Dear all, I know these newsletters are coming thick and fast now but due to circumstances I feel as if I’m running out of time a bit to tell you about all the albums that really need to be heard and re-assessed. The jobcentre are on my back and want me to either stop or earn more money from this site – neither of which is likely to happen. Not co-oincidentally all the stress means my body is suffering chronic fatigue symptoms like never before. Frankly if I was a dog they’d have put me down by now to prevent further suffering but as the hideous laws against assisted suicide continue to rumble in the press (RIP Tony Nicklinson) it looks like I;m here for the seeing future, struggling to walk, struggling to think, struggling to cope. Luckily my ears are still working fine and I can just about cope with the pain in my fingers so here is another newsletter for you all, one on the theme of ‘balance’ – ironic, really, given how many times I’ve fallen over this week. A review of the Moodies’ fifth album, I can’t help think of another Moodies track ’22,000 Days’ (the average life expectancy when the song was released in 1981): our first site at www.alansalbumarchives.moonfruit.com passed 22,000 hits this week, which means one hit for every day I’m likely to live. We leapt up 100 hits in a day last week – which is odd because I’ve actually been spending most of my time on the evolution of our second site at www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk – which has actually fallen in hit rates to about 20 a day from about 40. Hmm, let’s see if we can get those statistics up a bit this week... ♫ Beatles News: Hot on the heels of last month’s DVD/Blu-Ray release of Yellow Submarine (and its blu meanies!) comes the news that TV special ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ will be available in October. News is sketchy as yet, with no ideas as to whether there will be any bonus material (there was quite a lot on the ‘Submarine’ disc), but the set will be in better quality than the ‘semi-official’ European release that was doing the rounds about six or seven years ago. This release will mean that, apart from ‘Let It Be’, every Beatles film will be available in the UK rather than simply being in import – for the first time ever! (And long overdue!) ♫ Kinks News: Ray Davies recently announced a competition to kover a Kinks Klassik. Any Kinks song is up for grabs, including the big hits and the b-sides that few people outside the AAA know! Videos or audio recordings are both being accepted and the winner gets to spend the day with ray in the Kinks’ famous Konk studios in North London where their cover version will be ‘professionally’ produced! (Two nights accommodation in a nearby hotel is also part of the deal!) Original Kinks drummer Mick Avory (with the band from 1964 to 1985) will also be on hand to help out. Two runners up will receive the Kinks at the BBC sessions box set and some Kinks vinyl signed by Ray. The Kompetition came about when Ray was looking for a ‘new’ way to publicise this month’s ‘Kinks at the BBC’ box set. Ray said: “This is a great opportunity for musicians to display their talent by re-interpreting some classic Kinks songs. Good luck, enjoy, be creative… be outrageous!" You can enter or vote for entries in the competition here: http://www.talenthouse.com/collaborate-with-the-kinks#description ANNIVERSARIES: Presents galore for AAA birthday boys (born between August 29th and September 4th: Al Jardine (guitarist with The Beach Boys 1961-1989) who turns 70 on September 3rd and Gene Parsons (drummer with The Byrds 1968-72) who turns 67 on September 4th, not to mention Alan’s Album Archives which officially first came online at www.alansarchives.t35.com on September 2nd 2008 and is now four years old (don’t bother looking for the site though – it doesn’t exist anymore!) Anniversaries of events include: 15-year-old George Harrison plays with The Quarrymen for the very first time (August 29th 1958); The Beatles play their last ever concert at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park (August 29th 1966); John and Yoko’s ‘One To One’ benefit concert takes place for disabled children and is pretty much the last Lennon concert we get (barring a TV performance of ‘Imagine’ and a guest spot with Elton John) (August 30th 1972); Drummer Denny Seiwell becomes the second member to quit Wings as the band are all packed for Lagos and ‘Band On The Run’ (August 30th 1973); Paul Simon releases AAA classic no 78, ‘One Trick Pony’ (August 30th 1980); the completely ridiculous court ruling that George Harrison stole the hook from ‘My Sweet Lord’ from the Chiffons’ ‘He’s So Fine’ is passed (George clearly got it from the Hawkins’ Singers’ ‘Oh Happy Day’; August 31st 1976, a full five years after the single came out!); The Rolling Stones join their old pals The Beatles in suing manager Allan Klein for ‘falsely representing’ them with ‘intent to deceive’ (September 1st 1972); 10cc’s eponymous debut album hits the UK chart for the first time (September 1st 1973); Keith Richards’ house ‘Redlands’ suffers its second devastating fire in 10 years (September 2nd 1982); The Hollies finally score their American breakthrough surprisingly late, with Graham Gouldmann’s ‘Bus Stop’ (September 3rd 1966); The Beatles attend their first official recording session at Abbey Road, recording 17 takes of first single ‘Love Me Do’ (September 4th 1962); The Who, already deep in debt, have £5000 worth of equipment stolen from their touring van which is – wait for it – parked outside Battersea Dog’s Home whilst the band’s managers enquired about buying a guard dog. You can’t make these stories up can you?... (September 4th 1965) and finally, The Rolling Stones release ‘Street Fighting Man’, the second Stones single to be banned in a year (for ‘inciting riots’ – don’t the censors actually listen to these songs?! September 4th 1968).
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