(1502) Wot … already? Saw some drops from Andy, Steve, Juan, Doonhamer … I’ll catch up, boys, asap, ok? Meanwhile, this film before it disappears. Not a Christmas film, though the message resonates.
This, to me, is not just some retro, nostalgic look back … in the sense that I was a kid like one of the cast when I saw it and thought the film gripping, plus it had been my choice to watch, not that of my parents.
Today I can look back and still say it’s a pretty classy film for the time.
(Midday) Interesting that IYE should recommend an American film for today but as we have our American readers … why not? My film in reserve is also American. Wondering if anyone would like to also see a British Christmas staple? Send the url. (Midday)
Clash of the Titans
There’s the way I feel now about, say, the Beatles and the Beach Boys … in retrospect, can’t stand John Lennon’s manner and ideas, not so hot on Mike Love either … but that was not the case in the early 60s when we believed that there really were screaming hordes of young females mobbing them, out of their minds … at least far more than there were.
This is interesting, maybe a bit envious … which is silly really as the two bands were chalk and cheese …
Part one (1100)
The major thing I recall, particularly in summer, was that DJs were endlessly on about Elvis versus The Beatles and even as a kid, I was thinking … why? Why must there be some comparative clash thing? Even in comments under the youtube, commenters just had to form bleedin’ camps again, didn’t they? Always bleedin’ camps … why can’t people just appreciate both … or not.
Buddy Holly was another Titan, Dion, Eddy Cochrane had faded by then, Ricky Nelson made the girls swoon but not us. The rest of the “British Invasion” followed in the States … now here’s the thing … I wasn’t all that crazy for those plaintive voices such as Gerry Marsden, I liked Bus Stop and I’m Onto Something Good but there was a sameness to them, even Dave Clark … Spencer Davis’s singer was a bit different. Dave Dee, Dozy etc. … nice but there was a sameness.
Depends where you were at the time … my three places were mainly England, Oz, the US. In Oz, with its beach culture, summers were very much the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, The Ventures, the Tornadoes. England did not have that culture, it was seaside, amusement parlours, the piers … a bit different, musically. Put them all together and music was everywhere.
One song very special to me was I Wanna Hold Your Hand, plus Last Time … yes, the Stones were mega too … endless comparisons again on radio … which was “better” … I was sick of it then, I’m sick of it now.
Not much later, at the beach, my mate said this girl wants to ask you something about my boat. Girl? As in female? I’d forgotten what they were. Yeah, all right.
I was knocked out, that moment approached that evening … I really did ask do you wanna hold my hand and she said yes. Yes? To me? But she was a total honey. Became my sailing crewgirl.
There were so many great bands at the time, great songs.
Part two (1312)
Been off doing chores, came back and listened to Do It Again and I Wanna Hold Your Hand.
Now, not wishing to labour this too much, given that y’all have your own pasts, your own faves, plus much of mine would not make a lot of sense unless you knew my age and which country I was in at the time … I’ll still give it a try.
In primary school, we as boys were primarily into kicking balls around, being obnoxious spotty herberts etc. etc. … cheeky faces. Girls really were girls, a different species. What wrecked the scene from Grease where one set stood en masse in front of the other set, all posing and being cool … was that that had never been my set of experiences … my first gf was from 4 to 8 and so there was no great hunger that all the love songs went on about … I’d always had mates who were male, some who were female.
True, the females had some strange ideas of fun but basically, we were mates, plus I was never effeminate, I was a spotty herbert with grazed knees, into everything going. The girl was often quite feminine but I really liked her all the same. So I Wanna Hold Your Hand was really my growing up point where it did become needing more from her. Hence coming onto those two nineteen year olds on the overnight bus when I was fourteen, with not the slightest reticence.
The Beach Boys could not write any song without that girls motif and we knew all the songs by heart. Thus (see Wiki link), when Do It Again came out in 1968, it resonated in Britain, going n1 on the charts, not so in the States. The Beach Boys were stunned.
So, at a much later date (going coy here), during my decade and a half of flying London, LA, Melbourne every year, at one point, my American host and I were in Del Mar, just past Oceanside and he wanted a shot of me with those famous California girls. So there’s me in the beach shirt I’d borrowed from my Vancouver mate and mine host had coopted half a dozen California beach babes to surround me for the shot, not wearing a lot in their case. All one’s birthdays?
