Tea & Symphony on You Tube!

I've added a new link to this site. If you look on the right of your screen (go on, take a look!) you'll see a link that says 'Tea & Symphony You Tube Channel'. This link (also reproduced below) takes you to my channel on You Tube where you will find all of the videos I've added to my favourites and all of the channels I subscribe to. Jump on board and see where it takes you...!

http://www.youtube.com/Teaandsymphony

Another reason for dirceting your attention to this link is that I'm consciously trying to scale back the number of links to You Tube videos that I post on here because I've discovered that You Tube can be a very transient medium; one minute a great piece of rock or pop history is up there, and the next it has been removed at the request of some multinational corporation or other on the grounds of copyright infringement.

Whilst we're on that subject can I just say that these companies are totally within their rights to request the removal of these clips. They are the copyright holders, it's their property and they can do with them whatever they choose. However, in many cases what these companies have chosen to do with these clips is not broadcast them, not license them, not release them, not make them available for download and instead let them remain (unseen) in their archive for best part of 20-30 years. It seems to me that if you're going to assert your rights as copyright holders then you should at least consider providing fans with a viable alternative.

Anyway - here's a few clips among my favourites that I just had to share with you all. Grab 'em while you can...

Telex - We Are All Getting Old (Promotional Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0zsNukwNQM

"In the Autumn of 1980 I bought my first Telex album "Neurovision" (£3.99 from John Menzies in Walsall!) and I loved it. This is a typically deadpan, tongue-in-cheek video that I saw for the first time last week. 'Did you ever hear such Electronic Stuff..!'"

Pussyfoot - I Want To Be Me (Song For Europe 1980)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW4k6ZUowoI

"Prima Donna were our Eurovision entry for 1980 but as far as me and my friend Colin were concerned, it should have been this. It seemed to polarise the voting from the regional juries and it ended up getting either top marks or one point, which was what did for it in the end."

Philip Jap - Total Erasure (David Essex Showcase 1982)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVAeCX-mbu0

"I can't tell you how long I've been after this clip! I first saw this in the summer of 1982 round my friend Colin's house. I was 15 years old and I thought this was a great performance. I've not seen it since in 25 years! Great stuff!"

Philip Jap - Save Us (Promotional Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkLImrhsNl0

"Although the caption says 'Total Erasure' this is actually the promotional video to Philip Jap's previous single 'Save Us', an excellent track, produced by Trevor Horn, that seems to have been airbrushed out of pop history"

Abba - Summer Night City (Japan Music Fair 1978)

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

"I've always thought that this was a somewhat underrated hit of Abba's. Very evocative of the glorious summer of '78 (before the nightmare of secondary school began). And how fantastic do Agnetha & Frida look in this clip?"

I also had to include this clip. It's a dream sequence from the magnificent TV series 'Life On Mars'. One of the funniest things I've seen on TV in ages...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixsc9POvY7E

Wolves 1 WBA 0

Hmmm... so many feelings... how best to express them...?

YEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poetry Corner - March 2007

Welcome to a long overdue second edition of Poetry Corner! It's quite an eclectic collection this one. It starts with a wonderful little poem called "Creative Writing" by Gervase Phinn that I 'got' right away and ends with "Cool Retreat" an excellent poem from one of my favourite modern poets Colin Kelley.

In and around this there's a famous poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "I Saw" which was used in a TV commercial a few years ago and "A Cradle Song" by Thomas Dekker which The Beatles nicked part of for a track on the "Abbey Road" album called "Golden Slumbers".

I've also chucked one of my own poems into this illustrious company. "Rainwalk" was the first poem I ever had published, but more importantly it touched the heart of the person I wrote it for, which is all I could ever have wished for it...

Creative Writing - Gervase Phinn

My story on Monday began:
‘Mountainous seas crashed on the cliffs,
And the desolate land grew wetter…’
The teacher wrote a little note: ‘Remember the capital letter!’

My poem on Tuesday began:
‘Red tongues of fire,
Licked higher and higher
From smoking Etna’s top…’
The teacher wrote a little note: ‘Where is your full stop!’

My story on Wednesday began:
‘Through the lonely pine-scented wood
There twists a hidden path…’
The teacher wrote a little note: ‘Start a paragraph!’

My poem on Thursday began:
‘The trembling child
Eyes dark and wild
Frozen midst the fighting…’
The teacher wrote a little note: ‘Take care-untidy writing!’

My story on Friday began:
‘The boxer bruised and bloody lay,
His eye half closed and swollen…’
The teacher wrote a little note: ‘Use a semi-colon!’

Next Monday my story will begin:
‘Once upon a time…’

My Mom’s Put Me On The Transfer List - David Harmer

On offer:
One nippy striker, ten years old
Has scored seven goals this season
Has nifty footwork and a big smile
Knows how to dive in the penalty box
Can get filthy and muddy within two minutes
Guaranteed to wreck his kit each week.

This is a FREE TRANSFER
But he comes with running expenses
Weeks of washing shirts and shorts
Socks and vests, a pair of trainers
Needs to scoff huge amounts
Of chips and burgers, beans and apples
Pop and cola, crisps and oranges
Endless packets of chewing gum.

