Playlist: Where The Action Is – Thu 29 Dec 2011 LEITH FM

Last but not least, it’s my “Best of 2011″ edition of Where The Action Is. Tonight’s show featured a grab-bag of my favourite tracks from my show this year, including some selections from listeners too. As usual everything is chosen from the late 50s through to the early 70s, and there’s always our regular features too. We’ll play a round of the Connect 3 puzzle (can you guess the link between the three tracks?), the Half-Time Instrumental, a Foreign Language track (which country will we visit this week?), the Under the Influence choice and this week’s Two of a Kind. There’s also a Death Disco track every week.

The Tremeloes – Hello World (CBS 1969)
Tony Newman – Let The Good Times Roll (Decca 1968) (Show Theme)
This Side Up – Book a Trip (Capitol 1968)
Twinkle – What Am I Doing Here With You? (Decca 1966)
Davey Payne & the Medium Wave – A Walk In The Sunshine (Ember 1969) 
Etta James – Tell Mama (Chess 1967)
Petula Clark – A Sign of the Times (Pye 1968) (Connect 3)
Del Shannon – Keep Searchin’ (Follow The Sun) (Stateside 1965) (Connect 3)
Love – The Daily Planet (Elektra 1967) (Connect 3)
The Left Banke – She May Call You Up Tonight (Smash 1967)
The Shanes – Chris Craft No. 9 (Capitol 1966)
Marianne Faithfull – Is This What I Get For Loving You Baby? (Decca 1967) (Birthday: 29/12/46 Marianne Faithfull)
John Holt – Ali Baba (1969 Treasure Isle)
The Move – Walk Up on The Water (Regal Zonophone 1968)
John Mayall – Crawling Up a Hill (Decca 1964)
Fanny – Long Road Home (Reprise 1973)
Gemini – Sunshine River (Clarion 1969)
Andy Pratt – Low Tide Island (Polydor 1969)
John Barry Seven – Big Shield (Ember 1964) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Jackie Lee – The Town I Live In (Columbia 1966)
France Gall – Laisse Tomber Les Filles (Philips 1964) (Foreign Language)
Val McKenna – House For Sale (Spark 1969)
Whyte Boots – Nightmare (Philips 1966) (Death Disco)
The Castaways – Liar, Liar (Soma 1965)
The Spooks – Got It Wrong (Leith FM Mono Mix) (Unreleased 2011) (Under The Influence)
The Poets – That’s The Way It’s Gotta Be (Decca 1965)
Paul Revere & The Raiders – Kicks (Columbia 1966)
Marmalade – I See The Rain (CBS 1967) (Two of a Kind)
Marmalade – Cousin Norman (Decca 1971) (Two of a Kind)
Karen Verros – You Just Gotta Know My Mind (Dot 1965)
The Turtles – Guide For The Married Man (White Whale 1967)
Cilla Black – Love of the Loved (Parlophone 1963)
Fire – Father’s Name Is Dad (Decca 1968)
The Jam – Something’s Gone (Sire 1971)
Nick Garrie – Stephanie City (AZ 1969)
Annette Funicello & The Afterbeats – Tall Paul (Gala 1959)

Thanks to everyone who tuned in tonight and throughout the year. Your contributions and feedback are always welcomed. I’ll be back next week with the first show of 2012, in a new time slot (9pm-11pm), with new idents, a new theme tune and some new features.

Tonight’s show included requests for Stuart Cant (Edinburgh), Nicky Fox (Edinburgh), Phil Jordan (Seattle, USA), Wanda Moore (Edmonton, Canada), Claire Kinnaird (Kinross), Gary Durkin (Edinburgh), Scott Basham (Edinburgh), Ally Gourlay (Glenrothes), Cally Baldwin (Glenrothes), Scott Hastie (Glenrothes), Catriona Vernal (Edinburgh), John Turnbull (Edinburgh), Robert Cudmore (Dunfermline), Joe McAlinden (Argyll), Simon Goddard (London), Sheila Godfrey (East Kilbride) and John Cavanagh (Glasgow).

You can now tune in every Thursday night between 9pm and 11pm on 98.8 FM in and around Edinburgh and online via www.leithfm.co.uk or using TuneIn Web Tuner.You can also join in the chat during the show on the “Where The Action Is (Radio Show)” Facebook page. If you’re listening in the USA the show starts at approximately 1300 (PST), 1400 (MST), 1500 (CST) and 1600 (EST).

Requests are welcome for the show, including the features, and I’ll try and accommodate them all, although it may take a couple of weeks to slot them all in.

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

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Review of 2011 – Another Year, Same Address

Here’s a summary of my own personal 2011.

