My Magical Transistor Radio

It was the 1960's. The Beatles were just bursting on the scene, everybody else was either a Beatles or a Stones fan, but I held back because I knew that rock n roll began in the USA, not in Butlins. We always went to Hunstanton, Skegness or Cromer in the summer holidays. The summer of 64 I used to hang out in an amusement arcade to listen to the music on the jukebox and to play on the machines. There was a penny cascade which paid out 2p for Gregory Peck, 3p for Jane Russell, 4p for Ava Gardner and 6p for Marilyn Monroe. When the attendant wasn't looking I would nudge the machine and the money would fall down, then I would put the money in the jukebox. One day I was in there and a song came on the jukebox. 'Round round, get around, I get around,' I stopped dead in my tracks, this was the sound I had been looking for, it was the sound of America, it held the promise of sunshine, sea, girls, cars and excitement. It was The Beach Boys. I had found the soundtrack for my teenage life. 

BBC radio was rubbish in those days but the new pirate station Radio Caroline began in 1964, I was determined to hear the new music. In Curry's window in Bridge Street I saw a transistor radio for sale, it looked so elegant in its brown leather case, shoulder strap and a little case for its earpiece, it was £4/19/11p. I paid 2/6 deposit and it was mine. I paid it off at two bob a week from my paper round. We went for a walk down by the river every Sunday afternoon. I can see it clearly in my minds eye, the weeping willow trees and Ted Hammond hiring out his rowing boats and I would take along my radio and listen to Pick Of The Pops with Alan Freeman. That was when the new weeks chart was announced. 

The real joy was getting into bed and getting my earpiece in and listening to the sounds that floated in through the ether from the pirate radio stations. I don't think I have experienced such enjoyment in listening to music as I did listening to that magical transistor radio. We had no record player in the house until 1966, so this was my only contact with the pop music, apart from Top Of The Pops on Thursday which was a must. Roger Twiggy Day had a Beach Buddies spot on Caroline which I always listened to and sent in a request for Surfin' USA but he didn't play it . I followed the Beach Boys career closely though California Girls, Help Me Rhonda, Little Girl I Once Knew, until we got to the year of 1966. The Beach Boys finally broke through in a big way in Britain with four hit singles in a row, Barbara Ann, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, and Good Vibrations. We finally got a record player and I bought Good Vibrations. Now we had a record player there was no stopping me, I was on the hunt for sounds. At the top of Lincoln Road in Peterborough was a second-hand record shop called Cranes. I used to spend hours in there gold-mining, sifting through the entire stock until I had whittled it down to my decision. Then give Mr Crane my 2/6p for my one record. I managed to get all the Beach Boys old singles this way and if I couldn't get them it would be another American band, Lovin' Spoonful, Four Seasons, Sam the Sham, Young Rascals, anything as long as it was American. Sometimes I would find a real rarity such as Little Honda by The Hondells. Then I had really hit paydirt. Tesco's also used to sell ex jukebox records, they were 3/11 they didn't have any middles because they had been in jukeboxes so you had to buy an adapter to put in the record so you could play them. I bet the kids of today with hoods on their heads listening to rap on their I-pods don't get half as much fun out of music as we did in those faraway days of the 60's when music was young and exciting.

Word Of Mouth by Vin Garbutt

I ordered an album by Vin Garbutt at the same time as ordering Jackie Leven. I was reminded of the pair of them when I was out on one of my walks. I thought it was high time I got acquainted with Vin’s music because I met him at the Village Pump festival a few years ago, but I did not actually see him perform. Vin had finished his set when I met him and asked him for a photo. He seemed a very friendly person, and I think he was amused at the slogan on my t-shirt which said, F**k Google, Ask Me!. As with Jackie, I did not know which album to get. In the end I opted for one called Word Of Mouth from 1999. I had heard that Vin was a very funny guy when he performed live with lots of humorous anecdotes between the songs. Therefore, I was expecting quite a light-hearted collection of songs. I found out different though. Apart from one instrumental set of tunes and one funny observational song, the songs on this album are mainly powerful political songs which show a huge social conscience.

Vin & Me

Vin came from Middlesborough and sings with a strong northern accent. Some people, especially from outside Britain might find some words quite difficult to understand. Luckily, I got used to his accent quite quickly. The first song is called City Of Angels. It is set in Thailand where the name of the Capital city Bangkok means ‘City of Angels’. It tells the sad story of a girl called Anchali who is forced into prostitution in order to support her family. Forty Thieves is another protest against injustice, namely fishermen being swindled out of a fair price for their catch. It was written by Dave Evardson who comes from Grimsby, so knows what he is talking about. While listening to this song a TV series set in the north called When The Boat Comes In came to mind. I think that is because of Vin’s accent. Dark Side Of The Moon is nothing to do with Pink Floyd. It is a powerful anti-war song. The war in question is the Falklands conflict. John You Have Gone is a very sad song which Vin wrote about a friend of his who died in tragic circumstances.

