2008/07/17

2008/07/15

Ogden's nut gone flake on stage!


The Who's album Tommy is widely acclaimed as the very first Rock And Roll concept album ....WRONG! The Small Faces classic album Ogden's Nut Gone Flake predates the Who's effort by a full 12 months but unlike Tommy it has never graced the stage......until now. This million selling album celebrates its 40th birthday this year and surely rates alongside the Beatles Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and the Beach Boys Pet Sounds as one of the finest, if not THE finest album of the swinging 1960s. It tells the story, in a typically whimsical English manner, of a character called Happiness Stan and his quest to find the missing half of the moon and features just about every genre of music in doing so. It mixes the Psychedelia of the day with Old Time Music Hall, Folk and Heavy Rock and just to add even more spice to the pudding the unique presence of Stanley Unwin's narration. The Playbox theatre production featuring the Small Fakers, Stanley Unwin's son John, actors, actresses, puppeteers et al. is for 3 nights only and NOT TOO BE MISSED!
Nice or what ..... John Hellier.

You can book tickets by calling the Box
Office on 01926 419555 Ext 2.
__._,_.___

2008/07/14

Guilford 2005, Radio Broadcast. From Martin V. Thanx!


Paul Weller - Guilfest 2005
From The Floorboards Up / Hung Up / Science / Wishing On A Star / Start of Forever / That's Entertainment / You Do Something To Me / Foot Of The Mountain / Changing Man / Broken Stones / Sunflower / A Town Called Malice

Guilfest, Stoke Park link (big file. No cuts)
(Original Pic and Sleeve by Manu.)

2008/07/11

Heart of glass is not only a Blondie's song


It's also a real piece of art made by Claire Vickery, Wigzy, miracle maker and also art pieces designer. She has made a piece that should be of interest. Inspired by the Peter Blake artwork on Stanley Road and suggested by Dodger, She has made a glass square target with a heart as the top layer. It measures 7cm x 8cm (inc. the wire), has four layers of yellow, red, blue and red and clear for the heart and can be hung by the integrated wire in a window, mirror or on a wall. And it rocks!

Faces Reunion? (From Mick Nutgone, Thx!)

The Faces

Faces reunion on

6 Music speaks exclusively to Ian McLagan who confirms the rumours
11 July 2008 - It has been nearly four decades since they first formed, but it looks like the Faces could be joining forces once again. Active from 1969 they disbanded in 1975 with Ronnie Wood later joining The Rolling Stones and drummer Kenny Jones eventually becoming a member of The Who.

We've been speaking exclusively to the Faces keys player, Ian McLagan, who said all the original members of the group - including Ron Wood, Kenny Jones and the previously hesitant Rod Stewart - are all up for reforming. The 5th original member, Ronnie Lane, died in 1997. (And he WAS the Faces... We were not revloving arounf Rod, we were revolving around Ronnie said Ian McLagan a long time ago...This note is from me, of course.)

McLagan said it just a matter of getting it together: “I’ve wanted to for years and so has Woody and Kenny. Rod is now interested it seems and I’m real pleased about that, and he’s serious about it. I mean we’re trying to get it together, it’s just a question of schedules.” As to when the supergroup are planning on coming together again, McLagan told 6 Music: “We’re hoping to get together later this year, just to get together, to play and then we may have some news - but I want it to happen, badly. It’s gonna be great if it does happen.”

Maggie May hitmaker Rod Stewart was the one member who was unsure of the reunion in the past but McLagan said that he’s now approaching it differently. “Rod hasn’t wanted to do it for a long time, he didn’t see the need in it,” he explained, “but I think he really wants to now, I think he wants to rock out. I think it’d be great, great for everybody.” Now they’re all on board, McLagan said it’s more likely to happen soon because they’re all available this year: “The Stones aren’t gonna tour for over a year so Woody has a window of opportunity, Rod has a window approaching. “My window is ever being opened and shut but I’ll open that window and climb through it to work with The Faces anytime, and Kenny’s up for it.”


