A Nostalgic Journey Through the Tracks of My Years
Author: Alyson
Whenever I hear an old song on the radio, I am immediately transported back to those days. I know I'm not alone here and want to record those memories for myself and for the people in them. 60 years ago the song "Alfie" was written by my favourite songwriting team, Bacharach and David. The opening line to that song was, "What's it all about?" and I'm hoping by writing this blog, I might find the answer to that question.
I think I may have lost all my followers as I’ve been less than prolific around here of late but I only have 15 posts to write before I get to a grand total of 500 in the bank, and with any luck I’m going to complete them just ahead of this blog’s 10th birthday at the start of 2026. I’ve had plenty of inspiration of late but once you lose momentum in the world of “web logging”, it’s hard to get started again. Only one way to find out just how hard…
What I’m working towards
Have you had a good summer? I certainly have and a lot to do with the effort I’ve put in to catching up with old friends. When I say old friends I really mean that, as some I hadn’t seen for over 40 years. I also did this back in 2015, the year before I started this blog, but back then I didn’t track down the more elusive ones, so this time I was going for broke. Since 2015, both my cousin and one of the old flatmates have died, so if you’re thinking of metaphorically picking up the phone anytime soon, don’t put it off a moment longer.
Some famous fictional groups of friends
I first went to Edinburgh to meet up with my old flatmate and her sister who always come up for the festival. She has featured here before, standing with me outside our first flat in Aberdeen, and as I also spent a week in The Silver City (it’s the radioactive granite that gives it that name!), I had a trip down our old street to see what had changed. The photography has got better, that’s what, plus the fence has gone. Weirdly, the cracked path is showing the same general pattern, it’s just got 45 more years of wear and tear. And, the door is now blue.
Number 18, 45 years on
But the meet-up that was the most long awaited was the one with the girl I sat beside for most subjects between the ages of 12 and 16. She was the smartest girl in our year and because of her smarts she was railroaded into doing Medicine at university. For two weeks we resided in the same hall of residence, but it was only two weeks because at the end of that time she realised that Medicine was definitely not for her and promptly left. After that I didn’t see much of her but she became a successful accountant and we continued to exchange Christmas cards from opposite ends of the country. Funnily enough she is one of the few people in the real world who know about this blog as every now and again we text each other if a Bay City Roller has died, or if something momentous has happened in the world of early ’70s pop music, as we had both been forensic in our approach to following the charts back in those days. Needless to say, the meet-up after 45 years apart was such a joy and all the old stories about our schooldays came tumbling out. We will do it again for sure.
But this is a music blog so what song should I share? I actually did a search for songs about friendships and this one, In My Life from 1965, jumped out at me. I particularly like the video showing the young whipper-snapper Beatles as the best of friends, something we sometimes forget. As it says in the website, The Forty Five, “With A Little Help From My Friends might be the obvious song in their canon about friendship, but the true tearjerker is this sepia-tinged offering that looks back at a life and those that have meant the most throughout it.“
In My Life by the Beatles:
I am loving my current life, but I’m so glad I still have all these friends from the past in my life too. This blog may be ANostalgic Journey Through The Tracks Of My Years, but this post has definitely been A Nostalgic Journey Through The Friends Of My Years!
Until next time…
In My Life Lyrics Song by Paul McCartney/John Lennon
There are places I’ll remember All my life though some have changed Some forever not for better Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments With lovers and friends I still can recall Some are dead and some are living In my life I’ve loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers There is no one compares with you And these memories lose their meaning When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection For people and things that went before I know I’ll often stop and think about them In my life I love you more
Though I know I’ll never lose affection For people and things that went before I know I’ll often stop and think about them In my life I love you more
I wish this anniversary had fallen on a Saturday as it would have felt more in keeping somehow, but no, the 40th anniversary of Live Aid day has fallen on a Sunday and like back then, the weather on the 13th of July in the North of Scotland is sweltering. Yes, the heatwave that had so far passed us by has finally arrived.
I finally got round to writing down my memories of that day five years ago on the 35th anniversary, and pretty much all of it still holds true, so a bit of lazy blogging from me today that I hope some new followers of the blog will enjoy (just substitute the number 35 for 40). I noticed that I made no mention of how we donated to the cause back then and to be honest I can’t remember – I used only cash and cheques in 1985, not plastic, so no phone-in for me – but everywhere we went there were buckets being passed around collecting money so we must have done it that way.
In the run up to the anniversary a BBC doc has been aired called Live Aid at 40: When Rock ’n’ Roll Took on the World and last night I watched the sequel which is the concert itself, shown in two parts. There was much about the politics of it all that really didn’t register with me at age 25, but back then it just felt good that through our favourite pop and rock stars we were able to do our bit to help the famine in Africa. 40 years on there is still famine around the world and again mainly down to politics – when will it ever end? A takeaway from rewatching the concert again last night was that compared to how it would be today, it was very male, very white and there were an awful lot of too tight pale blue jeans. Anyway, here is my post from five years ago, and yes, my flatmate of the day is still one of my best friends despite having lived at the opposite end of the country for most of the intervening years. Some things change a lot, but others thankfully never do.
First posted 13th July 2020:
‘It’s twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it’s time for Live Aid’
Those were the words that kicked off probably the most memorable fund-raising event in rock and pop history, and this week was its 35th anniversary. On Monday morning, after being reminded of the date, I decided to revisit my DVD boxset of the event and over the course of the week I’ve watched it all, and taken notes. Sadly these notes fill 12 pages of my shorthand notebook, so I have absolutely no chance of condensing my thoughts into a format suitable for a blog post. I do however remember how I spent the day, so before my aging memory lets me down, I think I’ll approach it that way.
You have to be of a certain age to remember Live Aid at all, mid 40s or older I suspect, but if you do, you’ll probably remember it was held on a glorious, hot summer’s day, the like of which doesn’t often fall on a Saturday in Scotland. I was a big music fan, but the concert would go on all day, so what did my flatmate and I do just before 12 noon on Saturday, the 13th July, 1985? We went to the local park of course!
