Back in the 1970s we often heard the word nostalgia in the following one-liner: “Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be”. Etymologically that turns out to be true. The word is derived from the Greek “nostos” (return home) and “algos” (pain), so it used to mean homesickness (like “Heimweh” in German), or a longing for… Continue reading Word of the week: nostalgia
This month, while thinking about lyrics, I seem to be stuck in 1977. Last week it was “God Save the Queen” (the Sex Pistols version) and this week it’s something very different, “Yes sir I can boogie”, the global disco hit by Spanish duo Baccara. The song’s title featured in a recent edition of the… Continue reading “Yes sir I can boogie” and other self-referential lyrics
Are you familiar with the song “Patches” by Clarence Carter? If not there’s a link later in this paragraph for you to follow, but before you do let me issue a “Mascara Warning”, even if you don’t wear mascara. “Patches” is right up there with “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro as a song that is likely… Continue reading “Patches”
Last month, writing about Led Zeppelin, I mentioned my radio highlight of recent months, Robert Plant talking about Elvis Presley on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2. The show was available on the iPlayer until 11 November and I wrote, “If I’m organized enough I’ll transcribe the audio so that you can… Continue reading Robert Plant, transcribed
If pop trivia is not your thing then read no further. If pop trivia is your thing, here are a few facts and challenges for the weekend about songs that have made it to #1 in the UK charts. Same Artist and Song Name at #1 We’re not looking here for an artist releasing a… Continue reading More #1 Pop Trivia: Same artist and song name, same title different song
Ari Up, singer in punk band The Slits, died seven years ago today. May she rest in peace. She and the band had been on my mind in recent weeks, and when starting to draft this piece yesterday I discovered that the anniversary was upon us. Back in 2010 I read the news of her… Continue reading Ari Up and The Slits
At any point in the last 40 years I could have written you a thousand words about the biggest rock beasts of them all, the great Led Zeppelin, a band that have never been far away from my metaphorical and actual turntables since 1975. I could give you 10,000 words without too much difficulty right… Continue reading Led Zeppelin
Back in May I wrote about taking my son to town on a Saturday to buy the latest Blondie album the day after its release (“Album shopping on a Saturday afternoon”). Yesterday I went a step further, taking my daughter to town after school so that we could buy the new Liam Gallagher album “As… Continue reading Album shopping on a Friday afternoon
Rest in peace Tom Petty, another singer and songwriter taken from us too soon. His first UK hit “Anything that’s rock ’n roll” in 1977 was the first 12” single that I ever bought and I was privileged to see him at the Marquee Club in London a year later, a semi-secret gig for which… Continue reading Tom Petty RIP
Today would have been Marc Bolan’s 70th birthday. As you probably know, he died 40 years ago this month, in the early hours of 16 September 1977. His girlfriend Gloria Jones was driving them back to East Sheen from central London, lost control of the car near Barnes Common and the subsequent crash killed him… Continue reading Marc Bolan, 40 years on
The Compartments 