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Poli Palmer RIP

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Obituary

Former Family multi-instrumentalist John ‘Poli’ Palmer has died, aged 82.

In a short statement on the band’s Facebook page they say, ” Sad news today. Our pal and Family’s multi-instrumentalist, Poli Palmer has passed away. No details but we’ll update you as we know more. Our thoughts are with Anna and the family. RIP.”

Palmer joined Family in late 1969, replacing fellow multi-instrumentalist Jim King, who was asked to leave due to what is reported as “erratic behaviour”. Palmer first featured on the band’s 1970 album A Song For Me and appeared on Anyway (1970), Fearless (1971) and Bandstand (1972), before leaving ahead of 1973’s It’s Only A Movie.

Darryl W Bullock

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Obituary

This message on Facebook hit me hard this week. I regard Darryl as a friend for many years after listening and contributing to his World’s Worst Records radio show.

He was an award-winning author of books like David Bowie Made Me Gay and The Velvet Mafia. His new book, Love and Fury: The Life, Death and Legacy of Joe Meek, is due for release in March. He was heavily involved in XTC conventions and close to Andy Partridge. I will miss him.

“It is with the greatest sadness that I have to announce the very sudden death of my beloved husband, Darryl Bullock. He died at home early on the 23rd of December 2024, aged just 60.”

Martin Cockerham RIP

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This is a difficult post for me to make. Mainly because this is only story being discussed on the Spirogyra Facebook group of which I am a co-administrator, appointed by Martin. Difficult because his death was announced this week but I am unable to verify the story. He apparently died in a hotel in Thailand on his solo travels after meeting fellow musicians in Europe. I knew he was ill and often travelled to the far east for health and spiritual reasons. He was well known for many years in Hare Krishna circles by the name Mahaksa Das and had released solo records as Rainbow Empire.

My link to Martin came about because of his Bolton connection and my admiration for the three LP releases as Spirogyra between 1971-73. I made contact with him through his family in Bolton and then with his former girlfriend Barbara Gaskin. He even thanked me for my very small part in the release of the Spirogyra demos CD Burn The Bridges in 2000. I know from his postings he had been planning to release further Spirogyra recordings this year through Cherry Red Records.

A couple of weeks ago he met up with fellow » Continue Reading.

I’m cock-a-hoop

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In these times of bad and fake news the smallest things can make my day. Warm sunny weather, a delicious solitary cask beer in my local Beer School or finding fallen pennies on my travels. On my Thursday charity shop excursion I bought a Freddie Starr LP I had not seen previously. Also a Virginia McKenna LP I did not know existed.

This morning I got a Twitter message to say Laurence R Harvey had retweeted one of my Bad Album Covers postings (look him up). That is only one of the main actors in Human Centipede 2 AND 3 plus Frankenstein Created Bikers – not that I will ever watch these films but…

It is up there with Glen Matlock offering to buy me a pint. What makes your day?

Have you ever defeated Discogs?

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Probably like most members of the great AW Massive if I have a query regarding a particular record I will turn to the Discogs website for it’s vast database of knowledge. I have recently retrieved my 7″ singles collection out of the attic and am having fun discovering what, er, gems I have acquired over my lifetime.

During the Leeds Poly years, I was often sent bundles of records by EMI, Polygram & CBS and groups looking for a gig would also ply me with their self-pressed masterpieces. Here is such a single by Gordon Alexander from 1980. Nothing about it on Discogs or YouTube. A search on Google only reveals this song was re-issued by Starward Records in 1981 with the correct title of Save Your Kisses For Me.

So now I present, in all it’s glory, Gordon’s non-hit wonder for the first time on the interweb. It could have been a contender. Have YOU ever defeated Discogs?

It’s a family affair

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I heard an interview with Stella Parton earlier this morning in which she claimed to have released 33 albums. For the life of me I could not recall hearing a single song by her but am much more familiar with the music of big sister Dolly. It must be difficult for an artist to break away from the bonds of a more successful family member without being accused of cashing in.

John Lennon started a whole family business himself with father, both wives and sons releasing records. Does anyone listen to Jakob Dylan or Adam Cohen anymore? The Wainwrights and Waterston/Carthy clan seem to be surviving and thriving. Matt Bellamy has become a bigger act than father George.

Poor Chris Jagger will always be seen as a shadow of brother Mick. Check out his music here (rather good) for yourself: www.chrisjaggeronline.com/

Have I missed any? A Gallagher sister perhaps? Bjork’s brother?

Who knew she could sing?

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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson died today and I never knew this song existed until five minutes ago. Doctors discovered she had a brain tumour in January last year. I’m way behind the news and gossip me.

https://youtu.be/67h4dy4J1aU

Deep Purple are back! Back! BACK!

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Deep Purple will release Time for Bedlam in February, a new four-track EP featuring the lead single from their forthcoming album Infinite.

I have just brought my singles collection down from the attic and am currently overdosing on the joy of 45rpm discs. They are, er, the future.

Greg Lake RIP

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Say it isn’t so. Please. I am friends with the woman who runs his website and it came from that source. This is a death too far for me having met Greg a couple of times. Christmas is cancelled.

