WIAA: Did you watch the Brit Awards on Saturday night Alyson?
ALYSON: I did indeed WIAA and thanks for prompting me, as I usually drop by with a rundown of what happened on the night. Nothing shocking or calamitous this year as the Brits have become very corporate and rehearsed, with the fans seated so far from the stage in the O2 arena that they can barely be heard. Made for a few uncomfortable exchanges with the celebs announcing and handing out the awards.
WIAA: Who were the big winners this year?
ALYSON: Well, you’ll be glad to hear I took notes but it would have been impossible to forget that there was one big winner this year, the artist known as Raye. She received six statuettes on the night which is apparently a record. She reminds me very much of a young Amy Winehouse which may well be intentional, and despite having been dropped by her record label three years ago she seems to have independently risen to the dizzy heights already. Here is her performance from the show (like another songstress from many years ago – Sandie Shaw – she appears to favour the barefoot look).
Brits Medley by Raye
ALYSON: She looks like a superstar already what with the dress, the band and the Brit School choir backing her. Someone who is likely to be around for some time methinks.
WIAA: Who else won awards Alyson?
The 2024 statuette
ALYSON: It was very much a year when the girls cleaned up WIAA, unlike last year when most of the nominees were male. All ties in with the cycle of releasing new albums apparently. As well as Raye’s haul of prizes, Dua Lipa was voted Best Pop Act and Miley Cyrus got the award for Best International Song. A special Global Icon award went to Kylie who has well and truly done her apprenticeship now having been around since the late ’80s.
There was a bit of confusion for us when the award for Best Producer was announced as we didn’t know that Jason Statham had moved over to the music industry. Turned out it was the talented duo called Chase and Status. Ok, so that was a little joke, but it sums up how little I know about the current movers and shakers in the world of music and why I feel compelled to watch the Brits every year – I learn a lot.
WIAA: Which performance did you enjoy most on the night?
ALYSON: That’s an easy one WIAA. There were performances from Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding, Becky Hill and Kylie but our favourite by far was from Jungle who were voted Best Group. Here is what they gave us on the night:
Back On 74 by Jungle
I think you will work out why I like them so much and why I’ve been listening to them ever since the show. I see they are classed a neo soul, funk, electronic music project but whatever they are, their late ’60s vibe is totally up my street. The dancers who joined them on stage on the night are very much an integral part of the group and all their videos feature them, and not the actual musicians. Here is another song from an earlier 2018 album. Just look at that guy dance – he’s very malleable indeed.
Casio by Jungle
I don’t think many in my little corner of the blogosphere watch the Brits so hope I’ve given you a flavour of how it went down this year. I am mindful of Jez’s statement from a couple of years ago, “Alyson, she watches the Brits so we don’t have to.” I hope I’ve upheld my side of the bargain?
Until next time…
Back On 74 Lyrics (Song by Josh Lloyd/Thomas McFarland/Lydia Kitto)
Keep it rockin’, doin’ the same thing And we get high in the nighttime And we’ll just watch it from the same thing But that don’t change what I think now And we were talking ’bout the same crap No, we don’t have [?] now I learned my lesson at the same time Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh why did it
Oh, back on 74 (74 street) Call this place my home (My home) Never gonna cry anymore (Cry anymore) Where did it all (Ooh, oh, oh-oh) (Ooh, oh, oh-oh) (Ooh, oh, oh-oh) Ooh, oh, oh-oh
Keep it rockin’, doin’ the same thing And we get high in the daytime And we’ll just watch it from the same thing But that don’t change what I think now And we were talking ’bout the same crap No, we don’t have [?] now I learned my lesson at the same time Ooh-ooh-ooh-oh why did it
Oh, back on 74 (74 street) Call this place my home (My home) Never gonna cry anymore Where did it all Go, let ’em know Uh, let ’em know Let ’em know Let ’em know
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 includeKid 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)
WIAA: Hey Alyson, it looks as if you’ve become a blogger who no longer blogs.
ALYSON: It does look a bit like that doesn’t it WIAA, and I’ve lost count of how many posts I’ve started recently apologising for my much reduced output. It’s kind of getting boring now so I either have to reinvent this place or bow out.
WIAA: How could you reinvent my pages Alyson? I am feeling a bit lonely and unloved to be honest.
ALYSON: Still not sure WIAA, but I think I’ve almost exhausted all my music-related anecdotes and delved into the back stories of most of my rock and pop heroes. I also used to share a lot of personal stuff around here (oversharing was my middle name), but now that I’m not as anonymous as I used to be, not as easy to do without feeling self-conscious.
WIAA: I remember the days when you rushed home from work and couldn’t wait to start blogging.
ALYSON: Indeed WIAA, and here’s a funny thing that’s happened this week. DD has just started a new job at my old workplace and has already met up with many of my old workmates. They have regaled the tales of “Breaking Bad Day” when I wore a Walter White mask, and of how I was generally the instigator of social events. I’m not ashamed to admit I’m in a bit of a rut at the moment and hearing her stories has made me a tad envious of her exciting new start. Although recounted on these pages, I seem to have conveniently erased all my bad work memories and if I did partly give up my job six years ago to spend more time blogging (which I think I did), I really owe it to myself to keep going, but it has to be enjoyable.
WIAA: I get that Alyson. How about we join forces to get you out of that rut and for me to feel less lonely and unloved?
ALYSON: Sounds like a plan WIAA. Give me a prompt and I’ll see what I can come up with?
WIAA: Well last time you wrote about telly shows you’d watched recently. How about we start there. Anything new to add to the list?
ALYSON: Funny you should suggest that WIAA as I’ve partly kept a low profile around here over the last few weeks because of my viewing habits. I know which topics it’s best to avoid around here by now, and lo and behold we’ve had a conflagration of all three of them over the last three weeks: The Royal Family, Eurovision and Football!
I was always going to watch The Coronation but I am also acutely aware it’s something more than half the population most certainly had no intention of watching, Mr WIAA and DD included. It wasn’t lost on me however that it might well be the only coronation I ever see as something that’s been happening for around a 1000 years in the same spot, seems likely to die out on our watch (there seems to be a pattern forming here). Much of it made me feel uncomfortable and I’m pretty sure the new king felt just as uncomfortable – the wording of the oaths, being stripped down to his nightgown and the canopied “anointing”, BUT, there was also much to be in awe of – Penny Mordaunt’s impressive sword-holding skills, Princess Anne’s red feathered hat perfectly obscuring the errant prince, the king’s very professional “hot” kilted equerry and the assembled congregation’s bladder control (they had to arrive at 6.30am).