Aberdeen’s Duthie Park
I was prepared however and had brought a small transistor radio with me, so although we weren’t watching the action live on telly we did hear the opening act,Status Quo, Rockin’ All Over The World. Had I been watching on telly, I would have known that Paul Weller, who was next up with his Style Council, was looking very summery and dare I say healthy that day in his white trousers, but we only had this crackly radio. By 1 pm it was obvious we should head back to our cool, granite, second floor flat. The day had become just too hot and we were missing out on all the action.
Over the next few hours we watched the following artists perform on stage at Wembley in front of an audience of 72,000. Everyone that day was hot and bothered, there is no doubt, but also having the time of their lives.
The Boomtown Rats, Adam Ant, Ultravox, Spandau Ballet, Elvis Costello, Nick Kershaw, Sade, Sting, Phil Collins, Howard Jones, Brian Ferry and Paul Young.
Watching this segment of the concert now, 35 years on, it was a veritable Who’s Who of mid ’80s chart toppers (with organiser Bob Geldof included of course). The dress code of the day seemed to be either black leather or baggy white clothing depending on your musical leanings, but those who opted for white definitely suffered less in the baking heat. There were mullets of all persuasions too, even amongst those who were thinning on top (Phil Collins). The quality of the singing was less than perfect, but hey, there had been little time to rehearse or prepare for this massive event so hats off to them for committing, as some did not and later regretted it. Final observation – so many saxophones! The instrument of choice for the mid ’80s it seems.
And here is where the day was punctuated with another break from the telly, as the oil company I worked for at the time was hosting a barbeque for its staff that very evening. The flatmate and I duly got ready to head along Queen’s Road to the spot overlooking Rubislaw Quarry (from which Aberdeen was built) where many of these corporate HQs were based. Before we left however we caught the performance by U2 which is often cited as having elevated them to superstardom. Bono was tiptoeing around in his tight black leather trousers and long boots, but after spotting a girl in the crowd, jumped down into the mud at the front of the stage and helped save her from being crushed. They missed out on playing their third song but it was a sign of things to come from him, for sure.
My workplace at top left
So, we arrived at my workplace in the early evening, but bowing down to pressure from their staff, it had been decided to install a big screen in the underground carpark so we could watch the concert whilst eating the fine barbequed food only an American company could serve up. My workmate was there with her new boyfriend, so was on a bit of a high. As was often the case however with these office romances in Aberdeen, it later transpired he had a wife who lived elsewhere whom he’d conveniently omitted to tell her about. They were slippery characters some of these chaps we worked with who often broke our hearts.
But back to the concert, we were now lined up on chairs watching scenes coming live from Wembley on the big screen. I’m not going to describe the Philadelphia concert here as would get far too bogged down, and anyway, it just wasn’t a patch on our set-up. Wembley, with its enclosed stadium, twin towers and greenery all around, looked beautiful on that hot summer’s day whereas the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia looked like a makeshift set of scaffolding surrounded by carparks and interstate highways.
As the day wore on the stakes were raised and artists of more legendary status started to appear on stage. First up we had Dire Straits but then we had the band who is generally thought to have stolen the show that day, Queen. I have written about their Live Aid performance around here before and it’s my second most visited post ever (link here) so won’t repeat myself, but Freddie was on especially fine form that day and owned the stage, encouraging the crowd to sing along in unison. His sustained “Aaaaaay-o” during the a cappella section came to be known as the note heard round the world. The last time I wrote about their set on Live Aid day I shared Radio Gaga, but having watched them again this week, the song they finished with was We Are The Champions which was almost as perfect. They certainly were champions that day.
We Are The Champions by Queen
It’s obvious watching this footage that Queen’s set took place just as the sun had gone down, but it wasn’t yet dark. This is my favourite time of the day for any outdoor event as there’s a certain magic about it. No harsh sunlight but not a total absence of light either. In Scotland it’s called The Gloaming and a very special time of the day. Up in Aberdeen it wouldn’t be gloaming for a while yet, so we sat tight and carried on watching the big screen.
Next up was David Bowie, looking very dapper in a powder blue suit and pointy black patent shoes. Another great performance and quoted as being “his last triumph of the 1980s”. He was followed by The Who who hadn’t played together for three years. No powder blue suit for Roger Daltrey, oh no indeed. As ever he had his shirt open showing off his hairless, suntanned torso. Roger must be doing something right in terms of looking after himself, as at the grand old age of 76 he still looks pretty good today, and I imagine the bare-chested look is something he still favours.
But this was Saturday night in the big city and one by one people were drifting off. The hostelry of choice for 20-somethings in 1985 was the Dutch Mill on Queen’s Road, so leaving the concert behind for a while, my flatmate and I headed in that direction. In those pre-mobile phone days, it was highly likely you would bump into most of your friends on a weekend evening, but when we got there on the evening of the 13th July, it was dead, as everyone was at home watching Live Aid. We had a quick drink then walked the short distance back to our flat in the city centre.
The Dutch Mill, Aberdeen
Once home we settled back into our large beige and brown sofa (it was the ’80s) and turned on our Radio Rentals telly. I can’t be sure, and I would be lying if I said I was, but the artist following on from The Who was Elton John so if we did get back in time for his set that’s who we would have watched next. Having viewed the boxset this week, Elton performed a couple of duets, first with his old mucker Kiki Dee, and then joy of joys, with the person I have written about most around here, George Michael.
I have mentioned the making of the Band Aid single before, and how the Wham! boys George and Andrew weren’t treated with much respect that day by the other artists, being proponents at the time of feel-good pop tunes. But here we were just six months on and Elton John saw fit to ask George to sing Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me with him. He said he was “a great admirer of his musical talent” when introducing him, and I have to say he gives an impeccable performance here. Also, unlike many others that day, he was dressed simply in jeans, white T-shirt and black leather jacket which is kind of timeless (we’ll ignore the fact it was dark and he’s wearing shades). His Live Aid appearance has stood the test of time and he went on to great things whereas those who had laughed at him are perhaps long forgotten.
