Changes

 

The last week didn't have the best of starts with the great food allergy reaction knocking me out for a bit but I did manage to get done a few things that I felt really needed to happen.

One was to deal with the excess of glasswear that had been Mom's passion in the years before her death taking over the front room not least the area around the fireplace that was extended some forty years ago along the walls.

The things that were very much her such as weird cats and other animals stayed but the many perfume bottles have gone tidying up that area and allowing more space between each remaining item.

The other was replacing a old tape recorder that seldom got use for something more useful like a better turntable and preamp that also replaces a old record player for just playing the record for just background music into the Roberts DAB+ radio where the main turntable is plugged elsewhere into a full blown hifi.

It's Canadian designed but made in Taiwan with a walnut finish which looks better in what is very much a domestic space. I mean I have a stuffie on the top of it!!!

That just does the job well and is being well used.

Updating the nows - Now Yearbook 1971

Delayed from being released early last month for unexplained reasons at the same time as the cd versions we had on October 2nd the latest 70's volume of Now Yearbook and era poorly compiled  at the time.

This is a selection from the 4 cd but makes sense as this was the era of playing records and we had Hot Hits remakes for Music For Pleasure and the Top of the Pops series for Hallmark as hit compilations of original tracks just weren't a thing in 1971.

To play it takes you back to then.

Record one starts with a series of classic songs and performances starting with Elton John’s signature ‘Your Song’ leads, followed by Paul McCartney’s debut solo single ‘Another Day’. U.S. classics next: Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ is as popular today as it was in ’71, as is John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’. Country-pop hits for Lynn Anderson and Olivia Newton-John come ahead of the debut single from Carly Simon and to close the side, Judy Collins’ version of ‘Amazing Grace’ was massive hit and would end up spending an incredible 67 weeks on the UK charts!...flip the LP over for Rod Stewart with his first chart-topper ‘Maggie May’ alongside the second #1 for T.Rex with ‘Get It On’ and also the second chart-topper for Mungo Jerry with ‘Baby Jump’. The Kinks and Free follow leading to two of the defining anthems of the era, The Who’s epic ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ closing with Deep Purple with ‘Strange Kind Of Woman’. 

Record two  first side opens with some of ‘71’s most soulful ballads: Al Green’s ‘Tired Of Being Alone’ is followed by Diana Ross, who hit #1 with ‘I’m Still Waiting’ and the Jackson 5 hit the top in the U.S. with one of their most beloved tracks, ‘I’ll Be There’. The Tams enjoyed a #1 with the re-released Northern Soul classic ‘Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me’, and leads a run including The Elgins, The Supremes and ‘I'm Gonna Run Away From You’ from Tami Lynn. The side winds down with two stunning ballads from The Delfonics with ‘La La Means I Love You’ and The Temptations with ‘Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)

Side  two opens with ’Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves’ gave Cher a U.S. #1 and Cilla Black was back in the UK Top 3 with ‘Something Tells Me…’. followed by Tony Christie leading a run of pure-pop gems from Bay City Rollers, Middle Of The Road with their #1 ‘Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep’, The Mixtures, Clodagh Rodgers (with 1971’s UK Eurovision entry), and ‘Knock Three Times’, the first #1 for Tony Orlando & Dawn while the side concludes with the Top 10 hit, ‘I Believe (In Love)’ for Hot Chocolate. 

The third LP kicks off with T.Rex and their first #1 ’Hot Love’, the first #1 from the ‘glam’ scene that would dominate the singles charts over the next few years. Peter Noone enjoyed a big hit covering David Bowie’s ‘Oh You Pretty Things’ and is followed by early glam-pop favourites from Sweet and Slade. Up next, Dave & Ansel Collins' groundbreaking chart-topper ‘Double Barrel’ which became the second ever reggae single to hit the UK #1 spot. Easy Listening gold up next from Perry Como, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley and to close the side ‘Till’ from Tom Jones

The final side holds a stellar run celebrating 1971’s groundbreaking soul classics, opening with Marvin Gaye’s landmark masterpiece ‘What’s Going On’, before the Oscar-winning ‘Theme From "Shaft"’ from Isaac Hayes and Ike & Tina Turner’s electrifying ‘Proud Mary’. Bill Withers’ sublime ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ leads to a final run of classics from Cat Stevens with ‘Wild World’, Joan Baez’s interpretation of ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’, and Janis Joplin’s posthumous hit – the timeless ‘Me And Bobby McGee’, and it’s left to Rod Stewart to sign off the year with his #1 ‘Reason To Believe’. 

