SLADE In The Singles Chart Again!

Like a pre-Christmas miracle, SLADE are back in the singles chart with 'Everyday' at No. 93 with not even a merry Christmas in sight.

At this time of year SLADE are usually hovering around with the perennial 'Merry Christmas Everybody' that has been in the charts more times than I care to remember. This year it looks like 'Everyday' will be a new Christmas hit for them. 'Everyday' narrates the new advert for the Nexus 7 tablet with a dad away at sea on a merchant ship contacting his family on Christmas Day: "Everyday when I'm away, I'm thinking of you..." sings Sir Noddy. It was a real surprise to hear Noddy singing on telly again, especially singing the overlooked 'Everyday'.

I blogged about this last week when I was wondering if it would be a hit and this week it looks like it could well be. Of course, I don't want to jinx it by saying it will be, but who knows...?

'Everyday' reached No 3 in 1974 with SLADE's first ballad as the follow-up to 'Merry Christmas Everybody'. I've got no idea if the band was relieved or disappointed that it didn't go into the chart at No 1 like three of their singles in 1973 - that's a lot to live up to. And that's when bands had to sell half a million records to get to No 1, not the mere thousands these days. It's from the 'Old, New, Borrowed and Blue' album.

If you want to see the Nexus 7 advert or SLADE singing 'Everyday' on Top of the Pops back on the day, then just scroll a bit further down and enjoy.

There's now a campaign on Facebook asking people to download the song to help it move higher up the chart and, you know what? I think I will download it despite having the song several times on vinyl and CD. It can't hurt. Go on, do the same, eh? 

Fra Angelico Christmas Cards

I had a few minutes to spare the other day while waiting for a train so I wandered into Paperchase to see whether their Christmas cards were any good this year. While browsing the displays a pack of cards caught my eye and looked a bit familiar so I picked it up for a closer look and lo and behold, a Fra Angelico painting graced the front of the card.

Or rather, four paintings by Fra Angelico to be exact. Four scenes from a panel of nine paintings that were originally part of the doors to a cupboard that held the sacred silverware in the church of Santissima Annunziata in Florence. The panel is now in the museum of San Marco in Florence where I've seen it. The scenes cover the Annunciation, the Nativity, The Adoration of the Magi and the Presentation in the Temple. I looked it up in my handy guide to San Marco.

It's nice to see something on a random card that I've seen in real life.

I now have another challenge. There is not just one card using Fra Angelico paintings, there are two. The other is a painting of an angel, obviously just a detail from a painting, but it's also by Brother Giovanni the Angelic.

This painting looks like it's from one of his many paintings of the Annunciation so I shall have to get out my Big Book of Fra Angelico and track it down. Without seeing more of the painting I don't know if I've seen it - Fra Angelico liked painting Annunciations. The pink and the gold background will help in tracking it down.

I have my mission.

I wonder what Fra Angelico would think about his paintings being on Christmas cards? Back in his day, Christmas cards didn't exist so he wouldn't be familiar with the concept but it does mean that his work goes far and wide to a much bigger audience. Rather than just the rich and powerful or the priests and monks who he painted for, even I can look at his work and marvel. And then send it to other people who will, I hope, look at the paintings and not just see who signed it inside.

Fra Angelico's paintings look pretty safe to us now but, back when he was painting, they were quite radical and used the latest techniques of foreshortening and perspective, new ideas that were more fully explored and mastered by his pupils and later artists. Many of his paintings are meditations and not just pretty pictures. 

Kim Wilde - 'New Life' video

Today is Kim Wilde's birthday (18 November) and she's given us a present, the video for 'New Life' from her new album 'Wilde Winter Songbook'. It's a gentle song and a gentle video and it starts off with an ultrasound scan of a baby. Take a look and a listen. It's rather lovely.



Happy birthday Kim!

New Maximo Park Album in 2014

Those scallywags, Maximo Park, have announced their new album today, launched a new video and are giving away one of the tracks for the cost of your email address. They already have mine so I'm happy to give it again to get the download of 'Brain Cells'.

The new record is called 'Too Much Information', includes 11 songs and will be released on 3 February 2014. If you get the deluxe edition you get a bonus CD with a further six songs (naturally, that's the version I'll get). I knew they'd been recording (from Paul's tweets) but didn't realise it was this close to being released. Paul has also tweeted about recording vocals for B-sides so I'm expecting a series of singles from the album. Click on the picture to go to the Maximo's website and details of the pre-order bundles.

