An Autumn Reboot, T. Rex and “Metal Guru”

Well, I must be enjoying my time in Delaware a bit too much, as it’s been a while since I came up with anything new around here. When I say “my time in Delaware”, I of course mean the latest edition of my resurrected series, An American Odyssey In Song. But no, I will continue my journey around the states in due course – in the meantime I’ll explain why I’ve been so…

Lazy by David Byrne

In September we went down to Harrogate for another stay with my good friend from student days. I have however written a travelogue kind of post about Harrogate and Yorkshire before (link here) so I didn’t feel inclined to go there again. The difference this time was that our trip coincided with the local Flower Show and it turns out the amateur gardeners of North Yorkshire are dab hands at growing comically large vegetables. A small selection shown below.

Ooh err missus, what a lot of whoppers!

I’ll bet that’s the first time David Byrne has come next to a group of giant vegetables in a music blog. Not so for the Beach Boys, however, as they recorded a song about legumes back in 1967. If you don’t believe me here is the proof. The song was apparently a tongue-in-cheek promotion of organic food. Either that or about how marijuana was turning Brian Wilson and his friends into a “vegetative” state. I’ve heard it all now.

Vegetables by the Beach Boys

Our trip to Yorkshire ended up being extended by a couple of days as back in September LNER staff decided to strike on the weekend we were due to travel back north. Their online booking system confounded me when it came to changing our tickets, so I bought new ones for the Monday on the promise I would get a refund for the ones that were now useless. A hotel was booked in York and all was well – I thought. At the last minute the strike was cancelled so no refund after all. An expensive error of judgement on my part but I’m glad the rail workers came to a settlement.

The upside was that we really enjoyed our time in York. There had been a mini-meetup with some of my blogging buddies in that very city the year before, but that was just ahead of me becoming quite ill, so I couldn’t really enjoy that get-together as much as I should have. Second time around it went fine and we even won the pub quiz at the Cock and Bottle round the corner from our hotel! Here are some pictures from both the 2024 visit and from BlogCon23.

Regulars around here will probably remember that I was largely absent from this blog last year because my mental health took a turn for the worse. I even ended up becoming a hospital inpatient for quite some time. At the end of September, I had an appointment with the consultant I have to check in with every so often, and it was decided I should stop taking some of the medication I have been on for over a year now. Suffice it to say it didn’t go well and on top of the physical side-effects of stopping quite suddenly, I also felt very low which seriously affected my motivation for doing anything, including blogging. The good news is I’ve been back to see the consultant and I’m now back on the meds – not a long-term solution but in the meantime, I’m back to feeling like a better version of myself which is fine by me.


What I think will really get this blog started again is replacing “reading hour” with “writing hour.” To explain – last year when I was in hospital, Mr WIAA used to switch off the phones at 5pm and settle down with a book for an hour. It helped him unwind after a stressful day of worrying about me and fielding phone calls from concerned friends. He got through many novels during that time which was a first for him, as prior to that the same book used to sit by his bedside for about a year before it was finished. When I got home from hospital we kept up the same routine, but after 11 months, and 25 books completed, I think it’s time to change my routine. Having a dedicated hour set aside for a hobby is a good thing and I’m looking forward to becoming good friends with my blog again. (If anyone is interested in what I’ve been reading, I’ve listed my 25 in the postscript.)

I’ve mentioned the book below by Will Hodgkinson before, but I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who was born at the start of the 1960s and came of age in the 1970s. He covers the soundtrack to our teenage years, each chapter covering the various bands and singers who stole our hearts – and our pocket money – back then.

The first chapter is dedicated to Marc Bolan of T. Rex who along with a few others, came up with the musical sub-genre Glam Rock. T. Rex filled our rock and pop magazines in the early ’70s when they had a run of eleven top ten singles, four of which reached the top of the UK Singles Chart – Hot Love, Get It On, Telegram Sam and Metal Guru. I was at school camp in Ayrshire when Metal Guru reached the top spot. In those technologically primitive times, a small black and white television had been wheeled onto the stage of the hall where we all met up every evening, so that we could watch Top Of The Pops. I can still remember the big cheer that went out when we heard that Marc and Co. had knocked the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards version of Amazing Grace off the No. 1 position. We were Scottish, and they had bagpipes, but at the age of 12, all we wanted to hear was the sound of T. Rex.

