Rama Lama Ding Dong

This is Rocky Sharpe and the Replays a British doo-wop revival group who did the groundwork for the more successful Darts to capitalise on (i've got an early single - Drip Drop on Chiswick). Den Hegarty and Rita Ray of Darts were in an earlier version of the backing band (then called the Razors). Den, who is now a lecturer in psychology, still sings and has recently recorded at Western Star with our producer Alan Wilson.

Dion and the Belmonts - The Majestic

Was there ever a better white doo-wop singer than Dion DiMucci? I'm gonna help you out here - the answer is no!

Beach Party - Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello

My favorite Annette song is Pineapple Princess but i couldn't find a clip of it. I never saw any of these beach movies at the cinema as they weren't such a big deal in this country. The fact that Britain had only just ditched rationing and post war austerity was still in the air in the early 60's meant that British teens failed to equate with the Californian sun, sea and surf scene. Televisions hunger for material meant that they turned up as cheap filler on wet bank holidays and, although i know i shouldn't, i bloody love 'em.
Annette Funicello was the Britney of her day as she had been one of Walt Disney's mouseketeers. The song Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen is a tribute to her from her friend Neil Sedaka. Unfortunately in later life she suffered from m.s.and her last appearance - in the final reel of her own made for t.v. life story - she appears in a wheelchair.

Iron Man Teaser Trailer

I was marvel comic mad as a teenager and had a lot of the early Iron Man comics. The upcoming film seems to stick very closely to the plot of the original series and i have great hopes for it. It can't possibly be as bad as the Hulk film which was rubbish (i see they're having another go at that one - good!)

Hurriganes - Tallahassee Lassie

I saw this Finnish band in the 70's supporting Dave Edmunds - i think - they were pretty good in a pub rocky way and this tune, originaly by Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon is a good example of their live set. Check out the version by the Flamin' Groovies too - it's ace.

Hippies

Why isn't the world a better place? The hippy culture of the 60's preached love , sharing, peace and tolerance and there seemed to be a lot of high profile adherents to these tenets. The people who were amongst the movers and shakers of the counterculture often came from influential families and were well educated with every chance of changing the system as they inherited property and power.
Didn't happen though did it?
It seems that as the flower people grew older and reached middle age (during the "greed is good" 80's) they were worse than the generation they professed to despise. The hippies should have been able to change political goals and the exploitation of the least fortunate in society. They should have scoured the system like a peace and love enema. Instead when it became time for Moonchild and Bilbo to attend public school and living in a tee pee started to lose it's charms they grabbed everything that capitalism could offer. It's often stated that "if you can remember the 60's you weren't there" but i think it more likely this amnesia is caused by embarrassment that they had the chance to make life better and fairer and they blew it.
"Never trust a hippy" said the Sex Pistols, or at least Jamie Reid and they were right. The man that remark was aimed at was hippy poster boy Richard Branson who now fails to make the trains run on time - which makes him worse than Mussolini.
Joe Public smiles as Richard bleeds them dry in his role as the great British ballooning eccentric and alt capitalist icon so it's our own gullible fault really.
AND.....he's responsible for fuckin' Tubular Bells too!

Cud - Rich And Strange

We used to stumble across Cud at various festivals this is great other material was perhaps not so good - i think they're still going but i aint sure.

Chesterfield Kings - 99th Floor

Throwback garage sounds from 60's freakbeaty revivalists The Chesterfield Kings.

Camper Van Beethoven - Take The Skinheads Bowling (1985)

This is a tune of marvelous stupidity on certain drunken evenings we are occasionaly called upon to perform this and do so with great enthusiasm.

Carl Perkins - Matchbox

This is where i nicked the riff for Mole Man from. Carl Perkins is one of my favourite guitar players he got hooked on booze as the years went by but Johnny Cash hired him and stuck by him during the bad times.