So croons Mick Jagger, who at turned 65 this past July. 65! He's still proving it true as the leader of the Rolling Stones for over 40 years, releasing 5 solo albums, the latest of which was this time last year!

Why am I singing this in my head and telling you about Mick Jagger?

I was reading through some blogs (note: "catching up" is more appropriate!) and one of them was talking about beating the odds. As in thinking outside the limitating box doubts and fears build around you. Around me too.

Did you know that Grandma Moses began

painting in her nineties?

Or that Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

was the work of the poet’s declining years?

Or how about Norman Vaughan?

An adventurer and explorer, living a lifetime of defying the odds. In 2004, just three days shy of his 89th birthday, Norman fulfilled a lifelong dream. He climbed his namesake, Mount Vaughan, a 10,302' Antarctic peak.

At almost 89!

"Dream Big and Dare to Fail"

It's his motto, on his business cards, and his life reflects that (obviously!)

The common thread is not fearing age, but fearing a life half-lived. Out of fear.

Seems to me that if something seems impossible, maybe the way to start ... is to just start. Use what you got, share it with other people, and it grows in leaps and bounds. AND life takes you in directions you can't have even imagined!

Say you like to take pictures. Carry a camera with you. Take pictures whenever possible. Read tutorials and articles about how to improve your pictures. Take workshops and classes. Join clubs and groups in your area. This puts you in contact with other people who share the same passion. Ask for input. Try to imitate techniques you like. Enlist like-minded people and go shoot pictures togeather. Take classes. Ask questions. Try what you learn and if it doesn't work out like you'd hoped for, TRY AGAIN!

Life and the pursuit of happiness is not meant to be perfect! I've heard so many people around me say that its "too late" to go back to school or work... or they claim to be "too old" to try something new or pick up something they quit doing years ago. What are they really afraid of? Better said, what's the worst that can happen from TRYING?

Time is on my side when I'm using it and not wasting it, waiting for something to come to me. Doing what I love or growing a passion into being doesn't happen just because I want it to. I have to suit up and show up. I have to be willing to make mistakes if I'm to learn anything at all. I have to remain open.

But most of all I have to DO. SOMETHING. ANYTHING.

What are some dreams or passions that you'd like to pursue, if only?

Die Sonne stand noch nicht im Zenit, als Gesa wieder einmal feststellte, dass sie sich erstens zu einseitig ernährt und zweitens notorisch pleite ist. „Es kann nicht sein, dass man den ganzen Tag Vollkornbrot und Korbkäse mit Kümmel frisst“, meint sie, obwohl genau das in den nächsten Wochen das von ihr favorisierte Gericht werden sollte: Korbkäsestulle. Aber abends gibts Rotwein, weil der gut fürs Blut ist. Gestern, nach dem ersten Gläschen Bordeaux hat sie mich in ihr Zimmer gebeten und fragte, warum sie- mit Anfang Dreißig- den Arsch noch nicht an die Wand bekommen hätte und immer noch studieren würde: „Wie machen das die anderen? ...Verdienen einen Haufen Schotter. Die haben Probleme! Machen sich Sorgen um ihre Anlagen und Moneten“.

Gesa hat nichts zum Anlegen, höchstens den Spanner von gerade rüber, der täglich in unser Bad glotzt. Kohletechnisch geht ihr bereits der Arsch auf Grundeis, wenn die Sachbearbeiterin vom Bafög-Amt in Urlaub fährt, bevor der Antrag fürs neue Semester befürwortet ist. Dabei hat Gesa so viele Ideen, aber es fehle ihr erstens an Durchsetzungsvermögen, zweitens am Eigenkapital (Kredit kann sie auch vergessen, kriegt’se nicht, denn sie hat mehrere Schufa-Einträge und außerdem hätten die Banken momentan selber zu knapsen. Bei Medi-Max wollte’se ne Kamera auf Raten kaufen, wurde aber nach eindeutiger Prüfung abgelehnt) und drittens fehle es ihr an den Kontakten und vor allem an Zeit.

Gesa ist Studentin der Landschafts-Architektur und hat viel um die Ohren. Die meiste Zeit investiere sie in Gruppenarbeit und Gemeinschaftsreferate. Die macht sie mit einem, dessen Mutter früher mal Mick Jagger- Groupie war. Es könnte also durchaus sein, dass Ronny- so heißt der Studienfreund- ein heimlicher Sohn Jaggers ist, was man ihm aber nicht ansieht, weil er vom Butterkekse- Konsum aus dem Leim gegangen ist. Das würde nicht stören, wenn nicht das Problem wäre, dass Gesa mitfrisst. Wenn sie über ihre Gesundheit und das menschliche Gehirn redet und so, möchte ich ihr am liebsten zum Medizinstudium raten. Da hat sie Talent. Sie verarztet jeden in der WG, dessen Seele blutet, unentgeltlich. Erst heute früh war wieder so ein Fall: Da kam Dieter mit hochrotem Kopf nach Hause und schrie, dass uns alle verarschen und es ihm bald reichen würde, wenn das so weitergeht, „mit denen da oben“. Er würde langsam „zum Schwein“ und erzählte was von einem Schwarzbuch und das „die da oben“ unsere Kohle verjubeln. "Deine doch nicht, hab’ ich gesagt, du hast doch gar keine!", aber Dieter meinte das Geld der Deutschen im allgemeinen. "In Milliardenhöhe haun die das aus dem Fenster, in Milliardenhöhe! "

