Category: 1980s songs

Happy Hogmanay and My End Of The Year Review

Music

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 Responder with 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

New Turntables and Looking Out The Vinyl: Donald Fagen and Everything But The Girl

It was DD’s birthday at the weekend and when asked what she wanted for a present, she said a turntable. Things have turned full circle and young people are now discovering that having thousands of songs (heck, millions of songs?) at their disposal, might not be the best way to really appreciate music. So, we all chipped in, and between us, the in-laws and Mr DD, she is now the proud owner of a turntable, speakers and a starter selection of vinyl albums. Most were recorded by current artists but in amongst those given to her by her other half was Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. I still find it amazing that she is a fan of a band who first formed nearly 30 years before she was born. Then again I was a big fan of Fred Astaire when I was young and his heyday was nearly 30 years before I was born, so perhaps she’s just following my lead.

Anyway, on the big day we were invited across to their new house for brunch, and for the opening of presents. Although I now have nothing decent to play them on, I still have most of my vinyl albums from back in the day and I’ve decided to loan her a couple every now and again to hear what she thinks of them. On this occasion, the first “loaning out”, I brought Donald Fagan’s The Nightfly and Everything But The Girl’s Baby The Stars Shine Bright, both albums I bought when I was roughly her age. I eagerly await her judgement as she has a good ear.

I only found out about Donald Fagen’s solo career from my friend who made the “awesome mixtapes” (see link on sidebar), as back in 1986 he made me one with a couple of tracks from The Nightfly. I had always liked Steely Dan’s music but I honestly wouldn’t have known the band members’ names back then. It was a pleasant discovery though, and I immediately treated myself to my own copy of The Nightfly.

The album is full of songs that related to Donald’s New Jersey suburban childhood, in the late ’50s and early ’60s, and refer to late-night jazz disc jockeys, fallout shelters, and tropical vacations. One of my favourites is New Frontier and as you will see from the clip it involves a young chap bringing a girl home to “party” in his father’s shelter built in the back garden. Such times.

The New Frontier by Donald Fagen:


Baby, the Stars Shine Bright was an album I bought at the start of 1987, as it was recommended in the magazine The Face which I subscribed to at the time. (I went through a stage of trying to be cooler than I actually was!) It was EBTG’s third album and despite the fact it didn’t spawn any hit singles I have always really liked it.

Apparently, Tracey and Ben were following a distinctively “anti-rock” approach at this time and were unwilling to adopt a synthetic-sounding production that was fashionable at the time. Instead, the album took its influence from ’60s orchestrated music and the singer Dusty Springfield. This explains why I must have liked the album so much as since starting this blog I find myself returning to orchestral pop time and time again. This song, Come On Home, was the first on side one – I wonder what DD will make of it?

Come On Home by Everything But The Girl:


So, “What’s It All About?” – Sharing your music with the generation below I think. DD already has a good appreciation of the music we bought on CD throughout the 1990s and beyond, but my vinyl is all new to her. I’m looking forward to having music-listening sessions in her lovely new house complete with turntable and speakers. I will report back.

Until next time…

The New Frontier Lyrics
(Song by Donald Fagen)

Yes we’re gonna have a wingding
A summer smoker underground
It’s just a dugout that my dad built
In case the reds decide to push the button down
We’ve got provisions and lots of beer
The key word is survival on the new frontier

Introduce me to that big blonde
She’s got a touch of Tuesday Weld
She’s wearing Ambush and a French twist
She’s got us wild and she can tell
She loves to limbo, that much is clear
She’s got the right dynamic for the new frontier

Well I can’t wait till I move to the city
Till I finally make up my mind
To learn design and study overseas

Do you have a steady boyfriend
Cause honey I’ve been watching you
I hear you’re mad about Brubeck
I like your eyes I like him too
He’s an artist, a pioneer
We’ve got to have some music on the new frontier

Well I can’t wait till I move to the city
Till I finally make up my mind
To learn design and study overseas

Let’s pretend that it’s the real thing
And stay together all night long
And when I really get to know you
We’ll open up the doors and climb into the dawn
Confess your passion, your secret fear
Prepare to meet the challenge of the new frontier

A New Found Appreciation: RIP Quincy Jones

We lost a titan of the music industry last Sunday when Quincy Delight Jones Jr., 91, died peacefully at his home in Bel-Air. He had come a long way from his humble beginnings on the South Side of Chicago. I thought I knew a fair bit about Quincy when I heard the news, but as ever, it’s not until you start to read the tributes that you discover how much you didn’t know.

I hadn’t, for example, realised he’d had quite the career as a jazz musician, arranger, and composer throughout the 1950s, and worked extensively with Frank Sinatra. Quincy first worked with Frank in 1958 and then six years later he was invited to arrange and conduct his live album with the Count Basie Orchestra, Sinatra at the Sands. Frank even gave him a gold pinkie ring with his personal crest and from that day on he never took it off.

Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra with the Count Basie Orchestra

I also didn’t know that Soul Bossa Nova, which became the theme tune for Mike Myers’ film series Austin Powers, was composed and first performed by Quincy in 1962. It got a whole new lease of life, and audience, when the first film was released in 1997.

Soul Bossa Nova by Quincy Jones

In the 1960s Quincy started to write the music for film soundtracks and along with Don Black created this bit of movie magic, On Days Like These, the theme tune for 1969’s The Italian Job starring Michael Caine. Sublime – one of my favourite ever film themes.

On Days Like These by Matt Monro

We’re now getting onto more familiar territory and I did know that Quincy produced the soundtrack for 1978’s The Wiz, the musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. It was whilst working on The Wiz that Michael asked Quincy to recommend some producers for his upcoming solo album. He offered some names but when none were right for the project he eventually offered to produce the album himself. Michael accepted and the rest, as they say, is history. The first album they made together, Off the Wall, sold about 20 million copies. Michael and Quincy’s next collaboration, Thriller, sold 65 million copies and became the highest-selling album of all time. The third album in the trilogy was Bad, which sold 45 million copies, and this was the last time they worked together. 

