Dear BBC, Relax, just do it!

All this kerfuffle over whether or not to play almost 75 year old record this on this week's chart show.




Now to slightly change the most common line in another hit single that the BBC refused to play may be the BBC should "relax, just do it". Because all the publicity over whether they should or should not have played it on Breakfast this morning and News at One at lunchtime and no doubt this evening at six I shall hear another comment about the decision not to play it on the chart show (a five second excerpt will be played on Newsbeat during the show, however).

If they had just got on with reflecting the songs that people had been buying this week it would have been mostly a non-story. But all the debate about whether they should or shouldn't have played it:

• a) made more people buy it being aware it would land the BBC is even hotter water
• b) made people who aren't following social media aware of the campaign to get it played
• c) has actually turned it into a major political story and therefore unto the news pages rather than keeping it in entertainment

But no doubt that logic failed to hit people at the top of the BBC when the news editors sat down to talk about it. Because now the whole issue has far more coverage that it could ever have hoped for if simply things were let to take their course.

He came from a land down under

Many of you will not recognise the name Greg Ham but once one of, if not the, most famous flute riffs in pop music strikes out you will immediately know the song.



For it was Ham whose flute underpins all of Men at Works big global smash Down Under probably the only song in history to reference a vegemite sandwich, men chundering, a VW combie. As well as flute he played, saxaphone, percussion (see the bottle playing at the start of the video for Down Under) and keyboards.

Ham was found dead at his Melbourne home today at the age of 58, after a friend had tried to get hold of him for a week with no reply.

A little bit of Songs of Praise I

I somehow don't think I'll be playing this bass line the next time we play this in Sunday worship. Though as I am down there now for practise who knows.

Yes Freddie We Still Love You

It's hard to believe that 20 years ago we heard the sad news that Freddie Mercury had passed away.

I know exactly what I was doing that evening. One of my former house mates called me for the second night in a row. The previous day he'd called me because the Freddie had announced that he was HIV positive and had AIDS and my friend from University had contracted HIV through a bad dose of Factor 8 to deal with his haemophilia. My friend had always been one to panic, it is the reason that why I at the age of 22 was already more well read on HIV and AIDS than a lot of people on the news or in Parliament who should have known better.

That night I had been constantly screaming at the radio as I listened to a radio phone in and then my phone went. My friend was panicked that people would think he was going to die tomorrow. I asked had he contracted AIDS yet, the answer he gave was "No!" so I said "You and me are just going to have to keep on educating people like that out of their ignorance."

I never thought that day that 20 years later there would still be so much stigma attached to HIV especially as the meds that are available now give people a much greater change of never getting AIDS and give a far better quality of life, if you ignore the regime of pills, than people thought was possible 20 years ago. Little did we know that 2,750 of those 4,500 + haemophiliac HIV cases would still be with us. At the time many of us who knew them were reassuring them that doctor were working on something to improve their chances of survival knowing that previous breakthroughs were having only limited success.

Freddie's tragic death did two things for generation. It brought many of us back to the music of Queen, even it appears brought one nine-year-old to their music for the first time. Indeed I loved the fact that earlier this month just up the road at the Odyssey in Belfast at the MTV Europe Music Awards that Roger Taylor and Brian May accepted the Icon award on behalf of Queen. I can only imagine what Freddie would have thought and said, probably "About time!".

The other thing it did was highlight the issues of HIV and AIDS, it made more people learn about the facts than before that time. That in turn made it easier for people living with HIV to find people who didn't shirk away from letting them use their toilet, or use the same mug as they had. Admittedly there are still far too many people, especially here in Ireland who seem pig ignorant when you read various comments threads. But from his legacy came the Mercury Phoenix Trust which is one of the charities working for those with HIV and AIDS especially in Africa where Freddie was born, but worldwide. There have been charity events in his name for HIV charities for 20 years now, including tonight at the Rossini Theatre in Civitanova Marche, Italy.

Not everyone has had the past 20 years in full as days of their lives. But Freddie, we still love you.

Thank you for the music and on behalf of those living with HIV who have benefited from you late coming out about your disease have benefited from your legacy in other ways. "Sometimes I get the feeling I was back in the old days - long ago" today is one of those days.

For absent friends.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have J is for

There are a number of options for J in my tour through my record collection.

There is of course the King of Pop himself. Or maybe some Elton John or Jamiroquai.

Instead I went for the guy whose complete works (well up to a certain point) I have the guitar and piano music for, none other than the Piano Man Billy Joel. But what music to pick.



Because anyone listening to the entire Billy Joel collection will know what an amazing pianist he is here is a little bonus.

