Friday, July 24, 2026

FRIDAY MUSIC: Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra, by JD

This is what my parents’ generation listened to on the radio; Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra. I’m not sure but I think Hall might have been the man who introduced an element of whimsy into the music of the dance bands of that era which makes it easy to see why he occasionally provided music for the Goons or for Ted Ray as well as Kenneth Horne’s Much Binding in the Marsh.

Hope you enjoy his bit of time travel and leave behind the cares of this mad modern world!

***************

Every generation has its ‘own’ music which is usually incomprehensible to previous and/or subsequent generations. My own musical generation lived at the time of the ‘beat boom’ of the sixties. My parents did not criticise ‘my’ music, in fact they liked some of it. Their generation would listen to the music played on the BBC’s Light Programme. They never claimed that it was better than our modern ‘rubbish’ just that it was different. One of the names that cropped up in conversations was Henry Hall and I just listened and nodded and thought that’s probably what I may have listened to had I been born in that era. But curiosity led me to look for and listen to a selection of the music of Henry Hall.

“The BBC Dance Orchestra, led by Jack Payne, made its first official broadcast on 12 March 1928. The band had proved its popularity as The Cecilians, occasionally broadcasting from the Hotel Cecil. Given the title Director of the BBC Dance Orchestra, Payne moved his 10-piece band to the studio at Savoy Hill. His regular radio performances ensured his success, and made his signature tune, “Say it with Music”, a hit.

The BBC Handbook of 1929 acknowledged the importance of dance music on the radio and called it “the voice of something very typical of ourselves and of this post-war age”. Radio dancing lessons were all the rage, and the listeners’ appetite for dance music was huge. The BBC Dance Orchestra was soon receiving 10 thousand letters a week.

Jack Payne left the BBC in 1932 and was replaced by Henry Hall, who continued the success with another line-up of the BBC Dance Orchestra. Hall was followed by Billy Ternent and then Stanley Black, until 1952. The orchestra provided the music for many hit programmes, including The Goons, Ray’s a Laugh and Much Binding in the Marsh.”

https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/march/first-broadcast-by-the-bbc-dance-orchestra

1934 Vintage - The BBC Dance Orchestra dir. by Henry Hall

I Like Bananas Because They Have No Bones - Henry Hall Lyrics

Henry Hall with the BBC Dance Orchestra ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On’ Original 1932 78 rpm

The Teddy Bears’ Picnic - Henry Hall

Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

1936 Vintage - The BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall

Friday, July 17, 2026

FRIDAY MUSIC: Eric Shi (Chinese bluegrass), by JD

Eric Shi hails from what one might consider the least likely place to find bluegrass music. He was raised in China’s Zhejiang Province, and he currently calls Dali in Yunnan Province home. After beginning his study of traditional three-finger bluegrass banjo in 2010 under the tutelage of Sab Watanabe, an accomplished Japanese musician, he had opportunity to meet Bill Keith three years later while Keith was on tour in Japan. His study of banjo methodology was further nurtured after that meeting. It was only two years after that — in 2015 to be exact — when he wrote his first Chinese banjo instructional book, which was published in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. In 2021, his second book was published and distributed in mainland China exclusively.

https://bluegrasstoday.com/bluegrass-beyond-borders-eric-shi-brings-bluegrass-to-china/

jambalaya-Chinese bluegrass band Erhu and banjo

Amarillo By morning - Bluegrass Cover

Hard Times Come Again No More|Bluegrass Arrangement by Eric Shi

Turkey in the Straw Breakdown-Top 1 Chinese Favorite Bluegrass Song

Chinese Bluegrass band-Can Can dance ,Filmed in Dali, China

Alan Jackson-Chattahoochee Bluegrass Cover(by Eric Shi)

Friday, July 10, 2026

FRIDAY MUSIC: Randy Newman, by JD

I had almost forgotten what day it was with the World Cup altering the timings of everything. But luckily today is also ‘bin day’ so I was reminded.

So here is Randy Newman who I see is 92 and still going strong. Music obviously keeps you young!

Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, composer, and arranger. Born in Los Angeles to an extended family of Hollywood film composers, he is known for his Americana-inspired songs, non-rhotic Southern-accented singing, and lyrics that are often mordant or satirical and delivered by an unreliable narrator. Since the 1990s, he has worked mainly in film scoring, most popularly for Disney and Pixar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Newman
https://www.randynewman.com/

Randy Newman - It’s Money That Matters (Official Video)

Randy Newman - Falling in Love (Official Video)

Randy Newman - Short People (Official Video)

Randy Newman - I Love L.A. (Official Video) [HD]

Randy Newman - “I’m Dead (But I Don’t Know It)”

Friday, July 03, 2026

FRIDAY MUSIC: Professor Longhair, by JD

Henry Roeland “Roy” Byrd (December 19, 1918 – January 30, 1980), better known as Professor Longhair or “Fess” for short, was an American singer and pianist who performed New Orleans blues. He was active in two distinct periods, first in the heyday of early rhythm and blues and later in the resurgence of interest in traditional jazz after the founding of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1970. His piano style has been described as “instantly recognizable, combining rumba, mambo, and calypso”.

Professor Longhair had only one national commercial hit, “Bald Head”, in 1950, under the name Roy Byrd and His Blues Jumpers. He also recorded his favorites, “Tipitina” and “Go to the Mardi Gras”. He lacked crossover appeal among white and wide audiences. Yet, he is regarded (and was acknowledged) as being a musician who was highly influential for other prominent musicians, such as Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John.

After a few years during which he disappeared from the music scene, Professor Longhair’s musical career finally received “a well deserved renaissance” and wide recognition. He was invited to perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1971 and at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973. His album The London Concert showcases work he did on a visit to the United Kingdom. That significant career resurrection saw the recording of the album “Professor Longhair - Live On The Queen Mary”, which was recorded on March 24, 1975, during a private party hosted by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney on board the retired RMS Queen Mary.

Walk Right In/Shake,Rattle,& Roll” Professor Longhair & The Meters 1974

Professor Longhair - Go To The Mardi Gras

Tipitina (Album Version)

Professor Longhair --- Stag O’ Lee

Professor Longhair - Mess Around

That should set your feet tapping!

Friday, June 26, 2026

FRIDAY MUSIC: Martha Reich, by JD

Award-winning Santa Fe-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Martha Reich has performed at venues around the world. Her music transcends tradition and language in a way that is moving, honest, and rare. Each song feels as though she’s written it just for you--to tell you something important about life.

Reich has released five albums. Her most recent multi-instrumental CD, ‘BRAVE BIRD’ won a Gold Medal for Female Vocalist in the 2018 Global Music Awards and LA Critics Award for Best Folk Artist.

www.marthareich.com

Song For Tessa ~ Martha Reich ~ Official Music Video

Martha Reich ~ WOODY’S LULLABY ~ A love song to those forever in our hearts

Martha Reich ~ ‘FADE AWAY’ ~ 2019 New Mexico Music Awards Winner ~ Best Singer Songwriter Song

Martha Reich Braden - If you Only Knew (Live and Amplified)

BUDDHA BLUE ~ Official Lyric Video; Feat. Gregg Braden ~ Guitar & Flute and Michael Kott ~ Cello

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Starmer's Return

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Before I begin you should know that this meeting will remain completely secret. That means no off the record briefings of any kind and no private minuting or diarising. We shall need at least ten years before any of this comes out.

So far ninety-odd MPs have called for my resignation as Party leader and I have let them have it, for now. Let a hundred flowers bloom, as Mao said; unless they change their minds they may find they are cut flowers. Let September’s Conference crown Andy Queen of the May - he’s taking group selfies already - but I am still and intend to remain Prime Minister.

For why and how I now pass you over to our new Cabinet Secretary whom you all know. Everything he is about to say to you has my full backing.

Good afternoon.

We have a choice before us.

If Andy took over this would be the last Labour government for a generation, perhaps for ever. He may have made the trams run on time in Manchester but he’s aiming for Number Ten on the basis of no prior planning. The bond traders would skin him alive for his uncosted notions of seizing privatised enterprises, the markets and pension funds will tank and the country will fall into chaos.

He’s a nice guy. He likes to be liked. That is a fatal weakness. When the wolf is at the door love will fly out of the window.

