Come with me, yes come with me to Dark Towers, the brilliantly spooky Look And Read tale from 1981, where in the garden, in the hall, I uncover 20 fondly remembered treasures… Kept In The Dark The thing I remember most about Dark Towers is missing what happened the…
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Out there in space, shall we find 20 discoveries about The Boy From Space? Best take a Peep-Peep at the classic Look And Read tale which was first broadcast on this day 55 years ago… Science Fiction After two down-to-earth tales, Bob And Carol Look For Treasure and Len…
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Beginning a look back at some classic Look And Read stories, with this sky-high tale from the late ’70s. Here are 20 egg-citing things about Sky Hunter! Lucky Seven Sky Hunter was the seventh Look And Read serial to be made and was originally broadcast between 19th September and 28th…
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Some say that knowledge is something that I never have, but that’s not going to stop me from blogging about Kate Bush’s eccentric 1982 classic… Sat In Your Lap With three hit albums under her belt (and if you’ve got extra time to kill or more likely suffering from insomnia,…
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Say man, you heard about this Boxer style? Well, listen up, I think it’s worth your while! Boxerbeat JoBoxers began the beat in the Autumn of 1982. Four fifths of the band – Chris Bostock (bass), Rob Marche (guitar), Dave Collard (keys) and Sean McLusky (drums) had been part of…
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Looking to the future and back at the past at the same time with my new 24 month calendar! Apologies for this latest bit of shameless self-promotion. In between prattling nonsense about classic telly and music, I thought I’d share my latest book with you. In my pitiful defence, I’m…
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Bonnet De Douche! Here is my countdown of my 20 most Cushty Only Fools And Horses episodes in no other order but chronological. Lovely Jubbly! Big Brother Where else to start but right at the beginning? Big Brother may not have the laugh-out loud attraction that some of the…
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Welcome, readers of illusion to this castle of confusion. In the year ’26, I revisit ’87 and find 26 tokens relating to a classic CITV hit. Spellcasting! 2-6 M-E-M-O-R-A-B-L-E T-H-I-N-G-S A-B-O-U-T K-N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E! Dungeon Doom Despite starting on 7th September 1987, Knightmare’s genesis goes back two years previous. It was the…
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Revisiting a childhood favourite… Ne Me Quitte Pas I always consider myself lucky to have had such a great introduction to music. Mum and Dad had an eclectic record collection, as I may have mentioned here one or 304 times. They had everything from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin to…
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I’ve moved on up towards my destination of 1970 – and a track-by-track look at Curtis Mayfield’s classic debut album! (Don’t Worry) If There’s A Hell Below, We’re All Going To Go Ushering in his solo debut, Curtis Mayfield is quick to emphasise that this is a tonal shift from…
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Call them Angels of the evening, as I list 10 of the most memorable nurses to have graced the wards of St Angela’s and Heath Green hospitals between 1975 and 1983! Patricia Rutherford (Fiona Fullerton, 1975 – 1976) One sequence in the first episode of Angels sums up Pat Rutherford’s…
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Blogging about this highlight of Maria Muldaur’s career ’til the evening ends… Any Old Time Maria Muldaur’s solo album was a long time coming. Her career had initially started in the ’60s as Maria D’Amato when she performed with not one – but two Jug Bands. The Even Dozen Jug…
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Living up Level 42’s breakthrough Top 10 album, 43 years on. Is it a crazy notion? Or forward motion? Micro Kid If, in 1983, you would have told nine-year-old me that in 43 years time, you’d be able to fit a computer into your pocket, I would have laughed in…
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Turn on some music to start your day and lose yourself in some familiar Boston songs, which were released 50 years ago today! More Than A Feeling The power of music is such that – even when you’re at a low ebb – it can remind you of happier times…
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If you start me up, I’ll never stop talking about the splendid Rolling Stones album, which was released 45 years ago… Start Me Up Considering that Tattoo You was essentially a piecemeal job cobbled together from past studio outtakes and unused recordings, it doesn’t half stand up well 45 years…
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Is the 1978 offering from Peter Skellern the sweetest thing? Or are those sweet words all lies? Shall we find out? You And I Like Lose Again on Linda Ronstadt’s Hasten Down The Wind, Peter Skellern is right in the thick of the action with the first track on his…