It's Friday...it's time for some models

Well when I saw this Duran Duran video earlier in the week I just had to share it, because it is absolutely brilliant. the band are 30 years old this year and famous for including models in their music videos. Who Girl Panic! though they have gone one step further and have Super Models playing the five members of the band. Naomi Campbell (as lead singer Simon Le Bon), Helena Christensen (Roger Taylor), Eva Herzigova (Nick Rhodes), Cindy Crawford (John Taylor) and Yasmin Le Bon who as the guitarist is always changing says "She is not in Duran Duran", an in joke as the longest wife within the band after 26 years.




But I promised some models, so I suppose we'd better go back to early Duran Duran and some Girls on Film, their third single in 1981.



But of course some of you might have been expected some Male Models so as not to disappoint here are some of the top male models from this spring's Paris Fashion Week.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have I is for...

When it comes to the letter I there can really only be one band that takes the honour in my record collection. Back in the early 80s an Australian penfriend told me to look out for this band. So I regularly checked the local independent record store Musique to see if they had any of their releases. When they appeared LP, 7" or 12" single I bought them. I have quite a large vinyl collection from this band, even before a fateful day on 13 July 1985. That was the day that with the world watching they represented Australia on Live Aid. Here is one of those early pre overnight success records.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have H is for...

Well it time once more to delve into my music collection this time I'm looking at the Hs.

With the MTV Europe Music Awards happening in Belfast at the weekend I could have gone Irish with a little Hothouse Flowers, but maybe that would have been too predictable. Belfast is the home of the Delorean sports car, which starred in Back to the Future so I could have done a little Huey Lewis and the News, though not that track.

There is also the possibility of a little Whitney Houston, or some Human League, maybe even some George Harrison. But instead I'm going to link this week's some to one of those that some of bowlers sang usually and ironically not quietly around town after a really good match.

Cheerio MTV it's been sound, so it is.

Well last night was the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast, the place has been a buzz all weeks with sightings of big music celebs all over the place. Well last night they were all gathered in the Odyssey Arena for the little shindig. Of course MTV are closing down most clips on Yoputube.

First up, and I make no excuse for combining two guilty pleasures, it is the winners of the Global Idol award Queen with Adam Lambert on vocals.



But the BBC do have some images of the rest of the show as do the Belfast Telegraph.

It's not Friday...but here on the Muppet Show is OK Go

I blame oneexwidow for getting me started on this train of though this morning, but bizarrely Kermit and friends has led me around to OK Go. If you don't know who OK Go are YouTube them to see some of the most visually brilliant concepts for music videos anywhere.

Meanwhile back to the main feature....roll title music



Even the journalists at VEVONews got excited about it and did an on set interview.



All good DVD's have a making off documentary, the same goes for all good OK Go videos, this one in no exception.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have F is for Falco

Catching up to where this series really should be at last we get to F.

It could have been Frankie goes to Holywood, or maybe a bit of Fatboy Slim. There is also some Fine Young Cannibals on tape (therefore from my student days) or more recently some Fun Loving Criminals. Or back to Crowded House with something from Tim Finn.

However, there was a certain one hit wonder that sprung to the top of my list for today. I have the 12" version of that single on vinyl. And as this weekend it was Rock week on X-Factor there can only really be one song.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have E is for Eurthymics

Catching up with the last few weeks before I get back on track there is one more catch up to do.

For the letter E, I could camp it up with a bit of Erasure. Guitar it up with some Eagles. I was even tempted to give you some Christian Folk/Grunge with Eden Burning (although difficulty was finding a clip to embed that was more than just music that I actually own).

Which brings me to today's featured artist, I just couldn't get past the voice of Annie Lennox so you know where I'm going with this. As for tracks there is one that kicks off that everyone knows exactly who is singing and what straight away.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have D is for Duran Duran

I've been a bit lax in recent weeks of updating this series so I think we need a little catch up over the next few hours.

First up there are a number of possibles for D. Neil Diamond may shock you, but seeing as Bangor's bolwing team always celebrated with Sweet Caroline it may not surprise you that much. There is of course the brilliant Divine Comedy, who has appeared before on my blog. My last gig in Edinburgh before I returned was Neil Ham. There is also the possibility of Def Leppard or the Damned, but just to prove how eclectic my musical tastes are there can only really be one band that dominates by Ds whether on vinyl, CD or audio tape.

Over to Simon, Nick and John from the resurgent Wedding Album.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have C is for Crowded House

I was looking through my Cs in my record collection and came across the fifteen year old Farewell to the World album by one of my favourite bands, especially live. I do have all the studio albums as well. Of course the farewell only lasted 10 years as other bands were coming back in the mid 90s so too did Crowded House.

A little bit of Crowded House trivia for you the Finn brothers were actually called Cornelius Mullane and Brian Timothy. So I reckon that they got the best possible names out of what their parents gave them to be pop stars. Corny and Brian Finn, no that's not right.

However, my choice is the live version of the song that I quite often think of in Ireland or Scotland.

