Snowy refections toward Winter

Last week Winter came early as temperatures plunged to minus four, snow came although for us it was around two and half to just over three centimetres unlike our neighbours higher up who had more of it and in some spots such as around Ilam in the Staffordshire Moorlands school was closed as the village was cut off.

Those kinds of experiences I remember quite well from the days of walking through the snow at school, armed with change for the callboxes in case I needed to summon help and a few hours later writing down after tea all about it.
 

When I say writing down all about I don't mean just a cold factual this is what happened today list with linking words statement, I mean writing about how I felt about about it, what thoughts were going through my mind.

 

That wasn't easy given the whole idea of reflection is something that never was talked about and it was rare for people to ask you even what you felt about anything, so like you had feelings but often great difficult in knowing where to start conveying them.

But I did seem to find I could find a way of doing it "on paper" if perhaps I might well be more expressive if we could go off somewhere quiet with a few dolls and show more through play how I was feeling.
 

That's why in a way being along this more child-like pathway really has over the years been better for me cos at least it helps in getting that whole side better so you do feel okay about showing more about your emotions and knowing just how and what you feel about things.

Sometimes people conflict what they may think about and idea or thing a person did which you may feel is wrong with how as a person, when you know and have been with them heaps they really are even if perhaps you don't agree with something or other they are doing.

I met and have spent time with some very famous people for hours on end, sometimes with their family too outside of politics, public roles and so on so it kind of irritates me to hear people saying "X was Evil" for some policy that you may of disagreed with, perhaps even with good reason that cannot be equated to that of an evil act, when you know they were just not like it cos You had been with them just talking, enjoying a meal, even perish the thought, playing with them.

You also know how kind they were to you personally, even offering you help at garden parties and children's parties on landed estates, playing games, rowing along pools and lakes.

Sometimes I feel that funny adult trend of judging people by things like politics really makes little sense as you really don't know anything about the person themselves.

It won't be long before the big countdown to Christmas begins so the Advent calender is ready to go up in a week or so.

Sun in stereo!

It's a few years since I looked at a series that rounded up around a theme a group of mainly American hits typical twenty-five or more and presented them in something called "Digitally Extracted Stereo" or D.e.s. for short.

This is very different than often crude and hard to listen to attempts to create stereo from mono recordings either by smothering in echo or pushing low and hi notes to the left or right channel and does create a realistic sounding stereo spread with instruments and even whole vocals seperated out and placed. 

This latest volume looks at Sun Records, the Memphis, Tn, label that was one of the very first to launch rock and roll from the mid 1950's and covers many hugely influential artists and songs often covered by others not least the "British Invasion" groups of the mid 1960's. 

We get prime slices of Elvis in his pre RCA output, Jackie Brenston's Rock 88 arguably the first ever rock and roll record ever, rockabilly by Carl Perkin's including Honey Don't as featured by the Beatles on the album Beatles '65, Jerry Lee Lewis  and the Big O himself Roy Orbision.

Country is also represented with Charlie Rich and Johnny Cash too.

These are the original hit recordings sounding as full and clear as they can from very good sources and if you are lacking a sampler of the Sun Records output can be strongly recommended.

Updating the nows - Now Yearbook 1977

We pick up from ourlast main entry from May 6th  where we went back to 1974 with this, the 1977 edition as we didn't bother with vinyl copies of the outstanding 80's and 90's editions released between these two.

 

1977 was many things.

It was the year of the Silver Jubilee with all the street parties, events including presentations of commemorative mugs at school marking it, it was when officially I became a teenager when magazines like Look-In and features on pop music mattered as I was very much into music back then.

It was the year that saw much of the mainstays of 1972-1976 drop out of the charts and new more direct "new wave" bands come in.

We had The Muppet Show on ATV at the weekends that was must see tv which for us back then was in colour and Mutli-Coloured Swap Shop on the BBC although we loved 'Tiswas" on ATV Saturday mornings.

It was also ten years since Radio One started in September 1967.

As with all vinyl editions this is a three lp version reduced to just 49 tracksand reordered to fit the format compared with cd versions with single thin jacket and lined inners.
 

We kick off LP1 with a timeless anthem from Queen with ‘We Are The Champions’ from the News of the World album and followed by the huge instrumental rock of ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’ by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. 

The song that would open ‘Live Aid’ years later is next up from Status Quo with their signature ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’although it was written by John Fogarty, and followed with classic pop-rock from 10CC with ‘Good Morning Judge’ and Yes with their huge hit ‘Wonderous Stories from the Going For The One allbum.’. 

Hot Chocolate enjoyed their first #1 with ‘So You Win Again’, and Donna Summer and Boney M. both make the first of two appearances on this collection with Top 3 pop smashes ‘Love’s Unkind’ and ‘Ma Baker’….

Flipping over for a side two we are celebrating easy-listening pop brilliance, and opening with a run of four #1s: Manhattan Transfer with ‘Chanson D’Amour’, David Soul with the UK and US #1 ‘Don’t Give Up On Us that some were infactuated with’, Leo Sayer with another trans-Atlantic chart topper ‘When I Need You’, and Deniece Williams with ‘Free’. 

Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Sam’ continues the run of pop gems that also includes #1 ‘Angelo’ from Brotherhood Of Man’, ‘You’re Moving Out Today’ from Carole Bayer Sager and Meri Wilson’s unforgettable ‘Telephone Man’. The superb vocals from Elkie Brooks on ‘Pearl’s A Singer’ closes the first LP in style.