Listening to this again just now 👇🏻 brought it back … that California beach was almost a nostalgia trip, though in 1968 it was within the songs alone, wasn’t it, how many thousands of miles away?
And in the past ten minutes now, a girl from t’other side of the country and another from Germany have just written while I was listening to Do It Again.
(1014) Cunning plan is to run IYE’s Christmas music now, but as it’s nearly three hours long, it might be one you’d keep coming back to or view on YT.
An interview follows at … let’s see … 1115 or so … with one of the Beach Boys about those times, which broadens into other thoughts about the time.
I was going to post one on the meaning of Richard Thompson’s Farewell Farewell but as it’s too close to my own life, too close to the bone, plus that of various friends now … best not to, too chilling.
There’s a film in the afternoon … let’s say 1245?
All good here, hope all good there this morning. Merry Christmas one more time! (1015)
(0600) A baby is born. The very idea of Christmas morn without children just does not compute in the soul … they are our future, the future, if any, of the world … let the bells ring out! (0912)
3. Let the bells peal
2. Hallelujah, world
1. While shepherds watched, something happened
(1719) Sorry, chaps and chapesses, we hit the vodka a bit this afternoon … blogging is going to be most interesting … enjoy today and tomorrow. (0212) Plus DAD (0838)
14. DAD at 919 but also here as the last words in this post
25th – whatever that day is [Wednesday?]
[Very Churchillian today. Health is either the end of the beginning or the begining of the end. I’ll keep buggering along.]
Bayrou presents his “New” government. Much the same as the old one, plus old pals appointed. It won’t last.
13. The danger of ice
I can assure you we used no ice last evening … nor water.
12. It can wait till Friday
11. Woke mind virus
10. It’s a thought
9. Panama … yes … why Greenland?
China on North America’s doorstep? Just like NATO/CIA on Russia’s?
8. Steve at 918
Four: Meloni on the wrong side of history, tranny horror, cold weather deaths, Fauci, Christmas tree in Syria, more…
Three: 37 death row prisoners, Johnson out of favour, Homan Hochul, Scaramucci Musk, Tucker Teamsters’ President, much more…..
Two: West Is ‘Completely Delusional’ Over [The] Ukraine, much more…..
One: How sunlight and vitamin D can help with mental illness … maybe the West can do with some … much more…..
7. Steve and his war room at 918
a. “European Conservative” editor Ellen Fantini gives update on the AfD in Germany and FPÖ in Austria | “European Conservative” editor Ellen Fantini gives update on the AfD in Germany and FPÖ in Austria
b. Anja Hoffman talks about her recently-published annual report on persecution of Christians in Europe | Anja Hoffman talks about her recently-published annual report on persecution of Christians in Europe
Was in two minds whether to run this … highly regarded by most who know it, some of the characters did not do much for me, plus the copy is fair to ok. It’s still a classic from the past.
(0753) Cunning plan is to run this for half an hour as an “as and when” blog, including putting up the Unherdables Christmas wishes, plus I must write to some nearest and dearest outside us gangsters, plus prepare for some visitors today. Following this post will be a song from Woodsy … the carol for the day will be a late afternoon … it lends itself to approaching darkness. There’s a film ready for today too, plus one for tomorrow, not Christmas-specific in either case, yet still good filums. (0829)
6. Merry Christmas, all
Have to wish it sometime before tomorrow, so why not now? It’s been said elsewhere as well but to all not well, those we’ve lost, to those having a hard time, we of the praying type do pray for your best health and wish you a Merry Christmas after a rough year. There’ll be a more Nativity based tone later in the day, when the sidebar pic switches and the carol Stille Nacht goes up.
Plan tomorrow is to open with the bells, later the Bulgarian gals, plus one carol from King’s Bollege, Bambridge, plus later that French collection from IYE. The Baroque collection will go up on the 27th for DAD.
It’s actually been a very long time without Jago or Ruairidh but that will change soon. I’m thinking of closing off the Christmas period on the 27th … no later than the 28th, as I’ll be heading into Slavic NYE mode about then … at least, that’s the current cunning plan.
So again … Merry Crimbo, all (pls forgive the diminutive just this once). Two close people I can never send personal messages to are IYE and Steve but you know that you’re not forgotten in any way. Ta for all.
5. IYE adds
One of our aircraft is missing…. 😟
A bit of French news – nothing burger really. Just putting another sticking plaster on the wound.
https://www.dw.com/en/france-unveils-new-government-under-pm-francois-bayrou/a-71149291