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Post by Portland Road on Feb 3, 2022 23:24:26 GMT
My friend even got his kids' bus pass in the name of "Finbarr Saunders" Could have been 'Johnny Fartpants' - that would create a stink if they found out....
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Post by Portland Road on Jan 27, 2022 8:39:27 GMT
I didn't take to his music over the whole of his career, but there is no doubt he was a showman and 'Bat Out Of Hell' is a great album.
R.I.P. Meatloaf.
Gideon Coe on BBC 6Music played this interesting track the other evening, a pre-solo psych pop band from 1968:
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Post by Portland Road on Jan 19, 2022 6:23:55 GMT
BBC 6Music re-ran a 2016 interview with her yesterday, with Lauren Laverne.
The Ronettes had a huge influence on pop music, incl. The Beatles and The Beach Boys.
R.I.P. Ronnie Spector.
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Post by Portland Road on Jan 12, 2022 23:17:40 GMT
R.I.P. Sidney Poitier.
Of his films,'The Defiant Ones' (1958) with Tony Curtis, 'In The Heat Of The Night' (1967) with Rod Steiger, 'To Sir With Love' (1967) set in London with a host of UK co-stars including Lulu and Judy Geeson, and 'They Call Me Mister Tibbs' (1970) with Martin Landau spring to mind.
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Post by Portland Road on Jan 12, 2022 23:06:04 GMT
Janice was of the same Radio One period as Mike Read, Steve Wright, Gary Davies, Mike Smith and Bruno Brookes, i.e. after the 'classic Smashie n Nicies' (Tony Blackburn, Simes, DLT etc) but before the late-period of e.g. Simon Mayo, Nicky Campbell and Mark Goodier.
I suspect that if she had stayed at Radio One after 1987, she would have gravitated to the shows that Jakki Brambles presented, i.e. early evenings (Mon-Fri) from 1989 succeeding Bruno Brookes and then lunchtimes (Mon-Fri) from 1992 succeeding Gary Davies.
Though I doubt she would have survived the Matthew Bannister-led changes of 1993. No DJs from pre-1986, with the notable exception of John Peel (& to a lesser extent Annie Nightingale & Johnnie Walker), seemed to manage this.
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Post by Portland Road on Jan 12, 2022 22:54:18 GMT
I had a canister of that, it wasn't too good I sprayed loads of it on my toast, but there was still no flavour....
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 30, 2021 6:03:32 GMT
Perhaps without intent, John Peel and David Jensen emerged as a great duo presenting TOTP in the mid-80s, and when David left the BBC, Janice assumed his role and also did a sterling job. This was at a time when music was getting cheesier and their links were often the highlight of the show I always think of Janice as part of the post-New Wave music scene, and particularly championing north-west England/Irish/Scottish acts in that period, no doubt due to her Liverpool roots. U2, Killing Joke, Echo & The Bunnymen, Orange Juice, China Crisis, The Mighty Wah!, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Smiths and The Christians spring to mind. Yet it was also a period when indie/guitar music was less popular, and I understand she got into dispute with Radio One when she wanted to take maternity leave in 1987 - she wasn't married, and this was still a time of a "stuffy" old guard at the BBC. She did continue on TOTP a while longer, but didn't return to Radio One, which is a pity because the indie-dance-rave scene was emerging, and like Gary Davies I think she could have championed this on a daytime Radio One show. I can imagine her being keen on e.g. 808 State, The Farm, Primal Scream and the Bill Drummond-Jimmy Cauty acts (The KLF etc). Later she was good on an overnight show on Radio Two (midnight - 0300hrs IIRC) - I sometimes caught it when I was on shift work. R.I.P. Janice Long.
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 30, 2021 5:43:07 GMT
R.I.P. Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 24, 2021 8:40:41 GMT
Interesting how he was with the Decca label, who were reaching the end of their lopng period of success by 1975.
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 17, 2021 8:41:38 GMT
I did see him live in the early-90s - in that period his stage shows were similar to those (& sometimes using the same jokes) of Bernard Manning and Roy 'Chubby' Brown.
R.I.P. Jethro.
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 11, 2021 7:59:57 GMT
It is said that he & Peter Tork were the more serious members of the band, but their comedy acting came across really well. I do think The Monkees were under-rated, and Mike's song 'Listen To The Band' is sublime - check out the version on their 1969 TV special R.I.P. Mike Nesmith.
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 11, 2021 7:57:10 GMT
Yes, Jimmy Somerville was the frontperson for Bronski Beat, much like Terry Hall was for The Specials, though Jerry Dammers was the driving force.
I salute Steve Bronski for launching the band, and Jimmy Somerville making something of it and subsequent projects - Jimmy was a bright spot in a fairly average period of music c.1984-89.
R.I.P. Steve Bronski.
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Post by Portland Road on Dec 11, 2021 7:53:36 GMT
'Music' was one of the epic pop-prog crossover singles from 1975-76 - 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'City Lights' (David Essex), 'I'm Mandy Fly Me' (10CC) and 'Silver Star' (The Four Seasons) were others Beyond this, John Miles had other good hit singles like 'High Fly' and 'Slow Down'. R.I.P. John Miles.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 25, 2021 7:45:46 GMT
I didn't really get along with 'Fingerbobs', characterised, like much childrens TV, with 16mm grainy picture amd 'muddy' sound.
