I just heard on the BBC radio news that the first eight immigrants are on their way to Rwanda. But shouldn’t it be Rwanda’s decision who comes into their country? How does the UK have the right or authority to send someone to another country?

My wife just informed me that Charlie Watts has died. Despite never being a huge Rolling Stones fan, I’m gutted by this news.

I just told her the “I’m not your drummer, you’re my singer” story and she said “good for him!”

Now, I love Squeeze. I’ve been a fan since the ‘Packet of Three’ EP was released 44 years ago. I’ve bought all the records, seem them live dozens of times and now they’re touring the US. Hooray!

But… I looked online last night to see if tickets were available for either of the two shows that are closest to me: Riverside and the Hollywood Bowl.

Cheapest ticket for the Riverside show? $72.00! Seventy two fucking dollars!! In Riverside! Which is a couple of hours away, which means if we (me and my mate Dave) went we’d have to book a hotel at $134.00 a night. Then there’s meals and drinks. That means we’d be spending close to $300 each for a night out. To see a band. We might as well go to Las Vegas and see Squeeze at the Virgin Hotel (formerly the Hard Rock Hotel). It’s a nice hotel (I’ve stayed there before) and the rates are good… but wait a minute… the tickets are over $100.00!

I don’t begrudge Squeeze one bit but $100+ to see them is getting a bit much. I remember the days back in the late seventies when you could roll up at » Continue Reading.

I thought this was very clever. I particularly like the alarm!

I’m familiar with the Pale Fountains and Shack (love “HMS Fable”), but not so much Michael Head’s later stuff. I just heard this on Gideon Coe’s show and I love it! Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band. The song’s called “Newby Street.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEvLapWdESE

In order to win a hamper full of Corsair tinned chicken, you must name both songs (the quoter and the quotee). Good luck!

1. Which Joan Armatrading song quotes the title of a Thin Lizzy song?

2. Which ELO song quotes the title of a Led Zeppelin song?

3. Which Dire Straits song quotes the title of an Angels song?

4. Which Elvis Costello song quotes the title of an Abba song?

5. Which Rush song quotes the title of a Bruce Springsteen song?

6. Which CSNY song quotes the title of a Stranglers song?

7. Which Human League song quotes the title of a Stooges song?

8. Which Bob Dylan song quotes the title of a Beatles song?

9. Which Animals song quotes the title of an XTC song?

10. Which Elton John song quotes the title of a Manfred Mann’s Earth Band song?

Sad to hear Tower Of Power’s bass player, Francis Rocco Prestia, passed away yesterday, aged 69. In memory, here’s one of my favorite ToP tunes. Despite being 45 years old, the message is even more important today.

No, nothing to do with plank spankers, long hair, umlauts or standing astride the monitor trying to look cool. Apparently there’s a world of ‘shreds’ videos where someone has taken what I assume is an extraordinary amount of time and care to tamper with a music video. This is one is the best I’ve seen so far, and I’m not really sure why it makes me laugh so much, but it does.

Here’s Hall and Oates:

I have been enjoying Mr. Vulpes’ cryptic crossword thread so much that I’ve decided to steal his idea wholesale, except instead of beers being the answer, it’s album titles.

Here’s three to get us started:

Awkward Ron Burton makes one of the greatest albums of all time (4,2,3)

Fake Miami Tyre US was the king’s debut? (2,3,2,4)

Supplicant’s spread provided by erstwhile blues combo (7,7)

1. He was Island Records first employee, and he wrote both of the Spencer Davis Group’s UK No. 1 singles. Who was he?

2. He wrote both the original piece of music that Boris Gardner based his ‘Elizabethan Reggae’ on as well as ‘Sailing By,’ Radio 4’s shipping forecast theme. Who was he?

3. Dennis Bovell’s band Matumbi formed in 1971 with a future one hit wonder on vocals. He was responsible for ‘A Walk in the Park.’ Who is he?

4. Kilburn & the High Roads featured which future punk rocker on guitar?

5. Humphrey Ocean, former Kilburn & the High Roads bass player and Stiff recording artist drew the inner sleeve artwork for which well known 70s album? By the way, he also painted the lead singer’s portrait 7 years later.