Metal Guru by T. Rex:


I would love to say my friends and I had brought our glam gear to school camp, but no, satin and sequins hadn’t quite made it to the wardrobes of your average 12-year-old Scot back then. I did have some glittery eye shadow however that I wore to the disco at the end of the two weeks. I can’t remember now whether that was to match my crimplene flares, my hotpants with bib, or my gypsy style dress (all very fashionable in 1972) but I do remember that change was afoot. Colour televisions were appearing in living rooms all over the country and suddenly our favourite bands could be seen in all their glory. The costumes became more and more elaborate and were embraced by Slade, the Sweet, Mud, David Bowie et al. The teenage years were just about to start and we had been born at just the right time!

Until next time…

Metal Guru Lyrics
(Song by Marc Bolan)

Whoa-oh, yeah
Metal guru, is it you?
Metal guru, is it you?
Sitting there in your armour plated chair oh yeah
Metal guru, is it true?
Metal guru, is it true?
All alone without a telephone oh yeah

Metal guru could it be you’re gonna bring my baby to me?
She’ll be wild you know, a rock ‘n’ roll child, oh yeah

Metal guru has it been
Just like a silver-studded saber-toothed dream
I’ll be clean you know, pollution machine

Metal guru, is it you?
Metal guru, is it you? Oh, yeah
Whoa-oh, yeah whoa, whoa
Metal guru could it be you’re gonna bring my baby to me?
She’ll be wild you know, a rock ‘n’ roll child oh yeah

Metal guru, is it you?
Metal guru, is it you?
All alone without a telephone

Metal guru could it be you’re gonna bring my baby to me?
She’ll be wild you know, a rock’n’roll child oh yeah

Metal guru, is it you? Yeah, yeah, yeah
Metal guru, is it you? Yeah, yeah, yeah
Metal guru, is it you? Yeah, yeah, yeah
Metal guru, is it you? Yeah, yeah, yeah
Metal guru, is it you? Yeah, yeah, yeah


Postscript:

Mainly for my own record, here is the list of books I’ve read so far this year. I’ve highlighted the ones I enjoyed most in case anyone trusts my judgement.

We Solve Murders – Richard Osman
The First Casualty – Ben Elton
The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
The Other Queen – Philippa Gregory
The Last Tudor – Philippa Gregory
The Lost Bookshop – Evie Woods
The Zone of Interest – Martin Amis
Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
Tell Me A Secret – Jane Fallon
Never Greener – Ruth Jones
The Dead of Winter – Stuart MacBride
Larch Tree Lane – Anna Jacobs
Meantime – Frankie Boyle
In Perfect Harmony: Singalong Pop in 70s Britain – Will Hodgkinson
Companion Piece – Ali Smith
French Braid – Anne Tyler
A Mother’s Heart – Carmel Harrington

All of the following by Louise Candlish – I really got into her this summer after reading her newest novel Our Holiday. Probably best suited to female readers but a particular house always features as a main character which is a bit different. Psychological thrillers in the main.

Our Holiday
The Second Husband
The Day You Saved My Life
The Island Hideaway
The Sudden Disappearance of the Frasers
The Only Suspect
The Disappearance of Emily Marr
The Heights

An American Odyssey in Song: Delaware and “Delaware”

Welcome to this occasional series where I am attempting a virtual journey around the 50 States of America in song. For anyone new to this place, I have a continuous route map where I enter and leave each state only once. Suggestions for the next leg always welcome!

Long term visitors to this place might remember this series from way back in 2017 when I started with great gusto then got stuck in Pennsylvania after finding no inspiration for songs that relate to Delaware (bar the obvious one), which was to be the next state on my route. I think it’s time to pick up on the Odyssey again as I never did reach the musically rich states and that’s just a sin.

But first a few fun facts about Delaware. It’s called The First State as after the American Revolution it was the first state to ratify the new Constitution. It is also the 2nd smallest state after Rhode Island. The north of the state is predominantly urban but the south of the state is mainly agrarian and has some fine beaches. The current president, Joe Biden, is from Delaware and he was governor of the state for many years.

