Pye Records Golden Hour Of…

    

After Marble Arch records, Pye reworked the catalogue into Golden Hour of. Who remembers these?

Dave Nattress… Well I do remember Marble Arch records I bought 2 LP’s back in about 1965? The Searchers Greatest Hits and Kinks same – might have been called Well Respected Kinks. I do definitely still have them and if I wasn’t lazy I’d go and look for them right now. Maybe will anyway. Looked, can’t get to them just now, half hidden by the piano, (which is situated in a rather small room). Only the favourites that I do still play are accessible!

Mick O’Dowd… I remember these well. There were quite a few obscure issue on this as well as re-issues of albums that you never got round to or couldn’t afford at the time.

Who remembers doing The Bump?

Chris Baker… I think there should be a scientific study on people who did the Bump in their teens, to see if that’s the reason for their fat arses now! Seems to have affected me and a lot of people I know! I want compensation!

Julie Morris… I feel your pain Chris – we should sue whoever invented the bump

Mick O’Dowd… It could certainly answer the steep rise in hip replacement for former “bumpers”!

Terry Hardwick… Kenny the bump

Julie Findlay-jones… Loved the Bump.

Jeff Belton… Alot of fun, especially you did the bump with a young lady.

Terry Hardwick… Well you will enjoy the next Scalliwags reunion D J Johnny Francis and Kevin Burchett are teaching a master clas on the Bump 630 start

Judy Atkinson… It was the only dance my late husband & I managed to successfully do together!

Dave Nattress… Definitely remember the song by Kenny and to buying some hideous similar “Lee” jeans with flared bottoms like those in the photo. About 1976?

Neil Steadman… Kenny…!!

Kev Towner… It should’ve come with a Government Health Warning.

Jules Stretton… Im too young I was goin clubbin in the late 80,s soit must of been before xx

Ian Brown… Kenny

 

Hastings Pier Charity enters administration

24th November 2017 http://hastingspier.org.uk

Hastings Pier Charity had recently shared a new three-year business plan with the Heritage Lottery Fund, Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council.

The plan demonstrated how the Pier could potentially reach self-funding status within three years. Proposals were based on the actual income figures of the Pier in the last eighteen months, building on successes, developing further fundraising projects and with proposals for a new temporary structure capable of weather proofing events for up to 2500 people.

These plans required additional grant funding of £800,000 over the next three years to build the Piers capacity as a venue, a visitor attraction and a place where Hastings residents would regularly visit.

Hastings Pier Charity has always taken the view that it would be wrong to ask community shareholders for more money to fund the on going operating costs of Hastings Pier. The major stakeholders did not feel able to support the new three-year plan.

Sadly therefore the Hastings Pier Charity has been placed into administration. The board will do everything to assist the administrator and step down at the end of the year.
The administrator who has been appointed, will now take on the challenge of finding a long term financial solution to the funding of Hastings Pier.

Hastings still has a beautiful, award-winning pier.
The pier will remain open to the public whilst the administration takes place, and the pier will be fully operational and staffed for 2018.

Hastings Pier charity board thank our many shareholders, committed staff, talented people and wonderful visitors  who shared our vision through the last five years of the project.

Hastings Pier Charity encourages you to keep visiting and supporting the pier, and look forward to the next stage of the development of Hastings Pier.

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Am I Dreaming? 80 Brit Girl Sounds Of The 60s. 3CD Set

AM I DREAMING?  80 BRIT GIRL SOUNDS OF THE 60’s    Various Artists 3CD Set

I’ve been looking forward to this release, definitely an early Christmas pressie for me. Solo and girl groups of the 60’s is one of my favourite genres. I guess most people’s minds would leap automatically to the sounds from over the pond from the Brill Building, Carole King, Shangri-La’s etc and Spectors Wall of Sound productions for The Ronettes, Crystals etc all timeless classics of course. But here in the UK we had an equally thriving ‘scene’ with many going on to be big names and some sadly disappearing without trace. This beautifully presented 3CD set from RPM is a finale to their very successful ‘Dream Babes’ series of compilations that ran from 1994 to 2007. If you already own any of these CD’s fear not none of the tracks are duplicated in this set which contains many rarities and some previously unissued material. The accompanying booklet by Ian Chapman and Bob Stanley tells the story in fine form along with some great photos. Just some of the ‘big’ names starting out on their careers are here in the shape of Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield (The Springfields), Kathy Kirby (a huge favourite of my dear old dad), Cilla Black, Jackie Trent, Elkie Brooks, Kiki Dee and Cloda (without the gh) Rodgers to name but a few. Fascinating to hear their evolution from their early recordings contained here. Away from these well known artists are the lesser remembered but in some cases equally great singers who had some success but didn’t make the leap to the big league but nevertheless left us some great singles, my personal choice being Billie Davis, Samantha Jones and Beryl Marsden who could belt out a great tune and should have had greater success but such is the fickleness of the record buying public then and now. A lot of the girls (and groups) were viewed as a bit of novelty fare at the time, and to be fair some were. However listening to the Vernon Girls of We Love The Beatles fame/infamy sing ‘Only You Can Do It’ on Disc One you realise they weren’t a million miles away from those aforementioned Brill Building girls when they had decent material. At 80 tracks there is so much to unearth and enjoy, it may not all be in the premier league but for anyone like me who loves this genre and time period its hard to fault. The breadth and scope on display is actually summed up wonderfully by the accompanying press release and for once I can’t better it in my own words ‘ beat girls, folk girls, hippy girls, mod girls,……………….Not forgetting Schoolgirls, secretaries, convent girls, actresses, daughters of diplomats and god daughters of royalty’!! Wonderful. You can have the fun of working out who is who!