Als wir mit dem schimpfenden Dieter so in der Küche saßen und zuhörten, fragte Mick Jaggers möglicher Sohn Ronny, ob Dieter nicht wüsste, "um welches Fenster es sich dabei im Genauen" handeln könnte. Aber das wusste er nicht und ließ sich von Gesa den Rücken streicheln. Dieter unterbrach seinen Monolog nur für ein paar Tropfen Baldrian.

... Und da saßen wir- die komplette WG und zwei Gäste, morgens halb neun und redeten über unsere Zukunft. Wir verloren uns in Gesprächen über junge Star-Autorinnen die Bücher über Hämorrhoiden schreiben, die sie „ihren Muschis“ widmen, damit wahnsinnigen Erfolg haben und bald nicht mehr wissen, wo sie mit dem ganzen Zaster hinsollen. Vielleicht schreiben wir ein Buch über das kurze Leben einzelner Stress-Pickel in unseren Gesichtern oder über die Angst- im Alter- inkontinent zu werden. Vielleicht, schlug Gesa vor, sollten wir uns mal richtig darüber auskotzen, dass es das Fernsehen fast geschafft hat, auch den Letzten zu verblöden. Kann nicht endlich mal jemand anprangern, dass deutsche Fernsehmacher der kreative Hirntod ereilt hat?

„Hat schon jemand, und zwar Kalkofe direkt und Reich-Ranicki indirekt“, meinte Dieter. Und was ist mit dem ganzen Tittenalarm, von dem man auf keinem Sender mehr verschont wird? ... Oder mit den beschrubbten Shows, in denen sich alle Beteiligten komplett nackig machen- vor allem geistig- und Moderatoren einer ganzen Nation beweisen, dass sie mit Nichts in der Birne trotzdem beim Fernsehen gelandet sind? Oder vielleicht gerade deshalb? Während die Banken fast pleite sind, kann man immer noch überall Hunderttausende von Euro gewinnen, neuerdings sogar beim Universitäts-Radio. "Vielleicht sind wir nicht blöde genug", meint Gesa. Vielleicht sollten wir uns die Möpse nach oben schnallen und ne Anfrage bei RTL 2 starten. Oder wir werden Köche! Aber wenn, dann natürlich nur TV-Star-Koch oder Star-Anwalt, Star-Moderator, Super[Star]-Model, Nachwuchs-Star, Star-Designer, Star-Kritiker, neuer deutscher Super-Star, Pop-Star, Comedy-Star, Fernseh-Star oder Fußball-Star. ... Und als Fußball-Star hat man wiederum Chancen, Soap-Star zu werden, wie es Effe uns gelehrt hat. Hui, wäre das toll, man bekäme seine eigene Sendung und könnte dem sich fremdschämenden deutschen Fernsehzuschauer ungefragt zeigen, wie dämlich man morgens vorm Zähneputzen aussieht.

Plötzlich fiel unser Blick auf Ronny, Gesas Studienkumpel, der sich halb abwesend über die dritte Packung Kekse hermachte und vielleicht- ja, ganz bestimmt sogar- der verlorene Sohn des Rolling Stones-Sängers ist. Wir sahen ihm zu, wie er sich verträumt die Krümel vom Revers wischte und wussten in diesem Moment, dass er möglicherweise unser Ass im Ärmel sein könnte und beschlossen, Mick Jaggers Gedächtnis über die Anzahl seiner unehelichen Kinder kostenpflichtig auf die Sprünge zu helfen.

A cria da Jolie usar, tudo bem. Ela tem uma vida inteira pra pensar sobre isso.

It's appropriate that this record should follow Pump as for the largest part of their career Aerosmith were often accused of imitating The Rolling Stones.

With the exception of Can't You Hear Me Knocking, Let It Bleed contains what to my mind are the greatest songs The Rolling Stones ever crafted.

Opening with the force of nature that is the often covered but never bettered Gimme Shelter (or Gimmie Shelter on the original pressings), Let It Bleed swaggers in gently, with what is the aural equivalent of squeaking boots before blowing the doors off. Howling winds, murder, rape and that nagging refrain of "it's just a shot away" with undoubtedly the very best song the band had and would ever make.

Gimme Shelter itself would warrant an album a high rating but it's not alone, after the magnificence of the first track the 'Stones show the blues chops that got them started with a re-tooling of Robert Johnson's Love In Vain that renders it a near ballad and doubles its length before the band show that Keith Richards' hanging out with Gram Parsons was infectious with the countrified Honky Tonk Women rebirth Country Tonk.