Off The Wall by Michael Jackson

Quincy didn’t often produce albums under his own name but back in 1981 he released the The Dude. I wouldn’t have remembered this album but I very definitely remember the single Razzamatazz (with vocals by Patti Austin) as it climbed to No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart, Quincy’s biggest solo hit over here. Having just listened to it straight after Off The Wall, there is more than a passing similarity, which of course makes perfect sense.

Razzamatazz by Quincy Jones with Patti Austin:

This tribute is growing arms and legs and I am conscious that I seem to be relying on a string of YouTube clips. We’re nearly there though. I’m also conscious I’ve shared a clip of someone I had banished from this blog a few years ago. It just didn’t seem right to make no mention of the three albums Quincy made with Michael Jackson, however, as in terms of his musical legacy they were probably his finest hour. I actually enjoyed watching the 21-year-old Michael sing and dance his way through Off The Wall, as being objective, he really was a rare talent.

In 1985 Quincy used his influence to get most of the major American artists together to record We Are The World. It was the US version of our Band Aid single and it raised even more money for the victims of famine in Ethiopia. 

By the 1990s, Quincy Jones had his own production company and worked with film studios and television networks to make copious amounts of entertainment. He was the person who gave us Will Smith in the form of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and yes, you guessed it, he composed the theme tune for the show.

For the next 30 years Quincy continued to be active in the entertainment industry and as recently as 2020, he appeared on the album Dawn FM by the Weeknd, performing a monolog in the sixth track, A Tale by Quincy. I would urge you to listen to it. It explains a lot.

I am reminded of the post I wrote about Burt Bacharach when he died. Both he and Quincy were in their 90s when they died so it’s not a tragedy, but it does draw a line under their amazing body of work. Unlike with Burt, whose life’s work I was more familiar with, I have learnt a lot about Quincy writing this post. They don’t come along very often, these magicians of music, but aren’t we glad that a few times in a generation, they do. RIP Quincy Jones.

Until next time…

Razzamatazz Lyrics
(Song by Quincy Jones/Rod Temperton)

Don’t believe those clouds in the sky
‘Cause they’ll be movin’ on and the sun will shine
If the world’s been passin’ you by
Just reach for a star and you’ll realize

Got to put back all the good times that we had
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz

If you feel your life’s in a rut
Just come on out tonight, and we’ll pull you up
Ain’t no use in dragging your feet
‘Cause something’s in the air that just can’t be beat

Got to put back all the good times that we had
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)

Bring out the rides with all those white wall tires
Let’s go out cruisin’ like we used to do
Get suited down, let’s set the town on fire
Jump out your seat and let the music pull you through

We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)

Got to put back all the good times that we had
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)

Bring out the rides with all those white wall tires
Let’s go out cruisin’ like we used to do
Get suited down, let’s set the town on fire
Jump out your seat and let the music pull you through

You can lay your soul on the line
‘Cause we can make it work if we do it right
Got to spread this message around
The people of the world should be getting down

Got to put back all the good times that we had
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)
We can make it better with a little bit of Razzamatazz (Razzamatazz)
(Give a bit of Razzamatazz)

Birthdays, Football Tournaments and Sweet Summer Songs

WIAA: You know what I’m about to say, Alyson, don’t you?

ALYSON: I do indeed, WIAA, and I’m sorry your pages have remained blank so far this month. I could say I’ve been really busy, but in truth it seems that I’m just prioritising other things at the moment – sorry about that. What can I do to redeem myself?

WIAA: Hmm… let me think. How about WRITING SOMETHING! Just let your fingers dance around the keyboard telling us what you’ve been up to?

ALYSON: Good plan WIAA.

The big news is that DD and the still relatively new Mr DD have bought their first house together. An exciting time for them but also a busy time, as it being a 10-year-old house there is a fair bit of DIY to be done to get it just the way they want it. Guess who’s been doing the DIY? To be fair, the lion’s share has been down to her dad who is flooring their loft as I type. There is method in this madness, however, as our own loft might finally get a decent clear out of all the stuff she accumulated during her teenage years/early twenties when she had more disposable cash but a childhood bedroom too small to hold it all. I have an awful feeling most will go to the recycling centre but now at least there will be options.

The House That Jack Built by Tracie

In other news, we’ve had a short caravan holiday on our favourite beach up in East Sutherland. I’ve written about such holidays before so I won’t go there again but it was very relaxing indeed. The weather was not kind but in three days we went to three folk museums and three coffee shops, had three walks along the beach (in between rainstorms) and three nice dinners. The first of these dinners was paella cooked by Mr WIAA to celebrate my birthday. The cards and flowers I’d received in the morning came on holiday with us and a lovely day was had, despite the fact a very age-specific Beatles song kept ringing in my ears. Suddenly the age mentioned in the song didn’t feel very old at all, but then you remember two of the Beatles didn’t even make it, so feeling blessed (especially after my stint in hospital last year) to be happy and healthy at this point in my life.

When I’m Sixty-Four by the Beatles:


It would be hard to miss the fact there is a big football tournament going on at the moment, the Euros, so lots of coverage on the main two television channels. I no longer follow club football but I do like the big tournaments as it’s a chance to see some of the world’s best players perform their magic on the pitch. From the 1970s on I’ve followed these biannual events and am lucky to have watched players such as Pele and Johan Cruyff as well as the more recent superstars such as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Tartan Army en route to a match

Sadly Scotland doesn’t have such superstars in their squad which might excuse them for their humiliating defeat last Friday night. I had to leave the room at one point as it was just so tough to watch after the big build up and following the antics of the 200,000 strong tartan army partying ahead of the match. It’s been 26 years since the tartan army had a chance to travel abroad for a tournament and they were certainly going to enjoy it. This song sums up their attitude I think, and despite the heavy defeat in their first match, optimism is high again ahead of their match tonight. (Don’t be misled by the still in this clip, it’s a very funny video.)

