The Endless Note

Hogmanay

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:58:51 +0000

Hogmanay

09 (Dawning Of A) New Era

The Specials

.....................for the Sons Of The Rock?

Ella Fitzgerald-What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

........................getting pished mate!

HAPPY NEW YEAR.................SEE YOU ALL IN 2008

Hogmanay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hogmanay (pronounced [ˌhɔgməˈneː] — with the main stress on the last syllable - hug-m'NAY) is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. Its official date is 31 December (Old Year's Night). However this is normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of Ne'erday (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January which is a Scottish Bank Holiday.

Origins

The roots of Hogmanay perhaps reach back to the celebration of the winter solstice among the Norse, as well as incorporating customs from the Gaelic New Year's celebration of Samhain. In Europe, winter solstice evolved into the ancient celebration of Saturnalia, a great Roman winter festival, where people celebrated completely free of restraint and inhibition. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which later contributed to the Twelve Days of Christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they were sometimes called in Scotland. The winter festival went underground with the Protestant Reformation and ensuing years, but re-emerged near the end of the 17th century.

Customs

There are many customs, both national and local, associated with Hogmanay. The most widespread national custom is the practice of 'first-footing' which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbour and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts such as salt (less common today), coal, shortbread, whisky, and black bun (a rich fruit cake) intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder. Food and drink (as the gifts) are then given to the guests. This may go on throughout the early hours of the morning and well into the next day (although modern days see people visiting houses until the 3 January). The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year, so it is important that a suitable person does the job. A tall, handsome, and dark-haired man bearing a gift is strongly preferred. According to popular folklore, a man with dark hair was welcomed because he was assumed to be a fellow Scotsman; a blond or red-haired stranger was assumed to be an unwelcome Norseman.

Local Customs

Each area of Scotland often developed its own particular Hogmanay ritual.

An example of a local Hogmanay custom is the fireball swinging that takes place in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire in north-east Scotland. This involves local people making up 'balls' of chicken wire and tar, paper, and other flammable material up to a diameter of 61 cm. Each ball has 2 m of wire, chain or nonflammable rope attached. The balls are then each assigned to a swinger, who swings the ball round and round their head and body by the rope while walking through the streets of Stonehaven from the harbour to the Sheriff court and back. At the end of the ceremony any fireballs that are still burning are cast into the harbour. Many people enjoy this display, which is more impressive in the dark than it would be during the day. As a result large crowds flock to the town to see it^[1].

Another example of a pagan fire festival is the the burning of the clavie which takes place in the town of Burghead in Moray.

In the east coast fishing communities and Dundee, first-footers used to carry a decorated herring while in Falkland in Fife, local men would go in torchlight procession to the top of the Lomond Hills as midnight approached. Bakers in St Andrews would bake special cakes for their Hogmanay celebration (known as 'Cake Day') and distribute them to local children.

In Glasgow and the central areas of Scotland, the tradition is to hold Hogmanay parties involving singing, dancing, the eating of steak pie or stew, storytelling and consumption of copious amounts of alcohol, which usually extend into the daylight hours of January 1.

Institutions also had their own traditions. For example, amongst the Scottish regiments, the officers had to wait on the men at special dinners while at the bells, the Old Year is piped out of barrack gates. The sentry then challenges the new escort outside the gates: 'Who goes there?' The answer is 'The New Year, all's well.' ^[2]

An old custom in the Highlands, which has survived to a small extent and seen some degree of revival, is to celebrate Hogmanay with the saining (Scots for 'protecting, blessing) of the household and livestock. This was done early on New Year's morning with copious, choking clouds of smoke from burning juniper branches, and by drinking and then sprinkling 'magic water' from 'a dead and living ford' around the house ('a dead and living ford' refers to a river ford which is routinely crossed by both the living and the dead). After the sprinkling of the water in every room, on the beds and all the inhabitants, the house was sealed up tight and the burning juniper carried through the house and byre. The smoke was allowed to thoroughly fumigate the buildings until it caused sneezing and coughing among the inhabitants. Then all the doors and windows were flung open to let in the cold, fresh air of the new year. The woman of the house then administered 'a restorative' from the whisky bottle, and the household sat down to their New Year breakfast.^[3]

Auld Lang Syne

The Hogmanay custom of singing Auld Lang Syne has become common in many countries. Auld Lang Syne is a traditional poem reinterpreted by Robert Burns, which was later set to music. It has become traditional for this to be sung in a circle of linked arms that are crossed over one another as the clock strikes midnight for New Year's Day.

