End of Winter edition

Well last day of Winter by some definitions and the build up towards the around the sun event in just over a weeks time and yesterday we had bumble bee being struck by heavy rain in midflight as he was buzzing between the hedge that separates our house from our neighbours for a good half hour at least before hand.

The daffodils are out here too, heralding the spring that is to come as are the snowdrops where actually we do have a famous Snowdrop Walk.

 

 We do have some unfinished business on this blog following being away until very late last week that I intend to catch up with but with sustaining a fall, I do have to be mindful of overdoing things and causing additional complications.

We're back!

 

 We're back even if the lower arm to just above the fingers is very bruised following the magic carpet incident at LG Camp when I went flying and few others fell down stairs which in view of the fact my BFF fell getting off a train, hurting her knee and taking a pair of tights to boot perhaps is suggesting we're great at falling and that being a bit wobbly on our feet.

I've always been a bit wobbly under paw from childhood to be honest with you.

But beyond that it was a great time that wasn't a sit indoors winter get together but something more active and outward directed as much as I'm reading my comics while I recover from the accident.

I had a Now Yearbook for 1998 waiting for me, a preorder to pay for and a record needing a good cleaning but holding promise beyond a few letters and that.

A cold trip out for a few days

 So I'm preparing a post for this blog and there are a few a few things going on like a widening of one social media account to cover a few related points in their own way that in a previous blog life there had been some posts around but because of issues with cross linking and plowing through profiles I decided it was best removed.

It's also the case I'm literally one the move today as its Littles camp and I've a train to catch so I've got this done before I went through the front door.

It has got a bit cold this week - was around one degree c yesterday morning - so thicker socks and more layers are called for although I do have warm padded jackets for outdoors and woollen hats for exploring around and about.

I did get a used speciality record that came out some thirteen years ago by Rickie Lee Jones, namely her excellent debut album of 1979 but in a 45 rpm cut super high quality form that I missed out on then with both budget constraints and a a certain scepticism that my then stereo could make all it may have to offer.

Perhaps you remember that hit, Chuck, He's In Love?

I'm delighted to get a copy from a proper record store in Cornwall that does mail order  that knows how to package things well and it sounds great with the much improved system now.

The end of UK Angels

 

No, I'm not feeling like lobbing a snowball about today although it's rather cool out but after a good many decades one forum I have had continuous membership of will be closing on February 28 and so transitional arrangements as befits a well run establishment are being formed and I have made my own arrangements.

UK Angels was my home given my gender past since around 2005/6 although in 2008 I did lose my login stuff inexplicably so my account migrated from majorclanger to majorclanger1 where amongst things I arranged my first ever Tg meet up in real life in a town in mid cheshire we both knew.

It was where I learned about how the Law applies to Tg/Tgurls, how to deal with situations such as encountering the Police as this did concern Mom rather a lot at the time, what facilities you could expect to use and what your rights were.

It wasn't all Tgurl/Tg news and discussion although we did talk about issues, our preferences when it came to presenting "en femme" and where to by it from NOT from "Tat For Trannies" as we satirized a well known Tg/Tv supplier at the time who advertised in the popular press and whose owner had a tv feature or two on her.

There was a lively discussion about music in it's own sub forum where we had a number of people really knowledgeable about music and for a period "T Music" was a thing in an age of 96kbps mp3 downloads.

It was there where we did discuss various subcultures such as "sissy" and where I struggling with having a younger LG side and a Bigger side I came out and people accepted me as that hybrid which was deeply moving.

That paved the way for me to find groups that were LG and my excursions while not heavily pushed were known as a part which was touched on in this blog that started mainly for the Angels (and some folk at a music forum).

It is sad it is closing, part down to litigious attitudes by various bodies, more people using social media  and also upcoming legal changes but I have joined our continuation Reddit private group as Facebook is just too open for stuff you don't want family and the General Public to know just escaping.

As we say today "What is seen cannot be unseen" and things are screenshot and passed about too easily so a private group is much better.

Now 12 inch 80's Pt.III

We're going back to the summer, July actually of 2024 and last entry when Now decided to make this series into a game of two halves per year so our format changed and we move from 1983 to 1984, the year George Orwell had a lot to say about.

As with all the others in series the presentation, just folded card with tracklistings could of been better but this new volume is jam packed with so many great hits in their longer mixes.

This collection showcases the diversity of the era, with genres including synth-pop, alt-pop, disco, hi-nrg, electro, and hip-hop, featuring the essential 12" mixes, that ruled the charts and the dance-floor. 

It was an era where I'd grovel through the boxes of just dropping out the chart 12 singles and come home with a handfull often for half price or even less and drop the stylus down on them.

Disc One opens with Queen’s timeless ‘I Want To Break Free’, in its’ extended mix and beginning a run of 1984 Pop gold such as Alison Moyet’s Top 10 debut ‘Love Resurrection (Love Injected Mix)’, and Duran Duran’s ‘New Moon On Monday’ the poster for was one my bedroom wall back then are followed by Culture Club, who scored a huge worldwide hit on 12” single with ‘It’s A Miracle / Miss Me Blind’ and Bananarama, who delivered a Top 3 smash with ‘Robert De Niro’s Waiting’. 

