Flying Pigs

Well, I appear to have flu. And, in a borough of London that has a high Swine Flu count, there is the possibility that I too have become one of the many statistics they quote on the news. I think the last time I became a statistic was when I was unemployed years ago.

Anyway, I have to stay at home, to reduce the risk of spreading the disease. And I may be receiving a swab kit in the post so I can be checked out. Only maybe however, they don't have enough to send to every body with possible symptoms.

And so, one of my all time favourite bands reforms and plays a gig in London, and I can't go.

Damn it.

So if I can't go out then I'm going to throw open the windows and turn up the music. A classic little Northern Soul tune, that as far as I'm aware isn't available anywhere right now; full of summer. Enjoy!

Ginger Thompson - Boy Watcher

The Moment: Live!!

One of my all time favourite bands, covered in these pages last summer, The Moment, are reformed and playing live in London this Wednesday July 1st, at The Fiddlers Elbow in Camden Town.

Go to this very page of the blog for details about them and to hear some tracks:

http://thesongsthatpeoplesing.blogspot.com/2008/08/moment.html


Should be a damn fine evening!

Blow Away The Cobwebs

I've been in a little bubble for a little while now, months maybe. I'm going to be exposed to the real world on Monday, none of this purified air any longer, only other peoples germs and bad moods. I really do need to find a new walk, a new swagger to deal with this strange new planet I find myself on. But in the meantime the old tunes carry enough weight to lift me up ten feet high.

"First lets hear somebody sing me a record that cries pure and true"

Deep breathe in, breath out slowly. And relax.

Or alternatively, as somebody I know said earlier today:

"Gram of billy and half a bottle of vodka comming right up !!"

Dexys Midnight Runners - Let's Make This Precious

Paternity Leave

Just to let you know, I'm still alive, although I look today like I've gone through a war. Little Alfie is a joy so far, fingers crossed it stays that way!!

Music calms him when he is stressed, and gets his full attention when he is calm. Favourites so far include a Lee Perry reworking of an Al Green tune that I'll remember in a moment, and the tinkly tinkly sounds of Doll On A Music Box from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The moment in that when Dick Van Dyke comes in with Truly Scrumptious actually made him visibly shiver! And the soundtracks of John Williams on random play helped me get him to sleep with a bad stomach.

In other news: I'm back at work next week, after nearly a month off. The Beautiful Wife and me are still looking at each other with that 'oh shit what have we done' face.

And my old iPod nano died a death so I've gone for a proper one. 120 gigs. Already full. And a cabinet of CDs that are nowhere near a computer. I need to do some editing. Two months of music if left to play, without hearing the same song twice. Wonderful Radio Simon.

Anyway, I'll be back to something resembling normal service sometime soon!

Pssst....

.....The new Madness album The Liberty Of Norton Folgate....it is superb. Easily the best album they've made, but also one of the best 'London' albums I've heard in a while. Cracking songs, including the early doors favourite of mine Sugar And Spice, which is luvverly!

Like Adam over there I'm not going to post anything from it, because it is really worth your dough.

Go and buy!!!!

Meanwhile little sunshine is even more luvverly...sigh....

It's A Boy!

The drinks are on me. I'm completely blown away. I love my wife so much. And now my little man.

Random Play: Sneaker Pimps

Here's a tune from the mid 90s, Sneaker Pimps and their major hit 6 Underground. I loved this tune: this version is the album mix, which isn't as concise as the single mix. I think I've about 5 or 6 mixes of this.

Looking back over everything the mid 90s might just be my favourite time for music.


Meanwhile: a quick rush through the blogs I've had going on in my head that I can't quite be bothered to write or upload for!:

ashes to ashes, episode 4 of this series was everything the rest of this series and the first series for that matter should have been: dark and humourous rather than tongue in cheek and strong in story and acting. The rest of Ashes To Ashes feels like a blurry mess compared to this one. "pigbag - papa's got a brand new pigbag"

last gang in town: I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I'll never form the next Clash, I'll never be the next Joe Strummer. Does this mean I'm growing up? Although I'm still convinced I'll be the next Han Solo when they remake Star Wars. "the clash - stay free"

40 and frisky. I'm absolutely obsessed with Pokerface by Lady GaGa. Damn fine pop music with a soaring chorus. Even if it does sample Boney M. I never thought I'd still get obsessed with pop music once I was...middle aged. Is middle aged the new teens? "Lady GaGa - Pokerface"

I can't quite believe the stories about the MPs and their expenses. Part of me, the cynic isn't surprised. Another part wonders if any of us wouldn't take the option if it was given to us to have our bills paid for us. I worked in the music industry for a few years, and have many friends who still do. Freebies were our lifeblood, mostly because wages were so crappy. And would you say no to free albums or gig tickets? But those freebies weren't paid out of taxpayers pockets. Tax payers who are being told how bad the recession is and could be, by these people who are then claiming for help on second homes and swimming pools and luxury furnishings. But mostly I'm surprised by how many of them really don't look sorry or apologetic: surprise and annoyance is what I'm seeing in most of their faces; surprise that people are angry and annoyance that they may have to give up these perks. Latest news is that some of them might be investigated by the police to see if fraud has occurred, and the possibility of huge tax bills on the horizon is very likely. Which is I guess a way of saying you have to give it back. Wonder where it will end up then? "booker-t & the mgs - hang em high"


Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground