Rollermania Pt.II

 

The last time I posted about the Bay City Rollers on this blog was way back in October 3rd 2010 which is a long time which is why this post is being made the way I did back then and  a fair bit has happened in that time.

The first thing to update this blog on is that we had the deaths of two long term members of the group and another who was only a member for a relatively brief period which means in practical terms the likelihood of any kind of meaningful Rollers act on tour have gone with Eric Faulkner ill and Derek Longmuir and Stuart "Woody" Wood otherwise preoccupied.

One July 2nd at 6 am 2018 it was announced that Alan Longmuir, the bass player who left in early 1976 feeling at the ripe old age of 26 he was too old to be in the band had died.

Ian Mitchell who was from Northern Ireland stepped into Alan's shoes in 1976 playing on the Love Me Like I Love You single from April that year and the Dedication album that was recorded in Canada, died in early September of 2020 aged 62 and who outside of the BCR was a important part of the group Rosetta Stone.

Last Thursday, April 23rd, it was announced Les McKeown who joined the band in early 1974 remaining with them until 1978's Strangers In The Wind album not being happy about the group moving in a more new wave direction and launching a solo career.

He had stepped in as lead singer replacing Nobby Clark and two early singles were re-recorded for the Rollin' album of 1974 with his vocals.

As the old century moved in to the new, he performed with a version of the rollers with some success and kept in contact with former band mates not least in trying to resolve the scandal of grossly underpaid record royalties that hand left many members with little to show for their fame and the consequences of being ripped off by Tom Paton, their manager for good measure.

If some of us were fans of other members of the band at the time, we'd all acknowledge Les was the big heart throb of the group, universally popular, happy to meet fans.

The Bay City Rollers played a part in breaking the barrier for Scottish popular music to be successful all over the world, selling some 120 million records worldwide. 

To get the appeal at the time as we experienced it  you have to remember this.

You would deck yourself from head to foot with Tartan attire often hand sown with scarves wrapped tightly around your wrists, you'd scream and hug your television on each and every time they were on.

If you were lucky you'd go roller-spotting hoping to catch a glance of any band member, whilst out and try desperately to get hold of one.

You bought each and every record they issued the minute it was, buying the magazines featuring them, the annuals and as much of the merchandise they issued. 

You collected newspaper cuttings too.

Back in 1975 much of the slick multimedia promotion of today simply didn't exist nor did the technology such as cellphones and the internet so we didn't have ringtones and screens to download.

They were your all embracing passion and for most of us romantic interest rolled in one. I was obsessed with Stuart 'Woody' Wood!

The music of our older siblings was progressive rock that had songs that could last for a whole album side arranged in suites often lasting for more then seven minutes with lyrics that required older more poetic reading skills with cryptic metaphors than those of us aged between 7 and 14 had.

It was too long for us.

We liked guitar based songs that lasted three minutes that were about things in our world not sword and sorcery that made us feel good and that we could huddle in corners singing while having fashions we'd copy.  

It was our music, not our siblings or parents.

That music was and is tied to our childhood which resonates strong in some of us.

If that was the backdrop and soundtrack of our formative childhood years you well get how with Les's death it seems as if a page in past is over.

The band may in effect be no more as thing we can see but we have the music and memories that were a part of lives then and will remember it they way we know they would of wanted us to. With gladness.

Rollermania Pt.I

Thoughts on St. Georges

 

Today is St. Georges day which anyone connected with things like GirlGuiding knows is pretty important to the point you'd do things to mark it as the spirit of St. George in facing down the dragon is really what we need to achieve being the best us we can.

Before all this covid stuff kicked off Girl Guides would march and do activities to mark it such as making Owls apart from the all year round stuff like working for awards, earning badges and heck, having an adventure that they normally do.

Wouldn't you sooner be having an adventure, learning new skills and having fun with friends? I sure would!

I like going for hikes and that and while coming back the other day I noticed the daffodils were still out here so I took a picture softening the background a little. 