Music played a large part in proceedings and I learnt a lot from the commentators. I had no idea that the piece of music we most associate with coronations was written by Handel back in 1727 for the crowning of George II. The words, which until now I had always thought were in Latin as hard to decipher, were translated from the biblical account of the anointing of Solomon by Zadok the Priest, and they have been used in every coronation since that of King Edgar in the year 973. Anyway, if you are a fervent Republican you can close your ears now but I found a whole new appreciation for a piece of music I had only ever heard accompanying some very grainy black and white footage of a coronation from 70 years earlier. I give you Zadok the Priest by George Frideric Handel. Rousing stuff at 1:20.
Zadok the Priest by George Frideric Handel:
On the Sunday night after the coronation there was a concert held outside Windsor Castle and for once the line-up was not purely made up of people from the world of pop music, old and new. In fact other than some dodgy singing from Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry looking like the Quality Street toffee penny, it was all very professional and this segment where the pianist Alexis Ffrench and singer Zak Abel performed a cover of the Simple Minds’ song Don’t You (Forget About Me) was for me the highlight of the show. It was a reference to how we must look after the natural world (one of the new king’s passions) and the drone display that accompanied it was beautiful indeed. If you only watch the section at 3:20 where a whale emerges from the centre stage, I hope you’ll agree it was worth it.
Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds:
WIAA: Crikey Alyson, considering this was a topic you were going to avoid you really got into your stride there. What was the second topic you decided no-one would want to read about?
ALYSON: Ah that would be the equally marmite-y topic, Eurovision. The song contest that started out in Switzerland in 1956 to bring the countries of Europe closer together (??) was held in Liverpool this year on behalf of last year’s winning country Ukraine. It’s 25 years since it took place in the UK and the BBC certainly milked it, sending all their DJs and television presenters up there to cover the hoopla. I’m a fan of Eurovision, which I mainly put down to my love of facts and figures (just so many), and all things geographical (37 countries take part). The music itself is a real hotch-potch of pop, metal, the bizarre and the beautiful, but the contest has really grown in stature over the last decade and is now a week long extravaganza.
For the first time since before the pandemic our friends who were the other half of Bucks Fizz with us when we went to the contest in 2015 (written about here) came along to join us on the night. DD and her other half were also invited, so a great excuse for a celebration of the food and drink of the participating nations. The music at these get-togethers is often the sideshow but for the record we all voted for the Finnish entrant Käärijä to win, along with the rest of Europe it seems in the public vote. Sadly the national juries had other ideas and the Swedish entrant Loreen won, ensuring the contest will head to Sweden next year for the 50th anniversary of Abba’s win with Waterloo. The conspiracy theorists have been out in force. I will share a clip of the Finnish song Cha Cha Cha which ended up in second place, a song which probably sums up the wacky nature of Eurovision and is typical of the kind of thing entered by that Scandi nation.
WIAA: You’re doing well Alyson, two topics no-one will want to read about, only one left to go. You’ve also gone from Handel to “metal-dance-pop fusion” in one step – what’s next?
ALYSON: In for a penny in for a pound WIAA. Just a short one this but last night I watched a great documentary about how in four short years, Aberdeen FC went from being the nearly men of Scottish football to winning the European Cup Winners Cup. It’s called Aberdeen ’83: Once In A Lifetime and was made because the 40th anniversary of their amazing victory in Gothenburg has just been celebrated. I lived in Aberdeen at the time and the whole city came alive both in the build up to the match, and once the victors returned home. The most poignant part of the programme was watching footage of the 19-year-old Neale Cooper, my friend’s brother, who sadly died back in 2018 and whom I dedicated a tribute post to (link here). He was the youngest of the “Gothenburg Greats” but is the only one to have passed on. I know it will have been tough viewing for his family but they were included in the recent celebrations which must have been really special for them.
When I wrote my tribute to Neale I included this abomination of a song which was hurriedly put together ahead of the big final 40 years ago. Is it the worst football song ever made? Quite possibly, but if you lived in Aberdeen back in 1983 and were a fan of football the European Song would have been played on repeat for sure. Happy memories of a great time for the city.
WIAA: And now a football anthem! If you really are thinking of reinventing this blog Alyson, you’re certainly getting rid of the backlog that’s been building up of topics to avoid. Also if you were going to make things a bit less personal around here I think you’ve failed.
ALYSON: You know what WIAA, I’ve kind of enjoyed writing this one in the end. It’s taken me nearly all day but you’re right, the topics I didn’t think I would broach have now all been broached so a clean slate as they say. Thanks for chivvying me up today as it’s got me writing again. Maybe the rut is just a shallow one.
Until next time…
Don’t You (Forget About Me Lyrics) (Song by Steve Schiff/Keith Forsey)
Won’t you come see about me? I’ll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby
Tell me your troubles and doubts Giving everything inside and out and Love’s strange, so real in the dark Think of the tender things that we were working on
Slow change may pull us apart When the light gets into your heart, baby
Don’t you, forget about me Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t Don’t you, forget about me
Will you stand above me? Look my way, never love me Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling Down, down, down
Will you recognize me? Call my name or walk on by Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling Down, down, down, down
Hey, hey, hey, hey Ooh, woah
Don’t you try and pretend It’s my feeling we’ll win in the end I won’t harm you or touch your defenses Vanity and security, ah
Don’t you forget about me I’ll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby Going to take you apart I’ll put us back together at heart, baby
Don’t you, forget about me Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t Don’t you, forget about me
As you walk on by Will you call my name? As you walk on by Will you call my name? When you walk away
Or will you walk away? Will you walk on by? Come on, call my name Will you call my name?
I say La, la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la When you walk on by And you call my name When you walk on by
As this place seems to act as my web diary nowadays I no longer keep a paper diary. I did get a small one from a neighbour at Christmastime however (think it was surplus to requirements) and I’ve been using it to record the films and TV dramas I’ve watched this year, plus the books I’ve read. Time to share some of my favourites here I think.
I’ll start with the telly – I last did a roundup of what I’d been watching 10 months into the pandemic, and although it was a well-received post, I did feel a tad guilty about having had so much free time for boxset binging, especially when many of us were really struggling at the time, what with home-schooling kids and remote working. Hopefully this time, the divide between the time-rich and time-poor who visit this place will be less pronounced. Also, I’ll not admit to all of it, just the ones that have really made an impact.
