A pile of Mud...

Music was one of our social currencies back in the day, exchanging likes and tidbits of information in an era devoid of internet, music television and mbile phones.

There were artists you were definately fans of, having posters, fan club memberships albums and singles of apart from seeing your heroes live on stage  which for me was The Rollers, Sweet and the Wombles and there were others you may of liked singles by but weren't your main thing.

 The Carlshalton, Surrey group Mud, originally a rock and roll revival act was one of those having been picked as a means of Rak Records owner and employer of a song writing team of having hits and you could say they went for the ride.

Those chart hits from Crazy, Tiger Feet, The Cat Crept In, Rocket, Oh Boy, Secrets That You Keep and Moonshine Sally were records I did like, fitting in as a cross between Glam Rock with a lead vocalist who could "do" Elvis well.

The Xmas hit Lonely This Christmas remains a favourite seasonal song of mine as while on the one hand its a tongue in cheek Elvis inpersonation, it does touch the very real issue of feeling alone at Christmas were everybody else isn't and that's all you see.

Two albums were issued but here that schism between their act and their chart hits shows because especially with Mud Rock, it's mainly a live album of rock and roll covers with only one full hit, Rocket, which isn't what a fan of the singles would of expected.

Mud Rock Vol: II is more of a fake live album with just odd really live track and the rest overdubbed with crowd noise but is a much easier listen for being better recorded and this did have a couple of full hits on it.

This was a "contractual obligation release" as after one day signing to Rak they signed to another record company Private Stock, home of the soon to take off Blondie and David Soul so Most of Mud Rock II actually was finished by December 1974 although it was a Spring 1975 release that didn't trouble the charts much.

I wouldn't say they were particulary worth seeking out unless you're a completest while that "Let's Have a Party-The Best Of Mud is compilation on cd of this era of the group.

Part of the reason for going to Private Stock records was they wanted more input into their songs and the arrangements  but those albums have been very hard to find so I did get this 2004 double compliation of singles and album tracks instead some years ago with singles and album tracks instead.

This does feature actual hits, not played as much as they might on oldies radio shows such as L L L Lucy, Show Me You're A Woman and Use Your Imagination plus the B side to Beating About The Bush, Under The Moon Of Love  was covered by Showaddywaddy reaching #1 in 1976 but the tide was turning from most of the glam rock era artists seeing sales drop and contracts end and Mud were no exception unfortunately however good this later material was.

If you just want the Rak era hits on vinyl, beyond the original singles I'd suggest Mud's Greatest Hits from late 1975 used as a good copy will sound great given it was mastered and cut at Abbey Road studios.

Junior Beat: A new Badfinger album

 On what is likely to be quite a stormy day I'm playing a new record that's really not new as in freshly recorded but it's new out.

Late last year the iconic British band Badfinger was proud to unveil the forthcoming release of their long-lost album "Head First" scheduled for 2024 - exactly 50 years after it's original recording. 

1974 is one of those years I  seem perpectually stuck in to which music often takes me back to and this should of been their third album for Warner Bros after a fresh deal upon leaving Apple Records that itself was winding down.

This historic release features Peter Ham's final studio recordings and marks a significant milestone in the band's legacy, bringing forth an album that has been shrouded in mystery for decades. With hits such as "Come and Get It," "No Matter What," "Day After Day," and "Baby Blue," Badfinger has long been recognized as a formidable force in the power pop and classic rock genres of the 1970s. 

Originally recorded in 1974 at The Beatles' renowned Apple Recording Studio on Savile Row, London, "Head First" encapsulates a transformative era in Badfinger's storied career. 

The sessions for "Head First" took place during a tumultuous period for the band, marked by personal struggles and external challenges not least an explotative contract signed by a greedy manager, which ultimately led to the album being shelved and indeed was referenced in two of the featured songs.

For years, only a rough mix survived, with the master tapes thought to be lost. However, the recent rediscovery of the original multi-tracks has allowed for a meticulous mixing and mastering process, breathing new life into this long-hidden masterpiece. 

This release promises to provide fans with an authentic glimpse into the creative spirit of Badfinger during one of their most artistically rich periods and one I enjoyed playing from the moment it arrived earlier this week.

R.I.P Denny Laine (Wings)

Born 29 October 1944, Denny Laine's death was announced early on the week on Monday 5 December in Naples, Florida, U.S.A. 

Denny was a founding member of the group The Moody Blues from 1964 where they score a massive world-wide hit with Go Now until late 1966 where faced with declining sales the group decided to embark upon a mixture of progressive rock and orchestration.

After a period in groups such as Ginger Baker's Army, Denny joined a then little know group called Wings formed by Paul and Linda McCartney to continue in music without all the baggage of being a "Beatle" who had a lot of hit singles  like Let 'Em In and albums such as Band On The Run and London Town.

After some disagreements in 1981 he left to persue his own musical interests.

