The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Jonathan Whitehead

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Sad to hear that Jonathan Whitehead, responsible for theme toons for many much loved TV comedies, has passed away recently. The music was such an integral part of series such as Nathan Barley, Brass Eye, Smack the Pony, Peep Show and particularly the manic Green Wing.

He often composed under the name ‘Trellis’ and will be forever remembered by me for the theme to the perennial favourite, Black Books, (with more than just a slight nod to Tom Waits’ Jockey Full of Bourbon). I couldn’t find a clip of the opening credits online, but did find this charming rendition on Ukelele.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YishN3MxvT0%20

Who can whisper the loudest?

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I’m loving the Athletics World Champs but some events are just plain daft, aren’t they? Someone far wittier than me said that the whole notion of the 10km walk was akin to a competition to determine who can whisper the loudest.

The pole vault is pretty extraordinary. Like an event dreamed up by William Heath Robinson. But the most ridiculous event has to be the triple jump. Why not finish with a forward roll? Or for that matter, let’s bring back the egg and spoon and the sack race.

Bert Jansch: Avocet: Public Service Announcement

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The good people at Earth Recordings are soon to reissue Bert’s long unavailable Avocet. There are what promises to be beautiful lithographic prints with the LP version and with the CD, a hardback book with 24 pages of notes and brand new illustrations of each wading bird.

This comes hot on the heels of their re-release of the beautiful Moonshine last month.

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz146/spwilko/image.jpg1_zpsqqud1qeo.jpg

The Greatest 50 Blue Note Albums

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There was a time in the late 80’s and early nineties when I was crazy about Blue Note. The album covers – artwork and graphics, the heavy, heavy vinyl and equally robust sleeves, the liner notes and most of all that brilliant hard-bop.

I have 38 of these. How about you?

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz146/spwilko/FreddieHubbard_HubTones_zpsioofy9ef.jpg http://www.udiscovermusic.com/the-50-greatest-blue-note-albums

Belgium. Birthplace of Giants!

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David Goffin, Eddy Merckx, Plastic Bertrand, Herge, Kim Clijsters, Georges Simenon, Jean-Pierre Coopman, Raymond Goethals, Jacky Ickx, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Peter Paul Rubens, Jean Claude Van Damme, Rene Magritte, Enzo Scifo, Aldophe Sax, King Leopold III, Audrey Hepburn, Hercule Poirot, Willy Claes, Jan Cuelemans, Kim Huybrechts, Jean-Marc Bosman. We have beaten them all! We have beaten them all! Johan Van Herck, can you hear me? Your boys took a hell of a beating. A hell of a beating.”

Slacker Anthems

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I’ve always been somewhat mistrustful of those over-eager, over-ambitious, dynamic types with their shiny shoes and micro-management techniques. Most CEO’s I’ve worked for have been in this league – high on achievement and low on humour and feel. That’s not to say I can’t appreciate nerdy diligence in the recording studio. I’m a big Steely Dan fan after all.

So let’s raise a glass to the slackers out there – those who saunter in to job interviews without the tie and tell it how it really is.