Earworms and Earaches 4

It's another week's worth of listening for me, some great albums, some from my job lot pile.

I've picked out a track from each album in order to give you a taste of what I've heard.

Some you'll be singing for days some you'll be glad you didn't have to hear the rest of the album!

The Four Seasons - The Four Seasons Story

Jon & Vangelis - The Friends Of Mr Cairo

Various Artists - Goofy Greats

The Eagles - One Of These Nights

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Pipe Dreams

HenryMancini - Milestones Of A Legend

Rod Stewart - Atlantic Crossing

Deniece Williams - This Is Niecy

Wings - Wings At The Speed Of Sound

Here's this week's little sample of tunes.

 

Thanks for reading. If you like this blog and want to support it, sign up for the newsletter and feel free to invite your friends along to check out the blog, because after all, the more, the merrier!

100 Favourite 'New To Me' Oldies

 

A couple of months ago, I took another look at my Top 100 favourite records. It was the first time I’d had a go at redoing it since 2005.

And since then, I thought I’d do a Top 100 ‘New to Me’ Oldies since I moved to Cambridge back in February 2010.

I’ve been going through all the music I’ve bought in one format or another, to work out my favourites and try and put them into an order. It’s been a fun exercise.

What’s important is that they’re not all rare, it’s just that they’d not infiltrated my senses until I got here.

There’s a complete variety of music here – the oldest coming from 1955 and the youngest, 2002. I wasn’t going to count the 2002 one into the chart, but it holds a special place for me as it was the very last song I ever played in a radio show, so for that reason, it’s in.

You may know some, in fact, you may know a lot, but over the years we all hear different music, and these are just 100 of the ones that are ‘New To Me.’ I have to thank many of my American radio listeners for introducing me to a multitude of them as they didn't chart in the UK but did in America.

As an ‘Oldies’ lover, I think it’s great that I’m still coming across 'Oldies' I’ve never heard before.

Here are my favourites, starting at 100 and I’ve added each songs release month and year just to give you an idea when it came out.

There’s also a youtube playlist link so that you can hear all 100 in their entirety.

Enjoy!

100 Nancy Sinatra - How Does That Grab You Darling (Apr 1966)

99 Guess Who - These Eyes (Jun 1969)

98 Susan Christie - I Love Onions (Apr 1966)

97 Falco - Vienna Calling (May 1986)

96 Glen Campbell - Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife (Jun 1968)

95 Paul McCartney & Wings - Arrow Through Me (Aug 1979)

94 Gilbert O'Sullivan - Underneath The Blanket Go (Feb 1971)

93 Collegians - Zoom Zoom Zoom (Feb 1958)

92 Peppermint Rainbow - Will You Be Staying After Sunday (Apr 1969)

91 World Of Oz – King Croesus (1968)

90 Gene Pitney - Nobody Needs Your Love (Jun 1966)

89 Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan - Tennessee Bird Walk (Dec 1969)

88 Otis Leavill - Nobody But You (Feb 1968)

87 Eydie Gorme - Everybody Go Home (Oct 1963)

86 Sue Thompson - Sad Movies (Always Make Me Cry) (Oct 1961)

85 Twice As Much - Sittin' On A Fence (May 1966)

84 Family Dogg - Way Of Life (Apr 1969)

83 Cathie Taylor - Baby Baby Have You Got Cheatin' On Your Mind (Feb 1968)

82 Happenings - Where Do I Go (Sep 1969)

81 Roger Voudouris - Get Used To It (Apr 1979)

80 5^th Dimension – Puppet Man (May 1970)

