News, Views and Music 149 (Intro)

June 23rd:

Dear all, not much to say so let me take you round our latest site statistics (I do love my statistics as you probably well know by now!) Our ‘old’ site at Moonfruit passed 19,000 hits this week – we seem to have zipped along since hitting the last 1000 mark so thanks to everyone whose viewed. Our new site is doing pretty well too seeing as its been up less than a month now, with 341 hits. Luckily my new site gives me much more detailed statistics so here we are: we’ve been viewed 143 times in the UK, 131 in the US, 32 in Russia, 7 in Ireland, 5 each in Germany and Australia, 2 in France and once a piece in Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Norway. So Alan’s Album Archives really has gone global, albeit in a very minor way! The most popular article is our latest (4^th) April Fool’s Day issue – the Elizabethan Sweden one, which I thought might do quite well. I’m amazed at second and third places though – our top ten dedicated to AAA albums with the most weeks on the UK charts and our review of Otis Redding’s ‘Soul Ballads’ album (not even Otis Blue!) Next are our Davy ones tribute, The Hollies ‘Radio Fun’ review, our top five of ‘telephone’ songs, Paul McCartney’s ‘Kisses on The Bottom’ review, our mammoth live album special, our Pete Quaife tribute and last weeks’ ‘Monkees Present’ review.

Right sorry to bore you with that lot buy you might have a break from me next week anyhow – I’m travelling up to my old home in Carlisle for a few days and might well be too tired/too wet to write on my return (a shame as I had a very nice review of ‘Wonderwall’ planned – you might still get it if I have time!) That’s enough of me nattering and taking up valuable megabyte space, so its on with the news...  

♫ Beatles News: George Harrison’s only child Dhani married in a ‘secret ceremony’ at the weekend. Dhani married his model girlfriend Sólveig Káradóttir (you may remember George’s first wife Patti was also a model), in a ceremony at the family home in Friar Park. There were lots of Beatles connectio0ns with the wedding – both Paul and Ringo attended and Solveig was wearing a Stella McCartney-designed dress. We wish them all the best from the AAA and say good on you for managing to keep it quiet!

ANNIVERSARIES: Happy birthdays to all AAA musicians born between June 20^th-26^th: Brian Wilson (bassist, songwriter, singer and so much with The Beach Boys 1962-1988) turns the big 70 on June 20^th, Ray Davies (lead singer, rhythm guitarist and songwriter with The Kinks 1963-93) turns 68 on June 21^st, Clint Warwick (bassist with the original Moody Blues 1964-66) would have been 63 on June 25^th and John Illsey (bassist with Dire Straits 1983-93) who turns 63 on June 26^th. Anniversaries of events include: The Prince’s Trust benefit concert of 1986 takes place in London’s Wembley Arena with Paul McCartney and Dire Straits among those taking part (June 20^th 1986); The rather grandly named Celebration of Light Festival takes place featuring AAA bands enjoying their time back in the spotlight after their respective ‘wilderness years’: The Beach Boys and Pink Floyd (June 21^st 1971); Mick Taylor releases his first (and only true) solo record five years after leaving The Rolling Stones (June 22^nd 1979); Mark Chapman pleads guilty to murdering John Lennon the previous year (June 22^nd 1981); John Entwistle marries Alison Wise during time off between Who tours (June 23^rd 1967); Ringo travels to Nashville to record his second and decidedly country-orientated album ‘Beaucoups Of Blues’ (June 23^rd 1970); A good fortnight for ex-Beatles as George Harrison’s second album ‘Living In The Material World’ dislodges Paul McCartney’s fourth album ‘Red Rose Speedway’ at the top of the US album charts (June 23^rd 1973) – the same day 10cc score their first #1 UK single with ‘Rubber Bullets’; John Lennon publishes his second book ‘A Spaniard In the Works’ (it was the usual rubbish, but it didn’t cost much according to the rear sleeve) (June 24^th 1965); Jefferson Airplane score their biggest hit for the next 20 years when ‘White Rabbit’ is released in America (June 24^th 1967); It’s the start of an era with the first really big rock show on America’s West Coast at the Hollywood Bowl. AAA stars taking part include The Beach Boys and The Byrds (June 25^th 1966); The Beatles take part in the ‘One World’ satellite link-up – the first time ever that Britain had seen live footage of different countries in their living rooms. The fab four, representing the UK,  wrote their latest single ‘All You Need Is Love’ specially for the event (June 25^th 1967), The Rolling Stones play their first gig with Mick Taylor in Rome, just eight days before his predecessor Brian Jones drowns (June 25^th 1969), Arguably the most successful EP of all time – The Beatles’ ‘Twist And Shout’ made up of songs from 1^st album ‘Please Please Me’ – is released (June 26^th 1963) and finally, The Rolling Stones score their first of many UK #1s with ‘It’s All Over Now’ (June 26^th 1964).