Well, we didn’t dilly dally with this one and have finished it already, but if you haven’t yet watched BBC Scotland’s dark comedy-drama, Guilt, I would thoroughly recommend it. Think Better Call Saul relocated to Edinburgh, or Fargo on the Firth of Forth. Here is the trailer.
You really need to watch the first two series before embarking on the latest (and final) series, but only four episodes in each so very doable. I have always liked Scottish actor Mark Bonnar who seems to pop up on our screens regularly, but in Guilt he really is the lead actor and gets a chance to shine in the role of Max, a Leith boy done good, but a Leith boy whose charm and lawyer shenanigans don’t always get him out of a fix. I won’t offer up any spoilers but I would urge you to watch it. For the music bloggers who visit here, Max’s brother Jake runs a record shop very much like the one in the film High Fidelity, so lots of musical anecdotes interspersed throughout the show. Catch it on the BBC iPlayer.
But this is a music blog, so next up we have the Amazon Prime show Daisy Jones & The Six. Regulars who visit this place will already know I have a real fondness for the music that came out of Laurel Canyon in the late ’60s/early ’70s, so it was a no-brainer that I would watch this drama set in that very place. It charts the rise and fall of a fictional rock band made up of an amalgam of real-life characters from that time (we spotted Fleetwood Mac, Ringo and George, plus many more).
One of the lead actors, who played the titular Daisy Jones, was Riley Keough who interestingly is Elvis’s granddaughter. Both she and British actor Sam Claflin, who played Billy Dunne in the band, provided the vocals and if this is indeed the case they both did really well. Again I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the format they used, with documentary style footage included of their future selves, worked really well I thought. Oh, and Daisy’s extensive wardrobe of hot pants and diaphanous garments felt right for the times. There is a soundtrack album, and a couple of the songs from it have been released as singles. Here is a clip of Look At Us Now (Honeycomb). Wonder what Elvis would have thought. He would have been a proud grandfather no doubt, but that was never going to be.
Looking at my little diary, here are the other dramas I’ve really enjoyed so far this year: Happy Valley final series (BBC iPlayer), The Gold (BBC iPlayer), Dead To Me (Netflix), You (Netflix) and Blue Lights (BBC iPlayer). The common factor amongst really memorable telly is the writing, and there can’t be many people in the UK who didn’t watch the final series of Sally Wainwright’s Happy Valley. It was going to be tough coming up with an ending that tied up all the loose ends and left viewers satisfied, but I think she managed it. What a fine young man Ryan had turned into too. As for Neil Forsyth, the Scottish writer who gave us Guilt, it seems he also wrote the screenplay for The Gold, the mini-series centred on the Brink’s-Mat robbery of 1983. It makes sense now that I enjoyed both so much and it was good to see the talented actor (with a wonderful voice), Emun Elliot, pop up in both. Blue Lights, set in Belfast, follows the trials and tribulations of three probationary police officers and it was so well-received a second series has already been commissioned. More synchronicity here in that one of the police officers is played by the same actor who played Max’s wife in Guilt.
From across the pond came the black comedy, Dead To Me, very much centred around the bond of friendship between two women (in amongst all the death!). It reminded me of the days before I met Mr WIAA when I was lucky enough to have a series of very close female friends, the kind you do everything with and can depend on entirely. These kind of friendships are by their nature short-lived, especially once a boyfriend or partner comes along, but I have fond memories of those days and this drama reminded me of how important it can be to have such a friend. My last pick, You, was also from across the pond, although in the final season the action moved to London. It’s a psychological thriller and although I thought it lost its way a bit in the second season we persevered with it and enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.
I will finish with the song that was used as the opening theme to Daisy Jones & The Six, one that formed an earworm when we were watching the show. Dancing Barefoot by Patti Smith was recorded for her second album Wave in 1979 but was the perfect fit for this new drama released in 2023. Something timeless about it I think and the lyrics really did work for the character of Daisy.
Dancing Barefoot by Patti Smith:
So, a lot of telly there but not as much as I admitted to during the long periods of lockdown. What have you been watching of late? If you have anything you think I might like, please do share. I’d love to hear from you and as you know by now, I always reply.
Until next time…
Dancing Barefoot Lyrics (Song by Patti Smith/Ivan Kral)
She is benediction She is addicted to thee She is the root connection She is connecting with he
Here I go and I don’t know why I fell so ceaselessly Could it be he’s taking over me…
I’m dancing barefoot Heading for a spin Some strange music draws me in Makes me come on like some heroine
She is sublimation She is the essence of thee She is concentrating on He, who is chosen by she
Here I go and I don’t know why I spin so ceaselessly, Could it be he’s taking over me…
She is re-creation She, intoxicated by thee She has the slow sensation that He is levitating with she …
Here I go and I don’t know why, I spin so ceaselessly, ’til I lose my sense of gravity…
(oh god I fell for you …)
The plot of our life sweats in the dark like a face The mystery of childbirth, of childhood itself Grave visitations What is it that calls to us? Why must we pray screaming? Why must not death be redefined? We shut our eyes we stretch out our arms And whirl on a pane of glass An afixiation a fix on anything the line of life the limb of a tree The hands of he and the promise that she is blessed among women.
I was away from home last weekend and suspect I may have fallen behind with visiting some of my fellow bloggers’ sites. Apologies for that, but for once we left home with no devices other than a phone. We are slaves to the various shopping sites and booking platforms we peddle our wares on (you lose all your brownie points if you take too long to acknowledge sales or reply to queries), but sometimes you just want it all to STOP, if only for a few days, which we did manage to do. The box of padded envelopes which arrived when we were away sadly suffered the fate of being left outside our garage for three days, next to a leaky downpipe. Fortunately I saved most of them by lining them up along the radiators but for once the sometimes risky practice of leaving deliveries in the recycling bin might have been a better option.
So, where did I go? Nowhere warm and exotic sadly, but to celebrate Mr WIAA’s birthday we decided to, wait for it…, head to Dundee. We chose Dundee as a place for a short break a few years ago (written about here) and really enjoyed it so thought we’d give it another whirl. Dundee certainly doesn’t have the same tourist appeal of places like Edinburgh, and like most post-industrial cities it has its fair share of problems, but it’s definitely a city on the up. There has been much development going on along the waterfront of late and it also has some of the most interesting visitor attractions in Scotland. Everywhere we went the people were really friendly and a fair bit of ‘banter’ was had with the locals.
