One and a Half Go Mad in Fife* – Day 2

Tuesday 27 July 2010

The Museum of Flight

Thanks to membership of my employer’s sport and recreation club I’m able to take advantage of free or cheaper tickets for a number of attractions. As the Museum of Flight comes under the umbrella of the National Museums of Scotland I was able to gain free entrance on Tuesday, along with my daughter and my Mate Gary, her godfather.

A test of a good visitor attraction is whether, having gained free access,  you would’ve paid for it. At £9 for adults, £7 concessions and children 12 and under getting in for free I can confirm, in my humble opinion, that it is worth it.

Gary’s unnatural love of all things historical, especially if it comes in a box marked “warfare”, meant he was probably more interested in the contents of the hangars than my daughter and I put together but she was genuinely amazed at Concorde and its size. This surprised me as she’s only ever been on a pair of Ryanair flights between Edinburgh and Bournemouth.

The entrance, shop and Concorde are situated next to each other and the spacious car park. The other exhibits are spread out over a number of hangars in an area resembling the set of Foyle’s War. We took the Airfield Explorer, a land train, to the far end of the museum area and worked our way back. We took in the military aviation of Hangar 1 – Gary’s favourite, I think -  and the Civil aviation of Hangar 2, as well as Fortunes of War and the Aircraft restoration hangar.

There was also a mini assault course and play area for children, including the ever-popular Flying Fox (aka Death Slide). There were other bits and pieces too but my daughter was flagging by this point. We had a reasonably priced lunch in the Aviator Cafe, housed in another hangar, and returned for a coffee before we left. Not before we took the obligatory look round the shop. It seems that no matter where my daughter goes she ends up buying a car (or should I say, has a car bought for her) and today was no exception, with a Mini Cooper S being the vehicle of choice. This was accompanied to the till by the biggest chocolate coin I’d ever seen.

I’d give our trip to the Museum of Flight a 9 out of 10. Thankfully tomorrow while be spent indulging in a more sedentary pursuit.

* we started and ended in Fife!

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One and a Half Go Mad in Fife – Day 1

Monday 26 July 2010

This was the first days of five spent with my daughter. I don’t want that to sound as if I’m the Secretary of the local branch of Fathers4Justice – I see her every day – but it was just me and her and five days of precious father-daughter time to fill together.

She’d spent the previous week at Guide Camp with my the Good Lady Wife and this week it was my turn. Due to our lack of concurrency in our leave years and our daughter’s lengthy post-P1, pre-P2 sabbatical – when the teachers are doing their “marking” – we could only muster one whole week together as a family. That week is next week but more of that then.

If I had known at the start of the week how exhausting it was entertaining my own daughter for a five-stretch I wouldn’t have bothered. Okay, that’s not strictly true but I would certainly have factored in some lazy down time. As it was I’d booked something in for most days.

On Monday we took a trip up the coast of the Kingdom to a place I hadn’t visited since I was a child. (Okay, I’d dropped the girls off at swimming lessons once but that doesn’t really count). If memory serves me well, and it doesn’t usually unless it involves pop trivia, I hadn’t been to the sleepy hollow of Burntisland since I was a teenager. There’s an expanse of greenery behind the beach on which usually stands a fairground. It may be there all year round for all I know, such are the rarity of my visits to this neck of the woods.

The one abiding memory is the speedway bikes. Sure they were stationary and just went round and round and round but the thrill of the speed made it the most exciting experience of my young life. Living in Bonnyrigg, that wasn’t hard. I didn’t encounter any of the danger and devilment of The Smiths’ Rusholme Ruffians because our visits were all through the family orientated daylight hours. We may have gone to visit local relations, who I no longer speak to, or taken an organised trip with the local miners’ club but I’ve never forgotten those bikes.

My daughter and I walked along the path behind the beach and then through the tunnel into the park. The speedway bikes were of no interest to her as she headed straight for the swings. Part of me longed to see if the speedway bikes were still there but my daughter was engrossed in a chorus of “Higher Daddy! Higher”. I was also outvoted by my sensible other half as the predicted lunchtime rain appeared and we made a dash for the car. Maybe another time, although I wasn’t really sure I wanted to shatter one of my few magical childhood memories.

