News, Views and Music Issue 35 (Intro)

July 3:

♫  Sorry we’ve been off the air for the last few weeks but it’s been a rotten month for computers – first the library shuts so I have to go to Mike’s to upload the site, then Mike’s computer falls apart in such a way that the pen drive just won’t quite work despite copious encouragement and finally my beloved home computer packs up, taking with it a rather nifty review of the Human league’s ‘Romantic?’ album which I am trying to revive for you. Anyway, fear not – the missing weeks we had ready to post will be posted just as soon as the library’s back in mid-July and in the mean-time say hello to our special new friend Mr Dell Laptop (helloooo people!) Rest assured everybody’s favourite anniversary section (the, err, ‘anniversary section’) will be expanded this issue to show you what birthday’s you’re missing.

                                

♫ Anniversaries: Seeing as we’ve missed the last couple of weeks, this is an extended column this issue and it’s a particularly busy week (we know there’s still a week missing but this issue was all prepared for going to press at the time the computer failed – hopefully we’ll retrieve it at some point in the future, so apologies if your birthday is missing): Happy Doo-dah birthdays (June 20-26) to Brian Wilson (bassist, vocalist, composer and all-round genius with the Beach Boys 1962-85) turned 67 on June 20^th, Ray Davies (guitarist, vocalist, composer and all-round genius with The Kinks 1963-95) turned 65 on June 21^st, Clint Warwick (bassist with the first line-up of the Moody Blues 1964-66) would have been 60 on June 25^th and John Illsey (bassist with Dire Straits 1978-93) was also 60 on June 26^th. Anniversaries of events include: the Rolling Stones releasing their cover of Buddy Holly’s ‘Not Fade Away’ seven years to the day after the original (June 20^th 1964); the first ever Glastonbury, held in 1971 (June 20^th); the ex-Beatles have a good week as George’s ‘Living in the Material World’ replaces Paul’s ‘Red Rose Speedway’ at the top of the American album charts (June 23^rd 1973); John, meanwhile, released his second book of prose ‘A Spaniard In The Works’ on June 24^th 1965; Jefferson Airplane record their second – and last – hit with the release of the perennial psych single ‘White Rabbit’ (June 24^th 1967); the Beatles are shown on the ‘one World’ global satellite link-up programme on June 25^th 1967, representing Great Britain as they perform their new single ‘All You Need Is Love’; Mick Taylor plays his first gig with the Rolling Stones, less than a fortnight before the death of his predecessor Brian Jones (June 25^th 1969); and finally the world’s best selling EP, The Beatles’ ‘Twist and Shout’ is released in the UK on June 26^th 1963.

And doo-wah diddy birthdays (June 27-July 3^rd) go to Bruce Johnston (pianist, bassist, vocalist and composer with the Beach Boys 1965-71, 1979-present) who turns 65 on June 27^th; Stanley Clarke (Paul McCartney collaborator in the 1980s) turns 68 on June 30^th and Adrian Wright (keyboardist with the Human League 1981-84) turns 53 on June 30^th. Anniversaries of events this week include: the gramophone turns 124 years old on June 27^th, after the patent for it was officially passed in 1885; Crosby, Stills and Nash play one of their earliest – possibly the earliest – concerts 40 years ago at the Denver Pop Festival on June 27^th 1969; the Fillmore East – beloved ‘home’ theatre of the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane – closed on June 27^th 1971; the first Beatles song to make the American charts, ‘From Me To You’ is released on June 29^th 1964 – but amazingly it’s not the fab four’s version but a cover by 1950s star Del Shannon; Mick Jagger and Keith Richards spend an uncomfortable night in Brixton prison, facing drugs charges that could have seen them spend up to a year inside (June 29^th 1967); Forty years ago this week Rolling Stone Brian Jones dies in mysterious circumstances after taking a swim in his home swimming pool (previous owner: AA Milne) on July 3^rd 1969, just a few months after leaving the band and finally Brian Wilson joins the Beach Boys on-stage after an amazing 11 year absence (July 3^rd 1976).