wing fascist hitler collection

You always feel as though you are backing yourself into a corner if you start of a sentence with "I'm not a right wing Hitler supporting fascist", but......
As a collector / hoarder of all things interesting, l seem to have accumulated a fair amount of Hitler / pre World War 11 German stamps, plus a couple of postcards that have been checked by the Nazi censorship department.
None of it is really worth anything, and l am as left wing as you can possibly get, but l may have to keep tabs on some of the stuff l bid for in the future, or l will start to get a reputation that l don't want (the one l have already is bad enough).
Haven't got a clue what has been written in the postcards, but they are to and from the same people in Amsterdam and Zurich.

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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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bob gruen and his rock and roll history

Bob Gruen is a photographer from New York who has taken many, many iconic rock photographs, some you may well be familiar with already, such as the John Lennon 'I love New York' shot.
He was friends with The Lennons, and was access to many pivotal moments in rock history, documenting them with his camera and his skill as an artist himself. Oh to have been his assistant at that time........
Gruen also has some short programmes about the photographs and their history repeated on a regular basis on Sky Arts.
His website is here, plus l owe a great debt to Anthony Luke and his site, from where l nabbed these photographs, rather than searching the web myself (I'm a busy man). There are many examples to be found there.
Here's some of which l speak. If you don't know ho the people are in the photographs, you need to educate yourself.

And here's the (Now world famous) John Lennon shoot.

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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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strange yale university library book

There's a strange old book in the library at Yale University from the mid 1880's that was donated by Hans P Kraus. It has many drawings of fauna, but lots of weird text and other illustrations that cannot be fathomed out. 

Obviously the work of a dedicated madman (or genius).

I wish l had half of his (or her) drive to create. I've certainly got the rambling thoughts in my head, although, maybe with some of my thoughts, it's best they were kept where they are. 

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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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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).

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