PERSONAL HIGHS

Getting my own radio show (“Where The Action Is”) on Leith FM 98.8
Appearing on “Only Connect” on BBC4 with Kirsty and Dave
Family trips to Pot-A-Doodle Do (Wig Wam holiday) and London.
A visit to the set of Horrible Histories, which is where they filmed “Alfie” and “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”
Winning the primary school Family Quiz night (again)
Starting my HND in Creative Studies: Radio after taking voluntary redundancy
The reaction to the article I wrote on my ten days in 1985 following The Smiths around Scotland (read it HERE)
Appearing as an extra in “The Happy Lands”, which should be released in 2012
Finally got “Here Come The Girls” Volume 2 (just need Volume 5)
Finally meeting up with long-time friend Simon Goddard
The visit of Giselle and Logan from Long Beach, California
Doing 12 ‘World at Work’ talks at my daughter’s school to P1-P7 pupils about being a radio presenter
Taking Flick to her first tennis and football matches i.e. the Davis Cup (GB v Luxembourg) and East Fife v Hibs
A credit under Archive for the “Serious Drugs” film, although none of the stuff I offered was used

PERSONAL LOWS

The death of Jackie Leven
Falling down the stairs and damaging my thumb and ankle
Seeing Glasvegas live – talk about a busted flush
Hurricane Bawbag forcing my first ever radio show cancellation

READING
I’d love to have the time to read, go to cool films and listen to music, as well as do my College work, prepare my radio show and spend time with my family but sadly something has to give. Books are one of the casualties. I tend to dip in and out of Simon Goddard’s excellent “Mozipedia”, which lives beside my bed. I’m also sneaking occasional glances of “Nile-ism: The Strange Course of the Blue Nile” by Allan Brown, kindly lent to me by classmate Martyn. I’ll probably finish it by the time the band release their next album. Other than those tomes my reading habit revolves around my subscription to Mojo magazine and the local newspaper, the Dunfermline Press, which I refer to as the DePress, such is the cheeriness and blandness of it’s content.

FILMS ENJOYED
Most of my trips to the cinema in 2011 seemed to involve talking, animated animals*

Serious Drugs – The Film about BMX Bandits (GFT) – a wonderful film
It’s a Wonderful Life (GFT) – a classic
Muppet Christmas Carol (Scotsman Hotel Screening Room)
(500) Days of Summer (I know it was 2009 but only just seen it)
*Hop
*Rio
*Legend of the Guardians – The Owls of Ga’Hoolie – didn’t really enjoy

MUSIC ENJOYED – COMPILATIONS
¡Chicas! Spanish Female Singers 1962-1974 (Vampi Soul)
Before the Fall: 24 Original Songs (Ace)
Here Come The Girls (Volume 2) (Sequel)
The Fantastic Story of Mark Wirtz and the Teenage Opera (RPM)

MUSIC ENJOYED – SINGLES
The Orchids – The Way That You Move
Linden – Brown Bird Singing/If I Had Wings (AED)
The Spooks – Got It Wrong (Exclusive Leith FM Mono mix for “Where the Action Is”)
The Laynes – We Got Time (Two Cat)
The Store Keys – Daddy Was a Mod in the RAF
Jonny – Candyfloss (Turnstile)

MUSIC ENJOYED – ALBUMS
Marmalade – Fine Cuts: The Best of Marmalade (Union Square)
Jackie Leven – One Long Cold Morning
The Hollies – The Clarke, Hicks, and Nash Years (The Complete Hollies April 1963 – October 1968) (EMI)
Jackie DeShannon – Come and Get Me (Ace)
The Association – And Then…Along Comes The Association (Now Sounds)
Jonny – Jonny (Turnstile)
The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (Columbia)
John Carter – A Rose By Any Other Name (Rev-ola)
John Carter – As You Like It (The Denmark Street Demos 1963-67) (Westside)
John Carter – Hidden Gems Vols 1-3 (Downloads)
The First Class – Summer Sound Sensations (RPM)
Nick Garrie-Hamilton – The Lost Songs (Rev-ola)
The Outsiders – Strange Things Are Happening: The Complete Singles 1965-1969 (RPM)
Ministry of Sound – Men From The Ministry/Midsummer Nights Dreaming (RPM)