'Brain Cells' is the lead song from the album and, especially after the rampant guitars of 'The National Health' isn't what you'd expect at all. Listen to it twice and you'll love it!

'Everyday' - a new Christmas hit for SLADE?

Imagine my surprise at hearing Noddy Holder singing over a new Christmas advert and realising that it wasn't 'Merry Christmas Everybody' or even vaguely Christmassy. It's the new advert for the Nexus 7 and I first saw it on Saturday.

The story is about a dad on a huge merchant ship in the middle of the ocean  who meets his family at Christmas by video over his Nexus 7 device.  And all of this with Sir Noddy and SLADE singing 'Everyday' over the advert. Well done to the ad agency that came up with this inspired choice. Take a look:



Here's SLADE on Top Of The Pops in 1974 performing 'Everyday':

Boy George at Koko 2013

Last Sunday I saw Boy George play at Koko in Camden, one of my least favourite venues. But it was great to see and hear a slimmed down and re-invigorated Boy George in great voice sing his classics and songs from his new album, 'This Is What I Do'. And it is what he does.

We had about two hours from the Boy ranging over the last 30 years but focusing on 2013. Backed by a 7-piece band he sounded excellent and we had songs from Culture Club, his solo music, songs from his latest record and a couple of classic covers. As ever, he was backed by John Themis and Kevan Frost, his writing partners as well as leaders of his band. The addition of a horn section added a whole new texture to enjoy. Bringing on some guest musicians that played on the album made fora crowded stage but enhanced the sound. Which was great.

George opened with a reggae section of 5 or 6 songs from the new album and also gave us reggae-ish versions of 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me' and 'Karma Chameleon' - he must be so bored of playing those songs endlessly but they're what made him a global star. We also had great versions of 'Church of the Poisoned Mind' and 'Victims' from the Culture Club days.

I liked hearing the new songs which, strangely, sound even better live than on the record. I particularly liked the countrified 'Any Road', the rock of Yoko Ono's 'Death of Samantha' and the great 'Bigger Than War' in which I had to join in the chorus of 'Bigger than the Beatles, the Rolling Stones; Bigger than Elvis... but not Yoko!'. O no, not Yoko.

The two covers were T.Rex's 'Get It On' which he really should record, with chugging guitar forcing it along and great sax, and a less polished but heartfelt 'Starman' by Bowie. George is, indeed, a child of his times, like the rest of us!

I also loved his rock star version of 'Satan's Butterfly Ball' from 'Cheapness & Beauty' and the great 'Bow Down Mister'. I'd tweeted George earlier that day saying I hoped he'd play this so I could chant along for Poly Styrene. He didn't play it at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of Yoko's Meltdown festival but he did at Koko, a great big rousing version in which I sang along to 'Hare Krishna, Hare Rama' for Poly. Word perfect, obv.

It was great fun to see George on top form, giving us all what we wanted and enjoying it, laughing and joking with the crowd. Well done, George, let's have more!

'The Light Princess' at The National Theatre

Last Sunday I went to a matinee performance of 'The Light Princess' at the National Theatre and as soon as I saw the stage I knew we'd be in for a visual treat. The stage is bracketed at either end by what look like old theatre boxes, one side in reds and golds and the other in blues and purples and between them is filled with a map on the curtain of the desert country of Lagobel which is rich in gold and on the other side is the martial Sealand. Separating the countries is the green wilderness in which there be dragons. O yes.

The play opens with two of the supporting cast narrating the story to a great animation sequence on the stage illustrating how the princess of Lagobel became light and the prince of Sealand became glum. We then learn that the two countries are at an uneasy peace and the king of Sealand wants to invade Lagobel and seize all the gold (as you would). The princess and prince meet, fall in love separate on bad terms and eventually get back together to live happily ever after although, to give it a modern twist, the princess becomes a marine biologist rather than staying at home in the palace. Good for her.

The story has lots of twists and turns, has a distinctly feminist tone, examines family relationships and finds them wanting and is full of magic and wonder. The princess finds gravity and the prince learns how to smile. It has learned the lessons of 'War Horse' well and features a lovely brave falcon as the prince's friend and an orange mouse with a lump of cheese that lives in the princess's tower. The falcon flying out over the audience and especially when he brings his fellow brightly coloured falcons to try to protect the prince are marvellous sequences. He's called Zepherus, the west wind.