Then there's Live With Me which shoots through with a blast of saxophone (that I still think was perfected with Can't You Hear...) and flows nicely into the more-than-suggestive Let It Bleed where Mick philosphises that "we all need someone we can cream on, and if you want to, you can cream on me." Charming.
But, then again, this was the 'Stones of the sixties when they were at their best: sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll sleaze as the rough and gritty alternative to the Beatles rather than the pensioners that still dance on stages around the world today.

The time of this album's recording is as important to it's creation as anything else. The end of the sixties, the end of free-love, Vietnam raging and, importantly, The Rolling Stones themselves in turmoil. Brian Jones played on only two tracks and neither of those - Midnight Rambler and You Got the Silver - featured any of his guitar work and he would die before it was released in November(recording work having begun in February). With the decade and the band falling apart and near collapse, the record reflects this perfectly with more than a hint at the dark underbelly of the sixties and numerous songs sounding like they're about to fall apart.

Monkey Man, for example. Just after the two minute part sounds ready to collapse but is pulled back in with a delightful bit of slide guitar and cascading piano before a near primal strained-vocal from Mick: "I'm a monkeeeeeeeey."

There are few better ways to close an album or, indeed, a decade that has been one of the most important in music than You Can't Always Get What You Want. There's zero chance you haven't heard this song yet, somehow, it never loses its appeal. Fifty seconds of choir before a soft strumming and lamenting horn usher in Jagger's alleged answer to the Beatles' Hey Jude. Love, politics, drugs; they're all addressed in this one and they've never been better so and in such a strangely uplifting way. Surely if you don't find yourself smiling along at three and a half minute mark as the music struts and swings, there's something wrong with your mouth, and that's before the final surge.

The Rolling Stones as philosophers? Perhaps:

" But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, ah yes..."

Here:

Voici le site en Flash de Let it Bleed le fameux album du groupe anglais The Rolling Stones sorti en 1969 et écrit par Jimmy Miller. Sur ce site vous apprécierez la navigation intuitive et la présentation originale de leurs photos de 1969.

Retrouvez les stars du rock international dans un livre collector agrémenté de nombreuses photos du groupe The Rolling Stones en 1969.

C'est un vrai régal de parcourir ce recueil de photos que l'on a pas l'habitude de voir et retrouvez avec plaisir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Charlie Watts et Bill Wyman...

Sur ce site dédié retrouvez leur parcours au Etats-Unis en 1969, The Rolling Stones vu de l'intérieur,  le livre collector dédié à Let it Bleed tour de 1969 aux Etats-Unis, les photos du groupe en 1969 et enfin l'actualité du jour les concernant!

Un vrai régal pour les fans de ce groupe mythique!

Retrouvez les aussi sur leur site officiel : The Rolling Stones

Bonne visite et découverte! ;-)

An Aerosmith song came on the radio -- I don't even remember which one ... Jaime's Got a Gun maybe? Love in an Elevator? -- and it suddenly dawned on me why chances are slim I'll find another man I'm physically attracted to. In the near future, anyway.

Lips.

Steven Tyler lips. Mick Jagger lips. I've had a thing for 'em since the single digits. I have such a vivid memory of seeing Steven Tyler for the first time. The movie was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He sang Come Together. I didn't know exactly WHAT it meant, but just watching him sing it, I KNEW it was dirty. It was serious lust at first sight. I was 10.

Eight years later, in college, I had a hyuge poster of Mick Jagger over my bed. Everyone EVERYONE gave me shit about it, saying he was old and gross and ugly. But my taste has always been quirky. And I LOVED Mick. Still do.

Back to my point.

Lips.

Men in the real world do not have lips like this. At least, they're rare. Just like women in the real world do not have lips like Angelina Jolie. Naturally, anyway. MP's dad was one of the rare ones. MP has inherited his beautiful lips, lucky girl.

I have yet to meet a man (in the past four years, anyway) with LIPS. I'm tellin' ya, once I do, I'll be an easy sell. Monday night I was watching a special about Stephen Hawking and actually found myself thinking, "He's kinda hot ..."

I know. I got issues.

I totally blame THIS. Watch and you'll see what I mean.

Mama.

Photos borrowed from these guys and these guys.

Birth

1943. Dino Valenti (Quicksilver Messenger Service) born in New York.

On Tour

1969. 2,000 East German Rolling Stones fans clash with police near the Berlin Wall. The fans gathered expecting to see The Stones play a concert on top of a building at the western-most section of the Wall but there was no performance. 200 police chase the fans into the centre of the city where they clash with some of the 250,000 members of the Free German Youth organisation who had gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the communist state. More than 50 of the fans are detained in custody by police.

In Court

1975. The U.S. Court Of Appeals overturns the Immigration Departments deportation order on John Lennon. This opens the way for him to apply for resident status.

In Hospital

1995. Simon Gilbert (Suede) is knocked unconscious when he and a friend are attacked by 12 queer-bashers after leaving a pub in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Both men are taken to Warwick Hospital where they are treated before being discharged. The un-named friend has six stiches for a head wound and later returns to the hospital suffering from concussion.