The reason this entry exists isn't just a rest in peace post but because the records he was involved in were very much records I loved as a kid in the 70's playing for enjoyment often tied to memories of situations and events of that time.

For instance this record, which I still have, is a massive part of all my Christmas's from when I bought it while visiting my late Nan in December 1977 from the districts main record shop whose lyrics and bagpipe playing by the pipers evoke the feel of being together celebrating as one.

Its other side as it was technically a  double 'A' side was the rocking Girls School which was a delight who thought Paul McCartney had forgot how to rock, preferring to write "silly love songs".

This still from the video shown on the late Michael Parkinsons show before being on Top Of The Pops evoke so many memories and emotions for me with Denny on the left.

For me Christmas without Mull Of Kintyre is unthinkable.

Rest in peace Denny.

Take two Rollers compilations

The last instalment of this series from April this year, looked at four original albums that meant a lot to me at the time and how they were received. 

Some artists have a relatively simple recorded history that sees all their commercially released recordings being on regular albums and perhaps a "Best Of".

Like many British groups the Bay City Rollers had a number of singles not issued on album, unique singles mixes and exclusive 'B' sides because over here issuing singles from from albums fans have already bought is looked down upon.

This new entry looks at a couple of compilations.

This was the second attempt in Japan in 1977 to create a compilation and remains a most essential choice on vinyl because it takes all the UK singles in their original forms from the 1971 Jonathan King produced Keep On Dancing in the original mono to the string less  version of Give A Little Love of July 1975 compiling them in release order with the often non album b sides.

As the title suggests the emphasis is on their earlier recordings.

It also has Mary Anne, the B side of Money Honey which was included on the UK Dedication album and Mama Li, the B side of Love Me Like I Love You and two Japan singles.

The twenty six tracks are spread across two lps for the best sound quality while being more convenient than changing the original 45's by hand every three minutes rather than the auto changers we had with a few stacked up at a time.

It does sound very good.

Following a series of changes in the bands membership and after the issue of the It's A Game album and single, Arista in the US felt the need to issue a compilation even if the first US album "Bay City Rollers" was just that pulled from the UK Rollin' and Once Upon A Star albums.

Most issues followed the US version from the stingy five tracks per side and album art but a number of European countries had their own versions which were different.

This is the original West German version which is particularly useful for having both 1976 non album singles Love Me Like I Love You and the cover of Dusty Springfield's I Only Wanna Be With You, Money Honey outside of its appearance on the UK Dedication album coupled with the lovely decision to start each side with their most current singles from the It's A Game album.

This album featured the North American and continental Europe Yesterday's Hero and Rock & Roll Love Letter singles, the latter being a Power Pop gem.

Keep On Dancing on this album is the remake in stereo for the Once Upon A Star album.

Of the single lp best of editions this is the one that showcases the Rollers talents the best and compliments that Japan Early Collection double well. 

A somethings extra autumn post

 I was thinking back to all those Hanna-Barbera shows many of us loved the other day and I thought I'd post these reference drawings showing each character.

Sometimes you see a trade mark illustrators style - take Fumbles for instance.

We all know a dog in a certain show like that, don't we?

That's so early 70's!

A trio of less well remembered shows

Move over Yogi, there's a different bear family in town complete with Afro.

I'm not sure I caught this show but someone must have.

I just loved all the different teams in Wacky Races didn't you?

I remember the Space Kiddettes

Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant were favourites of mine.

We're restricted here when it comes to who can personally visit following Monday's announcement so I can't see myself going anywhere to send time indoors with anyone this side of 2020.

I'm just gonna stay little boy me throughout this thing.

Talking of which it's the same as it ever was feeling very much all of ten seeing that reflection in the windows coming home in his coat shortened grey shorts and turn over socks confident in himself.

It may be 6 degrees c at the moment but I'm out there!

The earliest recordings

This friday I thought I'd rewind back to when I'd of been six and three quarters and when it was that for Christmas I was bought my very own pocket tape recorder.

You may well scoff at the thought of "pocket" being deployed to describe it but in the era we are talking about most people had recorders that took various sized reels of tape that reflected how portability mattered to you, Dad had a larger home machine that took five and three quarter inch spools but also a Sharp RT303 portable recorder that used batteries and three and a third sized spools that by that point I could 'borrow' when remembering not to place fingers on the tape when fast winding as it would act like a band saw!  

That picture is tiny and I haven't found another of the model I had which was like that except the case was turquoise blue  but the Prinzsound TR6 was the one I had with a pull up lid you placed and pushed the cassettes down into.

That place and push in action was easier for me and I suspect probably why I was bought a cassette machine

This is a later one but it's easier to explain with it on the far right you had the playback volume control for the speaker or earphone keys for fast wind and fast reverse on mine pressing both acted as a stop button but on this later one it had a separate button and on the far left with a coloured marker was the record button with you pressed followed by play to record things.