“Yesterday, December 7th, I lost my best friend to a long and stubborn battle with cancer. Greg Lake will stay in my heart forever, as he has always been. His family would be grateful for privacy during this time of their grief. Many thanks” Stewart Young

https://youtu.be/RXCEdrnaFlY

Sorry for the delay. A technical hitch with the Megadeth Christmas message.

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I know you cannot get into the spirit of the season until my Green Christmas CD is released and available on the Interweb. Apologies for the delay but I had to replace the Megadeth Christmas message before it would copy the gubbins onto the final mix.

WARNING: starts with Mr Blobby.

https://www.mixcloud.com/stephen-green4/green-christmas-2016/

What a flipping rotter

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This Bill Grundy interview took place 40 years ago today. I was in Leeds at the time, getting ready for the Anarchy In The UK tour to come to town in a few weeks, so was not able to see the interview shown in the London area. The following day everyone knew about it as the tabloids only had one story taking over their front pages. The Filth and The Fury! Needless to say the shit hit the fan but we stood our ground and refused to cancel. It also made it easier to sell out the venue.

Any regrets from that time? I wish I had kept the bundle of tour posters delivered to my flat instead of flyposting them around Leeds. They are worth a fortune now!

We did quite well out of the whole fiasco. Most punk bands of that time wanted to play Leeds Poly after that. It ruined Bill Grundy’s career though. He was probably more pissed than the Sex Pistols & chums on the night. Michael Parkinson describes him as,

“A difficult man to keep sober, but not to produce. He was one of the best front men I ever worked with…At » Continue Reading.

Here Come The Fleas

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The downside to owning pooches as autumn becomes more, er, autumnal* is the onset of little biting buggers, especially if you forget to keep up with their flea treatment. I never had this problem with my short-haired weimaraner but since my daughter’s mutt moved in I have been engaged in a losing battle.

Dear Marge, what is the answer? At least I know a song about it. A consolation prize at least.

* (c) every bleeding BBC weather presenter at the moment.

https://youtu.be/nV0F2i4J0a4

This Is Spinal Tap

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How much do you think the creators of Spinal Tap have made from sales of music and merchandising over the years? Millions you say? Wrongity wrong. $179!

Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) has filed a lawsuit against Vivendi and its subsidiaries, including Canal Plus, StudioCanal, StudioCanal Image and Universal Music Group, for $125,000,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. The figure of $179 comes from the papers – see below.

6. But according to Vivendi, the four creators’ share of total worldwide merchandising income between 1984 and 2006 was $81 (eighty-one) dollars. Between 1989 and 2006 total income from music sales was $98 (ninety-eight) dollars. Over the past two years, Vivendi has failed to provide accounting statements at all.

http://www.fairnessrocks.com/

Prog-Rock Disco

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According to Stuart Maconie on today’s Freakier Zone show. Some right bobby dazzlers on the list. Do you agree? Could you suggest other Prog tracks that would get you on the dance floor? Here’s mine. I used to “freak out” at the BIT disco on many a Saturday night I can tell you. Proper shook my hair about (when I had it).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07z7y9l

Mrs Murton’s Nightcap

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I don’t post here much these days because, to be a frank chicken, I don’t have much to say. I am about as interesting as Steve Davis after a late night session on Ovaltine. However I do like to read what jolly japes you lot seem to be doing much of the time. I also like discovering, or being directed to, new music and film clips.

But that’s enough about you. Here is a newly posted pilot for the Mrs Murton Nightcap show from the days of YTV. It would go on to find a better home in Granadaland as The Mrs Merton Show with better quality celebrity guests, although Liz & Andy were probably the closest duo to Mark Ellen & David Hepworth that Yorkshire could provide at the time and two names from my past.

http://www.blackedgebrewery.co.uk/our_beers.html

Who the hell are Beach House?

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And why have they made me fall in love with this song again.

It owes a great deal to the version by Beck in the film Eternal Spotless in a Sunshine Mind (or whatever) and has been covered by loads of artists, including the mighty Stackridge. It was written by their James Warren after all and has made him slightly rich in the process. God bless him.

Farewell Keith Gemmell

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A tribute from Trevor Williams of the band Audience says it better than I can.

“Just heard the very sad news that my old Audience colleague and ace saxman, Keith Gemmell, has died at the age of 68.

Keith had been suffering from throat cancer for several years and had been slowly losing the ability to play. Audience’s last gig took place at the 100 Club in May 2013 and somehow I knew – and I think he knew – it was his swansong. And he played a blinder! He ALWAYS played a blinder!

I’ve been fortunate to play alongside some brilliant musicians in my time and while I’m always writing obits as a means of reminding myself and others of the musical achievements of people I didn’t always know personally, I don’t presently know what to write about someone I knew so well. So I’ll do all that later and, for now, simply post Audience’s signature tune and one of Keith’s most memorable recordings. All I can add is – you should have heard him do this live!!!!”

I did. I never knew anyone else who played a sax through an echo unit. Always a fan of Audience and » Continue Reading.

Who said that? A quick quiz.

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I will accept the name of the band or the band member who provided this quote in the sleeve notes to a CD* released in 2003. No prizes are on offer, unless you wish to have a copy of the CD* in question.

* Remember this a CD I would have in my collection, bought this week from a charity shop. Some of the tracks even make me cringe.

https://flic.kr/p/Jhun45