6. Jo Jo Gunne was formed by two ex-members of which well known late 60s/early 70s west coast group?

7. More famous as a record producer, Ted Templeman was a member of which late 60s “sunshine pop” group?

8. Best known for his own music as well as his many associations, particularly with the Beach Boys, his first paying job was arranging ‘The Bare Necessities’ » Continue Reading.

I’ve just heard on Craig Charles’ show on 6Music that Dave Greenfield of the Stranglers passed away yesterday, another victim of the corona virus.

It was just announced on the news here (in LA) that Adam Schlesinger, of Fountains of Wayne and ‘That Thing You Do’ fame has died as a result of the Corona virus. I’m gutted.

To help while away a few minutes while self-isolating at home.

Q: What connects the second most populous city in the USA to a Robbie Williams single?

Q: What connects a city in northern Texas to a Coldplay single?

Q: What connects this city, a suburb of San Diego, to “Do The Standing Still”?

Q: What connects the name of a US state to the band who provided the theme tune to Weekend World?

Q: What connects a city in the far west of Texas to The Mission song ‘Bird of Passage’?

Q: What connects Sin City to a song on Laura Viers 2018 album ‘The Lookout’?

Here’s a little quiz because why not? Have at it! There’s only eight questions because I couldn’t think of any more.

1. Frank Sinatra tried and failed to buy which record label, which resulted in him founding Reprise Records?

2. Stiff Records was founded with the help of a loan from who? And how much did he lend?

3. “I get my records at the Rock On stall” is from ‘The Rocker’ by Thin Lizzy. Which record label did Rock On’s owners found?

4. What do the following albums have in common? The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other by Van der Graaf Generator Damned Damned Damned by The Damned Five-a-Side by Ace Valentyne Suite by Colosseum Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield

5. Chrysalis Records was specifically founded to release records by which band?

6. Deram Records was named after what recording technique?

7. Factory Records first vinyl release was a double 7” EP featuring which four acts?

8. John Peel’s Dandelion Records scored only one Number One hit in its brief existence. What was it, and for a bonus point, in which country was it Toppermost of the Poppermost?

Here’s a game to while away the hours while you wait for Santa (only six more sleeps!). The idea is to create the longest chain you can using artists’ names and the songs they sang – which are also artists’ names. Let me give you an example:

Aretha Franklin sang a song called Dr. Feelgood. There was a group (possibly still is) called Dr. Feelgood who sang a song called Roxette. The group Roxette sang a song called The Look, etc., etc.

How long will your chain be?

I just heard on Gideon Coe’s show that Malcolm ‘Mac’ Rebbenack, aka Dr. John, aka The Night Tripper has passed away. This makes me very sad.

I just heard on Gideon Coe’s show that Ranking Roger has passed away. He was only 56.

A friend shared a video of Larkin Poe doing a very good cover version of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ on Eclipse Day. Then he shared this, their version of Son House’s ‘Preachin’ Blues.’ I think it’s fab. I hope you do, too.

I’ve just read biographies on Terry-Thomas and James Roberston Justice. I’m in the mood for another biography and I’m hoping there’s an AWer out there who can recommend a stonking good read.

Anyone got a recommendation?

2016 really has been a hell of year, hasn’t it? Here’s probably Mose’s best known song, Parchman Farm.

RIP, Mose John Allison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCpbWLjlrdU

Inspired by something I read the other day regarding American bands naming themselves after American cities: Boston, Chicago, Kansas, etc., I realized there aren’t many British bands named after British towns & cities. Why couldn’t ‘Nazareth’ have called themselves ‘Dunfermline’? Somehow ‘Chicago’ seems more exotic than Pollockshields (shame – ‘Never Mind the Pollockshields’ would have been a great name for an album).

Anyway, I got to thinking – a la Douglas Adams’ ‘Meaning of Liff’ I thought we could come up with some fictitious bands named after UK towns & cities and tell the readers what sort of band they are.

I’ll get us started:

Kettering – early 1970s prog lite, big on smoke machines, capes & mellotrons.