Ne'erday

When Ne'erday falls on a Sunday, 3 January becomes an additional public holiday in Scotland; when Ne'erday falls on a Saturday, both 3 January and 4 January will be public holidays in Scotland.

As in the rest of the world, the four largest Scottish cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee, hold all-night celebrations, as does Stirling. The Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations are among the largest in the world, although in 2003-4 most of the organised events were cancelled at short notice due to very high winds. Similarly, the 2006-07 celebrations in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling were all cancelled on the day, again due to high winds and heavy rain.^[6] The Aberdeen celebration, however, went ahead, and was ironically opened by the pop music group, Wet Wet Wet.

References

^ '[1]' at Stonehaven Fireball Association. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
^ 'Hogmanay Traditions' at Scotland's Tourism Board. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
^ McNeill, F. Marian (1961). "X Hogmany Rites and Superstitions", The Silver Bough, Vol.3: A Calendar of Scottish National Festivals, Halloween to Yule. Glasgow: William MacLellan, 113. ISBN 0-948474-04-1.
^ 1692 Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence (ed. 2) p.82
^ 'Scottish Hogmanay Customs and Traditions at New Year' at About Aberdeen. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
^ 'Weather spoils Hogmanay parties', 1 January 2007, at BBC News, Scotland. Retrieved 21 December 2007
^ Campbell, John Gregorson (1900, 1902, 2005) The Gaelic Otherworld. Edited by Ronald Black. Edinburgh, Birlinn Ltd. ISBN 1-84158-207-7 p.575: "'Hogmanay' is French in origin. In northern French dialect it was hoguinané, going back to Old French aguillaneuf, meaning a gift given on New Year's eve or the word cried out in soliciting it."

Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, Brand, London, 1859
Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernesiais, de Garis, Chichester, 1982
Dictionnaire Jersiais-Français, Le Maistre, Jersey, 1966
1692 Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence, Edinburgh
Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh External links

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Hogmanay

v • d • e Topics on Scotland

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Cover Story - The Temptations & The Jesus And Mary Chain

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 12:18:34 +0000

TheTemptations

The Jesus And Mary Chain

I am always a sucker for the unusual cover version so here is The Jesus And Mary Chain going all Motown on us.

18 My Girl

Jesus And Mary Chain

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Classic Live Performances Captured

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:53:40 +0000

Santa delivered these two DVD's of classic live performances.

Dylan At Newport Folk Festival

Hendrix At Monterey

This made me think of other live performances which have been captured on record or film, I am sure others could add to the list below:-

QUEEN - LIVE AID

THE WHO - LIVE AT LEEDS

BOB DYLAN - LIVE 1966 (MANCHESTER FREE TRADE HALL)

STATUS QUO - QUO LIVE (GLASGOW APOLLO)

THIN LIZZY - LIVE AND DANGEROUS

THE BAND - THE LAST WALTZ

PINK FLOYD - LIVE 8

U2 - LIVE AT RED ROCKS

FRANK SINATRA - LIVE AT THE SANDS

DEEP PURPLE - LIVE IN JAPAN

ELVIS PRESELY - THE '68 COMEBACK SPECIAL

EVA CASSIDY - LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY

JAMES BROWN - LIVE AT THE APOLLO (HARLEM NOT GLASGOW)

JEFF BUCKLEY - LIVE IN CHICAGO (dvd) LIVE AT SIN E (cd)

THE KINKS - LIVE AT THE KELVIN HALL

LYNYRD SKYNYRD - FREEBIRD AT OGWT

MISTY IN ROOTS - LIVE AT THE COUNTER EUROVISION

BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS - LIVE AT THE LYCEUM

NIRVANA - UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK

PETE TOWNSHEND - LIFEHOUSE LIVE AT SADLER'S WELLS

TALKING HEADS - STOP MAKING SENSE

I am sure you will all come up with many more.