Dundee: The home of DC Thomson, Desperate Dan, The McManus Art Gallery, The TransportMuseum and some fine local graffiti
We did head along to the V&A Dundee which is housed in an impressive new building designed in the shape of a ship, overhanging the Tay. The building itself is actually the most impressive thing about it however and so far the permanent collections are a bit sparse. A nice restaurant, gift shop and conference facilities, but not much else. Give me the McManus, the Transport Museum and a revamped Jute Mill any day, but maybe just me. Perhaps it will improve with time.
One exhibit in the V&A that did pique my interest was this one. Many visitors to this place will recognise these album covers but until now I hadn’t realised they were the work of Scottish artist David Band. As it says in the caption, his bold graphic style helped define the look of early 80s music. He apparently collaborated closely with Altered Images, Spandau Ballet and Aztec Camera to create these covers. As the first two bands in that list have appeared around here before, a good time to include something by Aztec Camera who quite unfathomably have never been featured. Here is the song Oblivious from their first album High Land, Hard Rain on display below, from 1983.
Oblivious by Aztec Camera:
Perhaps I should have chosen something by a Dundee band for this post but the usual suspects, Deacon Blue, Danny Wilson and The Associates have all already appeared. When writing about those bands I always expressed surprise that their most familiar songs only reached the lower reaches of the UK Singles Chart. Here we are again with Scottish band Aztec Camera, as their song Oblivious apparently only reached the No. 18 spot and that was after being re-released – what were we thinking. Aztec Camera were one of those bands first championed by Postcard Records, the Glasgow-based independent record label co-founded by Edwyn Collins and Alan Horne, a fertile period for music-making in Scotland. Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera was aged only 16 when he joined Postcard Records and doesn’t he look young in the clip above. Roddy is still active in the industry today.
Another reason we chose Dundee last weekend was because Mr WIAA has family who have moved to a place not too far from the city. Last time we visited them, I recounted the tale of how his two cousins have had a life-long involvement in the music industry which even included being signed to Atlantic Records for a time. We met up with them at their parents’ house on the Saturday and heard of the EP released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of that first signing. A lot of water under the bridge in the intervening period, regular jobs, families and lives going in totally different directions, but quite something to have ‘got the band back together again’. I give you Kiss of the Gypsy with Forever Loved:
Of course I had to take a few family photos on Saturday and here is one that shows how things can change over the years. Back in the day they could have been construed as a Hair Metal band. Now…, not so much!
All very Rock ‘n’ Roll, a photoshoot in your mum and dad’s conservatory!
Back in the day, the cousin on the left took the role of roadie for the band, however he has always been a drummer and is currently a member of Scottish punk band The Tolerated. This next clip is certainly a far cry from the soft rock and orchestral pop I usually share around here, but here they are with their cover of Maxwell Murder. Some very energetic drumming going on there.
So, ‘What’s It All About?’ – Despite being a home-loving kind of girl, I really enjoyed my few days away, and yet again found a great affinity for the city of Dundee. I would thoroughly recommend giving it a visit sometime although it might be best during the summer months, when it would be a lot warmer (it was veryparky).
Cousins are in most cases the family members we see least once we are fully grown adults making our own way in the world. If you do ever meet up however, there are always lots of memories to share. As Mr WIAA spent most of his childhood holidays with his two cousins – in caravans by the beach usually – they had a lot of catching up to do. The music might be of the hard metal and punk persuasion, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a nicer couple of chaps. Glad they are still plying their trade.
Until next time…
Oblivious Lyrics (Song by Roddy Frame)
From the mountain tops Down to the sunny street A different drum is playing a different kind of beat It’s like a mystery That never ends I see you crying and I want to kill your friends
I hear your footsteps in the street It won’t be long before we meet It’s obvious Just count me in and count me out And I’ll be waiting for the shout Oblivious
Met Mo and she’s okay Said no one really changed Got different badges but they wear them just the same Down by the ballroom I recognized That flaming fountain in those kindred caring eyes
I hear your footsteps in the street It won’t be long before we meet It’s obvious Just count me in and count me out And I’ll be waiting for the shout Oblivious
I hope it haunts me ’til I’m hopeless I hope it hits you when you go And sometimes on the edge of sleeping It rises up to let me know It’s not so deep, I’m not so slow
They’re calling all the shots They’ll call and say they phoned They’ll call us lonely when we’re really just alone And like a funny film It’s kinda cute They’ve bought the bullets and there’s no one left to shoot
I hear your footsteps in the street It won’t be long before we meet It’s obvious Just count me in and count me out And I’ll be waiting for the shout Oblivious
Postscript:
As I’m feeling a tad guilty about not having shared any music by Dundonians in this post, here is a discovery I made recently. Two of the founding members of the Average White Band were from Dundee and met whilst at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. Roger Ball and Malcolm ‘Molly’ Duncan were affectionately known as the ‘Dundee Horns’ as they both played saxophone.
I was a teenager when they were at their peak in the 1970s and to be honest didn’t even realise they were Scottish, what with funk and R&B not really being on the musical menu up here back then. They were the first Scottish band, in 1974, to get to No. 1 in both the US Singles and Album Charts simultaneously. Here they are with Let’s Go Round Again from 1980. (Still find it hard to believe they are Scottish – they don’t look or sound like any of the Dundonians I met last weekend!)
Let’s Go Round Again by the Average White Band:
And, that’s your lot for this time – you can’t say I don’t give you plenty of variety around here.
Something that we music bloggers never want to happen is for our blogging output to become a bit of a chore, yet…, we can get ourselves into a cycle of writing about things we kind of have to write about as opposed to what we want to write about, and that’s not a good position to find yourself in.
I don’t know about everyone else but this blog is starting to feel like an obituary column, but all down to that old chestnut age– if we are getting older then our musical heroes are getting even older, and we are starting to lose them at an alarming rate. The option not to write about Burt Bacharach was never there for me, as this blog’s name came from the opening line to one of his songs, but going forward I think I’m going to have to limit the number I write.
What’s It All About, Alfie?
Then there’s the series. Over the years I’ve really enjoyed some of the ones I’ve published (the Full Moon Calendar In Song being my favourite) but some of the others have petered out early on, especially if they’ve been particularly epic like my American Odyssey in Song (it was all Delaware’s fault). At the moment I have a series about songs relating to months of the year, but I always seem to be up against a deadline, just managing to fit the latest edition in before we move into the next month – it’s not turned out to be as much fun as I thought.
Perry, it was all your fault!
