As is traditional around here, I had fully intended to write a Christmas post in the run-up to the big day but blow me down, our internet went on the blink at the start of the week. The good news is that an engineer came to fix the problem a few hours ago so we are now up and running again and catching up with things that should have been done a few days ago.
My festive fireplace
Last month I had said that reading hour was going to be replaced by writing hour for the foreseeable, and that worked well in November. December is a really busy month however so my reading and writing has suffered over the last few weeks. A lot of this is because of the social whirl that comes with volunteering. I’ve mentioned before that I now volunteer in a charity shop, but not just any charity shop, our local hospice is funded partly by all the good work done in the 15 shops scattered around the Highlands and I’m based at our HQ, the massive warehouse that could rival Amazon’s where the good people of Inverness come to donate things they no longer need. There is a large shop attached to the warehouse where I now work two days a week and this month I’ve also worked in the pop-up Christmas Bazaar set up in our local shopping mall. I love it and have made loads of new friends – ladies of a certain age to be sure, but ladies who all have a bit of a spark to them and know how to enjoy life. Last Friday we had the Warehouse Christmas Party, I also had a bit of a do at the actual hospice itself (a very welcoming and cheerful place) and next month we have a fancy meal out. It’s like being back in the workplace again with all the benefits that brings but without the office politics, and the pay check!
Some of the shop windows
But here we are at Christmas Eve and I haven’t yet shared a festive song – lord knows they’ve been played enough on the radio over the last month. I’m inclined to go for something by Paul McCartney as I was chuffed to see footage of him sharing the stage this week with his old mate Ringo Starr. It had been the last night of Paul’s tour so Ringo obliged by joining him on the drums. Considering they are now aged 82 and 84 respectively it warms the soul to know they are still out there doing what they love. We have people who work for our charity shops at the same age so no need to slow down if you don’t have to.
Paul and Ringo
It’s a bit twee this song, but it did well for Paul in the run-up to Christmas 1979 and was the first single he released after Wings came to an end. It peaked at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and was accompanied by a very festive video of Paul and Linda having a Wonderful Christmastime.
Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney
I hope all my followers and blogging buddies have a wonderful Christmastime too. Someone who is missed on the blogs right now is our pal John from Are We There Yet? He’s a bit poorly at the moment so his Christmas will be severely challenged this year but we wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.
I will be going to DD’s for Christmas dinner this year. This is her first one in her new house so both ourselves and the in-laws have been invited along. No cooking for me tomorrow which is a big bonus. I shall enjoy being waited on by others – it’s payback time for all those years of having done it myself. Have a good one everyone.
Until next time…
Wonderful Christmastime Lyrics (Song by Paul McCartney)
The mood is right The spirit’s up We’re here tonight And that’s enough
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
The party’s on The feeling’s here That only comes This time of year
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
The choir of children sing their song Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime We’re simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
The word is out About the town To lift a glass Oh, and don’t look down
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime Simply having a wonderful Christmastime
I did say I wasn’t going to write any more Beatles-related posts for a while – as there have been many around here of late – but after watching the headline act perform at Glastonbury last weekend (on telly), it can’t be avoided. I don’t know how well-known the Glastonbury Festival is outwith the UK but I’m guessing most people who visit this place will have heard of it. It’s a massive event in the British cultural calendar and it all began in 1970, inspired by the hippie movement and the counterculture of the 1960s. Michael Eavis, a dairy-farmer from Pilton, Somerset, came up with the idea of the first festival, and since then it has become a behemoth of an event where between two and three hundred thousand people have been known to attend. After the last two years’ planned festivals had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, it seems this year’s festival-goers were really up for it, and I dipped into much of the excellent BBC coverage over the course of last weekend.
The ‘big one’ however is the act who will perform on the Pyramid Stage on the Saturday night and this year it was to be none other than Sir Paul McCartney. He was supposed to headline back in 2020, and then last year, but eventually things got back on track and he got his time on that most famous of stages. It aired an hour later on telly, starting at 10.30pm, but I was really curious as to how it would go and of course I was also a bit nervous for him. He had turned 80 only the week before – could he still cut it? In the end I stayed up late, watching his entire set (link here to BBC iPlayer) until just after 1am and I think most of us would agree, yes he could.