You must all understand that this is a revolutionary government. We came to power in order to save the country and it’s going to happen, if we hang together.

We’ve spoken of change and fixing the foundations and most people think that means the economy. Not so. It’s about the Constitution. Everything flows from that and if we get it right the Tories are dead for good.

Look at what we have achieved already.

Take the House of Lords. In 1980 Tony Benn said create a thousand peers and abolish the House; twenty years later when Tony Blair came in he tinkered with the Lords but had no idea what to replace them with. What those two dreamed of we’ve done. The hereditaries have gone and we have a second chamber we can fill with our appointees.

Resistance has moved to the shires and we have an answer for that too. Local government reorganisation and the new unitary authorities will bury the far right under a pile of confused and apathetic voters. Rupert Lowe, to take one example, will find his base utterly diluted when East Norfolk Council comes into being. Regional politics will be about roads and bins.

And a good thing, too. Why were the people ever given the vote? In 1918 it was to prevent revolution by giving them forums to complain and squabble. We’re here to deliver that revolution and we don’t want to be bogged down with whingers and rabble rousers.

Speaking of which, the social media need to be curbed. Everybody gets to be identified and answerable and we have the tech means to put them all on their best behaviour, as Tony’s mate Larry Ellison says. As for TV and the Press, they’re pretty much on the leash already.

We’ll put a lid on the griping but we’ll also give them less to gripe about. And we’ll do it in a systematic way, not like Andy’s piecemeal populism.

Take energy. Ed is right, we are now approaching the limits to growth but Net Zero will bankrupt us even as China and India are on the rise. We have to get to sustainability by the right route so the lights don’t go out. Drilling, fracking, small nuclear reactors, anything necessary while we build the alternatives.

Ed, we’ll need your brains and diligence in a different area and sorry, you can’t refuse unless you want out altogether. If the international economy goes down and the world stops feeding and clothing us we’ve got seventy million potential victims on our hands. We have to reduce the population and your brief will be to manage net migration well into the negative. That should take the wind out of Lowe’s and Farage’s sails. Apart from anything else AI is going to destroy white collar jobs and the knock on effects of lost salaries will give us severe deflation and soaring structural unemployment. We have to find a way of keeping necessary talent and losing the useless eaters.

Now we come to the biggest resistance, the unelected money-shufflers. We have no intention of being Trussed-up by the bond traders. The reason why this gathering is later in the day is that there was a Privy Council meeting this morning as a result of which we’ve already told the City that if they fuck with us they will find out. We’ll honour any bonds already issued but we’re not going to be at the mercy of lenders and speculators. Anyone who tries it on will lose their licence to trade.

Debt growth is on track to kill us and so we’re going for Modern Monetary Theory. In future we will print our own currency, not borrow it. This will help counter the coming economic deflation.

Free trade just suits the free traders, at everyone else’s expense. Their time is over. We are adopting the approach of Alexander Hamilton’s American School: protective tariffs, infrastructure investment and a national bank that fosters productive enterprise instead of global financial crises.

One of this morning’s Orders in Council is a declaration of national emergency. A consequence is that until we are back on an even keel there will be no General Election. The public doesn’t need to know that yet and the MSM are instructed not to ask.

Social media, emails and phone communications are under intense computer-assisted surveillance and selective suppression. The intelligence services, police and armed forces are prepared to handle any attempt at fomenting discontent and sedition.

Colleagues, this our best and likely our only chance to complete the revolution. Either we will go down in history or we will go down altogether.

Individuals will shortly be called for discussions on appointments and tasking. I shall of course be assisting Sir Keir at such interviews but in any case my door is permanently open to any and all of you.

This meeting is ended. Please leave your folder on the table for collection and secure storage. Thank you.

Friday, June 19, 2026

FRIDAY MUSIC: World Cup!

A selection of music in celebration of football’s World Cup, 2026...

Barrett Strong - Money (That’s What I Want) (Lyric Video)

Pink Floyd - Money (Official Music Video)

Rosanne Cash - There Ain’t No Money

Bruce Springsteen - Pay me my money down

Dolly Parton - 9 To 5 (Official Video)

ABBA - Money, Money, Money (Official Music Video)

... Yes, the ‘beautiful game’ has been tainted by the curse of avarice!