Wilf Mannion

The sombre mood is lifted then with three instrumental tunes Wilf Mannion’s Jig / The Wild Irishman / Jamie’s Christening. It shows Vin is a great whistle player. Football fans will know that Wilf Mannion was a legendary player. Sarajevo is next and was written by Stan Graham at the height of the war in Bosnia. The Truth Is Irresistible is a humorous song, but also has a message about preserving the things in our heritage that are important. Waits And Weeps is a song about the Piper Alpha oil rig disaster in the North Sea in 1988 in which 168 workers died.

Vin’s mother was Irish and there is quite an Irish feel to this album. I wonder if she came from Kilorglin, County Kerry because Beyond The Pale is the story of someone who leaves that town and goes to England in search of fame and fortune and ends up regretting it. The area around Dublin used to be known as The English Pale and so the rest of Ireland was ‘beyond the pale’. The Beggar’s Bridge is an historic tale set in the reign of good Queen Bess. Tom Ferris goes off to sea after lovely Agnes’s father calls him a beggar. He returns rich and builds Beggar’s Bridge which is still standing today, marries fair Agnes and becomes Lord Mayor of Hull. Time And Tide was written by Beth Lyall & John Crookes and tells the story of the building of The Richmond which was the last big ship to be built at Swan Hunters famous shipyard on the River Tyne.

Beggar's Bridge, Glaisdale.

In my opinion Vin has saved the best until last because my favourite song here is called The Troubles Of Erin. Vin wrote it when the IRA ceasefire was announced in 1994 and there was hope for peace. In the song Vin chronicles the troubles from 1969 and it is a passionate plea for a peaceful future for Ireland. Let us hope it continues. I wish I had seen Vin Garbutt perform live, but sadly he died in 2017. To me he is a political folk singer in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joe Hill, Victor Jara and many more. I hope his legend will grow by word of mouth, his music live on and hopefully be enjoyed by future generations of folk music fans.

Duke Special - Orangefield - Amsterdam

Missa Luba

Saturday: It is still freezing; my wee pond has been frozen over for days. I hope my shubunkins are ok, I think they will be, they go right to the bottom of the pond when it freezes, it has happened before. I had some good news and some bad news today. The good news is that I get my first jab of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. Maybe, fingers crossed we will get out of this mess before too long. The bad news is that my team Peterborough United are not playing today. The pitch at Blackpool is frozen, so the game is postponed. Let’s hope Posh can hang on to 3^rd place even without playing. Following my Jackie Leven post yesterday where I said I could not see a Van Morrison connection with Jackie, a fan contacted me and said that Jackie recorded a great live version of Van’s Slim Slow Slider. I found it on youtube and agree that it is excellent. I shared it to this blog page if you want to hear it. Also, I discovered that Jackie made an album called Jackie Leven Says which is obviously a Van’ism. Not only that, but Jackie also recorded with novelist Ian Rankin who we know is a huge Van fan. I might investigate this further.

At the moment on this cold afternoon, I am listening to a CD called Missa Luba by Les Troubadours Du Roi Bauduoin. It is a Congolese Mass which was recorded in 1958, but not released in the UK until 1964. It was composed by a Belgian Franciscan friar called Father Guido Haazen. I have owned the vinyl album for years but cannot play that because I haven’t got a turntable. I saw the CD on eBay for £2.99 postage free, so I bought it. I first became aware of this recording in the 1970s when one track called Sanctus was featured in a film directed by Lindsey Anderson called If. I thought it was wonderful. I wonder if this was the start of what we now call World Music. I hope the original musicians and choir were rewarded for their great music and not just exploited like a lot of African people living under European colonial rule.

I can’t think of anything else to say today. The weather is supposed to get a bit warmer tomorrow. That might mean rain, but if it doesn’t rain I might go for a walk. I have been cooped up too long. See you later.

Slim Slow Slider (live) Jackie Leven

Defending Ancient Springs by Jackie Leven.

Friday afternoon, sitting in my kitchen as sunlight streams through the window, giving the illusion of warmth. I am listening to a CD which arrived yesterday called Defending Ancient Springs by Jackie Leven. I was reminded of Jackie Leven last week when I saw his name on the Village Pump Festival memorial when I was out on a walk. I had heard people speak highly of him and he had been compared to Van Morrison. I decided to order an album and I thought it would give me something to write about and keep my brain working during this lock-down. When I looked at his discography, I did not know which album to get, so I ordered this one from the year 2000 because I liked the name. The CD has an attractive booklet packed with information. The cover is a photo of the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva. I had never heard of her, but I have just been reading about her life. She lived through the Russian revolution and committed suicide in 1941 during the Stalin era and is now thought of as one of the greatest Russian poets. It shows Jackie Leven was well read.

