2024 Review

 

The year began with a few constant things such as a week punctuated by the arrival of comics as it was back in the 70's and early 80's from a mixture of the new such as the Pheonix, Commando the D C Thomson part reprint part new story war based adventure comic, the monthly Adventure Plus Max mixing a short story with comic strips, a quiz and some humanties based facts although mysteriously my account got disrupted at the end of the first season of the year and Monster Fun.

Monster Fun mysteriously stopped at the December issue although a issue for January had been planned with no real warning which was very sad as had been going great guns with real bio-kid involvement, moving to a monthly and even having some subscriber specials.

Having spent a fair bit on Little Boy clothing and refined appearences to allow for more blending in during  the school hols I only needed to renew a few sweatshirts of the sort favoured by a number of Junior schools today, more period socks including banding free grey ones which stick out a bit less and some Cub inspired uniform items,

I got out more than I did in 2023 spending days with the more likemind for very much totally innocent child-like fun with not one jolt of anything kink, ikky or off whatever some may choose to believe. They could not be more wrong if they tried.

Musically we did on balence spend more on records often new reissues as we found they sounded better than previous cd editions and a few choice used titles from a handful of quality sellers.

Major buys being most of the 1964 U.S. Beatles albums in mono, a seperate post of which was made about and the Now Yearbook three lp issues of hits from the 1970's which replaced long lost Ktel or re-recorded Hallmark Top Of The Pops compilations bought at the time.

A small group of beautique classical record reissues were bought as were the odd used title although given most classical output is on cd, most brand new recordings were brought in that format.

The domestic arrangments whilke prone to some incidents had settled down with things more understood although things like Respiritory virus did cause issues in October and Novemeber.

We should be away in February although I'll need to catch a train towards Herefordshire for the first leg of it which should be fun.

Onwards and upwards regardless of pressures is more my plan for the New Year.

Christmas pause edition 2024

This week is the last week before Christmas and some of reason for the delay was that I was away with little friends across the weekenbd where we did things like pin the Reindeer's nose blinded, played "pointless", a Xmas themed Bingo and had a party.

I handed out cards.

We did also have a meal together  before leaving although my train was delayed by some thirteen minutes due to difficulties locating staff which was better than finding as some services did not run as the drivers are not contracted to work weekends and refused to turn out to work leaving people stranded.

My Aunt who has health complications visited on Tuesday for a good hour or so which was good.

Just another day to see on the Advent calender and it'll be upon us.

Happy Christmas folks and all the best for the New Year.

Moving to end of Term

It's not quite Christmas according to a song playing on the radio which to be honest it can't be from the last regular one of 2022, things are a bit a bit low key indeed I've only just get started writing a few cards.

An added thing this year has been the computer change with lots of restoring and getting programs back on that unlike in the past aren't on discs to just load in with product codes but need downloading.

This time of year usually takes me back to school activities like the many plays and pantos I took a part in be it a a non speaking part or speaking and having to learn the words to songs to sing on stage to an audience of vistors, staff, younger children and obviously parents including your own.

You sorted out ways of memorizing your lines and stage directions, learned to hold you head high as you forgot them had ahem "wardrobe malfunctions" during practise sessions and finally did it well.

We had the Crimbo Party  and Dinner where we tried to be a be a bit more grown up even through we were still on fruit juice with our sandwiches and Xmas Puddings that still contained a six pence before health and safety stepped in saying we might swallow them.

Finally we had the Xmas Assembly with its readings and carols  followed by announcements of which the last was to be good and help at home.

Next week should be the last "proper" entry before Christmas Day where I take a bit of a pause.

Musing Friday

After the last couple of post which were uncharacteristically music related as we are starting the slow countdown to Crimbo here we are going a bit more back to what the blog evolved into.

I can hardly say about cos as the "back end" of this blog rather shows originally it was photography led but that was because I was trying to document things about my past, capturing memories while they were relatively fresh.

Everybody has their era and with me it crosses decades but in some ways starting formal education as the 1960's moved into the 1970's did kind of suit me and I was glad even with my disabilities that at school, church, things like cubs too, we were expected and were brought up to look smart.

We dressed up to go to the cinema, theatre and to eat out because it was an event, an experience that was seen as one where how we projected oursleves mattered.

Not for us thrown on casual attire but dress shirts, ties that had to be fastened, creased short trousers and socks that had to be straight up with shoes you were expected to polish yourself.

Being more dressed like those boys as just normal and even when out I had a childs version of a sports type blazer not connected with your school one you'd wear to restaurants and a proper folded hankichief.

With that and your manners we were always welcomed back, respected, people who would be "gentlemen" in your later life equally respected by your community.

It would be great to see more of that about today's boys as much as a good deal has changed over the decades from when I were a lad.

Compilations of the past III - Challenges to Now That's What I Call Music

Having written two pieces on the road to the compilation series Now That's What I Call Music  you might of thought we'd finished this with the very first Now! in late 1983 but nothing stays still for long even though the popularity of Now did reduce the role of the likes of KTel and Ronco in making of the time chart compilations.

The success also lead to one entrant the Hit's team backed by CBS and WEA launching their own competing HITS series in late 1984 which run into the early 1990's but they were always the also run not that certain issues weren't welcomed when Now put out 12 mix volumes and we wanted a regular compilation.