As for my 50 year retrospective series, where I intended to revisit my folder of pop star pinups from 1973, that has hit a bump in the road. Some of the artists that populated the Top Ten back then, and the pages of magazines aimed at 12-14 year old girls, were later found to have been predators of the worst kind, and it now makes for uncomfortable reading. No, Mr Paul Gadd, I never did want to “touch you, there, where, there”, but the editors of our mags obviously thought differently and his hairy chest and grinning face appeared in every copy in 1973. I do think teenage girls are a good judge of character but back then we were often let down by adults who should have known better, but who inexplicably missed all the signals. Different times indeed.
Last but not least, I always watch the Brit Awards and usually write about them afterwards (or as Jez said in the comments boxes last year, “Alyson, she watches the Brits so we don’t have to”). So far, despite the show airing a week ago now, I’ve not yet come up with anything for this year’s extravaganza. There always used to be a standout performance, or shocking moment, but the main takeaway for me this year is that music has become very corporate indeed with the artists sitting at tables surrounded by “their team” – the money men, the label bosses, the songwriters – all looking very smug. It’s nigh impossible to become really successful by just plugging away at your craft as per the old days, and the big winner of the night, Harry Styles, was someone who started out in a boy band put together by Simon Cowell for a prime time television show. It seems that Sam Smith’sdemonic performance with Kim Petras did however ruffle a few feathers and, wait for it, Ofcom received the grand total of 109 complaints about it. Considering the show was aired live on ITV on Saturday night and was watched by 4 million people, if they had set out to cause outrage, they failed miserably.
Harry Styles, the big winner of the night
One big bonus for me this year is that I now understand why so much fuss has been made about Isle of Wight band Wet Leg. They have been mentioned often amongst the other “cooler” blogs, whose hosts have their finger on the pulse, and it seems those bloggers were on the button as they came away with two big awards, one for being Best Newcomer and the other for Best Group. Straight to the top in their first year so a bit of a stratospheric rise considering their debut album only came out last year. Here is their performance of debut single Chaise Longue which is delivered in deadpan style by lead singer Rhian Teasdale. She apparently wrote the song in only a day whilst sitting on bandmate Hester’s grandfather’s chaise longue. The lyric, “Is your muffin buttered?/Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?” is supposedly a direct quote from the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls. Having watched that film with DD many years ago, I can believe that, but yet again I’m probably being naïve.
It was all happening on the Wet Leg stage – Morris dancers, pastoral scenes, bonnets and cows.
So, “What’s It All About?” – I hate feeling under the cosh around here and with four time sensitive posts to be written this month (more if anyone else passes away), it’s all got a bit too much. I really need to get back to what I do best – simply picking a timely song from the tracks of my years, finding out so much more about it than was ever possible back in the day, and sharing a few memories. Maybe next month.
In the meantime, and before I sign off for today, here’s an idea. Instead of a 50 year retrospective where I concentrate on those artists who featured in the Smash Hits equivalent of the day and who made it to the Top Ten of the UK Singles Chart, how about I revisit those songs which only made it to the lower reaches of the charts but which have since become classics. Billy Paul recorded Me and Mrs. Jones in Philadelphia in 1972 but it peaked on our British charts in the February of 1973. It’s such a lush song, and one I have always loved, although at the age of 12 I probably wouldn’t have picked up on quite how heart-breaking the lyrics are. Glad I’ve never found myself in such a position as the subterfuge would cripple me. I would crack early on and tell Mr WIAA exactly what I’d been up to at 6.30pm every day (if indeed it is pm and not am). A beautiful song though.
Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul:
A strange one this but I still managed to touch on the Brits and revisit a favourite song from 50 years ago. Quite something considering I sat down today to say I wasn’t going to do any of those things!
Until next time, to our our elder statesmen of rock and pop, please keep well until next month, as at the moment I can’t keep up.
Me and Mrs. Jones Lyrics (Song by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Cary Gilbert)
Me and Mrs Jones We got a thing going on We both know that it’s wrong But it’s much too strong To let it go now
We meet every day at the same cafe 6:30 I know, I know she’ll be there Holding hands, making all kinds of plans While the jukebox plays our favorite song
Me and Mrs, Mrs. Jones Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones We got a thing going on We both know that it’s wrong But it’s much too strong To let it go now
We gotta be extra careful That we don’t build our hopes up too high Cause she’s got her own obligations And so, and so do I
Me and Mrs, Mrs. Jones Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones We got a thing going on We both know that it’s wrong But it’s much too strong To let it go now
Well, it’s time for us to be leaving It hurts so much, it hurts so much inside Now she’ll go her way And I’ll go mine But tomorrow we’ll meet the same place The same time
Me and Mrs, Mrs. Jones Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones We got a thing going on
We gotta be extra careful We can’t afford to build our hopes up too high I wanna meet and talk to you At the same place, the same cafe, the same time And we’re gonna hold hands like we used to We gonna talk it over, talk it over We know, they know And you know and I know it was wrong But I’m thinking strong We gotta let ’em know now That we got a thing going on, a thing going on
You know that feeling, the one you get when you know you really should be somewhere else having a whale of a time, but you dithered and missed out on the opportunity, leaving others to have all the fun. I’m having that feeling today as despite promising myself I would definitely go this year, if only for a day, it’s just not happened.
I’m talking about our local music festival, called the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival (theme this year – Myths and Legends). It didn’t happen in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic, but it’s very much back on this year, and what a line-up. DD always used to go when she was younger and we acted as a taxi service taking her and her friends back and forth, sometimes even if they were camping. Nice to be able to pop home for a shower and dry out the wellies, especially if it was a wet and muddy year. Until recently I had been happy to leave the rigours of an open-air festival to the youngsters but I’m conscious of the fact I’m getting on a bit now (sad but true), and there may be few opportunities left for me to see some of these acts live.
But I did dither and here I am sitting at my computer instead. There were still day tickets left this week but I had guests arriving at the holiday hideaway, and the weather forecast was for rain. Needless to say I don’t now think it will rain, and despite being a dedicated host (remember my plans for ‘Alyson’s Highland Adventures’), who tells her guests she is available 24/7 to help out in any way, most of them rarely bother me once they’ve been handed the house keys and the Wi-Fi code.
So, next year there will be no dithering. I will block off all the calendars (and in my current life there are many) well in advance, and will be prepared for all-weathers. If anyone wants to join me, you know where to find me – there will even be an empty holiday hideaway for you to stay in. Of course next year there will be a totally different line-up but as the eagle-eyed amongst you might have spotted there are always a fair few very lively Scottish folk bands on the bill. All adds to the local flavour of the festival.
