1975 - #OneDay

The mid seventies, a bleak time for so many reasons, music included, but the news events are now things I genuinely remember happening at the time, not just from looking back at things like the moon landings. Although it seems like so long ago, many things were happening the world over that would change the pace of life for many of us, not least the creation of a little company called Microsoft, formed by some computer nerds - they seem to have done pretty well for themselves. 

The one event that jumped out of the page was Phil Collins taking over as front man of Genesis, actually it wasn't that one. It was the shooting  of Ross McWhirter by the IRA that I vividly remember. He was one of twins who founded the Guinness Book of World Records, and were on the BBC show Record Breakers hosted by Roy Castle. All names and details that will figure in anyones memory of my age, as will the memory of watching John Cravens Newsround on BBC1 when the headline story was of the killing. For a news show aimed at young children to have to cover a murder of someone who would have been expected to be seen on the following show was a defining moment. Trying to understand what the IRA was, and why they would want to kill a man who to me just had a good knowledge was potentially one of the tipping points in my love for news and current affairs.

Another major event that would definitely have an impact on my life from '75 was the election of a female leader of the Conservative party. Continuous news stories questioning whether we would see a female Prime Minister in the UK stick in my mind, but I won't dwell on, or name, her yet - in future years these posts have potential to be far longer. A little advance warning that while the music will continue to be the focus, there are some areas that I won't be able to gloss over in a paragraph or two.

The other area that I have mentioned before is that internal terrorism, bombings, assassinations are such a constant factor in the 7 years of my life so far that I have already started to become immune to noticing them as I read back on the events of each year. It is odd how the events yet to come changed the world so much and so drastically, where it seems that during the '70s people appeared to just carry on with life. Being so young I can't really remember any specifics at the time yet, but this was also the year that the Birmingham Six were convicted, and that wasn't the last ever heard of that case as we know.

Single: Give A Little Love - Bay City Rollers

What can you say about the Bay City Rollers? For a brief period in time they were "bigger than The Beatles" and as the cover of one of their greatest hits albums shows here, were possibly responsible for some of the worst crimes against fashion that have ever happened.

This single was one of their ballads, and following the same pattern of the boy bands of today, songs about unrequited love and appealing to a young teen demographic is a way to make money. Not for the band, like so many their history after the initial burst of success has made no-one a living except the lawyers. Various versions of the band have existed and continue to tour now under various names. Still all wearing too short trousers and too much tartan for any sane thinking follower! A stream of hit singles and then they dropped away almost overnight, not really one to spend your hard earned pennies on, then or now. Just look out for the old Top of the Pops specials to see them and the girls who screamed at them!

Album: Venus And Mars - Wings

Famously referred to by Alan Partridge as "only the band The Beatles could have been" Wings have always suffered as being the post Beatles band for Macca, and no reference to them can ever be made without mentioning Mull of Kintyre, that Christmas favourite. So having made the obligatory references, what of this album.

I am not going to pretend that I really like it if I am honest. There is nothing overall bad about it, the opener and title track starts as a folky number moving into a rock 'n' roll type and hippyish second track Rock Show. It gave the impression of music built by a committee not a song created for the beauty of itself. Magento and Titanium Man (I think it is fair to say that drugs played a part in the making of this) sounds like a band trying to sound like Wings. The last track on side one, Letting Go, was released as a single, and didn't break into the Top 40 in the UK. It sounds like a track you would have over the end credits of a particularly poor film as you are trying to leave the cinema.

Harsh but fair, quite how this has sold in excess of ten million copies I do not know, I can only assume it was as a result of people who bought anything he released. The second side doesn't really have any overly redeeming features, if you are interested I would try and find someone who can lend you a copy rather than buy it. The most noteworthy thing about this album is that the last track is a version of the theme to old TV Soap Crossroads, and this version was apparently used when characters died in the show.

So a boy band and an album by one of the most long lived and famous musicians ever that in a shorter summary I would simply say "don't bother". Not a great year for my birthday number ones. We move into 76 next time, the birth of Punk and all that will bring us, will I get some better birthday tunes?

1970 - #OneDay

I am two years old, just starting the period where memories are possible, and it is the start of the 70s. The decade that is going to deliver prog-rock, disco, punk and new wave. Where DJs on Radio 1 become huge stars in their own right, Top of the Pops and Tomorrows World are the viewing of choice on Thursday nights all over the UK and Glastonbury festival is still a small hippy gathering that is ignored by almost everyone else, but the Isle of Wight festival in August this year was one of the biggest ever music events, if not the biggest. Slade were the headline band at the Marquee in London on my birthday for anyone going out for some live music, and this would probably have still been early Slade, when they were skinheads - not the fun Noddy Holder you all know and love.

Wars and unrest in the Middle East with revolution in the air, terrorist attacks in Europe, the Conservatives in power in the UK and election reform being discussed. One thing I am already learning from this project is that the news 40 years ago is pretty much the same, although we are still a long way from the all encompassing celebrity culture that there is in the papers today.