This is a great round up of 1971 in all its variety as I recall it.

Teenbeat: Rubber Soul deluxe set

The last time Beatles remix campaigns were mentioned was November 7th 2022 and much as passed under the bridge personally and musically.

Everything had just been assumed that from 2014 all we'd have were approved nearly all original mixes re-mastered for cd and record seeing the milestones of the cd re-masters of 9/9/2009, the stereo lp version being issued in late 2012 and the 2014 mono remastered lps.

Then we began at the end of that decade of remixed deluxe sets that generally did little for me as in the main I am and remain happy with the original stereo and mono mixes and sometimes it's easy to correct one thing and yet make another mistake.

Sometimes things are best accepted as they are.

For me November 7 2022's Revolver stereo remix did overall a lot more good to the point I bought the single lp and that is my stereo go-to version.

Things got paused with the Now And Then single, the extended and remixed "Red" and "Blue" compilation and then in time for Christmas in 2024 the 1964 US mono albums set.

We resume rather late the main series with the stunning 1965 UK album Rubber Soul which came out in stand alone lp, cd and lp and cd super deluxe sets.

I opted for the five lp box set that has a new stereo remix, a selection of sessions, a new stereo edition of the Capitol version of Rubber Soul I grew up with, a repress of the UK Mono, a single and a big book.

It 's all in the box!

That's how it looks stored in box with the book in brown as it arrived at 09:55 on Thursday a day before formal release day.

The We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper single included has a new stereo remix in a period inner sleeve.

That's the new Capitol 12 track Rubber Soul from the original American tapes with two different songs, some different mixes and missing four tracks of the UK edition with added reverb some of us had sounding fuller than before even if compared to UK sourced versions there is generational loss.

The book has essays, interviews with John Lennon and Paul McCartney and photographs.

Regarding the remix which is the main thing with this set and the stand alone smaller packages, the aim has been rather than just move four tracks around the stereo spread which is all that could of been done for a good number of decades from when the sessions were recorded to using A.I demixing technology that learns the sounds of instruments and vocals so you end up with something more like modern multitrack so you can mix and position each element in stereo spread.

This does help as this album in its original rushed stereo mix often has backing on one channel and vocals on another.

It works well with much of the percussion centred which is far more balanced and the vocals sound more richer and lacks the artificial reverb  that was used for the 1987 cd and all subsequent new record and cd versions ever since.

I am not alone in feeling this is really well done and having listened to it several times feel this will be my stereo go to version.

I also have the 96khz 24 bit digital files of it.

1,300 posts

We may well be exiting this month with the last few days being more fall like before we enter October and all that has to bring but really we're 1,300 posts old this week  which is rather a lot of posts and a more years than frankly I care much for counting.

The earliest posts of this blog go back to the earliest of years to which I have notes about things I did, things I felt and did in days where there were photographs for some thing, those never got "digitized"  so we wrote the entries and if needed looked for suitable images that encapsulated what the post was about.

The blog proper began in the middle of the 2,000 on the back of old sites that offered limited blogging facilities and renewed old connections but it wasn't really until mid 2008 that we went direct digital photos to blog entries.

The blog always acknowledged my boy past although we don't go on and on about that like a broken record and talks of about my feminine side, how that comes out and what I like to wear and just why I detest being pidgeonholed by people who think there's ONLY one way to do it.

But it was always wider than that looking at vacations I took, my interests be they reading such as books plus comics and music be they records, cds or for a period the 90's tastic MiniDisc.