Joe Biden – not going to be the President for much longer

Here’s something interesting for lovers of maps. As you might see from the map above, the northern border of Delaware was drawn with a compass centred on New Castle fanning out 12 miles. Early topography methods were flawed however and it was later discovered that a “wedge” remained between the Mason-Dixon line and the arc. Ownership was debated for many years and first it formed part of Pennsylvania but since 1921 has formed part of Delaware and is indeed called the Delaware Wedge. Just the kind of quirky facts I love.

The Delaware Wedge

As for a song for this state I have resisted for a long time now but yes, I’m going to go there. The novelty song Delaware was recorded by Perry Como in 1959 and mentions 15 states of the US in pun form. I get the puns for the first few verses but that last verse has me somewhat stumped – if anyone can help me out I’d be very grateful.

This is just the kind of song that would have popped up on Junior Choice, the radio show for kids, when I was growing up. The show was full of such songs but sadly I think the era of the novelty song is over which is a shame really as some have stayed with me for life.

Delaware by Perry Como


I have been a bit mean about the song Delaware but it is the obvious contender for a journey round the 50 states. Are there many songs out there that reference this small state? If there are I can’t find them. After re-watching my DVD boxset of Live Aid not that long ago, I did discover that George Thorogood and The Destroyers came from the state, but I was never a fan so didn’t include them here. Sorry George.

The next state I will enter and leave only once is Maryland. If anyone can help me out with that one, again I’d be most grateful.

Until next time…

Delaware Lyrics
(Song by Irving Gordon)

Oh, what did Delaware boy what did Della wear?
What did Delaware boy, what did Della wear?
She wore a brand New Jersey, she wore a brand New Jersey
She wore a brand New Jersey, that’s what she did wear

Oh, why did California, why did Cali phone?
Why did California, was she all alone?
She called to say Hawaii, she called to say How are ya
She called to say how are ya, that’s why she did phone

Oh, what did Mississip boy, what did Missis sip?
What did Missis sip boy, through her pretty lips
She sipped a Minnesota, she sipped a mini soda
She sipped a mini soda, that’s what she did sip

Oh, where has Oregon boy, where as Ora gone?
If you want Alaska, I’ll ask her where she’s gone
She went to pay her Texas, she went to pay her taxes
She went to pay her taxes, that’s where she has gone

Oh, how did Wisconsin boy, she stole a NeBras-ky
Too bad that Arkan-sas boy, and so did Tenne-see
It made poor Flora-di, it made poor Flora-di you see
She died in Missouri boy, she died in Misery

Oh, what did Delaware, boy what did Delaware
What did Delaware boy, what did Delaware

Summer Distractions and The Summer Games 2024: “Voilà”, Barbara Pravi

I don’t know what’s happened this year but my blogging output is pitiful. I apologise to all those subscribers who must think they are being short-changed. It’s partly down to a loss of momentum – the less you blog the harder it gets – but also down to the sheer amount of telly watching I’ve been doing of late. It all started with the Euros, then there was Glastonbury followed by lots of election coverage, culminating with Wimbledon and the Olympics.

Like many of us, for the last 16 days I’ve become an expert on all kinds of weird and wonderful sports I only ever see at the Olympics. You get drawn in to checking the medal table on an hourly basis knowing full well it’s not really a level playing field and a drop in Lottery funding for many sports would see us return to Atlanta ’96 levels (only one gold medal – thank goodness for the rowers). The joke is I play no sport, and rarely did, but there is something about the Olympics that appeals to the geographer in me. All those countries coming together in a city that showcases its “best bits” to the world. We find out which country specialises in specific sports (for archery it’s the Koreans, for female wrestling it’s the Japanese) and at the opening and closing ceremonies we see the athletes parade in an outfit that reflects their heritage (the Bermudans are always in Bermuda shorts). Yes, I’m going to miss my daily dose of competitive-sport-watching, and the withdrawal symptoms are already setting in, but the upside is that there will be more time for blogging.

Paris 2024

Having mentioned Paris 2024 I think it would be in order for me to share a song that Mr WIAA has become very fond of lately as it seems to have become a French standard and pops up on many of the feeds he subscribes to. It was actually the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 and came second. The singer is Barbara Pravi and if your French is good you might be able to work out what the song is about from the lyrics to Voilà, but if not, here are a few pointers. Be warned, it’s not a jaunty upbeat little number, but it certainly packs a punch.

