Beach boys

Squeeze c.1975

One of the most enjoyable - and brutally honest - biographies I've read was Chris Difford's 'Some Fantastic Place - My Life in and out of Squeeze'. His relationship with Glenn Tilbrook, alcohol and drugs is laid bare for all to see. And as an insight into what it's like being one half of a mega successful songwriting partnership that's often been compared to Lennon & McCartney, look no further; it's all contained within its 317 pages. I've been meaning to reread it for ages but since moving house back in 2017 I've not been able to find it. It's here somewhere, it's gotta be. But I'm buggered if I know where.

So it was a serendipitous charity shop find earlier today when browsing the bookshelves in Oxfam and I stumbled upon a signed copy! "Hi Brian", it says followed by Chris' trademark scrawled moniker. And this copy includes a new final chapter. So, thanks, Brian. And Chris, obviously. I'll get stuck into it next week over a glass of eggnog and a tin of Quality Street.

Voice of the Sea (10 pics from '25)

Here's my eighth photograph to mark 2025. I paid two visits to Bristol this year. The second time was to record some new material with Phil Cooper. I wrote about the songs I recorded at the time, including this one. Fuelled by nothing more toxic than tea and biscuits we had a really productive session (I'd like to go back next year and do a couple more) and between takes we chatted in his garden. I was admiring the artwork on his boundary fence; turns out Phil's wife is not only green-fingered but an artist to boot as well. I may have to let her loose on the album cover!              

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Eric Spear (1908-1966) is probably best remembered for a television theme tune he was commissioned to write in 1960. Granada TV  were making a new serial set in the North West. Eric duly came up with the goods and wrote Lancashire Blues for the show which was to be called Florizel Street. They paid him the princely sum of £6 for his work. When Granada realised one of the cast (William Roache) couldn't pronounce the name of the show, it was hastily changed to Coronation Street. This isn't that.

 Eric Spear - Voice of the Sea (1964)

 

Spotlight (10 pics from '25)

Here's my seventh photograph to mark 2025. A few days in Suffolk back in September was most welcome. We stopped in an agreeable hotel in Southwold that not only served sensational beers in the bar (Adnams, natch) but  an establishment where kippers could be found on the breakfast menu; definitely a coastal thing - I'm thinking of Whitby and Newcastle where I also dropped anchor this year and where too the herring was a breakfast option. Southwold is also home to that rare breed of lighthouse - the inland type; in this case, found in a residential street a couple of hundred yards from the headland.

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São Paulo resident Rogerio Duprat was a devote of avant-garde art and music. At his peak, when blending psychedelia & classical music for his film scores, Duprat was dubbed the Brian Wilson of Brazil.

Rogério Duprat - Spotlight (1981)

The Apartment (10 pics from '25)

Here's my sixth photograph to mark 2025. Glasgow, November - walking back from the venue to the digs after seeing XGenerationX we wended our way down a leafy tree-lined avenue very reminiscent of New Walk that cuts through Leicester, taking you to the De Montfort Hall. Anyway, about half a mile down Kelvin Way and a particular apartment caught my eye. I don't care if it's wrong or if it's right.

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Duncan Lamaont was a jazzer through and through. Born in Greenock in 1931 he plied his trade in the myriad of jazz clubs that proliferated London's Soho in the 50s & 60s before pitching up at the KPM label. If you're ever asked at your local pub quiz who wrote the Mr. Benn theme music, look no further; tho' he used pseudonym Don Warren so as not to upset the Jazz fraternity.

Duncan Lamont - The Apartment (1975)

Love Deluxe (10 pics from '25)

Here's my fifth photograph to mark 2025. I'm not sure if it's been the same where you live but we've had some absolutely stunning sunrises and sunsets over the last few days; huge balls of fire in the sky doing their coming up/going down thing. And the beautiful pink backdrops they leave behind are equally mesmerising. It was one of those skies I happened upon on Friday evening. My friend Neil and I were between bars when I looked up and saw an ordinary sign looking anything but. 

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Another track from the KPM stable. And another from Keith Mansfield. For those of you who follow such things, Mansfield's riddims have been sampled over the years by, among others, Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley and Fatboy Slim. 

 Keith Mansfield - Love Deluxe (1976)