The Strangeloves - Cara Lin (Shindig 1965)

 An interesting musical project. A strong beat was a characteristic.

Jimmy Reed with Eddie Taylor - Big Boss Man

 Only known footage of Jimmy Reed and Eddie Taylor together.

Tony Joe White Polk Salad Annie

 later covered by Presley,

This blog

 

Ralph and Sue in about 1988

Discovered today I have been doing this blog for fifteen years! Yes such a long time. 

Soldiers Refreshing John Augustus Atkinson (1775–1833) Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery

 10th Light Dragoons 1807. More info here

The Monochrome Set - The Lighter Side of Dating

1980. Loved this band at the time. Saw them at Bath Uni and went backstage. 

Midsomer Norton's new chip shop

 

We visited this today. Very good. Check out the menus. Not sure if the opening hours but the chips tasted very good indeed. Look forward to trying other things. 

Death to the French C S Forester

 

This book I enjoyed when I was a lad. Wiki I remember when the Sharpe books came out I thought 'rip off of Death to the French'. Read it here (out of copyright in Canada)

Popioły (1965): Battle of Somosierra, 1808 ~ Polish Cavalry Charge

 The Ashes (Polish: Popioły) is a 1965 Polish drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda, referencing the classic Stefan Żeromski epic novel of Polish Literature of the same name. It was entered into the 1966 Cannes Film Festival.

The Battle of Somosierra took place on November 30, 1808, during the Peninsular War, when a French army under Napoleon I forced a passage through the Sierra de Guadarrama shielding Madrid.

Battle wiki

Shocking Blue - Inkpot 1972

 I like this. Sounds very of its time which is good. Crazy lyrics but fun. They sort of are like a real life Carrie Nations but Dutch. 

Inkpot album wiki

THE LEGEND OF EL CID Official Trailer (2020)

 Might be good. 

Me walking Leroy in 2006

 

Whitelands in the background. This is on the footpath that follows the old Somerset and Dorset railway line.

Seven Day Fool Etta James 1961

 This is excellent. 

1/32 Napoleonics

 

Since the 50th anniversary of the Waterloo movie I have had a revived interest in this period. So I have been looking at what is out there. A Call to Arms (pictured) have some useful sets which  are reasonably priced. This set is French line infantry 16 figs in 4 poses for less than a tenner. 

The Last Load from Kilmersdon

 A lot of this is Lower Writhlington but basically Radstock. Watch for free at the BFI

HOUND DOG TAYLOR let's get funky 1974

 This is great. Give it a spin, if you don't know it

Interesting book Napoleon's Waterloo Army uniforms and equipment

 

This book looks good. Amazon link

Victrix 1/32 Napoleonics

 

I think I would do Napoleonic in this scale. Here is what Victrix do. 

Denis Dighton Portuguese army 1812 pictures

10th Cavalry

Militia

4th Cacadores

I haven't been interested in the Napoleonic period for some time but am getting drawn to it, but I am a novice. Found these and thought they were good. More Denis Dighton

Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Pour Un Con

 Scene from Georges Lautner's film Le Pacha, 1968.

This is brilliant. I think I have posted this before but here we go. Requiem for a Jerk.

Robbie Robertson Talks About Sonny Boy Williamson (Language Warning)

 Robbie Robertson talks on The House of Blues Radio Hour about heading into Helena, Arkansas with bandmate Levon Helm to meet and spend time with Sonny Boy Williamson. In telling the story, Robertson uses language (in context) that may be offensive to some.

Top 10 Russian War Movies

 

The Last Frontier | Russian war movie trailer 2020

 New Russian WW2 movie set at the time of the battle of Moscow. 

Disappearing pubs of Frome

 Here for some old pubs of our youth including this one of the Pack Horse.

40 years ago. The terraplanes

 

So in the realm of 40 years ago the end of October 80 we formed the terraplanes. On bass and drums was Dave Mackay who was a fellow apprentice at the Frome printers Butlers and Tanners and Andy Payne. They were very young and had been in the band Radioactive Bodies. We drank at the Pack Horse pub though I think Dave and Andy weren't 18. I was only 20. We got on well with the Landlord Arthur and family so we're able to practice for free and store equipment upstairs. On Sundays we would have a roast dinner there so we would practice all weekend.   We made our first demo on 28 December so you can imagine we had our noses to the grindstone. It never occurred to us to maybe do some Animals & men songs at that time as we thought we were going to be better. See more Terraplanes pics here

Stray Cats - Runaway Boys [Top Of The Pops 1980]

 Released 40 years ago today. I bought it. Did you?