Album: Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Now I would doubt that anyone reading that album title isn't singing the title song in their head already. I would say that it is one of the most played and recognised songs ever, and the album features in almost all top 100 albums that you should own. Number 1 for 33 weeks in 1970, a feat that seems amazing to me, how are people suddenly deciding after 6 months that they will go and buy it after all? 

This was the final release by Simon & Garfunkel during this period together, and not only the title track but also Cecilia and for me their best ever track The Boxer are on here. This would sit happily in the list of the Masterpieces project which is ongoing, the link to the left will take you there to have a look, as this is an album that you put on and there just isn't a duff track here. It was during the recording of this album that the relationship between the two of them deteriorated and they split after release. They have played together on a sporadic basis since, some of their concerts having audiences of in excess of half a million people. In the days before massive video screens quite what the majority of the people would have seen or heard is a mystery.

Really is an album you should own, and one you can pick up for next to nothing with a quick internet search.

Single: Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime

Like the album choice, I am again amazed that such a classic falls on my birthday. Considering I am only 2 years old, the 3 albums and singles so far that have fallen on July 15th are all great listens and in this case a much used track in adverts. I think before DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince recorded Summertime this was the song that would be played on the first really sunny day of the year. It was recently used as a backing track to an anti Drink / Drive campaign in the UK, showing the changing times, as the lyrics "Have a drink, have a drive, go out and see what you can find" are not really what the official message is now.

In geeky musical specifics, this was a single but was played at 33 rpm, which was a very rare occurrence, and special 45 rpm versions were made for Juke Boxes, which would have been in pubs and cafes all over the country. It was also one of the first singles to have a picture sleeve, although judging by the actual picture I leave it up to you to decide if that was a good idea or not.

Another great year in music, next time will be 1971, and we will see if another winning album and single combination appears and if there is anything unexpected going to appear.

1969 - #OneDay

July the 16th was the launch day of Apollo 11 which (if you choose to believe...) the one that took Neil Armstrong to the moon. So news wise that was pretty much the headline of the the year, music wise, Woodstock was just about to happen and that would lead to the Rolling Stones at Altamont and the end of the 60s - images of Hells Angels killing a man in the crown pretty much the closing of the "peace and love" vibes. 

Wars were ongoing, Nixon was being elected, times indeed were a'changing, and what of the music charts? After a great opening on my musical birthday what will the 'Summer of 69' throw at me this week? A little bit of google and some reading and it is again a good week.

Album: Jim Reeves - According To My Heart

If you had told me to listen to a country album five years ago, I doubt I would have given it much time at all, but with my absolute love of Johnny Cash and Woody Guthrie now, it is a genre I am branching in to more and more, so the fact in the second week I get to buy a country album is OK with me. The first thing I found was that "Gentleman" Jim Reeves died five years before this was released, and that the sheer number of tribute and compilation albums released almost makes it hard to establish what was an orginal and what was a subsequent release. This is pure country, the start of what became the Nashville sound, and like much of this genre, religion plays a part along with the staple of love, lost love and broken hearts.

An excellent album that I am listening to again as I type this up, and as many of this type of album can be found on CD for a quid or so, even if you hit a duff one it is not the end of the world. He died, like so many stars it seems, in a small plane crash - my advice would be to steer clear of small planes if you are starting to get famous in the music scene. 

The quote on his memorial in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame is "If I, a lowly singer, dry one tear, or soothe one humble human heart in pain, then my homely verse to God is dear, and not one stanza has been sung in vain." and while I am not at all religious, I think that this shows what the power of music actually can be for many of us. Don't be put off by the country aspect and pre-conceptions as I was for many years - if you like a bit of folk, Billy Bragg or just the Johnny Cash albums made with Rick Rubin in his last years, give Jim Reeves a go, it is all on Spotify and the usual places.

Single: Thunderclap Newman - Something In The Air

One of those trivia questions here for the number one single. I am sure that most people will know this track straight away from the opening line, but it is a complete one hit wonder from this band. Formed by Pete Townshend from The Who with a large number of members in their short time together they recorded an album and played some dates but it is only this track that I have heard. In one of those odd quirks they have been on tour this year with Big Country - Andy Newman still leading the band, and with Pete Townshends nephew taking his role in the group.

Call out the instigators, because there's something in the air, we've got to get together sooner or later, because the revolutions here. Lyrics of the time, the summer of love, idealistic and has been used in vast numbers of adverts and is a common cover version. A good single in the traditional sense of the word - would have sold in the hundreds of thousands at the time and been heard everywhere you went in that July.

I am now one year old, music is still great, the world is changing and we are just about to enter a new decade. The revolution that Thunderclap Newman wanted didn't come, but change and progress will not stop. 1970 is my next stop, and I am hoping for a third week of great music.