79 Ali Thomson - Take A Little Rhythm (Feb 1980)

78 Herman's Hermits - I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving (Dec 1967)

77 Tommy James & The Shondells - Draggin' The Line (Sep 1973)

76 Blues Band - Rolling Log (Nov 1982)

75 Downliners Sect - Little Egypt (Sep 1964)

74 Pacific Gas & Electric With The Blackberries - Are You Ready (Jun 1970)

73 Bob Welch - Ebony Eyes (Nov 1977)

72 Zombies - Whenever You're Ready (Sep 1965)

71 Assembled Multitude - Overture from 'Tommy' (Jul 1970)

70 Bulldog – No (Aug 1972)

69 Stackridge - Do the Stanley (Feb 1973)

68 Roger Whittaker - I Don't Believe In If Anymore (Mar 1970)

67 Lou Christie - Rhapsody In The Rain (Apr 1966)

66 Electric Indian – Keem-O-Sabe (Sep 1969)

65 Beach Boys - Sail On Sailor (Feb 1973)

64 Lesley Gore - She's A Fool (Oct 1963)

63 Neil Young - Old Man (Jun 1972)

62 Spanky & Our Gang - Like To Get To Know You (Apr 1968)

61 La Reine La Mar - That's Not The Way To Love (Oct 1965)

60 Gallery - Big City Miss Ruth Ann (Dec 1972)

59 Flying Machine - Smile A Little Smile For Me (Apr 1969)

58 Sandpipers - Come Saturday Morning (Jan 1970)

57 Steve Forbert - Romeo's Tune (Oct 1979)

56 Bob Welch – Church (Jun 1979)

55 Tokens - She Lets Her Hair Down (Jan 1970)

54 Mud - Moonshine Sally (Jun 1975)

53 Ambrosia - How Much I Feel (Aug 1978)

52 Skeeter Davis - I Can't Stay Mad At You (Sep 1963)

51 Tin Tin - Toast & Marmalade For Tea (May 1970)

50 Engelbert Humperdinck - I'm a Better Man (Jul 1969)

49 Patty & The Emblems - Mixed-Up Shook-Up Girl (Jul 1964)

48 Gilbert O'Sullivan - We Will (Jul 1971)

47 Guess Who – Laughing (Aug 1969)

46 Eric Burdon & The Animals - Good Times (Aug 1967)

45 Stealers Wheel – Star (Nov 1973)

44 Joey Scarbury - Believe It Or Not (Theme From Greatest American Hero) (Sep 1981)

43 Pickettywitch - Baby I Won't Let You Down (Oct 1970)

42 Hank Levine – Image (Nov 1961)

41 Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride (Jan 1970)

40 Malo – Suavecito (Apr 1972)

39 Gunhill Road - Back When My Hair Was Short (May 1973)

38 Five Americans - Western Union (Apr 1967)

37 Roger Miller - My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died (Sep 1966)

36 Bobby Goldsboro - Watching Scotty Grow (Jan 1971)

35 Butterscotch - Don't You Know (Mar 1970)

34 Dave Clark 5 – Because (May 1964)

33 Hoagy Lands - Lighted Windows (Nov 1960)

32 Bobby Russell - Saturday Morning Confusion (Sep 1971)

31 Sarah Vaughan - Broken-Hearted Melody (Jul 1959)

30 Kurt Harris - Emperor Of My Baby's Heart (Jan 1964)

29 Stampeders - Sweet City Woman (Sep 1971)

28 Pilot - Just A Smile (Sep 1975)

27 Neon Philharmonic - Morning Girl (May 1969)

26 Sandy Coast - True Love That's A Wonder (May 1971)

25 Doris Troy - Watcha Gonna Do About It (Oct 1964)

24 John O'Banion - Love You Like I Never Before (May 1981)

23 Gary Lewis & The Playboys – Little Miss Go-Go (Apr 1965)

22 Pagliaro – Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy (Jan 1972)

21 Little Eva - Makin' With The Magilla (Sep 1964)

20 Glen Campbell - Everything A Man Could Ever Need (Aug 1970)

19 Ian Gomm - Hold On (Sep 1978)

18 Liz Damon's Orient Express - 1900 Yesterday (Nov 1970)

17 Twinkle – Tommy (Apr 1965)

16 BB 'Blues Boy' King - 16 Tons (Dec 1955)

15 Warm Sounds - Birds & Bees (Apr 1967)

14 Mike & The Mechanics - Taken In (Jun 1986)

13 White Plains - I've Got You On My Mind (Apr 1970)

12 Zombies - Care Of Cell 44 (Nov 1967)

11 Grand Funk - Bad Time (Apr 1975)

10 Chris Farlowe - Air Travel (Nov 1962)

9 Eric Burdon & The Animals – Monterey (May 1968)

8 Paul McCartney - Uncle Albert - Admiral Halsey (Aug 1971)

7 Neil Christian & The Crusaders - Two At A Time (Oct 1966)

6 Mary Hopkin - Lontano Dagli Occhi (Jan 1970)

5 Joe Dolan - You're Such A Good Lookin' Woman (Jan 1970)

4 Al Martino – To The Door To The Sun (May 1975)

3 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – The Last DJ (2002)

2 Harpers Bizarre – Mad (Jun 1970)

1 Billy Stewart – Ol’ Man River (Jan 1967)

Thanks for reading. If you like this blog and want to read more, sign up for the weekly newsletter and feel free to invite your friends along to check out and bookmark the blog, because after all, the more, the merrier!

The things that books can do for you

At the beginning of the year, I determined that I was going to change some of my habits and become more productive, even though we’re in a lockdown situation.

I spent time online looking at different systems and followed some pointers I’d picked up in books and youtube as to how I going to make me more efficient.

One of them was to make a chart which I could cross off each thing I wanted to get done each day. The thinking behind it is that if I can see that I’m doing each activity, it will be easier to keep doing it.

I’ve been learning Spanish online and because the app tells me how many consecutive days I’ve done it for, and because I can the total, I don’t want to break that run. And it’s proved to be a very good thing. The fact that each day it tells me the total I’ve done, it keeps me motivated to keep going, even on the days I don’t want to (it’s 1372, in case you were wondering).

I’ve made a little grid that allows me to track each day and I put a cross into each section when I’ve accomplished the task.

I’m on Day 29 so far, I’ve failed on a few of the tasks for the odd day  regularly going out and walking being one, because, for the first 5 days of the year, we were in Quarantine and weren’t allowed out, so I couldn’t even start on the 1st.

The other area I’ve missed the goal is in eating – 3 days I’ve overeaten but I don’t mind as I knew I was going to, as it was the day after weigh-in day and I treated myself. I’ve restarted checking what I’m eating because I had a period of going wild with chocolate and needed to rein it in if I’m to maintain the weight loss I’d achieved previously. 

The key is to only miss for one day. Start again the day after,

The biggest surprise however as been in reading.