The Wild Angels ~1966

 Stars Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra. Wiki. Watch the first five minutes. It's good.  

The Wild Angels is a 1966 American outlaw biker film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Made on location in Southern California, The Wild Angels was the first film to associate actor Peter Fonda with Harley-Davidson motorcycles and 1960s counterculture. It inspired the biker film genre that continued into the early 1970s. 

Gene Vincent I'm Movin' On 1969

 This I think is backed by the Wild Angels. It has a really good sound to it - it rocks in a way only Gene could. 

Marlene Dietrich sings Falling in Love Again from The Blue Angel 1930

 90 years since the film that made Marlene Dietrich an international star. 

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Official Trailer | Netflix

Article on it here. Not a Ma Rainey fan but this looks worth seeing and may pave the way for more movies about Black entertainers.

 Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), her ambitious horn player (Chadwick Boseman), and the white management determined to control the legendary “Mother of the Blues.” Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, directed by George C. Wolfe. Starring Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, Glynn Turman, Dusan Brown and Taylour Paige. Coming to Netflix December 18. Watch Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, In select theaters November and on Netflix December 18: https://www.netflix.com/title/81100780

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - "Pirate Love" (Live, 1975)

 Great song. Possibly the best Heartbreakers song. 

John Evans

 

John Evans Who Was Buried Without Food or Light, During the Space of 12 Days & Nights, in a Coal Pit at Minera, near Wrexam, 1819.

Elvis Presley - Crawfish (Film King Creole) with Kitty White

The best song from the best Elvis film. 

Jean "Kitty" Bilbrew (7 July 1923 - 11 August 2009) was a 1950s/60s jazz vocalist, who for years was a nightclub favorite among audiences in Los Angeles, known for her sophisticated songs with well-traveled lyrics. Crawfish by Fred Wise and Ben Weisman Excerpt from Film "King Creole" (1958)

My Sonny Boy playlist

 Some of the best of SBW2.

Only Ones - Lovers Of Today 1977

 Everyone knows 'Another Girl Another Planet' but I think this, their first single is better. Saw them a bit later than this at Bristol.

The Dirtbombs - Can't Stop Thinking About It (Peel Session)2001

 The best gig we ever saw at Moles club in Bath was the Dirtbombs. Very good. We had an excellent spot at the front too. They did this one.

New Fish and chip shop for Midsomer Norton

 

Looks good. Best of luck.

France Gall - Laisse tomber les filles 1964

A Serge Gainsbourg composition. An English translation by April March was in the movie Deathproof. 

Week-End / Week-end (1967) - Trailer French

 On the subject of Week-End here is a film that I have seen and I can't say I understood it but I did enjoy it. Wiki

Summer Days by Weekend (Old Grey Whistle test) 1982 ish

 I really liked this band and it now evokes pleasant memories. The debut album is great and worth playing. 

More Youth Wing photos.

 

These are from 1978. More here. Sue took these. I hadn't told her I was in a band until then.  Kev told me we were called the Fixx then. We had many names - Contenders, Thunderbirds.

The Troggs - Night of the Long Grass [1967]

 From Andover. One of our favourite groups of this era. 

I look around, leaves are brown now And the sky is a hazy shade of winter

 Simon and Garfunkel. Good one for this time of year.

Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs "Black Sheep"

 single (1967)

Reigning Sound - "Falling Rain" (Live at WFUV)

 Six years old but still sounding fresh. 

1988/1588

 Back in 88 we did a weeks living history looking after some St Kilda Sheep and talking about the wool trade. My hat I bought off the famous Kirstie Buckland who knitted and researched it

Battle of Schöngrabern 1805

 Good excuse to show a scene from one of the greatest films ever made War and Peace (Voyna I Mir) 1966-7. Wiki on the battle

Loaded 50th anniversary

 Classic album by the Velver Underground is 50. 

Snatch - Joey, Live at Hurrah Nightclub, New York, 1980

  Patti Palladin & Judy Nylon. A rare glimpse at a much underrated band. They made some great singles.

Gently Johnny The Wicker Man 1973

 This is what pubs should be like. Love the Wicker Man soundtrack - this was cut from the original print I believe. Film wiki

Spotify Playlist Hound Dog Taylor

 My favourite HDT songs in one place

Days of King Monmouth

 If you don't have a copy of my booklet on the Monmouth rebellion it is on ebay.

