Elvis has left the building . . . and moved to Congleton??!!!!

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing isn’t it? It takes your mind off things and can give you warm and fuzzy moments when you need them. Never more so has nostalgia taken on extra importance than in music here in Great Britain.

Here in England the entertainment news has been festooned (what a good word!) with the announcements of bands reforming. I personally am pleased to hear that The Stones Roses are to reform. The ageing teeny bopper band Steps are to reform as well. I personally couldn’t care less!!!!

The rock and roll generation is getting on in years now. The first “teenagers” are now in their ‘70’s. They find that the chances of hearing their musical heroes on the wireless, slowly decreasing. So, how do you manage to quench your desire to hear the classics of yesteryear? Simple – tribute bands or cover bands!

Linda and I had the pleasure of seeing a cover band last Saturday night in Congleton. We had been invited by my Uncle Ellis to come down to his “club”, (The Band Club) and watch a band who specialized in performing the hits of days gone by. The name of the group – “Nostalgia”! What made the night even more pleasing was that there was no cover charge! Uncle Ellis also seemed to think that cheap booze was a good selling point – can’t think why!

I had never been to this place before. When we entered the place, well, it seemed like I was in a parallel universe! It really was paying homage to the club scene of days gone by so famously satirized by Peter Kay in the now legendary Channel Four situation comedy “Phoenix Nights”.  Apart from going to Blackpool, this occasion was the best example I could offer my lovely American wife of how to pay homage to all things British!

I mentioned Elvis in the title of this piece for one reason– he was everywhere in the club! Elvis pictures and other memorabilia covered the club – pictures of Elvis from every period. You name it – from 50’s Elvis to fat, jump- suited burger loving Elvis . . . they were everywhere!

The band started playing at 9pm. Now, here’s the deal – they were really good! A three piece group, consisting of a drummer, bass player and lead guitarist (who happened to be the lead singer) entertained the audience very well indeed. Their repertoire spanned the decades. Everyone was catered for from the young to the not so young.

I mentioned the not so young because I don’t think Linda and I have ever had a night out where there have been so many crutches, walking sticks and even the odd oxygen tank in view!  It was wonderful to see people of all ages together having a good time.  The band took a well-deserved break at 10pm. Now it was time for the serious stuff – the bingo!

The bingo saw audience participation reaching new heights (“two little ducks . . . twenty two!” “quack quack” “thank you quackers” . . . truly comedy gold!)  There were other competitions held for the people in the club to take part in. One such competition proved to be very profitable for Linda and myself.

The competition was straight forward enough . . . a card was passed around with the names of English football teams on it. You had to pay £1 and pick a team. If the team you had picked matched the team that was under the square that would be scratched off, you won the princely sum of £20! Now, Manchester United had already been picked so we wondered which team to pick. Suddenly, it appeared to us, like a vision . . . Northampton Town! Well, it had to be picked didn’t it? Guess who won – us! It felt appropriate to have picked Northampton (never NoHo remember!) and we were really pleased to have won the £20! It was about time Northampton did us proud! Only kidding!

The band reappeared at 11pm. Now they really kicked-in! The volume level went up a notch, not quite to 11 I might add, but it was mighty close! Special mention has to be given to the medleys performed by the band. Songs by the Rolling Stones and Elvis, amongst others, were performed and were excellent.

I was once told that “cover bands” were not the real deal by someone I used to work with. I happened to have mentioned I once saw a Bon Jovi tribute band many years ago in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent called “By Jovi” and were very entertaining. This person played in a band. It happens to be quite a good band and Linda and I enjoyed seeing them play once. Here’s where I have a side-beef with that theory. These tunes covered by bands such as Nostalgia are truly classics. They are songs that defy time. They are songs that truly, when performed well, give a sense of joy to many people from the younger folk to the ones who shake their crutch in time to the music!

There were smiles all over the club. People started to dance. Elvis impersonators appeared out of the woodwork! “Nostalgia” was engaging, friendly and played some really good music. Songs from the current era such as Paolo Nutini’s “New Shoes” sat perfectly alongside such classics as “Proud Mary” and The Beatles’ “Love Me like You Did Before” and “Roll over Beethoven”. For the record, Ike and Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary” wins for us . . .

It made Linda and me really happy to see people like my Uncle Ellis have such a good time. Seeing Elvis classics performed not only live but well, give a big Elvis fan like my Uncle Ellis such a thrill. We were cheated out of Elvis in 1977 at the age of 42. Way too young. It is truly magical that “Nostalgia’ is around to satisfy the desires of fans young and old in my home town by playing the classics.

Listening to music is a wonderful way to pass the time. Listening to the music of your youth or music that you just happen to like being played live and played well is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday evening. I’m sure we’ll go again to the Band Club in Worrall Street Congleton. There’s a great Chinese nearby . . .

Enjoy your music and go out and gamble and see a live band at a local club some time, you may have a very pleasant surprise!

Enjoy yourself and please check out www.motdusaway.blogspot.com and www.lindaandeddiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com whenever you can!

Eddie

“Sunshine Indoors” - The Joys of English Radio

How often have you thought how things would be different if you were in charge? I’m sure reading this you’ll be saying “quite often Ed!”

Travelling from North Hatfield to Easthampton or Northampton (gosh, that seems like a million years ago already!) Linda and I would listen to the radio and say “we’d never have played that on that radio station’s breakfast show” or “why do they keep playing that song again?” It certainly seemed repetitive to say the least.

