This is part two of music from that 'golden age' of the late fifties to early sixties which came across the ether from Radio Luxembourg and AFN. Gradually the joy faded after Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran died, Elvis joined the army, the Everly Brothers enlisted in the marines, Chuck Berry was in prison, Little Richard found religion and Jerry Lee Lewis fell from grace when the British press found out that he had married his 14 year old cousin.
I was fortunate enough to see Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent on that famous tour of 1960 which ended so tragically. Finally seeing them after hearing them on radio and record so often was wonderful and they did not disappoint us. Cochran in particular was every bit as good on stage as he was on his records, what a great loss he was.
But the music didn't die. There was a 'pause for breath' as it was absorbed by and had a major influence on the future stars of the British 'beat boom' who then exported it back to its homeland! I remember all of these records and more and bought a lot of them at the time from a small second hand shop which sold cameras among other things. They had old 45s from juke boxes and the discs were usually less than one year old, slightly battered and scratchy from use and they were played and played over and over again at home and at parties.
Most of those featured here are well known but a bit of background on three who you may not know-
The Coasters - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coasters
Jackie Wilson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Wilson
Clyde McPhatter - https://www.allmusic.com/artist/clyde-mcphatter-mn0000154101/biography
Reading the comments beneath the YouTube videos there is a recurring theme; so many people being transported back in time with a smile on their faces and feeling sorry for the youngsters of today who are ill served with the plastic factory pap that passes for 'entertainment' now.
The final video below is Carl Perkins backed by many of those who idolised him in his prime including Dave Edmunds, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton. Are they enjoying themselves or are they having a ball! (I used to dance like that in my younger days and occasionally in my middle age!) Ah yes, happy daze indeed.
Friday, March 08, 2019
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
What has happened to the Skripals? What will happen to Julian Assange?
Blogmire author Rob Slane re-examines the incoherent story of the 2018 "Salisbury poisonings" and challenges Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu of the Metropolitan Police to answer some questions:
https://www.theblogmire.com/the-salisbury-poisoning-one-year-on-an-open-letter-to-the-metropolitan-police/
Yesterday marked a twelvemonth since the incident. Mr Skripal has not been in contact with his mother in Russia since. His daughter (allegedly) had some communication with her cousin, at first angry that the incident had been made public, and later saying that she now had access to the Internet and understood everything; then incommunicado since last July.
Where are the Skripals now? Held securely to prevent another attack? Relocated and given new identities, under a sort of witness protection program? Held incommunicado against their will? "Six feet under"?
UPDATE (10 A.M.):
Russian Embassy website response to Skripal affair (link provided by commenter "JuliaJ" on the Off-Guardian): https://rusemb.org.uk/fnapr/6762
Alternative narrative provided by Michael Antony, suggesting that Mr Skripal was supposed to be the thrid passenger on a flight back to Moscow but was prevented by British intelligence (original post via Russophile site The Saker): https://off-guardian.org/2019/03/05/the-skripal-case-an-alternative-narrative/
* * *
In Julian Assange's case, we know where he is: in a CCTV-infested, permanently curtained and ill-ventilated room in the Ecuadorian Embassy behind Harrod's in London, monitored by a man in a glazed cubicle in the corner. Even a prisoner of HMG held in solitary confinement would have periodic access to exercise and fresh air. He's been there for nearly eight years. Is he to die there?
The distinguished investigative journalist John Pilger wrote yesterday of his visit to Assange. Pilger says Assange is the victim of a game of cat-and-mouse because via Wikileaks, Assange exposed Hillary Clinton's indirect involvement with Islamic terrorism funded and armed by Saudia Arabia and Qatar.
http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-prisoner-says-no-to-big-brother
* * *
What kind of State are we in?
https://www.theblogmire.com/the-salisbury-poisoning-one-year-on-an-open-letter-to-the-metropolitan-police/
Yesterday marked a twelvemonth since the incident. Mr Skripal has not been in contact with his mother in Russia since. His daughter (allegedly) had some communication with her cousin, at first angry that the incident had been made public, and later saying that she now had access to the Internet and understood everything; then incommunicado since last July.
Where are the Skripals now? Held securely to prevent another attack? Relocated and given new identities, under a sort of witness protection program? Held incommunicado against their will? "Six feet under"?