“Listen to me, Me, the wannabe singer. Talk about me to your loved ones, to your friends. Tell them about this girl with black eyes and her crazy dream. Me, what I want is to write stories that reach you. That’s all.”

Voila by Emma Kok:


The video clip features Barbara but the audio clip is by Emma Kok, a 15-year-old girl with a very powerful voice. Which version do you like best?

Well that’s me back in the saddle again so hopefully I’ll be able to keep up the momentum as I have several ideas I want to explore. Unlike many of my well-heeled friends who actually go to Glastonbury, the Euros and the Olympics I am usually content to dip in via my sofa, but hopefully one day I will snap into action and make actual plans. Until then the sofa will suffice.

Until next time…

Voilà Lyrics
Song by Barbara Pravi/Igit/Lili Poe

Écoutez-moi
Moi, la chanteuse à demi
Parlez de moi
À vos amours, à vos amis
Parlez-leur de cette fille aux yeux noirs et de son rêve fou
Moi c’que j’veux, c’est écrire des histoires qui arrivent jusqu’à vous
C’est tout

Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà qui je suis
Me voilà, même si mise à nu, j’ai peur, oui
Me voilà dans le bruit et dans le silence

Regardez-moi, ou du moins ce qu’il en reste
Regardez-moi, avant que je me déteste
Quoi vous dire, que les lèvres d’une autre ne vous diront pas
C’est peu de chose, mais moi tout ce que j’ai je le dépose là, voilà

Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà qui je suis
Me voilà, même si mise à nu, c’est fini
C’est ma gueule, c’est mon cri, me voilà tant pis
Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà juste ici
Moi, mon rêve, mon envie, comme j’en crève, comme j’en ris
Me voilà dans le bruit et dans le silence

Ne partez pas, j’vous en supplie, restez longtemps
Ça m’sauvera peut-être pas, non
Mais faire sans vous j’sais pas comment
Aimez-moi comme on aime un ami qui s’en va pour toujours
J’veux qu’on m’aime parce que moi, je sais pas bien aimer mes contours

Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà qui je suis
Me voilà même si mise à nu, c’est fini
Me voilà dans le bruit et dans la fureur aussi
Regardez-moi enfin et mes yeux et mes mains
Tout c’que j’ai est ici, c’est ma gueule, c’est mon cri
Me voilà, me voilà, me voilà
Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà
Voilà

Surprise Finds, Dobie Gray and “Out On The Floor”

I think I’ve mentioned around here before that I now volunteer in a local charity shop. It’s only for one day a week but I’ve really come to enjoy my day in the shop, in amongst all those things people have found excess to requirements.

This week I was going through a trolley of things which had to be priced ready to go out on the shop floor and in amongst it all there were three 45rpm singles – the one at the top caught my eye. It was the song Out On The Floor by Dobie Gray. But of course Dobie wasn’t singing about anything going out on a shop floor, he was singing about dancing, and I knew this song was a big favourite with the Northern Soul faithful back in the early to mid 70s. Could you ever find lyrics more appropriate for people who regularly attended “all-nighters” in repurposed dancehalls in the North of England?

Out On The Floor by Dobie Gray


I’ve written about Northern Soul around here before (link to posts), as it fascinates me how a body of young northern men came to love dancing to obscure soul records from the mid 60s so much, but it wasn’t until I read this book by Stuart Cosgrove that I realised how little I knew about it all. Although Stuart is a Scot, back in the day he and his friends would travel south to attend the legendary all-nighters in places like Wigan Casino and in doing so he built up a vast knowledge of not only the records that were played but of the various characters best known on the circuit. It was all down to a handful of DJs really and where they went the crowds followed. What a time to have been alive.


If you are interested in the history of Northern Soul I would thoroughly recommend Stuart’s book. As for Dobie’s record in the shop, I didn’t buy it as it’s definitely not one of those really rare ones that change hands for lots of money, and I don’t think it was in very good condition, but it certainly drew me to a song that has become an earworm for the rest of the week. Thankfully a nice earworm.