More gems feature from Matthew Wilder with ‘Break My Stride’ that I'd first heard in late 1983 as an american hit, Ray Parker Jr.’s blockbuster soundtrack theme ‘Ghostbusters (Extended Mix)’, and Nik Kershaw’s ‘The Riddle’, with Howard Jones with a thoughtful new synth sound and Ultravox bringing the first disc to a close. 

Disc Two is a celebration of electro-dance, hi-nrg and 80’s disco, kicking off with Freddie Mercury’s synth classic ‘Love Kills’ and Shannon’s electro classic ‘Let The Music Play’, apersonal favourite that still sounds as fresh today as it did in ‘84. 

Sister Sledge feature with the 1984 Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers Remix of their peerless ‘Lost In Music’, a hit originally from 1979, while The Pointer Sisters' ‘Jump (For My Love)’ and Dead Or Alive’s cover of ‘That’s The Way (I Like It)’ were guaranteed floor-fillers. 

Hi-NRG made a huge chart impact in 1984 – and the 12” single was made for the genre with its longer playing time – Bronski Beat and Laura Branigan feature alongside early chart smashes for production team Stock, Aitken & Waterman from Divine with ‘You Think You’re A Man’ and Hazell Dean with ‘Whatever I Do’. 

The genre defining anthem ‘High Energy’ from Evelyn Thomas ruled the clubs dance-floors, and the disc still has room for party favourite ‘It’s Raining Men’ from The Weather Girls and Kim Wilde’s synth-pop hidden gem ‘The Touch’. 

Disc Three opens on the dancefloor with soulful vocals and electro beats from Chaka Khan’s ‘I Feel For You’, followed by Womack & Womack’s ‘Love Wars’ and the sublime full-length version of Jocelyn Brown’s ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’ that I loved. 

The often-sampled old-school hip-hop of The World’s Famous Supreme Team and Grandmaster Melle Mel’s ‘White Lines (Don’t Do It)’ are up next ahead of Nick Heyward’s pop-dance essential ‘Warning Sign’ with its two raps, and synth gold from Tears For Fears and Scritti Politti. 

The remainder of the disc celebrates some of the years’ greatest alt-pop 12”’s, featuring Propaganda’s incredible ‘Das Testament Des Dr Mabuse’, Cocteau Twins with the sublime ‘Pearly Dewdrops’ Drops’ and Echo and the Bunnymen’s stunning ‘The Killing Moon’. 

Finally onto Disc Four and it delivers a charged mix of iconic chart gold:- Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 9 week #1 ‘Two Tribes (Annihilation)’ opens a stellar run featuring Duran Duran’s epic 12” of ‘The Wild Boys’ (and who doesn't forget its memorable video) and Spandau Ballet’s ‘Only When You Leave’. 

Paul Young’s  powerful ‘I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down’ is next, and leads into Adam Ant’s superb ‘Apollo 9 (Francois K Splashdown Mix)’ where he attempted a comeback. ‘Up On The Catwalk’ from Simple Minds originally on the Sparkle In The Rain album has a great extended version and synth-pop essentials from Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark with ‘Tesla Girls’, Blancmange with ‘Don’t Tell Me’ Alphaville’s ‘Big In Japan’, and Howard Jones second appearance on this collection with the ‘International Mix’ of ‘Like To Get To Know You Well’ leads this set to its’ conclusion – not only 1984’s biggest selling single, but at the time the U.K.’s biggest ever seller – ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ from Band Aid in its full 12” mix.

Come April the second volume appeared with an additional 46 tracks.

The same presentation lacking any background was used which remains a pity with the whole series.

Disc One opens with the long mix of Wham!’s ‘Freedom’ opening a stellar run of huge chart hits. Culture Club’s ‘The War Song’, is followed by Nena’s worldwide #1, ‘99 Red Balloons’, followed by Eurythmics, New Order and Scritti Politti. Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder’s classic ‘Together In Electric Dreams’ in it’s extended mix, along with the 12” version of ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’ from Ultravox are enduring synth-pop classics – and rounding off the disc ’84 Pop gold from Spandau Ballet, Alison Moyet, Bananarama and Elton John.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘5-weeks at #1’ smash ‘Relax’ needs little introduction, and opens Disc Two with its ‘New York Mix’. Bronski Beat’s powerful and poignant ‘Smalltown Boy’ is up next along with celebratory Hi-NRG and electro from Hazell Dean, Deniece Williams’ ‘Let’s Hear It For The Boy’, and the 12” remix of The Pointer Sisters’ ‘Automatic’. A run of synth-driven gems from Peter Schilling, The Art Of Noise, ABC, Re-Flex, Talk Talk and Fiction Factory conclude the disc in style.