On Television

1970. The Johnny Cash Show (ABC, U.S.A.) Johnny with George Lindsey & June Carter, The Statler Brothers, The Carter Family. Here are Johnny and Joni Mitchell dueting on "Girl From The North County".

Death

1966. Overton Amos Lemons, better known as R+B singer Smiley Lewis, dies of cancer in New Orleans.

Babble

Well, here I am once again in the north. I was told yesterday that the memorabilia exhibition couldn't go ahead and yet everyone seems to want it to be staged. Just how and when are the two big questions. I'm going to give it until tomorrow and then I'll have to make the decision to consign it to the fantasy world within the wardrobe and just imagine I've staged the show or get it sorted once and for all.

I was offered a date in November but that's meant to tie in with a book launch that should have been held on June 21st. The book, on growing up in Liverpool in the sixties, was seemingly available back in May so I'm not sure why a launch is being held six months on. My biggest worry is that the launch is meant to be run by Waterstone's local branch but the company's web site has no information regarding ANY events in Elgin or Inverness in either October or November. I have found one book that fits the description but it was launched at the Liverpool's Everyman Theatre back in April. Its author, Nicholas Murray is giving a poetry reading on October 13th in Venice. Maybe it's just me but I can't then see what he'd be doing in Elgin. Obviously it may not be him and as there's nothing on the Elgin venue's website mentioning anything that fits the bill.

I hope from this you'll get some sense of my frustration. I know I'm dealing with a theatre but it surely doesn't need to involve suspending all disbelief. I found a fascinating description of the concept here. The world of Narnia really has been moved to Moray. I just hope that I can find my way back out of the wardrobe. Despite the frustration, I'm going to give it one last shot. If I can't get an agreement to use the venue we'd agreed on (which I've decided not to name because it will just give them free publicity) from Thursday to Saturday or another space to stage it, then I give up. 

Strangely, the link to my Two Red Shoes Ballroom blog from the Northern Scot is proving nowhere near as successful as flyers were in Nairn back in August. 1,400 flyers and a dozen A4 posters pulled in 180 people a day and all this one's getting is 55! Before I leave here, I think I'll get flyers into the local library and other places. Then I'll just forget these eerily unreal place.

Go to Rockmine's main site here.

© Copyright 1995 - 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Rock and roll’s best-kept secret is out -Todd Lynn has arrived at Topshop.   In an exclusive collaboration, Lynn has designed seven limited edition pieces for Topshop combining this season’s monochrome palette, feathers and fur with structural cutting edge tailoring.  The result: the epitome of rock and roll cool right at your finger tips at Topshop.com.

No stranger to dressing the world’s rock and roll elite, Lynn has styled everyone from U2 to Marilyn Manson (who has a very cool, slightly disturbing website) and Mick Jagger.  Now with a range of deluxe tail coats, tuxedos and deconstructed jersey wear starting from £28, beat the fashion pack and stock up at Topshop.com for a wardrobe of staples that embodies rock star cool.

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While many claim the only important thing is that they are both over the age of consent – and I believe he is that – others will take an altogether more pessimistic view. The spoilsports, I mean.

We have a Gaelic word for him. Mick Jagger is a bodach. You pronounce it as you would in English – bod-ach – but you put more emphasis on the bod.Try it. See? It ju t means older gentleman and is much more descriptive and appropriate and friendly than, say, OAP.

I hope the gossip is true. With Molly’s father living up here, the happy couple could soon be snapped late at night falling out of glitzy Stornoway nightspots.

If they want my advice, they had better stick to the places that George Gawk doesn’t go. No self-respecting rock legend would want to hear him go on ad nauseum about the achievements of Gordon Brown and Brian Wilson.

Yet the more I think about it the more I am inclined to believe it is all just utter nonsense. There would be too many jokes about Sir Mick’s past hits. If they did hitch up, people would say (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction was her special song. Would Mick ever again get away with singing Time Is On My Side?

While we know all old rockers want to Not Fade Away, the beknighted warbler may soon have to just gaze longingly humming I Just Wanna Make Love To You. Might a much younger partner take to ruefully singing It’s All Over Now?

What about bandmate Ronnie Wood who has a determined Russian waif in tow. The age difference there is only, oh yes, also about 42. So Mick could just say all he wants is to Doo Ron Ron. Sorry, that wasn’t the Stones. Forget I said that.

There are some strong women who are not prepared to just fade away either. Like former queen of the sofa Selina Scott who says it was ageist of Five News not to give an old timer like her a wee job.

But Selina, who famously came over to film Prince Charles with Splash and Gloria MacKillop on Berneray, wanted that job and is jolly well going to fight them. She says she is going to sue Five News for giving it to a wee lassie who, not that long ago, worked for this very newspaper. Gorgeous pouting young thing Isla Traquair got the stand-in news job while the regular newsreader, £1million-a-year stunner Natasha Kaplinsky, went off to have her baby boy.

Like Selina, Ms Traquair is also fondly remembered in these parts. She came over quite a few times during her stint with STV and, yes, we were on assignment together more than once. Isla was recognised in Ludag, Luskentyre and Leurbost. She tells how one ardent admirer travelled from the islands to Aberdeen to hand her a box of Milk Tray. That must have been worth a wee snog on the cheek, surely.