Until next time…

Out On The Floor Lyrics
(Song by Fred Darian/Alfred V De Lory)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, babe’s it’s out of sight

Out on the floor each night, I’m really movin’
The band’s is wailin’ right I feel like groovin’
The chicks are out of sight and I am grooving
The crowd is in tonight beggin’ for more

I get my kicks out on the floor

I am on the floor tonight, I feel like singin
The beat is running right and guitars are ringin’
I’m really on tonight and everything swingin’
The room is packed out tight, light at the door

So I get my kicks out on the floor

Yeah, yeah, yeah, babe’s it’s out of sight

When I’m out on the floor, it makes me feel like a king
Everybody here, don’t you know what I mean
It makes me wanna move (makes me wanna move).
It makes me feel that groove (make me feel that groove).
I wanna twist and shout (makes me twist and shout).
Work it on out (make me work it on out)

When I feel that beat (feel that beat), I gotta move my feet

Out on the floor tonight, I feel like singin’
The beat is hot and bright, guitars are ringin’
The chicks are out of sight everything’s swingin’
The room is packed up tight, lined at the door, oh, yeah
So I’m gettin’ my kicks, out on the floor (I got some more)
Don’t you feel that beat, down in in your feet

Another Bloggers Summit, The Delights of Newcastle and “Ain’t No Doubt”

After a particularly good trip away it sometimes takes a while to reacclimatise to normal life, and that’s how I’ve felt since last Thursday after returning from the latest meet-up with some of my fellow bloggers. It took myself and my good friend C (from Sun Dried Sparrows) some time to bite the bullet and show face in the real world, but I’m so glad we did as everyone we’ve met has been as nice as ninepence, and of course we all have this slightly niche hobby in common.

The Tyne Bridge – we were blessed with fine, sunny weather

This time the venue was Newcastle which is a city I’ve only ever fleetingly visited. It has a reputation for being a bit of a party town but arriving as we did on a Monday and leaving on a Thursday we missed out on all the “hen and stag” hullaballoo. John (from Are We There Yet?) is usually the one who finds the perfect pub to congregate in, and as ever he didn’t disappoint. The Crown Posada is apparently the second oldest pub in Newcastle and has great character. And so it came to pass that eight of us (five bloggers plus three partners) spent a couple of evenings catching up and putting the world to rights. As well as the bloggers mentioned above we were joined by CC (from Charity Chic Music) and for the first time at a bloggers’ summit, Ernie Goggins (from 27 Leggies). I think he was a bit nervous about being the newbie to the group but in no time at all this International Man of Mystery (he denies it!) was like an old hand, regaling tales of Sweet concerts and of his blog’s provenance.

But there is so much more to Newcastle than sitting around in pubs. Over the three days, accompanied by various sub-groups of bloggers, Mr WIAA and I visited: The Baltic Flour Mills (now a centre for contemporary art); Newcastle Castle (lots of spiral staircases and low doorways); Tynemouth on the Metro; The Biscuit Factory Art Gallery; three of the seven bridges across the River Tyne; and, the Life Science Centre. A sightseeing bus trip on the last day meant we caught up with all those places we weren’t able to get to on foot. It’s safe to say it was one of my favourite ever city breaks and a place I thoroughly recommend you visit (from Monday to Thursday!) if you haven’t ever been before.

There are a few obvious candidates for inclusion in a blog post celebrating the culture of Newcastle and I see they have already put in an appearance over at CC’s place. I think I will go left field therefore and remind myself of the song by that most Geordie of actors, Jimmy Nail. His storytelling song Ain’t No Doubt reached the No. 1 spot on the UK Singles Chart in the summer of ’92. Although I’m sure most of us remember Jimmy best from the television drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet this revival in his singing career was brought on after the success of the Newcastle-based drama Spender. I’ve never seen reruns of Spender but I seem to remember there were many shots of central Newcastle, and his flat overlooked the Tyne Bridge. Might be an idea to seek out an episode and look out for some of the now familiar landmarks.

Ain’t No Doubt by Jimmy Nail:


Although I have now met a fair few bloggers in real life, I am aware the majority of us use an alias and like to stay fairly anonymous, which is why I haven’t included any photos of the group that met up in Newcastle. There were many taken however, and on the BlogCon group chat they have been freely shared. If you are a bit like we were originally, and are wary about meeting people you’ve only ever communicated with in the comments boxes of their blogs, all I would say is this – life is short and sometimes you just have to bite the bullet like we did and go for it. These get-togethers with like-minded individuals have enhanced my life for sure, and I’m sure it would be the same for you.

