According to the UK tabloid the Sun Prince Harry has aspirations to become a reggae DJ. This apparently all stemmed from what has been described as an inspirational meeting with Bob Marley’s widow Rita on his recent visit to Jamaica. He has supplemented his House music vinyl collection with some heavy reggae on vinyl and has taken mixing lessons.
Someone needs to sign him up for a club gig, for a Royal he seems to have a good attitude. Coming from me that is high praise indeed. I wished that I hadn’t retired as a mobile DJ, otherwise I’d have offered my help. In fact maybe my life long buddy Glen and I (formerly Bill & Glen the Disco Men) should reform and let Harry join the team. How does Harry, Bill & Glen the Royal Disco Men sound?
I have some sad news to report, some of you may know this already, Adam Yauch or MCA of the Beastie Boys passed away earlier today. He finally lost his battle with cancer aged just 47. I believe that the Beastie Boys were among a handful of really groundbreaking acts of their generation paving the way for white rap and legions of rock/ rap crossovers.
On top of all that they were also the people who really kick started the awareness and promotion of a free Tibet. They are on the Chinese governments undesirable list. That to me says that they did things really well. Many people will remember Adam and the rest of the group for the controversies of their early years. I will remember them as a classic act who were not afraid to use their position to influence the world around them.
My thoughts are with Adam’s family, friends, fans and especially Mike D and Ad-Rock. Take some time out to enjoy some of my favourite Beastie Boy tracks in memory of Adam Yauch. RIP MCA.
Today is May 3rd which must mean that tomorrow is Star Wars Day right? Of course it is; May the 4th be with you! I thought I’d celebrate this with a couple of Star Wars related tracks. Notably Ash, they did a cover of Cantina Band as a B Side to their classic single “Girl From Mars“. They also opened their album ‘1977’ with the sound of a TIE Fighter, whilst their label was called Deathstar.
Do you ever get the feeling that some days are just going to be crap days? I don’t get that feeling much at all, however yesterday was one of them. I parked my car the usual 5 minute walk from the office and started walking. It was a typical British spring day in that it was bloody cold. So I had my raincoat on with the collar up. Why did I have the collar up? Actually it was to keep the wind off me, although I don’t mind rocking that FBI agent look occasionally. Anyway it turns out I was lucky to have my collar up, for halfway to the office I heard and felt an almighty splash on my shoulder and the back of my neck.
Yes I had been shat on from a great height and judging from the volume of shit it was either a really large bird or a flock that had practised synchronised defecation. But because my collar was up every last drop stayed on my raincoat, otherwise it would have been right down the back of my shirt collar. It was quite obvious that I had been used as a bird toilet (or bird bathroom for my US readers) but still two people stopped me and said “Do you know you’ve got bird shit on you?”
The footnote is that when I arrived back at the car to go home it had been bombed with two of the largest dollops of bird shit I have ever seen. Still I suppose we should be thankful that elephants can’t fly, well apart from Dumbo anyway. Incidentally whilst it was a moderately crappy day for me, it was nowhere near as bad as the birds had perhaps tried to indicate.
So as I have said many times before, so how can I bring this post back to music I hear you ask. relatively easy really, take some time out, especially if you’ve had a shitty day, to enjoy “Pigeons” by Genesis
So yes, let’s be thankful that elephants can’t fly!
At last work has started on cataloging the music collection of the late, great John Peel. A project called The Space at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket is aiming to recreate his library and home studio. Details of his 25,000 strong vinyl album collection is being put on-line at the rate of 100 per week in alphabetical order. This has already begun and includes Adam and the Ants and Abba. The website does not allow you play the music but it will give links to places where you will be able to listen to it.
Along with the album covers even Peel’s index cards have been digitized for the project which benefits from Arts Council funding. I am looking forward to watching it grow on-line, although one worrying point is that Arts Council funding only runs until October. By this time it is hoped to have at least 2,600 album details on-line. Click here to check out the rather excellent site.
A few years ago I considered the idea of contacting John Peel and possibly Elton John (who also has a very large music collection) with a view to offering my services as organiser and curator of their music collections. I had a vision that this would also include building a database for the collection. So if you’re reading this Elton please feel free to get in touch. I will be in the crowd when you play the Royal Harrogate Showground next month!
what song should I choose to celebrate such a momentous piece of Peel news? Surely there is only one option right? yes John Peel’s favourite song ever; “Teenage Kicks” by the Undertones.