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me by George Michael and Elton John:
The Wembley concert finished off with a set by Paul McCartney who had been persuaded out of retirement for the event. Sadly he was the only artist on the night to experience microphone failure, so the audience missed out totally on one of his songs. It was fixed quite quickly but typical it had to happen to him. Once finished, he and Bowie raised Bob Geldof up on their shoulders, and then, along with the rest of the performers from the day (and a few others it seems) they launched into a version of Do They Know It’s Christmas?, the charity single that started the whole thing off. The first two lines were a bit ropey, sung by Bowie and Bob, but then they wisely handed the mic over to a safe pair of hands in the form of George Michael, who very confidently took over.
I think we spent a good few hours in front of the telly that night as we then watched the rest of the Philadelphia Live Aid concert, which would go on for a fair while yet due to time differences. The programmers also revisited ‘the best bits’ of the day, so by the time I went to bed in the early hours, I’d pretty much seen everything.
So, ‘What’s It All About?’ – I’m not going to get into the whole criticisms and controversy aspect of Live Aid. All the money may not have got to the right places, at the right time, but around 1.9 billion people watched the concerts that day and over £150 million was raised. There is no denying, the publicity generated meant that western governments could no longer ignore humanitarian crises. Through rock ‘n’ roll, the common language of the planet, an issue that was not hitherto on the political agenda, became so.
As for this post, it was for my own benefit really, as I have never documented My Live Aid Day and always wanted to. The flatmate I spent it with FaceTimed me the other day and is coming up to visit next month (as long as that pesky virus is kept under control) and the workmate with the broken heart soon got over it, and we still keep in touch via Christmas cards. The boyfriend of the time chose to spend that summer travelling round France with a work colleague, so missed out on Live Aid totally. Needless to say he soon became the ex-boyfriend upon his return, and we are definitely no longer in touch.
How did you spend your Live Aid day? I have met a few people over the years who were actually at Wembley for the concert and I love hearing their stories. If you have any, I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time…
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me Lyrics (Song by Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
I can’t light no more of your darkness All my pictures seem to fade to black and white I’m growing tired and time stands still before me Frozen here on the ladder of my life
It’s much too late to save myself from falling I took a chance and changed your way of life But you misread my meaning when i met you Closed the door and left me blinded by the light
Don’t let the sun go down on me Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free But losing everything is like the sun going down on me
I can’t find the right romantic line But see me once and see the way feel Don’t discard me just because you think I mean you harm But these cuts I have they need love to help them heal
Oh, don’t let the sun go down on me Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free Cause’ losing everything is like the sun going down on me
Don’t let the sun go down on me Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I that see, yeah I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free baby, oh Cause’ losing everything is like the sun going down on me
We’ve not been having a heatwave up here in the North of Scotland which is fine by me because I’m a fair-skinned, fair-haired person who doesn’t do well in such conditions. It seems of late however the south of the country has been sweltering which is not too great for those playing at, and attending, Wimbledon but last weekend everyone descending on Worthy Farm seemed fine with it. Lots of girls, and also ladies of a certain age, in little cropped tops and many men with “taps aff” as they say in Central Scotland.
I ended up watching a fair bit of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage, both live and on the iPlayer. There was lots to choose from but I got into bother with the technical side of selecting stuff from the iPlayer (I don’t think I was the only one) so tended to stick with what was live, or nearly live.
I’m not going to do a big build up as I might not get very far with this one not having blogged for a while, but my favourite moment from the whole weekend was the final song of Pulp’s set, Common People, from 1995. We all knew it would probably be that song and they definitely didn’t disappoint – the Red Arrows even staged a flypast as the song reached its crescendo (see 4:45).
Common People by Pulp:
All about the phenomenon of class tourism, I am reminded of a time when I was at University many years ago. My flatmate had been out socialising with her small band of fellow science students when after a few drinks, one of them – someone from the upper classes with a double-barrelled name – admitted to her in all innocence that he was so pleased he’d come to University as otherwise he would never have met “someone like her”. Unlike in Jarvis’ song he didn’t want to sleep with her, so no need for an acid response, but she was taken aback and quite rightly so. Also, she was anything but “common”, but I suppose it’s all relative.
I have quite a few other acts I want to mention but I think I’ll leave those for another post as I’m not as speedy with my writing at the moment. Bear with me. Who did you enjoy most at Glastonbury this year or did you avoid it, what with it becoming too corporate (Neil Young’s judgement)?
Until next time…
Common People Lyrics (Song by Jarvis Cocker/Candida Doyle/Russell Senior/Nick Banks/Steve Mackey)
She came from Greece, she had a thirst for knowledge She studied sculpture at Saint Martin’s College That’s where I Caught her eye She told me that her Dad was loaded I said, “In that case, I’ll have rum and Coca-Cola.” She said, “Fine” And then in thirty-seconds time she said
“I wanna live like common people I wanna do whatever common people do Wanna sleep with common people I wanna sleep with common people like you.” Well, what else could I do? I said, “I’ll… I’ll see what I can do.”
I took her to a supermarket I don’t know why but I had to start it somewhere So it started there I said, “Pretend you got no money.” And she just laughed and said, “Oh, you’re so funny.” I said, “Yeah Well, I can’t see anyone else smiling in here Are you sure?
You wanna live like common people You wanna see whatever common people see Wanna sleep with common people You wanna sleep with common people like me? But she didn’t understand And she just smiled and held my hand
Oh, rent a flat above a shop And cut your hair and get a job And smoke some fags and play some pool Pretend you never went to school But still you’ll never get it right ‘Cause when you’re laid in bed at night Watching roaches climb the wall If you called your dad he could stop it all Yeah
You’ll never live like common people You’ll never do what ever common people do Never fail like common people You’ll never watch your life slide out of view And then dance, and drink, and screw Because there’s nothing else to do Oh!