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Shake, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat-Tat and Roll with The Manhattan Transfer on their third album, which is 50 years young today! Don’t Let Go The Manhattan Transfer’s third album – their first, 1971’s Jukin’, tends to get swallowed up in the mists of time – gets off to a frantic start with a…
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A future in British appeal awaits XTC as they make their presence felt with their third album… Making Plans For Nigel A busy 1978 had seen tentative steps towards chart reward for XTC. The early part of the year brought the frenzied new wave punk of White Music, which appeared…
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Stormy waters ahead for Rod’s big blockbuster album from this day in ’75… Three Time Loser Atlantic Crossing is one of those rare albums which somehow turned up like a proverbial bad penny in my collection. It’s a shame. Rod Stewart’s first five LPs have loads to recommend them. Every…
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Life’s a beach with the Summer ’89 offering from Now That’s What I Call Music… Three years after the release of Now 7, and the Now That’s What I Call Music brand has gone from strength to strength. Every time a new Now hits the record shelves, it’s a fair…
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A One Trick Pony blogger writes about a One Trick Pony album… Late In The Evening Nearly five years had passed by 1980 without a new Paul Simon studio album. The last anyone had heard of him was the compilation, Greatest Hits Etc in 1977, which had featured two new…
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Happy 40th to my very 1st Now That’s What I Call Music album… This is where I came in. I’d seen past Now That’s What I Call Musics advertised on TV and displayed in shops. I remember wishing that I could get my mitts on one, since they seemed like…
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Life ain’t so bad at all when you live it Off The Wall with a track-by-track look at Michael Jackson’s 1979 super-selling album… Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough By the late 1970s, Michael Jackson and his brothers had reinvented themselves as purveyors of disco funk. 1978 had already seen…
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That’ll Be The Day when you say a good hi to a classic album from one of the greatest female vocalists of all time… Lose Again Hasten Down The Wind wastes no time in getting down to the nitty gritty. Lose Again is straight in the thick of the action,…
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Moving down the highways of my record-buying life, let’s take a look at the classic Isley Brothers masterpiece from ’73… That Lady A lot can happen in nine years. One minute you may be a little pipsqueak worrying about starting school, the next you’ll be a surly teenager fretting over…
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Well I finally made it to blogging about a Barry White album… Mellow Mood (Part One) Turn the lights down low… pour the wine… practice your sexiest baritone… And in 1974, doubtless many perspiring first daters bought this platter as a useful prop to woo the laydeez. The third offering…
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Turn off your minds, relax and float downstream with a look back at The Beatles’ classic album, Revolver, which impossibly hits the Big 6-0 today… Taxman If there’s a fate worse than death, then it’s paying tax. Autumn brings many reasons to feel down in the mouth. The sun clears…
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Man with no plan, Misstra-Not-Know-It-All, John Bensalhia is your guide to this classic Stevie Wonder platter from 1973… Too High 13 years before Zammo McGuire was found slumped against a toilet wall in Grange Hill, Stevie Wonder came up with his very own Just Say No in the form of…
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Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals by blogging about classic telly and music – including one of the most fondly remembered Who albums… Baba O’Riley Baba O’Riley begins ominously with the eerie drone of what sounds like a horde of monkeys playing catch with an accordion.…
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What a reason for waiting for a new blog post – a look back at the classic second Jethro Tull album… A New Day Yesterday Sundays were always a treat in my house when I was a little whiffersnapper. Sunday was always Record Day, when Mum and Dad would raid…
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A Brucie Bonus blog about the classic Generation Game from the 30th October 1976! Or The One With Brucie’s Tights. I’m In Charge On Gill getting covered in paint, age 10: “Oh. So you were overcome with Emulsion?” On Frank’s hobbies of golf and piano playing: “I was going to…
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With BlackAdder II celebrating 40 years since broadcast and a recently completed pencil drawing, what better opportunity to list my 10 personal favourite BlackAdder episodes? (In no order but chronological) Bells Let’s address the elephant in the room before we go any further. Why haven’t I included any episodes from…