With it came some tapes and they were these which to be honest were cheap although a little later on I had some EMI "Sound Hog" ones with a hippo design on the label.

I recorded things like songs from Top of the Pops although dad had made a lead up so I could record direct from the radio, and things like parties being a  kind of sound record which given I wasn't good at writing helped keeping memories.

In 1975 I used it to record the Christmas Bay City Rollers BBC Radio One special with interviews and music.

This is a good a spot to drop in that Ian Mitchell who was during 1976 a member of the Bay City Rollers around the period of the Dedication album replacing Alan Longmuir during that period died aged 62 and who outside of the BCR was a important part of the group Rosetta Stone.

He was the first Roller to come from outside of Scotland, in his instance Northern Ireland.

Although as I got older I had recorder that used big reels cos they just sounded a lot better then, I kept it until I acquired a ITT Studio 73 portable stereo cassette deck for use in boarding school as the schools music centre was not something that you really wanted to listen to being a cheap Fidelity model.

By that point both cassette decks and especially the blank tapes were improving so they sounded closer to home reel based recorders that took the larger five and three quarter or seven inch reels

I have a Technics stereo cassette deck in my stereo system that still sees considerable usage and a large stash of high quality blank tapes for it.

Going back to an old favourite

After last weeks entry we are returning very much to the past  I recall .

This book by E Nesbit who also wrote The Railway Children held my attention which was unusual at the time 
Set in Edwardian England, four children discover a strange egg hidden in an old carpet from which hatches a talking phoenix. Further adventures are had when the carpet turns out to be magic.
The Phoenix is wise, wiser than the children but it becomes obvious he is also vain and at odds with the world as some of his acts cause concern to them and consternation to the grown ups.

It was dramatized in 1976 on  BBC Tv to popular acclaim and last year it was issued on dvd for the first time.

My Brother had the book, unusual for him to actual bother much with reading which I borrowed and I later bought a copy myself which is pictured with an illustraion from that tv version published by Puffin.
;

Building on the lego set

Following on last weeks well received post, it happened I was able to get a few bits and bobs for the lego set to fill the gaps. 

One thing I did miss were the red roof tiles with their sharp angles mimicking the sloping roofs you find on many properties here in the UK as one a handful were included in the main set.

Here are 61 vintage red ones and there's a few others (see later) that will help adding the finishing touches to making buildings that I bought used, put in a bag stuck a card sheet.

 I did mention last week the lack of traditional white bricks in current sets being replaced by pink which is less use for building houses with as apart from a church near here, no building is in pink.

This was a bundle that was going cheap used comprising of a older green baseboard that felt a bit more stable than mine and a number of classic 70's and 80's lego characters that can be slotted on a bigger boards for more realism such as a site worker with a red safety hat. 

It also had a number of white bricks I wanted together with some older red, blue and yellow ones of various formations plus red and black (no longer offered) clip on small plates which you can't have enough of.

Here is all white bundle of bricks  with windows and doors too I was able to get cheaply that would work well with the other

This should help transform the two current sets I have into something more like the one I had with a bias on building structures while by adding the characters also link back toward the past as I did get separately some of those which may go with any other bits I get as the months go bye.

Carpenters -the compact disc collection

This weekend gone I was talking with some people from a Furry Arts site while some stories were being red so if you're reading this from a link there, Hi!
As anyone who knows me and specifically about this blog realizes it is very rare for me to post about a physical item unless it is in some way connected to either being an adult little boy or actual boyhood.
It's not just a protection from being overrun by things like dvd or book reviews but to ensure there is clear reason routed in this blogs purpose for each post and that always comes back to being about me
The reason I am talking about something I own  today is because the music of the Carpenters is heavily connected emotionally to being a boy as it that I listened to  on the radio and played in our house as that boy being a part of the soundtrack of that time as you did things like read comics or make things from meccano or lego.
Play a track by them and mentally at least I'm back in that time.

This is a special limited edition set from 1990 when I was returning to more of the interests and routines of boyhood that contains all of their individual albums with notes about who sang and performed on what.
One reason for getting is I find listening to song in the order I am familiar that of the original records or tapes we had pulls me more into 'the past' than just a random selection to the point I recall the people and activities.
It also is a more rewarding object tactilewise for being a fraction bigger than a record with inserts behind glossy paper to flick through with photographs and the like which also help in taking me back. 

The individual cds are in wells within the box which keeps the form factor small and the set comprises of the following albums:
Ticket To Ride
Close To You
Carpenters
A Song for You
Now and Then
Horizon
A Kind of Hush
Passage
A Christmas Portrait (1978)
Made In America (1981)
Voice of the Heart (1983)
Lovelines (1989) - from not issued Karen Carpenter solo album sessions of 1977/8
The cds themselves are manufactured by Nimbus in Great Britain
While this isn't a technically minded blog the cds are very clear and rich  sounding which is a very good thing.
For me then having this set isn't just convenient it helps in returning to those past times.