L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have A is for Adams

Today I have my secondy twenty first birthday. Regular readers will know I'm a big Douglas Adams fan, therefore while many years end in ZERO only one is when you find true enlightenment about the ultimate answer in the life, you know the one. The one concerning Life, the Universe and Everything.

Now as this particular milestone falls on a Monday and I don't like Monday's any more than Bob Geldof I thought I'd try and find a way to lighten my and therefore your Monday. Inspired by oneexwidow and seeing as there are 26 letters in the Alphabet and  two lots of 26 in a year (see that A level in maths does come in handy) I shall do as he does one A-Z of records I physically own. On tape, vinyl or CD and one set of stuff I can find off YouTube or Spotify that I like.

So that leads us to A. There really can be only one song, if you ever get me in a Karaoke bar, or you ever heard my band play, you will know that this is my song. Take it away Brian Adams or I would do if every version by the man didn't have embedding disabled.

So instead here is Taylor Swift

It's Wednesday...it is Day Two of Tennents Vital 2011

Well yestereday saw 20,000 turn up for the Tennents Vital Festival today they are expecting 40,000 for day two.

Today's acts include Jimmy East World.



Then I hope there isn't the predicted riot as The Kaiser Chiefs. But you know what every day I love them more and more.



But the headliner is a coup indeed. As Marshall Mathers III takes to the stage. "Who?" says you, the reall Slim Shady, none other than Eminem.

It's Tuesday...it is Day One of Tennents Vital 2011

I know I normally do these things on a Friday, but hey when you have the biggest outdoor gig in Northern Ireland happening on your doorstep and disrupting your bowling activities. I thought I'd better hightlight today's performers (there are more tomorrow). So here are some of the artists that will be performing in Ward Park this evening for part of Tennents Vital 2011.

There will be The Wombats, I choose this video as an 80s music geek because of the Moog synthesiser, especially as the 6th Anniversary of Robert Moog's death was on Sunday..



There is also local band Two Door Cinema Club (who says we're all Snow Patrol)



Tonight's headliners are The Script and this is my favourite song of theirs.

Amy Winehouse another gone at 27

On 3 July 1969, 18 September 1970, 4 October 1970, 3 July 1971, 5 April 1994 and today we lost some of the iconic names in music. In order they were Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jim Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse, they all died aged 27.

• Jones 27 and 125 days
• Hendrix 295 days
• Joplin 258 days
• Morrison 207 days
• Cobain 44 days 
• Winehouse 314 days

All of them were part of or breakthrough acts of their times. All of them were undoubtedly talented. Although Morrison's death was recorded as heart failure there was no autopsy carried out on the young man when he died in Paris 40 years ago this month. The others all died (assuming the rumours of Amy's cause of death are correct) in tragic circumstances. For yes even if it come from a drug overdose the addiction that leads to that outcome is a tragedy.

In the case of Amy it is even more tragic as her top charting single, while she was alive*, was Rehab which of course opens with the line. "They tried to make me go to rehad, I said No, No, No!". She lived out her addiction in the public eye. They were court appearances for possession and her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil once told a magazine interview that he had introduced the singer to crack cocaine and herorin.

Her father said that he and his family made public statements about her substance and alcohol abuse as a form of intervention to get her to get help. In October last year she cliamed that she had been drug free, but earlier this year in a comeback performance in Slovakia she appeared obviously drunk on stange and her come back tour was cancelled.

She was a talent, but for whatever reason, and her parents believe it was the death of her grandmother in 2006, she plunged into addiction.

If you are or know someone who has an addiction to drugs or substance you can get help just Talk to Frank free at 0800 77 66 00, by texting 82111. For Alcoholics Anonymous call 0845 769 7555 (charged at local rates from a BT landline)

In the meantime here is my favourite Winehouse song Back to Black



* There is possibly going to be a bigger hit now she is dead.

It's Friday...it's the News of the World

I know it was a Sunday but this Friday is sort of dedicated to the 168 year old title that has been shut down so rapidly and unceremoniously this week.

First off though how can anyone get us out of the jam we're in. However, this song did come with a warning Don't believe it all, find out for yourself, check before you srpead, News of the World.



Destroyed by News International, I hate to bite the hand that feeds me. Or something like that.



Finally I read the news today, oh boy.



Bonus track And is that just his Norwegian accent or is Morten Harket really singing "The Sun always 'rrives on Sund'y" Sorry not allowed to embed this one

Although here is a live version

Bruces' the Philopshers' Song

I'm not going to divluge exactly how this came up in conversation earlier. Suffice it to say that it was typically Pythonesque as a result of something completely different.

However, it is one of my favourite songs from the Monty Python song book. One that I also have to do a little research on to complete an article on the Philosphers' actual stance on drinking and drunkeness. But here are a collection of Bruces singing The Philosophers' Song live at the Hollywood Bowl.



It is often immitated and this lot add their own style to the piece.



Of course there is only one way to follow up on that song. A little international Philopshers' football.