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Blast From The Past - Billy MacKenzie (The Associates)

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:25:11 +0000

Billy MacKenzie

Next month it will be eleven years since the sad passing of Billy MacKenzie, I have been putting together a Scottish Playlist on the iPod and thought he deserved a post.

02 Club Country Club

The Associates

Billy Mackenzie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William MacArthur "Billy" MacKenzie (27 March 1957 – January 22, 1997) was a Scottish singer, notable for his powerful voice and vast vocal range.

Transmission Impossible by Billy Mackenzie

01 Wild Is The Wind

Billy McKenzie was born and grew up in Dundee. As a youngster, he lived in Park Avenue in the Stobswell area and attended Glebelands Primary School and Morgan Academy Secondary School. He led a peripatetic lifestyle, which included decamping to New Zealand at the age of 16, and travelling across America aged 17. Here, to avoid deportation, he married Chloe Dummar. Her brother, Melvin Dummar, claimed to be the "one sixteenth" beneficiary of the estate of Howard Hughes, until the case was thrown out in 1978.

He returned to Scotland where he met Alan Rankine and in 1976 formed the Ascorbic Ones. They changed the name to The Associates in 1979. The Associates continued until 1990, after which MacKenzie embarked on a solo career. MacKenzie collaborated with more than a few artists during his career, including contributions to seminal Swiss outfit Yello's "One Second" album in 1987. MacKenzie provided vocals and wrote lyrics for two tracks on that release, and one "The Rhythm Divine" became a hit European single when legendary diva Shirley Bassey was recruited for vocals (Billy's original vocal track was no less powerful and saw release on the CD version of The Associates "Popera" compilation). On January 22, 1997, depression and the death of his mother are believed to have contributed to MacKenzie's suicide. He overdosed on prescription drugs in his father's garden shed. He was 39 years old.

Now a significant cult figure, much of his musical legacy has been released in the past few years. He was the subject of a biography by Tom Doyle, The Glamour Chase in 1998.

The Smiths' song "William, It Was Really Nothing" is said to have been written about Billy. Morrissey, lyricist and lead vocalist of the band, allegedly had a bit of a crush on him, and they were friends for a while. The Cure song "Cut Here" written by Robert Smith, a friend of Mackenzie, is about his suicide. Siouxsie Sioux wrote the song "Say" about his suicide, revealing in the lyrics that they were going to meet just before his suicide. The song was released as a single in 1999 and charted in the UK Top 75. In 2006, Norwegian singer/songwriter no:Rockettothesky had a massive radio hit with the song "Barrie For Billy Mackenzie"

MacKenzie's range was most often described as "startling", and his high-register singing is easily mistaken for a female's voice, though his lower register tones leave little doubt as to his gender.

Discography

The Associates releases

Singles

Boys Keep Swinging (1979) unauthorised cover of Bowie song
The Affectionate Punch (1980)
Tell Me Easter's On Friday (1981)
Q Quarters (1981)
Kitchen Person (1981)
A (1981)
Message Oblique Speech (1981)
White Car In Germany (1981)
Kites (1981) A-side credited to 39 Lyon Street / B-side to Associates
Party Fears Two (1982)

18 Party Fears Two

Club Country (1982)
18 Carat Love Affair (1982)
A Matter Of Gender (1982)
Those First Impressions (1984)
Waiting For The Loveboat (1984)
Breakfast (1985)
Take Me To The Girl (1985)
Heart Of Glass (1988)
Country Boy (1988) unreleased
The Peel Sessions (1989)
Fever (1990)
Fire To Ice (1990)
Poperetta EP (1990)
Just Can't Say Goodbye (1991)
untitled 4-track V2 Records promo EP (2000) Party Fears Two/Club Country/Love Hangover/The Associate