 Having had a taste of radio stardom (!) with our stint as presenters on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) we developed a good idea of what makes for a good idea on the radio. We understood that commercial radio in the United States is governed by the advertisers and the record companies, but there seemed to us to be a lack of variety in radio. There was definitely a lack of creativity in the programming schedules or in presenters’ output.

Coming in your ear on the weekend!

In our time on Valley Free Radio, a lot of the music shows and shows that pretended to be something else but played music nonetheless, just played song after song after song. Then you’d hear “um, well in that set you heard . . .” and inform the listener what songs had been played, providing they could remember the songs!

So, we started to listen to radio online. In particular, radio from my homeland. It became clear to us that our music show “The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast” was very clearly an English styled show. Lively and informative, our show strived to entertain and educate the listener. It was interesting to find out facts about the artist and the song. For example, did you know Jimi Hendrix’s real name was John Allen Hendrix?

Now we’re back in Great Britain, we’ve listened to a lot of radio. Commercial radio over here has had Linda commenting on occasions “US radio has a lot to answer for!” However, one commercial radio station has got us gripped – Smooth FM 100.4.

This station, based here in the North West, encapsulates what a good station should do. Its music, always varied, captures more than one demographic. Good music appeals to all ages. It used to be known as Jazz FM back in the day. We have found Jazz FM to be alive and well on digital radio – more of that later!

This station has become a “ contemporary oldies” station with that important interjection of the best of the best music today offers. That’s OK. Good music stands the test of time and deserves its place on the air, irrespective of how old it is. Stations like Smooth FM know that people still have a desire to listen to the music of their youth for longer these days than ever before! Let BBC Radio One cater to the younger element.

Mentioning the BBC leads me onto that esteemed organization. The notion that you should pay a “tax” (the Licence Fee) of £146 in order to be able to watch television and listen to the radio would send a proportion of uninformed Americans running for their rifles if they tried to bring it in over there!  However, here’s the ironic thing - one of the most reliable source of news according to people we spoke to in the USA was the BBC!

We knew that the BBC offered a lot but the quality and depth of programming really is great value for money. I’d like to concentrate on radio. The value for money is really quite extraordinary. It is possible to listen to programmes whose subject matter ranges from old theatres to Lucille Ball to the NFL!

The subject of the NFL brings me nicely onto digital radio. We invested in a digital radio not long after we arrived in this country. The BBC offers the listener the opportunity to listen to its output in crystal clear quality. Football commentaries sound way better on DAB - believe me - than listening to them on the medium wave (AM). Stations have been set up that are broadcast only on DAB (digital audio broadcasting). One such station is BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra. This station offers sports fans extra sports coverage, giving fans a wider choice of games to listen to over the course of a weekend. It also covers sports that are not considered “mainstream”.  American football being one of them!

This has pleased both Linda and me extremely. We both miss the USA in many ways. Linda got me interested in American football right from the minute I got to the States. It took me a month to get the gist of the game and now I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s great that we can keep in touch with what’s going on in the NFL over here. One day we’ll have Sky TV and be able to watch games again. I’m eternally grateful that Linda had the Fox Soccer Channel when we were living in Western Massachusetts. One day I’ll repay my lovely wife and have Sky Sports and be able to watch the likes of Tom Brady, Wes Welker once more (glad The Patriots won yesterday by the way!)

James Hunter, man of the people and purveyor of fine tunes, featured regularly on both “The Late English Breakfast” and on “The Nightclub”. We waxed lyrical about him on the show on many occasions and talked about him on this fine blog. Imagine our surprise when listening to Jazz FM we heard that Mr. Hunter was to appear on a show on that station. It was great to hear about a show that features music played at Ronnie Scott’s famed night club in London.  It proved to be a good listen. He was his usual articulate and funny self and the tunes we heard, recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s, were excellent. Click on the link I’m providing and see how good he was when he played The Ironhorse Music Hall inNorthampton (Hamp, never No-Ho!) in 2010.

It was great to meet him and one day I’ll show you the picture of the James Hunter poster he very graciously signed for our show. So, not all things British are crap and inferior! British radio has a lot to offer. It’s well worth a try. If you’re not in Great Britain as you read this, go online and see for yourself. If you ever remember listening to our show which paid homage to all things British on a station full of Yanks, you’ll know why Brits like me can talk and put on a good show!

Enjoy your music wherever you listen to it and if you have any suggestions for topics, please get in touch. Before I forget, check out the blog my wife and I have created about our adventures in England www.lindaandeddiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com .

 Ed

He Who Pays The Piper Calls The Tune . . . Or Does He?

He who pays the Piper Calls The tune - or does he?

Morning All and thanks for tuning in!

So, interesting times lie ahead for the music business I see. According to the New York Times, there are potentially troubled waters in wait for the record companies. The article highlights the fact that the more older artistes stand a chance to win back the rights to songs of theirs from 35 years ago.

Basically, if you put out an album in 1978 you are now in a position, thanks to Federal Law, to file papers to win back the rights to music you released by the year 2013. It got me thinking, to use an old phrase, which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

I'm going to nail my colours to the mast. I'm going to lean towards the side of the artist in this occasion. I'll tell you why.

The artist comes up with the idea for a song. He writes the song. If the song is a success for the record company that releases it, history has shown us that until recently, the performer that wrote the song doesn't do as well financially because of the way the deal was negotiated. I tend to get the impression that although the artist does okay, it could be better. How is it that the Rolling Stones were so successful in the 1960's and yet had to leave Great Britain as tax exiles? They owed more money than they earned!!!! If you read Ian McLagan's book "All The Rage" you'll find him feeling very aggrieved about the situation The Small Faces were faced with financially.
In more recent years, there's been celebrated cases featuring George Michael and Prince where contractual differences have been aired..