I’ve always enjoyed reading but never really dedicated a consistent time to it. I may not read for weeks at a time and then only just before I went to bed at night. Other times, I’d have three books on the go at the same time, so as you can tell, it can often be haphazard.

I like non-fiction. I like biographies and autobiographies. If I’m involved in something, I’ll buy related books. For instance, when I was doing radio, I bought books about technique, and I bought books to learn more about the process. In the same way, now that I’m doing design, I buy books which will help improve what I do. I buy lettering books and books about layout. I’m always looking to improve.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good thriller or crime yarn. I will read something like that alongside my non-fiction selection.

But if there’s one area of books I love to read, it’s self-improvement. Recently, I’ve been humbled by what some people have said to me. They’re comments I’d never have received if it weren’t for the books I’ve read.

I’d still be the thumb-sucking, knuckle-dragging, bonehead I was in my 20s had I not come across these books. I’ve read loads over the years.

And if you think I’m nothing special, you’re right, I’m not. I’m just a normal guy who learned a bit along the way and changed and adapted.

I realise we all do that as we get older, but a long time ago, I realised that I’m not the brightest kid on the block, not even close – and what’s more, I don’t want to be. What I did want at 30, and still do at 60 is to be a better person than I was before.

I had a great start in life with the grounding my parents gave me, but once I was left to my own devices, I started to go downhill. I was never the most confident of people. A lot thought I was, but I got to be a good actor to cover my own insecurities.

And when I discovered ‘The Magic Of Thinking Big’, back in 1990, I realised I could change. I’ll tell you here and now, it’s been long, slow progress,; often two steps forward, three steps back, and it won’t end for me until I’m placed in a box.

I’ve always wanted to be a better me. I’m not the jealous type. I applaud people who get on in life. They just prove it can be done. I’m not envious of other’s success. What’s the point? Being envious isn’t going to do me any good.

But I can try and improve myself and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do. Not in the monetary, ‘look at what I’ve got’ sort of way either. I’d like to think by the end, I’ll be respected and thought well of by people. That’s as much as I want.

Those self-improvement books have helped me no end – they’re not a ‘do this and you’ll be a success’ kind of thing; after all, we’re all different and our journeys are too.

They can give you motivation, but the truth is, that’s only temporary. To develop motivation, you need to develop the ‘why?’ Without that, it’s just a wish.

The best thing about those books isn’t the ra-ra, it isn’t the how-to, it’s more subtle than that.

The best thing about the books kind of books I read is not what the writer says, it’s about how what they say helps me to think in ways I hadn't before.

I’ve read many of my books over and over again and at different times, I’m looking for different things.

I use the supermarket approach to reading them. I take what I need at the time, give it some thought as to how I can apply whatever it is I need to and then take action and leave the rest. When I read it again, I may need something different then.

Just thinking about a thing is motion, but action makes the difference. And that’s the long-winded point I’m trying to make here. And I’m doing different things daily, so I am also doing the action bit.

Since the start of January, I’ve completed 5 books and I’m reading 2 others at the moment. Of course, they’re not all 500-page epics, the shortest was just 88 pages long.

But in doing that and crossing off each day when I’ve done my reading, I’ve fallen in love with reading again. I feel more positive about where I’m headed. I’m feeling good about me. But best of all, I’m enjoying reading again.

Just imagine, if you turned the TV off, and instead of getting wound up by Piers Morgan or the seeing the news for the 7^th time today, you picked up a book and used that time reading, maybe a novel in your favourite genre, or an autobiography by someone you admire, how much better would you feel?

Books can transport you to a different world. They can make you see the World in a different way They can change you for the better. They can be all of these things and more.

With the kind of books that I read, I get input from people whose minds are far greater than mine, they have a different perspective from me, and through them, I get to think about things in a different way.

I’d agree I’m nothing special.  Even after reading all those books, I’m not anything out of the ordinary. But without those books that have slowly drip-fed me ideas and thoughts over the years, I can pretty much guarantee, I would be a whole lot worse-off a person than I am now. And I’m not talking about in monetary terms.

I quite like the man that I’m becoming. I’ve still got a way to go and more to learn. In fact, I’ll never stop learning. But what I do know, is that I like me a whole lot more than I did 10 years ago.

You don't have to read the kind of books that I do. Find something that works for you. A trashy novel is going to do you more good than watching a news channel to start your day!

And what I’ve picked up and absorbed from books has made all the time I’ve been reading worthwhile. I can’t say that about spending time watching the news and the naysayers on the telly.

Thanks for reading. If you like this blog and want to read more, sign up for the weekly newsletter and feel free to invite your friends along to check out and bookmark the blog, because after all, the more, the merrier!

 

A Bingo full of swag!

I have had recently, a reason to look back into my past and take stock, and it was during this time, I was sifting through some of my parents’ old photographs and saw some of our arcade and bingo from the 1970s. And it got me thinking about the prizes which were available to win back then.

We used to get swagmen come around in their big lorries, and my Mum and often myself would go into the back of the lorries and peruse the stock they were selling.

We used to get a lot of holidaymakers who would come onto the holiday camp we were on and they would be there for a week, sometimes two at a time. And then we had our regulars, those who owned their own trailers (caravans) and would come down every weekend.

We would buy a range of things from the very small, to the bigger prizes.

But first, let me explain about our win ticket system.