We took our walk after a healthy father and daughter swimming (but mostly mucking about) session at the Beacon Leisure Centre. Being the summer holidays, kids were allowed in free and adults paid £3.40. After a good bout of larking about and some daft games we were almost ready to leave when the large Total Wipeout-style inflatable was brought out into the main pool. It was a red and yellow and orange inflatable rag to a bullish bunch of kids. And some adults who really should’ve known better. What possesses a grown man to take a baby less than one year old on to this sort of thing is beyond me, although I suspect it only goes to confirm that this kind of “man” may be physically grown up and able to father a child but inside is still a child himself.

As we were really on our way out I limited her to three shots. I’m hard but fair and she seemed happy enough. The queues weren’t too deadly but three efforts at winning the Total Wipeout trophy were enough. Little did I know if we’d stayed in the pool another half hour or so we’d have had the flumes and wave machine too but that would’ve been too much, even for me.

After getting changed in the darkest cubicles I’d ever encountered – this is Fife not Alaska – we headed upstairs for a bit to eat. I can’t say I was that impressed with the fare on offer. There was the usual array of sandwiches and toasties (that’s a Panini to you townies) I plumped for a cheese and ham version of the latter. Not only was it undercooked – half the cheese hadn’t melted – but it had been cut into four triangles, with the crusts cut off. The crusts cut off! I’m sorry, but I’ve paid a pretty penny for those crusts and I should’ve received them still attached to my purchase. Grr…

My digestion wasn’t helped either but the sight of some seriously overweight kids, include a Grange Hill doppelgänger in the shape (and what a shape – like a stunt double for Barbapapa) of “Row-land”, right down to the glasses. Okay, so I’m no skinny malinky long legs myself but for a child to be in that state is just painful to see. Even a couple of the lifeguards (or whatever PC name they now have) gave looks of concern. How can anyone let their child get so overweight is beyond me? It isn’t killing with kindness, it’s sure sheer stupidity.

We got home exhausted. Well I was. My daughter was still full of beans. Flicking through the TV channels we found Dr Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who, a film I like but have never seen all the way through. This film will always have a special place in our household because it was the first film my daughter saw at the cinema. The main reason I haven’t seen the whole movie is that I usually fall asleep at some part of it through sheer exhaustion. Today was no different as I drifted in and out of chlorine-stenched conciousness.

The film finished just as we would need to leave for the local train station to pick up my wife from the train station after work. I had hoped to continue my “power nap” when I got home only to remember I was heading off to Leith FM to sit in on Ally Gourlay’s late night “Art School Dancing“ show on Leith FM. I wouldn’t be home until 1am!

Only four days to go…

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Where The Action Is: Playlist 25 July 2010

Another last minute reshuffle of the show’s playlist as we hear of the demise of Big Star bass player Andy Hummel. There’s six tracks from this week’s featured album, which is Adventures in the Mist, volume 11 from the excellent Rubble series.  As usual there will also be a hotchpotch on Where The Action Is of mod, soul, girl groups, Motown and alternative pop from the late 50s through to the early 70s.

We’ll be playing two games of Connect 3, where you can guess the link between three records, a birthday track for Tom Dawes of The Cyrkle and a Foreign Language track from Elisabeth. There’s also the Half-Time Instrumental, the Trojan Mod Reggae track, Two of a Kind from Dusty Springfield, as well as The Wild Swans in this week’s Under the Influence feature.

The Worrying Kynde - Call Out My Name (Piccadilly 1967)

