April 29, 2018

 

In 66 ‘How Sweet It Is’

entered the UK charts at No. 22,

and with 4 Top Twenty hits to follow,

Junior Walker & The All Stars, our minds blew.

 

‘I Just Called To Say I Love You’,

with ease, won every heart.

This Stevie Wonder No.1 of 84

coming 18 years after ‘Uptight’ made the UK chart.

 

‘Stop In The Name Of Love’

found The Supremes on Tamla Motown ground,

after 3 hits on the Stateside label,

including ‘Baby Love’ – a No.1 sound.

 

Favourites from Martha Reeves & The Vandellas,

were ‘Nowhere to run’ and ‘Dancing In The Street’

and The Miracles ‘Going To A Go-Go’

had everyone up on their feet.

 

‘Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me’

sang Gladys Knight & The Pips.

and  ‘It Takes Two’  by Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston,

another song,  always on our lips.

 

’25 Miles’ and ‘War’

came from Edwin Starr.

And ‘Tracks Of My Tears & ‘Tears Of A Clown’,

by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – setting the bar.

 

‘I Want You Back’ and ‘ABC’,

and ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I’ll Be There’ –

Four consecutive US number ones –

from The Jackson 5, making the world aware.

 

‘This Old Heart Of Mine’ – also a classic,

along with ‘Behind A Painted Smile’.

and,  ‘I Guess I’ll Always Love You’ – another hit,

showing The Isley Brothers had style.

 

‘These Things Will Keep Me Loving You’ –

a top 40 for The Velvelettes  in 71,

and ‘The Onion Song’ from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell –

so poignant, now they are gone.

 

Let The Music play.

 

Written by

Harriet Blackbury

 

April 13, 2018

 

 

In 76, this US male group,

had us up on the dance floor,

when ‘Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel’

exploded into the UK charts at No.4.

 

‘Don’t Take Away The Music’,

they so convincingly did implore,

as their second UK hit,

once again climbed to No.4.

 

77  brought 3 more hits –

these guys could do no wrong!

The ‘Mighty Power Of Love’,

being their next song to come along.

 

Then, Whodunnit’ made the Top Ten,

and ‘One Step Away’ reached  No.16  –

All their hits on the Capitol label,

and loved by every Disco teen.

 

In 78, ‘The Ghost Of Love’

got as high as No.29,

then ‘More Than A Woman’, at No 7 –

another Top Ten we thought divine.

 

Their last single of 78,

was ‘Slow Train To Paradise’, at 62,

and then a gap of 8 years,

before two hits, long overdue.

 

‘Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel’,

peaked at No 12, in 86,

and ‘It Only Takes A Minute’ –

the last hit, in this great ‘Tavares’ mix.

 

Written by

Harriet Blackbury

 

 

 

 

April 10, 2018

 

 

‘I Can’t Help Myself’ hit the charts in 65,

followed by ‘It’s The Same Old Song’.

In 66 ‘Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever’ arrived,

and ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’, a No.1 song.

 

‘Standing In The Shadows Of Love’ came in 67  –

one of 5 hits – the next being ‘Bernadette’.

And ‘Seven Rooms Of Gloom’ followed on,

but this year wasn’t finished yet.

 

The Four Tops then gave us 

‘You Keep Running Away’

and everyone’s favourite, ‘making the Top 3,  

was ‘Walk Away Renee’.

 

In 68, If I Were A Carpenter’ made No.7 ,

and ‘Yesterday’s Dream’s’  followed on.

‘I’m In A Different World’, their last hit of this year,

proving this Group second to none..

 

In 69 came two Top Twenty hits –

‘What Is A Man’ and ‘Do What You Gotta Do’.

‘I Can’t Help Myself’, their first Top Ten of 70,

and also ‘It’s All In the Game’ – a song we loved too.

 

Their final  hit of 70 –  ‘Still Water (Love)’ ,

also peaked at No.10,

and ‘Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)’

the first hit of 71,  for these Motown Men.

 

Next, with The Supremes, came ‘River Deep Mountain High’.

followed at No.3 by ‘Simple Game’. 

Then, ‘You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart’ –

again with The Supremes, making the the Top 30 frame.