Another STV glamourpuss was over here recently and was accosted outside Bain Morrison, the builders’ merchant. A dedicated viewer, a man called Roddy who used to work on the ferry, spotted Nicola McAlley and galloped over to tell her that he and his wee dog liked nothing better than curling up on the sofa to see what exotic location Nicola was reporting from.

As Nicola is based in Inverness, it is usually council headquarters or Porterfield Prison but he didn’t care. As long as he got a glimpse of Nicola and that awfully cheeky, wee smile.

La Scott used to be so nice to everyone. Up in Stornoway during the filming with the heir to the throne, she stayed at the Caberfeidh Hotel. As she had a very early flight to catch, the night porter at the time made her breakfast and checked her out. So entranced was he with the vision of loveliness handing over her room key and slipping her warm American Express card into his cold hand that the porter failed to notice that the card had expired.

Happily, the bill was paid and Jimmy Ogilvie kept his job. Now resident in Ogilvie Towers in Keith Street, the house with the Not Open To The Public sign at the door, he still fondly recalls that morning with Selina.

Young girls are so impressed with his tales of famous people he has met that they are often banging on his door at midnight, he tells me. Sometimes, Jimmy adds, he even gets up to let them out.

.

Published in the Press and Journal on October 1, 2008

¡Y seguimos con las sorpresas en este blog! Hoy les dejo este video que realicé hace unos meses sobre uno de mis grupos favoritos de los 60's, Los Rolling Stones.

En esta ocasión les dejo con un cover que le hacen al gran y ya desaparecido Bo Diddley, la canción es: Crackin' Up.

Esta grabación data exactamente del 23 de Julio de 1964, en un concierto realizado en Inglaterra...creo que también fue transmitido por la radio.

Disfrútenlo, aquí les dejo la letra para que la canten :)

You're always hollerin' bout where I've been
You're always screamin' bout the money I spend
What's wrong with you, oh yeah
You're crackin up

I caught you, woman, a long time ago
Keep your hand out of my pocket keep your foot out my
door
That wrong with you, oh yeah,
You're crackin up

I used to do your cookin', your laundry too
Now what more for a woman could a man like me do
I feel, oh yeah
You're bugging me

Crackin' up

"Estou preocupado. Minha filha tem um caso, e não é com o Paul McCartney"

Aquí les dejo un video que hice hace unos meses de los stones, el audio pertenece a un concierto allá por 1964 en Inglaterra.

La letra de la canción para que la canten :)

If you need me
Why don't you call me
Said if you need me
Why don't you call me
Don't wait too long
When things go wrong
I'll be there, yeah
Where I belong

Said if you want me
Why don't you send for me
Said if you want, want, want
All you gotta do is send for me
Don't wait to long
Just a pick up your phone
I'll be there
Right there, where I belong

People always told me, darling
That you didn't mean me no good
But I know deep down in my heart
I done the best I could
And one of these days, darling
It won't be long
You're gonna come walking through that door
And I know in my mind these are the very
Words you're gonna say to me

I still love you
Always thinking of you
I still love, love, love
Always thinking of you
Don't wait too long
When things go wrong
I'll be there, right there
Where I belong

Analysis after the jump...

From OverthinkingIt:

First, a little theory.  The decline in U.S. oil production* is explained by the Hubbert Peak Theory, which states that “the amount of oil under the ground in any region is finite, therefore the rate of discovery which initially increases quickly must reach a maximum and decline.”  Makes sense, right?  The same theory can apply to anything of a finite quantity that is discovered and quickly exploited with maximum effort.

Including, it would seem, rock & roll. I know, the RS 500 list is not without its faults, but it does allow for some attempt at quantifying a highly subjective and controversial topic and for plotting the number of “greatest songs” over time.  Notice that after the birth of rock & roll in the 1950’s, the production of “great songs” peaked in the 60’s, remained strong in the 70’s, but drastically fell in the subsequent decades.  It would seem that, like oil, the supply of great musical ideas is finite. By the end of the 70’s, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Motown greats, and other genre innovators quickly extracted the best their respective genres** had to offer, leaving little supply for future musicians.

So spare a thought for a fellow islander over in Uig on Lewis.  Mark Miller Mundy is said to have been asked whether his 23-year-old daughter Molly, shown here, has indeed been having an affair with Sir Mick Jagger, age 65, of the sometime popular beat combo, the Rolling Stones. And the proud father is said to have replied: "I'm just glad it's not Paul McCartney."

Molly is quite a girl about town being seen at all the best parties around Chelsea and is one of Prince Harry's set. An acquaintance breathlessly told the Sunday Telegraph how she gets on well with older chaps. Yes, well.

It is now being suggested by friends that was just a joke on the part of the former record producer turned photographer turned house-builder. Being in Valtos, I popped in to say hullo and ask if it was just a quip. He decided he wasn't going to talk about Molly, Mick or Mark - not at the moment, anyway.