Sing along with the common people Sing along and it might just get you through Laugh along with the common people Laugh along, even though they’re laughing at you And the stupid things that you do Because you think that poor is cool
Like a dog lying in a corner They will bite you and never warn you Look out, they’ll tear your insides out ‘Cause everybody hates a tourist Especially one who, who thinks it’s all such a laugh Yeah, and the chip stain’s and grease will come out in the bath
You will never understand How it feels to live your life With no meaning or control And with nowhere left to go You are amazed that they exist And they burn so bright whilst you can only wonder why
Rent a flat above a shop Cut your hair and get a job And smoke some fags and play some pool Pretend you never went to school But still you’ll never get it right ‘Cause when you’re laid in bed at night Watching roaches climb the wall If you called your dad he could stop it all, yeah
Never live like common people Never do what common people do Never fail like common people Never watch your life slide out of view And then dance and drink, and screw Because there’s nothing else to do
Wanna live with common people like you Wanna live with common people like you Wanna live with common people like you Wanna live with common people like you Wanna live with common people like you Wanna live with common people like you Wanna live with common people like you
A la la la la la Ooooh, la la la la Ooooh, la la la la Ooooh, la la-la-la-la la, oh yeah
I was really saddened to hear news of the death of Brian Wilson last night before going to bed. There aren’t many artists with their own category on my sidebar, but the group TheBeach Boys, which could never have existed without Brian, is definitely there. He is the last Wilson brother to leave us, at a respectable age of 82, but is this the start of something that I’ve been dreading for a while – those legends who against all the odds have made it to be octogenarians, might be on borrowed time. Let’s hope not.
Brian was most definitely ahead of his time and after signing with Capitol Records in 1962, became the first pop musician credited for writing, arranging, producing, and performing his own material. In short, Brian was a genius.
As I am time-poor at the moment I’m going to cheat a little with my tribute to Brian by sharing some excerpts from blog posts I’ve written before. Wonderful to see the clips again though, and to listen to those wonderful songs.
From 2/10/20
It was the year of Covid and many of us watched an awful lot of telly. I found a really special documentary on Prime called Echo In The Canyon where Jakob Dylan (Bob’s son) had met up with and interviewed musicians who had lived in Laurel Canyon in the 1960s. Brian was one of those musicians. Jakob then paired up with other musicians to make contemporary versions of their songs from back in the day. A truly magical bit of telly.Here is an excerpt from the post I wrote about it:
Jakob looks and sounds uncannily like his dad at times during the film, where he and a selection of other musicians cleverly intersperse candid interviews with performances of some of the most memorable songs from the era. One of these guest musicians was my new discovery, Fiona Apple. I was bowled over when they got up on stage to sing the Brian Wilson song In My Room. Short, but oh so beautiful.
In My Room by Fiona Apple and Jakob Dylan:
Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys had been a Laurel Canyon resident in the late ’60s and despite starting out writing songs that represented the youth culture of southern California (basically surfin’, surfin’ and more surfin’) it soon became obvious that Brian was a bit of a musical genius, the like of whom don’t come along very often. Their album Pet Sounds, written and produced by Brian, was released in 1966 and is often cited as having inspired the Beatles to make Sgt. Pepper.
Apparently Brian had been an agoraphobic during his teens and had refused to leave his bedroom for some time. The song was written from the perspective of a teenager who felt safe and comfortable there. I’m pretty sure DD doesn’t have agoraphobia, but the amount of time she has been spending in her old school bedroom since returning home is concerning me [this was the year of Covid – Alyson]. She is studying, and possibly doesn’t want to interfere with our routines, but as for many other young people who may not have work right now and can no longer be with friends, it just doesn’t feel very healthy at all. Maybe why I’ve been affected by the song so much.
Although it’s the Fiona Apple/Jakob Dylan version that I’ve fallen in love with this week, I can’t go without sharing the original by the Beach Boys themselves. Lots of screaming from the girls in the audience, but I think we still get the sense of it (and a lovely boyish smile from Brian at 0:35).
From 2/9/17
This one is self-explanatory I think. An excerpt from 2017:
Well, it’s been a bit of a week, with no time for heavily researched blog posts. When that happens I usually resort to a web-diary type affair and a few songs have come to mind. First of all, after reading a post written by Jez over at Dubious Towers last weekend, where he recommended watching the film Love & Mercy about the life of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, I did just that. In doing so I fell in love with the album Pet Sounds all over again. I think I knew a bit about the troubled life that Brian had post Beach Boys, but this film really highlighted the nightmare he went through in the 1980s under the supervision of highly controlling psychotherapist Dr Eugene Landy. Fortunately the love of a good woman saved him and joy of joys they are still married today, so a happy ending to a sorry tale.
What was great about this film however was that we got to witness the creative genius that went into producing Pet Sounds back in 1966. The sounds on this album were just that, Brian’s favourite, or pet, sounds and the talented Wrecking Crew that worked with him on that album acknowledged his genius above all others they collaborated with. Brian at this point was still aged only 24. I have featured the wonderful song God Only Knows before in this blog (link here) so here is another from that album, Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Something interesting that came out of this biopic was that contrary to popular belief, The Beach Boys didn’t actually surf!
Wouldn’t It Be Nice by The Beach Boys:
From 18/12/16
This one has already been mentioned in the excerpt above but here is something I wrote after watching the film Love Actually, just before Christmas 2016, at the end of my first full year of blogging.Here it is:
The song I want to feature for this post is the one used for the closing credits of the movie, God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. This is one of my favourite songs and was written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. It was released in May 1966 (very close to my favourite year for music 1967) as the eighth track on the wonderful Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds and is of course from the baroque pop camp, of which I am so fond. The sentiments expressed in the lyrics were not specific to any god, and could be addressed to any “higher power”, being a song apparently about moving forward after loss. Well I don’t know about that because the lyrics seem to infer that moving forward would be nigh impossible. Whatever, it is still one of the most beautiful songs of the 20th century so thank you Brian and the boys for giving it to us.