We would start playing bingo as soon as we could get 7 players. At the time, to play cost 5p for two cards. So for each game of 7 players, we’d get 35p come in.

There were two types of win tickets you could get. ½ win tickets were given out if we had between 5 and 10 players and 1 win tickets were given out if we had 11 more players.

A prize for ½ win would be something small that cost us around 50p to buy. They were usually things like colouring books, small toys....that kind of thing.

A prize for 1 win would cost around £1

But as it was a holiday camp, we encouraged our players to stay and play for bigger prizes. We’d have prizes from 2 wins up to as many as 100 wins.

You would get players who spotted something they fancied that may have been 50 wins, and they’d come in and play bingo whenever there was a session going.  Generally, we’d start at around 2pm and run until 5pm and then start the evening session at 7pm and stay open until the customers dwindled which would usually be around 10.30 pm when the club on the camp closed and husbands who’d been in the club came to collect their wives on their way back to the trailer.

The regulars would come in each weekend and pretty much play in the same seats all the time. For them, the small prizes weren’t what they wanted, they’d want the bigger prizes, thinks that had cost us in excess of £40 (which was a lot in 1971!).

My mum would go into the back of the lorries and come back with all sorts of things. It could be anything from a duffle bag to a canteen of cutlery, a football to a reclining sunbed. There were always the weird and wonderful as well.

Who could forget the framed ‘blue lady’ print, or a set of 6 chunky tumblers. A travel clock, or a set of electric curlers.

There would be kids tricycles and sets of suitcases, cufflinks, Ronson lighters and kids Tommy gun toys.

My favourite prizes would be the K-Tel, Ronco and Arcade that were heavily promoted on British TV at the time. We had a swagman who would come with boxes of them with 24 of a title in a box. I always had the first one from each set to add to my collection.

When I think back, there were some prizes that Mum would buy and I would cringe and say “Whoever’s going to want that?” but she had an uncanny knack of knowing what the players were going to want and we always had players saving up for the oddest things.

I remember the glass fish ornaments – they were like angelfish and were all different colours. I thought they were so ugly and yet at 3 wins, they used to fly off the shelf!

Glass ornaments always used to go well, as did the ‘Wembley’ footballs. Families with kids always got themselves a football so the kids had something to do!

Back in those days, before merchandising became a thing and each football team started selling their own, we’d get sports bags, they’d either be red, white or navy blue and they’d have a transfer of a rosette on the side with a football teams name on the side.

Because of where we were in Somerset, we’d have a lot of people from the Midlands and Bristol come on holiday, so we’d have sports bags with Bristol City and Bristol Rovers on. We’d have Birmingham City and Derby County and we’d also have ones with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Leeds United, popular teams at the time – they all looked exactly the same apart from the team name. If you look carefully at the bingo photos, you'll possibly see one!

Lamps and light shades used to go well as well as travel and wall clocks. In fact, any household stuff would go well. We’d have nylon bedspreads and candy-striped flannelette sheets, gas kettles (electric ones were only for the rich!), 12 or 18 piece dinner sets, sets of mugs with mug tree and so much more.

For the kids, we’d have space hoppers and pogo sticks, as well as table tennis sets and tennis rackets as well as badminton kits. And of course, we cuddly bears....and the big thing of the mid-70s, clackers!

In fact, I can’t think of much we didn’t have. Reading back over the things I’ve mentioned so far, it feels like a 1970s edition of the Generation Game prize display!

The funny this though is although so many of the things we had as prizes at the time were so naff, I see them now on auction sites and they’re selling for decent money. And those things that I used to roll my eyes at when Mum came into the bingo with them, I see them now and I feel a warmth towards them and they always make me smile.

I’m lucky to have so many happy memories of that time when I was just a kid, but also learning about what it took to run a business.

I’d love to go back and do it all again!

Thanks for reading. If you like this blog and want to read more, sign up for the newsletter and feel free to invite your friends along to check out the blog, because after all, the more, the merrier!

Want to be happier? Turn off the News

I was thinking about this lockdown the other day and I’ve realised just how much I’ve enjoyed it since last March.

In that time, I’ve picked up my signwriting brushes again and done some signs, I bought some paint pens and started drawing and designing, I bought some new software from my PC and started designing on that and it has lead me to starting a new business.

Would that have happened had there not been the first Lockdown? No.

During this second lockdown, I decided to start trying to develop better habits than I used to have. And one of them was to start writing on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter what it is, but to write something.

I already knew that I use writing to help me to clarify things in my mind, so I knew that it would help. Now I’ve discovered how much I actually like writing.

It’s the same with designing prints. I’ve set myself a challenge to make a new one each and every day.

My days are more full and I’m enjoying the process of being productive.

And do you know what I attribute this state of mind to? Turning off the News! 

You don't really need to hear, "Hello, and here's this evening's dose of death and destruction," do you? Especially if you've heard it over and over again for weeks and weeks.

The news just pushes negative into your life. Agenda-driven journalists don’t cover what’s going on, they slant their questions to put the interviewee on the spot.

And you can watch it hour after hour, day after day. Let me ask you a question. How does it make you feel?

Do you feel energised? Do you feel at ease? Does it make you feel happy?

