Stars on 45 ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't pay much attention to the pop charts anymore. Haven't for years, not with all the bloody rubbish they call music these days (© My Dad 1977). But when I was a lad I followed like a hawk the competition to be the Christmas Number One. Remember those days? When everyone from Cliff Richard to The Damned squeezed out a Christmas single. I for one bought many of their offerings, right from Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody' in 1973 (And I'll confess to owning Steeleye Span's 'Gaudete' and Elton John's 'Cold as Christmas in the middle of July'). But, with a week to go until the Big Day, it's time to pull out my four real favourites, the singles I put on the turntable every year. And Number One this Christmas? Kate Bush's 'December will be magic again'. It's magic! Click here to hear it. It's beautiful. You're welcome ..

Time of the month ..

A tradition of mine at this time of year is to play 'Alice's Song' by The Passions.
Oh, why's that, Martin? Glad you asked. It's because the opening line is 'A cold winter's day, in late November'. See what I did there?..

The Passions are another of those bands who are seen to have been one-hit wonders - their 'hit' being 'I'm in love with a German Film Star' which came out .. holy shit!! .. almost 38 years ago. But they were such a good band beyond that one track, and I play their three albums regularly. I also, as you can see, photographed them way back in the day, and I often wonder what the musicians are all doing now. Clare Grogan's voice was beautiful, and it's such a shame not to hear it anymore ..

Tomorrow I'll reach back to 'B' in my alphabetically-filed records. It'll be time for Kate Bush and her song from the same period, 'December will be magic again'. A pal of mine 'accuses' me of being stuck in the 1980s. Perhaps I am but, do you know what? I like it it here. I'm staying ..

December will be ..

Wow, December .. already! The thought crossed my mind the other day that this will be my 56th Christmas on the good old Planet Earth, and then it dawned on me. Fifty six days is eight weeks. Holy Sh*t! Eight weeks of my life has been Christmas Day! I don't know whether to laugh or cry!..

My mates will know I'm not the keenest fan of Christmas there's ever been. Such a hoo-ha over one bloody day I have never known. Like everyone, I've had good ones and I've had bad ones but I'll confess to always having a sense of relief when Boxing Day comes and I'm asked "Did you have a nice Christmas?" Past tense, for another year! Phew ..

Of course, Christmas as a grown-up is never going to be the same as it was as a kid, and the 'Christmas record' was always a part of that magic. December the first is a good excuse to dig out this golden oldie - Kate Bush's 'December will be magic again'. I'm pleased to report that this came out for my 21st Christmas, so the 'festive spirit' was alive and kicking in me even up to adulthood. Given the state of the world as we head into this year's season of 'goodwill to all' I think it's time I listened to Kate and let some of that magic dust sprinkle down on me ..   

Pin-up girls ..

Loving all this stuff on TV lately about Debbie Harry and Kate Bush. I never could decide which of them I fancied more! In the flat I shared with my Dad I had a poster of Debbie on the front room wall and a poster of Kate on the door (The one where she was in the shiny blue leotard. Phwoar!) I know my Dad would have been much happier if they were pictures of Tammy Wynette and Billy-Jo Spears but I beat him to it and, as far as I remember, Country and Western posters weren't a very big seller in sunny 1978!..

It was whilst I was looking for a shot I took of the 'Debbie' poster that I came across this old picture of a girl in our office called Karen. That's all I can remember - just Karen. Before I got my first job on a newspaper I worked in the Progress Office of Gardner Diesels in Eccles, and Karen sat directly in front of me working as a typist. She must have been 19 or 20 when I was 17 so, to me, she was the absolute height of sophistication and the pin-up fantasy of practically every bloke in the factory! How envious they all must have been when I asked her if she'd let me take some photographs of her, and it must have taken the timorous young O'Neill an age to come up with a classic pose like this one! Still, it was all about learning my trade, and growing the confidence that has stood me in good stead from that day to this. I wonder what Karen's been doing these past 37 years!..