Disc Three is packed with pure pop brilliance, opening with Duran Duran’s worldwide #1 hit ‘The Reflex’ in its iconic Dance Mix. Nik Kershaw scored a huge hit with ‘I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, Kim Wilde’s hits continued with ‘The Second Time’ and Limahl’s ‘Never Ending Story’ was one of the most memorable film themes of the decade, here in its 12” Dance Mix. Simple Minds and Soft Cell lead into classic alt-pop tracks from The Stranglers (‘Skin Deep’), Echo & The Bunnymen (‘Silver’), The Icicle Works with the long version of ‘Love Is A Wonderful Colour’, and Swans Way with the 12” mix of the stunning ‘Soul Train’.

Ending the set, Disc Four opens with legends, Paul McCartney with the extended version of ‘No More Lonely Nights’, and Tina Turner with ‘Better Be Good To Me’. Some of ‘84’s biggest floor-fillers including ‘Just Be Good To Me’ from The S.O.S Band, and ‘Running With The Night’ from Lionel Richie are featured along with jazz, latin and electro infused dance pop from Shakatak, Miami Sound Machine and Ollie & Jerry respectively. Rockwell’s timeless ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ leads into two synth ballads to close the collection in their extended versions: ‘Talking Loud And Clear’ from Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, and the beautiful ‘Hide And Seek’ from Howard Jones.

Our last entry: Now 12" 1983

Looking Up with Ringo

While a storm ranges around us here, something of another sort of storm from the one who started out drumming for Rory Storm before taking over from Pete Best to be the Beatles drummer before upon that bands end, issuing a good number of solo albums and singles.

A few days ago Ringo released a brand-new country music album, 'Look Up', produced and co-written by T Bone Burnett. This is an stunning collection features 11 original songs, recorded this year in Nashville and Los Angeles.

The story goes Ringo asked one of his acquaintances to write a song for his next EP. That friend later returned with nine tunes, all with a country flavour and instead of selecting just one, he decided he liked all of them, which led to him recording each one and turning it into his first album for six years. 

With assistance from Molly Tuttle, guitarist Billy Strings, Alison Krauss, four piece Indie band Lucius and sister duo Larkin Poe, Ringo realises his love of country music by issuing his first LP of such in over five decades since a Beaucoup Of Blues in 1970.

Time On My Hands is the most played track on the likes of Boom Radio, being a great advertisement for just how well these songs and the arrangements really suit his voice making this one of his best solo albums ever and one I'd strongly recommend on its own merits.

Albums we loved - The Shadows Greatest Hits

 

Well it was a very much Brrr weekend here  with quite a few inches of snow and temperatures dropping below minus seven degrees  beyond the internet mess referred to on last weeks rather brief post so apart from there being none of the usual internet based stuff to be engaged with something did come that didn't rely on that.

If you're a Britisher Cliff Richard and the Shadows need no introduction, they are a building block of british rock and roll and our much bigger than you might think place in the world of popular music in the last century and this.

Cliff was the first major breakout artist, no disrespects intended to the likes of Marty Wilde, father of the great Kim Wilde having row after row of major hits, commercial and critically acclaimed films before the Beatles and the DC5 did and even got substantial albums in an era where it was mainly film soundtracks, stage shows and compilations that made the pop lp charts.

The Shadows were his backing band, originally entitled The Drifters but changed as that clashed with the American excellent Drifters soul group but by 1960 had started to develop a collection of tunes of their own that radically changed the sound of electric guitar playing, added highly choreographed routines on stage, making even hard bitten critics sit up and pay attention to how good popular music could be.

They had solo hits, even #1's in the UK, some on their own projects, others tied to Cliffs films and featured on the successful soundtrack albums of The Young Ones, Summer Holiday and others  and in 1963 they were rounded up in the massive selling Shadows Greatest Hits album.

Although I had borrowed this album a number of times, by the time I decided to get a selection of this music and that of Cliff's I had bought the early 1970's World Records box set of Cliff and the Shadows that covered 1958 to 1972 and then added a few compilations of Cliff's on compact disc.

What drew me back to this set was it is a perfect summary of what was so great about those early shadows tracks and that these are the original mono mixes we had then, singles on Columbia, their label around 1970/71 only switching to stereo.

The edition I got uses the  same metal parts as the original 1963 pressings but was issued around 1967/8 going by the tinted advertising inner sleeve showing albums of that era in their mono and stereo where issued forms.

The catalogue number on the disc had changed from 33SX1522 to SX1522 reflecting the switch in prefixes as stereo records back in the early sixties being a luxury special offering to as that decade ended to being the norm with less mono discs being issued even if the jacket carried over the old prefix.

Oddly enough the album was not issued in the UK on record in stereo until 1974 although in the early 70's stereo cassette and eight tracks were issued bough three tracks were issued in so-called "electronically reprocessed for stereo" as the original had never been mixed to stereo.

Listening to this with the excellence of their playing coupled with the memories of these tunes has been most enjoyable.