Pinnacle

Most musicians dream of selling out Madison Square Garden or going straight to Number One in the charts with their latest release. Or even supporting Oasis at Wembley in 2025. And I'm not necessarily saying that I don't. But, all of the above pales into insignificance compared to the accolade I received earlier today. I was only featured, puffs chest out theatrically, in this week's Saturday Snapshots. IMHO that's as big as it gets. It's like Lord Lucan finding the Ark of the Covenant (as very nearly was today's answer!) Thank you, Rol. I was honoured and tickled. All at the same time. I'm truly not worthy. 

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Before I go I must just mention the little showcase gig (see above flyer) I'm playing next Thursday. Joining the Third Thursday Songwriters has really kickstarted my songwriting. Five songs in as many months - there never were such times. Come along and you'll hear a couple of them, I'm sure. 

'73

Today's musical offering is a no nonsense glam rock workout from Def Leppard that needs precious little by way of introduction. Suffice it to say it's very route one in as much as it wears its influences shamelessly on (and indeed in) its sleeve: this record is essentially a three & a bit minute homage to the sound that defined the period 1971-1974; if you don't like Slade, or Gary Glitter, or Mott the Hoople, or Sweet, or even Marc Bolan then, one, we can't be friends and, two, you'll hate this. As you'd expect it comes in an artistically battered picture sleeve on regular black vinyl and a rather sexy blue counterpart. Also, for lovers of Dymo Tape, the official video is a must watch. 

Def Leppard - Just Like '73 (2024)

Nothing is too much trouble

Between 1971 and 1987 Messrs Barker & Corbett made 93 episodes of The Two Ronnies spanning twelve series. They absolutely dominated Saturday night TV, pulling viewing figures most weeks around 18.5 million - quite staggering. Yet for vast majority of the populus their prolific partnership seems to have been distilled down into one sketch they recorded in 1976. Yep, you know the one.

But they were so much more. Take the Sweet Shop for instance. Admittedly it runs along similar lines but this time with the shopkeeper/customer roles reversed. It's one of my all time favourites.

The Two Ronnies - Sweet Shop (1980)

I wanna tell you a story

I love songs that tell stories; granted they tend to be very linear, but I don't have a problem with that. A story told in three minutes, with a couple of verses and a chorus, is brevity writ large. Ron Sexsmith is a master of the art form. Michael and his Dad from Long Player Late Bloomer is the tale of a father and his son coming to terms with the death of their wife & mother whilst at the same time not having a pot to piss in. I often say this about truly great songwriters (and Sexsmith truly is), but if I could write a song half as good as - fill in the gaps - I would die a happy man.

Ron Sexsmith - Michael and his Dad (2011)

Another beautiful story is recanted here by Neil Sedaka on his early 70s Emergence album. A young boy yearns to fly (don't all young boys yearn to fly?) and then many years later, when tucking in his own kids at bedtime, remembers that feeling. Sedaka released it as a single but, alas, it was a flop. There's probably a metaphor in there somewhere.

Neil Sedaka - Superbird (1971)

Where's the regular guy?

I've just read Bukowski's Post Office. Not sure why it's never appeared on my radar before, but I'm so glad my friend and psychogeographer Richard pointed me in the direction of this cult classic from 1971. He also said we should have a mini book club style meeting (just the two of us) and critique it over a beer. Sounds like a plan, I said. 

August has been a busy literary month. Bukowski was the third book I've read this month. And now I've got my head in a terrific short story compilation - all Nottingham authors. And then I really must get stuck into Orbital - the current official Book Club selection; our next meeting is fast approaching. What's everyone else reading, I wonder? 

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Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)

Beautiful

Pelé. The greatest player of all time. And that's not up for debate. His CVs ran to two words: 'Footballer. Humanitarian'. The beautiful game - a phrase he may or may not have coined - described the sport he'd loved from a young boy to the day he died. And he was a beautiful man. He fought tirelessly for the poor in his native Brazil and when he stood on the world stage as part of the UN, always with a smile on his face, people listened.

In a playing career that spanned three decades (he started professionally with Santos in 1956 and bowed out in 1977 whilst with the New York Cosmos) he scored over 1200 goals, including 92 for his country between 1957 & 1971.

Famously, on 19 November 1969 the player born Edson Arantes do Nascimento found the back of the net for the 1,000th time during a league game at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

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However, here's a sure fire goal (seemingly) you won't see in Pelé's stats; thanks to a truly miraculous save from England's Gordon Banks in the Mexico 70 World Cup. This was my first World Cup and, like millions of others around the world, glued to their TV sets, I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Cue David Coleman...