With such a back catalogue of songs to choose from he was spoilt for choice, but he trod a nice balance, covering early Beatles, late Beatles, Wings and solo material, in no particular chronological order. Made it a nice surprise to find out what would pop up next. The vocals at times were less than perfect, and there were some sound issues, but his band have been with him a long time and are the consummate professionals. The crowd didn’t seem to notice any of the sound issues at all and were just happy to witness one of the world’s first pop superstars in action. Mr WIAA went to bed about half way through, which is a shame I think, because it wasn’t until the second half that the truly memorable bits happened. Lovely stills on the big screen behind him of George Harrison, and of course there was the duet with John Lennon using footage from Peter Jackson’s recent Get Back documentary series. There were also the ‘surprise’ guest appearances by Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen which meant at one point we had two of the three richest people in music on stage at the same time (sorry Dave, it wasn’t you), not that their wealth would have mattered a jot to them at that precise moment.
Paul on the Pyramid stage
But what meant more to me than the joy of listening to all those songs I know and love, was that it could happen at all. In my current life I find it hard to feel positive about the aging process. My mum has had dementia since before she turned 80 and is now in a care home, along with a lot of other people who also have dementia or who are just too physically infirm to look after themselves. Many of them are much younger than 80. Watching Glastonbury on Saturday night made me realise it’s not a given that this will happen to all of us. If we are lucky, and look after ourselves, there is a lot to be positive about as the years roll by. Paul was looking pretty good and very youthful for a man of his vintage I thought, and to have played and sang for over two and a half hours in such a setting was no mean feat. I’m sure he’s had a bit of ‘help’ along the way but he always was the baby-faced one amongst the Beatles and it seems to be holding him in good stead – that and being a serial monogamist and family man possibly?
I have added his setlist from Saturday night in the Postscript below, but which of all the many songs that were performed have resonated with me most since? I can’t believe I’m even admitting to this, as a very unlikely pick, but for the last five days I’ve had Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! going round and round in my head. It’s not even a Paul song but one written by John Lennon after he bought an old 19th century circus poster in an antiques shop in 1967. The song’s lyrics detail the entire evening’s program and of course it ended up on the Sgt. Pepper album, also made in 1967. How weird that it’s stayed with me all week but maybe because it’s one of the songs that hasn’t become over-familiar and I did enjoy how on the night, his drummer flamboyantly waved his arms around in a circular fashion, in the style of a circus performer. Quite a performance.
I can’t find YouTube footage of this song from his Glastonbury set, but here it is from earlier in the month performed elsewhere. See what I mean about the drummer, Abe Laboriel Jr., at 1:05 and 2:05? Below it you will find an audio clip of the original Beatles song recorded for Sgt. Pepper.
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! by the Beatles:
So, ‘What’s It All About?’ – Lots of enjoyment to be had from watching the reinstated festival this year, even if it was vicariously via the telly. I was nervous for Sir Paul, but I shouldn’t have been, as everyone accepted his vocals can’t quite be what they were back in the day and they were happy just to have this legend on the Pyramid Stage at last. His band was fantastic and what with his ‘surprise’ guests, and the audience participation towards the end, he must have been really pleased by how it went down. I might have quite a few poorly and infirm 80-year olds in my life, but some of these rock and pop heroes from the 1960s make me realise it doesn’t have to be that way. If you keep on working on new things and feel passionate about what you do, there is no reason to slow down or stop doing it.
As for those who were actually there, I am a tad jealous. Many of us have been home-based for an awful long time now, and post-covid, some of us will continue to live that way. Watching the crowd scenes at Glastonbury, of all those people who came together for a festival, it reminded me that we humans are by nature social animals and should live in communities, not alone, interacting with a computer screen. Last time I wrote about my get-together in Edinburgh with my blogging pals. It was a wonderful few days and it harked back to how I used to live, always surrounded by people, having a chat, having a bit of a laugh. Now, not so much. Will have to do better going forward.