You can understand why. If it was just a joke, maybe it has gone too far. He will be wondering whether he should say anything in case it makes the publicity even worse. But it may all be true and he may not approve. Mark is only 59 himself. What should he say - other than: "I'm glad it's not Ronnie Wood."

Not the easiest situation to be in, possibly. Then again, the doting daddy could just contact this blog right here and I will make sure he gets his views out there in precisely his own words. Go on, Mark. You know you want to.

]]> http://homepaddock.wordpress.com/?p=3061 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:50:58 +0000 homepaddock http://homepaddock.pl.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/saturdays-smiles-5/ When looking for a joke for today this one seemd appropriate given the chaotic state of financial markets.

Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name.

 There, she finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger  out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow  $30,000, and he  wants to use this as collateral."

 The bank manager looks back at her and says...

Bob Petrocelli has a blunt style of music; it can help mend a bitter heart on a rainy day, and a happy heart in a sunny day. All in one, "Six Feet of Fun" makes one get up and remember the day when they saw the most beautiful woman they have ever seen. When Petrocelli brings his blues background in "Lady With a Plan," we can hear his heart drench with anxiety and fear that a his woman has a plan. His guitar riffs are precise and promising in his album; in fact, we can see who Petrocelli is as a musician in "Gulf Coast Blues" and "Threw My Love Away": blunt, straight to the point.

Conrad Javier: Every artist can recall a time of hardship in their music career; when was yours and what did you learn from your experience?

Bob Petrocelli: When I was 25 years old I was sharing a house with two other people and working in a touring show band.  Simultaneously I was fired from the band and lost both roommates.  I returned from the road trip and had to sell most of my equipment,  wound up scrounging for food, and ultimately had to take a day job to survive.  I lost the road gig because I didn't want to do choreography while playing.  I thought I was a "serious" musician, above that kind of stuff.  There was a lot to be learned from this, such as the need for planning, knowing what you're getting into and what's expected of you; limiting your exposure to risk as much as possible.  In retrospect, that experience may have made me overcautious.  As a result, I think I missed a lot of opportunities over the years.

Javier: Since you are a more seasoned artist who is in tune with himself, what would you tell a young musician who is just starting his music career?

Petrocelli: I think the thing I would say is know exactly what you want to achieve and then develop plans to make that happen.  Don't get discouraged by rejection.  Many great artists had trouble getting signed to record deals.  Today we have the internet.  There are constantly expanding online opportunities.  These days an artist can have much greater control over how his/her career progresses.  Don't give up.

Javier: You have a really nice voice and remind me of Elvis Presley just a tad bit. Would you say you can relate to Elvis?

Petrocelli: Wow. I'm very flattered to be compared to Elvis. My girlfriend says I sound like Mick Jagger.  I can definitely relate to Elvis. I was a little kid when rock & roll first hit and I remember all the commotion surrounding him.  I've been very influenced by the very first wave of rockers from the '50s.  I'm really still a little self-conscious about my vocals. I've been a guitarist my whole life and just started seeing myself as a singer and songwriter. Thank you.

Javier: What is your ultimate goal as an artist, and how would you be able to attain your goal?

Petrocelli: My ultimate goal is to continue writing and be able to release a CD of new material every year to two years and develop enough of a fan base to tour to support these releases.  Since this is my first release under my own name after years as a sideman I'm starting from the ground up.  So far I'm getting some airplay in Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy) and a feature on the syndicated "Blues Deluxe" program in the US.  I don't think this is bad for a self-released CD only out a month.  I'm working on booking some festivals for next year as well as some local New York City gigs. One of the next things I would like to achieve is getting some booking assistance.  That would make things a lot easier.

Javier: As a fan of your music, would you do a world tour?

Petrocelli: I certainly would like to tour anywhere where my music might be appreciated.  A world tour would be great, but I think the immediate target would be the European market where I seem to be getting some interest at present.

http://www.bobpetrocelli.com

Der Schweizer Hear the World Botschafter Kurt Aeschbacher moderierte die Eröffnung und kommentierte: «Vor einem Jahr erlitt ich selbst einen Hörsturz. Von einem Moment auf den anderen fast nichts mehr zu hören, war ein Schock. Deshalb ist es für mich selbstverständlich, dass ich Hear the World unterstütze.» Bryan Adams setzt sich seit dem Start der Initiative als offizieller Fotograf für Hear the World ein. So fotografierte er die Botschafter der Initiative – darunter auch Weltstars wie Harry Belafonte, Plácido Domingo und Joss Stone – mit der für Hear the World typischen Geste der Hand hinter dem Ohr, Symbol für bewusstes Hören. Entstanden sind faszinierend komponierte, sinnliche Portraits, die nach New York und Berlin nun in Zürich zu sehen sind. Die Originalfotografien von Bryan Adams, welche in der Zürcher Ausstellung gezeigt werden, können erworben werden. Der Erlös aus dem Verkauf der Bilder geht an die Hear the World Foundation. Die Foundation unterstützt weltweit Projekte zum Thema Hören mit finanziellen Mitteln sowie durch die Bereitstellung von Technologie und Informationsmaterial. Die Stiftung ist rechtlich und organisatorisch unabhängig von Phonak. So wurden seit der Gründung 15 Projekte in der Schweiz und Afrika wie auch in Russland und Kanada unterstützt. Darunter beispielsweise das Projekt «Eritrea», wo in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Schweizerischen Unterstützungskomitee für Eritrea Hörsysteme für 29 Kinder gespendet wurden. Weiter werden auch universitäre Forschungsprojekte mitfinanziert: Forscher der Université de Montréal und der University of Western Ontario werden im Rahmen einer Studie ergründen, weshalb viele von Hörverlust Betroffene diese Beeinträchtigung am Arbeitsplatz verschweigen. Sie wollen die Konsequenzen aufzeigen, welche die Stigmatisierung von Hörverlust am Arbeitsplatz hat.