Of course, it doesn’t. When I was watching the news, I’d get wound up like a coiled spring. I’d get frustrated. I’d be so angry that it would be all I’d talk about.

I’d go on Social Media and see all the experts sharing their knowledge. You know the one’s who were experts on racism in the summer, and Brexit before that. Or as my Dad used to call them ‘Know-all Nothings.’

Argument after argument ensues. Then we watch the news, and the story is relaunched at us again. They make the situation worse by using hindsight, which is of course 20/20 to make the interviewee look bad.

Is it any wonder we’re all angry?

Then we pick up the paper to read yesterday’s news which we’d already been stewing all over because our tellies are tuned into Sky News or BBC news with its non-stop negativity.

And we get angrier and angrier. It's a continuing circle

Here’s a quick and simple solution – turn the telly off and stop reading the newspaper.

You’ll still find out what’s going on because whoever you talk to, be it on the phone, on zoom, on social media or even across the path when you’re on a walk. It’s still the only topic of conversation for most people.

I’m pretty sure that even though I’ve not watched the news for almost a year, I know what the situation is at the moment.

The only difference between me and all those other people is that I’m not choosing to have it driven down my throat every hour of the day.

Not much really changes on a day to day basis. I’m still locked down. Like you, I haven’t seen my family for ages. My only breaths of fresh air are when we go out for a walk.

But those hours I’ve not spent glued to the box in the corner means that I’ve had time to do things that I like to do.

Yes, just like you I get bored, and just like you, I want to go and see my family and friends. And every now and again, I want to be a couch potato and sit in front of the telly all day.

What I’ve discovered by turning the news off, however, is that for me, my life has been remarkably stress-free compared to most people I’ve talked to.

And I truly believe it’s because I’m not watching the continuing negative input and I’m not tuned into the minute by minute bashing that goes on.

I’m as affected by the situation as everybody else but I’m no way as miserable and angry as so many others.

I promise I’m not gloating or bragging. I’m just sharing something I’ve discovered by turning the news off.

And if it’s working for me, it can work for you too. I’ve found ways to fill my days that makes me feel as though I’m doing something worthwhile.

The lockdown has been a hindrance but it’s also given me the opportunity to do things I’d never have done otherwise.

We’re going through a period of our lives that has changed the way we live. We can choose to do with our days what we want, obviously within the parameters available at the moment. 

I get to stay at home with Debz and Niall. I’ve got time to spend with her that we wouldn’t have normally. We’d never have the chance to walk in a normal situation. It’s good because we talk all the time we’re out.

I’m also getting to spend time doing things I like doing, and I’ve discovered new things that I enjoy, such as writing.

Yes, I still sit in front of the telly. However, it never crosses our minds to put the news on – we’ve got DVD box sets of things we like. We hunt for things that we enjoy on the TV and we don’t watch anything that makes us feel bad, like the News.

Go on, I dare you. Don’t watch the news. Don’t read the paper. Cut down your time on Social Media so you don’t have to see all the arguments and opinions.

Keep away from the news and I’ll bet within a week, you’ll start to feel less stressed.

And who knows, you may discover that there are things you’d rather do or like to try.

It’s a win/win.

You can always turn the news back on if you’re not feeling miserable enough.

Thanks for reading. If you like this blog and want to support it, sign up for the newsletter and feel free to invite your friends along to check out the blog, because after all, the more, the merrier!

 

The Music Of My Life 17

 

In 1977, I fell in love for the first time. I was bowled over in two minutes by this girl. It lasted about 2 months before she bombed me out.

I look back fondly on that short period of time. I bought her this album.

As I said the love didn't last, but my love for this album certainly has.

As for her, well, we're still friends all these years later.

And here's my favourite song from the album, 'Woman In The Moon.'

If the video doesn't play, click here

Thanks for reading. If you like this blog and want to support it, sign up for the newsletter and feel free to invite your friends along to check out the blog, because after all, the more, the merrier!

Earworms and Earaches 3

 

I hope you're enjoying the playlists so far. As you can tell, I like to jump from one thing to another and then chack one of my job lot LPs in just for the variety - some are surprisingly not too bad but some...well it's a struggle to find one song of the albums to share, so you sometimes get the best of a bad lot!

Here's this week's selection of tuneage that I listened to:

James Ingram - It's Your Night

The Drifters - 24 Original Hits 

Sonny & Cher - The Wondrous World Of Sonny & Cher 

Franck Pourcel - This Is Pourcel 

Various Artists - Chart Explosion 

Kirsty MacColl - Tropical Brainstorm 

Charlie Drake - Hello My Darlings 

Desmond Dekkar - Israelites 

Tom Tom Club - Tom Tom Club

Gallagher & Lyle - Breakaway 

Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone

Various Artists - This Is It

And here's your little compilation...

Oldies music - makes me feel good!

By my bed, I have an Internet Radio. And it's tuned in to an oldies online radio station. When I wake up in the morning, I turn it on straight away. And my day always starts off with me having a little sing-song.

This morning, Supertramp’s, ‘It’s Raining Again’ came on and as I was singing along to it, I came to a realisation that at the time, this song pretty much passed me by but it still made its  way into my memory banks and all these years later I was singing along to it.

When it came out at the back end of 1982, it wouldn’t have been a record I’d have bought. At the time, I was travelling on fairgrounds and the music I’d be buying would have a dance beat and a good bassline because that’s what sounded good on rides and that’s what I liked at the time.

