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 clock is ticking. Change is coming. Something we have enjoyed since the 1970s will no longer be part of our lives. I am referring here (the weekend after we learnt the result of the UK’s EU Referendum) to Paul Gambaccini’s BBC Radio Show, “America’s Greatest Hits”. From July 2016 Paul Gambaccini will host Radio… Continue reading End of an era
The Beach Boys, and their main songwriter Brian Wilson (typically described as “troubled creative genius” Brian Wilson), inspire great devotion among some music-lovers. I can understand this, and if I were 10 years older would probably feel the same, about them or the Beatles, Kinks or Rolling Stones. At least one 60s band (Small Faces… Continue reading “Love and Mercy”
Some years ago BBC Radio 2 compiled “The Nation’s Favourite No 2 Single” a chart of the best songs to make it as far as #2 in the UK charts and no further. They compiled a list of “around 100 classic number two hits” and then Radio 2 listeners voted for their favourites. The results… Continue reading More Pop Trivia: Stuck at 2
There’s a documentary available on the BBC iPlayer now (and for another 27 days) about the gig that took place 40 years ago today in Manchester, the first Sex Pistols appearance in that city, at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. It’s called “One Night in Manchester: The Gig That Changed Music Forever”. Peter Hook, Jordan… Continue reading Punk and Prog
The Compartments 