No Scotland No Party by Nick Morgan:


As this post is very much a web diary kind of affair what else have I been up to since the end of April? Many more hours of socialising with friends it seems. I really thought it would tail off once I’d been home from hospital for a while, but not a week passes without people getting in touch about going for walk, meeting up for coffee, organising a trip to the cinema… – I really am a very lucky lady and at no point over the last few months have I missed running the holiday hideaway. It was hard work and the standards I set myself were so high I was permanently exhausted and tied to my phone. Much better to do my weekly stint volunteering in the charity shop and continue to run our little online jewellery business. We’re definitely never going to make a fortune from it but it ticks over nicely and you just never know when a really interesting commission might come in.


As I mentioned the cinema above, our Film Club pick for last month was Bleeding Love starring one of my favourite actors, Ewan MacGregor. His real life daughter Clara plays his daughter in the movie. I always avoid reading the review for a film until after I’ve seen it so that I’m not predisposed to thinking a certain way about it. My friend and I both liked this story of the difficult road trip both characters went on, so were surprised when the reviews were less than favourable. Something else my friend and I liked was one of the songs on the soundtrack so we waited until all the credits rolled to see who it was by. As the words crept up the screen we eventually came to the songs. As soon as the names Bobby and Billy come up, I knew who it was going to be – yes, back in 1976 those Alessi brothers (of Oh Lori fame) wrote the sweet song Seabird which had now made it’s way into a MacGregor family offering 48 years later. They will be old men now just like I’m an old woman but having these songs in their back pocket is definitely something to impress the grandchildren with.

Seabird by Alessi:


Not much more to write about really as I’ve had a bit of an outpouring here. I no longer keep a paper diary so I like to use this blog as a reminder of what’s been going on in the world, and closer to home. Speaking of what’s going on in the world I didn’t mention the upcoming General Election, but that might be because I don’t watch much news nowadays and I know I’m not alone. Come the day I will turn out to vote but the electioneering is leaving me cold. What never leaves me cold however is a blogger’s meet-up and if all goes well there will be one next week. Looking forward to it very much and there will no doubt be stories to tell.

Until next time…

Seabird Lyrics
(Song by Bobby Alessi/Billy Alessi)

There’s a road I know I must go
Even though I tell myself
That road is closed

Listen, lonely seabird
You’ve been away from land too long
Aw, too long

I don’t listen to the news no more
Like an unwound clock
You just don’t seem to care
This world isn’t big enough
To keep me away from you
Oh, from you

Seabird, seabird
Fly home
Seabird, seabird
Fly home
Like a lonely seabird
You’ve been away from land too long
Oh, too long

Suddenly, you’re with me
I turn, and you’re not there
Like a ghost, you haunt me
You find warmth in a one-night bed

Sunsets, full moons
Don’t turn you on
Like an untied dog
You just had to run

Like a lonely seabird
You’ve been away from land too long
Oh, no, too long (so long, seabird)

Seabird, seabird
Fly home (like a lonely bird)
Seabird, seabird
Fly home

Seabird, seabird
Fly home (seabird, sea)
Seabird, seabird
Fly home

Months Of The Year In Song: August, Time to Turn Full Circle (Six Months Too Late!)

Yeah me, I’ve finally reached the end of this series albeit six months later than I intended. As I’ve said before it’s not been my favourite themed series as nearly all the months are named after Roman gods, festivals or numbers so not as interesting as I thought it would be, but I didn’t want to give up on something that’s nearly complete, so here we are at August, 12 calendar months on from the September 2022 post that got this series going (but 18 months in real time of course).

Although the month of August started off being called Sextilis in the original Roman calendar, named for its status as the sixth month, in 8 BC the month was renamed in honour of the Emperor Augustus. According to legend, he chose this month as his namesake because it was the time of several of his great triumphs, including the conquest of Egypt.

Emperor Augustus

Something I did find interesting when researching our calendar year, however, was that it doesn’t quite tie in with the solar calendar which is 365.2422 days in length. As well as an extra day being added every four years to keep things in line there has to be another adjustment made every hundred years, but even then not exactly every hundred years, which is why we didn’t have one in the year 2000 which would have happened during my lifetime. Should I ever find the secret to everlasting life I will see that adjustment being made in the year 2100… but I’m not holding out much hope.

But enough about calendars and onto the songs. As ever I’ve had to depend on suggestions put forward by my lovely followers and despite me not knowing any August songs, there still seem to be plenty out there. First up we have Ernie Goggins with his contributions. Here are his own words:

A couple of suggestions for August. The first, appropriately, is First of August by Joan Shelley, a singer-songwriter from Kentucky whose voice I like a lot. This version was recorded at the US Embassy in London. The second is some reggae from Duane Stephenson. August Town is actually about the district in Kingston of that name and nothing to do with the month, but after letting some outrageous rule-bending pass last month, I assume you’ll be alright with that.

First of August by Joan Shelly
August Town by Duane Stephenson

Well, two very different genres there Ernie but both beautiful songs in their own right. As for the rule-bending, it kind of had to happen with this series to keep the song count up per edition! This post a case in point as we proceed.

Next up we have Martin from New Amusements with his song suggestions. Here is what he said about them, which doesn’t sound very positive but we all have different tastes so maybe the rest of us will like them:

Struggling to think of any August songs I can recommend. Of those I can find, the ones I dislike least include The First Day In August by Carole King, August Hair by Robyn Hitchcock and August Was A Heavy Month by Bob Geldof. Oh, and Taylor Swift has a song called August, doesn’t she?

As for Ms Swift, whatever Martin thinks of her and her song (he doesn’t specifically say), she has certainly taken the world by storm, and because of her new boyfriend, was credited for making the recent Super Bowl final the most watched event since the first lunar moon landing in 1969. The power of pop eh?

