After a week on the lounge-a-bout at home, we're down to Dorset for a few days, on the Purbeck peninsula above to be exact. Brownsea Island, Dancing ledge, Studland Bay are all on the
to do list - but any holiday hints and tips (or pubs) are aways welcome..
While we're zipping around and about doing The Only Way is Wessex, this online
musical allotment breaks the four year blog-barrier..so to celebrate I've laid on a
couple of musical buffets..Summer Shakedown volumes 1 and 2..(3 and 4 are here and
here).
So, I'll see you for more of the usual in a week and bit. Or thereabouts..
Barton Turf: whistling distance from our holiday digs...
We're off for a few days much needed breather and break next week. To Walmington-on-Sea in fact, well not yer actual Kent/Sussex village, but nipping about some parts of Norfolk occasionally spottable in Dad's Army location scenes - it's the flint walls that give it away. Cromer crab, Roys of Wroxham a trip to Narge and boating on the broads are all possibilities at the mo'.
In other news: I only realised a few days after last Sunday had passed, this place had clocked up three years on the blog-o-meter. I had been planning a third anniversary jamboree of sorts - but it's all slipped sideways over the summer. Luckily, those jolly ol' rockers The Wolfmen have allowed me to give an exclusive debut airing to their flute-tootin remix of the latest single July 20. It's the sort of Hanna-Barbera bouncer perfect for lolloping off on your hol's.
So I'll see you in a week or there abouts my booties. And perhaps we'll catch up on the missing Dear Diary posts when I'm back.
I'm dedicating this post to the memory of Guitar Hero Number One - Les Paul 1915-2009
104 weeks in the muddling making, 327 posts in the posting, more tracks and typos than I care to count and 2 DMCA takedowns all add up to one piece of Mondo-shaped bloggery and cyberspace scrapbooking that passes it's two year mark tomorrow.
For my first anniversary, I made this mix of goodies gathered from other blogger's blogs. But this year, and I guess you could call it an indulgence ("it's an indulgence" they chorused)I've harvested and hand picked a few scraps and selections (as well several nuggs I've been meaning to blog) from my own online allotment, sonic pantry and various guest mixes which you may have missed and blended them into a minty fresh mix 'Two's Next'
So a thank you goes out to all old pals, new chums, long-haulers, regular readers, chippers in, commenters, blog-rollers, Feedburner subscribers and those silent anonobods who peep but never speak - so let's raise a glass and here's to another year.. Two's Next Mix
Gimme Shelter - Merry Clayton The Sunshine Of Your Love - Spanky Wilson Maggie's Farm - Solomon Burke He Don't Love You (And He'll Break Your Heart) - Levon & The Hawks Cruisin' - Herbie Goins & The Nightimers Lay This Burden Down - Mary Love I Surrender - Bonny St. Claire Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart - The Funk Brothers Reach Out I'll Be There - Lee Moses The Day Will Come Between Sunday & Monday - Kiki Dee So Called Loving - David Essex Stop Breaking My Heart - Tom Jones Walk A Mile In My Shoes - Brenda Lee Soul Thing - The Keith Mansfield Orchestra Word to the Mic - DJ BC Ticket To Ride - The Fifth Dimension Soul City - Jean Jacques Perrey Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas - Brigitte Bardot A Shot In The Dark - The Joe Loss Orchestra I'm A Man - Wynder K. Frog Mary Mary - The Strangers Midnight To Six Man - The Pretty Things Get Out Your Rock And Roll Shoes - Crocheted Doughnut Ring Hey Hey Bunny - Los Gatos Negros Like a Rolling Stone - The Soup Greens Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler - Wild Billy Childish And The Blackhands Soul Town - The Motherhood Did you know? The 'Planet' in PM is taken from a New York Dolls song. I wanted to use Mondo as a blog title, but couldn't seem to team it with anything until Lonely Planet Boy by the Dolls popped into play. Bingo! PS - Word Mag readers, see if you can spot me on this month's letters page
I'm nipping off next week, (back to sunny Stow - again) but while I'm away - on August 15th - this piece of ol' puffery completes it's first year of orbit in the blogosphere (I'm discounting, but not deleting the first three directionless posts) - so to celebrate breaking the one year barrier, I've made a pick 'n' mix buffet of tasty treats and groovy goodies gathered from all around my hat.. err, blogroll.
So, a tip of the titfter and a 'thank you for the music' is due to all those on the '1YS' tracklist for the tip top tunes, and to anyone who's ever contributed or commented on this ol' blog, as well as a ton of cyberchums for chit chat, chippings in, inspiration and ideas like ...
