All the current signs are positive of course, but if anyone can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, it’s this (UK) government. Having apparently learned nothing over the past 2 waves, pressure is building to […]

Someone here will be able to give a better technical explanation I’m sure, but I believe a lot of those (formerly) impressive pop videos were shot on film, but then telecine-ed to video, and edited on early […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=E8gmARGvPlII

Before Freddie Laker came along in the early 70s with cheap-ish air travel, flying abroad was an expensive business only for the well-off. I remember in my year at primary school, just one child had ever been […]

(Actually the live album, Rank…)

There was a particular episode of Public Eye (one of the colour ones) which had an outdoor sequence done on video (as opposed to film, which was the more common practice back then), and it genuinely looked as if […]

Freeview channel 81 – they did have some transmitter issues when they first set up, but I believe they have pretty much full coverage nowadays…

Their schedules are carried in most of the TV listings mags […]

I do fundamentally love TP, especially the “cottage industry” backstory, and still have it as my “default” station if I just want something on in the background while doing other things. However, as the years have […]

For what it’s worth, the label seemed to spend a decent amount on promotion of the singles – from what I remember, the videos for Those First Impressions and Love Boat were reasonably plush and got a good amount […]

They have a reputation for it, but Swans (supported by AR Kane) at the Astoria in 1988 I think were probably my loudest, though a few people there said they’d heard them louder in previous gigs. More recently […]

Dexter Holland of The Offspring has his own Gringo Bandito brand of hot sauces, and the ones I’ve tried have all been fantastic, not just hot, but genuinely tasty too.

Not easy to find in the UK, but amazingly […]

In one of the very first issues of The Word, Martin Fry said something to the effect that just having that *one* song that gets all the radio play and synch opportunities (“The Look Of Love” in his case) was […]

My guts were in knots over Indyref 1 in 2014; I’m very much a “better together” type, and was distraught at the thought of Scottish independence… but then Brexit happened, and it was immediately apparent that […]

I hear he mimes even if he turns up…

An interesting (albeit minor) philosophical question is why we don’t expect the artist to be present for classical concerts, yet it’s de rigeur for pop/rock… perhaps Oldfield sees himself as a classical artist […]

Sounds good – I love reading about the early years of pop/rock, especially in the UK, so this will go on my reading list… in a similar vein I’d recommend Simon Napier-Bell’s memoirs, especially Black Vinyl White […]

Hello again everyone. Thank you all for your help, it’s really appreciated. Just to check in and say that Recuva (the free version, yet) has been my saviour here, so thanks to those who suggested it.

For the […]

Please tell me that’s a reference to this… https://www.theonion.com/seize-him-1819583402

Not enough is said about the sheer bad faith nature of most (all) of the Trump supporters’ arguments. As you say, no-one (except the genuinely mentally ill) actually believes any of this nonsense (fraudulent […]

Thanks for checking in, Vulpes! Actually I was saving this job for the weekend, though I have downloaded Recuva in preparation… thanks to everyone for the advice so far, I’ll let you know how I get on – cheers!