However, it’s a song I’ve grown into over the years, like so many others. How does that happen? Is it because of nostalgia?

There’s no doubt that the older I get, the more nostalgic I become. I’m probably no different to many other people.

And what I’ve noticed is that as I get older, mainstream radio has no attraction for me. They don’t look past the same old tired hits when they play oldies, and stations like ‘Gold’ are no different. They act as though there were only The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the 60s, and not many more artists in the 70s.

It’s now the 80s, 90s and 00s that make up most oldies radio.

But I digress...

Going back to ‘It’s Raining Again,’ I wouldn’t mind betting it’s not one of the most played oldies on mainstream radio and that’s why I get my fill of oldies radio from online stations.

They give me the opportunity to warble in my ‘Joey Falsetto’ singing voice along to the songs of my halcyon days.

And what I realise is that although I had my favourites back in the day, so many that weren’t have grown on me over time and have become part of the fabric of my life.

Many of them, without realising, have become memory joggers and can transport me back to a certain place at a certain time, and for that I love them. I also think that we were spoilt with the amount of music we heard.

I don’t hear too much new music, but when I do, I’m disheartened that so much of it sounds the same and so bland.

However, I’m sure to those in the demographic it’s meant for, it’s as good as what we thought ‘our music’ was.

 I do feel though, that music doesn’t play as important a part in their lives today as it did for us.

No longer do you have to go to a record shop to buy your favourite records. No longer do you need to sit by the radio trying to record that new song you love whilst stopping it before the presenter speaks.

Today it’s all so easy to get music – Spotify, Deezer and suchlike mean that you don’t really need to put yourself out to hear the music you want. They just ask Alexa and she’ll play you whatever they want. They have YouTube and Vimeo to watch the videos – and videos really did kill the radio star.

Now, you don’t necessarily have to have talent – just show enough flesh and it can become a hit. I’m saddened by the way it’s changed.

My son Henry sends me new LPs of artists he likes – and yet never buys any for himself – he listens via his iPhone – even he knows how disposable ‘his’ music is.

He recently told me that he knows that music is disposable today and doubts that anyone will be listening to the stars of today in 50 years, or even 5 for that matter.

And to me that’s sad.

But it makes me glad that I got to be growing up when Pop music was king: when music seemed so important. When we couldn’t wait for ‘Top of the Pops.’ When I spent all my birthday and Christmas money on records.

Perhaps that was just me. But I doubt it.

And so, tomorrow, I’ll turn on my radio again and before I get out of bed, I’ll be set for the day, cheered up as I sing along to Roger Whittaker’s, ‘Last Farewell’ and giggle to myself as I remember how much I hated it when it came out and charted and how much I love it now.

Happy days, happy memories.

Music of my Life 16

If James Taylor's Gorilla is my 2nd Favourite album, this is at the top of the list,

Stevie Wonder hadn't made an album for a couple of years. And when I knew this one was coming I pre-ordered it at Jotchams Record Shop.

On the day of it's release, I headed to the shop to pick it up, A double album and a bonus EP to! I can remember getting home and placing side one on my trusty old Dansette.

The first 10 seconds was all I needed, I fell in love with this album way before 'Love's In Need Of Love Today' finished.

I was 16 and this album was like a spiritual experience as it went from song to song.

On the first album there was also 'Have A Talk With God', 'Village Ghetto Land', 'Contusion', 'Sir Duke', 'I Wish', 'Knocks Me Off My Feet', 'Summer Soft' and 'Ordinary Pain', How could this album get any better?

I slipped on the second album. 'What a song to kick it off. 'Isn't She Lovely,' and on into 'Joy Inside my Tears.' 'Black Man' was unlike anything else I'd ever heard!

And then side 4. For me, the best song of the album 'Nigiculela, Es Una Historia, I am Singing' led into the wonderful 'If It's Magic.' Then two monster songs, 'As' and 'Another Star' What a finish!

But it wasn't - there was 'A Something's Extra'! The EP.

'Saturn, Ebony Eyes,' 'All Day Sucker' and 'Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)' to finish it all off.

The first time I heard the album it became my favourite album. And over the years, my love for 'Songs In The Key Of Life' has never dimmed. Just Stunning!

Just play this - my favourite song on the album;.

If the video won't play, click here

"If you like this post please share this post with ten friends you care about. We don't have to sit idly by while social media giants push us toward ad-filled noisy media."

James' Top 10s - Favourite characters in some of my favourite TV shows.

There's so much rubbish on TV these days that I often find myself going back to TV series of the past that I've bought as a DVD box set.

However, there are some programmes I watched purely because the characters were so well written and I looked forward to seeing what they were going to do each week.

Here are ten characters who made shows worth watching - all of these shows are fairly recent - well in the last 30 years anyway (you know how much I like the older shows - these still seem new to me).

However, they're all shows worth spending your time watching, if only for the characters alone - here's my Top 10.

10 Matt Saracen (played by Zach Gifford) - Friday Night Lights

Matt looked after his Grandma. He started as the back-up Quarter Back to Jason Street who gets injured, and so is thrust into the spotlight of being in the Panthers starting line up when he never expected to be. Matt is low on self-confidence, unsure of himself but always tries to do the right thing. 