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Two new scribbles by yours truly. I recently completed drawings of those much-loved ’70s sitcoms, Man About The House and George And Mildred. Me being me, I drew the latter first and then only realised that it would be a good idea to draw the prequel. One of these days,…
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Now 8 raced to the top of the charts, upon release on this day 39 years ago. Hits 5 had lodged there a couple of weeks previous, both compilations offering a good snapshot of the Autumn 1986 charts. But which one is the best? Only one way to find out.…
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Zoinks! It’s 56 years since lovable mutt Scooby Doo and the gang began their adventures to rid the world of ghostly wrong-doers. As a kid, I was always fascinated by those ghosts, and that’s where my love of murder mysteries began. Without the murders, of course. My interest lay in…
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You better not mess with Major John because he’s back with some more blog reviews, kicking off with a look back at David Bowie’s classic 1980 masterpiece. It’s No Game Part 1 After the trio of Berlin albums, David Bowie wanted to record something that had more commercial appeal. Low,…
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Looking for that personal gift with that extra USP? Then one of my specially commissioned pencil drawings could be for you. Above are just three examples of private commissions of families and pets. I greatly enjoyed drawing these. It’s always nice to hear from satisfied customers who hang these on…
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In my blog of such delights, there is a brand new piece celebrating 40 years of The Box Of Delights with 40 great gifts from this classic slice of Christmassy TV… 1 Share All, Cole It’s The Mighty Trout! Nearly 20 years after he enchanted a generation of kids as…
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The compilation rivals began their annual Christmas race for Number One on this day in 1989. But track by track, which is best out of either Now 16 or Monster Hits? (NB: This is an LP version, so there’s no Fine Young Cannibals, L’il Louis or Brother Beyond, as this…
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Hello to my three blog readers. If by chance, you have read my various musings on classic TV and music, you might have spotted two of my posts on classic game show, Bruce Forsyth And The Generation Game. Originally, these were published in an ebook I wrote called Cuddly Toy:…
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In May 2024, I published a new Kindle book. Cuddly Toy: The Unofficial, Unauthorised Guide To The Generation Game is a complete-as-possible look at the original Bruce Forsyth run from 1971 to 1977. Because I’m such a nice guy, here is a sample chapter of the book (sticking with 1977)…
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Read all about it! John’s track-by-track thoughts on Queen’s News Of The World! Released on this day in 1977! We Will Rock You Considering that this is my personal favourite Queen album, News Of The World gets off to a shaky start. This is more of a “It’s Not You,…
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Sound the Siren! Roxy Music’s 1975 classic is 49 years old, so let’s take a look at each track one by one. Love Is The Drug I remember hearing this on Mum’s copy of the compilation Street Life: 20 Great Hits. Roxy Music had been living in the record player…
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Happy 40th to quirky comedy Lame Ducks! Here’s a rapid-fire overview and review of the incredibly popular Series One. Episode One Brian Drake’s lot is not a happy one. After being knocked down in the street by a turnip lorry, he ends up in hospital. His yuppy wife Jean pays…
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It’s 59 years since The Magic Roundabout began revolving in the UK. For any newcomers to this much-loved children’s animation series, here’s a beginner’s guide to the main characters! Dougal The most identifiable member of The Magic Roundabout, it wasn’t long before the curmudgeonly dog became the breakout star. In…
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The Ben Elton “labour of love” that time forgot, how about sitting down with a cuppa and playing Happy Families again? Episode One: Edith When we talk about Ben Elton, the first TV programmes that come to mind are The Young Ones or BlackAdder. One of his most interesting projects…
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Have you ever been to Electric Ladyland? Well, John wants to show you each track on this expansive double album which was released on this day 56 years ago. …And The Gods Made Love Not so much a song, more a psychedelic maelstrom of slowed down voices and sound effects.…
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Here at John Bensalhia Writing Services, we write anything, anytime. Including a track-by-track review of The New Goodies LP, which was released on this day in 1975! The Goodies Theme The fourth out of five Goodies themes, and the one that stuck around the most. The original “Take a…