Photography was covered both as pictures taken or in terms of what I was using like these days this classic light meter which when used correctly can help avoid mistakes that just relying on the cameras own meter can make whither it's a film or digital model

What of the future of this blog?

Well had I of planned it, I may well of done a few things differently with more thematic headings and had running list of topic in any month I might cover rather than flying by the seat of my skirt but I can see it running at least another five years or so.

So hear's to more post and whatever changes might creep in.

Now Yearbook Vaults 1986

After a bit of a pause - and we're still waiting for the vinyl Now Yearbook 1971 - Now Yearbooks Vault series resumes in the mid 1980's when I was listening to the radio a lot, buying discounted singles and as it was 1986, making a start on a cd collection.

The vinyl edition has some 44 tracks across 3-LPs – pressed in gorgeous purple vinyl – from the 4 cd set but as this was how I listening music for most of the year vinyl's where it's at when it comes to the memories.

The series resumes in 1986 where some singles were overshadowed at the time, some were highlights from albums that had already sold huge amounts, some found greater success internationally – but some like me bought them anyway.

 Record One opens with ‘Only Love Remains’ a classic ballad from Paul McCartney, a Top 40 hit and the third U.K. single from his ‘Press To Play’ album, and is followed by another beautiful song, ‘The Miracle Of Love’ from Eurythmics, from their ‘Revenge’ album…Billy Idol continued his run of hits with ‘To Be A Lover’ and in the U.S. Tears For Fears enjoyed a hit in ’86 with a re-recorded version of their 1984 U.K. hit ‘Mothers Talk’ whilst Wang Chung hit the Top 3 with ‘Everybody Have Fun Tonight.

Bronski Beat had their final Top 20 hit with ‘C’Mon C’Mon’ and to finish the first side their former singer Jimmy Somerville features with his new band The Communards and their second single ‘Disenchanted’… flip the LP over and 1986 saw David Sylvian release his second solo album ‘Gone To Earth’ and from it the first single ‘Taking The Veil’. Talk Talk follow with ‘Living In Another World’ whilst members of Duran Duran feature in the next two tracks: Arcadia with ‘The Flame’, the last single taken from their album ‘So Red The Rose’, and John Taylor with his first solo single ‘I Do What I Do’, taken from the soundtrack for the film ‘9½ weeks’. Grace Jones features with ‘I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You)’ ahead of Swiss duo Yello with ‘Goldrush’ from their acclaimed ‘One Second’ album, and closing LP1, Big Audio Dynamite with ‘C’Mon Every Beatbox’. 

Record Two starts in superb style is Bruce Springsteen with his defining live cover of ‘War’, a Top 20 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K. followed by power-pop from Mike + The Mechanics, The Bangles and Chris Rea with the single version of the title track from his 1986 album – that would become a bigger hit two years later in a remixed version. Sting is up next with the final single – ‘Moon Over Bourbon Street’ – from his debut ‘The Dream Of The Blue Turtles’ ahead of jazz influenced tracks from Carmel and Matt Bianco – and the side closes with The Housemartins and ‘Sheep’ … whilst over on the other side… a stellar opening of alt-pop featuring Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Stranglers. Pop icon Sandie Shaw released the fantastic ‘Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? And Everything But The Girl’s ‘Come On Home’, the first single from their third album ‘Baby, The Stars Shine Bright’ is featured ahead of the closing trio of sophisticated pop from Fine Young Cannibals, ABC and Nick Heyward with ‘Goodbye Yesterday’ from his Postcards From Home album.

Record Three opens with a run of synth-pop tracks from Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Howard Jones, Ultravox and Nik Kershaw, a style that was slowly leaving the charts plus Paul Young, Dee C. Lee and the side’s closing track, a stunning song from Elton John, ‘Cry To Heaven’…and over on the final side Billy Joel enjoyed his 27th U.S. Top 40 single with ‘A Matter Of Trust’, ahead of huge U.S. hits for Daryl Hall, Belinda Carlisle, Heart and Pat Benatar, and to finish, two legendary vocalists: Aretha Franklin with ‘Another Night’ and Lionel Richie with ‘Love Will Conquer All’ which gave him his twelfth consecutive solo Top 10 hit in the U.S.