LP2 opens with an amazing run of punk and new wave classics that I mentioned at the start: The Stranglers with ‘No More Heroes’, The Clash with their debut ‘White Riot’, Ramones with ‘Sheena Is A Punk Rocker’, and The Jam with their first Top 20 hit ‘All Around The World.

 Elvis Costello with the classy ‘Watching The Detectives’ leads into defining tracks from Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers with Roadrunner, Boz Scaggs, and Ram Jam plus a hit from the tv soundtrack to ‘Rock Follies'.

Flipping over to side 2 European disco leads the hits with Baccara’s chart-topping ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, alongside massive tracks from Belle Epoque and the debut ‘Daddy Cool’ for Boney M. ‘The Crunch’ from The Rah Band was an instrumental smash, as was disco-flavoured re-working of the ‘Star Wars’ theme which gave Meco a US chart topper. 

The side winds down with two of the years’ biggest soul ballads – the Floaters hit #1 in August with ‘Float On’, and the Commodores released an all-time classic, with ‘Easy’, featuring Lionel Richie on vocals.

The concluding LP opens with one of music’s defining moments: Donna Summer’s #1 ‘I Feel Love’ with its production showcasing the role of the synthesizer – the track not only signalled the future direction of pop music but has also filled dancefloors since its 1977 release. 

The Trammps ‘Disco Inferno’, Heatwave with ‘Boogie Nights’, The Emotions’ ‘Best Of My Love’, Rose Royce with ‘Car Wash’, chart newcomers Chic with ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’, ‘Nights On Broadway’ from Candi Staton and side-closer ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ from Thelma Houston all feature here in a stellar run to celebrate disco as one of the dominant genres in 1977 and was set to dominate in future years.

The final side opens with the sumptuous ‘Telephone Line’ from the Electric Light Orchestra, and ‘Silver Lady’, the second track and second #1 from David Soul on this collection.. Smokie had an enduring hit with ‘Living Next Door To Alice’, and 10cc hit big again with ‘The Things We Do For Love’. 

Liverpool Express and Alessi Brothers enjoyed hit ballads, whilst 1977’s singles chart saw ‘Way Down’ from Elvis Presley go to #1 in the wake of his death of which I did own a copy at the time. The final track is 1977’s biggest seller – the first single to sell over two million copies! – and the years’ Christmas #1!! as ‘Mull Of Kintyre’ from Paul McCartney & Wings closes this retrospective.

That was the last single I bought in 1977 after Jonathan Richman's Egyptian Reggae and that diversity is really what I loved pop music back then and the loss of Marc Bolan that year hit more more than Elvis Presley not least as I'd spent half my life following growing up with him.

GHS Halloween Party

Well it may get done today as we're doing things a bit differently, a bit more rapidly than usual  but we did get away against most odds with a host issues to work through but it did happen.

Fun thing number one was having booked a cab to get the main rail station here rather limited services more directly "in area", the cab is running late which meant it was as well I allowed very generous timings from projected arrival to when the first preference train would depart.

Then you find the driver doesn't know one route at all although they had a sat nav app on their smartphone and doesn't seem to know the other that well so by the time you encounter roadworks and diversions, well my work is cut out remember 15 year old routes from roughly when we had a car, that went across that area and the back routes to the Town centre.

We did get there thank heavens in reasonable time, enough to buy a Royal British Legion remembrance badge from the sellers at the station and get on platform five for the Avanti service to London Euston that did call where I wanted quicker and the dash to get another cab to the venue.

I arrived doing a quick change act to more suitable skirt before chatting and having a cod and chips tea which having not eaten since midday was much appreciated.

Things were somewhat spookiness inside and out and on Saturday a few others had come as I read my comic and chatted a bit before settling down to a burger and fried onions ready for the Treasure Hunt which took the form of racing around the garden trying to find sheep to which you then place in a pen after having each one recorded.

We then moved on and in my instance took off coat and jumper to Lantern making from carving a pumpkin which had proved a bit elusive in some areas to get but fortunately Jennifer had bought one for me which also saved something more reminiscent of carrying a old school Medicine Football and that was mine carved. 

By early evening it was time for the fireworks display as we battled out out with the massive display in the West Midlands for bangs getting though a good number of fireworks and unlike last year we it was dry which was more fun.

I got through three sparklers which is a lot more than usual as post accident I have massive grip and shaking issues in my hands to the point I didn't safe holding a  flaming *anything* in my hands with dropping either on me or anyone else but did manage that which was personal triumph after all these decades.

We had a bring along a bit of something buffet afterwards, with me avoiding anything connected with cheese for reasons those who know will well understand (you wouldn't want to next me if accidentally had any!)

That was followed by Jennifer's General Knowledge and Music quiz which I score a reasonable 29 out of fifty and a good laugh was had taking part in which is the bigger thing really.

After what seemed an eternity for those of us on early bedtimes, we did get to sleep after talking through the next meet up and other related stuff to get up later the next morning for a Bacon sandwich before heading for a meal.

The meal was scrumptious, I opted for a Turkey Roast, a Sticky Toffee Treacle sweet and a orange flavoured J20 which I must admit was the for time I drunk one and it was really smooth which helped my throat a bit.

Everybody else's look good, was well presented and we had steady walk back before people made their way back home before Iris and Mary kindly offered me a lift to the station where although we had missed one by minutes the next wasn't long back home to the door at decent hour.

I'd like to thank Jennifer for her hospitality, Andi for the trifle, help in the kitchen plus technical support with fireworks and everybody for making it a fun time

* assembled on Asus Chromebook with NO processing or picture editing*