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“AND NOW FROM NORWICH, IT’S THE QUIZ OF THE WEEK!!!” Near-namesake John Benson hollered this legendary introduction to a legendary quiz show in which lots of prizes could be snapped up for absurdly cheap prices. Here’s your beginner’s guide to Sale Of The Century! Did Sale Of The Century Originate…
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As the Multi-Coloured Swap Shop turns 48 today, let’s look at some memorable pop and rock stars gracing its doors… One thing that kids today are missing out on is the Saturday Morning Telly For Children. Because modern TV big cheeses are lazy, unimaginative plodders, they stick with the same…
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A track by track glimpse of Ian Dury’s classic 1977 magnum opus. Wake Up And Make Love With Me A dramatic piano intro from Chaz Jankel misdirects you into thinking that this is going to be some sappy lurve ballad. Instead, it swiftly settles into a rock-funk groove, with Jankel…
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It’s 55 years since The Beatles released their last recorded sessions on vinyl, so let’s cross that Abbey Road track by track… Come Together Abbey Road kicks off with one of The Beatles’ very best. For a band that was just about to split, it’s ironic that they came up…
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High time we made a stand and shook up the views of that common man John Bensalhia on Tears For Fears’ lavish third album… Woman In Chains If there’s one nitpicky grumble to be had from the outset, it’s that the running order of the track listing is a…
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A school reunion of 40 years for this classic ’80s kids gameshow. Here are some important study notes on Beat The Teacher… What Was Beat The Teacher? What a great idea. Your chance to take revenge on smart-arse teachers in a battle of wills on live telly! Clive Doig, the…
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Up on the hill, John Bensalhia thinks Aja is OK. Or so he says. Actually, a lot more than OK, as I look back at all seven tracks of this classic bit of Steely Dan… Black Cow The end of 1994 was the point when I became a Steely Dan…
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XTC’s fourth album swiftly entered the album charts, becoming a firm favourite of many fans. Better traverse the waters of Black Sea, track by track… Respectable Street The fourth and final single to be taken from Black Sea, regrettably, Respectable Street failed to chart – most likely because of the…
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The first album chart topper for Kate Bush, Never For Ever was released 44 years ago. Here’s some track by track thoughts… Babooshka I first bought Never For Ever in Summer 1998 on vinyl, and is probably the Kate Bush album I’m most familiar with. In these days of boring…
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Two new additions to the gallery! Up first are Mork & Mindy, as played by Robin Williams & Pam Dawber. A classic comedy from the late ’70s in which Mork from Ork meets and falls in love with Earth girl Mindy. Plus, not like that, just like that – legendary…
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Let’s G-G-G-G-Go back to 1975 when a classic kids’ game show is broadcast for the first time. Your starter’s guide to Runaround now! What Was Runaround? A fast-paced children’s gameshow that ran for 12 series between 2nd September 1975 and 7th September 1981. The story of Runaround actually begins three…
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The sixth 10cc studio platter to hit the shelves, Bloody Tourists was the last by the band to make a big impression on the album charts. But is it a case of “I don’t like Tourists-aah, I love it-aah”? Shall we find out in another track by track review? Dreadlock…
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Underground cult classic Feats Don’t Fail Me Now is a creaky half century today. To mark the occasion, here’s a track by track overview. Rock & Roll Doctor I first came across Little Feat on one of those Old Grey Whistle Test compilation programmes around 1986 or 1987. It was…
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One of Billy Joel’s most popular albums, An Innocent Man, was released 41 years ago today. But here at my website, I play judge and jury as I assess whether the album’s 10 tracks are innocent or guilty as charged. Silence in court! Easy Money This gets the album…
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The Pretenders followed up their memorable debut with their imaginatively titled follow-up called Pretenders II on this day 43 years ago. Let’s check it out, track by track! The Adulteress The title sounds like a member of a new cult of cheating super-anti-heroes. The antithesis to the Fantastic Four, The…
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The ferris wheel… the electric cattle prod… a figure of Death who doesn’t know the rrrrrrrruuuuulllles of chess… countless laugh-out-loud moments from Bottom starring Rik Mayall as Richie and Adrian Edmondson as Eddie, two hapless losers languishing at the bottom of life’s great big dustbin. Here’s my latest pencil drawing.…