Albums

The Affectionate Punch (1980 Fiction) reissued by Universal in 2005 with 4 extra tracks
Fourth Drawer Down (1981 Situation 2) reissued by V2 in 2000 with 5 extra tracks
Sulk (1982 WEA Records) reissued by V2 Records in 2000 with 7 extra tracks
The Affectionate Punch (1982 Fiction) remixed version of 1980 album with different sleeve, reissued on CD by Fiction in 1997
Perhaps (1985 WEA Records)
The Glamour Chase recorded 1988, unreleased until 2002, then as a double CD album, packaged with (the first CD release of) Perhaps (WEA Records)
Wild & Lonely (1990 Circa Records) reissued in 2006 with 4 extra tracks

(Last three are effectively Billy MacKenzie solo albums)

Popera - The Singles Collection (1990 WEA)
The Radio 1 Sessions (1994 BBC Nighttracks)
Double Hipness (2000 V2 Records) double CD album of early demo's and the six 1993 reunion tracks with Alan Rankine
The Radio 1 Sessions Vol. 1 1981-1983 (2003 BBC Strange Fruit)
The Radio 1 Sessions Vol. 2 1984-1985 (2003 BBC Strange Fruit)
Singles (WSM 2004) double CD

Billy MacKenzie solo releases

Singles

Ice Cream Factory (1982 WEA) credited to MacKenzie Sings Orbidöig
Baby (1992 Circa)
Colours Will Come (1992 Circa)
Pastime Paradise (1992 Circa) unreleased
Wild Is The Wind EP (2001 Rhythm Of Life)

Albums

Outernational (1992 Circa Records) reissued in 2006 with 3 extra tracks
Beyond The Sun (1997 Nude Records)
Memory Palace (credited with Paul Haig) (1999 Rhythm Of Life) reissued in 2005 by One Little Indian with 4 extra tracks
Eurocentric (credited with Steve Aungle) (2001 Rhythm Of Life)
Auchtermatic (2005 One Little Indian)
Transmission Impossible (2005 One Little Indian)

Haig/MacKenzie

Tracks recorded by Paul Haig and Billy MacKenzie in the period 1993 to 1995, appeared on the album release Memory Palace on One Little Indian, in 2005.

Track Listing

Track 1: Thunderstorm
Track 2: Stone The Memory Palace
Track 3: Beyond Love
Track 4: Transobsession
Track 5: Trash 3
Track 6: Listen To Me
Track 7: Listen Again
Track 8: Take A Chance
Track 9: Give Me Time
Track 10: Give Me Time (Dennis Wheatley Mix)
Track 11: Beyond Love (Remix)
Track 12: Stone The Memory Palace (Remix)
Track 13: Thunderstorm (Instrumental Mix)

Other collaborations

Lead vocals

BEF's Music Of Quality & Distinction Volume 1 album: Secret Life Of Arabia and It's Over (1982)
Stephen Emmer's Vogue Estate album: duet with Martha Ladly on Wish On (1982)
Annie Lennox: duet on The Best Of You; the original Perhaps sessions version, the re-recorded album featured Eddi Reader (1985) †
Sweden Through The Ages EP: It Helps To Cry (1986)
Yello's Snowball And The Sound Of Yello: Life Is A Snowball (1987); unreleased promo CD
Yello's One Second album: Moon On Ice (1987) †
Yello The Rhythm Divine (version 2): special limited edition 12" single (MERXR253) featuring Mackenzie's lead vocals in place of Shirley Bassey's (1987); the same recording later appeared on the Popera album (1990) †
Uno's self-titled album: Cinemas Of The World single (1987)
Holger Hiller's Oben Im Eck album: title track and version, We Don't Write Anything On Paper Or So, and Whippets single (1987)
Yello's Baby album: Capri Calling (1991)
BEF's Music Of Quality & Distinction Volume 2 album: Free. (1991) Free also appears on the 1998 BEF 'Best Of' album, later reissued by Disky in 2001
Loom's Anacostia Bay (At The Edge Of The World) single (1996) † ‡
Barry Adamson's Oedipus Schmoedipus album: Achieved In The Valley Of The Dolls (1996) ‡
Apollo Four Forty's Electro Glide in Blue album: Pain In Any Language (1997) † ‡

† lyrics by MacKenzie
‡ also appear on Auchtermatic

Backing vocals

The Skids 'Joy' album: 'Fields' single (1982) also released on the Skids 'Dunfermline' CD (1987)
Yello's One Second album: the singles 'Call It Love', 'The Rhythm Divine' > and 'Goldrush' (1987)