 

In 72, Bernadette re-appeared,  then,

‘Walk With Me Talk With Me Darling’, at No 32,

and lastly ‘ Keeper Of The Castle’,

at No. 18, appeared into view.

 

In 73, ‘Sweet Understanding Love’ – a Top 30 –

their 2nd hit on the Probe Label,

before switching to Casablanca in 81,

which brought two Top 20 hits to the table.

 

The first being  ‘When She Was My Girl’,

which reached up to No.3,

followed by  ‘Don’t Walk Away’,

which also filled fans with glee.

 

‘Tonight I’m Gonna Love You All Over’ –

their next hit, making 43,

and ‘Back To School Again’ –

their last hit of 82, proved to be.

 

In 88, on Motown, ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’

was back in the charts at No. 11.

‘Indestructible’ with Smokey Robinson came next,

and ‘Loco In Acapulco’  hit No. 7.

 

In 89, Indestructible, featuring Smokey Robinson,

at No.30, re-appeared in the charts,

being the last UK hit for  The Four Tops –

A Motown Group, forever in our hearts.

 

 

R I P

Levi Stubbs   2008

Renaldo Benson   2005

Lawrence Payton   1997

 

 

 

 

April 5, 2018

 

 

From his ‘Freewheelin’ Album of 63

and ‘The Times they are a-changing’ of 64,

From those early days to the present time,

Bob Dylan couldn’t have been loved more.

 

From his double Album – Blonde on Blonde,

which arrived back in 66,

to ‘Shadows in the night’  in 2015,

Bob Dylan still gives fans their fix.

 

‘The man who sold the world’ came in 70,

followed in 71 by ‘Hunky Dory’,

and by now, every devotee of David Bowie,

loved each album that told a new story.

 

In 65, ‘Help’ and ‘Rubber Soul’

were the 5th and 6th Albums  The Beatles released,

and in 69, their top selling ‘Abbey Road ‘LP

showed fans loyalty hadn’t decreased.

 

‘Exodus’ by Bob Marley and The Wailers,

in 77,  had us spellbound,

proving,  this Jamaican singer/songwriter

was  king of the reggae sound.

 

Coming through the airways of 73,

was a sound one couldn’t avoid.

Their latest offering of excellence was –

‘The Dark Side of The Moon’ by Pink Floyd.

 

A moving Album in 68,

always stood out from the rest.

‘Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison’

found this singer/songwriter at his best.

 

In 68, a certain Motown Album –

was winning all our hearts.

‘The Four Tops Greatest Hits’,

 reaching No.1 in the British Charts.

 

‘The Temptations Greatest Hits’ Album

contained ‘Get Ready’ and ‘My Girl’.

These two groups at the top of their game

had audiences in a whirl.

 

A teenage life lived through Albums,

helped with the insanity of youth.

Our bedrooms a refuge from a restricted hell,

in a search to find our own personal truth.

 

And our need to find escapism

from the life we had lead to date,

through Albums, we found a reason to live,

and a new image were able to create.

 

by Harriet Blackbury

 

March 10, 2018

 

 

The Lily pond, not as it seems –

not quite the same as in one’s dreams.

 

A mystery around it lingers,

and not the place for tiny fingers.

 

No birds on view, the sky quite still,

with clouds now absent, yet still a chill

 

is in the air, as winter’s sun,

sits low, unsure if spring’s begun,

 

and early flowers, in wonderment,

burst forth as if heaven sent.

 

Each snowdrop, crocus and daffodil,

a welcome sight on Richmond Hill.

 

Though the Lily pond, not as it seems –

not quite the same as in one’s dreams.

 

A mystery around it lingers –

and not the place for tiny fingers.

 

 

 

February 24, 2018

 

 

 

 

Their first Chart entry in 76

saw  The Real Thing  reach No. 1.

With  ‘You To Me Are Everything’

their stardom had begun.

 

‘Can’t Get By Without You’

also in this year made No.2,

and with two more hits in 77

their popularity grew.

 

In 78, ‘Whenever You Want My Love’

claimed a Top Twenty slot.

‘Let’s Go Disco’ also released in this year,

and ‘Rainin Through My Sunshine’  – so hot.

 

‘Can You Feel The Force’,

in 79, made Number 5 ,

and ‘Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)’

in the Top 40 did arrive.