This offer open until the end of the season
I’ll have him back then
At least until the cricket starts.
Any takers?

The Fight Of The Year - Roger McGough

“And there goes the bell for the third month
And winter comes out of its corner looking groggy
Spring leads with a left to the head
Followed by a sharp right to the body
Daffodils
Primroses
Crocuses
Snowdrops
Lilacs
Violets
Pussywillow

Winter can’t take much more punishment
And Spring shows no signs of tiring
Tadpoles
Squirrels
Baalambs
Badgers
Bunny Rabbits
Mad March Hares
Horses and Hounds
Spring is merciless
Winter won’t go the full twelve rounds

Bobtail clouds
Scallywag winds
The sun
A pavement artist
In every town
A left to the chin
And Winter’s down!

Tomatoes
Radish
Cucumber
Onions
Beetroot
Celery
And any
Amount
Of lettuce
For dinner
Winter’s out for the count
Spring is the winner!”

Rainwalk - David Waterfield

I went for a walk in the rain today
And I saw the trampled rainbows the cars had left behind.
Incongruous beauty - a profusion of colour,
Earthbound and lost amidst the concrete confusion of the city
And I wondered what it meant…

…Then I looked into your eyes tonight and I understood.
I saw your true colours
The life and the fire within.
The love, hope and compassion.
Like a rainbow arched across a starlit midnight sky
The brightest jewel set in the crown of the Heavens,
You enchant the world with your laughter and your presence.
If only you could see yourself as I see you!
For the real you is so beautiful.

But I also see what the world has done to you,
How it has hurt you
Dashed your hopes against the cruel rocks of reality
And destroyed your self-esteem.

Don’t be afraid, I will stay beside you,
Take my hand and together we will banish grey skies forever!
Then one day you will soar into the sky,
And the watching world will stand in awe
Of the glorious rainbow that you are.

I Saw - Anon

I saw a peacock with a fiery tale
I saw a blazing comet drop down hail
I saw a cloud with ivy circled round
I saw a sturdy oak creep on the ground
I saw an ant swallow up a whale
I saw a raging sea brim full of ale
I saw a Venice glass sixteen feet deep
I saw a well full of men’s tears that weep
I saw their eyes all in a flame of fire
I saw a house as big as the moon and higher
I saw the sun even in the midst of night
I saw the man that saw this wondrous site.

How Do I Love Thee? - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose.

With my lost saints - I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose
I shall love thee better after death.

A Cradle Song - Thomas Dekker

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock them lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep you;
You are care and care must keep you.
Sleep pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby;
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

Cool Retreat - Colin Kelley

5.01 p.m. the day after yesterday,
When you told me over dinner you would marry.

Of course you never noticed my sudden loss of appetite
I smiled and cooed and ordered drink number two.

I joked,
I’ll be the best man
But that was a lie.
If I were the best man, you’d be marrying me in June.

We are just friends
On terms
Blotting out the bad times.

Your threatening hand
Your drug induced haze
Your inability to acknowledge my compassion.

I wonder what kind of man this must be
Who loves you enough to commit
What stamina does he have that I lack?
How has he steeled himself against your petulance
Your lack of affection
Your irrevocable, damaging words?

It must have been me.

Clever as ever
I conceal my wound and make a cool retreat to sarcasm,
Other topics
More wine.

I offer no satisfaction if you’re looking for a crack in the armour,
That’s all on the inside,
Where you never bothered to look.

Later that night
The topic again
I play it off
Some derisive shot over your bow.

Will you give me away, you ask.
I already have.

"You're not kidding Old Arthur...?"

Although it's currently being shown on Paramount 2 on Friday evenings (it's first UK TV showing in 25 years!!) it's welcome news that the Goodies Complete LWT series is being released on DVD on 26th March. Six episodes originally shown on ITV in late 1981-early 1982. Worth getting for the 'Bigfoot' episode alone...

Music News

Asia - Asia are touring the UK again in December with their "12 Dates Of Christmas". Live CD's from selected venues at the last tour can be purchased from their website

http://originalasia.com/

Yes - Whist the usual mad Yes politics rumble on Chris Squire is working on a solo album and Alan White has linked up with ex-Yes members Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye to form a band called Circa: who have a myspace site here http://www.myspace.com/circahq

Lisa Scott-Lee - I'm still crying foul that the lovely Lisa has been booted off 'Dancing On Ice'! It's a miscarriage of justice I tell you! However she will be touring with the show, coming to the NIA on 31st March/1st April. Her debut album 'Never Or Now' is scheduled for release later this year.

Chloe Lattanzi - Chloe is daughter of Olivia Newton-John. She has her own myspace site at http://www.myspace.com/chloelattanziofficial

Brian Nash - Nasher was the guitarist in Frankie Goes To Hollywood. His blog at http://www.nasher.co.uk/blog/ made me laugh and his track "Top Of The Pops Again" on his myspace page is well worth checking out http://www.myspace.com/nasher

Bucks Fizz - "Casperfan" from the Bucks Fizz message board has posted loads of Bucks Fizz clips over the last 2-3 weeks, some of which I have and some of which I don't. Go to his You tube channel at http://www.youtube.com/casperfan and check em out for yourself!