1986 was diverse, sometimes too diverse but this adds nicely to my original Now and Hits albums with things that missed UK hit centred compilations

The stuff of dreams

Photograph in some capacity or other was always a thing with me from 127 mini roll film cameras, 120 6x6 frame models I had in as a child to the ill-fated Kodak Disc camera to a Vivitar 35mm compact camera that focused itself and even fed the film through.

Then in the mid 1990's came the Olympus full blown system cameras, the OM4 especially with a crateful of lenses, T32 flash, Winder 2 for eating film in seconds and a stash of Practical Photography, Photo Answers  and Photo Techniques magazines, a fair few lurk in the spare room in a box.

While many put their trust in auto focusing and many program modes I was winding film on, focusing by hand and learning metering techniques.

It's fair to say many were more impressed with my pictures than what they'd achieved with those plastic and silicon wonder cameras and really that's where things stayed until I got the Nikon D3500 in 2019 because better results than a compact digital camera for blogs was more what I was needed.

As we entered the 2000's I was more into having films scanned and seeing support for the Olympus OM System drifting away in a radically different world I often thought of a "last film camera system" as while elements of the OM4 were superb such as the spot metering and exposure memory the fastest shutter speed was 1/2000th of a second, the fastest speed I could with flash was a miserly 1/60th which wasn't so go good for fill-in flash and doing multiple exposures was messy.

Thus for many a year I coveted what in many was a much simplier camera that could use a good number of the auto focus lenses that were easier to get and often had modern internal designs.

The Nikon FM2n that originally came out in this form in 1982 was it, with a precision  mechanically controlled shutter that went up to 1/4000th of second but a shutter that could work with flash up to 1/250th of second which was more usable.

Being mechanical, it only needed a couple of LR or SR44 batteries for the meter indicator showing if needed less or more exposure even if that was centre-weighted which I was used to and could predict any errors.

The top plate was delightfully fuss free and overall ergonomics were fantastic - it would just let you get on with things with the eyepiece held to your eye with not one menu tree to explore.

Talking of eye pieces it took 19mm circle correction lenses for those of us who struggle with things in the distance and this variable one just screws in making focusing easy.

Back then there was much arguing in camera clubs and magazines about the best sorts of lenses to use I decided as this was "for best" we'd go with a 50mm so-called standard lens as I found the quality was a bit better and as they had wider apertures than most standard zooms you could more easily get backgrounds out of focus which helps.

I feel lost without that 50.

This example was from 1982, a little more plastic than the earliest but a great performer.

Using that lens with this Teleplus 2x converter doubles the focal length so it becomes a telephoto lens and by setting the focus to 0.45 metres and turning the minimum distance ring on this 2x converter it becomes a macro lens capable of reproducing things life size saving on having a separate lens for that.

I always had a spare Tamron 28mm wide angle lens as it was razor sharp and light, ideal for scenic or whole buildings.

Sometimes you might wish to go wider although you need to think carefully about composition and metering as often sky will show in a good portion of the picture.

This 20mm lens was available in both Vivitar and Cosina brands although in truth both came from the same factory and offers that ultra wide view.

I went with the Cosina branded version as it was noticeably cheaper!

For when I wanted a telephoto I have bear in mind one major thing that doesn't apply as much with digital cameras - the total weight of a camera and lens needs to be below when my hands shake otherwise I'd be totally restricted to photographing with a tripod which isn't always the most practical.

Better quality telezooms that equal single length telephoto lenses in quality and lens speed are both very expensive and very heavy - too heavy for me - so I decided I would compromise with a slightly slower 135mm (F3.5) telephoto as it's things within that range I tend to use use for telephoto work and they tend to be the lightest models.