Big Star – Way Out West (Ardent/Stax 1974)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)
The Poets – Wooden Spoon (Decca 1967)
Thurston Harris – Dancin’ Silhouettes (Reprise 1964)
Tony Colton’s Big Boss Band – I’ve Laid Some Down In My Time (Pye 1966)
Lee Dorsey – Get Out of My Life Woman (Stateside 1966)
The Californians – Follow Me (Decca 1967)
The Lancastrians – The World Keeps Going Round (Pye 1966)
Aphrodite’s Child – The Four Horsemen (Vertigo 1971) (Connect 3)
The Kinks – Mindless Child of Motherhood (Pye 1969) (Connect 3)
Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes – Guitar Child (RCA Victor 1964) (Connect 3)
The Alan Bown Set – I Really Really Care (Pye 1967)
Felius Andromeda – Cheadle Heath Delusions (Decca 1967)
The Cyrkle – Turn Down Day (Columbia 1966) (Birthday: 25/7/44 Tom Dawes)
The Onyx – You Gotta Be With Me (Pye 1968)
Cathy Saint – Big Bad World (Daisy 1963)
Elisabeth – Madame Superman (Unknown 66/67) (Foreign Language)
The Bystanders – My Way of Thinking (Unreleased 66/67)
The Ambassadors – Surfin’ John Brown (Dot 1963) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Plague – Looking for The Sun (Decca 1968)
The Movement – Head for the Sun (Transatlantic 1968)
Hugh Malcolm – Good Time Rock (Trojan 1968) (Trojan Mod Reggae)
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas – Wild One (Tamla 1964)
The Feminine Complex – Forgetting (Athena 1968)
The Bobcats – She Can’t See For Looking (Pye 1967)
The Wild Swans – The Revolutionary Spirit (Zoo 1982) (Under the Influence)
Billy Dean – Live It Up (Unreleased 1963)
Michael Leslie – Make Up or Break Up (Pye 1965)
The Fairytale – Listen To Mary Cry (Decca 1967)
Margo Guryan – Goodbye July (Unknown 1968) (Connect 3)
Barbara Ruskin – The 24th Day of July (President 1969) (Connect 3)
Cryan’ Shames – July (Destination 1967) (Connect 3)
Dusty Springfield – Don’t Forget About Me (Mercury 1968) (Two of a Kind)
Dusty Springfield – Magic Garden (Philips 1968) (Two of a Kind)
Fire – Treacle Toffee World (Decca 1967)
The Worrying Kynde – Call Out My Name (Piccadilly 1967)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)

If you’re in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy you can hear Where The Action Is on Channel 3 on your bedside headphones or on 1287AM on the Medium Wave.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, it’s good day and good health.

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Where The Action Is: Playlist 18 July 2010

There’s no featured album as such on today’s show although there are a few tracks from Ready Steady Stop – Doin’ The Mod (Volume Four), which came out in 2002. As ever there will be the usual heady brew on Where The Action Is of mod, soul, girl groups, Motown and alternative pop from the late 50s through to the early 70s.

As ever we’ll be playing two games of Connect 3, where you can guess the link between three records, a birthday track for Martha Reeves – playing in Glasgow tonight – and a Foreign Language track from Charlotte Leslie. There’s also the Half-Time Instrumental, the Trojan Mod Reggae track, Two of a Kind from The Action, as well as The Sea Urchins in this week’s Under the Influence feature.

John Barry - Thunderball EP (United Artists 1965)

The Shangri-las – Give Him a Great Big Kiss (Red Bird 1965)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)
The Chapters – Can’t Stop Thinking About Her (Pye 1965)
The Darlettes – Lost (Mira 1965)
Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell – If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (Tamla 1967)
Julie Grant – As Long As I Know He’s Mine (Pye 1965)
The Sorrows – Gonna Find A Cave (Unreleased 1966)
Mable John – You Made A Fool Out of Me (Tamla 1960)
Darrell Banks – Open The Door To Your Heart (Revilot 1966) (Connect 3)
The Searchers – Money (That’s What I Want) (stereo) (Pye 1963) (Connect 3)
Dana Gillespie – Pay You Back With Interest (Pye 1967) (Connect 3)
Barbara Mills – (Make It Last) Take Your Time (Hickory 1965)
The Riot Squad – Working Man (Pye 1966)
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas – Come and Get These Memories (Gordy 1963) (Birthday: 18/7/41 Martha Reeves)
Unit 4+2 – 3.30 AM (Fontana 1969)
Marvin “Smitty” Smith – Have More Time (Brunswick 1966)
Charlotte Leslie – Les Filles C’Est Fait Pour Faire L’amour (Polydor 1966) (Foreign Language)
The Truth – Who’s Wrong (Pye 1965)
John Barry – Thunderball (United Artists 1965) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Ladybirds – Yes I Know (Lawn 1964)
The Clique – You’ve Been Unfair (Pye 1965)
Tyrone Taylor – Delilah (Trojan 1968) (Trojan Mod Reggae)
Benny Spellman – Fortune Teller (Minit 1962)
The Time – The First Time I Saw The Sun Shine (Pye 1966)
Val McKenna – Don’t Hesitate (Piccadilly 1966)
The Sea Urchins – Pristine Christine (Sarah 1987) (Under the Influence)
Tony Clarke – Landslide (Chess 1967)
Pussyfoot – Good Times (Pye 1968)
Justin & Karlson – Somewhere They Can’t Find Me (Piccadilly 1966)
The Artwoods – Big City (Decca 1965)
Finders Keepers – On The Beach (Fontana 1967) (Connect 3)
Carol Connors – Lonely Little Beach Girl (Mira 1966) (Connect 3)
The Raspberries – On The Beach (Capitol 1973) (Connect 3)
Mally Page – You Can Be Wrong About Boys (Pye 1966)
Young Blood – Don’t Leave Me In The Dark (Pye 1968)
The Koobas – You’d Better Make Up Your Mind (Pye 1966)
The Action – Something Has Hit Me (Parlophone 1967) (Two of a Kind)
The Action – Come Around (Unreleased 67/68) (Two of a Kind)
The Percells – The Greatest (ABC Paramount 1964)
Lou Johnson – Unsatisfied (Big Top 1965)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)

