Ive been listening to both the Red & Blue albums…can’t praise them highly enough…especially all the remixes of the early stuff…modern technology can be a marvellous thing…these tracks are amazing, nothing wrong with the original mono mixes…but I adore these new mixes 🍸
Are you listening to the new Red & Blue albums on vinyl, @Sir Miles ? I think the Blue was one remastered a few years ago, I don't know if this is another upgrade. Giles Martin isn't always rated - the guy who did the Yellow Submarine Songbook is often seen as better - but it's hard for me to say because I don't want to buy vinyl to find out, as it's expensive and it feels odd to take it back if you want to.
"This is where we leave you Mr Bond."
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,872MI6 Agent
I agree with Alan Partridge that the best album of The Beatles is still The Best of The Beatles.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,945Chief of Staff
Unfortunately not…I’ve seen plenty of reviews of these albums on vinyl, all are mainly positive…the dynamics are far better on vinyl than cd…I’m just listening to them via iTunes 🤗
I have no issues with Giles Martin, on the whole he does a fabulous job…you will always get dissenters 🤷🏻♂️
The movie Woodstock clocks in at just over three hours, of which only a bare few notes of Star Spangled Banner are featured from Jimi Hendrix’s performance at the famous rock festival. He closed the show at 9am on a Monday morning. Half the crowd had gone. Those who stayed missed a treat. A cobbled together band set the pace, but Jimi rules the guitar strings. Lead guitar never had a truer meaning. Often he is the only one playing. Hendrix had forsaken gimmicks and three-minute pop song renditions for elongated rambling interpretations of album tracks. At one point he tells the audience: “You can go home if you want, we’re just jammin’ here.” Despite that, a splendid record of a wonderful performer who commanded through his virtuosity, and no longer needed to play behind his back or with his teeth to deliver the musical goods. Voodoo Chile stands out, as it would, and Star Spangled Banner segueing into Purple Haze had all the angry irony you’d expect from a hippy love in. Along with Monterrey ’67 and the Isle of Wight ’70, the best record of Hendrix’s charismatic live performances, even though this wasn’t complete either. Still, forty-five minutes of vintage gold.
Well, there was nothing on the telly last night, I couldn’t stomach another movie – Oblivion was on, but I’ve seen it and the last hour is yawning – I’d spent the day in the garden and downed half a bottle of sauvignon blanc, and I decided to sit back and watch this concert recorded in 2008 when the toothsome tanned fivesome were probably at their peak. Roundly dismissed as shouty Pop Star wannabes after that dreadful The Rivals TV talent show, Cheryl, Nicole, Kimberly, Nadine and Sarah proved themselves more than worthy successors to the Spice Girls with a recognisable brand of nightclub friendly disco-grunge, with those constant beat changes and immediately ear-worming choruses. I was in my last phase of nightclubbing when they came along and everyone knew the tunes; instant floor fillers at Chicago’s and Café Mango.
It would still be easy to dismiss Girls Aloud as all legs, hips and hair – and there is a lot of leg on show and a lot of hip shaking and swivelling and the hair is extraordinary – but this quintet are more than adequate when it comes to singing and dancing and far above ordinary when it comes to pure entertainment value. A rapid run through of hits like Love Machine, Long Hot Summer, Biology, Whole Lotta History and Sound of the Underground [ugh, but I suppose they had to] keep the party atmosphere going non-stop. One of the endearing qualities the group has is the ability to not be identikit; the Spice Girls had it too, but they also had defined personas to maintain. Girls Aloud seem to revel in not being entirely perfect. So their similar smashing outfits are always tailored individually; their dance moves are coordinated but unsculptured so they appear solely different; their singing is raunchy and while never off key they do struggle to hit the best notes – but they don’t care and nobody else does; when they pose together, they all stand differently and sometimes awkwardly, as if not certain they’ve hit the right spot.
Musically, pop-dance-rock sums it up well. Energy, too. Lyrically they sing about men and sex in exactly the manner male singers have regaled us for decades about women. Entirely desirable, there is barely an ounce of fat to be seen on these ladies, so lively are the routines it must be the best physical work out ever, and every number performed in four inch heels. The spangly silver dresses were a good look, but the leotards worn for the encore of Something Kinda Ooo were distinctly unflattering. The black minidresses for Speak French had an unexpectedly chic look, as you probably need for such a sophisticated pop song. Jump was about as fun and frivolous as you can get at the O2, which is a horrible venue, at least it is when you sit in the gods as I have.
