Sir Noddy Needs *You*

'Everyday' by SLADE is being used in the Christmas Nexus7 advert and entered the singles chart at No 93 last week. So far this week it has climbed to No 54. Could it possibly get into the top 40? It could if you download it...

Doctor Who Is Younger Than Me

By now you'll have seen the 50th anniversary episode if you're at all interested in Doctor Who so it must be safe to say a few words. I'm a smidgen older than Doctor Who and I remember him from back in the day. I don't really remember the First Doctor, William Hartnell, but I have, of course been bombarded with his images so it makes it confusing to remember who was my first Doctor.

My first Doctor was really Patrick Troughton with his bad haircut and his penny whistle, followed by Jon Pertwee in his late 60s finery and Tom Baker with his scarf and hat, his big eyes and big smile. I didn't really pay much attention to the '80s Doctors of Peter Davison, Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy. I consider Tom Baker as *my* Doctor Who. He's the one that sticks in the memory and, besides, he liked jelly babies.

Tom also inherited Jon Pertwee's last companion, Sarah Jane played by Elisabeth Sladen, and she's always been the epitome of the companion to me. Yes, she did running and screaming but she also did thinking and challenging. She also had K9, her robot dog. She's the only one of the Companions who also had their own spin-off series. Sarah Jane also had her own roles in the new series of Doctor Who.

I liked the 50th anniversary episode but didn't believe that was Elizabeth I - no way was that the Virgin Queen. That was a bit silly but, then again, there's usually something a bit silly in a Doctor Who episode. And it was nice that the baddies weren't the Daleks or the Cybermen although they strongly featured. As did Billie Piper as the physical form of the ultimate weapon.

It was nice to have John Hurt enter the pantheon of the Doctors as the War Doctor. He's had so many iconic roles over the years that I wonder what he really thinks of it - just another job or something a little bit special?

It was the last half hour or so that got me into the story, especially when the Doctors arrived en masse in their Tardises to protect Gallifrey and we saw them all... including a cameo of the next Doctor. And then Tom Baker appearing as the curator at the end. That was well daft.

The celebratory evening continued with more Doctor Who shows and more memories and it was lovely to see Alex Kingston, Louise Jameson (Leela the warrior woman) and Bernard Cribbens (who links original Doctor Who with the modern version). We also saw Peter Davison, Sylvester MacCoy and Colin Baker, all Who's of their times, as well as a host of others. The link to One Direction in Los Angeles was just painful but, I suppose, inevitable. Sadly.

Here's to the next 50 years!

March! March! March! Across Red Square!

One year ago tonight I was at the Royal Albert Hall giving it up for the glory that is The Human League. They tamed that barn of a place and gave us love and adventures with Phil, Susan and Joanne being lovely as ever. I blogged about the gig at the time with some photos that came out as not bad since the stage lighting was superb. I went so far as to say it was the best gig I'd seen at the Royal Albert Hall and I still think that.

Here's 'The Things That Dreams Are Made Of' with synchronised clapping and name-checking The Ramones in the chorus. A great song!



Come back soon!

Poly Styrene Videos From 1983

I looked at the 'Poly Styrene RIP (A Tribute Page)' on Facebook this evening and saw that a video had been posted for 'Prayer For Peace' by Poly Styrene in 1983. Now, I'm familiar with 'Prayer For Peace' from the 1995 X-Ray Spex album 'Conscious Consumer' but a 1983 version was new to me. So I clicked play ... and then went 'WOW!'

Poly is dancing round the garden of what I assume is the Krishna consciousness estate donated by George Harrison singing 'Prayer For Peace'. All sorts of religions are represented in the video. And here she is...



Further browsing delivered Poly singing in the Hare Krishna tent at Glastonbury in 1983 with a band, singing 'Trick Of The Witch' that would be released on the 'Gods & Godesses' EP in 1986. It's not the best video but it's great to see that Poly can't stand still on stage, she's got to move.



I (obviously) had no idea that these videos existed and it's great to suddenly find them. It makes me wonder what else might turn up over time. Who knows?

Thanks to krsnaoldschool for posting the videos. 

Kim Wilde - 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree'

Kim Wilde has posted the third video from her new album, 'Wilde Winter Songbook', and this time it's a re-make of her Comic Relief hit from 1987 with Mel Smith, 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree'. This time it's with her mate Nik Kershaw.

It's a great piss-take of the video of Kim and brother Ricky that surfaced on YouTube last Christmas of the pair of them a bit worse for wear singing 'Kids In America' and 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' on the train home after a Christmas party. The next day when the video had gone viral the pair of them treated it like a great big joke and good on 'em! I think it's great that they return to the scene of their crime and I love that the new version of it on the record begins with the announcement that 'The next station is Potters Bar' like in their escapade last year.

A nice touch, if you watch to the end, is to see that the video is dedicated to the memory of Mel Smith who died earlier this year.



And if you'd like to see the original Comic Relief video then look no further and click below! When was the last time you pulled a cracker?

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':