If you’re in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy you can hear Where The Action Is on Channel 3 on your bedside headphones or on 1287AM on the Medium Wave.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, it’s good day and good health.

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Jocknroll News: Proclaimers/Vaselines/Colin Macintyre/Gerry Loves Records and mare

Here’s an update, in their own words, from various emails I’ve been sent from Scottish artists and labels, including The Poclaimers, The Vaselines, Colin Macintyre, Gerry Loves Records, Euan McMeeken and The Sons:

The Proclaimers

The Proclaimers 5 Track Guitar App now available at iTunes. Developed by Edinburgh iPhone app development agency Bluemungus with audio having been played by Proclaimers guitarist Zac Ware, the app allows users to learn the words and guitar chords to 5 songs: I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), Sunshine On Leith, I’m On My Way, Life With You and Love Can Move Mountains. Also features exclusive live video footage of Life With You performed at Edinburgh Castle in July 2008. The app also keeps you posted with news updates and gig announcements.

Sunshine On Leith starring Billy Boyd. Dundee Rep is excited to be bringing back for it’s third run their award-winning, critically acclaimed musical Sunshine On Leith, the must see show packed with songs from the The Proclaimers. Written by Stephen Greenhorn, the drama follows the highs and lows of 2 soldiers returning home from Afghanistan. Families, relationships and life in Leith are not all plain sailing in this exceptional love story about every day life in Scotland.

Dates – Tickets on sale now
31/8 to 18/9 Dundee Rep Theatre,
21/9 to 25/9 Inverness Eden Court,
28/9 to 2/10 Glasgow King’s Theatre,
5/10 to 9/10 Belfast Grand Opera House,
12/10 to 16/10 Edinburgh Festival Theatre,
19/10 to 23/10 Aberdeen His Majesty’s,
26/10 to 30/10 Southampton The Mayflower,
2/11 to 6/11 Dartford Orchard Theatre,
9/11 to 13/11 Northampton Derngate Theatre,
23/11 to 27/11 Darlington Civic Theatre.
Further dates for 2011 to be announced.

The Proclaimers live at T in The Park – Photo slideshow. Click here to view www.proclaimers.co.uk/2003/t2010/

See I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) live from T In The Park (sorry UK only) …..
www.bbc.co.uk/music/tinthepark/2010/artists/the_proclaimers/

The Vaselines

“The Vaselines are coming. New live dates announced.

Visit www.thevaselines.co.uk for more info and to see a new short film about the band.”

(Ed: Short and sweet, like Frances)

Colin Macintyre

“Hi All,

I’ll be playing an unplugged set tomorrow night (Friday 16th) at the Captain’s Rest in Glasgow’s West End. Come along if you’re around. You write the setlist so bring one along! Otherwise I’ll have to lay out my 5 albums to date and employ a Glaswegian octopus.

On the ‘Island’ tour I did some unplugged solo gigs but didn’t get a chance to in Glasgow – so I’m looking forward to this and a chance to play new songs I’ve been writing to follow up The Water album. I’ll also be performing with band in August at the Belladrum Festival & The Edinburgh Edge Festival – all listed below.

Cheers to all, Colin”

Fri July 16th – Glasgow

Captain’s Rest, 185 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G4 9EB

Tickets £7: www.pclpresents.com / 0844 847 2487

Fri 6th August –  Belladrum Festival, Invernesshire

Info & Tickets: www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk

Sat 14th August – Edinburgh

The Edge Festival (formerly T on the Fringe)

Electric Circus – 36 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DF

Info: www.theedgefestival.com

Tickets: http://is.gd/dg5gG / 0844 277 4321

Gerry Loves Records

Gerry Loves Records are delighted to announce our second release. A split single by two of Scotland’s most exciting young acts; Trapped in Kansas and Yahweh, it comes hot on the heels of our debut split 7″ by Conquering Animal Sound and Debutant.