The loss of half a "F stop" isn't that noticeable in practice 

Being of simpler construction often in more difficult conditions the image quality can be better with less reflectance internally.

That for decades that dream lived on as just that but soon for one last time I'll have that as a new (to me) film camera and accessories, the last ever one I'll need skewed to my needs to use purely for fun.

That's what I tend to miss the most in the digital era.

A day out

Bone ache isn't my idea of fun to be honest but when you have made arrangements to be out you can only either stay at home  or strap up, take painkillers and just replan how you are going to spend the day out.

Fortunately we live in a community that's very much that, one community of different backgrounds so everybody and every group does things and we all join in so you don't have to be involved in the life of the over 60's club at the Village Hall to take part in things they do such as an annual trip to Llandudno on a locally owned touring coach with all mod cons.

And when it only costs you £15, well it's cheaper than diesel even if I could drive plus it's more social so we have a raffle which raised £140 towards Alzheimer's support and yes I actually won three prizes, shortbread, biscuits and fruit wine which the Grump can have as I'm totally dry.

We set out at 9am prompt and got there skirting the M56 near Ellesmere Port after getting on the M6 at Sandbach by 10:47 which I though was good going,

Given the knees were off and I was off foot for part of Friday grand tours of shops were off so I went a chunk of my time enjoying the sun, going along the promenade talking with people from this conurbation and the Black Country as you do, watching some Car and Vintage bike events and the epic battle between man and seagull for the chips.

It was good to see the pier had been not merely restored but remade for a more modern age following last years storms that caused considerable damage, replacing units hat had seen better days and adding a dining experience looking out to see.

Talking of dining I had Cod, mushy peas and chips at the Coffee Centre café next to what was M&S that was delicious.

You can't avoid this, a rabbit hole of a different sort marking Lewis Caroll's connection with the town, in it in its new coat which had a lot of children including a Guides pack all having their picture taken next to it.

We set off at 5pm and elthough experiening some delays along the A55  near Prestatyn we got back and in for 6:50 to grab and salad and tea.

Weather held up well with sun and temperatures around 19 degrees C (we don't use other measurements here) which made being out enjoyable even if plans needed to be changed.

Lilliput Lane

The wet week and the continuation of past trends that started while Mom was very much alive but got paused in the focus free world of the Grump where things just went including things that were promised by her to me at the time just cos he wanted the space for something of his.

There were figurines and a lot of glassware which to be candid isn't really my thing but you might say that was one of her special interests in later life.

The other thing were resin cast historic building such as farms, houses and schools which were things I rather liked too apart from cute resin Beatrix Potter characters I started buying in the 1980's.

Lilliput Lane was founded in 1982 by David Tate. The company was known for its extensive range of realistic miniature handmade models of real English and Welsh cottages and scenes.

Formerly based in Workington, and Penrith in Cumberland the company moved to Langholm in 2009 but stopped operations in 2016.

David died from cancer a year later.

A couple of these kind of "went" in 2023.

Recently I had the opportunity to acquire in it's full boxed edition the Borrowdale School in the Snow Cottages series they had made complete with the replica deeds 

As befits the Victorian era, the school itself is in an imitation stone look, rugged with large windows a must given gas lighting even took a long while to get established even in urban settings, to make the most of natural light.

It's now homed well out of a certain paws way, filling some of the void.

Teenbeat: One more night...

One before the Bank Holiday and the body recovers from the recent heat we return to things that spin and the period where I was very much listening to tapes having a "Walkman" and rather expensive cassette deck to the point not a few things were bought on pre-recorded tapes whatever my thoughts on "dolby" happen to  be.

I did pick up Phil Collin's first two albums on vinyl a while back when they were re-released by Analogue Productions in association with Atlantic Records in the United States as part of the series marking that labels 75th anniversary.

They came in deluxe gatefold sleeves and were cut at 45 rpm for better sound so effectively they became doubles but given the first album run for rather a long time that was a big gain in dynamics and tight clean bass.