So, I quite enjoyed catching this.
OK, I had an ulterior motive. My girlfriend of the time wanted to go and I got tickets for her birthday, but we split up before the concerts came around. My loss in terms of money [and a woman, perhaps she spent too long analysing the lyrics of Girls Aloud songs and figured I wasn’t worth it – sensible lass]. By the look of this concert footage I lost a rather good night out as well.
I watched the Girls Aloud at the BBC programme that went out before.
Lots of hits, something not quite right about them. Well, they couldn't dance for toffee but they did come about via a singing contest. Not quite coordinated, a bit hard, all a bit Barcardi Breeze. When they do a song about vulnerability, well, it's relative - they're not that vulnerable. They're singing about their own vulnerability, not yours. Like the bride in bits because the groom has been caught shagging one of the bridesmaids. When Wayne said he wouldn't, they both agreed they'd swear off as the wedding approached, after all, she made sure she slept with his brother at least a week ago.
Their videos are a bit rubbish too, except for the one for The Promise, which is absolutely brilliant.
You can't help feeling sorry for the one who ditched them despite being picked for the line-up, because her boyfriend said it would be off between them otherwise - they later split anyway. Her replacement was the one deemed not as good looking though they tried to make amends for those cut aways in their videos by focussing on her a lot more as the band went on and she had some work done or something.
And of course you feel sorry for the late Sarah Harding, bloody shame that.
I watched Henry Mancini at the Proms - disappointingly @chrisno1 has yet to file a report, preferring to concentrate on the fag-end of the Carry On years.
I can't quite get the hang of Mancini's output, which is the cocktail party end of John Barry - or Barry, if he'd stopped at Thunderball, with the like of Beat Girl, Silk Stockings, Quiller Memorandum and Goldfinger in his catalogue, before he got on to the sublime stuff. I did read somewhere that Barry or someone got snubbed by Mancini at the Oscars because the tune to Goldfinger, or opening notes, is similar to the previous year's Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's though someone else wrote the lyrics didn't they, either Don Black or Anthony Newley so maybe it happened to them.
I know Mancini did Pink Panther, Charade and so on but this Proms featured stuff I don't think he had any involvement in such as the two big tunes from Casino Royale 67 - plus a lot of his LPs have him do a homage in his particular style to various songs that wern't his, so that muddies the waters a bit. Maybe it's all about the Mancini sound, like Glen Miller writing some of his songs but also doing other songs in his particular sound. He also did this number Lujon which we all surely know but had never put a name to
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,945Chief of Staff
Frank Sidebottom is a bona fide legend…Chris Sievey was lead singer wire The Freshies, they really only had the one ‘hit’ - and Radio 1 made them change the title of that!
His style was utterly unique…very difficult to describe his humour/act, if he had an ‘act’ in the true sense 😁
He had his own tv and radio show…plus you have the 2014 film Frank - starring Michael Fassbender which is inspired by Frank Sidebottom…but I’d highly recommend the 2018 documentary Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story - if you can find it.
Frank - and Chris - remain a true comedy cult classic 🍸
Comments
It's a lovely song though, and beautifully produced. I think it's pretty great.
I see that "latest" song got to number one
And broke quite a number of records to do so 👏🏻
Ive been listening to both the Red & Blue albums…can’t praise them highly enough…especially all the remixes of the early stuff…modern technology can be a marvellous thing…these tracks are amazing, nothing wrong with the original mono mixes…but I adore these new mixes 🍸
Are you listening to the new Red & Blue albums on vinyl, @Sir Miles ? I think the Blue was one remastered a few years ago, I don't know if this is another upgrade. Giles Martin isn't always rated - the guy who did the Yellow Submarine Songbook is often seen as better - but it's hard for me to say because I don't want to buy vinyl to find out, as it's expensive and it feels odd to take it back if you want to.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I agree with Alan Partridge that the best album of The Beatles is still The Best of The Beatles.