«After having my own hearing loss diagnosed a year ago, I became acutely aware of the importance of the ability to hear,» said Kurt Aeschbacher, a Swiss Hear the World ambassador who moderated the grand opening. «I felt compelled to support Hear the World.» Bryan Adams has been the official Hear the World photographer since the start of the initiative. He photographed initiative ambassadors such as Harry Belafonte, Plácido Domingo and Joss Stone cupping their ear, in a conscious pose of hearing. The resulting images are fascinating portraits for the senses that are now on display in Zurich. Further informations on the website: www.hear-the-world.com/exhibition. Proceeds from the sale of the pictures will benefit the Hear the World Foundation. The Foundation, which was founded in the context of the Hear the World initiative in December 2006, supports projects related to hearing around the world by providing financial assistance, technology and informational materials. The foundation is legally and organizationally independent of Phonak. Since the start of the foundation, 15 projects in Switzerland, Africa, Russia and Canada have received support, for example the «Eritrea» project, in which the foundation worked together with the Swiss Support Committee for Eritrea to provide 29 children with hearing systems. Financial assistance is also provided for university research projects: Researchers at the Université de Montréal and the University of Western Ontario will conduct a study to determine why many people suffering from hearing loss conceal it at work. The study is intended to show the consequences of the stigmatization of hearing loss in the workplace. The picture shows Moby, photographed by Bryan Adams and is part of the current exhibition (display size: 120x161cm).

I was zipping along Beverly Boulevard when I spied a marquee screaming out an enticing double bill:

"A Hard Day's Night" and "Across the Universe"

I clicked on my blinker and roared into the nearest parking space.

"A Hard Day's Night" is a tantalizing black and white feature that the Beatles lensed on the crest of their rise to musical popularity in England in the late sixties just prior to conquering America a short while later on their first major tour.

The film is a zany fun comedy about the Beatle's rise to Pop Icon status and the pitfalls and trappings of fame.

Surprisingly, the four lads display a remarkable gift for acting here - comedy - in particular.

Indeed, when the bio-flick (thirty-six hours in the life of the Fab Four) was first released - critics not only raved - but compared the mop-heads to the legendary Marx Brothers.

In one hilarious moment on a fast-moving train - one of the famous Liverpudlians actually stoops over mischievously as he raises and lowers his eyebrows a smidgen - then taps on an imaginary cigar in his hand.

Yes, it's a delightful take on Groucho Marx.

The dialogue in the film is intelligent, sophisticated, and witty and hits the funny bone just right.

However, the moviegoer has to be quick on the uptake because the jokes move along at rapid-fire pace.

In many respects "A Hard Day's Night" was groundbreaking when it was first unleashed on an unsuspecting public hungry for Beatlemania.

The camera angles are artful, for instance, and the basic storytelling devices are fresh and innovative in approach.

In one memorable scene - the quartet (looking a lot like keystone cops) zigzag around a soccer field as they occasionally slam into each other - bouncing this way 'n that.

At one point - the four lads tumble to the ground and playfully stare wide-eyed at a striking expanse of sky - and all its wonder above. 

Although the film was shot and released before the Beatle's celebrated experiment with transcendental meditation - and their acknowledged use of hallucinatory drugs - there are a few hints of what is to come if you pay close attention.

For example - in a club car on the train - Lennon puts a coca-cola bottle up to the right nostril and sniffs at the top a  trifle. Then, does the same thing with the left side of his nose.

Was he subtly hinting at "snorting" coke?

It occurred to me that the bathroom shot - where Lennon plays with a toy submarine - may have actually triggered the creative thrust for a later project "Yellow Submarine".

Of course, a big plus is the repertoire of songs featured in the fast-paced comedy; some of the most poignant and tender ever written by the Lennon/McCartney team.

The rapt audience was so enthralled with the celluloid offering that they often tapped their feet to the catchy beat, rocked back and forth in their seats, and occasionally burst into song.

On occasion, I was surprised how easily I was able to suddenly recall the lyrics for signature tunes, such as - "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You", "Can't Buy me love", and "If I fell".

But the hits were so memorable, why the heck not?

I fondly recall when the Beatles first hit the pop airwaves.