This is flat out wrong. I've heard it referred to as slavery but to me that has to be an exaggeration. What it is is gross exploitation. It is symbolic of the "get what you can at the expense of whoever you can" mentality that has besieged our society in recent times.

I always remember seeing an interview with Keith Richards on television. He lamented the fact that the first time he saw one of his blues heroes, namely Muddy Waters in Chicago at Chess Studios, he was, and I quote, "painting the goddamn ceiling".  The situation in the USA may have had something to do with the fact that some radio stations weren't to keen on playing music performed by black men.

It's time for the record companies to realise that yes they do provide a platform for a singer or a band but they have to be more, well, truthful with them. It is time for them to be more fair in how the money, of which there is plenty, is shared. It needs to be done in a more equitable fashion. While I think about it, it's time for companies to clean up their act with regards to the way they market their female stars.

Let's take Mariah Carey and Beyonce as our subject matter. Two very talented singers in my opinion. Two attractive females if I may say so. They are at the stage in their careers where they in a position to have a greater control over how they are marketed. Yet for some reason they both feel that they have to perform on stage in clothes that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Mariah Carey - natural beauty

As you can see she doesn't really need to appear on stage with barely anything on. I say this as a confirmed red blooded heterosexual male! It seems to be the same all over the shop! I saw an advertisement on the Fox Soccer Channel for one of the many organizations selling replica shirts. The company felt it necessary to have a commercial featuring a well developed female wearing a football shirt promoting the company. If I want to buy a football shirt I don't need a woman wearing a shirt that appears to be a size too small to promote it, I promise you!

Then there's Beyonce. The girl can sing for certain. She's another really attractive woman. I remember when she performed during President Obama's inauguration night. She sang Etta James' "At Last" She had played Etta James in the film "Cadillac Records", which was loosely based on Chess Records if you remember. She, along with the first couple, looked radiant as you can see from the picture below.

An elegant couple serenaded by an elegant woman

The flip side of Miss Knowles, originally from Texas (not the most liberal of places in my book if the current governor is anything to go by!), is someone who goes out of her way, or so it seems , to exploit her sexuality to sell music.

Really Beyonce, is it necessary?

Ladies, neither of you will see 30 again. Mariah has become a Mother. There's being confident about your body and dressing in a way to accentuate your femininity and there's dressing like a prostitute. The old adage "everything in moderation" is very true. I'm a red blooded heterosexual male. I make no apologies for it. I like females. I shouldn't be made to feel guilty about my sexuality. Living in the Northampton area does make that a little difficult at times! However, I like my females to have a bit of class and dignity - that's why I married my wife!

Female singers (and male singers for that matter) do have an obligation to think about what they're doing in order to protect the waning morality that appears evident in society.. There's always going to be some impressionable young girl out there wanting to copy their latest move, their latest dance style or how they dress. You don't have to copy stars from yesteryear either (a recent picture of Lady Ga Ga was crying out Madonna circa 1985 "Desperately Seeking Susan") and in yesterday's New York Times Beyonce seemed to trying to pull off a Tina Turner look.

Be yourself and be true to yourself. I enjoy writing. I wish I had had the conviction to pursue writing in more depth. Oh well, who knows what's going to happen!

Enjoy your music wherever and however you listen,

Ed

The Introduction To Greatness! Classic Song Introductions

Let The Magic Begin!

Morning all and thanks for tuning in!!

Picture the scene if you will . . . you're driving along in your car and THAT song comes on. You know the one, the one that instantly makes you turn the volume up to eleven in a Spinal Tap way in the car because for some reason that song makes you want to tap the steering wheel even more than normal. It's a song that may have special memories or may just be because it's damn good! What makes the song that damn good may just be the introduction.

The Independent newspaper put an article online recently where Donald McInnes sang the virtues of his favourite introductions to songs. That article got me thinking . . . what would be my favourite introductions to songs be? Naturally you can't include every decent song intro ever heard on the radio as you'd be here for ever! So, I tried to limit it to songs that were played on The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast back in the day on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org)

Now like I say it is not possible to include every classic song with a great intro (The River 93.9FM www.wrsi.com) are playing "This Could Be The Last Time" by the Rolling Stones as I write; made me think "Bugger! Should have included that in my list!" Oh well there'll have to be a second blog on this subject! Anyhow, without further ado, here's my choices of songs (in no particular order) we played (or wish we could have played) that have, in my opinion, a great introduction.


The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women     This song is memorable for many things. Having seen the Stones twice in concert I know the enormous blow up dolls have to be seen to be believed! However, the cowbells, so loved once upon a time by Saturday Night Live live long in the memory. The song that was released the day after Brian Jones' death in 1969 got to number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic truly is a classic. All together now "I met a gin soaked bar room queen in Memphis . . . " One further closing note on this classic tune, one I'm sure Stones aficionados know, is that the version of the song that appears on their 1969 "Let It Bleed" album is the equally legendary but vastly underrated  "Country Honk" . Do check it out if you have the chance.

Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music Whenever I played this song in my bedroom back home in Congleton it would get pretty near full volume! For me it's one of the great underrated soul classics of the 1960's. It's not on the radio enough times in my opinion. Both Linda and I rate it high - highly enough that when we started our show on Valley Free Radio back in 2007 we decided that when we were recording our show trailer - "Want something new and exciting in your lives? You need The Nightclub hosted by Linda and Eddie Kennedy" we had Sweet Soul Music as the backing music. A great tune and one that'll get you grooving! If you don't have it buy it whenever you get the chance.

