October 6, 2015

 

 

Oh mind that sees me

short of rest,

in the wee small hours;

I do protest.

I need this time

to clear my head.

In the wee small hours

whilst in my bed.

 

Oh mind that keeps me

from shut eye,

in the wee small hours,

disturbed, I lie.

I need this time;

give me a break.

In the wee small hours,

for pity’s sake.

 

Oh mind that sends me

on the same dream,

in the wee small hours,

I awake and scream.

I need this time,

to keep my senses keen.

In the wee small hours

grant me, sleep serene.

 

 

 

 

For some reason which escapes me,

he drove us both to the railway station,

and as he opened the driver’s door,

it fell off and clattered to the ground. 

 

 

 

 

Don’t see them as ancient,

for their hand is outstretched.

Warmth still lives in their hearts,

though ‘time’ faintly sketched.

 

Don’t see them as lost

for they’ve found a way,

to cope with their lot;

every day’s a new day.

 

Take from them their knowledge;

be glad of their listening ear.

Treasure each moment spent,

whilst you still have them here. 

 

 

 

 

and history repeated itself,

as if the prototype had been cloned.

This being long before the electronic revolution,

so there was no-one home when he phoned.

 

 

 

 

She always preferred sitting on the floor,

as she liked to be near to her animals,

and they weren’t allowed on the furniture.

 

 

 

October 3, 2015

 

 

‘Son Of My Father’ – number one,

by Chicory Tip, in 72,

then much later Paul Hardcastle’s

‘Nineteen’, in 85 made it through.

 

Ruby Murray’s ‘Softly Softly’;

I can hear Granny singing now.

And with ‘Release Me’ and ‘The Last Waltz’,

Engelbert Humperdinck took a bow.

 

It’s Madness only one of their songs,

reached the desired top spot.

‘House Of Fun’ taking that accolade,

but 14 other top ten hits – real hot.

 

In 67, Procol Harum had us hooked,

with their ‘Whiter Shade Of Pale’,

and in 71 ‘Maggie May’ made sure,

Rod Stewart hot on the desired trail.

 

Those loyal Men at work from ‘Down Under’,

in 83, put the record straight.   

Then ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You’,

sang America’s Glen Medeiros, in 88.

 

Kylie and Jason brought a gift,

‘Especially for you’, in 89,

as well as many separate number ones;

these two hit-makers still doing fine.

 

‘25 OR 6 TO 4’

in 70 made number 7,

but Chicago’s ‘If you leave me now’

6 years later reached, seventh heaven.

 

In 56, ‘Poor People Of Paris’

for Winifred Atwell came good,

and 63 saw ‘From Me To You’

start the Number one, Beatles flood.

 

All singers have a dream,

of making number one.

Sometimes it’s just the opening bar,

that in the memory lingers on.

 

Or a powerful, moving lyric,

that makes the heart swell,

ensuring that particular song,

all the others, will outsell.

 

 

 

September 29, 2015

 

 

Tonys Time Machine

LIVE

Wednesday 30th September

11.00am – 1.00pm

with repeats to follow

in the week, at the usual times.

This week Tony continues his

Wondrous World Travels Stories.

and he will also be reading

Harriet’s poem

‘For The Love Of Travelling’.

 

Hope you enjoy miles of smiles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From ‘Uptight’ at the beginning,

Stevie Wonder’s songs still pure gold.

‘I just called to say I love you’;

this number one, the best story told.

 

In 71, we embraced the Elgins

‘Heaven must have sent you’, we adored,

and ‘Put yourself in my place’,

the same year, they implored.

 

R Dean Taylor told us,

that he’d ‘Gotta see Jane’.

Then, after ’25 miles’ came ‘War’,

another Edwin Starr hit refrain.

 

‘Take me in your arms and love me’

sang Gladys Knight and the Pips.

‘I heard it through the Grapevine’ and

‘Help me make it through the night’ –

two more songs from her sweet lips.

 

‘Walk away from love’

gave David Ruffin his only UK hit.

And the re-issue of ‘My Guy’ to Motown,

for Mary Wells, nicely, did sit.

 

‘Here comes the judge’ saw order in the court;

and the only hit for Shorty Long.

Whilst ‘Don’t leave me this way’, will always be

the distinctive Thelma Houston song.

 

‘Keep on truckin’ insisted Eddie Kendricks;

the following year, telling us to ‘Boogie down’.

‘Three times a lady’ by the Commodores,

their first number one hit, on Motown

 

Tamla Motown gave us something,

that’s stayed precious to this day.

So many romantic, soulful ballads,

now part of our DNA.

 

Songs that will never leave us;

so many classics – the mainstay.

To have lived through that amazing era;

we were fortunate in every way.

 

Written By Harriet Blackbury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 28, 2015

 

 

‘Ring my bell’ sang Anita Ward,

back in seventy nine,

five years after Abba’s ‘Ring ring’ request

came down the telephone line.

 

Jethro Tull, also in the 70’s,

gave us ‘Ring out Solstice Bells,

and ‘Here I go again’, and ‘Soul City Walk’;

hits for Archie Bell and The Drells.

 

Judy Clay in 68, shared with William Bell

this ‘Private Number’ song,

whilst ‘Call me’ by Blondie in 1980,

in the charts, could do no wrong.

 

‘Black is Black’ by La Belle Epoque,

in 77, a re-entry hit, so fine.

‘Saved by the Bell’ from lovely Robin Gibb,

reached number 2 in sixty nine.

 

Belle and the Devotions ‘Love Games’

reached 11 in eighty four.

Whilst Harry Belafonte’s ‘Banana Boat song’

reached his ‘Island in the sun’, decades before.

 

In 81, Godley & Crème’s ‘Wedding Bell’s,

proved ‘Under your thumb’ wasn’t wrong.

And Belle Stars ‘Sign of the times’,

followed  ‘Iko Iko’ and ‘Clapping Song’.

 

From School bells to Church bells;

through hymns and nursery rhymes.

From Wedding Bells to Christmas Bells;

a life lived out with chimes.

 

From happy bells to hell’s bells;

the price paid for our crimes.

And at the end, those Funeral bells;

with sweet thoughts of glorious times.

 

Written by Harriet Blackbury.

 

 

September 24, 2015

 

 

I watch my glady’s

hour by hour.

Every year they grow

but they never flower.

 

Their lanky leaves a mess;

a victim of the storm.

I wait impatiently

for just one flower to form

 

But as autumn nears

I fear they’re for the chop

Another barren season;

another flowerless crop.

 

Though out in the countryside,

with seemingly effortless toil,

they grow in vast abundance!

It must be the Cotswold soil?

 

In shades of red and white,

and purple, pink and blue,

they sit in buckets outside

the growers house, on view.

 

He must know what he’s doing,

but when I pass, I sigh,

as he also grows sunflowers

that nearly touch the sky.

 

 

 

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