The First Day In August by Carole King
August Hair by Robyn Hitchcock
August Was A Heavy Month by Bob Geldof

… and finally we have Swifty with this song from her folklore album written and recorded during the 2020 lockdown.

august by Taylor Swift


Khayem usually pops up in the comment boxes with a suggestion or two and he didn’t let me down for this month. Here are his own words:

For August, I immediately thought of August & September by The The (covered by Elbow) but I suggested that for your September round up. So, my offering for this month is August Day Song by Bebel Gilberto. Originally a single in 2006, this is a live version performed in Rio circa 2013. All I will say is, if I saw that Bebel Gilberto was performing live on an open air stage, I would be right there at the front, not paddling in the sea…!

Thanks for that Khayem, a lovely Latin American vibe, perfect for a cold February morning here in Scotland.


And here is where a bit of rule-bending is an absolute must. Until Khayem mentioned it, I had totally forgotten that the real name of that man in a Zoot Suit, who along with his Coconuts, also brought much Latin-infused joy to cold and dreich Scotland. Yes I’m talking about August Darnell whose stage name was Kid Creole.

I’ve never had the opportunity to include Kid Creole and the Coconuts around here before, which is bizarre, as whenever I’m asked what my favourite ever concert was back in the day, their flamboyant show at Aberdeen’s Capitol Theatre in the mid ’80s comes a close second to the 2 Tone Tour gig which still sits at No. 1. Here is one of their hit songs, Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy, taken from the album Tropical Gangsters. The band fused a particular a mix of disco and Latin American, Caribbean, and Cab Calloway styles, conceptually inspired by the big band era. To watch them on stage was a riot of colour complete with a jungle stage set for the Coconuts to perform on, and I think I smiled throughout the whole thing. Thanks Khayem for reminding me of it.

Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy by Kid Creole and the Coconuts:


Well, here we come to the end of this series. For a while there last year it didn’t look as if I would ever return to it but against all the odds here we are. It’s not been my favourite series I must admit, but I have enjoyed getting all the contributions from followers. I’ve discovered a lot of hitherto unheard of songs and of course, like the one above, I’ve been reminded of ones long forgotten.

I’ll have to get my thinking cap on now and come up with another idea for a new series. Some stall after a couple of posts but others like my Full Moon in Song series can last for years. As I say, thinking cap needed.

Before I go here’s an example of a Mondegreen. Until I went off in search of the lyrics to Annie…, I always thought the eight lines of, I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a, at the end of the song were actually eight lines of, ono ono onomatopoeia. What can I say, every day’s a school day.

Until next time.

Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy Lyrics
(Song by August Darnell)

They say that all is fair in love and war and child, believe it
When mama stayed in St. Tropez, she had a fall or two
And I’m telling it to you straight
So you don’t have to hear it in another way

Oh Annie
I’m not your daddy
Oh Annie
I’m not your daddy

They say that out of sight is out of mind and child, believe it
Your mama was in search of love, but all she got was used
And I’m telling it to your face
So you don’t have to hear it in another place
Bring it to me gently now
Don’t forget, I’m just a child

Oh Annie
I’m not your daddy (mama’s baby’s papa’s baby)
Oh Annie
I’m not your daddy (mama’s baby’s papa’s baby)

See, if I was in your blood then you wouldn’t be so ugly
Oh!

I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be a

Yes, I’m telling it to you straight
So you don’t have to hear it in another way
Bring it to me gently now
Don’t forget, I’m just a child

Oh Annie
I’m not your daddy (mama’s baby’s papa’s baby)
Oh Annie
I’m not your daddy (mama’s baby’s papa’s baby)

My Blogging Absence, A Few Words of Explanation and Wham! Take The Christmas Crown

Well, it’s been some time since I bothered these pages with any writing and looking back at the posts I put together back in June/July, regulars to this place would have detected that all was not going well in my life. The upshot was that in late July I had what used to be called a nervous breakdown (agitated depression to use modern parlance). More and more things were going wrong in my life (the holiday hideaway is no more) and we reached a crisis situation on the last day of the month. The people who came to whisk me off to hospital were not men in white coats however they were two very nice Community Psychiatric Nurses dressed in civvies, who will be in my life for some time to come. I was officially discharged from hospital only two and a half weeks ago and I’m happy to report that all is going really well. I know that it’s mostly down to the particular combination of drugs I’m on, but I am the happiest I’ve been in years, yet had things tipped the other way, I might not even be here. A sobering thought which makes me so grateful the doctors kept pursuing new avenues in terms of medication. I was a only a week away from being put on a course of ECT (12 sessions where you are under general anaesthetic every time) when I magically turned a corner and started to feel much, much better, so thankfully that plan was abandoned.


I ended up being a hospital inpatient for nearly four months. I was discharged twice during that time but always ended up back in after a few days. The irony is that our local Mental Health Hospital is only a 10 minute walk from my house and despite having passed it hundreds, or even thousands of times in the 24 years we’ve lived here, I had never been inside. I now know every nook and cranny. For a middle-aged, middle-class suburbanite like myself it is a scary place to find yourself in and there were some very challenging patients admitted during my stay. Thankfully we could lock our doors from the inside so if anything ever kicked off I could hide myself away. There were also a few nice people admitted whom I made friends with, but most patients only stay for a short time then either get discharged, or get moved to a different facility. Whatever, it is a place I will now never forget.