Things hotted up in 1985 and three record companies, Chrysalis, MCA and Phonogram thought they could pull off a trick and undermine the big two and this was their first offering from March of that year.

What they had not counted on was just how litigious EMi/Virgin would be as they argued in court that to us Now in the title could confuse the public although the case was thrown out when the Now had to be in different type face.

This was a pretty decent compilation aided in a way by Now deciding in early 1985 to do a 12 mix compilation - Now Dance - so with only HITS offering Now 2 as a mainstream compilation there were plenty of spots of chart hits on Out Music although there's a good sides worth of minor hits.

It was moderately successful but the court case did muddy the waters and not every record store wanted to go full in on promotion not least when Now would go the whole hog with radio and tv advertising.

Now got back on the regular scene by June 1985 with Now 5 mopping up the hits of late spring and early summer although that was short on number ones.

Out Music had to respond and decided to go for November in time for the early christmas market but by that point the big two had started work on in order of release Hits 3 and Now 6 and had got first dibs on a good number of tracks.

They did find three disc sides worth of chart hits although few were top five and a side of minor hits which musically were more interesting but an indication of the difficulties was licensing two Billy Idol songs, both reissues too.

This was to be the last issue in this challenger series with Phonogram throwing its lot in with Emi/Virgin from Now 7 but in truth what is scattered across these two albums are some fantastic records from 1985 such as Don't Mess with Dr. Dream the last chart entry for the Thompson Twins, Dire Straits Money For Nothing from their massively popular Brothers In Arms album, Go West, the break out group of 1985 with Call Me and the marvellous Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears.

Two's company, three's a crowd.

Previous post: https://thatuniformedschoolboytoo.blogspot.com/2023/04/compilations-of-past-ii-road-to-now.html

Meet The Beatles or why we're in 1964 all over again

The Beatles didn't quite change the World,single handledly but they were a major part of what catapulted the differential Britain of the early 1960's of doffing ones cap to our "betters" to the more open, more prepared to stand up for being yourself environment of the late 60's and into the 1970's when I came on the scene.

For a whole stack of reasons starting with Capitol U.S.A. deciding up to late 1963 it wanted nothing to do with The Beatles it was late issuing their records and other companies had limited agreements, the albums that American's got  from 1964 to 1967 were rather different than fans in Britain (and much of Europe) had.

They were however what in effect made The Beatles international superstars, expanding their fan base and record sales so while from 1987 and the deliberate standardization of their album catalogue on cd then tape and record to that they approved of, in recent years these American albums have from time to time emerged on cd in cd sets.

Today sees a bunch of seven albums reissued on vinyl in mono in a set and six available to be bought individually each unavailable in mono since 1968.

In 1963 The U.K. had had seen two albums and four singles before on January 20th 1964 America saw its first album (Although Vee Jay had an album in pipeline it came out later) and this album was compiled as the title Meet The Beatles suggested, an introduction featuring their latest single and mainly a selection of own compositions from their second U.K. album that had come out two months before.

Following a triumphant initial tour in the Winter of 1964 it was obvious there was a demand for another album with five, yes five, beatles singles holding down the top five singles chart and so Capitol issued The Beatles' Second Album in April on the back of the world-wide Can't Buy Me Love smash hit single.

This was compiled around restrictions on their earlier recordings already licensed to other labels so featured the cover versions first issued on their second U.K. album, single b sides and two tracks recorded for an forthcoming British extended play four song record.

Compared to the stereo version which was very echo laden, the mono version was not and so the reissue of this is most welcome.

Those jolly chaps, the Beatles, starred in a movie that attempted to show something of what being beatles was like with much of their liverpudlian humour and in North America, a sountrack album having all the songs originally slated for the film release and four instrumentals featured by the George Martin Orchestra was issued.

This was six New Songs plus four from the film soundtrack and a German Language song wrapped around a picture from that Ed Sullivan show they appeared on earlier in the year.

Issued in time for the christmas market, Beatles '65 featured new recordings that showed growing lyrical and musical maturity with songs such as I'm A Loser and I'll Follow The Sun coupled with the new smash hit single I Feel Fine in its exclusive additional reverbed mix.

Each record has a four page lp sized set of notes and comes with replica inner sleeves matching that the record on original issues came with advertising other Capitol albums.

As a couple of other lps are with Mr Claus late of the North Pole they will be added later.

Oh Brother!

 

Relationships within families can be strained sometimes around things set very much in the present and others go back to early childhood actually and they may cross over which when it comes to some of mine is definately the case.

My older brother was fine but my younger brother was something else from an inability to play any kind of a game without wanting to alter the rules so he'd win regardless to non stop pressuring from the minute we arrived on holiday for money for various things such as the amusement arcades, sweet shops not ever getting to grips with the notion your holiday money as for the whole week and if you saw anything special then you'd need to make a case to the Bank of Mum and Dad.

Gnerally I always managed mine to cover childhood essentials like a comic or two to read, sweets and the odd souvenirs before getting to things like the slot machines, leaving them to the last full day.

He just blow it in one and then started wanting to "borrow" but given there was nothing to say he's have it give back I'd dig my heels in.

The other thing was the number of times I caught him out telling outright lies about where he'd been, impersonating his mum on the phone even to "check" if a cheque mum had written for him had been cashed which he had no business doing.

Like Dad he suffers from dramatic statement syndrome which everything wrong with him is played up beyond where it really is expect you to drop everything for him.

So you might understand how things are with me.