UPDATE (10 A.M.):
Russian Embassy website response to Skripal affair (link provided by commenter "JuliaJ" on the Off-Guardian): https://rusemb.org.uk/fnapr/6762
Alternative narrative provided by Michael Antony, suggesting that Mr Skripal was supposed to be the thrid passenger on a flight back to Moscow but was prevented by British intelligence (original post via Russophile site The Saker): https://off-guardian.org/2019/03/05/the-skripal-case-an-alternative-narrative/
* * *
In Julian Assange's case, we know where he is: in a CCTV-infested, permanently curtained and ill-ventilated room in the Ecuadorian Embassy behind Harrod's in London, monitored by a man in a glazed cubicle in the corner. Even a prisoner of HMG held in solitary confinement would have periodic access to exercise and fresh air. He's been there for nearly eight years. Is he to die there?
The distinguished investigative journalist John Pilger wrote yesterday of his visit to Assange. Pilger says Assange is the victim of a game of cat-and-mouse because via Wikileaks, Assange exposed Hillary Clinton's indirect involvement with Islamic terrorism funded and armed by Saudia Arabia and Qatar.
http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-prisoner-says-no-to-big-brother
* * *
What kind of State are we in?
Friday, March 01, 2019
FRIDAY MUSIC: Radio Luxembourg Luxuries, by JD
Take me back to the days when life made more sense!
Perhaps life made no more sense then than it does now but it was a more innocent time, less cynical and I was younger then (obviously).
I can remember when all of these records were first issued, listening to them on Radio Luxembourg https://radiosoundsfamiliar.com/radio-luxembourg.php or on AFN broadcasting from Germany (radio reception was a bit hit and miss depending on weather/atmospherics etc) http://www.afneurope.net
Some of those featured here are still performing and it look as though this music could be the fountain of youth!
The Tornados - http://www.thetornados.net
The Chantays - https://thechantays.com
Johnny and the Hurricanes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_and_the_Hurricanes
Santo and Johnny - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_&_Johnny
The Shadows - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadows
The Ventures - http://theventures.com
Duane Eddy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Eddy
The Surfaris - https://thesurfaris.com
Perhaps life made no more sense then than it does now but it was a more innocent time, less cynical and I was younger then (obviously).
I can remember when all of these records were first issued, listening to them on Radio Luxembourg https://radiosoundsfamiliar.com/radio-luxembourg.php or on AFN broadcasting from Germany (radio reception was a bit hit and miss depending on weather/atmospherics etc) http://www.afneurope.net
Some of those featured here are still performing and it look as though this music could be the fountain of youth!
The Tornados - http://www.thetornados.net
The Chantays - https://thechantays.com
Johnny and the Hurricanes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_and_the_Hurricanes
Santo and Johnny - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_&_Johnny
The Shadows - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadows
The Ventures - http://theventures.com
Duane Eddy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Eddy
The Surfaris - https://thesurfaris.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Your body now belongs to the State, by JD
What has been called "Max and Keira's Law" has been passed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and will receive Royal Assent within the next few days:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-47373365/organ-donation-law-how-keira-s-heart-saved-max
What this means is that we are all organ donors now whether we like it or not. If you are old or in hospital you are now a potential source of 'spare parts' for other people whose needs are greater than yours, allegedly. Are we entering a new Burke and Hare era? Do not think it will not happen because it will. In this brave new world of ours, a Godless and mercenary age where everything has a price it will happen. In this brave new world of sanctimonious sentimentalists crying 'think of the poor children' it will happen. And in this brave new world of ours where there is much talk of an overpopulated planet, it will happen; the first message inscribed on the Georgia Guidestones is to "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." https://rense.com/general16/georgiaguidestones.htm
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is much more eloquent and wiser than I could ever hope to be and explains clearly and with great insight why this new law is not a good idea -
N.B. in reference to his story about the drunk -
Kesava Shankara pillai,known as Shankar, was a famous Indian cartoonist from Kayamkulam, Kerala. He was born in 31st July, 1902 and breathed his last on 26 December, 1989.