Simply Red - Money's Too Tight To Mention  This song is "totally" relevant, to use today's increasingly annoying parlance! The song was originally a hit for The Valentine Brothers.This excellent song was a top twenty hit in the UK in 1985 and the nation's first sighting of the talent that is Mick Hucknall. For me Mick is one of Great Britain's best ever singers. The lyrics, that tell the tale of a man trying to make ends meet are sadly oh so relevant today. The song's mention of "Reaganomics" is particularly relevant as many political and economical commentators attribute today's problems to the policies first seen under the former actor and California Governor in the USA and similar to the policies put into practice under Mrs. Thatcher in Great Britain.

Luciano Michelini - Frolic Ah yes, the theme tune to end all theme tunes! Sunday nights are so much better now on HBO at 10pm now the unmistakable "bum bum bum doo doo doo, do do do . . . " now resonates joyfully in our house! The TV show "Curb Your Enthusiasm" written by and starring Larry David is one of the all time great situation comedies. It basically satirizes modern day life and is one respect a continuation of the excellent work he and Jerry Seinfeld started with "Seinfeld" back in the 1980's and 1990's. It truly is a hilarious show and I understand why Seinfeld is so popular in this country because of my understanding of Curb. The show is popular in Great Britain, well it was at 16 Back Lane! The show makes me so happy - it cracks me up to be honest - so when my British radio show on Valley Free Radio started I could only think of one theme tune to use!

 The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night  "Claaang! It's been a hard day's night!" There are a million and more Beatles' tunes I could have picked but this one resonated with me because the opening to the tune is so different, so unique, that you instantly know what the song is. This UK and US chart topper is just a great fun tune to listen to. The title "A Hard Day's Night" was attributed to Ringo Starr when he was feeling bewildered after filming . . . not knowing how long they'd been filming, he said it had been  a hard day's . . . night's work of filming! The song knocked The Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now"

Michael Franti and Spearhead - Say Hey (I Love You)  One of the most catchy tunes I've heard in a long long time. My darling wife Linda loves it to pieces as well! We're often found boogieing to this tune in the kitchen or in the bathroom in the morning. You know, the way we first found out about this tune was courtesy of an adopted American but always a Scot to me by the name of Craig Ferguson. He featured it on his show with quite possibly one of the funniest little sketches Linda and I have seen on  a chat show for quite some time. Its joyous upbeat nature is so refreshing to listen to.  

The Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive  The soundtrack to an era - who said disco sucks? Saturday Night Fever will be shown on TV forever. Now it's a movie that will serve as a commentary of New York City in the 1970's, but what cannot be forgotten is how good the music was and still is. This song wasn't supposed to be a single, but airplay given to the album generated demand for "Stayin' Alive" to be released as a single. Record label RSO gave way. It proved to be a good move as it became a number 1 hit here in the States and a number 4 back home in Great Britain. Not bad going for a family act from Chorlton Cum Hardy Manchester!

The Black Crowes - Hard to Handle  I had a t-shirt that resembled the cover of this fantastic single. I had the privilege of seeing this band at The Apollo Theatre in Manchester back in 1990. Some band called The Verve were the support act! It was originally recorded by Otis Redding (who died the day I was born if my memory serves me correctly. Our show was always full of facts of that nature!) It's a great single, one that always gets my foot tapping. I remember when we played the song on our show and it sure sounded good with good speakers in that radio studio. Again, the opening few bars are instantly recognizable . . . I think Chris Robinson  and the boys do the song immense justice. Dare I say they make it their own? Discuss!

 Blur - Parklife  Another class tune from the 1990's. The battle of the bands, Oasis versus Blur,  a so-called re-run of The Beatles versus The Rolling Stones, was a common feature during the decade. This song with its contribution from celebrated actor Phil Daniels (who sprung to national acclaim back home in the 1970's with his now legendary performance in "Quadraphenia") was the 3rd single to be released from the album of the same name. A top 10 hit in Great Britain it instantly takes me back to the time when the Premier League was a relatively new idea and nobody knew who Victoria Adams was . . .    (Mrs. Beckham in case you didn't know)  

Booker T and The MG's - Green Onions   Pure genius! The only way to describe this instrumental. It's hard to imagine that this timeless classic is nearly 50 years old. It inspired a generation of musicians. I'm not making this up - we've read Ian McLagan's autobiography! I also know that back in time in Riverside Drive in Florence Massachusetts a young girl called Moraski grooved to this in her family's basement . . . wonder what happened to her? (She married me!)

So there's my first choice of classic songs with great intros. I've enjoyed putting this list together. It is a great indicator of the music we played on our show. We wanted to be a show you could listen to whilst having your evening meal on Sunday nights and also have a bop to if the mood took you! People have wide tastes in music and we wanted to cater to them. Although it's over two years since we did our show we'll always have great memories of it.

Enjoy your music,

Ed

                                                                



Winning!

He Ain't The Only One!

Morning Campers and a Happy Weekend To You All!

Charlie Sheen is a complex character, isn't he? However, one thing I believe that isn't complex but quite wonderful is the word "winning".

The word that Charlie used to describe his state of mind as he took on the world (or CBS!) has become one of the buzz words of the year. You're told when you're young at school that winning isn't everything and that the taking part is the most important thing. That's true.

However, winning does generate wonderful feelings. On a small, but nonetheless important, level, is the sense of satisfaction you get from winning something on the radio.

