You are awful..but I like you!

I was sorry to read the other day of the death of the actor Ivan Dixon. Who, I can hear you saying, is Ivan Dixon? Ivan Dixon was a member of Hogan's Heroes, that US sitcom from the 1960s set in a WW2 POW camp. Now when I was a lad this was one of my favourite sitcoms, in fact I think all of my favourites at the time were American imports including such gems as Bilko, Gilligan's Island, F Troop and the Munsters. I would like to say that there were as many good British sitcoms at the time but apart from Steptoe and Son and Till Death Us Do Part I can't think of any, although at the end of the decade we did get Dad's Army and On the Buses (and sadly Nearest And Dearest).
I guess that the golden age of British Sitcom was the 1970s when Fawlty Towers, Porridge, Rising Damp, Reginald Perrin. I'm sorry, I still can't see the appeal of The Good Life. It's hard to think of any US sitcom from that period that could match any of these, apart from MASH. However, since the 80s we have had Cheers, Frazier, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm from across the pond and since that it seems they have started to take our best work, such as the Office, and remaking it. Typical of the Americans to come in late and take credit for the good work...like a couple of wars I could mention..

Finally, congratulations to poster Adam who correctly identified last blog's quiz answer as John Cazale. If the name's not familiar he played Fredo in the Godfather films, for more info look him up on Wikipedia.

First of all, answers to last blog's quiz:

WHO SAID:
Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I do not know what will go first, rock 'n' roll or Christianity. John Lennon
Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Good Night. Johnny Rotten
I'd rather have a cup of tea than sex. Boy George
If it's illegal to rock and roll, throw my ass in jail! Kurt Cobain
If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Alice Cooper
I am the most well-known homosexual in the world. Elton John
We're a very expensive group; we break a lot of rules. It's unheard of to combine opera with a rock theme, my dear . Freddie Mercury
Rock and Roll: Music for the neck downwards. Keith Richard
I only got seventh-grade education, but I have a doctorate in funk, and I like to put that to good use James Brown
America's greatest living poet (about Smokey Robinson) Bob Dylan

I have to apologise for the lack of recent blogs. However, I have to admit that this hasn't quite turned out as I expected! When I started this blog I envisaged it to be a forum of like-minded people who would add comments and anecdotes and there would be lots of witty Wildean repartee, thus making my job of adding a blog that much easier as I would have lots of material to draw from and create the blog. Unfortunately apart from a few welcome comments from my hard core devoted following, apparently it's too much effort for most of you to enter your email address and a password to register and add some comments. Therefore my blog will continue but not as frequently, unless there is a sudden outburst of commentary (which I doubt).

This week's quiz question (for film buffs):

Which actor appeared in only six films (five films while alive, plus a sixth using archival footage after his death) that were all nominated for the Academy Award for best picture?

The no-blog blog

Apart from having another cold I can't think of anything to moan about at present, but being aware that my hordes of readers are eagerly awaiting another post from me here is a pop quiz

Rock Quotes, some easy some hard - who said the following? (and no googling!)

1. Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I do not know what will go first, rock 'n' roll or Christianity.
2. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Good Night
3. I'd rather have a cup of tea than sex
4. If it's illegal to rock and roll, throw my ass in jail!
5. If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are.
6. I am the most well-known homosexual in the world.
7. We're a very expensive group; we break a lot of rules. It's unheard of to combine opera with a rock theme, my dear .
8. Rock and Roll: Music for the neck downwards.
9. I only got seventh-grade education, but I have a doctorate in funk, and I like to put that to good use
10. America's greatest living poet (about Smokey Robinson)

Pop On Trial

Anyone been watching the excellent BBC4 series on pop music? Using a motley collection of pop stars old and new and music journalists, they voted that the 1970s were the most influential decade in pop music. Quite interesting, but I would say that it's very difficult to burden one decade with the responsibility! Every decade provides something new and influential, although it's hard to make a case for anything from the 90s and beyond as by this time there wasn't much new that could be invented. What we do need today is something akin to another punk revival - the scene at the moment is too predictable and we getting like the early 60s when the music scene was run by pop impresarios moulding unknowns into pop stars for 5 minutes of fame - Simon Cowell is just today's Larry Parnes. I know that the internet is now providing much of the best new independent music but it's very fragmented, it's a shame there's not a good up and coming independent label out there promoting the best new stuff in the manner of Stiff or Two-Tone. If only I was 30 years younger.....yes! I'd be 20!