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys:
Until next time… RIP Brian Wilson.
God Only Knows Lyrics (Song by Brian Wilson/Tony Asher)
I may not always love you But long as there are stars above you You never need to doubt it I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you If you should ever leave me Though life would still go on believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you God only knows what I’d be without you If you should ever leave me Well life would still go on believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you God only knows what I’d be without you God only knows
WIAA: Alyson, like Nathan Jones, you’ve been gone too long. What’s happened?
ALYSON: I know WIAA, it’s been far too long and I have no legitimate excuse either. I never wanted to be one of those bloggers who was “no longer in the field” but I can see how it happens. Only another 7 months until my blog’s tenth birthday though, and I really want to make it to that date.
WIAA: You can do it Alyson, I have every faith in you.
ALYSON: Despite saying I have no legitimate excuse for my absence, I kind of do. DD has hijacked my blog’s title and set up one of her own – all because she has a new puppy in her life called, wait for it…, ALFIE!
Alfie by Cilla Black:
WIAA: Well, he certainly is a cute bundle but I’ll bet he’s keeping you on your toes.
ALYSON: He certainly is. We kept pointing out that it would be really difficult owning a dog when she and her other half work full-time, but of course that “minor” stumbling block was ignored, as I think she knew, come the hour, we would step in and help out with him. To be fair, DD does work from home a lot so it’s not been too full on yet, but we are roped in for puppy-sitting a few times a week. Mr WIAA is very fond of Alfie but I’m already totally smitten.
He likes slippers! Wait until the end to see his cute face.
So, what’s the obvious song to feature for someone like me who was aged 12 in 1972? Why that would be Donny Osmond’s massive No. 1 hit called Puppy Love. As regular visitors to this place might already suspect, I was a big fan of this boy from Utah who had a gorgeous smile and an awful lot of brothers. Although I’ve already shared around here the first album I ever bought with my own money (an Elvis one), I have never admitted to the second one. That would be because it was indeed a Donny Osmond one, Portrait Of Donny. It came with signed photos and I very naughtily told my friends I had written to Donny and he had sent them back to me. A lie to be sure, and I don’t think anyone believed me when they scrutinised the pictures, but hey, I was a pre-teen with a big crush who had a Donny transfer ironed onto her pillowcase and a pair of brushed denim flares with his name embroidered on the patch pocket (in chain stitch done by my own fair hand).
But of course it is no longer 1972 and I am no longer a pre-teen, and once their early ’70s heyday was over, it became really quite uncool to be a fan of any Osmond family member. What I thought would be interesting would be to see a clip of the song’s writer, Paul Anka, performing it in 1960. Not a song about a canine at all, but about teenage love, and how no-one understands it’s intensity – although we’ve all been there.
Paul Anka was a Canadian, who like Donny, was a bit of a teen idol. Unlike Donny he self-penned most of the songs he recorded and is famed for having written the English lyrics to the song My Way, Frank Sinatra’s signature song. Paul had a bit of a career resurgence in the 1970s and I do remember his song from 1974, (You’re) Having My Baby. My dad did a bit of a double-take when he heard me listening to that one, probably hoping it would be some time until I would be having anyone’s baby (it took 20 years actually!).
The last word should go to the real puppy though, Alfie. He came along just before St Valentine’s Day so of course he had to arrange a card for his new owner/mum. Very apt I think.
Thanks to my blog for prompting me to get blogging again.
Until next time…
Puppy Love Lyrics (Song by Paul Anka)
And they called it puppy love Oh, I guess they’ll never know How a young heart really feels And why I love her so
And they called it puppy love Just because we’re, we’re 17 Tell them all it-, please, tell them, isn’t fair To take away my only dream
I cry each night my tears for you My tears are all in vain I hope and I pray that may, maybe someday You’ll be back (you’ll be back) in my arms (in my arms) once again (You’ll be back in my arms once again)
Someone, help me, help me, help me, please Is the answer up above? How could I, oh, how could I tell them This is not a puppy love? (This is not a puppy love)
Someone, help me, help me, help me, please Is the answer up above? How could I ever tell them This is not a puppy love? (This is not a puppy love)
Postscript:
As I’ve had a positive feedback to this one I shall cast my embarrassment aside and also share the clip of Donny singing his song, with his brothers doing a bit of backup singing. They all had their individual costume colour and Donny’s was purple. It therefore became the favourite colour of many a preteen girl around then!
Last week I went to see the new Bob Dylan biopic called A Complete Unknown (see what they did there?) and it certainly was an experience. The story was set during the short period 1961 to 1965 when Bob went from being a new arrival on the Greenwich Village folk scene, to becoming a bit of a superstar.
As I was born in Scotland at the start of the 1960s, that story, very much an American one, was just before my time so I learned a lot. I’ve said around here before that I like Bob’s songs best when they are sung by other people but after watching the film I think I’m a convert to his kind of delivery. Not that we hear Bob on the soundtrack at all, as it is the actor Timothée Chalamet who does the honours. He is an actor that I admire a lot and I have it on good authority that he plays the part of Bob really well in terms of how he looks, sounds and behaves. An Oscar nomination confirms that. Here he is singing the song alluded to in the film’s title.
Like A Rolling Stone by Timothée Chalamet:
Joan Baez plays an important part in the film and again the actress who plays her does a fantastic job. Her voice is beautiful as I can imagine Joan’s was back in the day, when she and Bob were often paired up on stage, especially at the renowned Newport Folk Festival.
Bob and Joan
I came away wanting to listen to more Bob Dylan songs and fortunately found a fair few on my hard drive. I’m warming to this one most at the moment so here is the man himself from 1965 singing It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. Bob has never divulged who Baby Blue was so we’re still in the dark all these years later.