One they didn't do was his third album No Jacket Required coming in between two Genesis albums while he plays drums and usually lead vocals - Genesis and Invisible Touch - 

It's quite likely you have this album - it was a massive seller in the UK, Canada, the U.S. and much of Europe and even if you don't you'll know the singles from it such as Sussudio, Take Me Home and One More Night which President Reagan that year said was a song he really liked.

Whatever you might think of his politics he was right,  it is a great song looking at the feelings you have for another who you love deeply, delivered sensitively. 

When it came to the album licensing this differed as in the UK and the Republic of Ireland he (and Genesis) were signed to Virgin Records whereas in other territories it was with Atlantic part of the then mighty WEA (Warner Bros, Elektra/Asylum and Atlantic) group.

That's why we get this clear vinyl remastered edition that does tame so of the very 80's production to improve the focus on Phil's vocals without losing any detail and that while this is intended for North America, it's pressed by Gz in the Czech Republic where originals were cut and pressed in the territory such as the United States or Germany. 

Personally a few decades on I am glad to have a fine vinyl version of this classic album for the collection where it will be loved.

Childhood pasts

Not the greatest of weeks with the heat and that but thoughts were running backwards this week  so here's a few thoughts from the past.

Despite learning to ape stereotypical "Ugh! you expect ME to like that?" comments complete with actions actually i loved cute stuffies and frilly linen on beds and tables

In era when saying that was likely to see you ostrasized if not assaulted, you learned not merely to keep your mouth shut  but even not show any physical expression of interest never mind actually liking them.

We did play games even if for some of time you were on the "wrong" side of the playground and even if games were mixed you preferred to play the girls role.

Kiss chase is a traditional playground game similar to tag we played. One player or group is "it" and chases participants of the opposite sex. When a player is caught, they receive a kiss. The caught person then becomes the chaser.

How to Play. Choose Who is "It": One group (traditionally boys or girls) counts to ten while the other group runs away.The Chase: The chasers run to catch a member of the opposing group.

The Catch: Tagging someone requires a quick kiss (usually on the cheek) upon capture.Switching Roles: The person who got caught and kissed now joins the chasing team, or roles swap entirely after everyone is caught

We also played Kiss, cuddle or torture This was simply a game of chases involving boys and girls, usually in the school playground. When caught, the boy would offer the girl a choice: kiss, cuddle or torture. 

Boys frequently played war games that involved torture sometimes getting close to seeing the Headmaster given the intensity of them. Actual military nterrogation would of only been marginally worse. 

I totally hated it.

This sort of more romance based play was more my thing.

Life was simpler then.

August round up

 

It's been a bit of move around and change kind of a week as I rest the mantelpiece following the acquiring of a Kensington Giftware resin set of a family of really really cute bears in pink dresses where one of Mom's porcelain wheelbarrows with flowers on it replaced a round brass pot with a grid on that I wasn't too keen on to be honest. 

I had to clean the contacts in a old "Bridge" camera as the batteries had leaked although technically they expired in March and I'd forgotten all about it with all the usual domestic mither I get in the course of a week but at least it's working which did concern me initially.

I put a note in the flap where the lens hood goes to remind of when the batteries were fitted and expiry date which might help looking into the long term.

The taking ages David Gilmour About Face album arrived while away so it got cleaned, sleeved as the original was one of those card ones that foxes, leaching onto the disc adding noise and with any luck the first Olivia Dean album, Messy from 2023 should be with me soon for a fair bit less than the usual price.

I've been enjoying the comedy drama series Ann Droid with Sue Johnston in a lot over the last few weeks on the BBC as to be honest I'm more of a radio kind of a girl.

Anyway round up is over and now back to tea!

Summer Camp 2026

Pmac 2026 style started last Friday with a detour by Miss Green enroute despite a silly motorist causing issues outside the house just as the car was being loaded and I was trying to get in the car all ladylike in my black skirt and white long socks as we took a series of A Roads to beat the traffic that causes delays using the motorway to get to our destination for six days of fun.