Tour and album

And it seems a tour would be a likely outcome of the reunion, maybe even an album. “I think what we’d probably do is a couple of gigs in London and then there’s talk of some in America. I think we should do Austin to rock Austin. I don’t care about LA but I mean Chicago and Detroit - they made the Faces.” McLagan’s already been working on some new material: “Well it would be great to record new tracks, I have a couple of songs that Rod might like. We’d have to see, I think that would be the way to go though, not just to go out on tour. It’d be great to have an album.” This might even include digging out some of their lost Faces songs to create a record with some old and some new. “Even if it was a few tracks we could tag onto older tracks or tracks that haven’t been heard before, because there’s some stuff in the vaults,” McLagan said.

The keyboardist concluded, “I’ve got my fingers crossed, my eyes and my legs crossed.”There is a shadow of doubt cast over their plan this morning though. Ronnie Wood is on the front of The Sun newspaper, amid claims he's left he wife for an 18 yr old waitress. His wife Jo admits the two are in Ireland together, but says they're just friends.

Georgie Rogers

2008/07/10

Traffic, live in 1970. Fillmore East.




Hi everyone, Manu Gomez did it again and he needs Style Council Pics to create artwork for you... I've aked people to send him TSC photos and he had... Absolutely none! Amazing, he works for us and he didn't have any pic... So please...

carnationart@gmail.com

Traffic was absolutely great and remember the dedication of "As is now". It was dedicated to Jim Capaldi, one of the greatest drummer ever, according to Paul Weller himself. Stevie's voice...Jim's drumming, etc. Very Unique band. The last Stevie Winwood LP worth a listen according to ... John and me. It looks like his forst solo lp, not very impressive when you listen it once but it's a grower, a true one...

2008/07/08

Zombies never really die! (another Mike's Ace)

The Zombies 40th Anniversary Concert Live Album Out Now 07 Jul 08



The Zombies Add Third Odessey & Oracle Performance
For those unlucky enough not to be present to witness The Zombies replicate live, for the first time since its release 4 decades ago, their seminal album ‘Odessey & Oracle’, you are in for a Zombies feast. The entire concert staged on that mild, March evening at the Shepherds Bush Empire earlier this year is to be released as a double CD, a set so good that you need never feel like you weren't part of those magical shows.


On that night the original members of The Zombies reunited to perform the premiere of ‘Odessey & Oracle’, preceded by a veritable banquet of Zombie connected material, from Argent hits to Colin Blunstone’s string quintet material from his beautiful album ‘One Year’. The album opens with ‘Care of Cell 44’, instantly letting you know you’re in for a treat with beautiful escalating harmonies that excel all expectations heard live. Only to be followed by highlights including the layered harmonies of ‘Maybe After He’s Gone’ and ‘Beechwood Park’, the soaring vocals during ‘Hung Up On A Dream’ and an amazing performance of ‘Time of the Season’ heralds a standing ovation before they close with their much loved debut ‘She’s Not There’.

A super-group of musicians including Paul Weller, Robert Plant, Robyn Hitchcock, Snow Patrols Gary Lightbody & members of Garbage queued to witness the premiere performance of the 1968 album, that has inspired so many and become a cult classic. This A-List audience only confirms what an influential album this has been on stars of yesterday and today with Paul Weller picking up tickets for all three nights of his favourite album and Dave Grohl claiming that ‘Care of Cell 44’ changed his life.