The music turned out to be nothing like I expected. I thought it would be a kind of simple folkie, acoustic type sound, but no, it is a very complex album featuring a whole assortment of instruments and sounds. The opening track even surprised me because it is a cover of the Righteous Brothers classic You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling. It is a duet with David Thomas from the band Pere Ubu. David Thomas makes quite a large contribution to this album. Most of the album was recorded in Bethesda in North Wales, which is an area I know quite well from my college days. I like this version, but I do not know why he recorded it because nothing will ever top the Righteous Brothers original. Perhaps they just did it for fun and there is nothing wrong with that. Single Father is an upbeat song with a sad message. It is about a broken relationship and coming to terms with not seeing your children. Paris Blues is just what it says, with some very bluesy tasteful guitar. The imagery in some of the lyrics evoked the vibe of Somewhere Down The Crazy River to me. David Thomas is featured again. There are some witty plays on words, such as ‘one horse lonesome sleigh’. It ends with Jackie reciting a stanza of a poem by the Spanish poet Antonio Machado. One of two poets translated by Robert Bly on this album. Jackie obviously liked poetry and it is quite educational for me looking them up.

Village Pump Memorial.

The title track Defending Ancient Springs is next, and he thanks the English poet Kathleen Raine for the inspiration for this song. It is a song about returning to your roots. It begins with the industrial sounds of heavy engineering. I assume Jackie came from an area which grew out of the industrial revolution. The industrial sounds are joined by heavy drumming and crashing guitars. There is another poem by Jun Ramon Jiminez. It is a powerful track. The Working Man’s Love Song by contrast is a simpler affair. It is quite a poignant song about how things will get better….but not today. Listening to it today reminded me of this pandemic we are having to endure, in the hope that things will get better. I Saw My Love Walk Into Clouds is possibly my favourite song after three listens. It is a simple touching love song with exquisite guitar and violin playing. Hand Is Pale With Holy Kisses is adapted from a poem by Marina Tsvetaeva. The words have a desolate feel despite the religious imagery. We can only guess at what Russian people had to endure in those days.

Your Winter Days is another song with lots of snow in the lyrics, which all adds to the feeling of underlying melancholy pervading the album. The Keys To The Forest I found to be one of the most melodic songs on offer. I like it a lot. It almost has the air of an old Scottish or Irish folk ballad, along the lines of Danny Boy or something like that. The song starts as a song of lost love beside the Firth Of Clyde but ends with some harrowing lyrics which suggest it might be from the view of a soldier in World War 1. The final track Morbid Sky isn’t written by Jackie Leven, it is by David Thomas & Keith Moline and features The Pale Orchestra. The arrangement is like avant garde jazz or something that Captain Beefheart might have dreamed up. I quite like it, but do not understand it. Listening to the whole album I have not seen a Van Morrison connection, except there is a line in this track which says, ‘Them days, I feel like a motherless child’. I have now heard the album three times. I am glad I bought it because I have enjoyed listening to it. I think it will grow on me.  Jackie Leven died in 2011, so I wish I had seen him play in concert while he was alive. However, I have a suspicion that hardcore Jackie Leven fans might not consider this album one of his greatest. It would be nice if they let me know which ones they recommend.

Love On The Dole.

Deborah Kerr.

Because of spending most of yesterday in bed I was wide awake at midnight. Flicking around the channels for something worth watching I stumbled across an old black and white film that I enjoyed immensely called Love On The Dole, a British film made in 1941. It was based on a novel of the same name by Walter Greenwood. Set in Salford during the depression of the 1930s it portrays the poverty that people lived in, even when they had jobs, and things got even worse with unemployment. Unemployment benefits were cut even more by being means tested. People were at the mercy of pawnbrokers and other unscrupulous characters.

The only name I recognised in the credits was Deborah Kerr who was only nineteen when she played the lead role of Sally. I thought she was brilliant and for a Scottish actress her Lancashire accent was perfect. When her fiancée is killed during a demonstration, she falls into the hands of a local bookie to save her family from destitution. There is some humour to lighten the depressing story, which is provided by a coven of old ladies who meet up to drink gin, hold seances, and read tea leaves. One of them was Irish, I am always curious about the Irish, so I looked her up on Wikipedia to find out more. The actress’s name was Maire O’Neill and her story I found fascinating. She was born in 1886 and has a place in theatre history because in 1907 at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin she was the first person to play the role of Pegeen Mike Flaherty in John Millington Synge’s masterpiece The Playboy of the Western World. She was engaged to Synge, but tragically he died of cancer in 1909 before they could wed. Synge wrote the plays The Playboy of the Western World and Deirdre of the Sorrows for her. She appeared in many films up to 1953 including Alfred Hitchcock's film version of Seán O'Casey's play Juno and the Paycock.

Maire O'Neill.

I will not tell you any more about the film in case you want to watch it yourself. It was not only the north of England that was grim in the 1930s, but it was also all over the world. The problem of unemployment was solved by organising the second World War. I think, by writing Love On The Dole the author Walter Greenwood who himself left school at age 13, was appealing for a better, fairer world when the war was over. I think it is no surprise that the people rejected the past in the election of 1944 and the Labour government had a landslide victory and established the NHS, the Welfare State, equal education opportunities and housing fit for people to live in. I am sure this film played some part in that.

I would like to end by wishing a very happy 89^th birthday to Dennis Skinner, one of the few politicians left in Britain with any integrity.

Dennis Skinner.