 

In 86,   two decade remixes

both made a Top 10 score,

and a remix of  ‘Can You Feel The Force’,

– in the charts at No. 24.

 

In 05, The Freeloaders featuring The Real Thing

with ‘So Much Love To Give’  made No.9

So much ‘feelgood’ factor music coming

from this Uk male vocal group – so fine.

 

Thank You for the music

Rest In Peace    Eddie Amoo   (d 2018).

 

 

 

 

 

February 14, 2018

 

 

Free, with their ‘Wishing Well’,

in 73, gained a Top 10 score.

and in 87, Terence Trent D’arby

took another ‘Wishing Well’ to No.4.

 

And at No.10 in the Charts,

in the year of 82,

were ‘A Flock Of Seagulls’ with –

‘Wishing  (if I had a photograph of you’.

 

In 84, China Crisis  took

‘Wishful Thinking’ to No. 9,

20 years after The Mersey Beats in 64

with ‘Wishing & Hopin’,  were doing fine.

 

Roxette took ‘Wish I Could Fly’

as high as No.11 in 99,

and ‘Wishing On A Star’ by Rose Royce

at No.3 in 78,  also a favourite – divine!

 

In 76  ‘I Wish’ by Stevie Wonder –

a US No.1 hit, for which we are blest.

and ‘The King Of Wishful Thinking” –

a Top 20 in 90, for Go West.

 

In 63, Buddy Holly

with ‘Wishing’,  reached No.1o,

and in 93, Soul ll Soul,

had a Top 30 with ‘Wish’.    Amen

 

 

Whatever is on our ‘wish list’

to help us get through the day,

we also must live for the moment

and not wish our life away.

 

Whatever our hopes and aspirations –

let solace, through music be found,

by enjoying life on a daily basis,

listening to our favourite sound.

 

Written by

Harriet Blackbury

 

 

October 27, 2017

 

 

This popular singer and pianist

totalled 21 hit singles in the UK,

amongst them was ‘Country Boy’,

‘Ain’t That A Shame’ & Blue Monday.

 

‘Walking To New Orleans’ & ‘Jambalaya’,

two more songs we will never forget,

along with ‘Margie’ & ‘My Girl Josephine’,

and of course – ‘Red Sails In The Sunset’.

 

Over a twenty year period

Fats Domino’s music gave fans a thrill.

His final UK chart entry coming in 76

with the re-release of Blueberry Hill.

 

Thank You for the music

Fats Domino  ( 1928 – 2017 )

 

 

May 31, 2017

 

 

Tune in to Tony’s Time Machine today

31st May 2017

11am – 1pm

and enjoy

the final  action packed  show

from Gorse Hill Studios

 

Todays guests reading poems

written by

Harriet Blackbury

will include

Phil Sykes  (For The Love Of Music)

Rachel Rolph (The Fruit Rap)

Alison (For The Love Of Manchester)

Vikki Snowden  (For The Love Of Tony)

and

Tony will be reading his own great poem

in tribute to Chris Squire.

 

‘Sail on down the line –

Good times never felt so good’

(Commodores)

 

‘The Show Is Over Now’   (Petula Clark)

 

Well Done Tony & Vikki

and Good Luck in all you do next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 9, 2017

 

Tune in to the

Grand Countdown Month

of

Tony’s Time Machine

On Wednesday  

10th, 17th, 24th & 31st May 2017

11am – 1pm

for

a feast of

Lively chat, Great music

and Magic moments

from Tony’s many shows.

 

The Final Guests will include

Joseph Brotherton (17th)

Steve Harrison (17th) 

Naomi (24th)

and

A very special Interview

by Tony

from Ramsbottom Cricket Club’s

own ‘Fielding Family’  (24th)

and 

Tony will be reading his great ‘Tribute’

poem to Chris Squire  (31st)

 

There will be clips from

The Heroes Infusion Ball at 

The Lowry (24th)

 

Also

listen to the last airing

of poems

written by Harriet Blackbury:

to include

For The Love Of Cilla

For the Love Of Manchester.

For The Love Of Bowie

For The Love Of The End

Fruit Rap

and maybe

For The Love Of James Bond

(RIP Sir Roger Moore ) 

 

 

Huge Thank you

to Tony & Vikki

 

Let The Music Play

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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