We stopped off a few times for a break and stretch the legs before arriving and unloading in our respective rooms with me way up in the Gods in the attic room requiring two stairways to climb.

Given some business that by co-incidence was moving to a final determination just as I was away I really needed a break beyond just having more child-like totally innocent fun.

The overall theme of the get together was Movies and that was well weaved into things by Alice and out with individual event organizers. 

We did some arts drawing or painting miniatures based upon favourite children's movies we loved so I went for the St. Trinian's Great Train Robbery  where the girls made their way up the railway line.

There was decorating so inspired by a light I used pink icing and aniseed sprinkles to cover the sweer wafer carefully spreading the icing all over. 

I'll be honest and say cookery isn't my strong point but that worked out just fine actually.

Then in crafts we made paper airplanes from card, decorating  where they were judged for travel that was tested in the grounds, decoration and originality

A few jigsaws were made such as this Mr Men one  on a table by several of us.

There was a movie themed Treasure Hunt with clues and some singing of songs from The Sound of Music.

Miss Green organized some games with movie themes as did Alice a day later which I didn't do too badly at given my wobbly lower paws and damaged upper paws.

The All Purr-Puss Nekimimi Music Quiz was run by the resident catgurl which went well given the mice ate the wifi so unlike previous years this all had to done by pen rather print outs with some film related questions.

Jillian run a general knowledge quiz also with links to movies that went well while over three nights storytime happened which was super cool.

A variety of meals were prepared by the assembled although on days where there wasn't any organized activities people fixed their own on the Tuesday we went to a hotel that does meals open to non residents where I really enjoyed the Turkey and Leek pie  with chips and veg.

The cooking standard was one of the finest I've ever experienced.

Thanks to everyone who did something such as organize an event, prepare food, clean up and generally help out as it doesn't happen without everyone mucking in.

Soulling or not?

 

It was announced that the much talked about demixed from the four track master tapes and remixed Rubber Soul seven extracts of which were presented in the expanded late 2023 1962-1966 "RED" compilation would emerged come October 2nd on Parlophone records.

Demixing is when using some really complex computer software you can isolate and then alter spacial position and balance elements in the mix that due to the primitive recording technology used in the mid 1960's had never been possible previously.

This was done to overall great effect in 2022 with their 1966 classic album Revolver which had a shedload of issues with the original stereo mix that might not bug the casual fan but for seasoned listeners and audio fans stuck out like a sore thumb.

It will be available in a variety of forms from stand alone single lp or cd reissues, two record or cd sets with the We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper single and some demo versions of songs on a second disc, a Dolby Atmos bluray with surround sound mixes and four cd and five lp box sets with 88 page booklets and the original U.S. Rubber Soul with original mixes featuring different track line up.

Obviously the bigger sets cost more so you need to weigh up what you do need and I have a number of copies as it is.

I have the original stereo and mono mixes on lp and cd, the 1986 remix on cd and the 2009 remaster of that on cd so I might only get on cd the two cd full album and bonus highlights rather like I did back in 2022 for Revolver.

Blinded By Science

 We've had yet another hot week here, not as bad as the first heatwave of the summer but certainly hot enough for double windows open, blinds down and fans running for much of the day so we've not been wearing much.

One thing I did was play a unusual record that I own  from 1983.

It's what was called a Mini LP, a new format that Capitol-Emi tried in North America of a record longer than a twelve inch single but with full album art and a proper jacket with spine.

This comprised of two UK twelve inch singles and an extra track that run for just over twenty-nine minutes for a low price.

She Blinded Me With Science with vocal contributions from Dr Magnus Pyke was also released as a edited seven inch single peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

This was a big seller in the spring and summer of 1983 and something I liked for compositions such as Windpower.

Surviving the heat

It's a lot hotter out as I type this, dripping, on Saturday than forecasters predicted, fans on, window blinds pulled to keep the heat from the sun out as I get through many drinks with some cooler air coming through.