The great thing about the hospital being local to my home was that I had lots and lots of visits from my friends who also live in our area of town – neighbours, school mums, etc. I was really spoiled with some of them coming every week bringing me food treats, puzzle books and magazines. I was not the best of company however and looked awful (I lost three quarters of a stone) but thankfully they didn’t give up on me and persevered. I’m sure it all aided in my recovery. One friend in particular, whom I used to work with 30 years ago and who hasn’t been in my life for a long time, heard about my situation and identified that if some of my worries could be taken away from me I would get better. Being a hot shot accountant she took the time to help Mr WIAA with the sorting out of our finances. Until then I thought I was the only sane one and that everyone else was not recognising the reality of our situation, however, having someone I trusted take stock, really helped. As for Mr WIAA and DD, they found it really hard to deal with me as I had turned into someone they no longer recognised. At one point it didn’t look as if we’d ever get back on track in terms of my relationship with Mr WIAA, but now that I’m home and even a better version of the old me, I can happily report that all is now well on that front.

My final thank you is to all those blogging buddies (they know who they are) who also found out about my situation and sent cards, books and messages of support. Special thanks goes to C from Sun Dried Sparrows who did an excellent job of collating all those messages and sending them on. The new improved me is now looking ahead to the future and I can see another Bloggers Summit on the horizon, where this time I won’t be worried and distracted, but in fine fettle.

But hey, this is supposed to be a music blog and although I fully intend to get back to that soon, I just wanted to address the elephant in the room – my very long absence. When I was younger, one of the most exciting things about Christmas was finding out what the No. 1 single would be over the festive period. Those of us in the UK know that hasn’t been a thing for decades as the Christmas chart was always hijacked by either the winners of reality karaoke singing shows or songs about sausage rolls (although the latter did earn an awful lot of money for food banks). This year there has been an honest to goodness race which I did follow. Because of how we consume our music nowadays where the number of songs streamed and downloaded contribute to record sales, we have the situation where it’s the old favourites we return to every year. It was no surprise therefore to find out that Wham’s Last Christmas took the crown. I’m not complaining as it’s still a great sounding song, and I’ve written about George Michael more than anyone else around here. Such an irony therefore that the man who wrote one of Pop’s most enduring Christmas songs himself died on the big day. As ever I will raise a glass (of non-alcoholic beverage) to him.

Last Christmas by Wham!


So, What’s It All About? I think it’s safe to say I’m back… and the writing is flowing (I had worried the inability to string a sentence together might stay with me even if I got better). If you are a subscriber or regular follower I apologise for having given you only half a year’s worth of posts. but that changes as of today. I’m pretty sure I’ll get back to weekly blogging at the very least, and I might even sneak in a mid-week offering too.

For now, I’d just like to wish all my followers A Very Merry Christmas. Hope you have a fabulous one.


Last Christmas Lyrics
(Song by George Michael)

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away (you gave it away)
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (special)

Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?
Well, it’s been a year, it doesn’t surprise me

“Happy Christmas,” I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying “I love you,” I meant it
Now I know what a fool I’ve been
But if you kissed me now, I know you’d fool me again

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away (you gave it away)
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (special)

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (special)

A crowded room, friends with tired eyes
I’m hiding from you and your soul of ice
My God, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover, but you tore me apart
Ooh, ooh
Now I’ve found a real love, you’ll never fool me again

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away (you gave it away)
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (special)

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, (you gave me away) you gave it away
This year, (oh) to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (special)

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart (I gave you my heart)
A man under cover, but you tore him apart
Maybe next year, I’ll give it to someone
I’ll give it to someone special (special)
Someone

Worrywart Behaviour, Book Suggestions and British Invasions (Two of Them)

WIAA: Alyson, oh Alyson…?

ALYSON: Yep, still here WIAA, just not in the right headspace for blogging at the moment. Being a bit of a worrywart (understatement) I’m not sleeping very well. All down to what you would call First World problems, but try telling your head that at 3am.

WIAA: Sorry to hear that Alyson. Maybe a bit of light blogging would help.

ALYSON: You know what WIAA, I was just thinking that myself, so good on you for giving me a nudge. Maybe better to do a bit of blogging during the night, than fail miserably in getting some shut-eye (whoever devised counting sheep as an effective technique obviously wasn’t a worrywart). Also, the blogging community is always really supportive, so don’t think my lovely followers will judge me too harshly on whatever I come up with.

WIAA: Damn straight Alyson. Go for it.

ALYSON: Something I’ve been doing to while away the wee small hours, is read books on rock and pop nostalgia, and I have three by my bedside at the moment. I’ve discovered so many new bits and pieces hitherto unknown to me, so maybe worth sharing them with you WIAA, and whoever else drops by here.

Some recommended reading from Mark Radcliffe, Dylan Jones and David Hepworth

WIAA: Ah, I see another David Hepworth book there and I know you’ve shared some of his other works here before, so you must enjoy what he does.

ALYSON: I certainly do and as a writer I think he is exceptional. More words have been added to my “new words notebook” from his books than from any others of late. He doesn’t set out to be pretentiously clever, so when he uses a phrase like “a phalanx of fruggers” it describes a scene perfectly. (Essentially people dancing in formation, but soooo much more.)

WIAA: That’s a good title for his book Alyson, a fine play on words, and of course the subtitle says it all: How a Few Skinny Brits with Bad Teeth Rocked America.

ALYSON: It’s a great summing up of just what happened, starting with the British Invasion of 1964, led by the Beatles, and ending with the events of 1983 when a second British Invasion took place spearheaded by bands like Culture Club. Did you know WIAA, that in July 1983, there were 18 British-originated singles in the American Top 40? That was even more than the 14 back in June 1965 after Beatlemania had taken hold. All because of MTV apparently, where British music videos reigned supreme. For the record, here is a clip of that first live performance by the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, followed by Culture Club with their Karma Chameleon video. How things changed in just under a couple of decades. Such times.

I Want To Hold Your Hand by the Beatles:



That’s all for this time folks – just wanted to dip my toe back in the water and my blog usually does a good job of chivvying me up. I will return to my three favourite new books next time and pick something a bit more meaty to write about. Amazed considering my lack of sleep I got this far really but had to be done. Please bear with me.