GIGS/EVENTS

BMX Bandits/Nick Garrie/Randolph’s Leap (Oran Mor, Glasgow)
Allo Darlin’/The Orchids (Captain’s Rest, Glasgow)
Jonny (Platform, Easterhouse)
The Thanes/The Poets (13^th Note, Glasgow)
Pete Yorn (King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow)
Morrissey (Alhambra, Dunfermline)
The Bootleg Beatles (Alhambra, Dunfermline)
Nick Garrie (The Red Lion, Doune)
Morrissey (Palladium, London)
John Scott (The Beehive Inn, Edinburgh)
Nick Garrie (Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh)
Roddy Frame (ABC, Glasgow)
The Poets/The Store Keys (Stereo, Glasgow)
BMX Bandits/Maple Leaves (Glasgow Popfest, Heavenly, Glasgow)
Wedding Present (Greenside Hotel, Leslie)

BEST MUSIC RADIO SHOW

Sound of the Sixties (Radio 2)
Art School Dancing (Leith FM)
The Curiosity Shoppe (Radio Cabin)
Collins and Long (BBC 6Music)
John Cavanagh’s Soundwave (Radio Six International)

TV ENJOYED

Nurse Jackie
This is England 88
Eric and Ernie
The Hour (BBC2 not STV!)
The Sopranos (I’m still catching up)
Boardwalk Empire
Mad Men (back in March 2012)
House
Sherlock (back in a week)
Modern Families
Big Bang Theory
Sport (Tour de France/Mosconi Cup)
Getting On
Pointless (although annoyed at all the repeats on BBC1 to meet the needs of the Johnny-come-latelys)
Only Connect
University Challenge (makes me feel stupid though)
Horrible Histories (I blame the girls)
Not Going Out

FAMOUS ENCOUNTERS

Andrew Collins
Victoria Coren
Susan Calman
George Gallacher (The Poets)
John Cavanagh
Lenny Helsing
Frank Skinner (well, he walked past us in that there London)
Pat Nevin (at Roddy Frame gig)
Joe McAlinden (Linden/Superstar/NOM/BMX Bandits/Groovy Little Numbers – at Roddy Frame gig)
Bruce Watson (Big Country)
Michalea Tabb (Cue sports referee)
Jim McIntyre (Dunfermline FC manager)
Jim Leishman (Dunfermline FC, director of Football)
John Potter (Dunfermline FC defender)
The cast and crew of Horrible Histories
Too many to mention at BMX Bandits film premiere but special mention to Duglas T Stewart and Jim Burns

HEROES OF THE YEAR

John Carter
Simon Goddard
Andrew Collins
Scott Basham
Colin Somerville (course tutor and radio legend)
All those who allowed me to interview them for my radio course (Andrew Collins, Simon Goddard, Michaela Tabb, Bruce Watson (Big Country), Gillian Lee-Ireland, John Potter, Jim McIntyre, Jim Leishman)
Mark Cavendish
John Cavanagh (another radio legend)
All the listeners of my radio show “Where The Action Is” on Leith FM, especially the Marmalade gang!

TV/RADIO APPEARANCES
Only Connect – BBC4
The Fred MacAulay Show (with Susan Calman) (Radio Scotland)
Numerous radio phone-ins

COMPETITION WINS

First Class trip to London on Flying Scotsman and 2 nights in hotel (Forth One)
One-Touch Deluxe BBQ (£350) + year’s supply of Kettle Chips (144 x £1.85) (Delicious Magazine)
Hot Air Balloon Ride (Dunfermline Press)
Garmin Sat Nav (Nationwide Vehicle Contracts)
Years supply of Mackies crisps (52 packets) (Mackies)
Football tickets (Hibs v St. Johnstone, East Fife v Dunfermline)
Ice hockey tickets (Fife Flyers v Belfast Giants)
5 CDs, 3 DVDs, £280, trainers, books, face painting kits, £30 voucher, book token, red wine, mini-hamper, free swims (various)

VILLAINS OF THE YEAR
Fife Council – Not for failing to empty our bin but because I had to phone, email and then Tweet to get the problem finally rectified some five days later.

Cats – Despite my allergy to cats I don’t have an issue with them per se but I do wish they’d stop shitting on my lawn. We may lift the grass and putting down stones. We said that last year though.

Silent calls from scamsters offering insulation grants and a variety of “Home Improvement” loans. We get more silent calls than any other. Same problem as last year.

Lack of communication – Companies and organisations who don’t reply to e-mails still annoys me. E-mail is supposed to make communication quicker. It doesn’t, it just makes ignorance faster. (Same problem as last year and the year before)

WHAT DOES 2012 HOLD?
Finish my book? DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH
A paid job in radio/broadcasting? A LONG SHOT BUT I’M NOT GIVING UP
Hopefully an appearance on Pointless? THE APPLICATION IS IN
Weight loss? I’LL TRY
Exercise routine? ONCE THE ANKLE IS SORTED
Secret Affair gig? CHECK, TICKET PURCHASED.
Entry in for Ian Rankin Scholarship at College? FINGERS CROSSED

All the best to you and yours for 2012.