Today I've been tidying up some of my many classical music cds, making sure that discs just by one composer are all together and the box sets are filed by either composer if that's what the theme is or the conductor or soloist such as a pianist or violinist.

Of course those which have works by various composers are harder to file away unless there is a clear cut major work on them but generally the effort is worth it.

Twin Titans

This week is different in that within the space of two days the deaths were announced of two famous figure that I knew well and that is where this blog, usually the slightly more mature one is going this week.

Prince Philip's death of itself did not surprise me because although he had until a few months ago really good health for someone in their nineties, the picture of him leaving the hospital just a short while ago chilled me to the bone.

He looked to me gravely ill probably at the point of which the hospital could do no more so it was better for him to be 'at home' and get affairs in order with other family members not least our Queen, Elizabeth II.

Prince Philip to me was very much the father figure of the nation, a man who set the example of being of use to The Queen in connection with her role as Head of State, a man of necessity had to step back from what would of been an illustrious career in the Royal Navy to do his duty and, lord knows he did.

He always had an interest in technology and science believing in humanities ability to solve the issues of the day rationally through research supporting scientific bodies, even being involved in design directly.

He recognized the post industrial world required scientific minds, capable of logical thought before politicians caught up with the changing world.

He believed strongly in the potential of youth, a potential he felt was neglected supporting movements such as Girlguiding and the Scout Association  and with the aid of his former head teacher created out nothing the program, the Duke of Edinbugh Awards that taught fresh skills, offered new and challenging opportunities that would promote personal growth for 14-25 year olds.

He championed Environmental concerns before many did, speaking out against the loss of habitats and species, playing a big part in the World Wide Fund for Nature and not as just a patron and giver of short speeches at annual meetings but directly in international meetings for them.

That hands on style run deep through him. If he was involved that was because he was committed and would put 100% into it.

He kept links with and supported our armed services, visiting them around the world and through associations devoted to the will-being of them understand only too well as a WW2 veteran himself  just what sacrifices they make for us.

He also played a role in supporting the Royal Family, being involved with the children, helping as best he could the adult children resolve issues that came up having gone through upheavals as a child himself.

For all his at times gruff and very much masculine nature he was very sensitive caring for them all as exasperating as it might be.

For that having met him, I miss him hugely.

Dame Shirley Williams (third from left) was a different kind of influence.

The product of a middle class catholic family, hers was in standing up for women's roles in politics at a time where few ventured there, becoming a Member of Parliament when few parties including Britain's Labour Party wanted women candidates (nor did the Trades Unions) and becoming a shadow minister.

When Labour in the mess that was 1974 in the UK, just won the General Election (and there was two that year!) by four votes she became a Cabinet Minister for Prices and Incomes and in 1976 was promoted to Minister for Education and Science, a role she was well placed with her experiences and education to play.

When her party was out of office by the very late 1970's and was going through a crazy period of wanting to nationalize and take control of any substantial business, have state control of investment and five year plans, remove the nuclear deterrent, declaring many areas as nuclear free zones oblivious to the fact radiation doesn't respect signs.

If that wasn't enough some took to personally abusing members who spoke out against it and she confronted them at their conference.

Not for the first time in her life had she shown she had the 'bottle' to take on that which was just wrong reminding them that fascism can come from the political left as much as the right and with three others split from the party to fight for sensible centre left policies that many labour voters supported (and still do).

She became a Lord and took the role seriously, holding the Government of the day to account  which is essential in a parliamentary democracy.

She inspired me to go into politics for a period, breaking the mould.

Now That's What I Call Music CD Part 4

The last time we visited the topic of the re-issue on cd of the early 'classic' now albums of the 80's was August 7th when we had Now 6 which was rather out of sync seasonally to when that originally came out.

We are now at the point in the series where some of the tracks did have a cd release in 1986 as by that point cd sales had picked up with heavy promotion, it was becoming possible to buy a separate cd player for about £200 or less and purchasers of all in one systems often had the option of getting a heavily discounted matching player so they could upgrade and add cd replay too.