As the series progresses, we see him grow as a person even though he faces multiple setbacks. Not your usual jock - he's a thoughtful character and all round nice-guy.

9 Al Swearengen (played by Ian McShane) - Deadwood

Based on a real person, Al Swearengen is the owner of a Saloon called the Gem Theatre where he sees himself as an entrepreneur but he's also a pimp. He lures unsuspecting young girls into the saloon and coerces them to become dancers and then prostitutes through bullying and physical brutality.

Ian McShane plays him brilliantly with menace and harshness. He's always 'on the make' and tries to turn everything to his advantage as he endeavours to run the town of Deadwood.

He's a tremendous character and one that I loved watching. He was foul-mouthed with no morals and I loved watching to see what he did next. Swearengen is no Lovejoy!

8 Saga Noren (played by Sofia Helin) - The Bridge

Saga is a detective in the Malmo County Police Department. She's unlike any other police person I've ever seen in a programme. Although it's never said, she suffers from Aspberger's Syndrome and she has no recognition of social norms.

She does and says exactly what she thinks she wants to do when she wants to do, which puts her at odds with the partner she had to partner with, Martin Rohde from Denmark to solve a murder of a woman found dead on 'The Bridge,' whose body spans the border of the two countries.

As the series progress, she interacts in the same way with everyone, but her attention to detail works for her, even though her unorthodox personality puts her at odds with most people. She is played magnificently by Sofia Helin and is one of the most unique characters I've seen in any series.

7 The Janitor (Neil Flynn) - Scrubs

He's the Janitor in the Sacred Heart hospital who spends his whole time trying to torment, insult and play personal tricks on the Intern JD after his first encounter with him.

He pretty much strikes terror into JD and becomes his nemesis. He was only a bit-part player in the show at first, but his role grew and he became more and more outrageous as the show goes on, but over time you realise that he doesn't have friends and that JD is probably as close to a friend that he has.

Neil Flynn plays the part so well and there are so many moments of comedy greatness that I couldn't wait to see him on the screen each week.

6 Jim Bell (played by Mark Heap) - Friday Night Dinner

Jim is The Goodman's neighbour who drops by often during the family's Friday Night Dinner. He is infatuated with Jackie Goodman (played by Tamsin Greig) and he always finds excuses to gain entry into the house along with his dog, Wilson, who he's afraid of.

In the later series, Wilson the dog dies, and is replaced my Milson, who he's equally afraid of.

He's interested in the Jewish way of life that the Goodman's lead, but has no actual concept of what being Jewish is. 

He's socially inept and isn't able to conduct a normal conversation and whilst it means he's treated patronisingly, you can't help but warm to the character. 

So much so that Jim has become a much-loved cult character.

5 Owen Newitt (played by Roger Lloyd-Pack) - The Vicar of Dibley

Owen is a farmer in the village and also a member of the Parish Council, He thinks the Vicar, Geraldine is great and is a big supporter of her plans.

He swears a lot, is always late to meetings and always has the most implausible excuses. He also has bad body odour but is oblivious to it.

Not only does he support the Vicar but he fancies her as well and proposed to her twice.

He's an everyman who is totally un-PC which makes him all the more likeable and he's played brilliantly by Roger Lloyd Pack. 

He likes to take part in village events and his animals are also often involved. His mentions of his sex life are not normal to say the least and he's a character that you shouldn't like but do. Comedy Gold!

4 Moira Rose (Catherine O'Hara) - Schitt's Creek

She's the matriarch of the Rose Family, she's a has-been soap opera actress, she's totally eccentric, has a weird way of pronouncing words and is the one who hates being in Schitt's Creek the most.

The Rose's used to be mega-rich but now they're not. They'd bought the town of Schitt's Creek as a present for son, David and when they lost everything they moved there and lived in the Motel as they started over.

Moira sees it as a temporary situation and tries to live her outrageous life in the small town.

She's awkward around people, including her own children but over times becomes more involved in the community but as much as she tries to join in, she's always self-absorbed and it leads to hilarious situations.

The only person she appears to gel properly with is husband Johnny. Catherine O'Hara's portrayal of Moira is superb and for me, she was the highlight of an excellent show.

3 Richard Fish (Greg Germann) - Ally McBeal

He's the co-founder of legal firm, Cage & Fish. He's got a very loose idea of morals and ethics and at the end of the day, it's all about the money.

Richard has his own thoughts that he's willing to share and they're known as 'Fishisms' but often they misogynistic, off-colour and offensive and whenever it's pointed out, he replies, 'Bygones'!

He is obsessed with his older girlfriend's 'Wattle' as well as any woman who has one.

He's well-meaning but too self-absorbed to notice when he's out of line and he manages to turn everything in order to prove he's right.

He always puts his partner and co-founder down even though he doesn't think he does.

His 'Fishism's are the stuff of legend and the way he's played by |G|reg Germann is a delight to watch

2 Barney Stinson (played by Neil Patrick Harris) - How I Met Your Mother

He's a serial womanizer, he thinks he's Ted's best friend, and he's an opportunist. He's really the only single person in the group of five and spends his life concocting plans to meet women.

He feels he's the ringleader of the group and likes to manipulate situations. In fact, he feels that most of his wheezes are 'legendary'.

