“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” – Bruce Lee
Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us. Thomas Paine
When I said ‘death’ before ‘dishonor’, I meant alphabetically. Unknown
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
- Oprah Winfrey
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I was looking at the newspapers with Iris, my Silver Surfer, and it is absolute drivel the way it is presented in the Sun online.- I really prefer not to use this paper but this is the highest bought newspaper in the UK and so it’s necessary to see what is polluting the minds of its readers. The headlines are written at the level of the 5th form in a secondary school and the priorities, which must be passed before the editor, makes the paper almost pornography. What the Editor might see as his priority aren’t the most important issues in the country. It seems as though it is his idea of titillation for the readers. Some of the priorities that are overlooked make me feel quite sad. I am either totally out of touch with the British way of life or the world I lived in in Britain was far removed from the Britain of today. As you’d expect me to say I think it is the latter.
On TV over the past few days I have been watching a good police thriller. However, the characterisation and violence is probably a good reason why I feel as I do about Britain. There is a kid of about 14 who is one of the most brutal kids of this age I have had the displeasure to watch in such a good drama. It is probably quite accurate and the rest of the plot portrays the police in a horrible light.
Here’s one of my tweets from yesterday. Memories of Val Doonican and Perry Como -a wonderful new podcast with Paul Melba….Paul has some great memories in the podcast and brings up some of his excellent impressions.
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1553 – Fifteen-year-old Lady Jane Grey was deposed as Queen of England after claiming the crown for nine days. Mary, the daughter of King Henry VIII, was proclaimed Queen. Ridiculous situation to have a 15 year old queen
1788 – Prices plunged on the Paris stock market. There we are -it’s been going on for ages
1799 – The Rosetta Stone, a tablet with hieroglyphic translations into Greek, was found in Egypt. But was the message clearly understood?
1848 – The Women’s Rights Convention took place in Seneca Fall, NY. Bloomers were introduced at the convention. I’ve made a few bloomers over the years!
1870 – France declared war on Prussia. Bullies
1942 – German U-boats were withdrawn from positions off the U.S. Atlantic coast due to effective American anti-submarine countermeasures. Thank goodness
1943 – During World War II, more than 150 B-17 and 112 B-24 bombers attacked Rome for the first time. The Italians were asking for it
1946 – Marilyn Monroe acted in her first screen test. Boop oop ee do
1974 – The House Judiciary Committee recommended that U.S. President Richard Nixon should stand trial in the Senate for any of the five impeachment charges against him. Wasn’t this the first time the President had ever been impeached?
1975 – The Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts separated after being linked in orbit for two days. Wonderful work
1982 – The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 14% of the population had an income below the official poverty level in 1981. That’s 14% of a big number
1985 – George Bell won first place in a biggest feet contest with a shoe size of 28-1/2. Bell, at age 26, stood 7 feet 10 inches tall. His shoes were nearly as big as tennis racquets
1985 – Christa McAuliffe of New Hampshire was chosen to be the first schoolteacher to ride aboard the space shuttle. She died with six others when the Challenger exploded the following year. This was such a sad event
1989 – 112 people were killed when a United Airline DC-10 airplane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. 184 people did survive the accident. I hate reading such horrible statistics
The Day’s Music Events 19th July1954, Sun Records released the first Elvis Presley single ‘That’s All Right / Blue Moon Of Kentucky’ which made the local Memphis chart. The young lad was on his way and the Sun shone on him
1958, The manager of The Drifters, George Treadwell, sacked the entire group and hired the unknown Ben E King and The Five Crowns as their replacements. Not a bad choice
1963, Frank Ifield was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Confessin’ the singers fourth and final No.1.I have a lovely podcast with Frank Ifield on my website
1964, During a UK tour The Rolling Stones appeared at the Hippodrome in Brighton with The Echoes, Marty Wilde, Kenny Lynch and Julie Grant.Kenny Lynch used to get in everywhere
1967, The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘All You Need Is Love’ the group’s 12th UK No.1 single. Such an easy song really….
1967, Elvis Presley was working on his latest movie Speedway co-starring Nancy Sinatra at the MGM Soundstage, Hollywood, California. (It was Presley’s twenty-seventh film). I hadn’t realised he’d worked with Nancy Sinatra
1968, Bo Diddley played the first of two nights at the Hippodrome, San Diego, California supported by Frumious Bandersnatch. I wonder which shape guitar did he use?