Towerblock by Trapped in Kansas is an intricate yet anthemic pop song….

Make Me Stop by Yahweh is a burst of Scottish sunshine, love, life and reflection.

The single will be released on limited edition 7″ which features free download codes for Towerblock and Make Me Stop but also an exclusive bonus track by each artist. Keep your eyes peeled on gerrylovesrecords.com for pre-order details and an extra special super limited, deluxe edition. The single will be released on 2 August.

Preorder the vinyl: http://gerryloves.bandcamp.com/album/trapped-in-kansas-yahweh-split-single

In support of the release, Trapped in Kansas and Yahweh will be playing a couple of shows:

Thursday 29 July at 7pm
The Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh
Trapped in Kansas + Yahweh + Support TBC
Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/87266

Friday 30 July at 7.30pm
Nice n Sleazy, Glasgow
Trapped in Kansas + Yahweh + Support TBC
Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/87282

Gerry Loves Records is a brand new label based in Edinburgh, releasing vinyl and download singles by their favourite up and coming artists. Their first release was a split single from Conquering Animal Sound and Debutant, released on 5th April 2010.

At Gerry Loves Records we love the intimate feel you get of an artist and their music through vinyl pressings. To us there is nothing quite like buying vinyl – unwrapping it when you get home, carefully taking it out of the sleeve, delicately laying it on your turntable and placing the needle on the record before waiting for that first hiss.

Euan McMeeken

“Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that the title track from my forth coming solo EP Memorials is now available to listen to and download here:

http://euanmcmeeken.bandcamp.com

If anyone is interested.  If you like it please feel free to write about it or promote it in some way.  It should be out in the autumn and will feature:

1. December
2. And Now We Live With The Thoughts Of Others
3. Bones Grow Old
4. Your Fingers Like Another’s Darkness
5. Memorials

So, 3 songs and 2 piano interludes in effect.

Anyways, please go and have a listen at the very least.

The Kays Lavelle’s album Be Still This Gentle Morning is out now and if you don’t already have a copy and would like one please do let me know.  Any support is appreciated.  To those who have shown their support so far, a massive thank you.  It’s greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Euan  xo”

The Sons

“We wondered if you could find a moment to give this music a quick listen.

http://soundcloud.com/the-son-s/sets/radar-masters

We’re called The Son(s), we’re not chasing fame or fortune, we just like writing songs. Honestly!

Any listeners & comments welcome.

Thank you.”

No, thank you! That’s all for now from Jocknroll. To be honest, I haven’t got time to review anything myself but the guys at Aye Tunes and Peenko are much better at that sort of thing. It also helps if you’re a Scottish band.

Talking of these two fine upstanding chaps, Aye Tunes v Peenko II (think WWF but prettier) takes place this Saturday at the 13th Note in Glasgow. More details from Aye Tunes’ Bandcamp site.

I’m outta here like last year…

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The Never Ending Stories

Best 5 Unfinished Scottish Things

1. National Monument, Edinburgh

The capital’s version of the Parthenon has long been an albatross round the neck of The Athens of the North, a rather ironic nom-de-plume when you consider that the Greek original was actually completed before it fell foul of a Venetian mortar. The money ran out on the National Monument project only a few years after work started in 1822 and to this day Edinburgh’s Folly sits unfinished atop Calton Hill. This memorial to the fallen in the Napoleonic Wars seems destined to remain incomplete as local indifference and financial prudence puts paid to any plans to complete it.

2. “Weir of Hermiston” by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stevenson’s sudden death in 1894 put paid to what many regard to be his masterpiece. Published two years after his demise, Weir of Hermiston tells the tale of a fractious relationship between Lord Hermiston (based on the real Lord Braxfield), a “hanging” judge, and his son Archie Weir. Exiled from the family home, Archie becomes a laird and begins a relationship with Christina. This, however, is where the book “ends”. Stevenson died in Upolu in Samoa where he had settled with his wife. David Rintoul, famous for his portrayal as Dr. Findlay, made his small screen debut as Archie Weir in a 1973 made-for-TV film.