And finally a special mention for all those silent peepers, prowlers and binge bloggers that arrive via random.com and spend around 12 hours necking down every page and piece without a whisper.
So my funky friends tuck in, fill your boots, raise a glass, shake a leg and here's to another fab year . 'One Year Souled Mix'
I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth Ain't Nothing But A Houseparty - The Showstoppers Super Party-The Soul Hustlers - Fufu Vince Watch Your Step - Bobby Parker - Roman Empress You Can’t Go On - Lonnie Lester - Matt Beat Collector Cooking Catfish - Albert King - Larry F16 Corners Take Me - Betty Everett - Devil Dick Maybe I'm Amazed - Sunday's Child - Soul Shower (deleted blog) You're The Fool - The Three Degrees - Fufu Stew Crossword Puzzle (Say No Go)- Sly And The Family Stone Ally Funky Mississippi - Rufus Thomas Davey H 96 Tears - Aretha Franklin - Simon Lady Moogdonna - Soundhog Alive - Beastie Boys/Alan Hawkshaw - Soulwax Molotov Cocktail Party - Vivi Bach Und Dietmar Schoenherr - Rock Mother Soul Sitar - Sohail Rhana - Piley Spinout - Elvis Presley - Diddy Wah Dancin' Pain - Wynder K. Frog I Can't Get Next to You - Mongo Santamaria - Bitter Andrew Vertigo Leitmotiv - Bernard Estardy - Paul Blow Up Quittin Time - Big Maybelle - Mr Double Down Doin’ the Banana Split - The Banana Splits - F16 for track facts Talkin' 'bout Soul - Little Richard Do What You Did - Thurston Harris - Rob Do You Love Me - The Sonics Closing Motif
AND to think I was actually worried about running out of puff and stuff to stick in my cyberspace scrapbook.
Did You Know ? The colours on PM and are inspired by Swizzles Double Lollies and the fact that pink/orange/both seemed to be such a popular pallet in the 70s.
London Weekend Show Interview - Filmed at Steve Jones Flat, 6 Denmark Street
Australian Radio Ad
Never Mind The Bollocks is 30 years old today. It's an album that changed my life - you can read how here. I've added a few Sex Pistols stats and facts to the internet pile here. And have made the super rare NMTB demos only bootleg album Party Til You Puke available here( offline - apart from the 2 unreleased tracks) Rather than going over the Pistols story, I'm more interested in getting a snapshot of the time, and the perfect time traveling companion to take us back to that scene in seventies is Simone Stenfors.
Simone has impeccable punk credentials and a sizzling rock and roll CV. All the dates, details and info are on her websites www.simonestenfors.com Simones myspace
Simone is a dream to speak to and her conversation sparkles like a mirror ball with shiny stories and celebrity names - Sid Vicious, Joe Strummer, Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible, Johnny Thunders, Shane McGowan and that's just the punk period (she's got a treasure chest of Mod, Glam, Post Punk, 80' and contemporary tales too).
So how did you become involved with the Punk scene? I was married to Chris Carter from Throbbing Gristle, and when we split up I met Warren the drummer from Tiger Lily (later Ultravox). At one of their gigs at The Nashville they had a band supporting them called the Boys who dressed up as school boys they were one of the early Punk bands which was amazing, I'd heard about the Pistols and it was all very exciting I had a friend who knew Joe Strummer and Rat Scabies and went to see The Damned playing at at the Hope and The Anchor which was weird as they were meant to be on the Anarchy tour*. At the end of the evening we met Rat and Captain who invited us to the Roundhouse the next day. We started hanging round together and it all kicked off from there. *The Damned were asked to leave the Anarchy Tour after the first live date - the 6th of December - the the Hope and Anchor gig was on the 7th Did you do any tours with band? I didn't go on tour, but was with Rat for a few months and went to The Damned's and other gigs - The Roxy hadn't opened yet How did you meet Nils? (Pistol's early Tour Manager and Banshees Manager) I knew Ray stevenson (Pistols and Punk scene photographer) who would drop me off at my parents house, and Nils was helping at a Heartbreakers gig and we all went back to Nils's flat, we went to a party at Toyah's the next day and sort of fell in like that really. But that's just the way it happened in those days, and you'd see the same people all the time. It wasn't a big scene, you'd go to someone's house and always see the same people there - all the(now)legendary bands.
Nils must have been doing a lot of work with Mclaren being involved with trying to get films and record deals going? I just remember Nils managing the Banshees more than anything, they didn't have a record deal then - he was 24. Older than anybody else, well Ray his brother was older but always sensible. Did you hear ever the story that Sid (real name John) was meant suggested by Vivienne as the person to front the Pistols but Malcolm got the wrong John (Lydon) - which would have made a completely different band? Not really, I don't remember that - I remember him from Flowers of Romance with Viv Albertine.