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In May 2024, I published a new Kindle book. Cuddly Toy: The Unofficial, Unauthorised Guide To The Generation Game is a complete-as-possible look at the original Bruce Forsyth run from 1971 to 1977. On Saturday 27th July 2024, as part of a classic TV retrospective package (and an alternative for…
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Good times are here on this day in 1979 with the release of Chic’s classic dancefloor smash, Risqué. Not being a drag, I’ll participate in a track-by-track look at their third album. Good Times Catching my eye at a 2002 venture to the local record fair, a reasonably priced copy…
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On this sunny day in 1978, classic gameshow 3-2-1 began. It was something of an inauspicious beginning for what would become one of the most popular Saturday night treats of the 1980s. I get the sense that it originally began as a fun bit of Summer filler, except that its…
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“It’s goodnight from me. And it’s goodnight from him.” A new addition to my gallery. Another classic comedy duo, The Two Ronnies! If you would like a copy on good quality A4 paper, please drop me a line on the contact form and I will send you a quote. Alternatively,…
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Hello and welcome! Here is a handy introduction for Earthlings to peruse about 1980s kids’ sci-fi quiz, Starstrider! What Was Starstrider? Starstrider ran for two series between 26th July 1984 and 1st November 1985. It was produced by the Granada channel, and was initially broadcast on Thursday afternoons in the…
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Happy 40th to the 3rd volume of the massively popular Now That’s What I Call Music series! Let’s take a look at what was on offer… It’s the high Summer of 1984. The Olympics are about to dominate telly schedules. Frankie say Relax. And already, in the space of around…
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Stevie Wonder continued the quality on this day 50 years ago with the underrated Fulfillingness’ First Finale. Here’s a handy track-by-track train of thought by me! Smile Please This should be my theme tune. I have one of those faces which looks like a frozen-in-mid-scowl Victor Meldrew. All my life,…
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Popular kids’ puzzle show Jigsaw began on this day in 1979. As a means of entertaining while educating youngsters, Jigsaw was a great example. It taught kids all about letters and words through sketches, crazy characters and puzzles that viewers could attempt to solve at home. It enjoyed six…
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Rickie Lee Jones’ multi-layered follow-up to her debut is 43 today! Here’s a track-by-track guide to the album. We Belong Together Having bought Rickie’s debut in 1998, I didn’t pick up Pirates until five years later. I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest. Whereas the first album has…
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55 years ago, the BBC boldly went where no TV channel had gone before. Three weeks after Patrick Troughton’s Doctor had spun off into the ether, sci-fi fans could now enjoy another big hitter. Ironically, Star Trek’s original run had finished in America the previous month. But for British viewers,…
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Happy 60th to this timeless Beatles masterpiece! Here are my track-by track thoughts. A Hard Day’s Night A Hard Day’s Night and I go back a long way. Right back to my childhood in the 1970s in the days before you could conjure up any song you like at the…
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“What do you think of it so far? Rubbish!” Here is my latest addition to my gallery. A pencil drawing of that much-loved comedy duo, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. Hopefully you can’t see the join in the photos. If you would like a copy on good quality A4 paper,…
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The top 10 must-see episodes of classic gritty spy drama, Callan, starring Edward Woodward in the title role. As rated by IMDB. (PS: If you haven’t seen Callan, go and do so before you read this article. Spoilers.) 10. First Refusal (First broadcast 15th March 1972) Written by Bill Craig.…
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A track-by track look at the classic debut from John Lennon’s then-favourites. Planet Claire The slow-burning opener to the album transports you to a planet where red trees grow and a headless population walks around while not breathing in pink air. It does take time to reach Planet Claire, as guitar…
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Hello, and here is the weather. Overcast. Gloomy. Cloudy spells all day long with a hint of drizzle in the rain. It’s cold enough to warrant digging out your sweater. If you’re expecting sunshine and warmth, forget it. In short, you’re experiencing the sort of climate you’d get in…
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