I posted back in January about the lack of protest songs given the precarious state of the world, you can click here to read that post. It appears that I may have been heard. Firstly there was Bruce Springsteen with the sublime “We Take Care of Our Own”. This is a song that I suspect (as with “Born In The USA”) many American politicians simply won’t understand. I can see it being misused on the campaign trail later this year by one of the bozo Republican candidates.
But perhaps more importantly for me, Plan B’s new song, “Ill Manors” is an incendiary attack on the way youth is being treated in Britain today. I totally admire and respect that he has used his position, following his success with “The Defamation Of Strickland Banks“, to release such an incredibly passionate and hard-hitting song about the plight of the young and the underprivileged people in the UK. It’s a brilliant attack on the government too and if it’s not clear what he thinks of ‘Call Me Dave’ Cameron in the lyrics, it’s very clear in the video.
The song is likely to be featured in Plan B’s new film which is due to be released later this year, it is also called ‘Ill Manors’. This is easily my favourite song of the moment and I believe it is deserving are far more radio plays than it is getting. Check out the video below, along with the Springsteen video and a rather amusing posh boy spoof of Ill Manors entitled “Posh Manor”. I have also added the lyrics to “Ill Manors” to the end of this post. I would love to hear what you think of these songs, particularly Plan B’s (aka Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew or Ben Drew) .
Let’s all go on an urban safari
we might see some illegal migrants
Oi look there’s a chav,
that means council housed and violent
He’s got a hoodie on give him a hug,
on second thoughts don’t you don’t wanna get mugged
Oh shit too late that was kinda dumb
whose idea was that…stupid…
He’s got some front, ain’t we all,
be the joker, play the fool
What’s politics, ain’t it all
smoke and mirrors, April fools
All year round, all in all
just another brick in the wall
Get away with murder in the schools
use four letter swear words coz we’re cool
We’re all drinkers, drug takers
every single one of us burns the herb
Keep on believing what you read in the papers
council estate kids, scum of the earth
Think you know how life on a council estate is,
from everything you’ve ever read about it or heard,
Well it’s all true, so stay where you’re safest
there’s no need to step foot out the burbs
Truth is here, we’re all disturbed
we cheat and lie its so absurd
Feed the fear that’s what we’ve learned
Fuel the fire,
Let it burn.
Oi! I said Oi!
What you looking at you little rich boy!
We’re poor round here, run home and lock your door
don’t come round here no more, you could get robbed for
Real (yeah) because my manors ill
My manors ill
For real
Yeah you know my manors ill, my manors ill!
You could get lost in this concrete jungle
new builds keep springing up outta nowhere
Take the wrong turn down a one way junction
find yourself in the hood nobody goes there
We got an eco friendly government,
they preserve our natural habitat
Built an entire Olympic village
around where we live without pulling down any flats
Give us free money and we don’t pay any tax
NHS healthcare, yes please many thanks
People get stabbed round here there’s many shanks
nice knowing someone’s got our backs when we get attacked
Don’t bloody give me that
I’ll lose my temper
Who closed down the community centre?
I kill time there used to be a member,
what will I do now until September?
Schools out, rules out, get your bloody tools out
London’s burning, I predict a riot
Fall in fall out
who knows what it’s all about
What did that chief say? Something bout the kaisers
Kids on the street no they never miss a beat, never miss a cheap
thrill when it comes their way
Lets go looting
no not Luton,
the high street’s closer cover your face
And if we see any rich kids on the way we’ll make ’em wish they stayed inside
here’s a charge for congestion, everybody’s gotta pay
do what Boris does… rob them blind
Oi! I said Oi!
What you looking at you little rich boy?
We’re poor round here, run home and lock your door!
Don’t come round here no more, you could get robbed for
real (yeah) because my manors ill
My manors ill
for real
yeah you know my manors ill , my manors ill!
It is with great sadness that I must convey the news of the passing of the Lord Of Loud, Jim Marshall creator of the guitar amp of choice for rock gods and guitar icons. Acton born James Charles Marshall had been a singer and drummer during the war years as his health kept him out of the armed forces. I would go so far as to say that he was one of the most influential Englishmen in the history of rock.
In his drumming and singing days he had built an amplifier that enabled his vocals to be heard above his drums. Later, from around 1960 he opened a music store in Hanwell, West London. The shop initially sold drums and then he expanded his stock to guitars. Ritchie Blackmore and Pete Townshend were among his early customers, both were seeking a much bigger amplifier that would enable them to significantly crank up the volume on their instruments. That is when Marshall had the idea for what became probably the most famous and iconic brand of amplifiers in music. Marshall Amplification was born in 1962.
