Dusty Springfield - I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten. Dusty beginning to drift off that iconic 60s look (platinum bouffant and panda eyeshadow) by this performance, where she's gone for 'Georgian redhead'. In this week she'd climbed to no6. The next month Dusty went Stateside to record "Dusty in Memphis".
And one place higher climbs this rare vocal outing by Herb Alpert - coincedentally covered by Dusty Springfield on her next album - This Guy's In Love With You. The track is on the album "The Beat of the Brass".
I'm more a calendar boys man myself but I did appreciate this pic to publicise the new stage version of the 2003 film. Opens in Chicester next month but hopes to transfer to the west end.
The fairly familiar cast (from left) are Gaynor Faye, Patricia Hodge, Sian Phillips, Lynda Bellingham, Elaine C Smith and Julia Hills. Brigit Forsyth (unpictured) also features.
From today until November with the RSC. This production also stars Patrick Stewart (as Claudius). These are actual pics - it's done mostly in modern dress apparently.
I've always loved the versions by Dionne Warwick and Adam Faith (published as "Message to Michael" and "Message to Martha" respectively) but this is another fine rendition, despite Rufus slightly odd tones.
Another couple of shots I've taken recently. One is a close up of a rhodedendron on the Dalmeny Estate and the other was taken along the River Cart in Glasgow looking towards Pollokshaws East station above.
The latter was taken last Saturday evening when it was glorious weather in the city.
Back when I first moved in to the new flat I posted some snaps of what I see from my window. Those were taken in the early morning in early May. Here's three more I took in late June around 10pm at night when it brightened up after a summer shower.
Not decided yet whether to put these in the main retro blast post or just follow up in the week.
Anyway, first up on the retro totty front is actor Christian Roberts, who was 24 in 1968. I'm cheating slightly as these shots both come from his role as Denham in the previous year's "To Sir With Love" but I first remember lusting after him in the 1968 Bette Davis film "The Anniversary" (which I'd urge everyone to see). In that he looks more mod than rocker and I do believe you get a flash of his tight white y-fronts in it too! (Trailer below)
This is something I've wanted to do here for a while but there hust weren't enough archive resources available - now I think there are. This is especially after I was pointed in the direction of the Chart Stats site which is a monumental effort of catalogueing the UK music charts from the early 1950s to the present day. Where it scores over others is by having the entire chart for each week online, both singles and albums. Bravo to the webmasters there as this will provide the foundations for my new feature. Also indebted to YouTube, Wikipedia and others.
My choices will come from the first 40 years of my life and will flit all over the decades. The only other restriction is that consecutive choices must be at least five years apart. I've a schedule drawn up until the end of the year which I hope to follow. The feature will be dated for the Sunday, but may appear before then, depending on my internet access.
I'm starting, not entirely randomly with this week in 1968. For arguements sake it's the one ending Saturday 10 August. It's made more complicated in this era as the week ending dates on the charts are Thursdays. That's on top of matching them up to the right week of 2008!
Second highest climber (to no4) are Simon & Garfunkel with "Mrs Robinson", from "The Graduate" (as well as the album "Bookends" which itself had just climbed to the runner-up spot in the album chart).
Highest new entry at no27 are The Bee Gees with the death row anthem, "I've got to Get A Message To You"
Meanwhile Tom Jones was at No1 in the album charts as well as climbing to no7 in the singles with the jaunty "Help Yourself"
This was also the week that "X Files" actress Gillian Anderson was born and the second episode of "Dad's Army" was broadcast on BBC1.
Can't really go without a "Doctor Who" mention for the closing Saturday of this week saw a season launch. Though two later seasons began at the tail end of August this was doubly unusual as it made for a very short break between seasons - the previous one had only bowed out on 1st June for a repeat of the previous year's "Evil of the Daleks" 7-parter. In fact season six was being split in two to accomodate the Mexico City Olympics in the autumn and the first ten episodes had been pulled forward. The opening story, "The Dominators" has not got a great reputation among fans, mainly for its inept handling and anti-pacifist message. It's best known for those little fellas to the left - the Quarks - one of two squat monster races brought in to attempt to replace the Daleks (Terry Nation had taken his ball away basically) and failing. They're a nice curiosity but never really menace the viewer as they look even more like condiments.
At five episodes "The Dominators" was indicative of the sprawling nature of the coming season where the average episode count for each story was greater than six - there's only one four parter in it!
Back in the real world Richard Nixon won the US Republican Party's nomination for President and the Clint Eastwood film "Hang 'Em High" was released in this week.
Sorry I've been away ill for a couple of days. Here's something to perk everyone up - Welsh boy wonder Matt Hughes indulges in some man-on-man action. Dunno what the film is - can anyone tell me?
We are thrilled to announce an evening to celebrate Don and his work on Sunday 17th August at the London Palladium. 'BBC Radio 2 presents a special event to celebrate the work of egendary lyricist, Don Black'.
The star studded cast includes: Jonathan Ansell, Gary Barlow, Elkie Brooks, Craig David, Maria Friedman, Raza Jaffrey, Joe Longthorne, Lee Mead, Ryan Molloy (Jersey Boys) Mica Paris, Matt Rawle (Zorro), Marti Webb, Hayley Westenra and Michel LeGrand. Musical director ,Mike Dixon, conducts the seventy piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a tribute that includes: 'Born Free', 'Thunderball', 'To Sir With Love', 'Diamonds Are Forever', 'On Days Like These', 'Ben', 'Sam', 'Love Changes Everything', and many more.
Plus, a special appearance by Don Black himself and a world premiere of songs from Don's new musical, written with Michel Le Grand, 'The Count Of Monte Cristo'...
Hosted by Michael Parkinson. If you would like to join Don for what will be a fantastic evening, simply call the Palladium box office on 0844 4124 657.
I wasn't aware he was behind so many of my favourite tracks over the years, especially around the late 60s/early 70s. So here's my wee tribute by way of YouTube. From the top they are Matt Monro's theme to "The Italian Job", "On Days Like These" (this gets hammered on my iTunes), then Lulu's US No1 "To Sir With Love" and finally Michael Jackson in his pre-wacko days with "Ben".
I'm also reposting Lulu as YouTube appear to have dropped the video I posted some time back. And "Diamonds are Forever" would be there too, but all Dame Shirley's stuff seems to have the embed function denied.
The wham-bam season 4 finale has nudged the respective producers to tweak formats for the next releases of both the vanilla DVDs and the official Doctor Who Magazine (DWM).
The DVD has Davros and the Daleks taking centre stage with the Doctor relegated to the background along with his companion 'army'. DWM has decided to go with a set of four covers (a la "Radio Times") but gives each section of that 'army' the foreground (including both Doctors as a 'bookend' on the full image.
Hope the full image will be available as a poster.
The DVD is out in September, while DWM 398 - in all 4 options - is out this Thursday (24 July).
Dusty Springfield - I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten. Dusty beginning to drift off that iconic 60s look (platinum bouffant and panda eyeshadow) by this performance, where she's gone for 'Georgian redhead'. In this week she'd climbed to no6. The next month Dusty went Stateside to record "Dusty in Memphis".
And one place higher climbs this rare vocal outing by Herb Alpert - coincedentally covered by Dusty Springfield on her next album - This Guy's In Love With You. The track is on the album "The Beat of the Brass".