Back in the day when Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) 103.3FM had the privilege of having Linda and I entertaining people on Saturday and later Sunday nights with "The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast" we were proud to be able to offer, on occasions, prizes to give away. The listener would get a CD from us or on occasion a DVD. Once were able to give away a signed James Hunter CD. We were really proud to do that!

The mutual sense of happiness is clearly evident. The listener gets the satisfaction of winning a CD or tickets to a show or whatever the prize on offer happens to be. The radio presenter gets the satisfaction of making a listener happy, content in the knowledge that he has made someone's day. A radio presenter is a performer; the radio waves or the Internet is his or her stage and making someone happy is a performer's raison d'etre in my humble opinion. I've been fortunate to perform on stage and on the radio and the sense of satisfaction and happiness you get from making someone happy is enormous. When they (the listener or the viewer) are moved to comment positively it really does make your day!

The Saw Doctors

Here in the Pioneer Valley Linda and I have been fortunate to win competitions on the radio a few times. Our friend John Allen,  the singer of the infamous Big Bad Bollocks and like me an Englishman, awarded us tickets when we won one of his competitions when he was the D.J. on one of the local radio stations here WRNX 100.9FM (www.wrnx.com) to see the Irish Band The Saw Doctors at The Calvin Theatre. We have the T-Shirt, we really did go!

The local stations are good at generating listener involvement through competitions here in the Pioneer Valley. On a personal note, The River (www.wrsi.com) 93.9FM has proved to be a profitable source of happiness, especially Monte's Breakfast show! We've won competitions on his show on two occasions, albeit a year apart!

Last year, we won tickets to go see a guy by the name of Joseph Arthur performing at The Ironhorse in Northampton (www.iheg.com). He was very tall and he had a unique stage presence. Neither Linda or I had heard of him so it was a bit of a gamble but hey, it was a night out! It turned out to be a very good experience. He 's a great guitarist, one who I believe has worked with George Harrison's son. He's also a very talented artist. He painted as he sung. We have a signed copy of the show at home.
 

Joseph Arthur live at The Ironhorse Summer 2010

It proved to us that it pays to be open minded when it comes to going to gigs. You know your type of music but always be prepared to try new artistes.

Today, we won another competition on his show! The prize was another trip to The Ironhorse to see the celebrated singer Marc Cohn (www.marccohn.net). If that name sounds familiar, it's because he's best known for the hit "Walking in Memphis" a top 20 hit over here and a top 30 hit back home in 1991 - wow, 20 years ago! He released a CD last year entitled Listening Booth: 1970.  The premise behind the album being 1970 was the year he really began to appreciate music as an 11 year old. It's tribute album, filled with hits of the year but he's a good singer so the songs he chose to cover will be given excellent treatment when performed live, I'm supremely confident!

The happiness you get from winning a competition on the radio cannot be quantified in my opinion for both the listener and the radio presenter. It truly enhances the radio experience. I hope it continues for many more years to come. I am proud to have played my little part helping to entertain people here in the Pioneer Valley.

Thank you for reading this blog and enjoy your music and enter a competition sometime - you never know, you might win!

Eddie



Who Do You Think You Are?

Who's That Man With Linda and Ed?!

"It's great to be here . . . then again, it's great to be anywhere!"

Profound words aren't they? They were uttered by the seemingly immortal Keith Richards, the legendary guitarist of the Rolling Stones, in Manchester back in 1990 when I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert for the first time at Manchester City's Maine Road ground. They were touring England as part of their "Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle" world tour.

One member of the Rolling Stones currently back en vogue because of his radio show is Ronnie Wood. I'm listening to one as we speak. You can find further details at this address http://absoluteclassicrock.co.uk/onair/wood/

The Rolling Stones Urban Jungle Programme 1990

 It's a great show and Ronnie is very articulate and knowledgeable. He's also very down to earth. For all the trappings of fame he's come into in over 40 years in the "biz" he's still comes over as a very ordinary "geezer"! Rod Stewart was a special guest the other day and listening to it you'd think you were eavesdropping a conversation between to blokes down the local! It made great listening. It's no wonder Ronnie won an award at the recent Sony Radio Awards in Great Britain. It was well deserved.

It's always been interesting when I have had the opportunity to meet "famous people". I was always told by my dad not to put people on a pedestal; his remark of " they still stand up to pee just like you and me" still rings in my ears!

Since we've been together, to my recollection, Linda and I have met two famous people from the music industry. The first one we met together was someone who we played on both "The Late English Breakfast" and "The Nightclub" back in the day on Valley Free Radio 103.3FM (www.valleyfreeradio.org)

I've mentioned James Hunter several times on this blog. We saw him supporting Los Lobos at the Calvin Theater in Northampton. He very kindly signed a CD for us which we gave away as a prize and was jovial as we chatted. The next time we met him was at The Ironhorse  (www.iheg.com) when he signed a poster for us and chatted like we'd known him for ages! We reminded him that we'd seen him at The Calvin Theater earlier that year and he really appreciated it. We were fortunate to see him again at The Ironhorse last summer when the joint was packed out. He really goes down well here in the Pioneer Valley.

The other man who was a joy to meet was Ian McLagan, the keyboardist with the Small Faces, The Faces and The Rolling Stones. There was just him and a guitarist playing and they played the most sublimely beautiful music. What made the night special was that he was more than happy to chat with fans afterwards. He signed his autobiography and we had a good old "chin wag" about England; he had even heard of Congleton! He was a most gracious and humble man. His anecdotes whilst performing live on stage were very interesting and his autobiography was a riveting read. Linda and I loved reading it.