The other Shankaran pillai ,as related by Jaggi Vasudev ,the famous Sadhguru,is a fictionalised character. He uses this definite example to give some lively meaning to his teachings. Shankaran pillai, accordingly, could be the ordinary person like you and me.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-47373365/organ-donation-law-how-keira-s-heart-saved-max
What this means is that we are all organ donors now whether we like it or not. If you are old or in hospital you are now a potential source of 'spare parts' for other people whose needs are greater than yours, allegedly. Are we entering a new Burke and Hare era? Do not think it will not happen because it will. In this brave new world of ours, a Godless and mercenary age where everything has a price it will happen. In this brave new world of sanctimonious sentimentalists crying 'think of the poor children' it will happen. And in this brave new world of ours where there is much talk of an overpopulated planet, it will happen; the first message inscribed on the Georgia Guidestones is to "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." https://rense.com/general16/georgiaguidestones.htm
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is much more eloquent and wiser than I could ever hope to be and explains clearly and with great insight why this new law is not a good idea -
N.B. in reference to his story about the drunk -
Kesava Shankara pillai,known as Shankar, was a famous Indian cartoonist from Kayamkulam, Kerala. He was born in 31st July, 1902 and breathed his last on 26 December, 1989.
The other Shankaran pillai ,as related by Jaggi Vasudev ,the famous Sadhguru,is a fictionalised character. He uses this definite example to give some lively meaning to his teachings. Shankaran pillai, accordingly, could be the ordinary person like you and me.
Monday, February 25, 2019
A fork in the road: British unity, or civil disorder? (Revised version)
Is Britain approaching a 1776 moment? Or is it more like 1789?
Again and again, on talk radio phone-ins and bear-garden TV shows like Question Time, ordinary people are rudely challenging elected representatives to carry out the result of the 2016 EU Membership Referendum. The latter often seem struggling to contain their fury at such impertinence, as though a scullery maid or horse groom had dared to speak out of turn to His Lordship.
We are moving past consideration of the EU, which is financially and politically doomed (or perhaps its citizens are) whether we remain or leave. The issue has become - for some it always has been - the legitimacy of power itself. And not merely the power of the EU, but the validity of the British Parliament.
Wars, civil wars and revolutions have been fought about this for centuries.
Boston, August 1775: George Washington's army is besieging the British, and the General has learned that captured American officers are being lumped in with other ranks. His protest is rebuffed by General Gage, who says that he does not recognise any rank not derived from the King. On the 19th, Washington replies:
"You affect, Sir, to despise all rank not derived from the same source with your own. I cannot conceive any more honorable that that which flows from the uncorrupted choice of a brave and free people - the purest source and original fountain of all power."
This, from a man brought up in the aristocratic world of the eighteenth century, predates by five months the publication of Paine's bomb-burst pamphlet "Common Sense" (10 January 1776; 150,000 sales among a population of only two million colonists.) Together with the outrageous torching by the British of Norfolk, Virginia on New Year's Day, America had both provocation and a philosophical theory of power to underpin her resistance.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes," said Mark Twain...
The growing recession hitting our country, Europe and the world will provide a similar societal stress - some say this is part of an inevitable historical cycle related to credit, debt and collapse. Once that happens, all it needs is for a radical theoretical debate on power and governance to light the flame.
Revolutions don't happen overnight. They are not spontaneous: masses need organising and leading. So it won't happen after the Brexit deadline in March (or is that to be May?) But if the sovereignty issue is not settled sensitively - it was arrogance and brutality that lost the thirteen colonies - the pamphleteering will begin.
If the balloon goes up, it won't be a colonial revolt; it will be more like a revolutionary civil war, which is far worse because it is much harder to make a lasting peace. There are many fault lines in our society ready to crack open. Even the major political parties have begun to split.
This calamity is avoidable.
Britain nearly had a conflagration in 1789. The philosopher Richard Price, a friend of Paine, gave a French Revolution-inspired speech "A Discourse on the Love of Our Country", looking at the fundamentals of politics and, like Paine, rooting power in the people. The reception was enthusiastic (a term with distinct connotations of danger, in those days.)
