Fairground Attraction: Perfect
A lot later than most of my choices, but I think it’s a good rocker. It was written by Mark Nevin and was the debut single of Fairground Attraction in … Continue readingFairground Attraction: Perfect
Recent Posts
Tony Booth: LOnesome 7-7203
For the first instalment of his series of country songs about phones, our friend Matt writes: ‘The Floridian honky-tonker cut this rollicking version of a country classic with help from … Continue readingTony Booth: LOnesome 7-7203
Wizz Jones: Black Dog
Looking a bit like Keith Waterhouse, Wizz playing live in Hebden Bridge, 2012, with an old Jesse Winchester song. He’s now 82 and still going, bless him.
Kevin Ayers: Lady Rachel
We couldn’t conclude a Canterbury season without the great Kev, could we? This is a live version from 1975 with a band including Ollie Halsall and Zoot Money. Tomorrow we … Continue readingKevin Ayers: Lady Rachel
A most uncommon market
AS if he didn’t have enough call on his funds, a few weeks ago Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £20million award to refurbish Bury Market. Embarrassingly for Sunak, he was under … Continue readingA most uncommon market
Bruford: Sample and Hold
Canterbury meets Zappa on this 1977 clip featuring Allan Holdsworth on guitar.
Delivery: Home Made Ruin
Forerunner of Hatfield and the North, Delivery included Phil and Steve Miller, Lol Coxhill, Pip Pyle and Laurie Allan, plus singer Carol Grimes. She wanted to be billed just as … Continue readingDelivery: Home Made Ruin
Arzachel: Queen St Gang
In fact Uriel, an early outlet for Steve Hillage and Dave Stewart. They used pseudonyms for the 1969 Arzachel album, with guitarist Hillage appearing as Simon Sasparella and organist Stewart … Continue readingArzachel: Queen St Gang
Supersister: She Was Naked
Honorary members of the Canterbury Scene thanks to their inventive sound, these geezers were in fact Dutch. This is from their 1970 debut album Present From Nancy.
Bacon butties and Gordon Greig
IN THE late 1970s and early 1980s I used to do casual sub-editing Saturday shifts on the News of the World in Manchester. The night editor was a virtually spherical chap named … Continue readingBacon butties and Gordon Greig