Unfortunately not…I’ve seen plenty of reviews of these albums on vinyl, all are mainly positive…the dynamics are far better on vinyl than cd…I’m just listening to them via iTunes 🤗
I have no issues with Giles Martin, on the whole he does a fabulous job…you will always get dissenters 🤷🏻♂️
OMC - Right On
RIP Pauly Fuemana (1969 - 2010) and Philip Fuemana (1964 - 2005)
Jokerman - Bob Dylan
One of his best...
Friday Night TV:
Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock
The movie Woodstock clocks in at just over three hours, of which only a bare few notes of Star Spangled Banner are featured from Jimi Hendrix’s performance at the famous rock festival. He closed the show at 9am on a Monday morning. Half the crowd had gone. Those who stayed missed a treat. A cobbled together band set the pace, but Jimi rules the guitar strings. Lead guitar never had a truer meaning. Often he is the only one playing. Hendrix had forsaken gimmicks and three-minute pop song renditions for elongated rambling interpretations of album tracks. At one point he tells the audience: “You can go home if you want, we’re just jammin’ here.” Despite that, a splendid record of a wonderful performer who commanded through his virtuosity, and no longer needed to play behind his back or with his teeth to deliver the musical goods. Voodoo Chile stands out, as it would, and Star Spangled Banner segueing into Purple Haze had all the angry irony you’d expect from a hippy love in. Along with Monterrey ’67 and the Isle of Wight ’70, the best record of Hendrix’s charismatic live performances, even though this wasn’t complete either. Still, forty-five minutes of vintage gold.
Saturday Night TV:
Girls Aloud – Tangled Up – Live at the O2
Well, there was nothing on the telly last night, I couldn’t stomach another movie – Oblivion was on, but I’ve seen it and the last hour is yawning – I’d spent the day in the garden and downed half a bottle of sauvignon blanc, and I decided to sit back and watch this concert recorded in 2008 when the toothsome tanned fivesome were probably at their peak. Roundly dismissed as shouty Pop Star wannabes after that dreadful The Rivals TV talent show, Cheryl, Nicole, Kimberly, Nadine and Sarah proved themselves more than worthy successors to the Spice Girls with a recognisable brand of nightclub friendly disco-grunge, with those constant beat changes and immediately ear-worming choruses. I was in my last phase of nightclubbing when they came along and everyone knew the tunes; instant floor fillers at Chicago’s and Café Mango.
It would still be easy to dismiss Girls Aloud as all legs, hips and hair – and there is a lot of leg on show and a lot of hip shaking and swivelling and the hair is extraordinary – but this quintet are more than adequate when it comes to singing and dancing and far above ordinary when it comes to pure entertainment value. A rapid run through of hits like Love Machine, Long Hot Summer, Biology, Whole Lotta History and Sound of the Underground [ugh, but I suppose they had to] keep the party atmosphere going non-stop. One of the endearing qualities the group has is the ability to not be identikit; the Spice Girls had it too, but they also had defined personas to maintain. Girls Aloud seem to revel in not being entirely perfect. So their similar smashing outfits are always tailored individually; their dance moves are coordinated but unsculptured so they appear solely different; their singing is raunchy and while never off key they do struggle to hit the best notes – but they don’t care and nobody else does; when they pose together, they all stand differently and sometimes awkwardly, as if not certain they’ve hit the right spot.
Musically, pop-dance-rock sums it up well. Energy, too. Lyrically they sing about men and sex in exactly the manner male singers have regaled us for decades about women. Entirely desirable, there is barely an ounce of fat to be seen on these ladies, so lively are the routines it must be the best physical work out ever, and every number performed in four inch heels. The spangly silver dresses were a good look, but the leotards worn for the encore of Something Kinda Ooo were distinctly unflattering. The black minidresses for Speak French had an unexpectedly chic look, as you probably need for such a sophisticated pop song. Jump was about as fun and frivolous as you can get at the O2, which is a horrible venue, at least it is when you sit in the gods as I have.
So, I quite enjoyed catching this.
OK, I had an ulterior motive. My girlfriend of the time wanted to go and I got tickets for her birthday, but we split up before the concerts came around. My loss in terms of money [and a woman, perhaps she spent too long analysing the lyrics of Girls Aloud songs and figured I wasn’t worth it – sensible lass]. By the look of this concert footage I lost a rather good night out as well.
