Music News - June 30th 2006

Bucks Fizz - Good news and bad news on the Bucks Fizz front. The bad news is that the release of "Bucks Fizz - The Lost Masters" has been put back again and is now due for release on 7th August. The good news is that the Bucks Fizz DVD, originally scheduled for 2007 is in advanced stages of preparation and is due for release circa September/October. No idea what's on the DVD at this stage other than it should include "all" the videos - so hopefully that will include the Polydor singles too.

The DVD will be advertised and the idea seems to be to promote "The Lost Masters" off the back of that - which makes sense really, as hopefully it might alert a wider audience to an album that is aimed essentially at Bucks Fizz fans.

So - a double dose of The Fizz this summer/autumn. That can't be bad eh gang!?

Abba - Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus are writing a biography "Thank You For The Music" which should be out prior to Christmas. Plans are also afoot for a 30th anniversary edition of "Arrival"

A couple of plugs for a few "new" bands:

Stimulator - Have updated their website, which now features the video to their strange take on ONJ's "Magic"

http://www.stimulatorband.com/

Roadstar - Formerly Hurricane Party have released their debut album "Grand Hotel".

http://www.myspace.com/roadstarband

Finally - it's video time & this week we have an unashamedly late 70'S theme:

Boney M - Ma Baker (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWhVbRclPWU

Lots of snarling in this video. Ooh I'm scared!!

Abba - Voulez Vous (Auplauso 1979)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E9g5anGVsE&search=voulez%20vous

Underrated Abba song performed here on Spanish TV

Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (Top Pop 1978)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZZK9Kx7taA

Sigh!

Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army (Kenny Everett Show 1979)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSmNIecfqog&search=kenny%20everett

City Boy - 5705 (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SiuhGv10nk&search=city%20boy

England 1 Ecuador 0

Once again it wasn't a great performance but somehow we've wobbled our way through to the last eight of the World Cup - thanks to an excellent free kick from David Beckham.

I saw this one in the Jolly Collier in Willenhall with Colin, Dave, Peter & Ben. It was a bit like the Paraguay game in the sense that it was a game I endured rather than enjoyed. I'll take another three unconvincing wins if that's what it takes, although personally I think we're going to have to up our game considerably if we're going to progress any further.

And so to Portugal on Saturday...

Video Saturday

I recently bought some concert pictures from a chap on ebay named Alan Perry. He also has his own website which is well worth a visit:

http://www.concertphotos.uk.com/

Anyway - it's Saturday, so it's video time....

Abba - Waterloo (German Version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4_2TGXZubQ&search=abba

A rare clip of Abba singing the German language version of 'Waterloo'. It also shows what a stunningly beautiful woman Agnetha was/is that she can wear an outfit that silly and still look incredible.

Bucks Fizz - Run For Your Life (Promotional Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pea0MUULtKw&search=bucks%20fizz

A bit of "Ver Fizz" from back in the day.

Paul McCartney - Coming Up (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvEQmyoP18E&search=paul%20mccartney

Had to have one from the birthday boy this week!

Emma Bunton - Crickets Sing For Anamaria (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB1_RUhCL9Y

The Goodies - Good Ole Country Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMudHQuTxyk

Note Bill's sheet music...

TOTP R.I.P.

The BBC have axed Top Of The Pops after 42 years. The last show will go out at the end of July. I'll be sad to see it go but in all honesty I'm not suprised.

In it's prime it attracted 19 million viewers but now it attracts around 1 million. The writing was on the wall when they moved it to a Sunday night slot and merged it with TOTP2. There wasn't enough new music to satisfy Radio One's target demographic of under 25's and the older audience were unlikely to tune in for just one or two vintage clips.

The world has changed now; there are a range of music channels such as MTV, VH1, VH1 Classic, Smash Hits, Q, Kiss, The Box and Kerrang - internet downloads, DVD's, video singles and shows such as CDUK that, in recent years, have presented pop music better.

Also, at the risk of sounding like a real old fogey, the standard of chart music these days has really gone through the floor. The music business is now a music industry - and quite a mercenary industry at that - that is concerned more than ever with profit margins and instant returns. Artists aren't given the time to mature and develop with the knock on effect being that the charts are populated by artists who have one or two hits but no more.

Perhaps I'm just remembering a kinder time; how great it used to be in the seventies and eighties when there was far more quality music around, when pop groups had greater longevity and you could watch your favourite artists on Top Of The Pops, whether that was Slade or ELO or Kate Bush or Sweet or Sparks or Bucks Fizz or Genesis or Frankie Goes To Hollywood or whoever and hankering after a musical era long gone. Maybe.

Anyway - when Top Of The Pops finally bows out - is it too much to hope for that TOTP2 may return as an archive show - or that UK Gold or one of the BBC Channels show entire shows like they used to do in the early nineties?

So long - and thanks for the memories...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/

Job Done...

Again, it wasn't the greatest performance you've ever seen from an England team - we lost our way in the second half and at times we were hanging on - but we have achieved our objective: we've topped the group to avoid Germany and set up a clash with Ecuador on Sunday afternoon.