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue by Bob Dylan:
If you’re thinking of going to see the film, I would thoroughly recommend it. You don’t particularly warm to the character of Bob as he could be (as Joan Baez told him) a bit of an asshole but it was wonderful to see the context in which his classic songs were written, and wonderful to find out who the girl on the album cover was. Timothée does a good job of mumbling, just like Bob, but you do work out most of what he says and that was good enough for me. I think a lot of us will leave the cinema with a new appreciation for Bob Dylan, and like me, will be scouring their music library to see what they’ve got by the man, music they might not have listened to for quite some time.
Until next time…
Like A Rolling Stone (Song by Bob Dylan)
Once upon a time you dressed so fine Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you? Yeah, people’d call, say “Beware doll, you’re bound to fall” You thought they were just kiddin’ you
You used to laugh about Everybody that was hangin’ out And now you don’t walk so proud Now you don’t talk so loud About having to be scrounging your next meal
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home A complete unknown Just like a rolling stone?
Come on
You went to the finest schools all right, Miss Lonely But you know you only used to get juiced in it Nobody taught you how to live out on the street But now you’re gonna have to get used to it
You said you’d never compromise With the mystery tramp, but now you realize That he’s not selling any alibis As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes And say do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home A complete unknown Just like a rolling stone?
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home A complete unknown Just like a rolling stone?
Yeah, the princess on the steeple all the pretty people Drinkin’, thinkin’ that they got it made Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts Even to take that that diamond ring, you’d better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused At Napoleon in rags with the language that he used Now go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose You’re invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home A complete unknown Just like a rolling stone?
Last time I wrote about my favourite things of 2024, concentrating mainly on what I’d heard, read and seen. Unbelievably, a week into the new year, I think I’ve already seen my favourite things of 2025. If I’m wrong, I’m going to be in for a treat this year. If I’m right, how weird that the year has peaked in week one.
Cinema
The day after New Year’s Day, I went out with a friend for lunch and a film. We thought we’d give the new Robbie Williams biopic a go and boy was I glad I did. I’m not generally a fan of biopics as we usually know the star’s life story already and why watch an actor sing and dance their way through the film when we can still watch plenty of footage of them via other means. Also, it’s often a highly edited version of the star’s life and only from the age of adulthood. All that was turned on its head in Better Man as Robbie was played by a CGI chimp. It sounds ridiculous but you get used to it incredibly quickly and the 8-year-old Robbie/chimp is very, very cute. The story takes us up to Robbie’s concert at the Royal Albert Hall around the time of his Swing While Your Winning album and despite the fact he has had to face his many demons along the way (the messy side of addition is not shied away from), at this point in his career he has made peace with himself and those closest to him.
My friend and I both loved the film and it seems the reviews have been very kind too. What comes across loud and clear is that Robbie was a born showman and from a very young age wanted to entertain people. He was stifled during his Take That years as their manager very much saw the band as being Gary Barlow plus friends, friends who did a bit of backing singing and a lot of dancing. Understandably this was not enough for Robbie and once he met up with his songwriting partner Guy Chambers he was on his way to a very successful solo career. The video clip for this song is a bit manic but the sentiment very appropriate. Let Me Entertain You was the fifth and final single from his debut solo album Life Thru a Lens. In March 1998, the track peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
Television Drama
The next thing I’ve been blown away by (no pun intended) in this first week of the new year is SAS Rogue Heroes, again about real people. I’m not usually a fan of action films and dramas but this one is quite exceptional. We watched the first season a couple of years ago and the second season started on the BBC on New Year’s Day. It had to be binge-watched. I am no fan of war, but 80 years ago one was being waged across the continent of Europe, and it can’t be underestimated how big an influence the small newly formed regiment called the Special Air Service played in bringing that war to an end. The main character in this season was Major Paddy Mayne, a poetry-loving, slightly mad (you had to be) solicitor from Northern Ireland. His regiment didn’t play by the normal rules of engagement and having read up about the real-life man, he was only in his mid-20s at the time. Paddy was played by the actor Jack O’Connell and although it looks as if he overacts much of the time, I have a feeling the real man was probably just as eccentric.
The drama was created by Steven Knight who also created Peaky Blinders. If you enjoyed it you will probably enjoy SAS Rogue Heroes. There is black and white footage of the time interspersed between scenes, and throughout it all, the soundtrack uses urgent punk rock music which perfectly suits the drama taking place. I’ve researched the tracks used and they are listed below with a link to a clip. I’ve also added a video clip of the Cult’s 1985 single She Sells Sanctuary which appeared in one of the episodes.
This one could be peculiar to me amongst my blogging circle but I really, really enjoyed the BBC documentary Sir Alex this week. Most people probably know of Sir Alex Ferguson from his time as manager of Manchester United where he achieved everything there is to achieve in football, but he cut his teeth at Aberdeen FC, and it coincided with my happiest time living in that city. Every time there is a documentary about Aberdeen’s amazing win against Real Madrid in the European Cup Winner’s Cup final, I have to watch it, as all the memories of that time come flooding back and I remember exactly what I was doing and who with. Some of those I’m still in touch with but others I’m not, which is sad, but what a time for the city.
I thought the doc was very clever in that it bounced back and forth throughout the years of Fergie’s career and I did learn quite a lot I didn’t already know. What I do know was that my Aberdeen flatmate taught his sons during his 8-year tenure there and we often had their homework strewn across our kitchen table. I also remember that the oil company I worked for had a Christmas night out in 1985 in one of the city’s nicer restaurants. As was my wont I recited a festive poem for all my colleagues and then we exchanged the joke presents we had bought for each other. We were being a bit bawdy to be sure and poor Fergie and his wife were sitting next to us trying to have a quiet dinner together. I don’t think our party poppers landed in his soup, but they came close.
Willie Miller holding the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983
A lot of the Aberdeen players were interviewed for the documentary (as he ended up taking a lot of them with him when he moved to Manchester – grrr) and right at the end of part 2, the final word came from “King” Kenny Dalgleish – he said that despite all his success with Manchester United, Fergie’s biggest achievement was winning a European Cup with a provincial Scottish club. Whatever the final judgement, I know it contributed to making Aberdeen a wonderful place to live in the early ’80s. It’s probably going to be my favourite documentary of the year.