After kicking off their current national tour with the release of ‘The Zombies and Beyond’ the Zombies are now set to release ‘Odessey and Oracle’ after the ultimate gig of the 31 date tour. The Zombies are back from the un-dead to resurrect ‘one of the best albums of the Psychedelic era’, perfect timing for a summer full of pure nostalgia...“As their voices soar in the middle of ‘Hung Up On A Dream’, it’s real shivers-down-the-spine stuff……timeless” – The Independent

“You could hardly credit it had taken 40 years to reach this seminal moment, which deserves to be ranked beside Brian Wilson’s remarkable comeback for its impeccable artistry and uplifting power” – The Scotsman

“Odessey and Oracle sounds fantastic. Some of it even gains in translation. Live, the surging harmonies of Care Of Cell 44 knock you sideways…………As Time Of The Season draws to a close, they get a standing ovation. It is the triumphant reception Odessey and Oracle always deserved, 40 years after the event” – The Scotsman



2008/07/07

New plans for old Faces? (Courtesy of Mike)


WE’VE had LED ZEPELLIN, PINK FLOYD and THE POLICE.

Now THE FACES – starring wrinkly rockers ROD STEWART and RONNIE WOOD – are making a comeback. Ooh la la indeed. Rod and Ronnie went for a long lunch on Thursday at Mayfair restaurant Cipriani’s to discuss their plans. And the upshot of their afternoon on the sauce was an agreement to get back on the road soon. A source said: “Ron and Rod had a great time reminiscing. They were having a laugh and a joke but there is still a serious hunger to get back in the studio.

“There are plans for the band to start recording in the autumn with a tour in the pipeline for this winter.”

The original lineup of the band also included RONNIE LANE – he died in 1997 – on bass guitar, IAN McLAGAN on keyboards and KENNEY JONES on drums.

The Sun Article

Another Summer advice: Don't forget your sunglasses.


Courtesy of John. Last Wapping Wharf issue still worldwide available.

2008/07/06

Have some fun with Friends? play darts!


Special dedication to Jean-Christophe, the darts man!
Come back in a good shape, man! :)

2008/07/03

Paul Weller and Duffy. Q Photos' Session.

The Never Ending Interview: Bowie's humble beginning.

Yann: John, I've listened carefully the Deram Anthology of Bowie because of wha you've said about "London Boys" as a Mod Anthem, and... it's great, don't you think? Some lyrics are amazing... Maid of bond street... He was really in a "kinks" way of writing, eh? I'm very surprised... What you think?

John Hellier: I love that very first David Bowie album from 1966, that’s the one that London Boys came from. It’s never been highly rated in the UK. When Space Oddity and, later on, Ziggy Stardust made him into a superstar the first Deram album was re-released (many times) and always got slaughtered in the music press. May have something to do with the Laughing Gnome! That was pure comedy and that will always be Bowie’s Yellow Submarine, I suppose. One of his biggest influences in those days was a guy called Anthony Newley and his presence is strongly felt on that debut album. I love it though and it features marvellous, whimsical English lyrics and if Ray Davies had wrote those songs in 1966 everybody would have raved about them. Did you know that David Bowie, as a solo artist, was support act to Humble Pie on their first ever UK tour in 1969? I also remember him doing Sunday afternoon sessions at the Marquee club in London’s Soho. He’d play from 3.oclock to 6.oclock and sometimes there would be as many as 10 people in there, most of Australian tourists! Anyway, from humble beginnings eh…



NB: The laughing gnome 45 RPM has a logo you've ever seen elsewhere! :)




2008/07/02

Faces Paris Theatre London, February 1973



Brutha Yann,
Looks like you had a great response to the recent Faces shows, so I thought I'd share one from my archives. Legend has it that this show was recorded for broadcast on the BBC, but was shelved as the boys sounded too drunk. What it sounds like to me is a rocking good time! Some great covers show up in the set including a fantastic takes on "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Memphis, Tennessee." So, I hope you and your readers enjoy "Five Lovable Young Men Who's Music Is Currently Taking The Country By Storm!"


Peace and SOUL, Dave...
Manu made the artwork!

2008/07/01

N°1 of the Cornershop's charts?



Still the magic Ronnie Lane EP, courtesy of John Hellier! 230 dls and still downloaded every day!

The troubadour is still the magic one!