Ian McLagan's book - a great read!

Linda's met the band members of Simply Red and from what she tells me, you have to take your hat off to Dave Clayton, the keyboard player. He, by all accounts, was a friendly bloke and still keeps in touch with my good lady. He sent us a copy of his own work from his side project "Pressurezone". The best way I can describe their music, which is well worth a listen, is dance music for grown ups. Their website is http://www.pressurezone.co.uk/. Have a listen to it sometime and you'll find it's great to listen to. Oh yes, he's also one of our Facebook friends as well, so he really is a top top bloke!

So, fame doesn't always affect someone. It can do, mind you. If you read my football blog www.motdusaway.blogspot.com I'll tell you all about the day I almost met one of my early footballing heroes and what a complete shit he was!

You don't have to let your surroundings affect who you are. If you are true to yourself you'll be liked. Image counts in many aspects of life but sometimes even a whiff of insincerity can blow your cover wide open! I met someone the other day at our tag sale. This woman had known Linda for years. She took great pride in showing off her kids' photos to her. Nothing wrong with that you might say. Nope, not really. Yet the clincher in the BS stakes for me, the "wtf" moment if you like, was the fact that these photos were stored on that oh so important necessity to exist - the iPhone! The person concerned then proceeded to protest all innocently that she was unemployed and couldn't even afford $1 to buy something from us. People like that really piss me off!

I've had more enjoyment from meeting famous rock stars like James Hunter and Ian McLagan and appearing in Open Air Theatre productions back home working for the Lord and Lady of manor of Gawsworth Hall, Tim and Liz Richards than dealing with the "nouveau riche" of Wilmslow and some of the supposedly progressives here in the Pioneer Valley.

You are who you are, so don't be shy of it and be true to yourself!

Keep on Rocking and thank you for reading this wherever you are around the world, it really makes me smile.

Ed

Music and Movies Go Hand in Hand . . . The Memories They Make Last A Long Long Time!

The Nightclub Went To The Movies from Time to Time

Good Morning Music Lovers Everywhere!

Songs have a life don't they? They start out as ideas written down on paper, then develop into fully fledged songs that have aspirations of being played on the air.

The next step is chart success. What's after that - a feature of a greatest hits CD? Possibly, although there's always being an integral part of a movie soundtrack.

A song, by being part of a soundtrack, can be a symbol of an era, a movement and therefore have a life that stretches way beyond their "natural life".

One feature we used to have on "The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast"  back in the day on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) was one called "The Nightclub Goes To The Movies". Basically, it gave us a chance to play a song from a movie soundtrack we owned.

The Ladykillers (2004)

Linda and I have always enjoyed going to see a movie from time to time. The first one we saw together was a remake of the old Ealing Comedy classic "The Ladykillers". You may remember this film; it came out in 2004 and starred Tom Hanks in the role originally made famous by Sir Alec Guinness.

Now there are certain films that we British are very fond of and the thought of remakes being done of them quite frankly is a bit of a taboo subject; it is something that quite frankly shouldn't be done. How can you improve on perfection?

Well, there was something about the premise of this remake that made me curious to see it. Linda was in agreement too. The film was remade by the Coen Brothers. We enjoyed it! The critics weren't too keen on it but we decided that the critics missed the point on this one. The storyline was the same but done in contemporary times set in the deep South. What else sealed it for us? Well, the wonderful gospel music that's what! It was a good story with some great acting and some wonderfully comic moments.

Here's the main point - music in films enriches the whole movie going experience. It can also, as this film did, introduce you to a genre of music that you'd never normally listen to. The gospel music chosen for the film was great and we decided we had to have it.

Anyhow, that film was the first film we saw together as a couple in the United States. The first film we saw together in England was another remake. This time, it was a remake of the classic 1966 film "Alfie", with Jude Law playing the part originally done by Sir Michael Caine. Again, the film wasn't a critical success but you know what films aren't always meant to be Oscar winners. Films are there to be enjoyed. The story in reality is quite a poignant one in many ways and Jude Law was perfectly cast as Alfie.

Old Habits Die Hard (Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart)

Again, the soundtrack played a prominent part in our enjoyment. Mick Jagger got together with Dave Stewart and together they crafted some excellent songs, most notably "Old Habits Die Hard" (see picture)

My first trip the the famed Academy of Music in Northampton MA (http://www.academyofmusictheatre.com/) was when Linda and I went to see a film that is probably one of the most important films made so far this millennium. It was a film that told the story of Edward R Murrow, one of the most famous broadcasters this country has ever had. The film was called "Good Night and Good Luck"

The music again was wonderfully chosen for the film. All jazz classics, very evocative of the time they were originally performed, the songs enhanced what was a very very good film. Without getting too political, the film highlighted that the media has not progressed very far in the 60 or so years since Mr. Murrow campaigned tirelessly for freedom of speech against the oppressive right wing tactics of Senator Joe McCarthy.

Anyhow, one of the songs, the beautiful tune "When I Fall In Love" was the music chosen by Linda and myself as the music to walk down the aisle to on our wedding day. Very beautiful it was too.

Good Night and Good Luck 2005

I talked earlier about British pride in our films. There's one film that has been remade by the Americans which truly shouldn't have been done. My wife has come to understand this film's place in British popular culture. It's a film that is very British and also very evocative of the era it was filmed in. When we were deciding which DVD's we could dispose of as we begin the big clear-out in preparation of our move back to Britain, I held the DVD of the film in question and said "I'm not parting with this - ever!"