Until next time…
Let Me Entertain You Lyrics (Song by Robbie Williams/Guy Chambers)
Hell is gone and heaven’s here There’s nothing left for you to fear Shake your ass, come over here, now scream I’m a burning effigy of everything I used to be You’re my rock of empathy, my dear
So come on, let me entertain you Let me entertain you
Life’s too short for you to die So grab yourself an alibi Heaven knows your mother lied, mon cher Separate your right from wrongs Come and sing a different song The kettle’s on, so don’t be long, mon cher
So come on, let me entertain you Let me entertain you
Look me up in the yellow pages And I will be your rock of ages You see through fads and your crazy phrases, yeah Little Bo Peep has lost his sheep He popped a pill and fell asleep The dew is wet, but the grass is sweet, my dear
Your mind gets burned with the habits you’ve learned But we’re the generation that’s got to be heard You’re tired of your teachers and your school’s a drag You’re not going to end up like your mum and dad
So come on, let me entertain you Let me entertain you Let me entertain you
He may be good, he may be out of sight But he can’t be here, so come around tonight Here is the place where the feeling grows You gotta get high before you taste the lows Come on
Let me entertain you Let me entertain you (let me entertain you) So come on, let me entertain you (let me entertain you) Let me entertain you (let me entertain you)
Come on, come on, come on, come on Come on, come on, come on, come on
I’ve not done a post like this before but I have kept a diary of what I’ve read, watched on the telly, and seen at the cinema/theatre this year. This being a music blog, you would think I would also have kept a log of what I’d listened to, but that has pretty much already been documented here, and as my followers know I’m not great at keeping up with “new” music (anything made since the turn of the millennium). I do, however, always watch the Brit Awards, and back in March I wrote about the band Jungle who performed on the night. They are by no means a new band, but they were to me, and I really liked what they gave us so they will be my favourite musical discovery of the year. The dancers who joined them on stage are an integral part of the band and all their videos feature them, not the actual musicians. Here they are with Back On 74.
Back On 74 by Jungle
Books
A few weeks ago I shared a list of the books I’d read this year since we initiated “reading hour”, between 5pm and 6pm. Since then I’ve only added another one to my list but it gets the prize for being my favourite read of 2024, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (if you know you know). The runners-up are listed below:
The First Casualty – Ben Elton (a new angle on the events of WW1) Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver (David Copperfield for the modern age) French Braid – Anne Tyler (a family saga – beautiful writing as ever)
Concerts
Onto concerts now, and again, my exposure to live music is usually restricted to what comes up at our local theatre. Back in January I bought tickets for one of those live streams from elsewhere. It was the Pet Shop Boys latest tour and this was their Copenhagen date. Sitting in a theatre watching them on the big screen is obviously not as good as being there, but it comes a close second. I was bowled over by how many costume changes they made – different coat, boot and funny (peculiar) hat combos. Here they are at the Isle of Wight festival performing the same set list as I saw at the theatre – my favourite concert of the year.
The Pet Shop Boys Tour 2024
Television Drama
Mr WIAA and I spend an awful lot of time watching telly of an evening and we have racked up a fair few seasons of all manner of things this year. The drama that has retained its position as my favourite of the year is Responderwith Martin Freeman in the lead role. It showed a side to policing that we don’t often see from the perspective of the bobby in the patrol car, stuck with night shifts that affect his personal life, and how he does his job. It was season 2 that aired earlier on this year, but we rewatched season 1 first, both still on the BBC iPlayer.
As for runners-up in this category, there are almost too many to mention but I’ll pare it down to nine:
The Tourist – BBC Mr Bates Versus The Post Office – ITV One Day – Netflix Bridgerton – Netflix Douglas Is Cancelled – ITV Shetland – BBC Wolf Hall – BBC Joan – ITV Until I Kill You – ITV
Cinema
I go to the cinema at our local arts centre a lot, as it’s where I socialise with my friends. This year has been a bit of a disappointment however as although I’ve seen 20+ films, none of them have really blown me away. I did really enjoy the film Wicked which I wrote about last month, but on the whole I’ve had more success watching films on the small screen, ones I’d missed at the cinema when they first came out. By a smidgeon, my favourite of these was Barbie on Amazon Prime. The two leads, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were excellent and it was great to see Ryan reprise his role at this year’s Oscars Ceremony.
Documentary
A lot of other things happened in 2024 – there was an Olympics from Paris and the Euros were hosted in Germany. No enormous time differences this time so I watched a fair bit of both. It was the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the 40th anniversary of the Band Aid single. It was also the 40th anniversary of Wham!’s song Last Christmas and for the second year in a row it made it to the top of the UK Singles Chart – quite a feat and something its creator, George Michael, missed out on seeing. My favourite documentary of the year was the one about the making of Last Christmas where the original characters from the video (all friends of the band) returned, minus George, to the same village in Switzerland.
The Last Christmas house in Saas Fee
But the year is almost at an end and personally, I’ve had a really good one so I’ll be sad to see it go. I’ve been well all year and met up with many friends both locally and further afield. I love my volunteering role and our little business has ticked away nicely in the background. I even seem to have done a bit more blogging over the last couple of months. There are a few more lines on my face and a few more grey hairs on my head, but hey, I’ve learned to live with them. If next year is even remotely as good I’ll be a very happy woman.
To all my blogging friends and followers, Happy New Year. I hope 2025 brings you health and happiness.
Until next time…
Auld Lang Syne (Words by Robbie Burns)
Should old acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot In the days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet For the sake of auld lang syne
And surely, you will buy your cup And surely, I’ll buy mine! We’ll take a cup of kindness yet For the sake of auld lang syne
As is traditional around here, I had fully intended to write a Christmas post in the run-up to the big day but blow me down, our internet went on the blink at the start of the week. The good news is that an engineer came to fix the problem a few hours ago so we are now up and running again and catching up with things that should have been done a few days ago.