Bob and Terry: The Likely Lads

Until next time…

Ain’t No Doubt Lyrics
(Song by Jimmy Nail/Guy Pratt/Charlie Dore/Danny Schogger)

She says, “It’s not you, it’s me
I need a little time, a little space
A place to find myself again, you know”
Oh yeah, I know a goodbye when I hear it
She smiles, but her heart’s already out there
Walking down the street

She says, “I don’t want nobody else, I love you”
She’s lying
“There won’t be somebody else, and that’s true”
She’s lying
“Say you’ll always be my friend, sweet darling”
Why does she pretend?

Ain’t no doubt, it’s plain to see
A woman like you’s no good for me
Your heart beating at another door
I’m a darned fool for to ask for more (ask for more, ask for more)

She says, “It’s like in a song, remember?
If you love somebody, set them free
Well, that’s how it is with me, but you know I’ll always come back”
And then she kisses me
And somewhere I hear a door slam, so I say, “Fine”
And just hope that I’m a better liar than she is

She says, “I don’t want nobody else, I love you”
She’s lying
“There won’t be somebody else, and that’s true”
She’s lying
“Say you’ll always be my friend, sweet darling”
Why does she pretend?

Ain’t no doubt, it’s plain to see
A woman like you’s no good for me
Your heart beating at another door
I’m a darned fool for to ask for more (ask for more, ask for more)

“I don’t want nobody else, I love you”
She’s lying
“There won’t be somebody else, and that’s true”
She’s lying
“Say you’ll always be my friend, sweet darling”
Why does she pretend?

Ain’t no doubt, it’s plain to see (I’m a fool)
A woman like you’s no good for me (no matter how hard I try)
Your heart beating at another door (beating, beating, beating, beating)
I’m a darned fool for to ask for more (ask for more, ask for more)
That’s what I am

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

An Overdose Of Cinema, Amy Winehouse and “Back To Black”

I ended up going to see the Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black twice this week. A friend asked me if I wanted to see it on Monday night so of course I said yes, as it had been on my radar. A couple of days later my “Last Thursday of the Month Film Group” friend got in touch to say she was really looking forward to Back To Black this week. I don’t know about you but this month seems to have flown in and I had honestly thought we had another week of April to go, but it seemed not. I played dumb and didn’t mention I’d messed up and seen it already, so I tripped along for another outing.


Was it worth seeing twice? Probably not as we mostly know Amy’s story from all the media coverage she was given at the time of her success, but we did get a bit more of her backstory from the time just ahead of her breakthrough. I’m not sure how true to life it all was but it seems she was really close to her grandmother, Cynthia, who had been a jazz singer back in the day and sang at Ronnie Scott’s. It was from Cynthia she got her love of jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. She also got her trademark beehive hairdo from Cynthia.

The late, great Amy Winehouse

The actress who played Amy, Marisa Abela, did a pretty good job and I’ve read that she did the singing for the film, which if true, impresses me a lot. I suspect there was a bit of jiggery-pokery with the soundtrack though to make her sound so similar – there can only be one Amy Winehouse.

For someone like me who likes everything in her life to be ship-shape and in good order, it was a tough watch. Amy led a chaotic life and in the film I just wanted to give her house a good thorough, mend her ripped clothes and give her a hot bath before she went to bed. Would she still be with us if she hadn’t met “her Blake”? I’m not sure, as even before she met him she was on a bit of a self-destructive path but there is no doubt they, as a couple, were a fairly toxic mix. Her dad Mitch doesn’t come out of it too badly as it seems he was her biggest supporter but had very little control over her behaviour.

Whatever the truth of the film there were some very good musical segments where all the hits got performed – Back To Black, Tears Dry On Their Own, Valerie, Rehab, Me & Mr Jones and many more. Just so sad that Amy left us at the tender age of 27, heading off to join all the others in that tragic 27 Club like Jimi, Brian, Janis, Jim and Kurt. Like with the rest of them, success came quickly for Amy but there were too many temptations for someone with an addictive personality and no-one strong enough around to keep her on the right path. Only one song to leave you with, Back To Black.