The play is full of special effects and the most spectacular must be the floating princess. She rarely stands on the stage but is continually floating around in a very realistic way and this is mainly due to a troupe of four 'puppeteers' dressed in black who pass her from hand to hand, raise her up on their legs and generally keep her moving and bobbing. Now and then she floats on wires which is equally impressive, pulled down by ribbons tied to wrists and ankles. The princess is never still, even when weighed down with the pomp of being a princes, with her crown and sceptre.

Tori Amos wrote the songs and music that keep the story moving along nicely and the production fits in perfectly with the tone of the songs, a gorgeous, almost baroque, affair.   A modern fairy tale for everyone. Princess Althea was played by Rosalie Craig and Prince Digby by Nick Hendrix and they both gave lovely performances, particularly Rosalie who must have gone through extra hours and weeks of rehearsal to be able to give herself up to the puppeteers with such trust and abandon. I dread to think of the bruises she must have had in rehearsals. I also liked Amy Booth-Steel as the princess's friend and Kane Oliver Parry as the prince's brother. I didn't like King Ignacio of Sealand played by Hal Fowler, a nasty king who killed his wife and shot his son only to be killed himself by Zepherus's brave falcon troop. Hal is Mr Kim Wilde (one of my pop stars of choice) so he better be nicer in real life!

As you might guess, I loved it! A new fairy tale for Christmas (and yes, I know it's based on an old fairy tale). And it's for all the family - the audience was full and full of people from little kids with their parents and grandparents to groups of girls and young women and people well into pensionable age. It had a great reception from everyone - including me. It must have cost a small fortune to stage, what with the special effects for the floating princess and all the scenery and costumes, so I don't think it'll be staged this lavishly very often. That's why I booked more tickets to see it again between Christmas and New Year - the perfect time to see it. I intend to enjoy it while I can!

Well done Tori and well done to everyone for a wondrous production. I'm looking forward to seeing it again!

Slade - 'Live at Koko' DVD

23 months ago I went to see Slade play live at Koko just a week before Christmas 2011. This was Dave and Don's version of Slade, not the originals with Sir Noddy and Jim, but they played those classics songs of yesteryear which was good. The gig was filmed for a DVD and it looks like it's finally being released. And here is the cover.

I blogged about the gig at the time, about singing along to 'Merry Christmas Everybody' a matter or days before Christmas and how the audience was like me apart from the young people. I was disappointed it wasn't released last year - I have no idea why it takes so long - but I'm pleased it's finally coming out. It's available to pre-order on Amazon so it looks like it's really happening.

I know what I want in my Christmas stocking...

Kim Wilde - 'White Winter Hymnal'

This is the first video to promote Kim's new record, 'Wilde Winter Songbook'. It's a lovely family affair with Kim singing with her dad, Marty Wilde, brother Ricky and his daughter Scarlett. It's quite touching to see Kim and Ricky together over 30 years after they started making music together.

Take a listen and then buy the album - you won't regret it!

Kim Wilde - 'Wilde Winter Songbook'

I have broken the Christmas Law of not listening to Christmas music until December. My excuse is that this is Kim Wilde's new album, 'Wilde Winter Songbook', which is now available and, after a long journey home tonight, I deserved it. I'm sure Kim would approve. Nay, she would insist!

There are a few duets (with Nik Kershaw, Rick Astley, her dad Marty Wilde and husband Hal Fowler) and it's a mix of standards and new winter and Christmas songs. It's also great fun, with her own Christmas hit, 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' opening with an announcement that 'the next station is Potters Bar' which is a reference to the video of her last year being slightly tipsy after a Christmas party singing the song with brother Ricky on the train home. Gets a big thumbs up from me!

A couple of the songs are delivered in New York supper club style with the emphasis on Kim's voice as it is in all the songs - but nothing's obvious with Kim. There's no power pop Christmas but it works for me. I think it's the new songs that are my favourites, songs like 'Hope', 'One' and 'New Life' with nothing Christmassy in the titles but they drip Christmas sparkle and magic. All in all it's a fun record, sometimes thoughtful and sometimes cheeky, and very full of the Christmas spirit.

I need to put the record away until December when I can listen to it on rotation but it sounds excellent on one listen. I hope she plays these songs on her Christmas Party tour  before Christmas.

I can't help but think of what Kim wrote in the booklet to her last record ('Snapshots') when she said "[I] wear my Pop Star badge with pride!" She's still a Pop Star to me and I'm looking forward to seeing her play live at Christmas.