October 20, 2018

 

 

With their gold selling single ‘Denis’,

in 78, Blondie reached a UK No.2 slot,

and ‘(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear’,

again on Chrysalis, gave them a Top Ten spot.

 

Then, still in 78, followed ‘Picture This’, at No.12,

and at No.5 arrived  ‘Hanging On The Telephone’,

and with their next two singles reaching  No.1 in 79

the UK chart, they made their own.

 

With platinum-selling single ‘Heart Of Glass’

and gold-seller ‘Sunday Girl’, setting the scene.

Followed by ‘Dreaming’, which made No.2,

with ‘Union City Blues’ making No.13.

 

In 80, gold-seller ‘Atomic’, still on Chrysalis-

being another UK No.1 they had won,

with ‘Call Me’ and ‘The Tide Is High’

in the US and UK, both reaching No.1.

 

In 81, US No.1 ‘Rapture’ made a UK No.5,

and in 82, next to fall into line 

was ‘Island Of Lost Souls’ at No.11,

and ‘War Child’ at No.39.

 

In 88 came ‘Denis (remix)’ at No.50,

and in 89, at No.61 ‘Call Me (remix)’.

Then 94 saw ‘Atomis (remix)’ reach No.19,

and in 95, at No.15 ‘Heart Of Glass (remix)’

 

‘Union City Blues’ made No.31, also in 95,

(and their last hit on Chrysalis, proved to be),

and in 99, gold-seller ‘Maria’ on Beyond, a UK No.1,

 pleasing fans as far as the eye could see. 

 

‘Nothing Is Real But The Girl’, also in 99 on Beyond,

came next, reaching No.26,

and in 03 ‘Good Boys’ on Epic, at No.12 –

the last hit in this nostalgic Blondie mix.

 

 

 

Graham Fellows – better known as Jilted John,

had a Top 4 with ‘Jilted John’ in 78 on EMI,

and in 07, Canadian, Feist, on Polydor,

saw ‘1234’ rise to a UK No. 8 high.

 

In 73, US male group Bloodstone,

had a Top 40 on Decca with ‘Natural High’,

and in 88, US Walter Beasley, on Urban,

saw ‘I’m So Happy’,  up to No.70,  fly.

 

In 03, UK/German group ‘State One, on Incentive,

made No.62 with ‘Forever And A Day’,

In 2010, Adam Young, known as Owl City, on Island,

took Fireflies’ to No.1, both in the US and in the UK.

 

In 82, UK group Kokomo, on CBS,

reached No.45 with ‘A Little Bit Further Away’,

and US singer Big Dee Irwin in 63, reached No.7,

with ‘Swinging On A Star’ – remembered to this day.

 

(RIP    Difosco Erwin –  d. 1995  aged 56.) 

 

 

 

October 17, 2018

‘

 

‘I’ve finally dismantled the Greenhouse,

it was practically falling down,

and so many glass panels were broken,

the frost easily gets in’ Moonhead said with a frown.

 

‘I saw a ‘good deal’ in the newspaper-

in fact it seemed too good to be true!

and your Mums been at me for ages

as this one spoils the overall view

 

of the garden, she painstakingly tends to,

planting all my seedlings with care,

and I have some tomato plants waiting,

so I thought, why not, it’ll fit nicely there’.

 

‘Today is the day of the delivery’

( the space measured precisely, as only Moonhead could)

‘He’s like a kid with a new toy’ Mum commented –

‘I can’t honestly see it being any good’.

 

‘Every time a van stops, he rushes to the window,

he’s driving me absolutely up the wall’

‘I saw a lovely one at the Garden Centre’

Mum said. –  this one doomed before it’s installed!

 

It duly arrived an hour later,

as a ‘Flat Pack’,  which he didn’t expect.

And Moonhead spent the rest of the evening

reading instructions on how to erect.

 

His plans to do it there and then thwarted,

as cold water upon them Mum poured.

‘Tackle it with a clear head in the morning’

she so determinedly implored.

 

Once up and working it proved quite successful,

though Mum thought it quite hideous to the eye.

but this summer, it would serve a purpose.

Biding her time, was Mum on the sly.

 

Saving hard, and in search of the right one,

would take her until the end of the year,

but unknown to Mum and our Moonhead,

divine intervention was getting quite near.

 

In the early evening of New Years Eve,

we got a frantic phone call from Mum.

‘Thank goodness you haven’t gone out yet –

over here, you had better quickly come.

 

‘It’s been blowing a gale all day at this end,

and now the snow has fallen too,

and your Dads stuck outside in the blizzard,

holding down the greenhouse with both arms askew!

 

‘A few minutes ago, he let go – his arms aching

and off it’s footings, in mid air, it flew.

He chased it to the bottom of the garden,

now he’s stood there, not knowing what to do?

 

‘But you  know how stubborn is Moonhead,

and how he doesn’t like to see waste,

so he’s out there clinging on for dear life,

and of widowhood – I’m sensing a taste’.

 

‘For crying out loud Mum’ – it’s New Years Eve-

it couldn’t have happened at a worse time’

We’ll buy him a new one in the new year,

as that one’s not worth a dime’.

 

I put down the phone and related the drama,

to my man waiting, complete with bow-tie.

‘Bloody Norah, this could only happen to Moonhead,

we’d better go and help’ – he said with a sigh’.

 

Five miles down the road we met the snowdrift,

and battling conditions, began to pray,

before reaching our beloved Moonhead, 

frozen stiff, but laughing, as was his way.

