George Michael

I've seldom given much attention to George MIchael's music. Mostly because the songs of 'Wham', his early recording partnership with childhood friend Andrew Ridgely were almost the complete opposite of what I liked in pop music.

As a result, I knew little about his solo recordings. There was one, though, which when very occasionally played on radio, found something in me. A rather beautiful song, really.

Waltz in jazz.


'Cowboys and Angels' - 1991

The only George MIchael single not to make the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. He revealed a couple of years ago that the song was about a love triangle where he was in love with a man, while a woman friend was in love with him, but none knew of the others' feelings. 

When your heart's in someone else's hands
Monkey see and monkey do
Their wish is your command
You're not to blame
Everyone's the same

All you do is love and love is all you do
I should know by now, the way I fought for you
You're not to blame
Everyone's the same

I know you think that you're safe
Mister
Harmless deception
That keeps love at bay
It's the ones who resist that we most want to kiss
Wouldn't you say?
Cowboys and angels
They all have the time for you
Why should I imagine
That I'd be a find for you
Why should I imagine
That I'd have something to say
But that scar on your face
That beautiful face of yours
In your heart there's a trace
Of someone before

When your heart's in someone else's plans
Things you say and things you do
They don't understand
It's such a shame
Always ends the same

You can call it love but I don't think it's true
You should know by now
I'm not the boy for you
You're not to blame
Always ends the same

I know you think that you're safe
Sister
Harmless affection
That keeps things this way
It's the ones who persist for the sake of a kiss
Who will pay
Cowboys and angels
They all take a shine to you
Why should I imagine that I was designed for you
Why should I believe
That you would stay

But that scar on your face
That beautiful face of yours
Don't you think that I know
They've hurt you before

Take this man to your bed
Maybe his hands will help you to forget
Please be stronger than your past
The future may still give you a chance.

Saxophone - Andy Hamilton
Bass -           Deon Estus

Transport Problem

Not the best week, recently, for my transport.

The engine of my green Peugeot cut out, half way to Bristol.

Called out the rescue....

Who towed me to my local garage.....


Who pronounced.......

And so, dear reader, off to the recyclers.

I've pressed the Mazda project into service. Still a work in progress, but road legal.

I hadn't quite appreciated that MX5's are thirsty.  Or rather I did, but it only really sank in as I drove around over the past few days. I could almost see the fuel gauge moving downwards.

32mpg compared with 55mpg for the Peugeot.

I've temporarily addressed the problem by reducing the number of unnecessary excursions.
Some pondering on this to be done, though. A lot, really.

We shall see.

Grey Day

Murky day today, here in deepest darkest Somerset.

I found this, as an antidote.......

The Java Sea....

I read this article on the BBC website....

WW2 Ships Vanish....


Brought some memories back for me.

When I was a young teen in the 60's, most of my reading was books from public libraries. As with my parents. There wasn't really enough money around for regular book purchases.

Some books for the living room bookshelf did, though, appear. Mostly, as I recall, book club books passed through from an Aunt and Uncle. They lived in the London suburb of South Woodford. Very long back garden. Doorway through to Epping Forest.

One book that absolutely absorbed me was titled, I'm almost certain, 'The Coral Sea'. Can't remember anything about the author. And even searching the internet, I can find no trace.

The book was fiction based around the Battle of the Java Sea, and aftermath. In the story, the narrator describes, how the makeshift Allied Force Z fought against overwhelming odds to stem the Japanese invasion forces.

His ship was the destroyer Electra. The Electra attempted an attack, through a smokescreen, and was never seen again.

As a crewman, the narrator describes the sinking, drifting, and eventually fetching up on the coast of Borneo, and capture by the Japanese. Prisoner of war, and ultimately a forced march that appeared to be based on what I much later read as the Sandakan Death March.

Lots of years later, I earned my living as a freelance computer programmer. Semi detached house, live in girlfriend, dog. Commuting from Hampshire up to Reading everyday. A large computer manufacturer.