Until next time…

I Want To Hold Your Hand Lyrics
(Song by John Lennon/Paul McCartney)

Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something
I think you’ll understand
When I say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

Oh please, say to me
You’ll let me be your man
And please, say to me
You’ll let me hold your hand
You’ll let me hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy
Inside
It’s such a feeling that my love
I can’t hide
I can’t hide
I can’t hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you’ll understand
When I say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy
Inside
It’s such a feeling that my love
I can’t hide
I can’t hide
I can’t hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you’ll understand
When I feel that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

Months Of The Year In Song: June, Time for the Summer Solstice

Today is the longest day, and up here in the North of Scotland it will never get truly dark, only dusk at best. It’s usually my favourite month but this year it’s been challenging because of all the hot weather. I mentioned last time I’d had a skin issue because of too much sun exposure over the years, and rather than just leave it dangling there, the update is I have now had a diagnosis and fortunately it is something that can be dealt with. Still going to be a tricky procedure though and from now on I’m going to be “hat woman” so excuse me if I’m a bit off my game at the moment. Health worries will do that to a person. I have managed to write nine of these editions already though and I’m determined to see this series through to the end, so here comes the one for the month of June.


Last month I got a surprise in that May was named after a Greek goddess, which was a first for this series. True to form we’re back to the Roman goddesses this month, Juno to be exact, the goddess of marriage and the wife of the “supreme deity Jupiter”. Wow, no pressure being married to him then!

I usually say these posts almost write themselves as I’m lucky enough to have people drop by with song suggestions. This time there was very little overlap in terms of suggestions so without further ado let’s see what this month has to offer.

First up we had Neil, who came up with Rainy Day in June by the Kinks. Not a song I had ever heard before so thanks for sharing it – quite spectacular rainstorm sound effects at the beginning and throughout. It was on their 1966 album Face To Face which also featured the song Sunny Afternoon. So far this month we’ve had plenty of sunny afternoons but also many thunderstorms, so very apt for 2023 too as it turns out.


The next contributor was Lynchie who remembered about Van Morrison’s song Evening In June. No mistaking, based on the sound, that it’s a Van song, and it seems he had fun with some of the rhymes in his lyrics. Oh yes, there is both a moon and a lagoon in the first verse, but because I love it, I’ll let that go!

By the light of the moon
When the night holds the secrets
Of the sleepy lagoon
I’m contemplating moonlight
On the water
When I’m walking with you
On an evening in June


Ernie Goggins has been a faithful contributor to this series and he didn’t let me down for this month’s edition either. This time he simply said:

I have a couple of mellow, vaguely countryish suggestions for June.

You’re not wrong Ernie, mellow and countryish. Regulars to this place will already know that I am a big fan of singers in the mould of Karen Carpenter and I have yet to hear anyone come closer in terms of singing style than Rumer. Probably a bit rubbish for Rumer being continually compared in that way but there could be worse comparisons. Here is June It’s Gonna Happen from her, and also June Bug from Erin Rae.


C from Sun Dried Sparrows is another regular contributor to this series and again she didn’t disappoint. Here are her own words:

I have a suggestion for June which I hope you like, it’s gorgeous and mellow; case/lang/veirs with Greens of June.

I do like it C, I like a lot, and as I mentioned in my reply, their song Supermoon was my favourite inclusion in my Full Moon in Song series.


Khayem has been yet another regular contributor (thanks guys) and although there was a bit of an overlap with one of Ernie’s suggestions in terms of the song title, he did have another one up his sleeve. These are his own words:

Like Ernie, the title Junebug immediately popped into my head when thinking of the coming month, but a different song and a different artist. This Junebug is by the ever wonderful The B-52’s. It appeared on their 1989 album Cosmic Thing but here’s a live version from 1990.


Now we have a suggestion from a new contributor to this series. Rich Kamerman dropped by with the following:

I was coming up empty regarding “June” songs, which is a shame since it’s my birthday month, but then a song I loved miraculously popped into my head: June by Spock’s Beard. They are a modern progressive rock band that started in the mid-’90s and I’ve been a huge fan since I first heard them around ’96 or ’97. Their music is super-melodic even when they go full-on “prog”. This particular song is mostly acoustic with great harmonies. I hope you like it.

I do like it Rich, so thanks for remembering about it. The band’s name of course intrigued me and it seems that it came from an episode from the original Star Trek series. According to band member Alan Morse: Spock’s Beard was sort of a phrase that we’d say to each other – my brother and I – when something weird would happen. We’d say, “Wow, that’s like Spock’s Beard,” meaning, “that only happens in a parallel universe, right?” Anyway, Spock only has that beard in the one episode, and it’s when he’s in the parallel universe in “Mirror, Mirror“. I put Spock’s Beard on the list sort of as a joke. Everybody seemed to like it the best, and so we picked that one.

Last up we have Rol’s suggestion. I know he could come up with many, many song suggestions, but as someone who has embarked on several series like this himself, he is kindly holding back I suspect so as not to overwhelm me. Thanks Rol! Here are his own words:

The Kinks have Rainy Day In June, and Melba Montgomery sang that June Is As Cold As December… but I prefer to hope for better weather, so my suggestion is… Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo feat. Frank Turner – Fields Of June.

A fine song to end with, and a really great video clip too. Bet they had fun making it.


Well, that’s it for this month, so thanks again everyone for helping me out. If I’m not mistaken, we are now heading toward winter as the days will be getting shorter from now on (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere of course). It’ll probably take a good while to notice though, and from what I hear there will be more record temperatures in the UK this summer before we reach that point, which is more than a tad worrying. The sun is no longer my friend for obvious reasons but if things go on as they are, with each summer hotter than the last, the sun is rapidly becoming nobody’s friend.

Two pictures to end with. For those of us who like me have heard of June Bugs, but didn’t know what they look like, now you do. A kind of flying beetle with a beautiful green hue.