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Playlist: Where The Action Is – Thu 22 Dec 2011 LEITH FM

You can tune in every Thursday night between 8.30pm and 10.30pm on 98.8 FM in and around Edinburgh and online via www.leithfm.co.uk or using TuneIn Web Tuner.You can also join in the chat during the show on the “Where The Action Is (Radio Show)” Facebook page. If you’re listening in the USA the show starts at approximately 1230 (PST), 1330 (MST), 1430 (CST) and 1530 (EST).

Requests are welcome for the show, including the features, and I’ll try and accommodate them all, although it may take a couple of weeks to slot them all in.

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

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Playlist: Where The Action Is – Thur 15 Dec 2011 LEITH FM

Following weather-related problems, Where The Action Is is back with the first of two festive specials. We’ll have the usual alternative tunes from the late 50s through to the early 70s, as well as our regular features and all with a Christmas theme. We’ll play a round of the Connect 3 puzzle (can you guess the link between the three Christmas tracks?), the Half-Time Instrumental, a Foreign Language track (which country will we visit this week?), the Under the Influence choice and this week’s Two of a Kind. There will be no Death Disco track this week.

Marvin Gaye – Purple Snowflakes (Motown 1964)
Tony Newman – Let The Good Times Roll (Decca 1968) (Show Theme)
Paul Revere and the Raiders – Wear a Smile at Christmas (Columbia 1967)
Valerie Masters – Christmas Calling (RGM 1964)
James Brown – Santa Claus, Go Straight To The Ghetto (King 1969) 
Margo Guryan – I Don’t Intend To Spend Christmas Without You (Demo 1967)
Scott Walker – Winter Night (Philips 1969) (Connect 3)
The Settlers – Till Winter Follows The Spring (1966 Pye) (Connect 3)
The Beach Boys – Child of Winter (Christmas Song) (Brother 1974) (Connect 3)
The Ivy League – The Holly and the Ivy League (medley) (Piccadilly 1965)
Connie Francis – I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter (MGM 1962) (Birthday: 12/12/38 Connie Francis)
Morecambe and Wise – Bingle Jells (Pye 1967)
The Searchers – Happiest Christmas of All (Unreleased 1996)
Jan and Dean – Frosty (The Snowman) (Liberty 1962)
Darlene Love – White Christmas (Philles 1963)
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Christmas Lullaby (Motown 1968)
Keith West – Sam (Parlophone 1967)
Russ Conway – Snow Coach (Columbia 1959) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Majority – All Our Christmases (Decca 1968)
Isabelle Aubret – Savez Vous Qu’il Faut Au Sapin de Noel? (Disques Meys 1969) (Foreign Language)
The Flirtations – Christmas Time Is Here Again (Deram 1968)
Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans – Here Comes Santa Claus (Philles 1963)
Chuck Berry – Run Rudolph Run (Chess 1958)
Camera Obscura – The Blizzard (4AD 2009) (Under The Influence)
Attic Lights/Cerys Matthews – Santa’s Girlfriend (Island 2008) (Under The Influence)
The Orchids – Mr Scrooge (Decca 1964)
The Ronettes – Sleigh Ride (Philles 1963) (Two of a Kind)
The Ronettes – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Philles 1963) (Two of a Kind)
Bryan Taylor – Let It Snow on Christmas Day (Piccadilly 1961)
Stevie Wonder – The Miracles of Christmas (Tamla 1966)
Claudine Longet – Snow (A&M 1967)
The Beatles – Christmas Time Is Here Again (Lyntone 1967)
The Free Design – Close Your Mouth (It’s Christmas) (Project 3 1968)
Joan Regan – Must Be Santa (Pye 1960)
Lonnie Donegan – Virgin Mary (Pye 1960)

Thanks to everyone who tuned in. Your contributions and feedback are always welcomed. I’ll be back next week with another festive show and on 29 December I’ll be playing my favourite tracks from my own shows this year. Tonight’s show included requests for June Taylor (Southport), Mrs Cat (Dunfermline), Phil Jordan (Seattle), Kevin Rowan-Drewett (Blackpool), Joe Haining (Milan), Cally Baldwin (Glenrothes), Sue McGookin, Sandi Richters Moore (Iowa), Sheila Godfrey (East Kilbride), Fay Gray, Robert Cudmore (Dunfermline), Scott Hastie (Glenrothes), Catriona Vernal (Edinburgh), Gary Durkin (Edinburgh), James McLean (Dunfermline) and Lauree McArdle (Arlington, Virginia).