The Ikettes I'm Blue

 Classic clip of a great song. Wiki

Union of Salvation (2019) full movie with English subtitles

 Thanks to David for this.

The Union of Salvation is a 2019 Russian military-drama feature film directed by Andrei Kravchuk, which tells the story of the Decembrist uprising of 1825 in the capital of the Russian Empire, St. Petersburg.

This is epic cinema. If you like Russian history then try it.

"Living the Blues" with Hubert Sumlin

 Blues guitar great Hubert Sumlin reminisces about Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, and then does some jamming in a guitar shop in this excerpt from the DVD "Hubert Sumlin - Living the Blues."

Bartolini and Hubert Sumlin

Hubert Sumlin, the Wolf's main man used a Bartolini guitar. See pics here
 

At the Cellar Bar Taunton

 So in about 1979 I was still singing and blowing harp for the Bad Detectives whenever they got gigs. We got asked to play the Cellar bar in Taunton which is about 30 miles away from Frome. I had the idea of hiring a coach and filling it up with our Frome friends. This was done without any knowledge of what the Cellar bar was like. We got down and set up the kit and it became apparent that this was a biker hangout. Not many people there initially but we did notice that the girls were drinking pints something we had not seen before. 

We started our set and we started getting jeers from the small crowd. At first I was winding the small crowd saying things like 'this is by Led Zeppelin. Oh no it's not and so on. Then suddenly an additional load of bikers turned up. Big blokes who I later found out they all worked for Taunton meat haulage - they were big. We were just into the song Psychotic reaction and all hell was let loose. Someone got hurled through the air crashing into the drum kit and all over people were fighting. I said to everyone nearby to grab some kit and get outside. This was when we realised we had to ascend stairs to get out and we had a job of reaching the green outside. Outside we piled up the kit. The bikers seemed to not follow us outside they were content to chase us out. So we had to wait for the coach - the police came to guard us and it transpired someone had been stabbed though not seriously. We managed to get home all right with no losses of equipment. But ever after that we have always been hesitant in bringing a crowd to gigs. Some gigs expect you to provide an audience of friends but we have never done it. Once at a gig in London we got asked 'where are all your friends?' We used this as a title for a CD we did.

Radstock's old newspapers online

 https://radstock.nub.news/n/archive-news

Jesus and Mary Chain, Cracking Up on Later With Jools Holland

 Good song from about 98 I think

Love Buzz Shocking Blue 1969

 Dutch band. Wiki

Nivelle 1813

 The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the River Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814).

DR. FEELGOOD Going Back Home 1976 - Rare !

 From "Beau Fixe Sur Pithiviers", French TV, 14th August 1976

Trailer Scarlet Tunic 1998

 If you like Napoleonic movies and Thomas Hardy you may enjoy it. Has the late John Sessions in it. I remember when this was being filmed. 

Based on a Thomas Hardy short story, The Melancholy Hussar, Scarlet Tunic is set in Dorset in 1802 and shows the irritable love between a station German soldier (Jean-Marc Barr) and a local catholic girl (Emma Fielding). Directed by Stuart St Paul.

From Imdb

The spectacular scenery of Wessex and the Dorset coast provides the backdrop for this adaptation of a Thomas Hardy short story. Set in nineteenth century rural England, this is the story of forbidden romance between a German hussar serving with King George III's personal cavalry, Matthaus Singer, and the only daughter of a West country solicitor, Frances Groves. The German legion is encamped on the downs as the threat of war with Napoleon looms. Matthaus longs for his homeland and Frances is trapped in an interminable engagement to one of her father's business associates, Humphrey Gould. Illicit meetings between Frances and Matthaus flare into a passionate affair as each searches for escape and happiness. Were they to be discovered, she would be branded a soldier's whore and he a disgrace to his regiment...

Reigning Sound - North Cackalacky Girl (Live)

 This is really good. Cackalacky means Carolina. The whole album Shattered is great. 