Everything seems a struggle in this heat, just getting a simple meal for instance so rather than roasting upstairs with the super audio cd player or playing a record, I've been re-reading annuals and comics while keeping up with plans as we're a fortnight from a group break with activities in the British Isles which should be fun.

I was watching a StuView video on YouTube looking at Saturday TV in the past from morning shows to evening shows for "all the family" that cast my mind back a bit to the 70's and early 80's .

Korky's battles with the mice featured on the front pages of the Dandy back then, they robbed him of various things, even his Christmas dinner before now.

Later on Desperate Dan featured on the front cover before the controversial 2000's reset and redrawing of the comic that seemed to lose it's hard core readership without bring over those who wanted edgier content and more reference to mass media such as Harry Hill's tv show and that was before Social Media and Streamed media were a thing.

Could it of survived in the way its stablemate the Beano did?

Not without bringing in newer cartoon strips set in this century for today's children who do read them and the big issue of the visibility of the physical comic in places that sell magazines with the racks in Morrison's very unorganized and messy.

Welcome to July with updates

Wednesday saw what I grew up calling Dominion Day, marking that day in 1867 modern day Canada was formed from parts of British North America.

Other things marked included on Friday the latest changes on Blue Peter, a children's show I remember well.

Friday saw Joel MaWhinney's final Blue Peter show where he attempted to do everybodyelses role on the show!

For this final show he scaled Spinnaker Tower using suction cups as part of Superhero Challenge which was a finger biting watch as he struggled with his nerves at one point.

Joel was Blue Peter's 41st presenter, and he has brought a touch of magic to the show! He first came in as a guest on the show back in 2018, and by December 2022 he was officially part of the team.

Born in Northern Ireland in 1997, Joel isn’t just a magician - he’s a creative powerhouse. Whether he’s making things disappear or stunning stars with his tricks, he’s always is practising to 'wow' the Blue Peter audience.

Joel presented this year His Majesty King Charles III with a BP Gold Badge for his work inspiring people to care for the environment, something like his dad Prince Philip he was doing before it came fashionable.

Joel’s passion, positivism, and love of learning make him the perfect member of the Blue Peter gang taking part in many memorable activities such as absailing, training with the Royal Marines, trying bob sleighing  and the like.

While some new trends on the show aren't to my tastes - I don't think Hacker T Dog as presenter really is good move for instance - I feel he did the job of relating  to and inspiring children explore themselves and achieve well.

Teenbeat: The Beach Boy's rounded off

Melting, heat stroke affected post this week.

In 1974 Capitol started a series two lp compilations that purported to gather together in themes the beach boys 1962-1970 output in eye catching artwork, starting with Endless Summer.

A issue with the first two the use of fake stereo versions of songs although commecially they did sell rather well.

Come 1982 they finished it off with Sunshine Dream that did get cleaner sounding copies of the songs and took us across the 1966-70 period taking in Pet Sounds, Smiley Sile, Wild Honey, Friends and 20/20 their last studio album for Capitol. 

This one was inexplicably not released in the UK so many were unaware of just what it had to offer although like the second one the artwork was by Roy Kohara and somewhat kitsch and cheap looking. 

This is a good companion to Endless Summer  which I have newer better sounding version of. 

Warm memories

 

It's a hot one, the weather that is having just taken stock of record that felt warm to the touch off Royal Meow and put it in vertical fairly tight bit of rack to cool off while being pressed a bit flatter that it might be potentially if not.

Kind of reminds me of the time in August 1988 when I'd gone into Wolverhampton to the HMV store at the Mander Centre buying a copy of the new Five Star album only to bring it home with a bit of prominent warp!

We didn't have a HMV up here then, just lots of independents across this sprawling area. 

I gave this a bit of clean, a disc of hits - all in stereo - by the Everly Brothers, the connection between Country and the Rock and Roll era that came out here in 1975 that was got for me after borrowing a copy out of the municipal library, surviving it's years quite well.

There's been any number of compilations by that duo but this captures most of the hits you want on one disc and certainly beats a two disc volume I tried on Pickwick in the mid 80's.