Back To Black by Amy Winehouse


Until next time…

Back To Black Lyrics
Song by Amy Winehouse/Mark Ronson

He left no time to regret
Kept his dick wet
With his same old safe bet
Me and my head high
And my tears dry
Get on without my guy

You went back to what you knew
So far removed from all that we went through
And I tread a troubled track
My odds are stacked
I’ll go back to black

We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to…

I go back to us

I love you much
It’s not enough
You love blow and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I’m a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside

We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to…

We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to…

Black, black, black, black, black, black, black
I go back to…
I go back to…

We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to…

We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to black

Singalong Hits of The ’70s: Chicory Tip and “Son Of My Father”

I’m going to quickly pop my head above the parapet just in case people think I’m unwell again. Anything but actually, just not had as much time for blogging because of all the socialising I’ve been doing, plus, I’ve got myself a job in a charity shop. Not had time yet, but I intend to have a good look through the vinyl and CDs in the shop to seek out any gems that have accidentally found themselves being donated. As for all the socialising, I thought I would lose touch again with most of the people who came to see me in hospital, but not at all – I’m fully booked up for walks, coffees and cinema trips on a weekly basis and my good friend from student days came all the way up from Harrogate to see me last week. A fun time was had by all.

But what else have I been doing other than donning my charity shop apron and socialising? I’ve been doing a fair bit of reading (5pm in our house is now “Reading Hour”) and I’ve just finished this book by Will Hodgkinson, where he revisits the singalong pop of the 1970s. Most of this music has been forgotten about and doesn’t get played on the radio any more, but as Will points out, the hits of Slade, the Sweet and Suzi Quatro were there to brighten up people’s lives at a particularly difficult time in Britain’s history. No-one has ever written a critical essay about the song Son Of My Father by Chicory Tip, but as Will postulates, isn’t a radio hit that appealed to millions back in 1972 socially significant? The decade had begun with the song Grandad by Clive Dunn and ended with There’s No One Quite Like Grandma by the St Winifred’s School Choir, but in between those two singalong horrors there was much to lift the spirits at a time of three-day weeks, rampant inflation and power cuts.

Son Of My Father by Chicory Tip:


I think I’m going to revisit several of the artists and songs in Will’s book (a new mini-series perhaps), but as I’ve already mentioned them, here is Chicory Tip with their catchy singalong hit. It was apparently the first hit single to feature a Moog synthesiser as a lead instrument, overlapping the lines of melody to create a catchy song.

Chicory Tip

I think everyone who was around at the time would remember this group from TOTP and the lead singer had a fine example of a feather cut hairstyle, cropped at the top with longer hair at the back and sides. The band were from Kent and were still working as printers and engineers when they found chart success. Fun fact – the song was written by Giorgio Moroder who would go on to become the father of Euro disco and it was a hit all over Europe in 1972. Not all Europeans were happy about this however as they thought too much British music was infiltrating their charts, and although it might have been accidental, a missing apostrophe and unfortunate tight spacing on the cover of the Swedish single certainly packed a punch – ENGLANDSHIT.

So, “What’s It All About?” – I love reading books about the history of pop and Will’s book should appeal to anyone who was born in the early ’60s and loved the mainstream pop music of the ’70s. In the coming months we shall revisit some of the other songs that have all but been forgotten but will forever hog a place amongst the rest of the “tracks of our years”.

Until next time…

Son Of My Father Lyrics
(Song by Giorgio Moroder/Michael Holm/Peter Bellotte)

Mama said to me we gotta have your life run right
Off you go to school where you can learn the rules they write
Be just like your dad lad
Follow in the same tradition
Never go astray and stay an honest lovin’ son

Son of my father
Moulded, I was folded, I was free from draft
Son of my father
Commanded, I was branded in a plastic vac’
Surrounded and confounded by statistic facts

Tried to let me in but I jumped out of my skin in time
I saw through the lies and read the alibi signs
So I left my home I’m really on my own at last
Left the trodden path and separated from the past

Son of my father
Changing, rearranging into someone new
Son of my father
Collecting and selecting independent views
Knowing and I’m showing that a change is due

Son of my father
Moulded, I was folded, I was free from draft
Son of my father
Commanded, I was branded in a plastic vac’
Surrounded and confounded by statistic facts

The Girls Take Over At The Brits and A New Discovery, Jungle

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


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)