The Italian Job 1969

The film I'm refering to is "The Italian Job" made in 1969 starring Sir Michael Caine and a host of stars, including the late great Benny Hill. I could probably, along with a lot of other Brits, write a whole blog on the merits of this film! It is a great comedy caper; a little dated now, but who cares?!  If you're ever able to rent it out or download it - do it! It is one of the best British films ever!

Now, here's the deal. Along with the excellent story, great acting, great scenery, the best car chase after Bullit, there's the music that's in the film. Again, very evocative of its time. There's two songs that stick out. There's Matt Monro singing "On Days Like These" and the classic "Getta Bloomin' Move On (Self Preservation Society)" that features at the end of the film. Very British. Very very good!

I have had the pleasure of playing this song when "The Late English Breakfast" reigned supreme on 103.3FM on Monday mornings (well it did in my head!) and I remember commenting that the film was wonderful and one of the best British movies ever. John Allen, the lead singer of the famously rowdy and wonderful "Big Bad Bollocks" who happens to be our friend and like me an ex Pioneer Valley DJ and Brit, heard me saying this and was moved to get in touch and say how much he agreed with me!

The legendary Big Bad Bollocks

Muisc does enjoy a place in movies, there's no disputing that. We all have our favourite tunes from the movies that remind us of a particular time and place. The next time you go to the pictures, as we Brits would say, pay attention to the list of songs in the credits at the end of the film and treat yourself to a soundtrack, you won't regret it!


Enjoy the tunes and let me know what your favourite movie tunes are,

Ed

Psst, whisper it but "Man Bands" . . . are not that bad at all!!!

Burslem Stoke on Trent's finest!

Morning All!

Cast your mind back to when you were at school. Long time ago, I know, but have a go! Peer pressure was all the rage back then wasn't it? You had to like certain things, wear certain things . . . you all know the score. Never more so, in my opinion, was peer pressure more prevalent than in music.

Boys liked certain acts as did the girls. Back in the 1980's at Westlands High School in Congleton I seem to remember a certain band from Birmingham called Duran Duran and their guitarist John Taylor in particular. Boy did the ladies like him! We lads, much to the consternation of the girls, were thinking Alexei Sayle's "Ullo John, Got A New Motor?" was the height of music and comedy rolled into one.

The bands with the cutest/sexiest members always did well didn't they? It's nothing new. It's been going on since well, Frank Sinatra crooned his way into the hearts of adoring fans.

In more recent times here in  the States and back home in England "boy bands" flooded the market. Here it was "New Kids on the Block", "Back Street Boys" and "Nsync" to name but a few. Back home, "Take That", "Boyzone" "Westlife" were flooding the charts with hit after hit that put them in the record books very near to the original boy band - you know the one with John Paul George and Ringo in it!

Of course, it couldn't last. As we grow up, we all change and want different things. The trick is to maintain your interest in doing what you all originally had a desire to do. A by product of chart success is fame, adoration, no private life and a desire to get away from the thing you wanted to do in the first place. Weird huh?

Boy bands came and went. Some people had solo success. Justin Timberlake springs to mind over here and the man who originates from a town not too far away from Congleton is a great example from Britain - I refer to Robbie Williams. When I had my British music show on Valley Free Radio Robbie used to get played quite a lot by yours truly.

However, time is a great healer and after a period of time it has become ever more evident that these fellers now believe it might not be a bad idea to get back together again.

Over here in the States, the big "gig" has seen the revival of "New Kids on The Block" and "Back Street Boys" as they tour together. They performed on "Dancing With The Stars" and were pretty good in my book! Here they are, introduced by presenters Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke

A talented group of performers methinks! I've always, or at least I like to think I have, been open to persuasion when it comes to music. It's not difficult to be sucked in by peer pressure, whether it be consciously or sub-consciously. Maybe I was, because I never owned Duran Duran music when I was younger, or sat glued to the telly when NKOTB's video was on Top of The Pops. "Manufactured rubbish" was the usual cry.

Watching New Kids on The Block there reminds me that deep down, they aren't talentless individuals. They are talented and can do other stuff. Justin Timberlake was excellent in "The Social Network" and Donnie Wahlberg recently excelled in the TV cop show "Blue Bloods". Linda and I never missed and episode.

I've been following the revival of "Take That" back home in Britain with interest. Now reunited with all five original members - Gary Barlow, Mark Owen (once served a coffee by my sister at Piccadilly Train Station in Manchester) Jason Orange, Howard Donald and Robbie Williams - they've just started out on a huge tour. Eight nights at the Council House (that's "The City of Manchester Stadium to the uninitiated; my United bias coming out there!) with 58,000 there each night. There's many a "credible" rock band that would love those kind of stats for certain! We heard that there were more arrests for drunken behaviour from the mainly female crowd than there were when City were playing!

Where does my "interest" in this come from? Well, as I said earlier, back in the day I used to play Robbie Williams a fair bit on "The Late English Breakfast" on Monday mornings on Valley Free Radio and when the show merged with "The Nightclub" to become "The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast" on Sunday nights.

So, watching the clips on YouTube of the revived full "Take That" obviously inspired my lovely wife to buy me Take That's "Progress" CD for a Christmas present. I was surprised to be honest. I didn't know what to expect.

I can tell you this - I really like it!  They are a band at the top of their game. Now, they can do what they want when they want. In some ways, there's no pressure and the music shows. Yes there's pressure to perform well but they have proved beyond reasonable doubt in my opinion that they can sing and dance and well, if there's people willing to pay top dollar for them to do stuff, hey, why not??!!

