Right Said Fred - Bernard Cribbins

Sad to hear that Bernard Cribbins has passed away today at the ripe old age of 93. I'm guessing most people under the age of 40 know him for appearing in the Dr Who reboot but he actually had no less than two top 10 chart hits back in the early 60s. Here's the other one...another Cribbins classic. 

It's a Brum Ting - Friendly Fire Band

If you've not heard this on the trailers for the Commonwealth Games yet you soon will. It's as catchy as hell too, so once you have heard it you'll have it spinning around your brain incessantly.  As a Brummie now living in sunny Devon it's great to hear and see the City celebrating itself, especially as we don't tend to do it half as much as we should. 

 

100% Endurance - Yard Act...featuring Elton John...yes...THAT Elton John

Who knows how the hell this happened but Elton John and Yard Act have hooked up to 'cover' the latter's 100% Endurance. Whatever next? Michael Ball and Amyl and the Sniffers? Hmmm...maybe not...the mix of their names conjures up some rather unpleasant images. 

Savanna Silver Band - Ruby Running Faker

Picked up this funky gem from eBay together with 5 others from the mysterious Seelie Court record label, who seem to have re-released a shed load of rare private pressings from the 70s and 80s last year. Apparently there's only 300 of each CD so the £3 I paid for each one (including postage) would seem to be a ruddy bargain... 

Jaya Ram (excerpt) - The Gouranga Powered Band

Came across 4 CDs (three sealed) by The Gouranga Powered Band last week for a mere 50p each and thought I'd give them a punt. Apparently the band were formed by a bunch of Hare Krishna monks in Scotland and they used to flog these CDs on the streets of Edinburgh in the noughties. Musically it's classic psych rock, lyrically it's well...have a guess...

Call me an oddball but I rather like it, at least I won't forget the words.  

Honeytrap - Squeeze

Finally caught up with one of Squeeze's most recent albums (and one of the most successful of their illustrious career too by all accounts), courtesy of one of Paignton's many excellent charity shops. It's classic Squeeze from start to finish, as this track proves. 

The title track's a belter too. 

It's a shame that the TV series it theme tuned didn't make it to a second season, either due to Peter Kay's withdrawal from the business we call show or possibly Danny Baker's now infamous tweet...

Let’s Rock Exeter 2022 – Powderham Castle, July 2nd 2022

Our fifth (I think…it’s hard for me to count that high) Let’s Rock and a reliably awesome line up once again. Thoroughly enjoyed every single act, which I can’t always say I have in the past, and spent almost 9 and a half hours at the front, beating last year's 8 hour record. Ouch.

There were too many highlights to list (and who the hell wants to read a list of highlights for a festival you probably weren’t at eh?) but special mentions must go to…deep breath…JoBoxers, who knew they didn’t just have 2 great songs and why the hell have they waited 30 odd years to get back together again?...Scritti Politti, greeting the crowd with a “Hello cats and kittens” Scritti Politti’s Green Gartside might look a little older but that voice, that angelic voice, good grief it’s as if the past 30+ years never happened…pop perfection…Tom Bailey, well, I’ve only waited 40 year to see Tom live and he didn’t disappoint,

an emotional singalong of You Take Me Up genuinely seemed to move him too…Heaven 17, one of my favourite synth pop bands and one I could frankly watch and listen to for 9 and a half hours alone…Belinda Carlisle, be still my beating heart…Billy Ocean,

what a legend and a bloody lovely bloke too by all accounts as I got chatting to his plumber before his set…Human League, blimey Phil doesn’t stand still for a second but manages to sound as imperious as ever, it’d be wonderful to hear some new material from them one day but I guess when you have as many great tracks as they do why mess with the setlist eh?

It rained a bit, the sun shone a bit, people moaned about the toilets a bit but I probably enjoyed this Let’s Rock a bit more than any of the others. How about Jimmy Somerville next year? And Cyndi Lauper? She’d be great! Grace Jones?! Yes. Hell yes! Although somehow I can’t see Grace appreciating seeing people dressed up as Beetlejuice…

Come Inside - Thompson Twins

Off to Let's Rock tomorrow and hoping to finally see Tom Bailey (of Thompson Twins fame) live, a mere 40 years after first getting into the band. Somehow I don't reckon he'll dust off this track from 1991 but you never know...

PS: ...or this track...how 90s is this?!