The injury to Michael Owen is worrying and it's now that the decision to only take four strikers - only two of which are fully fit - may come back to haunt us.

Rooney & Crouch up front or a five man midfield? Discuss.

New Kit!

One of the advantages of the World Cup is that it takes your mind off all the oncoming nonsense of the domestic season at Planet Molineux. Kenny Miller now plays for Celtic. Joleon Lescott is an Everton player. Aliediere has returned to Arsenal. Colin Cameron, Mark Kennedy & Seol could well be following the six players we've already released out of the door.

The new season starts in just over six weeks time. There is no money for new players and our only summer signing is Dennis Rosa on a new contract. Glen Hoddle has been given more time to perfect his increasingly baffling formations (e.g. Carl Cort on the wing, Rohan Rickets in a holding midfield role) meanwhile good young players continue to slip through our fingers - Marlon King, Matty Fryatt, DJ Campbell, Mikkel Bischoff, Kenny Lunt, Luke Chambers...

Having said all that I'll be there again next season. I'm a Wolves supporter and it's what I do! The new Wolves kit goes on sale on July 1st. This year I'm having one with my name on - along with a number reflecting my 'significant age' birthday later this year!

Wolves fixtures for 2006/07 can be viewed here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wolverhampton_wanderers/fixtures/default.stm

Tea & Symphony: Volume III

'Tea & Symphony Volume III' double CD is released on 17/6/06. Another 30 tracks for your listening pleasure - and a few bonus surprises too...!

In the meantime, here are another 5 videos for your viewing pleasure:

ELO - Its Over (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=479p8fekZwI

A single in the US of A but not here in Blighty

Def Leppard - No Matter What (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K922jkDXTR4&search=Def%20leppard

Again, a single in th US but not here...

Fleetwood Mac - Gypsy (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XISo3l8aT24

A good video to a magnificent song.

Styx - Too Much Time On My Hands (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQiJdf-ebIs

Very much of it's time but a cool video anyway

Tommy Tutone - 867-5309/Jenny (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqUPApCUt90

He's a bit of a stalker in this video that Mr Tutone!

England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0

Phew! We left that one late didn't we?

I watched this game in the Dog & Partridge in Wednesfield with Liam, Tony Mac, Colin Clarke & Fiona. There were some relieved celebrations when the first goal went in let me tell you!

The positives - we won, we've qualified, we're top of the group, we kept a clean sheet, Rooney played, Lennon did well after coming on, great cross from Beckham for the goal & good finish from Peter Crouch, cracking strike from Stevie Gerrard for the second, John Terry turning in another immense performance...

The negatives - Attacking midfield players like Gerrard and Lampard playing too deep, having to play the long ball because your midfield players are sitting too deep difficulty in breaking down an organised opposition, only one fully match fit striker.

At the moment we're winning without playing well. Now we need to push on and win the group...

England 1 Paraguay 0

Well - that'll do! A good solid first half performance from the boys. Second half we sat a little too deep for my liking and I don't think taking off Michael Owen that early in the game was a good idea (I'd have swapped Owen for Carrick for the last 10-15 minutes and pushed Lampard or Gerrard on).

Still - three points from our opening game & job done. All we need is a win against Trinidad & Tobago and we're through to the next phase & who would have thought that so early in the tournament? Roll on next week...!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/

Sound & Vision

I've found a site for the brilliant and much missed Kenny Everett which features episodes of Captain Kremmen for download ! Lots of fun to be had here:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/steve.goskie/

Meanwhile here's another five videos to enjoy...

ELO - Here Is The News (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSCYBjfZnEQ

One of ELO's better videos and much better quality than my ropey version!

New Musik - This World Of Water (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki8sE7uLaVQ

I hadn't seen this clip for 26 years!

Asia - Heat Of The Moment (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmx0b1XttS0

Telex - Moskow Diskow (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFWdobNIcPQ

Look out for the half arsed cossack dancing at the end of the first chorus.

Dannii Minogue - So Under Pressure (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1vaX7QvB4s&search=so%20under%20pressure

Video to Dannii's new single. Lookin' good as ever!

More Updates

Bucks Fizz - "The Lost Masters" now has a "90% certain" release date of 7th July.

Dollar - "The Platinum Collection" now has a release date of 24th July

GPS - Former Asia members John Payne, Guthrie Govan and Jay Schellen now go under the name of GPS and hope to have an album "Window To The Soul" released circa September/October

http://www.johnpaynemusic.com/

You Tube - While it's still there and before the Music Industry Thought Police come and close it down, I thought I'd post some links to some music videos you might like to watch...

GTR - When The Heart Rules The Mind (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Rre3O4z1g

ELO - Wild West Hero (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up3D7jVK2Q8

This is the better version mentioned in my previous post!

Styx - Music Time (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGVym_sDd5U

Lyndsey Buckingham - Trouble (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d1guIZZNbM

Lyndsey's nicked my hairstyle!

Nolans - Chemistry (Japanese TV)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWdDSQh3yak&search=Nolans%20UK%2080%27s

One for PVC fetish fans everywhere! Ooer!