Steve West Weston: The hootingest-tootingest harp player you'll see - on Jools Holland tonight. And he's Southender too

If you're a regular reader of the PM blog - you might have spotted the name Steve West Weston populating the Sunday Sessions posts.. (he hand-picked a couple of cherished Hammond heavyweights hereabouts). Or, possibly,  you may have an lent an ear to Podrophenia the letter H for (for harmonica) where we cued in a West track..

Steve was onboard for last Sunday's set as component player in Martin McNeill's lineup. And aside from the high-flying, jumping and jiving. The pub was a'buzz with chat, natter and news about the hot rocking harpist. The news being, that Steve would be appearing on this week's Later Live...

Tonight you can catch West Weston in action and in full flight honk - on Jools Holland's Later Live - where, he'll be the harp player of choice accompanying Mud Morganfield (Muddy Waters son currently on touring with Steve).

So hurrah, hats in the air - and from ten pm, retune your TV's to BBC2 and behold the blues-soaked screaming genius of Steve West Weston...

Here at the Planet Mondo HQ we'll be raising a glass to celebrate the spectacular occasion along with most of The Railway regulars I'd imagine

Crime and Punishment

No, no, not Dostoyevsky's doings - but the theme for tonight's Radio Podrophenia - Joe Loss, Sammy Davis Jr and Scroobius Pip all have criminal records that are up before the beak from 9 tonight on Chance Radio...

Acouple fab galleries of 'you're nicked' ne'er-do-wells worth having a squint at are..... musical mug shots and Amish mug shots 

Mel Tormé - Catch a Robber by the Toe

Dear Diary - June

Did I ever tell you my The Day I Met Paul Gambo (George Michael, Limahl and Leee John) story?

What's June's news then?

A new bike. Not brand new - but some crazy arrangement built by and bought from my biker neighbor: a combo of racing frame, chopper handlebars, banana seat and an easy rider back rest towering as tall as my neck - a snip at 20 notes

The annual School Arts Festival featuring a one off appearance of our KISS trib’ band (read miming to Detroit Rock City). Paul Stanley if you’re asking.

Food poisoning, sickness and never noshing on Leigh Cockles again (9th)

The Radio Luxembourg Roadshow rolled into Southend. Where, hurrah and hats in the air - I took first prize in the Bits ‘n’ Pieces pop quiz, walking away (age 13) with a crate load of Crocodillo sparkling wine. A few bottles, but nowhere near the full compliment of all 24 made it back to mum and dad’s drinks cabinet if I’m honest.


The last week of June's chart looked like this with singles bought being: The Skids and UK Subs (did I ever tell you my The Day I Met Charlie Harper story) I’m guessing the Anarchy logo is a hidden symbol for Anarchy in the UK (probably as I was still slightly guarded about coming out as a punk fan to my parents).



The Skids - Masquerade



UK Subs - Stranglehold



Taumata-whaka-tangi-hanga-kuayuwo
tamate-aturi-pukaku-piki-maunga
horonuku-pokaiawhen-uaka-tana-tahu
mataku-atanganu-akawa-miki-tora

The Lone Ranger - Quantum Leap



The Johnny Rotten Juke Box Jury (30th) incident can be viewed below, and the press cutting is taken from my scrapbook previously seen here..

Vunky Vendredi - French Lessons

It's a tricolore of treats for this week's Funky Friday, and almost a cyber-style student exchange, wherein Anglo-pop gets the Français translation treatment and a cult Kids TV star (from La Maison de Tu Tu) goes undubbed and au naturel .

You may not recognise the titles - but you'll know the tunes pop pickers..

Johnny Hallyday - Noir c'est noir



Eileen - Ces Bottes Sont Faites Pour Marcher



Marie Laforêt - D'Etre A Vous



Behold - Hector's actual speaking voice

There's No Business, Like Seventies Show Business

Had a visit to the local 'Unseen 1963' exhibition recently, possibly the most historically-boggling photography collection I've ever seen. Piley's got all the info on it, but in essence, 'Unseen 1963' is over fifty candid, posed and offstage shots of sixties Pop Stars snapped at Southend's Odeon cinema. A mixture of dead-legends and heavy-hitters including The Beatles, the Stones, Cliff, Bo Diddley, Roy Orbison, the Everlys and The Kinks all caught backstage or meeting and greeting local competition winners in our very own Southend cinema .