 

 

October 15, 2018

 

Tune in to

Tony’s Time Machine

at Noon on Tuesday 16th October 2018

for a fantastic hour of songs and music

from the Glasgow Concert Hall

with

Steve Hackett and  

The Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra

 

Also featuring on the Show –

music from 

Tony’s favourite band  ‘YES’, 

 

and the poem –

‘For The Love Of Genesis’

written by 

Harriet Blackbury.

October 4, 2018

 

 

Yet another play unsuitable

for Doc Martin’s eyes,

but for content and performance

Tamburlaine takes the prize.

 

Harriet Blackbury

 

 

October 1, 2018

 

Tune in to 

Tony’s Time Machine

at Noon on Tuesday 2nd October 2018

for another fast moving hour of music. and chat.

 

This week the Show includes

Tony’s interviews with

Kee Marcello (formally of Europe and East Action)

in advance of the ‘Scaling Up’ Tour.

and also

Steve Hackett  and ‘Genesis Revisited’ Tour dates.

 

Tony will also be reading the poems –

 

For The Love Of Genesis  written by Harriet Blackbury

For The Love Of Chas & Dave  written by Harriet Blackbury

and

For The Love Of Charles Aznavour   written by Harriet Blackury.

 

 

 

French male singer/actor – Shanaur Aznavourian

or Charles Aznavour, as we knew him to be,

peaked in the UK chart at No.38, on the Barclay label,

with ‘The Old Fashioned Way’, in 73.

 

In 74, still on the Barclay label,

arrived ‘She’, spending four weeks at No.1,

and becoming a worldwide hit,

ensuring his legacy lives on.

 

Thank you for the music

Rest In Peace

1924 – 2018

 

September 30, 2018

 

 

In 78, on EMI with Rockney

came ‘Strummin’ – their first UK chart entry,

and in 79 on EMI,  followed ‘Gertcha’,

which peaked at No.20.

 

‘The Sideboard Song (Got My Beer In The Sideboard here)’-

their last offering of 79 on EMI,

and in 80 on the Rockney label,

along came ‘Rabbit’, reaching a Top Ten high.

 

In 81, ‘Stars Over 45’ climbed to No.21,

and in 82, ‘Ain’t No Pleasing You’ made No.2 –

(and like ‘Rabbit’, had an 11 week chart run,

with ‘Margate’ next at No.46 – their last hit of 82.

 

‘London Girls’ and ‘My Melancholy Baby’ –

their hits of 83 – still on the Rockney label.

‘Snooker Loopy’ with  Pot 147 Matchroom Mob –

a No.6 of 86, they brought to the table.

 

Thank You for the Music and Fun.

RIP   Chas Hodges  1943 – 2018

 

September 29, 2018

 

 

‘I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)’,

in 74, on Charisma, peaked at No.21.

And in 77  ‘Your Own Special Way’,

at No.43 – the next hit to follow on.

 

Also in 77, ‘Spot The Pigeon’,

making a mark at No.14.

And in 78  ‘Follow You Follow Me’,

at no.7 – setting the scene.

 

Still in 78 came ‘Many Too Many’ –

their second single to peak at No.43.

And in 80 was ‘Turn It On Again’,

at No.8,  filling fans with glee.

 

Also in 80 arrived ‘Duchess’ – making No.46,

and ‘Misunderstanding’ reached No.42,

and then in 81′ Abacab’ – a Top Ten at No.9,

and ‘Keep It Dark’ at No.33, saw the year through.

 

In 82, ‘Man On The Corner’ reached No.41,

and also, ‘3 x 3 EP’ – a Top Ten.

In 83, ‘Mama’ – now on Virgin/Charisma – a Top 4,

and ‘That’s All’ on Charisma/Virgin, a No.16 for these men.

 

In 84, still on Charisma/Virgin came ‘Illegal Alien’ 

reaching No.46 in the chart – their hit of this year.

In 86 -now on Virgin  – came ‘Invisible Touch’, at No.5, 

‘In Too Deep’ & ‘Land Of Confusion’ – more Top 20s to cheer.

 

In 87, ‘Tonight Tonight Tonight’ made No.18,

and ‘Throwing It All Away’ -in this year, reached No.22.

Then in 91, ‘No Son Of Mine’ flew to No.6,

and at No.7 -‘I Can’t Dance’ – the first hit of 92.

 

Three more Top 20s followed in this year –

at No.16  ‘Hold On My Heart’ – the next to arrive,

and then at No.20 ‘Jesus He Knows Me’,

and finally, at No.7 came ‘Invisible Touch’ (Live).

 

Still on the Virgin label – ‘Tell Me Why’,

in 93, claimed a Top 40 fix.

And in 97 came ‘Congo’ and ‘Shipwrecked’,

before, in 98, ‘Not About Us’ reached No.66.

 

Whichever Band member our favourite –

be it Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins or Tony Banks,

or Steve Hackett or Mike Rutherford –

to each one of you we give our huge Thanks.

 

 

 

September 26, 2018

 

 

Backpass 61 will be available from October 2018 (£4.70),

on the shelf or to order from all good newsagents,

and can also be bought on line at

www.backpassmagazine.co.uk

( A perfect Christmas present for Dad or Grandad)

and features:

Alan Hudson on Chelsea’s 1970 FA Cup winners.

Liverpool from 1945 – 1970.

Paul Heaton’s (of The Housemartins and Beautiful South)

Sheffield United Dream Team.

Top ten bosses of the 1960s and  1970s.

plus  Interviews with 

Archie Gemmill, Dennis Mortimer, Steve Melledew, and Dick Edwards.

and also

Programme Plus, Classic Kits, Bookshelf, Obituaries,

and much more.  

Also in Issue 61 – the poem – ‘Football Club Nicknames’

written by Harriet Blackbury

 

 

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