To end I had better show a clip from the actual night itself, so how about this bit of amateur footage. As I said, very jealous. A celebration of 60 years of popular music, my era of popular music, and I wasn’t even there. Thank goodness for the BBC.
Until next time…
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! Lyrics (Song by John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
For the benefit of Mr. Kite, There will be a show tonight On trampoline.
The Hendersons will all be there. Late of Pablo Fanque’s Fair. What a scene!
Over men and horses, hoops and garters, Lastly through a hogshead of real fire! In this way Mr. K. Will challenge the world!
The celebrated Mr. K. Performs his feat on Saturday At Bishopsgate.
The Hendersons will dance and sing As Mr. Kite flies through the ring. Don’t be late!
Messrs. K. and H. assure the public Their production will be second to none. And of course Henry The Horse Dances the waltz!
The band begins at ten to six, When Mr. K. performs his tricks Without a sound.
And Mr. H. will demonstrate Ten summersets he’ll undertake On solid ground.
Having been some days in preparation, A splendid time is guaranteed for all. And tonight Mr. Kite Is topping the bill!
Let Me Roll It (Wings song) (with “Foxy Lady” outro jam)
Getting Better (The Beatles song)
Let ‘Em In (Wings song) – apparently many people only know this song from the Postcode Lottery advert and were bemused by how it turned up on his setlist!
Well, it’s Guy Fawkes Night, but there will be no big ‘town display’ tonight down at the municipal playing fields. There will probably be a few small displays in back gardens (look out for your pets folks), but nothing grander. Shame all these festivals, Halloween, Christmas and Bonfire Night, land during the coldest and wettest time of the year here in Scotland, as we’ve had a fair few soakings and frostbitten fingers over the years.
For those who are not from the UK, Guy Fawkes Night will mean nothing to you, so by way of explanation, here is an abbreviated version of the Wiki entry about the aforementioned chap:
Guy Fawkes (1570 – 1606), was a member of a group of English Catholics who was involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Fawkes had fought for Catholic Spain in the Eighty Years’ War against Protestant Dutch reformers. When he returned to England he was introduced to Robert Catesby, who planned to assassinate King James I, and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.
Guy Fawkes
The plotters leased an ‘undercroft’ (a cellar) beneath the House of Lords and Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder they stockpiled there. An anonymous letter to the authorities prompted a search of Westminster Palace during the early hours of 5 November, and they found Fawkes with the explosives. After being tortured he confessed to wanting to blow up the House of Lords.
Fawkes was later sentenced to death but he became synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot, the failure of which has been commemorated in the UK as Guy Fawkes Night since 5 November 1605, when his effigy is traditionally burned on a bonfire, accompanied by fireworks.
Growing up, it was an exciting annual event, and as our back garden was joined to three others (we had the gable-end, prized in a terrace), the dads usually built a big communal bonfire. In the preceding couple of weeks, all the kids collected their fireworks. There were ‘selection boxes’, with a mix of all the usual suspects, Catherine wheels, bangers, and rockets, but also packets of sparklers and individual fireworks of the more spectacular nature.
Needless the say, over the years there were a fair amount of nasty accidents involving fireworks (none for us thankfully), so nowadays people are encouraged to attend well-supervised, organised displays. Let’s hope this year there won’t be a return to the past, as the dads, although well intentioned, just don’t have the training of our local Fire Officers.
The best display our town ever held was when they used Bond themes to choreograph the igniting of the fireworks. It was a dry night for once, with clear skies, so a pretty spectacular event. I’ve written about Bond themes this week already, so appropriate to share this song, as it’s often accompanied by stunning pyrotechnics even when it’s not Guy Fawkes night. I give you Live And Let Die by Wings from 1973.