When we had pinball

 

not our tables but they were like these

Back in the early 80s we had 2 pinballs in our spare room. It came about when we bumped into an old school friend Kim Perkins who since school had amassed a lot of fruit machines, pintables and juke boxes. But more importantly he had a van. He became our roadie taking us to two gigs in South Somerset. He offered them to us and we were happy to say yes. We had a room where we had nothing so an ideal place. Two old 60s pinballs. Can't remember the names and there are no photos. Getting them upstairs was not easy. But playing in the dark in the middle of the night lit only by the table was priceless. People used to come to our house and go straight upstairs and we didnt mind. We didn't take any money - we kept the front flaps open. Eventually we grew bored with them and needed the space so Kim came and got them back but it is a happy memory. 

Midsomer Norton Carnival 2017

It is usually the carnival season in North Somerset at the moment. It is a big deal for the area. People come from all over to go. But this year it is not on. Takes a whole year to create the floats or carts as they are known as. Norton's carnival is pretty good. Here is a film Sue took from Celia's balcony. 

 Illuminated carnival from North Somerset. Filmed in the High Street by Sue Mitchard. 13th November 2017. All credit to the participants and organisers

Shakin' Street - MC5 1970

 This is a song that we play at practices - it's fun to do some covers - it's a great song.

 Little Orphan Annie and sweet sue too

They've been coming around
Gives 'em somethin' to do
Their mamas all warned 'em not to come to town
It got into their blood
Now they gonna get down

Shakin' street, it's got that beat
Shakin' street, where all the kids meet
Shakin' street, it's got that sound
Shakin' street, say you gotta get down

Streetlight Sammy decided to make the trip
All the way from New Jersey on his girlfriend's tip
He pulled into town and met skinny leg Pete
Said, "Come here, boy, I heard about the streets"
I heard about the place where all the kids go
Now, I'm a about to flip, by just gotta know about

The shakin' street, it's got that beat
Shakin' Street, where all the kids meet
Shakin' street, it's got that sound
Shakin' street, say you gotta get down

Well the kids on shakin' street never give in
'Cause all of their lives they've been livin' in sin
You know that they're bad
You know that they're mad
They take for the takin'
And they shake for the shakin'

Shakin', shakin', shakin'

The folks keep complaining they find it so shockin'
All the kids wanna do is just keep on rockin'
They ain't got no time to think about stoppin'
They gotta get down and do a little stompin'
Now Sally Baker wants to shake her shaker
And Bobby C. says he's gonna take her to

The shakin' street, it's got that beat
Shakin' street, where all the kids meet
Shakin' street, it's got that sound
Shakin' street, you gotta get down

Shakin' street, it's got that beat
Shakin' street, where all the kids meet
Shakin' street, it's got that sound
Shakin' street, say you gotta get down

Me and Rich at the Toga party in 2006

 At our old place at Tyning. Was good fun.  My daughter was working at a bakers and brought home about 3 sacks of buns. We distributed them around the place in little piles and then started a bun fight. It was great fun. 

Stereolab - Wow and Flutter (Official Video) 1994

We used to like Stereolab - there wasn't many bands from that era we liked but liked this band.

 ‘Wow and Flutter’ from Stereolab's album ‘Mars Audiac Quintet’. Video directed and produced by Nick Abrahams and Mikey Tomkins.

Beatles 60 years ago today

This Facebook group is very good. It follows day by day the exploits of the soon to be fab four. 5th of November was this famous photo by Astrid - has been colourised. 
 

Disco 45

 So who remembers the mag Disco 45? Apparently launched in November 1970 so fifty years ago. Finished in 1983. Full of lyrics to the current hits. Some of the lyrics not accurate. Wiki

IF.... (Starring Malcolm McDowell) Original Theatrical Trailer

 This film from 1968 is one of my favourites. It reminds me of school days when I used to get regularly caned. At least that has stopped. I mean in schools. 

News of the World - Official Trailer

 News of the World - In Theaters Christmas

This Christmas, Universal Pictures is proud to present Tom Hanks starring in News of the World, a moving story written and directed by Paul Greengrass, reuniting for the first time with his star from their 2013 Best Picture nominee Captain Phillips. Five years after the end of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks), a widower and veteran of three wars, now moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe. In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna (Helena Zengel, System Crasher), a 10-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier and raised as one of their own. Johanna, hostile to a world she’s never experienced, is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two will face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place that either can call home.

The Stooges • 1970 (I Feel Alright) • Live at the Goose Lake Festival • 8 August 1970

 This is pretty good if you haven't seen it. Hard to believe it's 50 years old.

Dutch pinball Museum.