Yes, I really did enjoy this.
I watched the Girls Aloud at the BBC programme that went out before.
Lots of hits, something not quite right about them. Well, they couldn't dance for toffee but they did come about via a singing contest. Not quite coordinated, a bit hard, all a bit Barcardi Breeze. When they do a song about vulnerability, well, it's relative - they're not that vulnerable. They're singing about their own vulnerability, not yours. Like the bride in bits because the groom has been caught shagging one of the bridesmaids. When Wayne said he wouldn't, they both agreed they'd swear off as the wedding approached, after all, she made sure she slept with his brother at least a week ago.
Their videos are a bit rubbish too, except for the one for The Promise, which is absolutely brilliant.
You can't help feeling sorry for the one who ditched them despite being picked for the line-up, because her boyfriend said it would be off between them otherwise - they later split anyway. Her replacement was the one deemed not as good looking though they tried to make amends for those cut aways in their videos by focussing on her a lot more as the band went on and she had some work done or something.
And of course you feel sorry for the late Sarah Harding, bloody shame that.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Martika - Toy Soldiers
Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out
Higher Power by Coldplay, 2 be Loved by Lizzo and I love it from Icona Pop.
I watched Henry Mancini at the Proms - disappointingly @chrisno1 has yet to file a report, preferring to concentrate on the fag-end of the Carry On years.
I can't quite get the hang of Mancini's output, which is the cocktail party end of John Barry - or Barry, if he'd stopped at Thunderball, with the like of Beat Girl, Silk Stockings, Quiller Memorandum and Goldfinger in his catalogue, before he got on to the sublime stuff. I did read somewhere that Barry or someone got snubbed by Mancini at the Oscars because the tune to Goldfinger, or opening notes, is similar to the previous year's Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's though someone else wrote the lyrics didn't they, either Don Black or Anthony Newley so maybe it happened to them.
I know Mancini did Pink Panther, Charade and so on but this Proms featured stuff I don't think he had any involvement in such as the two big tunes from Casino Royale 67 - plus a lot of his LPs have him do a homage in his particular style to various songs that wern't his, so that muddies the waters a bit. Maybe it's all about the Mancini sound, like Glen Miller writing some of his songs but also doing other songs in his particular sound. He also did this number Lujon which we all surely know but had never put a name to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjsG3i6L9vw.
I haven't found a definitive Mancini Greatest Hits LP really but it seems summer's over now anyway.
Here's a clip of Mancini doing a Beatles number, introduced with a decent joke by both of them that falls a bit flat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPXa1SaYTXU
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Johann Sebastian Bach - The Art of Fugue
Toto - Stop Loving You
Stone Temple Pilots - Lady Picture Show
RIP Scott Weiland.
France Gall - Ella, elle l'a
Remixed by Ambrozie Marius
Nu-Shooz - Point of No Return
One of the best Christmas songs ever written…you know it is, it really is 😁
That's... umm... indescribable..?
That’s…easily describable…try…comic genius 😁 Chris Sievey was a giant 🫶🏻
Not so much a song…but it’s Christmas…and Frank Kelly 🤗
Frank Sidebottom is one of my comedy heroes. He was on TV a lot when I was a child.
Frank Sidebottom is a bona fide legend…Chris Sievey was lead singer wire The Freshies, they really only had the one ‘hit’ - and Radio 1 made them change the title of that!
Frank Sidebottom was the mascot for the band…but ended up FAR bigger…Sievey died in 2010.
Frank Sidebottom - until now I’ve never heard of him, but thanks for the heads up, Sir Miles, fantastic stuff!
His style was utterly unique…very difficult to describe his humour/act, if he had an ‘act’ in the true sense 😁
He had his own tv and radio show…plus you have the 2014 film Frank - starring Michael Fassbender which is inspired by Frank Sidebottom…but I’d highly recommend the 2018 documentary Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story - if you can find it.
Frank - and Chris - remain a true comedy cult classic 🍸
The Christmas edition of Private Eye is currently on sale.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Another Christmas Classic…
Half Man Half Biscuit and All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit 😁