Live And Let Die by Wings:
The song was written for the film of the same name, the eighth in the Bond series, this time starring Roger Moore. Paul McCartney, along with wife Linda, wrote the song and on this occasion George Martin wrote the film score, as John Barry was unavailable. Performed by their group Wings, it was the first ‘rock and roll’ song used to open a Bond film, and became a major success, reaching No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 2 in the US. It was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost out that year to The Way We Were.
Stay safe, as we keep saying nowadays, but tonight I mean beware of stray fireworks. No doubt we’ll still see a fair few light up our skies.
Until next time….
Live And Let Die Lyrics (Song by Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney)
When you were young and your heart was an open book You used to say live and let live (you know you did, you know you did you know you did) But if this ever changing world in which we’re living Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die Live and let die Live and let die Live and let die
What does it matter to ya When you got a job to do You gotta do it well You gotta give the other fellow hell
When you were young and your heart was an open book You used to say live and let live (you know you did, you know you did you know you did) But if this ever changing world in which we’re living Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die Live and let die Live and let die Live and let die
Since discovering that all full moons have a name (given to them by the Native Americans who kept track of the months by the lunar calendar), I have written about each one as they appear in our skies. To accompany the post I always include one of the numerous songs that have been written about the moon and its many foibles.
Well, I really need to get back onto safer blogging territory where I don’t bare my soul in public and fortunately for me there is to be a full moon in our skies on Monday night. Regulars around here will know that I wrote about every full moon for a whole calendar year (and more) but then put the series into retirement when I thought I had exhausted my list of moon-related songs, and could find no new snippets of information about the moon that had not yet been shared. I was however wrong.
Last month I shared a second Harvest Moon song as the Harvest Moon, I erroneously thought, was the only one that could occur in either one of two months (September or October), it being the name given to the full moon that lands closest to the autumnal equinox. Interestingly, the Hunter’s Moon is not tied to a specific month either. The Hunter’s Moon is the name of the full moon that lands directly after the Harvest Moon, which means it may occur in either October or November. The way things have worked out, Monday night’s sky will therefore showcase a Hunter’s Moon as opposed to the alternate used for the month of October, theTravel Moon, Sanguine Moon or Dying Grass Moon.
As for a song choice, here is one that also missed the cut first time around, but because of all the hoopla of late relating to the anniversary of the release of the last Beatles studio album Abbey Road, perhaps time to share something by Sir Paul McCartney. The song C Moon by Wings was released in 1972 as the B-side to Hi Hi Hi which ended up being banned in Britain. As a result C Moon got all the airplay which meant it reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. Paul explained that the song’s title is the opposite of the ’60s expression L-7, meaning a square or an unhip person. A C Moon forms a circle, which is said be cool.
C Moon by Wings:
As for the band Wings, although they never graced the walls of my bedroom in the early ’70s, they were a staple of my teenage years, and I loved pretty much everything they released. The album Band On The Run remains one of my all-time favourites. I had been too young for Beatlemania, but right at the time I was spending most of my free time listening to music, along came Wings, and from the Lennon & McCartney songwriting partnership I was always fondest of the McCartney-led songs anyway (although I only realised that in later life).
I imagine everyone who wanted to, has seen it by now, but I do love the edition of Carpool Karaoke that starred Sir Paul. He may have written a song about people who were “cool” in 1972 but now he is the one who sometimes comes across as a bit “uncool”. He is aged 77 however, and a legend, so I will give him a pass. If you watch until 16:00 you will see the surprise on those pub-goers faces when the curtains pull back – What a day they must have had.
Look out for that full moon on Monday night.
Until next time….
C Moon Lyrics (Song by Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney)
C moon, C moon, C moon is she C moon, C moon, C moon to me
How come no one older than me Ever seems to understand the things I want to do It will be L7 and I’d never get to heaven If I filled my head with glue What’s it all to you
C moon, C moon, C moon is she
C moon, C moon, C moon to me
Bobby lived with Patty But they never told her daddy What their love was all about She could tell her lover that he thought But she never was the type to let it out What’s it all about
C moon, C moon, oh C moon are we C moon, C moon, C moon are we
What's It All About? 