Carnaby Street postcard, 1968
Some of our friends are having a party on Monday for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and we all have to dress up as “something British”. I’m thinking of going as Carnaby Street, but I’m not sure any of my 60s gear is mod enough! I might have to pin up the hem of my favourite shift to make it more of a mini…and get Adam to draw the street sign on my face!
I’m feeling rather accomplished today. I’m quite a crafty person (I knit, crochet, sew a little bit) but I don’t often have a lot of time to actually sit down and do anything creative. Plus I have a bad habit of starting something and never finishing it…I still have a scarf on the needles which I promised Jess for her birthday. In 2008.
ANYWAY. A little while ago, a friend of mine at work asked if I’d like some little tins for storing buttons, pins, etc. They were originally intended as packaging for hard-boiled sweets, but the manufacturer (a friend of hers) had a whole load which they no longer needed. Around 10,000 in fact! So I said I’d take a few, because I can always use more storage. This week she brought them into work for me, but she was all out of every colour except sugary pink and a pastel purple:
I’m not a huge fan of pink and purple, especially pastel shades, and when I got them home they didn’t really go with anything else in my sewing corner, so I decided to give them a bit of a makeover using a roll of retro wrapping paper (£1 from Follies in Norwich). Here’s the result:
A ridiculously simple project, but I’m feeling pretty pleased at actually finishing something!
The Allisons - Are You Sure? (1961)
Our best ever entry into Eurovision, hands down!
Click here for a wonderful video of John Allison singing this song a couple of years ago in his living room - his son has set up a YouTube channel with lots of videos of his Dad, who still has a fantastic voice! John Allison for Eurovision 2103?
Vapeur Mauve - Les Haunted (1969)
Awesome cover of Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze by Montreal-based group Les Haunted. Pardon quand j’embrasse le ciel!
Micky Dolenz and the original Keyboard Cat
Google’s homepage today is dedicated to synth pioneer Robert Moog, inventer of the appropriately named Moog Synthesiser. Today would have been his 78th birthday, so to celebrate, Google have created an interactive Moog which you can actually play. Pretty cool, no?
I’m celebrating today with a little known Moog fact which dovetails nicely with my own little obsession. Did you know that the first ever pop record to utilise a synthesiser was, in fact, Daily Nightly by the Monkees? The track featured on their 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, and was written by Monkee and professional woolly hat wearer, Mike Nesmith. Micky Dolenz, the band’s drummer and vocalist, actually owned one of the first 25 Moog synthesisers ever produced – you can see him in the photo above, pioneering not only synthesised sounds, but also cat/keyboard combinations.
People have a tendency to overlook the musical contribution of the Monkees, or claim that they “weren’t a real band”. True, they used session musicians to perform the music for the show, but that was the producer’s decision – who knows why! If you watch any of the audition tapes you can see that both Mike and Peter are competent guitar players, and in fact were both touring on the folk scene before landing the Monkees gig. Tork, Nesmith and Dolenz all wrote songs featured on their later albums, and they have performed live (without session musicians!) throughout their 50 year career.
SO next time you hear someone claiming that it was the Beatles, or the Stones, or someone “cool” like that, you can stand up and say confidently (if a little nerdily), “actually, I think you’ll find…” and crack out my little factoid, to the amazement of all. You’re welcome. And then you can tell them how Mike Nesmith basically invented MTV…but perhaps that’s a story for another time.
— Jon Richardson, It’s Not Me, It’s You (via quotes-shape-us)
(via fyeahjonrichardson)
Vashti Bunyan, Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind, 1965
After a few singles in the 60s and a folk album in 1970 (Just Another Diamond Day, which sold very copies) Vashti gave up music and disappeared into obscurity. Over the next 40 years, Just Another Diamond Day acquired a cult following, with copies of the original vinyl selling for up to £1000. It was subsequently re-released in 2000 on vinyl and CD, and was followed up with a double CD compilation of early demos and singles in 2007. This set included recordings made in by her brother in their parents’ garage in the 60s, which had been forgotten about and stored in a garden shed for years. (I think it was a limited release so isn’t as cheap as it was when I bought it, but it’s totally worth the money!)
This is her first single, when she was just going by the name Vashti. I think she might be the coolest person ever.
The Girl’s Own Paper: Answers to Correspondents, 23 October, 1885
GLADYS AILEEN:- 1. We should bury the dog’s skull in an ant hill, which little animals will eat every atom of flesh upon it, and we should then wash it very well with the red Condy’s Fluid, and then put it outside your window to bleach. It was rather unnecessary to inform us that your dog was not living. We could scarcely imagine his trotting about having neither fur nor flesh upon his head, although we have heard of spectral brethren of his reputed to be headless altogether. When your deceased’s dog’s skull has been well bleached, varnish it with white transparent artists’ varnish to keep it clean and preserve it. 2. I your hair is very long and thick, it may be desirable to wear a bathing cap, as it is difficult to dry it thoroughly.
From Highlights from the Girl’s Own Paper at Blogspot.
ONE OF THE DELIGHTFUL RESULTS OF BLOOMERISM. - THE LADIES WILL POP THE QUESTION.
Superior Creature: ”SAY! OH, SAY, DEAREST! WILL YOU BE MINE?” &c. &c.
Punch, Jul-Dec. 1851
From Victorian London
"Here is the true description of her: - The ordinary English lady; the clear cold blue eyes, the rosy complexion, the inanimately polite manner, the large good-humoured mouth, the too-plump cheeks and chin: these, and nothing more." - Wilkie Collins, The Haunted Hotel, 1878
Sometimes I write about serious and interesting things. Other times I am VERY SILLY.
Find lots of nice pictures on my Pinterest page. If you want to. I won't be offended if you don't. But hey, you might like it.
<3<3<3<3Pete!!! :)
Arthur - yeah!
*giggle*
