The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Top to Toe in Tailbacks

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Chris Rea knew that his record contract wasn’t going to be renewed when the label refused to pay for the return train journey from Middlesbrough to London, in December 1978. He had just about got enough to fund the trip ‘down south,’ so Joan, his wife, said she would pick him up at Abbey Road Studios in a couple of days time and drive him back north. It was less than ideal but, struggling musicians can’t be choosers. Especially when they’re currently banned from driving.

The sessions at Abbey Road were for his second album, Deltics. His debut album had been out for a few months and, while the first single, Fool If You Think It’s Over, had received some radio-play, the album had not done well. It had been expensive to make; produced by Gus Dudgeon, Elton John’s producer, and packed with stars like Rod Argent, Pete Wingfield and Dave Mattacks; so Chris was in substantial debt to Magnet Records until such time as the album generated enough profit to cover the cost. For now, he was being paid a small weekly wage, (welcome to the real world of the struggling artist.)

Joan pulled into the small car park » Continue Reading.

Which football team do you support and who is their musical equivalent ?

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When new people join my company inevitably within the first few hours someone will ask “which team do you support” (even the blokes get asked this). So it struck me that I’ve seen relatively few footie related threads on the Afterword site – hope Im not transgressing something in the small print ?

For nigh on fifty years Ive followed my home team Rotherham United through good times and bad (cue the cliché joke). I go through periods where my interest is cursory and since moving south in the mid 70s, whilst I don’t get to see them very often, I generally manage at least a couple of games a season. At the moment following two promotions on the bounce including a memorable play off victory at Wembley last year (are there any Orient fans out there ?) and now struggling to keep our heads above water in the giddy heights of the Championship the fervour is most definitely high.

So it got me thinking (as only Afterworders do) who is the Rotherham United of the musical world ?

Got to be someone who has been around a good while but generally under the radar; unbelievably unfashionable; an honest » Continue Reading.