Also, I always try and include someone with a name that matches the month and no-one could be more appropriate for this blog than the actress, June Allyson, whose movies I loved watching when I was a youngster. I don’t know how easy it would be to find nowadays but if you like a weepy (no spoiler really), and like big band music, they don’t come much better than The Glenn Miller Story. And of course, Glenn’s signature song Moonlight Serenade (written about here before) also very relevant to this post.

I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight
I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night

The actress June Allyson

Only two months left to go in this series so if anyone has any July songs up their sleeve, please do share.

Until next time…

Rainy Day In June Lyrics
(Song by Ray Davies)

A misty shadow spread its wings
And covered all the ground
And even though the sun was out
The rain came pouring down

And all the light had disappeared
And faded in the gloom
There was no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June

The eagle spread its mighty wings
And pounced upon its pray
And all the skies, so brilliant blue
Turned suddenly to grey

The cherished things are perishing
And buried in their tomb
There is no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June

And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain

The demon stretched its crinkled hand
And snatched a butterfly
The elves and gnomes were hunched in fear
Too terrified to cry

The reckoning was beckoning
They’re living to their doom
There was no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June

And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain

Birthdays, Heatwaves and Yet More from Guardians of the Galaxy

I had a birthday last week, which was nice. I also had another trip to the skin clinic, which wasn’t so nice. Yes, my fair Scottish skin has yet again let me down and whilst many people (other than fair-skinned Scots) have been enjoying the current heatwave, I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that a life in the sun is not for me. It’s a sobering thought, as come summer so much of what we do is outdoors, but from now on I’ll be the person in trousers, long sleeves and a hat – probably sitting under a canopy. I blame those boys from Wham! as my younger self ignored all the sage advice, and I suffered for those suntans which went well with my white clothes and bleached blonde hair. ‘Twas the times.

Club Tropicana by Wham!:


Club Tropicana was a bit of a departure from Wham!’s previous singles, but it was never meant to be taken seriously. It was seen as a swipe at the hedonistic Club 18-30 package holidays which had become really popular with young people in the early ’80s. I didn’t ever go on one of those holidays, and wouldn’t have wanted to, but as soon as you hear the opening 30 seconds, what with the cicadas, the car door, the footsteps and the funky club sounds, you are immediately transported to warmer Mediterranean climes.

This clip has been doing the rounds of late, so I’m sure many of you will have seen it already, but another fair skinned Scot who should never have been exposed to the Mediterranean sun (hope you had your Factor 50 on Lewis Capaldi) decided to remake the Club Tropicana video to accompany his song Forget Me. I was mighty impressed at how they managed to recreate each scene so perfectly, and got the timings spot on (a compare and contrast below). No, he’s not averse to poking fun at himself is Lewis, but I do hope he is lucky in love soon as his songs are all just so heartsick.


But back to the birthday, by the time you to get to my age (I’ve stopped counting) they really are no big deal and I had almost forgotten all about it until a few days before. I did get a surprising amount of cards for someone so ancient however and my social media pages were full of good wishes which was nice. DD was on holiday (yes, on the Mediterranean) but a lovely bouquet of flowers arrived via a local florist which again was nice. Mr WIAA and I don’t do big presents any more as we best know what we want ourselves, but a little outing was definitely on the cards. In view of my inability to be outdoors in the sun, it was decided a trip to the cinema was in order. Thankfully a film I had wanted to watch on the big screen – rather than on the small screen down the line – was still showing at our local multiplex. And so it came to pass that we spent my birthday afternoon sitting alone in a very cold cinema (the air conditioning was working just a little too well) watching the latest offering from those intrepid Guardians of the Galaxy.

Rocket, Nebula, Gamora, Peter, Mantis and Drax – Guardians of the Galaxy

No-one was more surprised than I at how much I enjoyed the first GOTG film when DD introduced us to it back in 2015, just after it came out. I’m not usually a fan of superhero movies but this bunch are just a little bit different, and special I think. The scripts are genuinely funny, local girl Karen Gillan (we used to watch her in school shows) plays blue-skinned Nebula, and best of all, the music used for the soundtrack is right up my alley. I have a whole category on my sidebar (link here) dedicated to songs from the series which up until now were generally lesser-known, soft rock songs from the 1970s. The lead character’s old Walkman, a link to his dead mother and home in Missouri, was one of the stars of the first two movies but it sadly bit the dust at the end of GOTG2 and has now been replaced by a new digital device. The songs this time were from bands like Radiohead and Florence and the Machine but some old favourites from the previous outings still put in an appearance, such as this song from American band Redbone. Come And Get Your Love was originally a hit for them back in 1974, but whenever I hear it now I will always think of Peter Quill, Rocket, Nebula, Drax and the rest of the GOTG gang.

Come and Get Your Love by Redbone:


So, “What’s It All About?” – I am well aware this blog needs a little reinvention but as you might suspect I’ve been somewhat distracted of late. All being well I’ll get onto that over the summer (as let’s face it I’m going to be spending a lot of time indoors). Thank goodness for birthdays though, as however old you get they do make for a bit of a special day. The cards and flowers were unexpected, as was the last minute trip to the cinema. As we seem to have caught up with all our telly series at the moment I may well seek out those earlier GOTG films, just to remind myself what drew me to them in the first place. My shiny new Netflix account (yes, we fell foul of password sharing with DD) will hopefully provide them.

Until next time…

Club Tropicana Lyrics
(Song by George Michael/Andrew Ridgeley)

Let me take you to the place
Where membership’s a smiling face,
Brush shoulders with the stars.
Where strangers take you by the hand,
And welcome you to wonderland –
From beneath their panamas…

Club Tropicana, drinks are free,
Fun and sunshine – there’s enough for everyone.
All that’s missing is the sea,
But don’t worry, you can suntan!

Castaways and Lovers meet,
Then kiss in Tropicana’s heat,
Watch the waves break on the bay.
Soft white sands, a blue lagoon,
Cocktail time, a summer’s tune,
A whole night’s holiday!