For me the guitarist most associate with Marshall was Jimi Hendrix, he evene had some of his road crew trained by Marshall at the west London shop. Jim Marshall had many claims to fame, another of these was his time as a drum teacher, his pupils included Mitch Mitchell drummer with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Mickey Waller who played drums for Little Richard.
My thoughts go to Jim’s family, friends and countless fans and users throughout the world. RIP Jim Marshall.
So in memory of the wonderfully talented man how about some music from Hendrix himself, ably supported by one of Jim Marshall’s drum students!
Eminem can't seem to control his explosive temperament
I have a question for you; has white rap phenomenon Eminem ever worked with cockney good time boys Chas ‘n’ Dave? The answer is surprisingly yes, well technically anyway. His breakthrough single from 1999, “My Name Is” features a sample from Labi Siffre‘s 1975 song “I Got The…”. So what I can hear you say, well two of the session musicians on Labi’s song were none other than the yet to be famous Charles Nicholas Hodges and David Victor Peacock,. The pair are better known now as Chas ‘n’ Dave. So there you have it, in a roundabout way Mr Mathers has worked with Chas ‘n’ Dave. It’s not exactly Eminem rapping in cockney rhyming slang though is it? But there’s a thought!
Is this man the Real Slim Light Shady?
Eminem did have to change the lyrics before Labi Siffre gave him permission to use the sample, he also gets a co-writing credit on the track. Siffre is openly gay and was concerned that Eminem was being violent and homophobic in his lyrics. Incidentally fact fans did you know that Labi Siffre wrote and had his own hit with “It Must Be Love” a song later covered and made even more famous by Madness? Well he did, that was way back in 1972. I also used the lyrics from that song in my rather long wedding speech at my marriage to the delightful and beautiful Catwoman last September. Anyway enough of that it’s time for you to enjoy some Labi Siffre and Eminem.
Earlier today we visited the magnificent Eden Project in Cornwall. If you’ve never been you really should give it a shot. In among the glorious Biomes there are a few fabulous sculptures and works of art. One of these is a giant bee and it was near this that we couldn’t resist a photo opportunity.
I suspect you may be thinking ‘this is a music blog, what the bloody hell is this idiot going on about?’ So bear with me, there is a point, a sting in the tail if you will! I see the picture above as a still from a long-lost unbroadcast episode of the 60s classic TV series ‘Land Of The Giants‘ which clearly featured my beautiful wife Catherine (a.k.a Catwoman) trying her best to protect herself from a bee fart.
So how can I relate that back to music? Arguably some of you may say that this isn’t music anyway. So here goes, for your delectation here is a great track from none other than Don Van Vliet a.k.a Captain Beefheart! (Geddit? It is kind of bee related too)
Earlier this evening we went to the local Vue multiplex, which frankly isn’t as nice as the Picturehouse City Screen cinema in York. However putting that aside the film we saw was ‘The Woman In Black‘, it is an adaptation of Scarborough born Susan Hill‘s 1983 novel of the same name. Incidentally the book is bloody good too. It is the first production from a newly reincarnated Hammer Studios.
Daniel Radcliffe plays the main character, Arthur Kipps. He is a lawyer sent to a desolate coastal town in the north-east of England to close the estate of a recently deceased woman. I won’t add any spoilers in this post but if you like classic horror in a gothic style take a trip to the cinema as soon as you can. In the UK it is a 12A certificate, but I’m not sure I can think of any 12 year olds that wouldn’t be scared shitless!
Was it scary? Well there were a few ‘make you jump’ moments but personally a film has never scared me and this one was no exception. It did scare the living daylights out of my beautiful wife Catherine a.k.a Catwoman. It is a great film though; excellent acting, brilliant script, perfect casting and wonderful locations and cinematography. On this showing there is clearly a long life after Harry Potter for Mr Radcliffe, he has the makings of an award-winning actor.
Hammer is back with a vengeance with this slice of classic British Horror. (My late uncle, Ron Jackson, would have been proud. He was Production Manager of many of the great Hammer Horror films). Hollywood couldn’t have made this and let’s hope they don’t try. This is not a musical nor is it a music related film, but I felt the need to talk about it. So in keeping with this being a music blog please enjoy a few appropriate songs. Also click here to see a great spoof based on the film.