Some things you don't know about me (although you may do if you know me well enough)

1) I have an IQ of 152
2) One of my ancestors fought in the Napoleonic Wars (For the British, I think...sacre bleu!)
3) I have a strange affinity with animals
4) I used to work with a Bootleg Beatle
5) I can play the balalaika (Russian stringed instrument)

All true, but not necessarily interesting.

Sad Songs Say So Much

The current Mrs Hughes said to me the other night, put some music on, something romantic. So I went to my vast library of CDs and my hand alighted on the Best Of Bread, just the answer I thought. Sadly not, that choice was about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit. Bread as a group and David Gates who was their lead singer and songwriter in their 70s golden period had some great songs, ok they weren't big rockers or very leading edge but they had in their catalogue some the the most romantic and saddest songs ever. Take the song Diary for example, has there ever been a better song written about unrequited love and loss? To start - 'I found her diary underneath a tree, and started reading about me, The words she's written took me by surpise you'd never read them in her eyes, They said that she had found the love she waited for, Wouldn't you know it, she wouldn't show it.' and then 'I found her diary underneath a tree.and started reading about me, The words began stick and tears to flow,Her meaning now was clear to see, The love she'd waited for was someone else not me, Wouldn't you know it, she wouldn't show it. '
You really need to hear it beacuase the tune is a killer too.
there have been some great sad songs written, though not many lately. Here are some of my favourites

1. Diary - Bread
2. Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
3. Lost Without Your Love - Bread
4. Without You - Nilsson
5. The Way We Were - Gladys Knight and the Pips
6. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago

There are probably loads more, but I can't think of any at the moment. Strangely all of the above are from the 70s. We always liked a good wallow in sadness then, as if there wasn't enough sad stuff going on in real life!

The Ghosts Of Christmas Past

Apologies for the late Xmas post, but I did one some days ago but I must have accidentally deleted it!
Here are my seven ages of Christmas;

1)Being a kid, there is nothing like the anticipation and the actual thrill of Christmas morning, is there? New pressys, good home cooking and then we would always walk round to my Aunty's for a big family get together, Beatles music playing and one year on Boxing Day all watching the Magical Mystery Tour (1967 for you completists). It was always my latest night of the year to stay up.
2) Early teens, difficult age but pretty much the same as above but I did work one Christmas Eve until 3 in the morning washing up in the Bedford Hotel. a nice little earner.
3) Teens - And I had discovered alcohol, so pretty much drinking from Xmas eve morning through to New Year's day. Can't remember much else about (must be the alcohol).
4) Early 20s much the same as 3), except now we had the famous (or infamous) New Years Eve's parties courtesy of DC Smart whose birthday fell upon that day. It was round the pubs of Brighton and then back to the Smarts, always in fancy dress - themes were Stockings and Suspenders (worn by both sexes, but strangely popular with both), Hawaiian night, Roman, Heroes and the Arts.
5) Mid to late 20s, now beginning to become more adult (sadly, I'm still not all the way there) so no clubbing but pubs and then a traditional Xmas eve curry, although the fancy dress parties did carry on for a few years in this 'age'.
6) Aah, the kids. Almost full circle now, except it was now my kids with the high expectations and presents to open. I spent most of Xmas day, which started far too early for my liking, putting things things together and putting batteries in things (no, not those things). Not much socialising though due to lack of babysitters.
7) And here we are, up to date. Kids now don't get up at 5:00am as they have been out on the razz until some ungodly hour. We can do what we like but we're usually too old to bother although New Year's Eve is still fun, especially when you are with people that you spent much of ages 3, 4, and 5 with. Bad hangover on 1st Jan though, but doubt that I was alone in that given the amount drunk.

Happy new year to all of my readers, yes both of you.