I was residing in Scarborough (Canada).

Such an innocent lad, I was!

If a boy was lucky enough to have the kind of hair that styled into the moppet cut - and parents hip enough to allow it - he was the envy of his classmates.

Meanwhile, a handful of boys settled for the leather cap - or a cheaper one in corduroy - in the event cash was strapped.

The Nehru-style jackets were all the rage, too.

Kids snapped 'em up in black or grey - with ubiquitous trim accenting the collar - which rounded out the mod "look".

Beatle Boots were optional, but what an ensemble if you could pull it off!

The big question of our youth?

Who was more popular - the Rolling Stones or the Beatles?

The scruffy strutting peacocks in competition with Beatles - John, Paul, Ringo, and George - had a darker more sinister appeal to some.

The ultimate cool? 

Mick Jagger, you betcha!

But, fans had their fave mop-tops, too.

Some pined for Paul and his pretty face. Others, got a kick out of Ringo and the multitude of glitzy eye-popping rings he adorned his fingers with. The more mature waxed eloquently about Beatle John Lennon - the intellectual - and raved about his fine line drawings and unique offbeat poems. Others focused on the laid-back earthiness of George.

When the Beatles were scheduled to first appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, I was ringside in my Grandmother's prim and proper parlor bug-eyed like the rest of North America, as the extraordinary historical event unfolded before us on the telly.

A couple of years later the Magical Mystery Tour - that was the Beatles phenomenon - fizzled to a halt, though.

A short while later, I recalled one fan lamenting:

"Since the Beatles broke up, life has never been the same."

But, we still have the music, and bouncy tunes that breathe on in a myriad of intriguing new incarnations.

Just screen "Across the Universe" or tune into "American Idol" each week and you'll fathom what I mean.

 Jagger, the King of Rock 'N Roll...

Martha and the Vandellas - "Dancing in the Street," Pop #2

By Joel Francis

Poor, poor Kim Weston. Had she not passed on this song, she may be remembered for that being Marvin Gaye's first duet partner. Instead, Martha Reeves got to place another jewel in her crown.

Funk Brother Benny Benjamin's great drumming and the incessant, propulsive tambourine get the feet going before Marta Reeves opens her mouth. But once she does, Reeves embraces every syllable with her full voice, squeezing each note for maximum pleasure. The single was released at the end of July, 1964, but its not hard to imagine that even in the dead of winter, legions of listeners would heeded Reeves "invitation across the nation" and joined her in the streets.

The growing race riots throughout America soon cast the song in a different light. (Five years later, the Rolling Stones recast the number into the dark, political anthem "Street Fighting Man.") It's hard to erase the imprint that history has left on the number, but the heart of Reeves' words is utopia: Whoever you are, whatever you wear, wherever you're from, get outside, grab a guy (or gal) and dance. "All we need is music, sweet music." If only life were this simple.

Like many of Motown's signature songs, cover versions abound. The Kinks and The Who cut versions earlier in their career. Both fail to capture the joy in Reeves singing and translate the large soul arrangement to a rock quartet. Artists as diverse as Dusty Springfield, the Grateful Dead and the Carpenters also tackled the song.

Van Halen propelled the song back onto the charts nearly 20 years after the Vandellas' hit. Eddie Van Halen's post-disco keyboard part transforms the arrangement as Diamond Dave - never one to miss a party - celebrates the lyrics. The song is a high point on one of the group's most puzzling albums. "Diver Down" contains not one, but two Kinks covers (which should provide a clue as to why they decided to do "Streets"), a polka featuring Alex and Eddie's dad on clarinet, and closes with "Happy Trails."

No discussion of "Dancing in the Street" would be complete without mentioning the horrific, oh-my-god-look-away cover performed by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. While the intent was noble - a charity single for Live Aid - the results were anything but. It didn't help that the song was delivered at the nadir of these legendary careers. Bowie had just completed his dance-happy "Tonight" album and Jagger was in the middle of "She's the Boss" and attempting to break up his legendary band. The production is sickeningly slick and the vocals sound tossed off. Never ones to be swayed by taste, the public sent the song to No. 7 on the U.S. chart (and clear to No. 1 elsewhere in the world).

The most intriguing version of "Dancing in the Streets" may not exist. I maintain a secret hope that somewhere there is a demo version of Marvin Gaye's original performance. I have no idea if tape was rolling when Gaye, who co-wrote the song with Mickey Stevenson, presented the song to Reeves or if he attempted to cut a guide vocal, but I am optimistic an unmarked reel in the Motown archives will be unearthed and reveal this treasure. I got my hopes up a few years ago when the "Cellarful of Motown" rarities compilation was released, but so far nothing has surfaced. In the meantime, Martha and the Vandellas will more than suffice.

Maar wat David zo speciaal maakt is dat hij zijn schilderijen afwerkt in minder dan 7 minuten tijd.
In onderstaand filmpje zie je Kanye West op het doek verschijnen.

Andere portretten :

Bob Marley
Jimmy Hendrix
Albert Einstein
Mick Jagger