3. The Usher Hall, Edinburgh

The Hall was originally built in 1896 and has enjoyed a colourful past. It hosted the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, the boxing at the 1986 Commonwealth Games and political rallies. Despite the current renovation being incomplete the Usher Hall has opened, at an estimated cost of £600,000, to host four concerts during the Edinburgh International Festival. Work began in 2005 and the proposed “21st century concert hall” should be completed by late summer 2009*. You can see how the work is coming along at the Usher Hall’s blog: http://www.usher-hall.blogspot.com*. (*The work appears to have been completed on the Usher Hall now and is scheduled to officially reopen in October 2010. Shame they didn’t keep up the blog.)

4. Edinburgh Tramworks

Am I the only middle-aged person who wonders if I’ll actually be around to see the completion of one of the contentious projects in Scottish history? Political arguments, countless delays and endless traffic chaos have made this a never-ending story of Mahābhārata proportions. Will it be worth it? Only time will tell. You can keep up to date with its progress at http://www.edinburghtrams.com

5.

This Top 5 originally appeared in early 2009 as a contribution to The Scotsman’s excellent, but sadly departed, Recommends feature.

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Where The Action Is: Playlist 11 July 2010

I’m playing more tracks this week from last week’s featured album, “Phil’s Spectre III: A Third Wall of Soundalikes” (Ace Records), a compilation celebrating the imitators of Phil Spector’s groundbreaking Wall of Sound. There’s also our usual heady mix on Where The Action Is of mod, soul, girl groups, Motown and alternative pop from the late 50s through to the early 70s.

As ever we’ll be playing two games of Connect 3, where you can guess the link between three records, a birthday track for singer/songwriter John Holt and a Foreign Language track from Cosette. There’s also the Half-Time Instrumental, the Trojan Mod Reggae track, Two of a Kind from Gene Pitney, as well as Mink Deville in this week’s Under the Influence feature.

The Fabulous Flee-Rakkers - Green Jeans (Triumph RGM 1008, 1960)

Jan and Dean – Ride The Wild Surf (Liberty 1964)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)
The Montanas – Top Hat (Pye 1967)
Judy Henske – Let The Good Times Roll (Reprise 1966)
Barbara Ruskin – You Blame a Girl for Trying (Piccadilly 1965)
David Bowie & The Lower Third – Can’t Help Thinking About Me (Pye 1966)
Phillipa Lewis – Get Along Without You (Decca 1965)
Lesley Gore – Look of Love (mono mix) (Mercury 1964)
Gillian Hills – Tomorrow Is Another Day (United Artists 1965) (Connect 3)
The Ivy League – Tomorrow Is Another Day (Piccadilly 1967) (Connect 3)
The Vernons Girls – Tomorrow Is Another Day (Decca 1963) (Connect 3)
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – In My Lonely Room (Gordy 1964)
The Blue Chips – You’re Good To Me (Pye 1965)
John Holt – Ali Baba (Trojan 1969) (Birthday: 11/7/47 John Holt)
Debbie Rollins – He Really Loves Me (Ascot 1964)
The Spectres – (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet (Piccadilly 1967)
Cosette – L’Idéalisation (Vogue 1967) (Foreign Language)
The Sapphires – Gee, I’m Sorry Baby (ABC Paramount 1965)
The Fabuolus Flee-Rakkers – Green Jeans (Triumph 1960) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Applejacks – Make Up or Break Up (Decca 1965)
Bonnie – Close Your Eyes (Warner Bros 1966)
Lord Kitchener – Dr Kitch (Melodisc 1963) (Trojan Mod Reggae)
Sharon Tandy – One Way Street (Unreleased Stax, 1966)
Five’s Company – The Big Kill (Pye 1966)
The 1910 Fruitgum Company – When We Get Married (Buddah 1969)
Mink Deville – Spanish Stroll (Capitol 1977) (Under the Influence)
Johnny Caswell – My Girl (Smash 1964)
Pussyfoot – Good Times (Pye 1968)
Lulu – Morning Dew (Columbia 1967)
The Small Faces – The Hungry Intruder (Immediate 1968) (Connect 3)
The Searchers – Hungry For Love (stereo) (Pye 1963) (Connect 3)
Paul Revere and the Raiders – Hungry (Columbia 1966) (Connect 3)
Alder Ray – Cause I Love Him (Liberty 1964)
Young Blood – Don’t Leave Me In The Dark (Pye 1968)
Gene Pitney – I’m Gonna Be Strong (Musicor 1964) (Two of a Kind)
Gene Pitney – Tremblin’ (Musicor 1967) (Two of a Kind)
Guy Darrell – Evil Woman (Piccadilly 1967)
The Beatstalkers – Ain’t No Soul (Left In These ‘Ole Shoes) (Columbia 1965)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)

If you’re in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy you can hear Where The Action Is on Channel 3 on your bedside headphones or on 1287AM on the Medium Wave.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, it’s good day and good health.

