My brother Michael’s new book, Broken Pieces: A Library Life 1941-1978, is a personal and professional memoir.
Blessed & Blasted: J’aime, Je n’aime pas. 1975
Interesting to note that Roland Barthes’ “anarchic foam of tastes and distastes” is contemporaneous with You’re Gonna Wake Up. No surprise then that J’aime, je n’aime pas became the starting point for updates and personal interpretations among list-loving binary-fixated bloggers from the mid-Noughties onwards.
Here is a translation of the Great Signifier’s original, complete with coda:
Continue reading Blessed & Blasted: J’aime, Je n’aime pas. 1975
Blokes Of Britain: Chris Salewicz
NAME: Chris Salewicz
RESIDES: London
OCCUPATION: Writer
Chris Salewicz is a neighbour and friend. My admiration for his work harks back more than three decades, when his words shone from the pages of the NME.
As detailed by In Their Own Write, this was no mean feat since Salewicz was part of the formidable team whose members included (deep breath): Max Bell, Angie Errigo, Pete Erskine, Mick Farren, Chrissie Hynde, Nick Kent, Nick Logan, Ian MacDonald, Kate Phillips, Charles Shaar Murray, Neil Spencer, Tony Tyler…
Now Salewicz deals in big subjects as an author, broadcaster and film-maker: his Strummer and Marley books capture the definitive portraits of these imposing figures, while involvement in such ventures as the documentary Beats Of Freedom denotes a mature reflection on his Polish roots.
In addition, Salewicz’s role as an aide-de-camp in Mick Jones’ ongoing Rock & Roll Public Library project betrays the highly attuned visual sensibilities conveyed in these, his answers to the Blokes Of Britain Questionnaire:
I like a bit of a cavort: Duck For the Oyster
Malcolm McLaren’s musical brilliance was first showcased on the seamless + timeless Duck Rock; it’s a really jumping record and this is one of the many highlights.
Sure Malcolm would have appreciated this Youtube collagist’s approach; the footage is from David Hoffman’s 1965 film “Bluegrass Roots”, shot in Madison County, North Carolina. There’ll be contributors to online Ivy League forums creaming their chinos to the gear worn in this (I like the Elvis-style bell sleeve shirt worn by one chap).
Now dos-e-do + promena-a-a-de!
Going to Glastonbury
I’m going to Glastonbury. The festival, that is.
These aren’t words I anticipated ever typing. It’s good to confound expectations, particularly your own, and now I’m looking forward to it; there will be lots of pals there, and I have a purpose.
I’m going as a “performer”, booked as result of the Barney Bubbles connection (he created an elaborate sleeve to house the triple album Revelations, released to pay the debts accrued from the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre).
I like a bit of a cavort: Ssion – Clown
Friday nights round our way always take a turn for the cavort with Clown.
Love Ssion. Love Cody Critcheloe’s style. Love Peggy Noland‘s work.
Together, they’re…you guessed it: unstoppable.
On The Shelf with Värttinä
Värttinä ON THE SHELF from ON THE SHELF on Vimeo.
My friend Yuki mentioned this to me; as Rogerio introduces Finnish vocal trio Värttinä on his online TV show On The Shelf, spot the copy of The Look on conspicuous display behind him.
But Värttinä are the reason I’m posting this bewitching acapella performance.
On The Shelf TV – broadcast from Bar Trench in Shibuya – has been up and running for a couple of months. See more here.
Andy Dunkley: Wizard chap
My obituary for the DJ Andy Dunkley is in the Telegraph today – see here.
This photograph was taken on Hawkwind’s 1972 Space Ritual tour, on which he was the DJ and MC.
Here he is kicking off proceedings (with help from Stacia Blake) for the band which Lemmy described as “like Star Trek with long hair and drugs”:
I Like A Bit Of A Cavort: Sukia – The Dream Machine
My favourite group of the mid 90s were the antithesis of Britpop, which was alright with me.
Sukia came out of Silverlake with a vaguely sinister vibe, a clutch-bag of odd samples and a whole other set of references, many from Mexican-American trash culture. Their 1997 single The Dream Machine is a jump-up staple.
Continue reading I Like A Bit Of A Cavort: Sukia – The Dream Machine
I Like A Bit Of A Cavort: Being Boiled
This is a favourite of mine + Mrs G’s for a bit of a mid-to-late evening shape-throwing.
First because it’s a great song.
And then mine because every listen to my copy in the paper sleeve on Fast Product brings back the awe I felt on hearing the delivery of yet more true new music in that strange and wonderful period post-punk – and the befuddlement over the general lyrical drift and the particular reference to sericulture (look it up).
And then Caz’s because a) she likes it and b) her friends threw a party and Martyn Ware DJed and danced with us to it.
He’s a great bloke, and a great DJ.