As I type it's Bob Dylan's 80th birthday. Happy Birthday, Bob. [I presume he reads my blog] I hope that tartan scarf I threw at you at the SEC in Glasgow all those years ago is still keeping you warm.
I enjoyed The Big Sleep.
I think I might start saying stuff like “Shake your business up and pour it, I haven’t got all day” to folk - just to see how that goes.
I read this in a day...
Powerful and poetically grim.
I am pretty sure I saw Hamish Imlach in a free concert with Ossian in Glasgow - maybe in The People's Palace? - when I was at secondary school, sometime in the eighties. I can't really remember anything about it. I've only ever really known of him. But I took the notion to read this book of his memoirs...
It doesn't disappoint...
And this is quite something...
I think it's the Fire Saga effect but for the first time in forever I made a point of watching and enjoying The Eurovision Song Contest.
A wee tip: if you are ever in the Tunnock's shop in Uddingston Main Street, be sure and pick up a banana loaf.
And now a visit to Poetry Corner (the second verse is my favourite):
I was glad to work on the titles music for this show.
(Still waiting on the call from Gary Numan to produce his next album...)
Thanks to everyone who's bought/streamed "Endless Arcade" thus far, propelling us to Number 11 (count ' em) in the Official UK album Charts on the week of release.
And thanks for all the kind words; most especially this from Brendan O' Hare...
If you missed (or you'd like to relive, you crazy person) the Tim's Twitter Listening Party happening - here's the link.
I should have posted this pic during it - my POV in the Hamburg studio...
And speaking of Toby Jones (Silky! -Ed.) I enjoyed TJ's adaption of 5 x Marcovaldo stories by Italo Calvino on Radio 4 (thanks for the tip, Eugene). Jones narrates and McKenzie Crook is understatedly brilliant as the put upon hero. They made me re-read this:
Now I'm reading some Raymond Chandler for a thing.
I've been getting into cheese - the dairy foodstuff.
Some Alp Blossom last week
I've got an idea for a joke:
How do a porcupine and a slice of Welsh cheese make love?
Very Caerphilly.
Admittedly it's not quite there yet. Needs development. Might start a crowdfunder.
TV? I'm still watching The Hairy Bikers, Monty Python, Futurama, Giants Of Snooker...
As I write the new Teenage Fanclub album "Endless Arcade" has finally been released into the wild.
It was a pleasure to make: grooving to Dave's bass-playing, eating schnitzel (not at the same time) and generally hitting drums on great songs. Working and hanging out with good people is something I try not to take for granted.
Aye, aye aye, very good. But is it up to much?
Well, you can make up your own mind by clicking here.
Now this was a rollercoaster ride...
... I don't think I've ever read a book so quickly. And if you want me to sum it up - I can't.
To quote Ivor Cutler, women of the world world - take over. Greta for president; Dee Hepburn for Minister For Sport:
If you love Gregory's Girl as much as me - here's a lovely chat between Nicola Meighan, Clare Grogan, Alex Norton and Bill Forsyth.
Farewell, Jim Steinman. Wagner maybe have written The Ring Cycle - but you wrote Dead Ringer For Love and Total Eclipse Of The Heart. I found this interview with Meatloaf moving.
I enjoyed being back in Motherwell Civic for the video shoot. Hadn't been there in yonks (aside from one Fanclub gig in *relatively* recent times). Lots of my own teenage memories bubbled up; gigs with the Motherwell District Concert Band (with whom I played drums/percussion; meeting saxophonist Joe McAlinden who brought me into the orbits of The Boy Hairdressers, BMX Bandits and The Groovy Little Numbers) and also with A Parcel O' Rogues - a school folk band with whom I pretended to play the bodharn, writing tunes with my best pal John McCusker. But enough reminiscing from this misty-eyed old fool -forgi’e a hameless loon that canna see for tears...
I am reading this:
I'm enjoying it for its wit as much as anything:
"Then, feeling that this shifting of attention from herself to Mrs. Morgan's husband's sister was to be encouraged, she led Mrs. Morgan on to a further recital of that lady's career, including her gentlemen friends, her varicose veins and her final demise without a burial insurance."
TV? Mister Winner; The Mind Of Benedict Clunkerdunk (end credits of the last episode = particularly good); Monty Python (Series 1 of Flying Circus & Holy Grail); Wandavision; Futurama; The Hairy Bikers: Route 66...
If, like me, you watched "Only When I Laugh" back in the day...
...you might enjoy this interview with Christopher Strauli.
I was moved by this piece of writing by Audrey Gillan who has spent Lockdown on Armona.
I like listening to this from VÃkingur Ólafsson.
Re-watched - and loved - this. (If I'm ever invited on to Desert Island Discs I might have to choose America as one of my songs.) I inflicted half an hour of this on a certain 12 year-old who said, "He reminds me of the grumpy grandfather in Up". He had a point.
I have been writing some music inspired by Humphrey Bogart. But that's another story.
I've been on a Louis Prima kick recently. I have a distant memory of sitting in an Italian restaurant in Renfield St, Glasgow with the late Alex Chilton and a couple of other folk. Whatever they had on the sound system, Alex asked the staff if they would let him stick on his Best Of Louis Prima CD instead. They obliged and Alex grinned like the Cheshire Cat That Got The Cream. I remember Alex talking up "That Old Black Magic" and such at the time. But for some reason a switch just flipped with me a few days ago.
Prima's duet (as King Louie) with Baloo The Bear is probably my favourite sequence in all of the Disney movies.
"Pennies From Heaven is on repeat in my head (Teenage Fanclub should get into some scat singing).
But here's Louis getting as good as he gives courtesy of Keely Smith. Their live shows must have been a riot...
I have the notion to give this a go...
If you get the chance to see Killing Escobar I would recommend taking it.
I've been re-watching Fawlty Towers. The episode The Germans references Britain joining the Common Market with Basil saying he didn't vote for it. And now look where we are.
Dunblane: Our Storywas recently repeated on BBC One. I appreciated the opportunity to work on the music. Director Stephen Bennett made a powerful, moving film - deserving of its Scottish BAFTA.
I'm currently writing country-ish music for a TV documentary and also titles music for a children's TV show.
Laura Cantrell covers Freedy Johnston for Charity: hear her here.
Velvet Sheep asked me to recommend a song. But what did I choose?!? Find out here.
I've been writing music for a proposed children's TV show, and also a documentary about certain people on Lewis. More I cannot say.
I've been dipping into this gem of a book:
TV? Darren McGarvey's Class Wars; Murder In A Small Town; The Mandalorian; Futurama; Junior Bake Off...
Marcus Harben passed away. I didn't know him well but I liked him a lot. I hadn't seen him for years but when I think of him, he is smiling. Sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. I'll repost this.
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