Pelé (1940-2022)

Get Beck

Beatles cover versions are ten a penny. Some good, some, er, not so good. Plus ça change. As with any reworking of someone else's song, unless you're bringing something new to the table, it's probably wise to stay the hell away.

Jeff Beck knew the rules. As did Jan Hammer. Listen to them giving the B side to I Feel Fine a right seeing to. I love this. It first appeared on Beck's second solo studio album Blow by Blow in '73. But it was a couple of years later when I first became aware of it (albeit in a live setting) when Fluff Freeman would play Beck and Hammer's album to death on his Saturday afternoon rock show. Not 'arf!

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Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group - She's a Woman (1977)

Moonstruck

If you're so inclined, and dig deep enough into the bowels of this blog, I'm sure you'll stumble across copious references to today's show & tell: C Moon may not be the toppermost of the poppermost when it comes to McCartney's combined canon, however, in terms of Wings' amassed output (spanning 1971-1979) I'd say it's definitely in the Top One. 

From the moment I first saw them play it on Top of the Pops* I was transfixed. I still am, whenever I hear it (admittedly it gets precious little airplay these days; tho' a friend of mine has it on one of his three jukeboxes). Macca probably realised its limited shelf life when he gave Linda a co-write.

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Wings - C Moon (1972)

* Released in December 1972 they premiered it on TOTP, 4 January 1973

Flying Squad

Sydney Sweeney is an accomplished American actress. Her multifarious, not to mention award winning, work spanning film and TV include Once Upon a Time in Hollywood & The Handmaid's Tale. She's also an honorary Rolling Stone; you guessed it, she was in that video. Los Angeles motorists on the road that day still dine out on her iconic drive down Sunset Boulevard.  

Jaune

With maybe the exception of James Brown, smooth jazz torch carrier Bob James has probably been sampled more often than anybody on the planet. And mainly by the hip hop fraternity: it's been said, on more than one occasion, that hip hop owes a massive debt of gratitude to this most unlikely outlier. His numerically sequenced albums One, Two, Three & BJ4 released between 1974 and 1977 have been mined mercilessly. 

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But it's this song that he's probably still best known for. Here's a quite beautiful pared back arrangement of the theme from Taxi.

Bob James - Angela

Buí

EC was here

My rudimentary knowledge of Elvis Costello has always lead me to believe that whenever he picks up a guitar, sparks will fly. That was certainly the case in 1977, the year he unleashed his debut album My Aim is True: a tour de force, for sure, and a platter I remember featuring  during our Vinyl Sessions at the Carousel.

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Likewise in February 1989 during the  course of a mere three songs (all from 'Spike') he sets out his intent from the get go and delivers a quite staggering session for Dutch radio.

Amarillo

A huge regret of mine is never having seen Michael Nesmith (with or without his trademark woolly hat); when the Monkees got back together for the first time in the late 80s (riding high on the wave of an MTV revival of their 60s TV show) I was lucky enough to see them live - with a full band but sans Nesmith - at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham. I still have the programme somewhere.

If you haven't already, his solo work is well worth digging out: you won't be disappointed. I love this next song. I also love its title. If you don't know what propinquity means, look it up (it's fascinating. And far reaching). Nesmith's song explores the propinquity effect. It's been covered loads, not least by fellow Monkee Micky Dolenz, but Nesmith's rendition (below) is utterly beguiling.

Michael Nesmith - Propinquity (1971)

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Michael Nesmith (1942-2021)

Kimanjano

In September 1970, shortly after leaving the Impressions, Curtis Mayfield released his first solo album. Simply titled Curtis it documented the social changes that were happening around that time; music historians will note that it predated (by over six months) Marvin Gaye's What's Going On? - a platter that plowed a similar political furrow. But Curtis had a groove all its own. How could it not? An edited version of this next song dominated the charts and over 50 years later remains a bona fide soul classic. However, this is how it was meant to be heard...

Curtis Mayfield - Move on Up (Extended Version)

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Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999)

Galbinus (somewhat yellow)

Reading Charity Chic's guest1 blog the other day I was taken with the photograph of August Darnell wearing a rather snazzy yellow jacket. It put me in mind of the guy whose photo I took a couple of weeks ago at #Pride in Nottingham. The coolest dude I'd seen all day, by a country mile.

Not many men can get away with wearing yellow; a while ago now I took a series of selfies of me in a yellow shirt standing in front of various yellow doors. I really must pick that one up again - it was great fun. But I digress. So who can get away with yellow? Well, for me, it all comes down to one2 man. And that man is Mick Jagger.