The Pistols must have been one of the most hated bands ever teen cults and even the music industry and the media hated them.The Music press really liked them, but it was really after the Bill Grundy thing people were so shocked, the media hated them, they got banned and couldn't play anywhere it exploded after that.
Which is bizarre as the whole thing was a last minute idea, they were a stand in for Queen (also on EMI)who couldn't make it. I know it's just so strange and I don't get it, Bill Grundy being pissed and taking it that bit too far - it destroyed his career.
Did you have much to with Pistols crowd after this?I knew steve, Sid and Glen. but Steve and Paul used to hang out separately, and Rotten had his own entourage. I knew the girls Debbie (Juvenile), Tracey (O Keefe)and Shanne Bradley whose a friend of Captains.
Isn't Shanne The girl that Johnny Rotten's meant to have written Satellite about.? Well that was just a teenage thing while she was at college - nothing serious. She went out with Captain while I was going out with rat.
And what tunes were big on the Punk scene or were people into at that time? Well I loved New Rose, The Clash - White Riot, Janie Jones, Blondie - X Offender. 'Bollocks' didn't come out until later and the albums that seemed to be constantly on everybody's record players were The Clash and The Damned's first album.
What do you think of the Sex Pistols reunion? I think good for them! That three generations on people still love their music & good luck to them, I should imagine they are going to make a bomb out of this & who in their right minds would turn that down?
Simone has contibuted the stacks of magazines and books including two Sid Vicious biographies. No One Is Innocent Vicious: The Art of Dying Young And Vacant But the book I'm buzzing to read is the one Simone whose been described as 'A walking talking music encylopedia'could write. Which will be Packed full of sizzling Rock and Roll stories from the sixties to 21st Century. Check Simones website for sampler of her Rock n Roll credentials. www.simonestenfors.com
I asked Simone to choose a couple songs that were popular with pre Punk crowd or tracks that may have had some influence and shaped what became Punk. She came up with a great playlist of top tunes from Johnny Thunders, Velvets and Lou Reed but nailing it down to a two (and one extra) she came up with some inspired choices.
Alive cooper - I'm Eighteen Hugely popular at the time and the song that Johnny rotten sang when auditioning for the pistols at Sex (using a shower head as a mic' apparently)
New York Dolls - Trash Watch for Sylvain Sylvain's white Les Paul - When McLaren gave up managing the Doll's and came back to London - this guitar was given to Steve Jones and became his main axe - through out the Pistols period and used on NMTB you can see it pre pistols here .
It was 31 years ago today that The Damned released 'New Rose'
Written by Brian James, a first class chap who was good enough to give up some of his Sunday to speak to me about the history of 'New Rose'.
"I'd had part of the song for a while, and even been jamming it with my earlier band Bastard, who were into The MC5, The Stooges and The Pretty Things, but it was when I played the riff with Rat(Scabies) - who drummed like no one else I'd ever played with, that the energy of Rat's drumming and his style fitted the riff so well that the song came together and was created out of that moment
Jake (Riveria) signed us after seeing the Damned at Mont De Marsan, on the strength of 'New Rose' and saw it as a single straight away even though Captain (Sensible) wanted 'I Fall' as the first single. There's no demo's for it we didn't really bother with things like it we just went straight in the studio and recorded it."
Is there a real life Rose? "No, it's not about a girl, it's really about what was happening at that time the speed and the energy of the movement - The Damned were always about the energy."
We also covered all sorts of other areas during our chat - guitars, previous bands, current gigs, and future projects all of which I'll be logging in the blog soon.
Certainly I see New Rose as one of the most important singles ever released, and being equal to anything Elvis, The Beatles or the Sex Pistols ever unleashed.
I love the Pistols and their two fisted filth and fury (even though they booted the The Damned off of the Anarchy tour). But New Rose snapshots the mood, the moment and the DIY ethic of early London/Brit punk more authentically than anything else from this explosive era.
Crash! Go the drums. Thrash! Goes the guitar. Rev up the riffing and they’re off like Bash Street brats out of hell and God help anyone who gets in the way. The Damned ram raided the UK charts by releasing the first punk single and album and even appeared at the first Punk Festival in Mont de Marsan (attended by a pre Joy Division Ian Curtis, and held a month before the 100 Club Punk Festival). But it was the impact of New Rose, and The Damned being the first UK Punk band to tour America that sent a Punk rocket to the epicenter of the States causing a sonic bang so explosive that the fallout is still being felt today.