He's very competitive and likes to take on challenges. He proud, he's stubborn but most of all he's absolutely hilarious. He's one of the funniest characters I've seen on television and he had me belly-laughing through the complete run of the show.

1 C.J. Cregg (played by Allison Janney) - The West Wing

It's my favourite TV series ever. I watch it every year because it's so well written. The cast is tremendous and every character is played so well that they could all be up there as great TV characters, but for me, C.J. (Claudia Jean) Cregg is the Queen of TV characters.

She serves of the staff or President Josiah Bartlet, firstly as the White House Press Secretary before taking over as White House Chief of Staff after Leo McGarry resigned his role following a heart attack.

She's sharp, well-spoken and not afraid to mince words with anyone. She's tall, slightly awkward and doesn't like that her secret service password of 'Flamingo' because it's "ridiculous-looking" and  she most likely thinks she's thought of that way as well.

She's competitive, ballsy, and doesn't shy away from saying what she thinks, even when she's the only one who thinks so.

I love that she's brave, and though she's one of the top five powerful people on the staff, there's an underlying femininity to her and the on-off courtship with Danny Concannon a press reporter is a joy to watch. It's a sweet relationship that runs through different parts of the series and shows a different side of CJ.

A highlight for me is her lip-syncing of Ronnie Jordan's 'The Jackal' during a party in the White House in series one.

For me, she's the greatest character I've ever seen on TV, There's light and dark to Allison Janney's portrayal of C.J. and she's a complete character. She's just brilliant. And she stands out for me as the best character in a cast of excellent written characters.

She's a joy to watch and I've probably got a crush on her! She's my number one TV character of the lot!

Showing appreciation. It's easy and works wonders.

Last week, a friend of many people I know passed away. I didn’t know her personally but from reading all the lovely things that people were saying about her, you could tell that she was a well thought of lady.

The comments must have been such a comfort to her family, to know that she was so well-loved but I can’t help but wonder whether she herself knew how much she was loved.

Most of us think less of ourselves than we really are. We often notice our own faults and focus on them and not our good traits. What’s more, I would imagine that most of us think we’ve not made much of an imprint on the people that surround us.

However, it really doesn’t take much for us to help someone feel better about themselves and know that others think well of them.

Let me give you a personal example.

A few years ago I was chatting online to someone I’ve known for over 40 years. I can’t remember what the conversation was about but I do remember something he said.

The reason I remember it was because his sentence took my breath away. I felt humbled and was a comment I never expected and I never realised he thought that much of me.

The comment?

“There are some people I wouldn’t cross the road for. You are one I’d swim across a river to talk to.”

I don’t think I’ve ever had someone say anything as nice to me in my life.

21 words was all it took to make my day. In fact, even now I think about it and it makes me feel good.

Back at the end of 2016, I had a health scare that frightened the life out of me and it shook me to my core and made me think about life in a way that I hadn’t really before.

I looked back over my life and realised how I wouldn’t have made it to where I was without the love and support of so many people who’d over the years had done small things along the way that helped me.

And I realised that I ought to tell them how much I thought of them for the things they’d done for me.

And I’m not talking about massive things, just small kindnesses that had eased situations, things they probably didn’t even give a second thought to.

And so I started writing about them on social media where I knew they’d get to see them because I’m not very good at face to face stuff.

I have no problem writing something that I couldn’t say to them in person.

I’ve used Social Media to mention people and tell people about how these people have helped me, sometimes by doing something such as helping me mend an engine but more often things that were probably of no consequence to them.

An example being one man who when I was a teen, never looked down on me and whenever he saw me always stopped to have a chat. A small deed like that probably meant nothing to him, but for me it was huge.

Or another who always looked out for me when I was first married and trying to earn a living.

And another who, when I was a stranger amongst a lot of people as a teen, took me under his wing, mated up with me and introduced me to everyone.

So many things that were probably nothing to them meant the world to me and yet I never really thanked them for it.

So I decided that I would thank them publicly. I wanted others to know that these were good people.

And do you know what? It paid me back two-fold because not only did I get told how much what I’d said had meant to them, but it made me feel good doing it.

There’s always a reward in kindness.

However, so many people live their lives not realising the impact they’ve made on people.

And for me, it’s really nice to let someone know how much you appreciate them. It’s really a very small thing to do but it’s something not many people do.

And as someone who’s been on the end of one such comment, I can tell you hand on heart, it makes your week.

In fact, 2 years on, I still think of the comment I spoke about earlier. I never realised that I was that well thought of by someone.

Going back to what I started this piece talking about, wouldn’t it be nicer to tell someone how much they meant to you while they were alive to hear it?

I’ve made it something that’s become part of my life. Whenever I remember something that made an impression on me, I go on social media and talk about it.

But at the same time, you’re also welcome to do it when someone’s no longer with us.

I did it about one of the people I’ve mentioned above 6 or 7 years after he passed away and just did it as I wanted to mention him because of how important he was to me and within a few hours, I got a message from his wife saying she was so happy that I thought of him the way I do.

I really wish I’d done it when he was still with us.

And when you look around yourself in these times when we see so much discontent and hatred, don’t you agree that it’s nicer to share a bit of warmth around instead?

My advice is to try it. It really does make you a difference, to them and to you.