Category: Uncategorized

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: Mississippi John Hurt – Stack ‘O’ Lee Blues. Okeh 8854. February 1929.

Somewhere, a long time ago, a music was forged that would become the basis of nearly all pop music in the second haldf of the last century. The Blues, as it became known, was folk music interpreted by African American musicians from music and songs that had been played in the fields as far back… Continue reading THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: Mississippi John Hurt – Stack ‘O’ Lee Blues. Okeh 8854. February 1929.

THOUGHTS ON SOBRIETY AND HALF A CENTURY WITHOUT A MOTHER- OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE EVERYTHING.

SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS: Commemorations and Celebrations. It’s 19 of one and 50 of another. It’s 19 years today since I gave up drinking and taking drugs. A massive milestone that I’m incredibly proud of. It’s also 50 years today since my mum died. Which is insane.  It’s hard to convey the feeling of having lived… Continue reading THOUGHTS ON SOBRIETY AND HALF A CENTURY WITHOUT A MOTHER- OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE EVERYTHING.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: The Spinners – The Rubberband Man. (from) Happiness Is Being With The Spinners. Atlantic SD 18181. July 1976. Edited For Single 45-3355. August 1976. 

As the winter of 1976 sped forward, leaving the unquenchable summer in its rear view and punk encroached on the normal world, one by one the treasures and talismans of the old guard were being ridiculed and destroyed. It was predicted in some quarters that by the turn of the year the old regime would… Continue reading THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: The Spinners – The Rubberband Man. (from) Happiness Is Being With The Spinners. Atlantic SD 18181. July 1976. Edited For Single 45-3355. August 1976. 

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: Ian Dury – Sweet Gene Vincent. Stiff Buy 23. November 1977.

“White face, black shirtWhite socks, black shoesBlack hair, white stratBled white, died black” My goodness, it’s beautiful, isn’t it? Forty-Four years ago it was a marketing stroke of genius that drew teenage punk rockers into the cartoon jazz-funk-music-hall-knees-up  of Ian Dury’s solo debut ‘New Boots And Panties.’ By sheer virtue of the fact that his… Continue reading THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: Ian Dury – Sweet Gene Vincent. Stiff Buy 23. November 1977.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THING: The Modern Lovers – Pablo Picasso. (from) The Modern Lovers. Home Of The Hits HH-1910. August 1976.

The true sound of a music inadvertently built for tomorrow. After with The Velvet Underground who created the reason for their existence, The Modern Lovers were the second most future rock group that ever existed. Sometime in 1971, or thereabouts, Jonathan Richman  invented the sound of the underground, ten years into the future. That dark,… Continue reading THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THING: The Modern Lovers – Pablo Picasso. (from) The Modern Lovers. Home Of The Hits HH-1910. August 1976.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THING: Lee “Scratch” Perry-Dreadlocks In Moonlight. Upsetters (JA). 1976

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Something, something, something. Something to do with Medicinal Compound. Or other. Here’s where we are now… The work that Lee Perry created in his studio the Black Ark between 1973-78 is one of the greatest bodies of work by anybody, in any field, in history. None of this can be understated, as… Continue reading THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THING: Lee “Scratch” Perry-Dreadlocks In Moonlight. Upsetters (JA). 1976

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: Jackie Lee – The Duck. Mirwood 5502. October 1965.

My brother Kevin was one of THE most important influences on my musical life. It’s his birthday today, he would have been 67. He died in 2021, the day after my 60th birthday. I miss him and never stop marvelling at the role he played in younger, formative years. Right on, Kev You beautiful soul.… Continue reading THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THINGS: Jackie Lee – The Duck. Mirwood 5502. October 1965.

THE THINGS THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF: De Carle Music, Tommy James, The Age Of Discovery.

Tommy James And The Shondells – Mony Mony. Roulette R-7008. March 1968. I’ve passed this way before…it’s Record Store Day. There’s a school of thought that says every day is a ‘Record Store Day’.  There are little more than a handful of record ‘shops’ in Liverpool city centre and to the best of my knowlegde,… Continue reading THE THINGS THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF: De Carle Music, Tommy James, The Age Of Discovery.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THING: Jefferson Airplane-White Rabbit. RCA Victor 47-9248. June 1967.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THING:Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit. RCA Victor 47-9248. June 1967. Curiouser And Curiouser…. Across the canon of pop few ‘rock’ records stood out, made a difference as Jefferson Airplane’s surreal, druggy paean to another world, White Rabbit. In a moment in pop music’s relatively young history the Airplane abandoned the… Continue reading THE SOUND OF MUSIC HAPPENING THING: Jefferson Airplane-White Rabbit. RCA Victor 47-9248. June 1967.