One of the faces, I recognized was Samantha Jones. Originally one of The Veronons Girls, a group orbiting in shadow of The Beatles early career. Samantha eventually went solo, becoming something of a hit with the Lowlanders in Belgium, the Netherlands and winning the Knokke-Heist music festival. During the seventies she settled into the showbiz circuit of clubs, cruises and occasional TV appearances.

So what does she sound like? Well there's two sides of Samantha on offer today

A cheeky hotpants, Bakers Boy hat and suede boots sounding slinky piece of pop-funk. The sort of tune you'd get during a disco scene in Please Sir

Samantha Jones - Today Without You



And a belting evening-dress and show-closer 'Handbags and Gladrags' type soul ballad

Samantha Jones - Do I Still Figure In Your Life



Morecambe & Wise


Wheeltappers & Shunters (it's well worth watching this clip to the close, for the 'all together now' sing-a-long of Show Me The Way To Go Home)



That's Samantha, sat on Macca's lap..

Funky Friday the 13th - In Case of Emergency...

Like park keepers, comb-overs, weigh-your-own-cereal shops and Sunday morning car mechanics Public information films seem to have been left in the Land That Time Forgot. Perhaps I'm just not there when they air, as PIFs were the last piece of the programming puzzle, scrunched into some scheduling oddspot. Typically lunchtime and closedown, or used to glue up gaps in the listings.

Classic PIFs are pin-sharp snapshots of their time reflecting fashions, fads, interior/graphic design and date-stamped health and safety concerns: Polystyrene ceiling tiles, seat belts, Rabies

So whatever you're up to this Friday the thirteenth - get in the swim, look left and right before crossing the road, and follow the country code or it could go...

The Creation - Biff Bang Pow



The Alan Bown Set - Emergency 999



G. Davis & R. Tyler - Hold On Help Is On The Way





Billy Blunders - son of Mr and Mrs Blunders, possibly the neighbours from hell. Watch the ol' charmer in action at 00:26

Freaky Friday - T is for.....

Tales From The Crypt - if you've never seen an Amicus anthology horror 'Tales' is the place to dip in. All the codes and conventions of a classic Amicus production(seventies contemporary styling, a repertory of British screen icons) are in place over the five portmanteau set pieces - Joan Collins and the psycho Santa, Ian Hendry doing the loop of terror and Peter Cushing at his most ghostly. A few years after it's release, late night TV repeats of Tales From The Crypt were discussed in mythical whispers at school, and the fearless few who stayed up watch them were instantly awarded the heavyweight status of Playground Legend..

Tell us you're fave TV Thrillers, fright-night films recommended reads, scariest kids shows, urban myths or other spooky doings - Piley and I are recording the Podrophenia Halloween Special next week so any ghostly gubbins pass it on here - planetmondo@gmail.com

Tick Tock - Les Fleurs De Lys
A pre-Zep Jimmy Page was involved with session work and production duties for LFDL, and seems to have refitted Tick Tock's riff for this Zep ztomper

Tarot - Andrew Bown
A delightfully sunny slice of polite psych pop


T is also for - try a peep at these

Bitter Andrew's always excellent autumn almanac.
The Halloween Countdown

Blogger-my-neighour Coops new venture...recreate your favourite cover art - Sleevie Wonders

Funky Friday - All Girl Action

You've probably seen these pistol packing mamas cracking skulls, flipping kicks or lassoing the truth out of some rat-grey gump. But, did you know these three killer queens also had a secret musical identity..

Caroline Munro (pictured above) Bond Girl, scream queen and B movie pinup - can also be spotted in this Manikin cigars ad' and duetting with Gary Numan on Pump Me Up - I say!!

Caroline Munro - This Sporting Life

After our 'school's out' bell had rung, I'd hoof home, like a wide-eyed loon hoping to catch any glimpse of ITV'sTara King era Avengers repeats*sighs*

Linda Thorson - Here I Am

I almost went for the Wonder Woman theme, but it had to be Diana Prince Linda Carter giving The (Detroit) Spinners - Rubberband Man a bounce.

And there's a great, great thread on the TV crushes on The Word website here if you fancy putting your hormones into hijinx.