The price of the discs themselves though was an issue to youngsters and casual pop fans so while fans bought releases by that years top acts on cd such as the Pet Shop Boys, Queen, Madonna and Genesis in big numbers, the kind of person who handed over £7.99 for that season's NOW or HITS compilation wouldn't of paid £22 for the cd version.

Now 7 was issued in the Summer of 1986 so some of that years early hits ended up on the HITS lp/tape around the spring and was strictly lp and tape only with the quirky last minute addition of Queen's A Kind of Magic that necessitated the hasty white hype sticker as this wasn't listed on the jacket.

This album originally had 33 tracks on it but when you look at the rear of the cd you'll soon spot there was only 30.

Now 7 does strangely omit three songs, On My Own by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald and (Bang Zoom) Let's Go Go by The Real Roxanne with Hitman Howie Tee plus the unmissable Absolute Beginners by David Bowie from the film of the same name.

Just why that should be is anyone's guess as Absolutely Beginners made the millennium series NOW 1986 as well as Bowie's own Best of 1980-87 in 1998.

During that transitional period we were  fortunate that seven of the original 33 tracks did come out on the compilation cd NOW '86 issued November 1986 much advertised at the time in Q Magazine, What Cd and LM (anyone remember that five issue wonder???) with 8 from Now 8 which had a single 18 track cd issue.

The seven songs that are:

A Kind of Magic 4'23

Absolute Beginners 5'36

West End Girls 3'55

Lessons In Love 4'00

On My Own 4'41

Let's Go All The Way 3'57

I've emboldened two of missing tracks so if you own this early cd you need to hang on to (or for some of you buy) this cd which charted at #65 as a cd only release to put a couple of omissions right.

As well they used the album version of Nu Shooz's I Can't Wait rather than the common single version normally used and there appears little reason to use an edit of Billy Ocean's When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going which they did.

While it is good a cd version exists, the three missing tracks and some version issues does take the shine of it

By November of 1986, it was plain cd was here to stay so the Now team issued the NOW '86 round up of hits but because of concerns around the price point only compiled a single cd version of NOW 8 with just 17 tracks with some of the others on NOW '86. 

The Autumn and early Winter had a wide variety of charting singles and some worthy entries fell off the cd wagon so having a cd version of an album where 25 of the 32 tracks had a cd issue at the time is a must.

The Wizard is a track missed for being the "new" Top of the Pops theme of the mid to late 80's and was part of the original Now 8 on record and tape versions now reinstated as was Big Country's One Great Thing from their album The Seer.

On this version there are a few differences in the versions but compared to previous issues in this series more attempt has been made to get it something like right,

The following songs differ from the original 1986 double LP:

Genesis – In Too Deep (Album version used instead of 7″ mix which was on Now 8 LP and CD)

Grace Jones – I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You) (Album version used instead of 7″ mix which was on Now 8 LP and CD)

Janet Jackson – What Have You Done For Me Lately? (LP Edit from Design Of Decade used instead of 7″ mix which was on Now 8 LP)

Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush – Don’t Give Up (The version included here is 5:57 which is shorter than both the LP and 12″ mixes but longer than the 5:41 7″ mix that was on Now 8 LP and CD).

On the whole I would say this was one of the best of the series and we'll see how NOW 9 turns out.

The easter weekend edition

 This year we're doing things different.

It's almost Bunny Time as it is Easter which like many of our traditions does go back to pagan times even if the 'shell' is wrapped around the Easter Story and message in the Bible with it's message of enduring hope for the world following the resurrection.

For some of you no doubt it's the chocolate you go for as much as I do both and with a few restrictions things like Easter Egg Hunts are happening and Brownies/Guides are taking part in easter themed activities too which is relief given how much girls have been impacted mentally by this pandemic.

Have fun this easter and make a difference in the world today!