The Rhythm Divine (with Billy MacKen

Yello

Yello's 'Flag' album:, the single 'Of Course I'm Lying', and 'Otto Di Catania' (1988)
Jih's 'Take Me To The Girl' single >, title track plus 'Come Summer Come Winter' and 'Wake Up' (1988)
Boris Grebenshikov's 'Radio Silence' album/single: 'That Voice Again' (1989)
Yello's 'Baby' album: 'Drive/Driven' and the single 'Rubberbandman' (1991)

(6 of Billy's Yello tracks later released on the 'Essential Yello' album) (1992)

Siobhan Fahey: 'Do I Scare You' (1996) unreleased until 2004 when it first appeared on Shakespear's Sister's 'Best Of' double CD, and then on the "3" album in 2005
Peach 'AudioPeach' album: 'Deep Down Together' and 'Give Me Tomorrow' credited as The MacArthurettes with Caragh McKay (1997)
Paul Haig's 'Listen To Me' single (1997)
> = lyrics by MacKenzie

Other credits

Orbidöig's 'Nocturnal Operations' single: Billy played tubular bells (1981) this single reissued in 1984, credited as The Sensational Creed
Paul Haig's 'Chain' album: 'Chained', lyrics by MacKenzie, performed by Haig (1989)

External links

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New News - The Kinks

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:06:35 +0000

Bands reunited: Now original Kinks line-up set to reform for reunion tour

By DONNA McCONNELL - More by this author » Last updated at 13:30pm on 27th December 2007

The Kinks are planning to follow in the footsteps of rockers Led Zeppelin with a highly anticipated reunion next year.

Lead singer and guitarist Ray Davies said the band's original members, which included Davies' brother Dave on guitar, Mick Avory on drums and Pete Quaife on bass plan to play together for the first time in nearly four decades in 2008.

Davies, 63, said a full reunion is on the cards next year for the first time in almost 40 years.

The Kinks: Peter Quaife (L), Ray Davies (back), Mick Avory (R) and Dave Davies (front), photo taken in the 60s

But Pete left in 1969 and they then continued with changing line-ups until 1996.

Dave had a stroke in 2004 and Pete has kidney problems - but Ray said both are keen to get back together.

He said: "I spoke to Quaife about a month ago and he dearly wants to make another record with me.

"I think Dave's getting better and Mick's still playing. It would be great to get back together just to see what musical ideas we had and what would happen."

Lead singer and guitarist Ray Davies said that The Kinks are close to reforming for a reunion tour next year

The band, whose hits include You Really Got Me and Waterloo Sunset, were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 by Pete Townsend, who urged them to reunite.

Ray, now a solo artist, said recently he missed being part of a band.

He said: "You miss the interactive stuff. You get it to a degree with other musicians but probably not with the same passion."

Next year's reunion is likely to coincide with the release of a Kinks CD box set called Retrospective.

Source : The Daily Mail

the kinks all day and all of the night

Lola - The Kinks

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The True Spirit Of Christmas

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:10:45 +0000

Rachael

Nicola

Don't Trifle With Me

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Charity Update

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:23:04 +0000

TEENAGE CANCER TRUST

Six teenagers will find out they have cancer today, six tomorrow and six the day after. More often than not, these young people get a raw deal, receiving hospital treatment in inappropriate facilities alongside young children or older people. Teenage Cancer Trust fights for the rights of teenagers and young adults with cancer.

The charity helps make life better for these young people by building specialist units which are boosting survival rates.

TCT MISSION

To give every single young person with cancer
access to a specialist teenage unit
in a National Health Service hospital in the UK

“There are currently 8 TCT units, we need another 14 – they each cost around £2 million to build so we desperately need your support. Seventy per cent of young people with cancer still don’t have access to a TCT Unit. I am working with other members of The Who to break through red tape and get specialist cancer wards built for teenagers suffering from this terrible disease. These units are a right, not a privilege.” - Roger Daltrey

The Who were the first band to perform at a TCT benefit concert at the Royal Albert Hall in November 2000. Along with sales of the CD and DVD from the night, they raised £1.2 million for the charity. Roger pledged to continue fundraising and, every year since, has masterminded a whole week of music and comedy gigs for the charity.