Peer pressure makes us do silly things. The silliest thing it makes you do is not to be true to yourself. It's OK to like music that "only girls are supposed to like". We spend a lot of time trying to make young people feel good about themselves yet we never quite truly get the idea of allowing people to feel comfortable within their own skin. The subject matter I've spoken about is the tip of the iceberg but the point remains valid - let people be who they want to be and like what they want to like. Let's encourage diversification in tastes but allow a boy to like what he wants to like and a girl to like what she wants to like. It's taken me a long time to be comfortable with who I am and the way I look. I thank my wife for that with all my heart. Let's encourage all young children to enjoy being who they are and to fulfill their dreams in whatever way possible.

Enjoy your music, whatever it is!

Ed

The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast Video Memories  

So, in keeping with the theme of "boy bands", to prove this isn't an exactly new phenomenon, how about some classic "Motown" for "The Nightclub" memory? In January of 2009 we spotlighted the legendary label as it turned 50. Chuck Berry famously said that if you write about basic emotions and subject matter that appeals to everyone, you're guaranteed a hit. He wasn't wrong in my book. Here's Smokey Robinson and The Miracles with their classic 1960 hit "Shop Around"

  

For our "Late English Breakfast" memory I'm opting for a double dose; in keeping with the format of the successful Manchester shows  that Take That have just performed, here's Robbie Williams with his 1998 number 3 UK hit "Let Me Entertain You" followed by Take That with their cover of The Bee Gees' classic "How Deep Is Your Love", complete with classic 1970's "Saturday Night Fever" white suits! It got to number 1 in 1996.



I'll Name That Tune . . . When I Get Round To It?!

It's Not Such A Bad Idea You Know . . .

Radio is a wonderful part of the media don't you think? Your trusty radio, whether it's a little portable or in your car, is a way of keeping you company when you're on your own or with a group of friends. To me, it's also way more intimate than the telly, not that I have anything against television. My wife and I listen a lot to radio online, as we like to listen to the radio in Great Britain. Whatever way you listen to it, radio is wonderful!

One way radio has served the public well is giving the public the chance to listen to music. Music on the radio has kept millions of people entertained all over the world for decades. In the USA there were the DJ's who became household names such as Murray The K, Dick Clark and Alan Freed to name but a few. They became people you felt you knew. It was the same in Great Britain.

Alan Freeman ( not arf ), Pete Murray, Brian Matthew . . . all early stars back home. Later, Terry Wogan, along with other BBC institutions such as John Peel, Dave Lee Travis, Mike Read . . . the list is endless. Today, Chris Evans (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisevans/)  Chris Moyles and Simon Mayo (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/simonmayo/)  are just a tiny few who keep the listeners of Great Britain entertained. They all have one thing in common. They talk to the listener.

For me, the production of a radio show is vitally important. It's key for any presenter to communicate with their listeners. It's important to make the listener feel like they're the only person in the world by talking with them, communicating in their own unique style. One important technical point to remember for any presenter, especially a music presenter, is to tell the listening public what it is they're listening to. Sounds simple doesn't it?

Yet it doesn't always appear to be the case. People are tuning in at different times during the day and may sometimes just catch the end of a tune and wonder "that's good, who is it?" If the presenter doesn't tell you who it is, you're left in that musical wilderness to the next time you hear a tune. It happened last year with us with Gogol Bordello (http://www.gogolbordello.com/) when we heard the wonderful tune "Pala Tute"; we were wondering what on earth it was because we loved the tune - still do - but couldn't quite make out the title. A good Google search was the only answer. Eventually we bought the CD, and were not disappointed.

I read a great article on this subject this week in the New York Times by Ben Sisario. To me it summed up the state of American Radio. There's more concern with advertising than the content of the show. We know someone who worked in local radio here in the Pioneer Valley and was told to keep the links between songs to approximately 30 seconds. The phrase missing the point was never more appropriate in my humble opinion. If the content is good then the listenership will grow, then as a result of that advertisers are more likely to be attracted to advertising on that show. I live in hope . . .

Now with the advent of listening online being more relevant than ever, this argument may not have the same validity. Certain stations we listen to are great at continually updating their website informing their listeners what's being played. However, the radio has not yet vanished. It's an important feature in any factory shop floor, office,shop or anywhere where a person doesn't have the ability to be glued to their smartphone!

When my wife and I were on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) we went out of our way to talk with the listener . . . explain who we were, what we were playing and information about the songs, along with having a laugh. If we couldn't show folks we were having fun then how could listeners have fun? The station's remit was to educate and entertain: we did both in a bloody good way!  

So DJ's, please talk with us as much as you can and inform us what's being played. You're advertising music that we may want to buy.

Enjoy your music however you listen to it,

Ed

The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast Video Memories

For "The Nightclub" video moment I've chosen a tune that we would have played had we still been on the air when it was out. I've already mentioned it - it's "Gogol Bordello" with "Pala Tute" performed live on Jools Holland's excellent BBC TV music show "Later With Jools Holland". It sums up our show in a nutshell - fun, different and a little bit quirky!

For "The Late English Breakfast" section the selected tune is one that Ralph Macchio and Karina Schmirnoff danced wonderfully to on a recent episode of "Dancing With The Stars" and one that I wish we could have played. The singer is the wonderful Paolo Nutini, who sounds like an Italian midfielder but is actually from Paisley in Scotland. It's a song that made the top 20 in the UK and has the excellent lyrics "food in ma belly and a licence for ma telly" - it's "Pencil Full Of Lead"  performed live on Jools Holland's great New Year's Eve show "Hootenanny"