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Where The Action Is: Playlist 4 July 2010

After a month of celebrating the fabulous Ember record label (courtesy of Fantastic Voyage) it’s back to the bread and butter of Where The Action Is, with the usual mix of mod, soul, girl groups, Motown and alternative pop from the late 50s through to the early 70s.

As usual we’ll be playing two games of Connect 3, where you can guess the link between three records, a birthday track for The Animals’ keyboard player Dave Rowberry and a Foreign Language track from Jacques Brel. There’s also the Half-Time Instrumental, the Trojan Mod Reggae track, Two of a Kind from Jan and Dean, as well as Dodgy in this week’s Under the Influence feature.

The Aerovons - World of You (Parlophone R 5804, 1969)

Mama Cass – It’s Getting Better (Dunhill 1969)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)
The Girls – Chico’s Girls (Capitol 1966)
The Aerovons – World of You (Parlophone 1969)
The Kinks – She’s Got Everything (Pye 1968) RIP Pete Quaife
Dana Gillespie – Tears In My Eyes (London 1967)
The Vernons Girls – Stupid Little Girl (Decca 1964)
The Fantastics – Ask The Lonely (Deram 1970)
The Ashes – Is There Anything I Can Do? (Vault 1967) (Connect 3)
The Bats – Listen To My Heart (Decca 1966) (Connect 3)
The Feminine Complex – Time Slips By (Athena 1968) (Connect 3)
The Shangri-las – Heaven Only Knows (Red Bird 1965)
Jerry Ganey – Who Am I? (Verve 1966)
The Animals – I’m Crying (MGM 1964) (Birthday: 4/7/40 Dave Rowberry, keyboards/piano)
John E Paul – I Wanna Know (Decca 1967)
The Alleycatz – Chicago Calling (Ember 1966)
The Applejacks – I Go To Sleep (Decca 1965)
Jacques Brel – Les Bonbons (Barclay 1966) (Foreign Language)
Daniel A Stone – Young Boy Blues (Unreleased 1965)
The Eagles – Bristol Express (Pye 1962) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Sonny & Cher – The Little Things (Atco 1967)
The Bobby Fuller Four – Another Sad and Lonely Night (Mustang/Liberty 1965)
The Gaylets/Gaylettes – Lonely Feeling (aka Here Comes The Feeling) (Trojan 1968) (Trojan Mod Reggae)
Merry Clayton – Usher Boy (Capitol 1963)
Brotherhood of Man – Reach Out Your Hand (Deram 1971)
Ace of Cups – I Wanna Testify (Unreleased 1967/68)
Dodgy – Making The Most of… (A&M 1995) (Under the Influence)
Maureen Gray – Goodbye Baby (Mercury 1967)
The Pan Pipers – Stop (Pye 1969)
The Boston Dexters – What Kind of Girl Are You? (Contemporary 1964) RIP Tam White
The Kit Kats – That’s The Way (Jamie 1966) (Connect 3)
Marlina Mars – It’s Love That Counts (In The Long Run) (Okeh 1965) (Connect 3)
Beryl Marsden – Breakaway (Columbia 1966) (Connect 3)
Brenda Holloway – Just Look What You’ve Done (Motown 1967)
The Righteous Brothers – My Tears Will Go Away (Moonglow 1964)
Jan and Dean – Deadman’s Curve (Liberty 1964) (Two of a Kind)
Jan and Dean – The Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association (Liberty 1964) (Two of a Kind)
Dan Folger – The Way of the Crowd (Elf 1967)
The Athenians – Mercy Mercy (Waverley 1965)
Floyd Cramer – On The Rebound (RCA 1961) (show theme)

The featured album on today’s show was “Phil’s Spectre III: A Third Wall of Soundalikes”, another compilation in the series from Ace Records celebrating the imitators of Phil Spector’s groundbreaking Wall of Sound. I’ll be featuring more tracks from it over the coming weeks.

If you’re in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy you can hear Where The Action Is on Channel 3 on your bedside headphones or on 1287AM on the Medium Wave.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, it’s good day and good health.

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