The Sonics, The MC5, Iggy and The Ramones may have already been grinding out garage anthems and had some success in their home towns – but none of them raised more than a blip on the ‘punk-o-meter’ across the States. The Damned blew the bastard thing to smoke and shrapnel.
Consider this - what speed do the first wave of US Punk bands - The Dead Kennedys, The Dickies, Bad Brains or Black Flag - play at, Damned or Pistols tempo? From here you go to Hardcore to Thrash Metal to Metallica to Guns N Roses(who covered New Rose) and Nirvana (who ripped off Life Goes On for 'Come As You Are'). Not all this may be your type of tune, and not all of it’s my type of tune, but it’s undeniable that it all leads back to the Damned and New Rose.
"I thought the Damned caught the true spirit of Punk, as understood by Punks, better than their rivals. They devoted less time to striking attitudes & never forgot, as many historians have that Punk could be quite funny as well as exciting." John Peel - 29/05/02
Brian is currently remixing The Lords Of The New Church back catalogue at Abbey Road (more on this soon). And will be playing the 100 Club on 31/11/07 with Lords Of The New Church for a Halloween Night Special - only 350 tickets are available for this special event so grab them while you can.
A special thank you goes to Brian James for his insights into New Rose, Punk and all things Damned, and also for allowing the use of Mp3's in this posting
It seems appropriate to bookend this 30th anniversary weekend with another Marc Bolan moment, and only the seventies could bring you a moment like this.
Light Entertainment meets Glam Rock, as Marc Bolan and Cilla Black duet on Cosmic Dancer from the Cilla Show. Unfortunately the old spoilsport who uploaded this video hasn't allowed embedding so you'll gave to click on the "Marc and Cilla" link above to view it.
And if you've got time why not have a peep at this mini documentary. A six minute summary of Bolan and Glam with contributions from Sandie Shaw, Captain Sensible, Mick Rock, Johnny Marr and Marc Almond
One of the things I've noticed over the 3Oth anniversary of his death is how many blogs and bloggers with impeccable record collections, impossibly rare or tastefully trendy downloads haven't just written about Marc Bolan, but have written enthusically about Marc and his music without irony or Rock Snobbery, as Marc Bolan and T.Rex fans.
Two of the best pieces I've come across are below, and both are based around visits to the Memorial site yesterday.
"Goodbye from all the boys in the band, David (Bowie),everybody,all the cats you know who they are" were his final words on TV.
I won't blab on about Marc Bolan, there'll be stacks of facts flying around this anniversary weekend. Instead I've picked 2 clips that show why, at just over five feet tall he towers above any of todays pop pretenders.
I've also popped a couple of T. Rextra bonus rarities/obscurities at the bottom for download. Slider or Tanx are my recommended Albums if you enjoyed these T.Rex treats and fancy digging deeper.
20th Century Boy - from Beat Club
This is the best version EVER!!!! of 20th Century Boy, where Marc swishes like a star,and struts like champ. Grinding his guitar all the way
Next To You - from The Marc Show
Bowie and Bolan (the Dynamic Duo of Glam) duetting on a some demolition riffery in Marc's final TV appearance. This is one of only 2 songs that Bowie and Bolan wrote togther. Bolan had to be stood on a box to get in shot with Bowie, but he takes a tumble at the end.
Look out for Herbie (who wrote the bass line for Walk on The Wild Side)Flowers on Bass he also played with Bowie and Lou Reed. Tony Newman on drums, who'll be on Funky Friday soon. And spot the Raleigh Stryker T Shirt.
T. Rextras - offline at the moment
Get It On - rocking version, of a work in progress studio run through as Bolan gives directions to the band
Sunken Rags - an .alt version slightly punchier take of Sunken Rags
Instead of adding to the flood of anniversary facts, theories and opinions about Elvis on the ‘net - I’m going let the music speak for itself, by listing 5 tracks (and the albums they come from) which really capture the essence of Elvis for me
This the version where Elvis bump-and-grinds himself into TV history. Stunning. Can you imagine how shocking this must have been back in the black and white 50’s?????
Elvis in full funk mode. And there’s country, folk and acoustic - all recorded at Stax studios. He may be a bit wobbly on a couple of tracks. But, Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues, and For Ol’ Times Sake are his best ballads ever.
I'm dedicating this post to the memory of Guitar Hero Number One - Les Paul 1915-2009
I'm nipping off next week, (back to sunny Stow - again) but while I'm away - on August 15th - this piece of ol' puffery completes it's first year of orbit in the blogosphere (I'm discounting, but not deleting the first three directionless posts) - so to celebrate breaking the one year barrier, I've made a pick 'n' mix buffet of tasty treats and groovy goodies gathered from all around my 
'One Year Souled Mix'