The above photo was taken in 1974 with his then ball & chain, Mrs. Bianca Jagger. They were married in 1971 but hit the rocks in '78; rumour has it they got joint custody of the wardrobe. 

Here he is wearing more garments that are neither custard nor mustard. Suit you, sir! 

1. I very nearly submitted this to the great CC, but I've already promised him that my first guest spot will be when I finally get round to recounting my Rocket from the Crypt story and the time I saw them at King Tut's in Glasgow.

2. Not Freddie bloody Mercury in his Live Aid bolero jacket.

Indestructable?

Unlike a certain Paul Metcalfe a.k.a. Captain Scarlet I am fully aware of my mortality, my mortalness. But if you know me then you'll also know I don't dwell on the big stuff (conquest, war, famine, death), instead I tend to get bogged down in the weeds of triviality and nonsense: my obsession with all things 70s and this blog, 'Are We There Yet?', for example, being perfect distractions from a lot of the heavier (darker, even) stuff that may or may not be lurking around the next corner. But pretty soon I am going to have to address something pretty big, something even more important than much of what lies in the left hand margin of this blog. I'll leave it at that for now. It is the weekend after all and the sun is shinning; let's not bring the mood down. At least not today.

...

And it was only today I learned that Ray Davies name-checks Captain Scarlet on the Village Green Preservation Society album. I must have known that before. Mustn't I?

The Kinks - Daylight (1968)

Look up!

Welcome once again to another edition of our monthly Photo Challenge. You'll remember last month I put a call out for chimney pots and chimney stacks. And as you were all looking up you certainly didn't let me down. You came back with some terrific chimney action! As ever, I can't thank you enough for your continued support. My email inbox overfloweth.

So, let's make a start. Rol, what have you got? 

"Hi John, hope you're well. A couple of seagulls on chimneys taken in Whitby, 2012.  Take care." I know that view of the Abbey well, Rol. Thank you, and what a great start.

Miss Turner next: she saw these whilst stuck on a red light near Lady Bay Bridge in Nottingham.

"From the window of the Fox & Grapes in Sneinton." Not the only chimney shot this month taken in a pub!

"You told me to look up! This is the roof of my chemistry lab..."

"...and then I had an idea that doesn't involve looking up but still involves chemistry. It's a bunsen burner in a fume cupboard - the top bit is called a chimney." I'd like to say I knew that, but of course I'd be lying!

"Sunset view from the decking in my garden." Looks idyllic! Thank you, Miss Turner. Great photos!

Pete Zab is constantly looking up. I've seen him in action. "An unusual perspective of the chimneys at Woolaton Hall."

"A shadow on a house in Sherwood."

"And, finally, a street in Whitby." Cheers, Pete. And another great Whitby shot.

David Cooper has more stamps in his passport than I've had hot dinners: "Hi John, a couple of photos from my travels on the subject of ‘Chimneys’. Firstly a few beverages from a trip to Leipzig last year." 

"The second photo of a steam loco reaching its destination on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from earlier this year. David." Thanks, Coops. I'm rather hoping that when I announce September's challenge you'll find an Indian entry!

Jo-Shreeve lives in a beautiful part of the world, as is evidenced by these beautiful pics. "The Northern Lights over the rooftops of Stithians. My mum there giving me a wave! She's 76 and housebound. This was taken at 3am. I had to wake her up - it's been her dream her whole life to see them!"

When I first told Jo the theme for this month she replied quick as a flash: "I live in Cornwall - that's an easy one! This is Botallack Mine."

"And these two are Wheal Coates Mine in St. Agnes, my favourite place to walk x." Thank you, Jo. I googled this one straight away and think I need to get down there...

My friend Matthew next - "A possible chimney submission. I took it on Richard's (Riggsby) camera. He wrote on the back: 'Nr. Tholos, Rhodes 25.9.87'. He also noted the negative number!" Thank you, Matthew - Riggsby did indeed corroborate your story when he sent me the self same photo & the tale he tells reads like something out of PG Wodehouse: "This picture was taken on Rhodes many years ago. Soon after my travel companion and I arrived and found a hotel, I noticed the chimneys and said 'I've got a T-shirt like that!'. The chimneys were quite a way off, and I got my travel companion to walk towards them to get a photo. This is as far as we got before my travel companion said he didn't want to go any further." Priceless! Thank you both.

The current Mrs. Medd pinged me this one: "Reflection in The Abdication's front door." (A view I know well!)

Khayem from the Kotswolds with a terrific trio next: "This is an alley in Stroud town centre. I like the way the angle and perspective likens the chimneys to weeds, straining skyward and trying to get that little bit higher than their neighbours, the one in the foreground especially!"