He’s certainly been busy this summer popping up at all sorts of outdoor events so I would have loved to see the legend that is Nile Rodgers perform live. Here is a clip of him from Glastonbury 2017, a set I remember watching on television and it certainly doesn’t feel like five years ago. (The pesky pandemic has played havoc with the timeline of our memories.)
Good Times by Chic:
It’s a long time since he’s affected the ‘chic’ sharp-suited look, apparently inspired by Bryan Ferry, but I do like his 21st century ‘street hippie’ look just as much. He’s probably going to be staying in one of our premier hotels tonight (no, not that one) – wonder if I could persuade Mr WIAA to hover around the foyer nursing a drink with me, just in case we get a chance to schmooze with him after his headline act performance. A long shot though, on both counts.
Another act on the bill I would have loved to see live are these guys from Iceland, Daði Freyr. They will always be remembered as the band who would have won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020 had it not been cancelled, again due to the pandemic. No matter, they have made quite a name for themselves now anyway, and their dance routines have been copied many times on those social media platforms that feature short videos.
I really am going to have to get my act together aren’t I? Mr WIAA is not a particular fan of big open air concerts, as his middle-aged brain seems to no longer connect with his middle-aged bladder, reminding it that having no ‘facilities’ nearby really isn’t the end of the world! Too much information perhaps, but issues the youngsters don’t have to think about at all.
Time to start blocking off this same weekend in next year’s calendar I think. If I am still blogging this time next July, you will hopefully be reading about my exploits at Belladrum 2023. If not, feel free to give me a serious rollicking. No more missing out.
Until next time…
Good Times Lyrics (Song by Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards)
Good times These are the good times Leave your cares behind These are the good times
Good times These are the good times Our new state of mind These are the good times
Happy days are here again The time is right for making friends Let’s get together, how ’bout a quarter to ten? Come tomorrow, let’s all do it again
Boys will be boys, better let them have their toys Girls will be girls, cute ponytails and curls Must put an end to this stress and strife I think I want to live the sporty life
Good times These are the good times Leave your cares behind These are the good times
Good times These are the good times Our new state of mind These are the good times
A rumor has it that it’s getting late Time marches on, just can’t wait The clock keeps turning, why hesitate? You silly fool, you can’t change your fate
Let’s cut the rug, a little jive and jitterbug We want the best, we won’t settle for less Don’t be a drag, participate Clams on the half shell and roller-skates, roller-skates
Good times These are the good times Leave your cares behind These are the good times
Two years ago, in March 2020, I wrote a post about how we’d all been blindsided. We constantly sweat the small stuff, but then an event we couldn’t really have predicted comes along and floors us, challenging our safety and our way of life.
Here we go again…
The bridge in the centre of our town lit up with the colours of the Ukrainian flag
It’s now March 2022, and I might be wrong, but I really don’t think many of us believed a land war would ever again take place in Europe. Those in the know may not have been ‘blindsided’, but for the average family going about their daily routines, the pictures streaming live on television news are harrowing, and we are in shock at what we are witnessing.
Two years ago I had a bit of a rant about how we’d been spending vast sums of cash from the nation’s coffers on the wrong kind of defence, as what we faced back then was a war with an invisible virus that no amount of nuclear missiles could defeat. I think I’m probably being a bit naïve, but the fact we do have those nuclear missiles now terrifies me even more, as absolutely no good can come from ever using them. We truly are in uncharted territory and I’m sorry for even broaching the subject on a music blog, but this is also my web diary, so impossible to avoid.
Yet again, the upside is that I am no longer sweating the small stuff. Suddenly the state of my pension fund, and the rate of inflation, seem like frivolous worries. I made a big effort to make Mr WIAA’s birthday a really special one last week and we saw DD no less than three times. To assuage the guilt I feel about our inability to help those in need, I’ve upped my usual charity donation amount tenfold. Amongst the Airbnb community, we’ve been booking trips with hosts in Ukraine – We won’t ever go, but it gets much needed funds to them fast.
As for which song to share on a post like this, I’m truly at a loss. There are plenty of songs out there that mention war, but I really don’t want to go there. We are having to compartmentalise at the moment, in order to make it through the day and achieve all we have to achieve, so I think I just want to share a pretty song. My Full Moon in Song series hasn’t been added to for a long time as I think I’ve pretty much covered all the full moon songs out there. Here’s a bit of an alternative though, a Crescent Moon in Song series. The skies have been clear the last few nights and that tiny sliver of a crescent moon has been visible from late afternoon on. Not as spectacular, granted, but still quite something to behold.
As I suspected, there are far fewer songs about Crescent Moons but here’s one of the first ones I stumbled upon, and it certainly has a very pleasant vibe to it. Who are Conor Albert & James Smith though? Lets find out.
Well blow me down, it turns out that Conor (producer/multi-instrumentalist aged 20) and James (singer/songwriter aged 22) are both from London, and got together only last year to record Crescent Moon. Somehow it felt as if the song could have come from a long time ago but they seem to specialise in that nostalgic soul-pop sound. The first thing I thought of when listening to the lyrics, was the boy sitting on the crescent moon in the DreamWorks ident, and that’s exactly what inspired James apparently. I wish them both all the best in their future careers.
Crescent Moon by Conor Albert & James Smith:
So, ‘What’s It All About?’ – I’m aware people come here to be entertained (well they hope to be entertained I suppose) but during the life of this blog there has been an awful lot of ‘bad stuff’ going on in the world, for wont of a better phrase, and it encroaches on these pages. The world feels like a very scary place right now, so all we can do is hope that those who have the power to calm the situation, do exactly that. A big ask it seems. Our donations will hopefully go some way to helping those people who have found themselves driven from their homes.
I enjoyed my new song discovery, and it will hopefully kick start a new series to coincide with crescent moons. I’m enjoying my walks at the moment and Spring certainly seems to be in the air. Lots of blue and yellow everywhere – even Mother Nature seems to be showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Until next time…
Crescent Moon Lyrics (Song by Conor Albert/James Smith)
Lonely You were my only It’s like you were a thousand miles away From ever falling inside my arms (ahh)
Baby, I caught you Dived into the water Held you so tight like finding riches as a pauper I stole a heart
From someone like you But I never knew When I threw a line From my crescent moon And out of the blue Was something untrue Someone like you
I’m counting my blessings You brought me heaven Sitting in the sky looking back at adolescence Without you by my side Oh I’m unworthy of a woman Like yourself, I couldn’t Ever imagine something so perfect, oh How in the hell did I find
From someone like you But I never knew When I threw a line From my crescent moon And out of the blue Was something untrue Someone like you And out of the blue Was something untrue Someone like you
From someone like you But I never knew When I threw a line From my crescent moon And out of the blue Was something untrue Someone like you, ooh And out of the blue Was something untrue Someone like you
It’s going to be a really busy few months for me, so I might not be posting quite as regularly. My college course has not been what I’d hoped for, mostly down to the pandemic. I’ve not been inside our local college for nearly two years and it seems they are more than happy to keep things that way. I’m therefore going to try and complete this semester’s module as best I can from home, and then pick up the resulting qualification, but an awful lot of research/reading/writing to be done before then. I’ve enjoyed all the modules so far but this one, quite rightly, is a highly academic one, so a bit more graft involved.
