My Little Red Dansette

I recently finished reading Kenney Jones' autobiography " Let The Good Times Roll". In it he recalls where his band mates Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott were introduced.  A few years back I thought it would be a great idea to have a 'blue' plaque put up on the site of that fateful meeting - the J60 Music Bar in Manor Park. I actually started researching what this entails. Reading the story in Kenney's book was an embarrassing reminder there is still no commemoration. Mulling this over last night, I decided to rededicate myself to making it happen. I know a green plaque was put up by Westminster City Council in 2007 on the site of the Carnaby Street office where Don Arden and The Small Faces 'worked'. I cannot help thinking the site of Ronnie and Steve's initial meeting is more worthy of celebration. If Ronnie hadn't walked into the shop at 445 High Street North on that spring day in 1965, the two of them may never meet and there would be n...

It was not just about the 'oohs',  the 'aahs' and the 'la-la-las'. I bought " Ram"  by Paul & Linda McCartney from Harveys Record Shop in Upton Park the day the album came out. There is an effusiveness in the playing and arrangements I rarely hear in records these days. The melodies   are very fine indeed. Lightweight or not, I think the lyrics work and compliment the rhythms and cadences in the songs. Do you really care what Paul is singing when it sounds this good?  And then you of course you get to the backing vocals and harmonies.  No bum harmonies here They are sung just by Mr. & Mrs. McCartney. Paul admitted "..it is all very well having Linda on harmonies but I'm not having her do bum harmonies.. [S]o I worked her like mad.". You hear the endeavour and effort in the grooves. Friends of mine who earn a living as professional backing singers say great b/vs don't happen by accident. There is much more ...

I am enjoying the sunshine in London. It brings back memories of my childhood summers, when the weather of course was always glorious (but not as hot). It also reminds me of  " Strawberry Fields Forever”  and  "Penny Lane" (w. John Lennon & Paul McCartney) put out by EMI as a double A-side single. I do not think there is another Beatles' 45 that boasts two better songs. Without doubt Lennon and McCartney were at the very height of their powers. If this is what fans had to look forward to in 1967, then it certainly vindicated the band's decision to quit touring.  In " Strawberry Fields " John recalls playing in the garden of this Salvation Army children's home in Liverpool during the summer as a boy. So he invites the listener to go back there with him ("Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to..). Lennon remembers what its like to be young with no cares, no responsibilities ("Nothing is real and nothing to get hung abo...