I’ll leave it there with a YouTube clip of our late beloved Cilla getting Motown, and the back of the two heads watching the performance in the first 10 seconds belong to a coupla geezers called Paul and John….wonder what happened to them……….

For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk

This being the last SMART Sounds of this year, may I wish an early happy Christmas to all fellow Smarties and friends, see you in the New Year,

Til then………………….

Colin

David Cassidy dies

photo: ABC Television Network

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42076323

Alan Esdaile… R.I.P. David Cassidy.

Aileen Mathieson…. Rip David Cassidy I used to have his pictures all over my bedroom so sad !xx

Jane Dorsett… R.I.P. David Cassidy, I use to have his pictures on my bedroom wall too.x

Wendy Weaver… So sad RIP

Liz Dees Dianto… RIP

Kevin Burchett… it is actually official now R.I.P David

Jan Warren… R.I.P. David Cassidy

Dave Nattress… Another loss. So many of whatever musical genre continue to move on. When I was as a lad, ( a very long-haired rocker/weekend hippie), David Cassidy was not for me, but, respect, he had some good songs and there’s plenty of room for all genres. Seems like he moved on to something of a RnR lifestyle that did no good for his health ultimately. So, another one from the past gone. One girlfriend in particular who uses these pages – this was of 40+ years ago – you know who you are, (xx), had her bedroom wall covered with posters of David Cassidy. How did I know – was asked up there to change a light-bulb of course!!

Nick Prince… Exactly what any gent would have done back in the day Dave Nattress. Just imagine if the young lady wasn’t able to see her David Cassidy posters because of the said light bulb. It doesn’t bare thinking about.

Elaine Stock… RIP David xx

Dave Nattress… Thanks Nick Prince – you got it in one, nice comment and it’s still making me smile!!! Just read it again, smiling even more!!!

 

 

Likely Lads Rodney Bewes dies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33181740

Alan Esdaile… R.I.P. Rodney Bewes. Another one from our youth. Tony Rivers sang lead vocal on the theme tune.

Lyn Humphrey… ‘Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?’ was one of the all-time great British situation comedies. Coincidentally, I’d only recently finished watching the DVD box-set. A sad loss.

Dave Nattress… Indeed Alan, yet another. A TV programme I’m sure all of us of an age will remember and fondly. One of the actresses who used to appear in it, maybe one of the pair’s Wives – did they ever get married? or girlfriends is in Open all Hours.

Lyn Humphrey… They did indeed get married, Dave–despite various mash-ups by best mate Terry (James Bolam).

AC/DC Malcolm Young dies

photo source… https://www.facebook.com/acdc/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42037566

Jan Warren… Oh Nooooooooo

Eugene Hughes… Rip Mal. He had awful dementia. So sad. I met Mal and Angus with my brother in law Chris Slade at a recording studio in London in 1990.

Chris Sambrook… Sorry to hear Malcolm Young has passed away . Its only a week ago his elder brother passed away. “Hell ain’t no bad place to be”.

Leisure Music selling records in 1977

Anyone remember Leisure Music selling records?

Phil Gill… What were they thinking?

Jon McCallion… Nope nor me

Peter Millington… I was a regular visitor to the shop and don’t remember seeing records, however, I seem to be able to ignore everything but guitars and amplifiers LOL

Chris Meachen… Me neither..

Alan Esdaile… Odd advert as says Records at Hastings! Could Complete Audio Systems be a different shop in Hastings?

Pete Millington… Could be Alan but I’ve never heard of it, and the address is the same as Leisure Music. – A Shop within a shop perhaps?

Phil Gill… I think Complete Audio Systems probably was a different shop in Hastings, but still owned by the English family under the Leisure Music umbrella, hence the common phone number. Still didn’t buy any records from them though.