“Over the years these shows have really made a massive difference to the money available to build TCT units in NHS hospitals. They also give our teenagers the moral support to help fight this terrible disease.” – Simon Davies, CEO Teenage Cancer Trust

The charity is helping to make life better for these young people by building specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. Units are boosting survival rates and it is our mission to give every single young person with cancer access to one of these facilities. There are currently 8 TCT units, we need another 14 – they each cost over £2 million to build so we desperately need your support. Seventy per cent of young people with cancer still don’t have access to a TCT Unit.

“We all know that without teenagers, without their energy and their passion for music, we wouldn’t have rock and roll as we know it. It is our duty to fight for this group and give them a voice within the National Health Service.” – Roger Daltrey

If you want to make a donation to TCT, you can do so online, by clicking here. You can see what other Who fans have donated and the messages of support they’ve left.

If you think there are other ways you could support or get involved, call the TCT on +44 (0)20 7612 0370, email tct@teenagecancertrust.org or visit www.teenagecancertrust.org.

“We don’t just talk about change – we make it happen. Thanks for supporting Teenage Cancer Trust” - Roger Daltrey, CBE

The Double-0 Charity

Double O was started by The Who in 1976 to help Erin Pizzey fund her Chiswick Women's Refuges. It then became the first concert fundraiser for Nordoff-Robbins. In 1983 Pete Townshend took over Double O and performed concerts to support a large number of drug rehab charities, the Prince's Trust and Rock Against Racism, and a one-off show at London’s Dominion Theatre – The Snowball Revue – to further fund Pizzey’s work.

The Trust now runs as a private dispersal charity focussed more than ever on 'survival' of drug and alcohol damage, domestic violence, sexual abuse, music education, emergency relief for International disasters, and young people's prison reform. It has dispersed about £4,000,000 since inception, and been indirectly responsible for the dispersal of another similar amount through Double O Promotions, which channels a lot of Townshend- and Who-related activity. In 1985, Townshend formed the band Deep End and put on two charity concerts at the Brixton Academy through Double O Promotions (recently released as part of Pete’s live ‘signature’ series). In 1986 DOP put on the Columbian Volcano Relief Concert.

From 1989 onwards the funds dispersed by Double O increased considerably because The Who reconvened for an anniversary tour, generating over $8,000,000 for children’s charities throughout the U.K. and U.S. in 1989 alone. The charity has a history of working both with individuals and large treatment programmes. In May 1999, for example, Townshend made a £20,000 donation to the Landsdowne House Alcohol Advisory Unit (The Chaucer Clinic in West Ealing).

In 2000, Double O held a charity Internet auction and donated £300,000 to Oxfam for their Mozambique Earthquake appeal. In 2005, The Who appeared in New York raising funds for Double O as part of a Four Seasons of Hope event (to benefit children in need), which was sponsored by Samsung.

Since 2002, all of the Who tours have been recorded, and live CDs of every show have been sold as part of the Encore series. All the proceeds, after profit, have gone to Double O - totalling about £1,000.000 so far.

The future of Double O is going to be tied more to the generation of money via the Internet.

Source www.thewho.com

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Helpless Dancer's Christmas Message

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:21:08 +0000

Christmas-baubles

Now that it is Christmas Eve this is my last Christmas orientated post as I intend to over the next few days to indulge in some family interaction so no music, football or Dumbarton FC.

On Saturday I decided to give up my usual footballing religious experience and spend some much needed time with my two nieces. Originally the intention was to collectively head down to SHS for some family entertainment but the foul weather plus the prospect of being shrouded by foul language resulted in some well welcomed alternatives being sought. It was enlightening and again opened my eyes to opportunities relating to Saturday life without football.

As such 2008 will be a time for reducing or eliminating time spent on thankless activity, trying to deliver the expectations or aspirations of others realistic or otherwise is a tiring and time consuming task and given the ever decreasing time we have left perhaps it is time that family came first.

Commitments and promises must be honoured but the future looks increasingly different for Helpless Dancer.