You can tune in every Thursday night between 8.30pm and 10.30pm on 98.8 FM in and around Edinburgh and online via www.leithfm.co.uk or using TuneIn Web Tuner.You can also join in the chat during the show on the “Where The Action Is (Radio Show)” Facebook page. If you’re listening in the USA the show starts at approximately 1230 (PST), 1330 (MST), 1430 (CST) and 1530 (EST).

Requests are welcome for the show, including the features, and I’ll try and accommodate them all, although it may take a couple of weeks to slot them all in.

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

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Playlist: Where The Action Is – Thu 1 Dec 2011 LEITH FM Jocknroll special

To celebrate St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland this week’s Where The Action Is takes on a Jocknroll theme. We’ll have the usual sporran of tunes from Scottish acts of the late 50s through to the early 70s, as well as our regular features. We’ll play a round of the Connect 3 puzzle (can you guess the link between the three Scottish tracks?), the Half-Time Instrumental, a Foreign Language track (which country will we visit this week?), the Under the Influence choice and this week’s Two of a Kind. There will be no Birthday or Death Disco tracks this week.

Hopscotch – Look at the Lights Go Up (United Artists 1968)
Tony Newman – Let The Good Times Roll (Decca 1968) (Show Theme)
James Galt – In My Own Way (Pye 1965)
The McKinleys – When He Comes Along (Columbia 1964)
The Echo-Sounds – Bull Moose (Popular 1966) 
The Beatstalkers – Left Right Left (Decca 1966)
Barry St. John – Bread and Butter (Decca 1964) (Connect 3)
Marmalade – Chains (CBS 1968) (Connect 3)
Lulu – Choc Ice (Decca 1965) (Connect 3)
Chris McClure – Meditation (Polydor 1968)
20th Century Sounds – She’s Nice People (SAUSCA 1965)
The Blues Council – Baby Don’t Look Down (Parlophone 1964)
Iron Virgin – Rebels Rule (Deram 1974)
The Misfits – Hanging Around (Aberdeen Student Charity Appeal 1966)
Bobby Patrick Six – Monkey Time (Decca 1964)
The Athenians – I Got Love If You Want It (Waverley 1964)
Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Faith Healer (Vertigo 1973)
The Beatstalkers – Base Line (Decca 1966) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Studio Six – Don’t Tell Lies (Polydor 1966)
Lulu – Wenn Du Da Bist (Decca 1966) (Foreign Language)
Alex Harvey – Agent 00 Soul (Fontana 1965)
The Hi Fis – I Wanna Hear You Say Yeah (Alp 1966) (Death Disco)
The Boston Dexters – Nothing’s Gonna Change Me (Contemporary 1964)
Miller Anderson – Bright City (Deram 1971)
The Thanes – Hey Girl (Look What You’ve Done) (DDT 1987) (Under The Influence)
Donovan – Wear Your Love Like Heaven (Epic 1967)
Linda Flavell – And The Trouble With You Is Me (Decca 1966)
The Poets – I’ll Come Home (Immediate 1966) (Two of a Kind)
The Poets – I’ll Cry Wth The Moon (Decca 1965) (Two of a Kind)
Dean Ford & The Gaylords – That Lonely Feeling (Columbia 1965)
Dream Police – Living Is Easy (Decca 1970)
New Faces – Walk Tall Like a Man (Pye 1966)
The Societie – Breaking Down (Deram 1967)
Joss Monroe & The Mark Eton Sound – Sha La La (West 1972)
Gallagher & Lyle – Ivy Unrehearsed (Unreleased 1968)
Sol Byron & The Impacts – Pride and Joy (Flamingo 1964)

Thanks to everyone who tuned in. Your contributions and feedback are always welcomed. I’ll be back next week with a show celebrating the work of those who have passed away this year, followed by a fortnight of Christmas shows (15th and 22nd). Tonight’s show included requests for Kevin Rowan-Drewett (Blackpool), Sheila Godfrey (East Kilbride), Fay Gray and Scott Basham (Edinburgh).

You can tune in every Thursday night between 8.30pm and 10pm on 98.8 FM in and around Edinburgh and online via www.leithfm.co.uk or using TuneIn Web Tuner.You can also join in the chat during the show on the “Where The Action Is (Radio Show)” Facebook page. If you’re listening in the USA the show starts at approximately 1230 (PST), 1330 (MST), 1430 (CST) and 1530 (EST).

Requests are welcome for the show, including the features, and I’ll try and accommodate them all, although it may take a couple of weeks to slot them all in.

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

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