1972, Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were arrested in Warwick, Rhode Island on charges of assault after a fight broke out with a newspaper photographer. They were a rum lot in those days
1975, The Bay City Rollers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Give A Little Love’, the group’s second and final UK No.1. This was an awful song
1975, Paul McCartney and Wings went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Listen To What The Man Said’, his fourth US No.1, a No.6 hit in the UK. Wings also had the US No.1 album chart with ‘Venus And Mars’. Paul McCartney’s fourth No.1 album since The Beatles. He’d settled in very nicely with his other groups
1976, Deep Purple split up at the end of an UK tour. David Coverdale went on to form Whitesnake, Jon Lord and Ian Paice formed a band with Tony Ashton. The classic line up of Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord & Paice reformed in 1984. Glenn Hughes returned to Trapeze and Tommy Bolin put together his own band, (but would die before the end of the year).Pivotal moments in the world of pop and rock music
1980, Queen scored their third UK No.1 album with ‘The Game’, featuring the single ‘Another One Bites The Dust’.This song was probably given a new lease of life when used by the Gladiators
1980, An exhibit featuring paintings by Joni Mitchell, John Mayall, Klaus Voormanm, Ron Wood and Commander Cody opened at the Vorpal Gallery, Laguna Beach in California.Nice to see their other talents.
1981, It was Roy Orbison Day in Odessa, Texas. Orbison was given the keys to the city, and performed for the crowd, the first time in Odessa in 15 years.His voice was amazing.
1986, Genesis went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Invisible Touch’. The bands former lead singer Peter Gabriel was at No.2 with ‘Sledgehammer’.Another of those wonderfully quirky facts in pop history
1989, James Brown changed accommodations behind bars after $40000 in cash and cheques was discovered in his minimum security cell. The Godfather of Soul had been given a six year sentence the previous December after several run-ins with the law, including illegal gun possession, resisting arrest, assault and leading the authorities on a number of car chases. His new home was at a medium security cell at the Stevenson Correctional Institute. I know he was a tearaway but I really enjoyed his music. I first saw him in Geneva in the 70s and then I saw him in Benidorm about 2008. Both times the band was so tight and the show so professional.
1996, The Spice Girls made their debut on UK TV music show ‘Top Of The Pops’. They told us what they wanted, what they really, really wanted…
1997, Oasis went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘D’You Know What I Mean’. The first single from their third album ‘Be Here Now’. Great music….rum crowd
2001, American soul and gospel singer Judy Clay died. Was a member of the Drinkard Singers – who later became better known as The Sweet Inspirations , also worked with Billy Vera, and had hits with William Bell (Private Number), and sang with Wilson Pickett and Ray Charles. I only really knew her work with Stax
2005, James Blunt was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘You’re Beautiful’, from his debut album ‘Back To Bedlam’. The UK singer songwriters first No.1, spent 5 weeks at the top of the charts. An absolutely brilliant single and his voice is so unique
Born on this day
1931, Thomas Allen. (Papa Dee), percussionist, War. (1976 UK No.12 single ‘Low Rider’). Died from a heart attack while performing on stage on 30th August 1988.
1937, George Hamilton IV, US country singer, (1958 US No.10 & UK No.22 single ‘Why Don’t They Understand’).
1946, Allan Gorrie, bass, vocals, Average White Band, (1975 US No.1 & UK No.6 single ‘Pick Up The Pieces’).
1947, Bernie Leadon, guitar, The Eagles, quit the band in Jan 1976. (1974 US No.1 single ‘Best Of My Love’).
1947, Brian May, guitar, Queen, (1975 UK No.1 single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, also No.1 in 1991. Plus over 40 other UK Top 40 singles. 1980 US No.1 single ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’). Solo (1992 UK No.5 single ‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’).
1952, Allen Collins, guitar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, (1974 US No. 8 single, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, 1982 UK No.21 single ‘Freebird’). Collins was behind the wheel in a car accident in 1986 that killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down. He died on 23rd January 1990 aged 37.
1971, Urs Bühler, Il Divo, (2004 UK No.1 self-titled album, also number one in 13 countries around the world).