The internet simultaneously provides me with the opportunity to give the music I like a bigger platform but equally frustrates as people use the same medium to peddle opinionated comment as fact often without a trace of truth and also to use the medium to instigate distanced attacks on people who work hard for their chosen vocation, fortunately we all live in a (relatively) free world, life would be boring if we all liked the same music, supported the same football team or had the same political views, everyone is entitled to opinion, peddling false claims and lies only results in negativity and detracts from the positivity that can be created by striving towards communal goals in unison.

What IS a fact is that no one is perfect, in all life's avenues mistakes will be made, however as the SNP themselves are finding out it is easy to comment from the opposition benches where frontline reality and experience is limited but it is a different experience all together to have to deliver promises within time and budget when the responsibilty is in your lap.

I am sure 2008 will be an interesting year, hopefully in all life's aspects people will commit to where their mouth is and when required will step up and be counted, the day of reckoning is fast approaching especially for me, hopefully others will fill the void.

As such I leave Christmas 2007 with The Muppets.

13 We Wish You A Merry Christmas

John Denver & The Muppets

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.

Christmas Bites

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Blast From The Past - The Zombies

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 12:37:44 +0000

The Zombies

Mention the Zombies and the you automatically think of the wonderful She's Not There covered by Santana. However, they never received the acclaim that they justified and this is surely highlighted by Odessey and Oracle. Apart from the "hit" they had not made much headway in the UK and so, in 1967, they left Decca and moved to CBS. Friends of Mine and Care of Cell 44 were released as singles but they had little impact on the charts. The release of Odessey and Oracle followed although the band had split by then. Time of the Season was released posthumously and was a hit in the US. The single reached number 3 in the US and was a million seller as it also was in Japan.

This is without a doubt one of the most missed albums of the 1960s and should be up with the likes of Revolver, Pet Sounds and Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. Odessey and Oracle mixed well-crafted songs with impressive arrangements, superb harmonies and Colin Blunstone's clear voice. It was even named in Mojo's 100 Greatest Albums voted for by critics in 1995.

All the songs were written either by Chris White (bass) or Rod Argent (keyboards). The band had not released any original material for over a year although some had been written. In addition, they were feeling optimistic about a new start on a new label. Unfortunately, it was also the end. It was produced by Chris White and Rod Argent, quite rare especially in those days that the band would produce their own album. It was also a rare Abbey Road recording by a non-EMI artist.

Time of the Season is the stand-out track starting with a bass intro before Blunstone enters the fray. The song builds from there with individual instruments making their own mark and highlighting the musicianship present in the band. It is hardly surprising that this was not a hit in the UK as it does not have that commercial pop feel. It is, however, a masterpiece of creativity that sounds fresh and exciting even now in 2001. Rose for Emily features just vocals and piano. This track like many of the others has an "Englishness", not in the same way as the Kinks but stories closer to reminiscences of past times.

One area that makes Odessey and Oracle stand out and invites the Beach Boys comparisons is the vocal harmonies. Not only was Colin Blunstone an extremely gifted singer but the other members of the band helped to create such beautiful vocal sounds.

This is a forgotten masterpiece that deserves a new audience.

Released: 1968

CBS

CD-re-release: 1998 & 2008

UK Highest Chart Position: Did not chart

US Highest Chart Position: 95

Essential Tracks:

Time of the Season
Maybe After He's Gone
Friends of Mine

Track Listing:

Care of Cell 44
A Rose for Emily
Maybe After He's Gone
Beechwood Park
Brief Candles
Hung Up On A Dream
Changes
I Want Her She Wants Me
This Will Be Our Year
Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)
Friends of Mine
Time of the Season

Additional tracks (mostly mono versions)

Care of Cell 44
A Rose for Emily
Maybe After He's Gone
Beechwood Park
Brief Candles
Hung Up On A Dream
Changes
I Want Her She Wants Me
This Will Be Our Year
Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)
Friends of Mine
Time of the Season
A Rose for Emily (Alternate)
Time of the Season (Alternate)
Prison Song aka Care of Cell 44 (Backing track)

The spelling of the album title was as revealed recently by Rod Argent and Colin Bluntstone merely a spelling mistake at the printers!

12 Time of the Season

The Zombies

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