 This place in Rotterdam looks worth a visit. Over 100 tables! Webpage

Peter Greenaway's The Draughtsman's Contract, 1982 (trailer)

 This was a great film. Loved it and the soundtrack. And strangely they mention Radstock in reference to an orchard. It's an unconventional film but it is worth watching. Up in parts on Youtube.

A Zed & Two Noughts ( 1985) teaser

 Wiki Someone who was also popular in the 80s was Peter Greenaway. His films also were noted for using Michael Nyman for the music. Sue and I bought the soundtracks for this and the classic Draughtsman's Contract. Still have them. We went to a screening of his famous 'The Cook, the Thief, his wife and her lover' with a Peter Greenaway Q&A and Sue who was pregnant threw up. 

Roselyne Et Les Lions 1989 Full movie including subtitles

Roselyne et les lions (Roselyne and the Lions) is a 1989 French film directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix.

Thierry (Gérard Sandoz) drops out of school to apprentice as a lion tamer at the zoo when he meets Roselyne (Isabelle Pasco), who shares his passion. They fall in love and when he loses his job, the young lovers journey across France finding odd jobs at several circuses. In Germany, they fall under the tutelage of aging big cat trainer, Klint (Gunter Meisner), and while they are closer to realizing their dreams, they find that their success drives them apart.

Jean-Jacques Beineix

 This director was very well liked in the 80s. I liked his films too. I think it was the film Diva (1981) that first alerted me to his style.  The poster (above) was everywhere and I am sure the FACE magazine featured it. He is credited with being an exponent of the Cinema du look.  I guess his most famous film is Betty Blue (1986) which was an international hit. Here's one of the musical themes in the film - it has an excellent soundtrack. 

Inez and Charlie Foxx - No Stranger To Love (Swingin' Time - Sep 10, 1966)

Pleasantly surprised to find this. Not one of their hits but still very good to see.

his brother/sister duo from Greensboro made a little noise on the soul scene in the '60s. They signed with Juggy Murray Jones' Symbol label in 1962. Their biggest hit was "Mockingbird," in 1963, which was a number two R&B and number seven pop smash.

Beatles pinball

 All my kids like pinball so I am hoping someone in Liverpool gets this machine so my son could play it. It looks great.

Adam and the Ants - Nietzsche Baby 1979

Today is the birthday of Adam and Matthew Ashman so I thought I would pick one of my favourites that feature those two that you might not know. 

 Live at the Chancellor Hall, Chelmsford, 04/02/1979

"Some Other Guy " The Beatles at the Cavern REMASTER Take one and two.

 So here are the Beatles at the Cavern Club in 1962 when Ringo had just replaced Pete Best. It is a cover of course song wiki but the Beatles did loads of covers in the Hamburg years. If you want to hear the original go here

The Mersey Sound Aka Liverpool - Home Of The Mersey Sound (1964)

Our son lives in Liverpool so I am interested in it. Since August my Grandson lives there too and I will have to face the fact that he will grow to have a Liverpool accent. That's fine by us. Anyway this is a great documentary about the famous city during its musical explosion. My son worked in the Liver building for a while but now he works from home. 

Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe - Can I Do It For You?

 Memphis Minnie is probably the most successful female blues musician. She made 200 recordings. Here she duets with her then husband. It's well worth listening to as it is a kind of feminist anthem, with her resisting the advances and turns down a strip of land and a diamond ring. The themes were taken on with the song Hey Gyp by Donovan. 

Geeshie Wiley - Last Kind Words Blues 1930

 The most enigmatic blues player is a woman. No known photos.

Geeshie Wiley was an American country blues singer and guitar player who recorded six songs for Paramount Records, issued on three records in April 1930. According to the blues historian Don Kent, Wiley "may well have been the rural South's greatest female blues singer and musician". Little is known of her life, and there are no known photographs of her. She may have been born Lillie Mae Boone, later Lillie Mae Scott.

The Saints - Live 1977

 Never saw the Saints though I bought their singles when they came out - this is good almost as good as seeing them live. 

This Perfect Day 0:00 Run Down 2:12 Erotic Neurotic 4:56 Demolition Girl 8:11 Nights In Venice 9:55

Kubrick's Napoleon

 

This is an image from a book originally limited to 1000 on the film called The Greatest Movie Never made.  Apparently the uniforms were going to be made of paper. There are copies of a different edition of the book on Amazon - 35 quid. Here are a few images I found from the book.

Last practice for a month

 We had our last rehearsal before the lockdown yesterday.