time

Steve Hackett I saw in 1980(?), The Defector tour. one of my all-time favourite gigs.

The by-election for this took place yesterday, and went to Labour.

Had a wander round Morrison's yesterday, No music at first but then (w)assailed with Merry Christmas Everyone & In Dulce Jubilo during checkout.

42 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking +4 39 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 34 Blondie – Heart of glass 27 The Buggles – Video killed the radio star 27 Bee Gees – Night Fever 26 Tubeway Army – Are “friends” electric 26 Gary Numan – Cars 26 Police – Message in a bottle 25 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 25 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday 25 Bee Gees – Tragedy 24 Blondie – Sunday Girl 23 Boney M. – Mary´s boy child / Oh my Lord 23 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 22 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes 21 ABBA – Take a chance on me 15 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap -6 15 Police – Walking on the moon 14 The Boomtown Rats – I don´t like Mondays 14 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights 13 Pink Floyd – Another brick in the wall 12 Cliff Richard – We don´t talk anymore 11 Rod Stewart – Da ya think I´m sexy 10 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – You´re the one that I want

I had two opportunities to see Genesis during the and then there were three tour (1978, they were still considered cool at the time). Spurned them both. Local radio simulcast one of the shows, which I listened to and wished I'd gone to see it live. I might even have the tape somewhere.

Counterpoint. Of the 25, I’d consider 12 reasonable with 4 or 5 of those very good. Of the other 13 I’d consider 6 to be absolute shockers, 7 tolerable.

Who would have the staying power? There were 39 different number ones in 2010, and 31 in 2011! As an aside, being an old fart, I'm familiar with only 3 of the 2010 number 1s, though 2 are covers, and 4 of 2011, again 2 are covers. I suspect this would be similar for the rest of the 2010s.

There's a link to his website, which contains a telephone number. I'm not saying you should phone but...

The last post from his account (29-11-22) states that he's in hospital for surgery, with comments below that he's died.

35 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 34 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 28 Police – Message in a bottle 28 Blondie – Sunday Girl +4 25 Bee Gees – Night Fever 25 ABBA – Take a chance on me 24 The Buggles – Video killed the radio star 24 Police – Walking on the moon 24 Tubeway Army – Are “friends” electric 24 Boney M. – Mary´s boy child / Oh my Lord 24 Gary Numan – Cars 23 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 22 Bee Gees – Tragedy 21 Blondie – Heart of glass 21 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 20 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday 20 Anita Ward – Ring my bell 19 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes 19 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive +3 18 Cliff Richard – We don´t talk anymore 17 Pink Floyd – Another brick in the wall 17 Rod Stewart – Da ya think I´m sexy 16 The Boomtown Rats – I don´t like Mondays 15 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – You´re the one that I want 14 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights 14 Brotherhood of Man - Figaro 8 Village People – Y.M.C.A. 3 The Commodores – Three times a lady -6 For the first time in a while, there's more than one song worthy of an upvote (but still many more deserving of downvotes).

Made his debut in my DDP team in 2015. His biog always had his year of birth wrong. On the plus side, I've still got time to find a replacement.

She's been suffering from seizures and blackouts

I'd missed the news on SAS WDW. Engaging with the public through the medium of pseudo-reality TV. Manky Matt.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but Hancock's letter doesn't say he's not standing for parliament at the next election, but that he's not standing for the Conservatives. He also says no need to restore the whip, so perhaps he's just cutting ties with the Tories!

All in good time!

The Police had a number of good songs; Walking on the Moon isn't one of them (imo) - "I hope my legs don't break", give us a break, more like. Message in a Bottle is better (again imo).

28 Althia & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking +4 20 Brotherhood of Man – Figaro 20 ABBA – Take a chance on me 20 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights 20 Brian & Michael – Matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs 20 Bee Gees – Night Fever 20 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – You´re the one that I want 20 The Commodores – Three times a lady 20 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday 20 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights 20 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 20 Rod Stewart – Da ya think I´m sexy 20 Boney M. – Mary´s boy child / Oh my Lord 20 Village People – Y.M.C.A. 20 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 20 Blondie – Heart of glass 20 Bee Gees – Tragedy 20 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 20 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes 20 Blondie – Sunday Girl 20 Anita Ward – Ring my bell 20 Tubeway Army – Are “friends” electric 20 The Boomtown Rats – I don´t like Mondays 20 Cliff Richard – We don´t talk anymore 20 Gary Numan – Cars 20 Police – Message in a bottle 20 The Buggles – Video killed the radio star 20 Lena Martell – One day at a time 20 Police – Walking on the moon 20 Pink Floyd – Another brick in the wall 14 Dr. Hook – When you´re in love with a beautiful woman 14 Boney M. – Rivers of Babylon / Brown girl in the ring -6

TBH, that round was a bit too ABBA-centric for me. Bring on Boney M!

72 Baccara – Yes Sir, I can boogie  72 ABBA - The Name of the Game 64 Donna Summer - I Feel Love +4 62 ABBA – Knowing me, knowing you -6 43 ABBA - Fernando 41 Rod Stewart – I don't want to talk about it / The first cut is the deepest 27 ABBA - Mamma Mia 13 The Four Seasons - December 1963 (Oh, what a night) Of these remaining songs, there's none I particularly like, but I Feel Love gets the vote for Giorgio Moroder; KM,KY loses points for Alan Partridge.

Writer, film critic, agony uncle, broadcaster and fisherman, Nick Fisher died unexpectedly, 17 November, aged 63. ETA: Apparently, he went missing in 15 November, while walking his dog, and his body was discovered on the 17th. No cause of death give, but police are not treating it as suspicious.

pssssst Its December.

US actress & singer Madeline Khan died 23 years ago today. She worked as a singing waitress while a student, later auditioning for roles in the theatre, making her professional debut in the chorus of Kiss Me Kate. Her film debut was in the short De Duva (The Dove) before landing the role of Ryan O'Neal's fiancée in What's Up Doc?, then with O'Neal again (plus Tatum) in Paper Moon, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. A further nomination was received for her role as Lily von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles. She was also nominated four times for Tony Awards, winning in 1993 for The Sisters Rosensweig, plus for four Golden Globes, and an Emmy in addition to winning a daytime Emmy for an ABC Afterschool Special. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998, she continued to work while receiving treatment, and also got married, but the cancer spread rapidly, and she died the following year, aged 57. Conicidentally, Scatman John (see above) and Khan shared the same birth and death-days.

ftfy

This was released as a 'budget' double-A side single which no doubt helped its sales figures. There's a suggestion that it was done to prevent the Sex Pistols from reaching number one (not a theory I subscribe to as it was released several weeks before GSTQ, and there's also the plausible argument that the sales figures were manipulated to keep the Sex Pistols off the top).

Yes, people need to take into account its one man's work in addition to everything else he does, so shouldn't be surprised by the odd omission (its not intended as a personal slight).