The State was alive to the danger, and acted. Certain gentlemen came to advise Price on his future conduct. Edmund Burke began to compose a justification for the British Constitution in rebuttal. 1789 marked the last time a woman was burned at the stake (in London, for coining.) Radical groups such as the London Corresponding Society were infiltrated by government agents and ultimately suppressed; yet even with the brakes on, the vehicle of power was pushed inch by inch towards electoral reform and democratisation.
Now, Parliament, Whitehall and other well-mounted elements of society are trying to welch on the evolutionary compact with the common people. The latter are divided - votes are divisive, the key to peace is to accept them as decisive - but those with access to power and the media have worked hard to jemmy the cracks wider. The process of re-radicalisation has started, and this time the State seems either unconscious of the peril, or (like George III) sure of its ability to patronise and repress.
Burke articulated a pragmatic scheme for the Parliamentary government we now have, a balance between the royal Executive and popular representation, and between constituency representation and mere delegation. This circumvented the bloody conflict of first principles that played itself out on the other side of the Channel.
But he was addressing the problem of how we govern ourselves, not whether we should be able to govern ourselves at all; even pragmatism has its limits. And on this latter issue, the people - firmly assured by their representatives that this vote would be decisive - made their determination. The task of their representatives was then to carry it through, while closing the divisions among the people as they went forward. They have failed on both counts. The issue has then turned from UK versus EU, to people - a confused, disunited, squabbling people - versus Parliament itself.
If the solution to the threat of revolution in Britain as France burned was to fashion its own sustainable form of democracy, then to discard democracy is to wind the clock back to pre-revolutionary days. And then the clock will start forward again, towards fresh crisis and already-failed solutions.
Again and again, on talk radio phone-ins and bear-garden TV shows like Question Time, ordinary people are rudely challenging elected representatives to carry out the result of the 2016 EU Membership Referendum. The latter often seem struggling to contain their fury at such impertinence, as though a scullery maid or horse groom had dared to speak out of turn to His Lordship.
We are moving past consideration of the EU, which is financially and politically doomed (or perhaps its citizens are) whether we remain or leave. The issue has become - for some it always has been - the legitimacy of power itself. And not merely the power of the EU, but the validity of the British Parliament.
Wars, civil wars and revolutions have been fought about this for centuries.
Boston, August 1775: George Washington's army is besieging the British, and the General has learned that captured American officers are being lumped in with other ranks. His protest is rebuffed by General Gage, who says that he does not recognise any rank not derived from the King. On the 19th, Washington replies:
"You affect, Sir, to despise all rank not derived from the same source with your own. I cannot conceive any more honorable that that which flows from the uncorrupted choice of a brave and free people - the purest source and original fountain of all power."
This, from a man brought up in the aristocratic world of the eighteenth century, predates by five months the publication of Paine's bomb-burst pamphlet "Common Sense" (10 January 1776; 150,000 sales among a population of only two million colonists.) Together with the outrageous torching by the British of Norfolk, Virginia on New Year's Day, America had both provocation and a philosophical theory of power to underpin her resistance.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes," said Mark Twain...
The growing recession hitting our country, Europe and the world will provide a similar societal stress - some say this is part of an inevitable historical cycle related to credit, debt and collapse. Once that happens, all it needs is for a radical theoretical debate on power and governance to light the flame.
Revolutions don't happen overnight. They are not spontaneous: masses need organising and leading. So it won't happen after the Brexit deadline in March (or is that to be May?) But if the sovereignty issue is not settled sensitively - it was arrogance and brutality that lost the thirteen colonies - the pamphleteering will begin.
If the balloon goes up, it won't be a colonial revolt; it will be more like a revolutionary civil war, which is far worse because it is much harder to make a lasting peace. There are many fault lines in our society ready to crack open. Even the major political parties have begun to split.
This calamity is avoidable.
Britain nearly had a conflagration in 1789. The philosopher Richard Price, a friend of Paine, gave a French Revolution-inspired speech "A Discourse on the Love of Our Country", looking at the fundamentals of politics and, like Paine, rooting power in the people. The reception was enthusiastic (a term with distinct connotations of danger, in those days.)
The State was alive to the danger, and acted. Certain gentlemen came to advise Price on his future conduct. Edmund Burke began to compose a justification for the British Constitution in rebuttal. 1789 marked the last time a woman was burned at the stake (in London, for coining.) Radical groups such as the London Corresponding Society were infiltrated by government agents and ultimately suppressed; yet even with the brakes on, the vehicle of power was pushed inch by inch towards electoral reform and democratisation.