As we are now in the month of February, we are well and truly into Awards Season. I was pleased to see that the film Belfast, written about last time, is up for many BAFTAs and Academy Awards. Hope it does well although I have a sneaking suspicion it might hog the runner-up spot in most categories. We’ll have to wait and see. This week (here in the UK) we had the BRIT Awards back on telly in all their former glory. Unlike last year, the word ‘pandemic’ wasn’t even mentioned, and not a mask or a socially distanced performance graced our screens. After the last couple of years where such shows have had to be either cancelled altogether or held in a limited capacity in open spaces such as Railway Stations (93rd Academy Awards), it was the biggest sign that life is hopefully going to return to a semblance of normality this year.
Unlike Mr WIAA, who is not a fan of award shows, I have always watched the BRITs as that’s when I find out about some of the new artists/bands who would otherwise never have crossed my radar. This blog is very much a retrospective one, where I revisit songs from my youth, but important not to get totally stuck in the past and over the last few years I’ve been blown away by some of the live performances on the show – Stormzy in 2018 and Dave in 2020. As a middle-aged female living in the North of Scotland I know nothing of what life must be like for young, black, urban males but when you watch these guys in action, they definitely help you understand.
This year, the performance that stood out for me most was by Little Simz – She won the award for Best New Artist (although she has been around for a while it seems). The actress Emma Corrin also appeared on stage with her in a very spectacular hat. Together they gave us Introvert and Woman.
Introvert and Woman by Little Simz:
The big change this year was that the awards were gender neutral with no Best Male or Best Female categories at all. This made room for some new categories which included Best Dance Act (Becky Hill), Best Rock/Alternative Artist (Sam Fender), Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act (Dave) and Best Pop/R&B Act (Dua Lipa). I’m afraid when it comes to genres such as these I come a bit unstuck and would probably fail spectacularly if it came to categorising songs in such a way myself, but the winners of these new awards certainly were pleased, some deliriously so (Becky Hill?), so in turn I was pleased for them.
Another big change this year was that I managed to persuade Mr WIAA to watch the show with me. “There’s always a really big memorable moment,” I told him. “From Jarvis Cocker’s very justified storming of MJ’s stage, to Madonna in her cape falling down those steps, to Geri’s Union Jack dress, to Freddie’s last appearance…”. Yes, lots of memorable moments over the years, but as luck would have it, not this year, so I had to eat my words.
The really big winner was Adele, so a lot of the industry ‘suits’ as she called them at a previous BRITs would have been happy, but all a bit safe and predictable. She lives in LA now, stages big shows in Las Vegas (although that’s a whole other story) and looks nothing like the Adele we first saw on the show back in 2008. Was all a bit disappointing and samey, in my humble opinion.
The girl’s come a long way, but I miss the old Brit School Adele:
Although I totally agreed with the move to gender neutral awards (needs to happen in the world of film too I think), one key difference between the vast majority of men and women at the BRITs was the footwear they chose to wear on the night. I couldn’t help but notice that many of the women were sporting shoes that were detrimental to their health. Adele’s spikey heels got caught up in her long dress when climbing the steps to pick up her first award and poor Anne-Marie fell down some steps in her platform boots whilst performing Kiss My (Uh-Oh). Not quite as spectacular as Madonna’s tumble a few year’s back but she still took a tumble, and landed on her Uh-Oh. She was a trooper however and carried on as if nothing had happened. We’re still a long way off from equality in footwear it seems, which is a shame, as at my age I regret many of my younger self’s footwear choices. My younger self would of course have ignored my older self’s advice, and there lies the rub.
Poor Anne-Marie took a tumble
Like Adele, he’s been around a long time now, and he’s not for everyone, but I do still have a soft spot for Ed Sheeran. He too looks a bit more polished than the lad who first rolled up at the BRITs back in 2012, but whatever you think of his music there’s no denying he knows how to write a successful pop song. He didn’t win big on Tuesday night like Adele, but he did win the award for Songwriter of the Year and I enjoyed his performance of The Joker and the Queen. Many a metaphor/pun can be found in a pack of cards it seems. I was trying to work out what it reminded me of, and of course it’s music from a classic film score, which is what was intended.
The Joker and the Queen by Ed Sheeran:
I really should be doing college work today but procrastination came along in the form of this blog post. Exactly what used to happen first time around, although there weren’t blogs back then, or an internet, or Netflix, just lots and lots of fellow students to be distracted by. Changed days. I’ve just heard back from my course tutor who tells me I can keep going with the course one module at a time – I really thought there was a time-limit on it but they don’t want to lose any students it seems, even ancient ones like myself. Decisions to be made.
I enjoyed the BRITs this year, for the many performances, but also because it felt as if things are truly getting back to normal again. Lord knows we all need that.
Until next time…
The Joker and the Queen Lyrics (Song by Ed Sheeran/Johnny McDaid/Samuel Elliot Roman/Fred Gibson)
How was I to know? It’s a crazy thing I showed you my hand And you still let me win
And who was I to say That this was meant to be? The road that was broken Brought us together
And I know you could fall for a thousand kings And hearts that would give you a diamond ring When I fold, you see the best in me The joker and the queen
I was upside down From the outside in You came to the table And you went all in
With a single word And a gentle touch You turned a moment Into forever
And I know you could fall for a thousand kings And hearts that could give you a diamond ring When I fold, you see the best in me The joker and the queen
And I know you could fall for a thousand kings And hearts that would give you a diamond ring When I folded, you saw the best in me The joker and the queen The joker and queen
Postscript:
Before I started writing this one I looked back over the years to my previous BRIT Awards posts. It seems I wrote something about all of them except the 2019 show. Remiss of me but perhaps also a bit of an unremarkable one that passed without incident.