Pack your bags,
And leave tonight.
Don’t take your time,
Gotta move your feet, don’t you miss the flight!
Cool, cool, cool, cool

Cool, cool, cool, cool


Postscript:

Why the Redbone song is so important to the whole series – it was played during the closing credits of the latest film but was also the song that featured during the opening credits of the very first film. I give you… the Star-Lord dance (song kicks in at 0:30).

Months Of The Year In Song: May, the Start of Celtic Summer and RIP Anna “Mae” Bullock

Not too many days left in the current month, so I’d better crack on with the latest instalment of this series. We usually start off with the story behind the naming of the month so let’s see which Roman god May is named after. Well, blow me down, this time it’s not a Roman god but a Greek goddess, Maia. She was the mother of Hermes (the Greek god of parcel deliveries) and was associated with fertility for the Romans. Many people still get a holiday on the 1st of May as it was traditionally a time for festivals celebrating the start of summer. In England there would have been the setting up of a Maypole and the crowning of a May Queen whereas up here in Scotland, the festival was called Beltane which included the building of bonfires (written about here).


Fortunately May does not have as many songs that refer to it which is lucky for me as last month’s instalment nearly broke me with all the song suggestions. Not entirely true of course but a bit of a respite before we hit the month of June which I suspect will be very song heavy.

The first visitor to come up with suggestions for May, was Ernie Goggins. Here are his own words:

A couple of suggestions for May to get the ball rolling. My Girl The Month Of May by Dion. It is from the mid 1960s by which time he had given up rock ‘n roll and become a hippy folkie type. The other is The Watersons’ version of the Swinton May Song, one of the many traditional ‘May songs’ marking the peak of Spring and the imminent coming of Summer.

Thanks Ernie, and as I said in reply last month, I hadn’t known about Dion’s later change in direction until recently. He has had a long career and is still going strong it seems at age 83. As for The Watersons, all very Steeleye Span, but I like it.


The second set of song suggestions came from Rigid Digit and as ever he had lots of them:

Can I have Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven for the line “it’s just a spring clean for the May Queen”?
No – how about Robert Plant’s May Queen instead then.

Anything by Brian May ?
And continuing to push it, the first of May is celebrated with a May Fair.
So … The Quireboys debut single, Mayfair would fit.
That’s 3 duff suggestions and one sensible one

Back to being sensible: The Bee Gees – First Of May

Thanks RD and I hope I’ve correctly identified the one sensible suggestion of the first four?


As for the Bee Gees song it was always going to be one of my own suggestions as I am a bit of a fan. A lovely little film there of the brothers too. You forget how young the twins were when they started out with big brother Barry at the helm. It was this song that was their undoing for a time however as Robin had wanted the song he sang vocals on to be the A-side of this record, but Barry decided it should be on the B-side. This precipitated them parting company. Fortunately for us (if like me you are a fan) they got back together again a year later.

First of May by the Bee Gees:


The next suggestion came in from three different visitors last month – C, John Medd and Khayem – and although not month-related I feel duty bound to include it as they have all enthused about it so much. Here is Kevin Ayers with his song May I. Here is what C said about it:

Regarding May – may I suggest May I?! I mean ‘May I’ by Kevin Ayers and The Whole World. There’s a lovely clip of them performing it on OGWT on youtube. I love Kevin’s rich voice and his quite subtle, arty eccentricity, in my mind anyway I see him in a similar way to Syd Barrett, Julian Cope, Robyn Hitchcock. I know it’s not about the month of May but I do like to bend the rules a little. The lyrics might be seen as either sweet or a bit stalkery nowadays – but I’ll go for sweet!

It is sweet C, and what a lovely deep voice he has. Quite sad that we have to continually question nowadays if something is “stalkery” or not, as I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to imply that when it was written.


The final month-of-May-related song suggestion came from Khayem. Here is what he said about it:

Just one suggestion from me this time, but it’s from one of my favourite subversive pop bands, Black Box Recorder. May Queen is from their second album, The Facts Of Life, released in 2000. With Luke Haines (The Auteurs) one of the trio, along with John Moore and Sarah Nixey, sublime music and unsettling lyrics and vocals are present and correct.

From the image in the clip I wasn’t expecting that sound at all – sublime music and vocals as you say Khayem. As for the lyrics, yes a tad unsettling perhaps.


I usually like to add a picture of someone whose name is that of the current month before I finish, but other than Brian May mentioned above, not thinking of many. Perhaps timely therefore to include someone born with the middle name Mae who sadly died this week. Yes, it’s the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll herself, Anna Mae Bullock, more commonly known as Tina Turner. For some unfathomable reason she has never appeared around here although some of my favourite songs from the ’80s were by her. I still own my vinyl copy of her wonderful album Private Dancer. She was in her mid 40s when her career relaunched in 1983 after the success of her cover of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together. Back in the day we didn’t watch YouTube, we watched The Tube on telly after coming home from work on a Friday. I still remember being blown away by her singing this song as she was no longer the, dare I say it,”mumsy lady” I had seen interviewed a year or so before. Against all the odds she was back, and this time there was no stopping her.


Well, that’s it for this month. As ever song suggestions for next month, the month of June, will be gratefully received.

RIP Tina Turner

Until next time…

First Of May Lyrics
(Song by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb)

When I was small and Christmas trees were tall
We used to love while others used to play
Don’t ask me why, but time has passed us by
Some one else moved in from far away

Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
And you don’t ask the time of day
But you and I, our love will never die
But guess we’ll cry come first of May

The apple tree that grew for you and me
I watched the apples falling, one by one
And I recall the moment of them all
The day I kissed your cheek and you were mine

Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
And you don’t ask the time of day
But you and I, our love will never die
But guess we’ll cry come first of May

When I was small and Christmas trees were tall
Do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do
Don’t ask me why, but time has passed us by
Some one else moved in from far away