Now, Parliament, Whitehall and other well-mounted elements of society are trying to welch on the evolutionary compact with the common people. The latter are divided - votes are divisive, the key to peace is to accept them as decisive - but those with access to power and the media have worked hard to jemmy the cracks wider. The process of re-radicalisation has started, and this time the State seems either unconscious of the peril, or (like George III) sure of its ability to patronise and repress.
Burke articulated a pragmatic scheme for the Parliamentary government we now have, a balance between the royal Executive and popular representation, and between constituency representation and mere delegation. This circumvented the bloody conflict of first principles that played itself out on the other side of the Channel.
But he was addressing the problem of how we govern ourselves, not whether we should be able to govern ourselves at all; even pragmatism has its limits. And on this latter issue, the people - firmly assured by their representatives that this vote would be decisive - made their determination. The task of their representatives was then to carry it through, while closing the divisions among the people as they went forward. They have failed on both counts. The issue has then turned from UK versus EU, to people - a confused, disunited, squabbling people - versus Parliament itself.
If the solution to the threat of revolution in Britain as France burned was to fashion its own sustainable form of democracy, then to discard democracy is to wind the clock back to pre-revolutionary days. And then the clock will start forward again, towards fresh crisis and already-failed solutions.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
I'm more worried about the Government than about Shamima Begum
"One day, they’ll decide YOU’RE not British", says Peter Hitchens today, and he's absolutely right (see second section here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-6738589/PETER-HITCHENS-need-genuinely-new-political-party-not-rabble-rebranded-Blairites.html)
"... it is cheap, crowd-pleasing mob politics [...] What you allow to be done to others will eventually be done to you too [...] Those who think they are leading mobs always end up discovering that they are, in fact, being chased by them."
I may have missed it, but there seems no sign that Home Secretary Sajid Javid discussed the matter beforehand with the government of Bangladesh, which has not given or offered citizenship to Ms Begum and (I should imagine) is exceedingly unlikely to do so.
Decisiveness, responsiveness to public opinion? This is "populism" and it is scary to see how totalitarianism lies so close to the surface of British government and politics.
I can only think that Mr Javid is obliquely signalling his interest in the Premiership - his "appetite for power", to quote Blair in his declining phase - as the sharks circle around Mrs May, who hung onto the leadership by promising she would go when Brexit is done.
I can only hope he fails; spectacularly; finally.
Things have that whirlwind feeling lately:
"... it is cheap, crowd-pleasing mob politics [...] What you allow to be done to others will eventually be done to you too [...] Those who think they are leading mobs always end up discovering that they are, in fact, being chased by them."
I may have missed it, but there seems no sign that Home Secretary Sajid Javid discussed the matter beforehand with the government of Bangladesh, which has not given or offered citizenship to Ms Begum and (I should imagine) is exceedingly unlikely to do so.
Decisiveness, responsiveness to public opinion? This is "populism" and it is scary to see how totalitarianism lies so close to the surface of British government and politics.
I can only think that Mr Javid is obliquely signalling his interest in the Premiership - his "appetite for power", to quote Blair in his declining phase - as the sharks circle around Mrs May, who hung onto the leadership by promising she would go when Brexit is done.
I can only hope he fails; spectacularly; finally.
Things have that whirlwind feeling lately:
 |
| Funny film? I was scared right from the beginning. |
Why I don't like Windows 10
It made me buy a new laptop because the previous software ceased to be supported (why?), yet programs with the new system (e.g. Word, Excel) load FAR more slowly.
Even Internet searches frequently come up with this sort of response, before grudgingly having another go (and these are sites I often visit):
With all the billions Bill Gates is prepared to give to charity, could he spare a few to make a product that works?
I'm glad I didn't get rid of my old laptop, as I had planned.
Even Internet searches frequently come up with this sort of response, before grudgingly having another go (and these are sites I often visit):
With all the billions Bill Gates is prepared to give to charity, could he spare a few to make a product that works?
I'm glad I didn't get rid of my old laptop, as I had planned.
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