One day, almost Christmas, a call came through from the company person who dealt with the freelancers and contracts. Brief pleasantries exchanged. Then......

"Andrew..., would you be interested in working in Borneo..?"

Absolutely instantaneous... "Yes, I would".

And 7 weeks later, I arrived in Brunei.

During my years there, one of the places I visited was the island of Labuan, a few miles off the Borneo coast. It had been fought over. In the cemetery, the Allied graves were virtually all of Australian soldiers. First were the graves of those who had died when the Japanese forces had invaded. These soldiers were almost all aged in their mid twenties, and plus. Regular Army. Subsequent graves were those who died near the end of the war, as the Allies retook Borneo. Most of them were in their late teens.

6.45 AM On a Somerset Morning

Towards the Somerset Levels...

Towards Glastonbury....

Just Another Diamond Day

This time in 1969 I'd just bought my first album..., 'Waiting For the Sun', by The Doors.
Next was 'Electric Music for the Mind and Body' by Country Joe and the Fish.


Diamond Day was completely unknown, invisible to me....

Just another diamond day
Just a blade of grass
Just another bale of hay
And the horses pass

Just another field to plough
Just a grain of wheat
Just a sack of seed to sow
And the children eat

Just another life to live
Just a word to say
Just another love to give
And a diamond day

Writer : Jennifer Vashti Bunyan (1969)

No one was interested 46 years ago, and the album sold few copies. Bunyan left the music industry, and raised her children. Over the years, the original album slowly became much sought after.  She knew nothing of this, until one day, in the late 1990's, she did an internet search on her own name. 

The album was re-released in 2000, and Vashti Bunyan's music reached a wider audience when, in 2006,  "Just Another Diamond Day" featured in a TV advert for T-Mobile. Here, in 2014, she mentions why she allowed the song's use in an ad.....

From the same album...

Travelling north, travelling north to find you
Train wheels beating, the wind in my eyes
Don't even know what I'll say when I find you
Call out your name love, don't be surprised

It's so many miles and so long since I've met you
Don't even know what I'll find when I get to you
But suddenly now I know where I belong
It's many hundred miles and it won't be long

It won't be long
It won't be long

Train Song

Into The Magic Shop - Richard Doty

I've been reading this book. First time I've been first in the queue to read a library book, fresh and new.

About awareness of the inner dialogue. The use of mindfulness to obtain what you want. And the pitfalls.

His descriptions, as a medic, of delving inside the brain of a young child are absolutely riveting.

C Duncan - Say

Another great song, Radio 6 Music again.

Damien Jurado - Exit 353

Discovered this a couple of days ago. Only heard part, on BBC Radio 6 Music. And then
ferreted it out. The album for the song not yet released.

David Bowie

The media overload has now quietened since the death of Bowie. I never really enjoyed his work, the singles put me off listening to the albums. Unsure why, though I was unimpressed with the personnas he adopted.  They either detracted from the music, or they seemed to try to compensate for average material.

Anyway, there were two major exceptions.

The Passenger, by Iggy Pop. Bowie played organ and sang backing vocals on it. They were both in Berlin at the time. Absolutely visceral version here......

And secondly, The Man who Sold The World. Others have covered this song, stronger than the original. Lulu for one. And here, Nirvana, with Kurt Cobain looking suitably eye-deadened.

Let's Make The Water Turn Black

From a discussion elsewhere today, I got to listening to this....




And the original, from 1968.....




This album is still stored away somewhere in my collection of old vinyls. As a student, I'd skip lectures, and sneak back to my shared flat to be able to listen in peace to my choice of music. My flatmates all seemed to listen to treacle like Carole King , and James Taylor... "You've Got a Friend". To be fair, there is better partying music than a song about mutant tadpoles growing in jars of urine, and the ignition of farts as a heat source for making drugs. 

'Course, I didn't know that then, I just loved the subversive tone, and that if everyone else hated it...., "Why do you listen to that shite ?".., then it must be OK.

Have to say, them classical blokes have dun a right good version.
Quite wholesome really.
Worried.