News, Views and Music Issue 115 (Intro)

October 7^th:

Dear all, why is when we finally have one slight small consoling bit of news to give you in amongst the problems, it then gets cancelled by something else nasty happening? Yet again our original web hosts T35 (that contain our original articles) has wiped our files and looks like it may have been closed down forever to boot (just after upgrading to a paid plan as well, typical!) As a result, all of our links are obsolete and we’ll have to start again – on top of filling in a 500 page form and trying to cope with one of the worst chronic fatigue weeks in my history. Sometimes people up there really don’t you want to succeed do they?! Anyway, bear with us and it’ll get fixed – again – very soon. I hope. In the meantime, here’s a shorter-than-expected review so that I can sort this mess out next week.  Wgxdbgvdcbskbksbl!”%^*((^%$%&*(()(__)!!!! STOP PRESS: The EU has just issued Britain with a two month deadline for changing the benefits system because it ‘acts against human rights laws’! You won’t read about it anywhere on the BBC – and you certainly won’t see it covered by the Daily Mail – but the ATOS team responsible for running the ‘employment support programme’ have broken so many rules they actually breach regulations! Ostensibly the story is about non-UK based workers who have to apply for benefits, but that surely is just a short-term method of raising the issue in the EU and making it clear that they have a right to be involved. And they have the nerve to make ‘us’, the sick and poorly, out to be the criminals...Cameron, you’re going down! STOP STOP PRESS AND RE-START IT AGAIN: News just in, the Coalition are seeking to abolish the human rights act, the only decent contemporary law we have! What’s wrong with these people?...More news if and when...

                                                  

♫ Belle and Sebastian News: Stevie Jackson’s wonderfully titled spin-off solo album ‘I Can’t Get No Stevie Jackson’ is out now, containing 12 new tracks recorded with many of the B+S team such as Mick Cooke and Chris Geddes. The songs date back to B+S’ interim period in-between ‘The Life Pursuit’ and ‘Write About Love’ and Stevie is promoting the album with a short tour. See the B+S website for more details!

♫ CSN/Hollies News: Congratulations Graham Nash! The Salford-born singer has just been granted an honorary doctorate from Salford University for his services to music, with both CSNY and The Hollies. The singer, who was brought up round the corner, actually studied engineering there for a term before his career with The Hollies took off in 1963 and Nash hadn’t been back since. He said ‘it was a shock to go through the same doors into the same rooms where I was more than 50 years ago...’

ANNIVERSARIES: Birthday blessings are in order for AAA musicians born between October 4^th and 10^th: Kevin Godley (drummer with 10cc 1972-76) who turns 66 on October 7^th and two very different John  legends John Lennon and John Entwistle (Bassist with The Who 1965-82) who would have been 71 and 67 respectively on October 9^th. Anniversaries of events include: The release of the fab four’s first ‘proper’ single ‘Love Me Do’ (October 5^th 1962); Jefferson Airplane add a new member, making his debut with a band after time as a solo performer – step forward Papa John Creach, a violinist in his 50s! (October 5^th 1970); Art Garfunkel releases his first solo single, the moody ballad ‘All I Know’ (October 6^th 1973); the same day Ringo scores his first #1 with the George co-write ‘Photograph’ (October 6^th 1973); The Rolling Stones are in trouble again when the Rev Jesse Jackson (close supporter of the late, great Martin Luther King, the most important figure of the 20^th century that wasn’t a musician) takes umbridge at lines in the Stones song ‘Some Girls’ (which, to be fair, pick on everybody!) (October 6^th 1978); John Lennon wins his ‘green card’ (which, ironically enough, is blue) just in time for his 35^th birthday, allowing him to stay in America despite his 1968 drugs bust (October 7^th 1975); John and Yoko meet for the first time at the latter’s exhibition at London’s Indica Gallery on John’s 26^th birthday (October 9^th 1966) and finally, Sean Lennon, John and Yoko’s son, is also born on this date in 1975 – John’s 35^th birthday! Bet October 9^th was a busy day in that household!