What I do remember about that show however was that Scottish DJ Calvin Harris (along with Dua Lipa) won the award for British Single of the Year. He appeared on the night and it occurred to me that had he not, I wouldn’t have known what the world’s highest paid DJ, a Scot, looked like. Remarkable how anonymous DJs can be. The standout collaboration that year was when Calvin manned the decks whilst Dua, Sam Smith and Rag’n’Bone Man sang. Only three years too late but I give you a medley of Giant, Promises and One Kiss.
Last week I said I’d decided to delete all the draft posts I had backing up around here so that I could start again with a clean slate – Well, here is that clean slate, but already I’m torn between several blog ideas I’ve had over the last week, not all of them relating to music it must be said. I think I’m just going to have to accept that this blog has indeed morphed into something quite different from what was originally intended when I started out, but nothing wrong with that I suppose. There will always be a song(s) though, and that will never change.
I made no mention of it last weekend, but anyone watching the news that week will know it hadn’t been a good one for women. On International Women’s Day, a young, high-profile, mixed-race woman was lambasted and disbelieved by a white, middle-aged, male broadcaster (who trust me, could never have truly understood how she was feeling); the next day, the body of a murdered girl who had simply risked walking home on her own after dark, was found in Kent; at the weekend, those who met up for a peaceful vigil in the place where she had gone missing were found to be flouting covid restrictions, and there were ugly scenes of women being pinned to the ground and handcuffed by police.
As someone who comes from a long line of strong women who pretty much ran the show in their respective households (in a good way of course), I have always found it hard to personally relate to those who class themselves as feminists. Born at the start of the ’60s, by the time I reached adulthood all the hard work had been done (for which I am very grateful) and I have never felt that any barriers have been put in my way, other than those which were self-imposed. My working life was mainly in the public sector where the majority of my ‘bosses’ were always female, at one point all five departmental heads being of that gender. Life can be tough at various stages along the way, but if we all pulled together as a diverse group of humans (as opposed to humans with labels) it could all be so much easier. It seems we still have a way to go. As for walking home alone in the dark, it has always been something I’ve avoided unless absolutely necessary. It’s scary, for both sexes, and however much guidance is put out on how to make us feel less scared and vulnerable, I would always advise against it. Sad but true.
On the upside, the big winners at the Grammys this year were women, which was a first. Hopefully not purely down to a bias within the judging panel, so good to see. I haven’t been able to watch much of the show, but it seems it was all very covid-safe, which made it a bit of a different affair from the usual extravaganza. As Album Of The Year is usually the big one, here is something from Taylor Swift’s winning album folklore. The other ladies who did well were Beyoncé (she broke the record for all-time wins by a woman), Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion.
Taylor’s new album was a bit of a surprise, even to her, as it was conceived during lockdown in 2020, after her planned tour had to be postponed. She describes it as a collection of songs and stories that flowed like ‘a stream of consciousness’. It consists of mellow ballads telling stories rooted in escapism and romanticism reflecting her desire for the music to have a lasting legacy, akin to folk songs. This song, the lakes, was inspired by a holiday Taylor once had in that very beautiful region of England called The Lake District (with Harry Styles, another big winner at the Grammys).
Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die I don’t belong, and my beloved, neither do you Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry I’m setting off, but not without my muse
In carrying out a modicum of research for Taylor’s new album I discovered a term that is new to me, cottagecore, which is what the album’s artwork and aesthetic was based on. Apparently it reflects a movement that celebrates idealised rural life and is popular with Generation Z. It developed throughout the 2010s and values traditional skills and crafts such as baking and pottery. It’s obvious when trawling through the various television guides of an evening, that programmes championing such traditional crafts are very much in vogue and we ourselves really enjoyed the final of the Great Pottery Throw Down last weekend (won by a woman). I myself spent much of this last week finishing off some tiny garments I had knitted all the pieces for, but never got round to making up – As a stress-buster, crafting takes some beating and I felt really chuffed when they were finished. All I need now is for the button shop to open up again, and for some grandchildren to dress them in (but no pressure DD).
Spring flowers and teeny weeny garments
Yet again I’ve veered way off topic and haven’t got round to some of the other ideas I had for today. I have one or two ‘new series’ ideas which I hope to explore soon though, so watch this space as they say.
As for Taylor Swift, she has become one of the best-selling artists of all time, in a relatively short space of time. I remember her being interviewed on a breakfast telly show many years ago when she was still a teenager. A clearly talented youngster, she and her family had relocated from Pennsylvania to Nashville when she was aged only 14, so that the young Taylor could pursue her career in country music. It was 2008 and she had just released her second album Fearless which I know DD was a fan of, and I seem to have some songs from it in my digital library.
Love Story by Taylor Swift:
Taylor wrote Love Story about a relationship that was not popular among the narrator’s family and friends. A common theme for teens, and one that’s been around since time immemorial – Why she decided to relate the song to the plot of Romeo and Juliet. Luckily for the couple in question, she replaced the play’s original tragic conclusion with a happy ending. The song was a huge commercial success and received widespread critical acclaim. The start of big things for an artist who has been able to cross over into other genres, transcending her country roots. I wouldn’t be surprised if like Dolly Parton, she manages to stay relevant and popular for many decades to come.
As for me, my poorly ankle is well and truly on the mend, so not long now before I can get about without ‘the boot’. In the meantime, I feel a bit more crafting coming on. Mr WIAA got me some new balls of wool this morning so the cottagecore aesthetic certainly is alive and well in our house at the moment. As for Taylor Swift, I hope she’s enjoyed her foray into yet another new genre – I think it suits her. Also, bit of trivia, she was named after singer/songwriter James Taylor so that was a masterstroke by her parents as it’s obviously brought her good luck (although with her prodigious talent I don’t think she needed a bit of it).
Until next time…
the lakes lyrics (Song by Taylor Swift)
Is it romantic how all my elegies eulogize me? I’m not cut out for all these cynical clones These hunters with cell phones
Take me to the lakes, where all the poets went to die I don’t belong and, my beloved, neither do you Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry I’m setting off, but not without my muse
What should be over burrowed under my skin In heart-stopping waves of hurt I’ve come too far to watch some name-dropping sleaze Tell me what are my Wordsworth
Take me to the lakes, where all the poets went to die I don’t belong and, my beloved, neither do you Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry I’m setting off, but not without my muse
I want auroras and sad prose I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet ‘Cause I haven’t moved in years And I want you right here A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground With no one around to tweet it While I bathe in cliff-side pools With my calamitous love and insurmountable grief
Take me to the lakes, where all the poets went to die I don’t belong and, my beloved, neither do you Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry I’m setting off, but not without my muse No, not without you
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