"On a similar note, here’s a tall, impressive chimney in the heart of Gloucester, inevitably eclipsed by the main structure of the cathedral beyond. The chimney belongs to the Monk’s Kitchen, just off the west walk of the Cathedral cloisters and worth a stop for coffee and cake if you’re visiting." 

"I think this used to be Stroud Auction Rooms, immortalised on TV shows such as Flog It!, Bargain Hunt and Crap Cash In The Attic. Long since abandoned, its prominent chimney suggests a deeper, industrial past, which I’ve made no effort whatsoever to research!" Thank you, K! Research? It's overrated.

What can I say about our next happy snapper - it's Ernie! Wot ya got, Ernie? "Hi John, this month's theme gives me the excuse to share a favourite photo. It's from my Martin Parr period, taken in Gravesend looking across the Thames at Tilbury Power Station. The chimneys were demolished about three weeks after the photo was taken, spoiling the year forever." A recurring theme I'm afraid, Ernie.     

Charity Chic ventured into his back garden: "Before and after shots of our chimney cum plant pot - I was shamed into tidying it up!" Cheers, CC.

C at Sun DriedSparrows has got a brace for us: "Hi John - something from lovely Newcastle. Whilst crossing the (iconic!) Tyne Bridge I was struck not just by the view of the castle and cathedral in the distance but especially by this appealing clutter of rooftops and chimneys below us, all the different shapes, sizes and angles. Zooming into the full size photo later on I counted at least 67 chimneys/pots. Lucky for me then that you picked this theme! C x." Lucky indeed! Thank you, C.

"And two (of several similar chimneys) on a 16th century almshouse up the road. I just like their jaunty angle x." Perfect, C. I feel as if I should know what that jaunty angle is in relation to chimneys. Thank you!

Tim has really gone for it this month: "Hi John, the first two are the best chimneys ever (in my opinion) just over the field at the back of our house is the old Watnall Brickyard. The chimneys were a beacon from the M1. Blown up without notice when we were on holiday. I was gutted! A somewhat younger Tim in the bottom one." These came down in 2009 and, as with Ernie (above), I feel your pain. But thank you for documenting them while they were still upright.

"The Nottingham incinerator chucking out some healthy(!) fumes. A bit blurry (but atmospheric) - taken from a window seat in my old office."

"Great building & strong chimney game: Ye Olde Flying Horse, Nottingham."

"More industrial heritage - the old Basford Soap Works - captured from my morning train." Great photos, Tim. It's nice to see other people's take on the buildings you know so well yourself.

Swiss Adam - "The chimney pot was removed from our chimney by a roofer and has been repurposed as a flower pot in our front garden. All gardening is credited to Mrs. Swiss it has to be said. Church pew from a neighbour, sleeping cat from next door." The cat looks like he's on to a good thing there. Cheers, Adam.

Alyson from the Highlands - "Here's a photo of the really tall chimney at Salts Mill in Saltaire, West Yorkshire. It's now a gallery, shopping centre & restaurant complex. But back in the day it was opened  by Sir Titus Salts as a cloth factory, with the village of Saltaire built to house his workers. Well worth a visit." Thanks, Alyson. I may well have to give it a coat of looking at.

Martin sent me this beautiful specimen: "I shouldn't admit to having a favourite chimney, but here's mine - it's the boiler house on campus at Norwich University." I love it, Martin. If my blog has done nothing else in its fourteen years of existence, I'd like to think it's shone a light on everyone's favourite chimney from all over the UK (and beyond).

I've got a couple to bookend proceedings. And yes, of course I've got Battersea in there - it is the law when entering any chimney photo challenge! (Everyone knows that.) But first we go to Tadcaster, home of John Smith's.

Newark is only half an hour up the road and this is the building next to The Flying Circus, one of my favourite Newark hostelries.

The chimney is a mere sideshow in this one; I'm not really sure what's going on here and I took the photo! It was taken outside The Lincolnshire Poacher in town - can you see a theme developing here?

Another stack on a university campus - this one can be found just up the road from me at Nottingham Uni.

A distillery in Dublin. And yes, not just a distillery, but a distillery opposite the Guinness factory!

Birmingham canal. A chimney on a narrowboat in front of two chimneys on a roof.

Taken in Hull's Old Town. Yes, I know, another pub.

And finally, Battersea Power Station. Nothing more to add, really.

As ever, a big thank you to everyone who sent me their snappy snaps. Keep 'em coming. See you next time. (I'll post September's theme in the comments section below.)