R.I.P. Rick Jones.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 25, 2021 7:43:31 GMT
R.I.P. Henry Woolf. Didn't think he would be as old as 91
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 25, 2021 7:42:11 GMT
R.I.P. Roy Holder.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 25, 2021 7:40:56 GMT
R.I.P. Ron Flowers.
I was working out, with my dad, who the 1966 squad survivors were. Startling that there are only six.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 25, 2021 7:40:00 GMT
Didn't know about this.
R.I.P. Graeme Edge.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 25, 2021 7:38:38 GMT
Some interesting points raised there fordcapri.
I agree that both Paul & John involved their wives in post-Beatles work, over & above other great musicians as you say.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 11, 2021 9:06:59 GMT
He was one of a number of lower profile commentators/presenters, who did the job for years & years without the fanfare of e.g. Coleman, (Dickie) Davies, Bough or Lynam. Barry Davies and Tony Gubba were others, and probably Fred Dineage.
R.I.P. Gerald Sindstadt.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 5, 2021 6:49:29 GMT
The BBC obituary touches upon the varied career he had - as birdman mentions, an all-round talent.
Maybe best remembered for 'Give Us A Clue' in the 1980s, he turned up in many different spheres, e.g. 'A Hard Days Night' and IIRC episodes of ITC shows.
I recall that his 'camp' manner was irritating to some, and attracted ridicule, partly due to the ongoing popularity of 'Give Us A Clue' which seemed to be on constantly.
R.I.P. Lionel Blair.
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 5, 2021 6:39:58 GMT
I liked Men At Work and think they should have had major success for longer.
When they started having hits, it was still amidst New Wave and like e.g. Joe Jackson and The Police, and they fitted in with this.
Though music was moving towards cliched 80s production, removing the 'bite', and indeed by 1983 when they reached a UK peak they sounded two years prior.
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Post by Portland Road on Oct 28, 2021 6:36:11 GMT
I bought the 'Mohawk' compilation CD which I played very often in the mid-2000s. Highly recommended
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Post by Portland Road on Oct 21, 2021 21:31:09 GMT
I don't know the range of Alan's music that the serious library music fans know. Though what I do know is superb. I became aware of him during the 'easy listening revival' that commenced around the mid-90s. I love the late-60s period of MOR/library music to which Alan and Keith Mansfield were central R.I.P. Alan Hawkshaw.
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Post by Portland Road on Oct 21, 2021 21:20:59 GMT
Men at Work's star shone briefly - I think they declined along with 'real instruments' in the mid-80s. I had the 'Business As Usual' album back in the day, but don't seem to have it now That's a shame because it was very good Of the singles listed I had a liking for 'Who Can It Be Now', 'Be Good Johnny' and 'Overkill'.
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Post by Portland Road on Sept 23, 2021 7:43:46 GMT
Jimmy had a 'look' about him in the 60s that showed he was up for scoring goals. In later life he had a second career that equalled this, as a genial broadcaster. The BBC news tribute was soundtracked by the opening riff of The Small Faces 'Tin Soldier', an inspired choice indeed R.I.P. Jimmy Greaves.
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Post by Portland Road on Sept 23, 2021 7:24:17 GMT
Maynon was a good character, who on balance should have appeared in more episodes of 'The Sweeney'.
Morris Perry also appeared in many other things, including a lot of ITC and Euston.
R.I.P. Morris Perry.
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Post by Portland Road on Sept 23, 2021 7:20:39 GMT
I had a vague memory that he sometimes turned up in ITC shows, but other than a small part in 'Strange Report' (1969) this appears not to be the case.
However, John did have a wide range of cult TV appearances before OFAH, including 'Coronation Street' and 'Big Breadwinner Hog' (I am not sure if I previously spotted him in this, amongst many other familiar faces).
And, as mentioned, in the period immediately preceding OFAH, he sort of prepared for the 'Boycie' character with guest roles in 'The Sweeney' and 'Citizen Smith'.
R.I.P. John Challis.
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Post by Portland Road on Sept 23, 2021 7:06:26 GMT
I think the C5 was too vulnerable and flimsy to be a success.
It was more like a pedal car than a forerunner to the mobility scooters and electric cars we see today - however, its concept may have had some influence on these.
R.I.P. Sir Clive Sinclair.
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Post by Portland Road on Sept 9, 2021 20:53:05 GMT
Very sorry to hear of the Tony's passing. As others have mentioned, he had numerous roles both straight and comic, and across many production genres e.g. cinema film, ITC, Euston, BBC, ITV regional.
I should also mention he had quite a prominent support role in 'Witchfinder General' (1968) alongside similar stalwart actors like Nicky Henson, Robert Russell, Bernard Kay, Godfrey James and Margaret Nolan.
R.I.P. Tony Selby.
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