As a teenager I went to many gigs at the Hammersmith Odeon, and even went to a couple before turning 13. It was the largest cinema in the UK at the time (around 3,500 seats) and the scene of many childhood visits to the pictures, like those recalled in this piece. By the time I… Continue reading Front row seats at the Hammersmith Odeon
Bob Dylan is the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature. Good. I’m happy about that. As I wrote in a piece last year I have friends who have told me how much they hate Bob Dylan. I am still friends with these people but we are never going to agree on this one.… Continue reading Bob Dylan, Nobel Laureate
Here are the answers to yesterday’s piece challenging you to name UK #1 hit singles containing boys’ names. In year order: Name Artist Song Year Joe Frankie Laine Hey Joe 1953 Hernando Johnston Brothers Hernando’s Hideaway 1955 Mack Bobby Darin Mack The Knife 1959 Johnny John Leyton Johnny Remember Me 1961 Michael Highwaymen Michael 1961… Continue reading UK #1 hit singles containing boys’ names (the answers)
As a follow-up to last month’s piece, asking you to name as many UK #1s as possible that contain a girl’s name, how many boys’ names can you find in UK #1 hits? There are fewer of them, and when I have challenged people to come up with them I haven’t had to say “It… Continue reading UK #1 hit singles containing boys’ names
Farewell to the Pipeline, which was, all too briefly, the centre of rock ’n roll London. In the early years of this decade my nights out frequently incorporated three rock venues: The Pipeline, The Intrepid Fox and the 12 Bar Club. All three have now closed. A typical night out would involve beer and pinball… Continue reading Farewell to the Pipeline
Our friends from Worthing came up for the day today. As usual, for a Saturday, we had “Pick of the Pops” playing live on the radio (1-3pm, BBC Radio 2). I have noted elsewhere that I can usually work out what was #1 before the chart rundown at the end of each hour. The second… Continue reading UK #1 hit singles containing girls’ names
Our 9-year-old daughter is learning the words to the old Queen song “Killer Queen” at her Friday evening children’s theatre group. They have changed one of the lines, from “Let them eat cake, she says / Just like Marie Antoinette” to “Let them eat cake, she says / Shopping on the internet”. The opening line… Continue reading Queen, Sparks, 10cc: Moet, kimonos and lasagne
A news item on the radio this morning (and in this story from the BBC website) tells us that Mick Jagger’s girlfriend is expecting a baby. Do I have to describe Jagger as “the singer of the Rolling Stones”? Surely not; he’s been in the news for over 50 years and must count as Universal… Continue reading “He’s his own grandpa”
During the last month I have had conversations with three different people (people I had never met before) during which the subject turned to music in the 1980s. I told the same stories three different times, which is the kind of thing that prompts me to draft a piece for this Blog. If a story… Continue reading The Smiths and The Cure
There are at least two approaches to any writing project. You can plan everything in advance so that you have a clear idea of your progress once you begin your writing, or you can just get started and see where you end up. I am taking the latter approach with this Blog, not planning too… Continue reading No Earworms for June
The Compartments 