My festive fireplace
Last month I had said that reading hour was going to be replaced by writing hour for the foreseeable, and that worked well in November. December is a really busy month however so my reading and writing has suffered over the last few weeks. A lot of this is because of the social whirl that comes with volunteering. I’ve mentioned before that I now volunteer in a charity shop, but not just any charity shop, our local hospice is funded partly by all the good work done in the 15 shops scattered around the Highlands and I’m based at our HQ, the massive warehouse that could rival Amazon’s where the good people of Inverness come to donate things they no longer need. There is a large shop attached to the warehouse where I now work two days a week and this month I’ve also worked in the pop-up Christmas Bazaar set up in our local shopping mall. I love it and have made loads of new friends – ladies of a certain age to be sure, but ladies who all have a bit of a spark to them and know how to enjoy life. Last Friday we had the Warehouse Christmas Party, I also had a bit of a do at the actual hospice itself (a very welcoming and cheerful place) and next month we have a fancy meal out. It’s like being back in the workplace again with all the benefits that brings but without the office politics, and the pay check!
Some of the shop windows
But here we are at Christmas Eve and I haven’t yet shared a festive song – lord knows they’ve been played enough on the radio over the last month. I’m inclined to go for something by Paul McCartney as I was chuffed to see footage of him sharing the stage this week with his old mate Ringo Starr. It had been the last night of Paul’s tour so Ringo obliged by joining him on the drums. Considering they are now aged 82 and 84 respectively it warms the soul to know they are still out there doing what they love. We have people who work for our charity shops at the same age so no need to slow down if you don’t have to.
Paul and Ringo
It’s a bit twee this song, but it did well for Paul in the run-up to Christmas 1979 and was the first single he released after Wings came to an end. It peaked at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and was accompanied by a very festive video of Paul and Linda having a Wonderful Christmastime.
Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney
I hope all my followers and blogging buddies have a wonderful Christmastime too. Someone who is missed on the blogs right now is our pal John from Are We There Yet? He’s a bit poorly at the moment so his Christmas will be severely challenged this year but we wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.
I will be going to DD’s for Christmas dinner this year. This is her first one in her new house so both ourselves and the in-laws have been invited along. No cooking for me tomorrow which is a big bonus. I shall enjoy being waited on by others – it’s payback time for all those years of having done it myself. Have a good one everyone.
Until next time…
Wonderful Christmastime Lyrics (Song by Paul McCartney)
The mood is right The spirit’s up We’re here tonight And that’s enough
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
The party’s on The feeling’s here That only comes This time of year
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
The choir of children sing their song Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime We’re simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
The word is out About the town To lift a glass Oh, and don’t look down
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
If you’re not a fan of musical theatre, or indeed musicals of any kind, look away now, as that’s where I’m going today. I went to see the newly released film Wicked last week and following on from my last post about ladies with big, big voices, I think I’ve just discovered another two – Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. They are the two leads in the film, both witches-in-training, but from opposite ends of the witchy spectrum. Although the stage musical Wicked has been around for 20 years now, I have never seen it (I don’t seem to get out of The Highlands much), so the story really was all new to me, and I loved it.
For anyone else like me who has missed out on the whole Wicked phenomenon, the story is taken from the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. That novel was in turn based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I am surprised at how early it was written as most of us are familiar with the 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland so I assumed the story was from around that time. But anyway, the musical Wicked is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Galinda, before and after Dorothy’s arrival in Oz.
I said in the title that the two leads have big, big voices. As for Ariana Grande it’s not so much a “big” voice but one with a four-octave range. I knew little of her before the film other than the Manchester Arena attack happened during one her concerts. It turns out she has been voted among the ten greatest pop stars of the 21st century by Billboard and is also ranked among Rolling Stone‘s greatest vocalists of all time, the highest for any artist emerging since the 2010s. It also turns out that Ariana is a great comedic actress and could give Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde) and Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) a run for their money. Here she is singing the song Popular from the film.
Someone who does have a big voice however is Cynthia Erivo and as we reach the end of the film, which is just part one (the second part will be released next year at the same time), she sings the most well-known song from the musical, Defying Gravity. This is a song I know well as when DD was aged only 15, she was gifted one of those Experience packages, where she was given the chance to visit a recording studio and lay down some tracks. Being a keen singer, and having been in a few musical theatre shows up to that point, there was much excitement, and when we turned up for the day the song she chose was Defying Gravity. Of course now she would probably choose something quite different but I really liked her version which doesn’t have the power of the professionals but is very sweet nonetheless. I know she would be very embarrassed about me sharing this but hey, I was a proud mum, so here is what she came up with on that day. It was a fascinating process, how you record many versions of the same song, do a bit of tweaking and then cut and paste sections together to create the best version possible. She starts off a bit tentatively but after 1:00 the confidence shines through.
Defying Gravity by Darling Daughter (DD)
So, “What’s It All About?” – Judy Garland’sWizard of Oz is a film classic, but it was made 85 years ago. The film Wicked is similarly colourful, and full of fun characters, but cinematography, soundtracks and script-writing have come a long way since the 1930s so I felt it was a real extravaganza for the eyes and ears. I’m not sure, however, if many of my followers would want to pay good money to go and see it? All I would say is…, just do it – you might surprise yourself.
Until next time…
Defying Gravity Lyrics (Song by Stephen Schwartz)
Something has changed within me Something is not the same I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap!
It’s time to try Defying gravity I think I’ll try Defying gravity Kiss me goodbye I’m defying gravity And you won’t bring me down
I’m through accepting limits ’cause someone says they’re so Some things I cannot change but ’til I try, I’ll never know! Too long I’ve been afraid of losing love I guess I’ve lost Well, if that’s love, it comes at much too high a cost!
I’d sooner buy Defying gravity Kiss me goodbye I’m defying gravity I think I’ll try Defying gravity And you won’t bring me down
What's It All About? 