Nov 2: Hipgnosis

Hipgnosis were a design agency who created a huge number of album covers.

Their Wikipedia page contains a wealth of information and a list of the albums they worked on. I have a great many of them.

I have this book on the agency which I bought at the shop at the V&A Pink Floyd exhibition of props and other items. It contains a complete collection of everything they worked on.

They designed this logo for Led Zeppelin in 1973 for example.

They created a range of familiar logos and other imagery that will be familiar to music fans (particularly those of a certain age i.e. old like me).

In 1974, they redesigned the Genesis logo for their work on 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'. 

I used to have this as a badge on my Italian combat jacket that was all the range back in the early 1980s and which I used to wear all the time.

When first starting out, Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson (who co-founded the agency) adopted their name from graffiti they found on the door to their apartment. Thorgerson said they liked the word, not only for punning on "hypnosis", but for possessing "a nice sense of contradiction, of an impossible co-existence, from Hip = new, cool, and groovy, and gnosis, relating to ancient learning".

Aubrey Powell was a former pupil at the school where I teach, which makes him an Old Elean.

What is your favourite album cover of theirs?

Nov 1: 'At the heart of it all'

Particular tracks have struck a chord as I have sat at my laptop and worked away on writing or other work over the last few years.

This song struck me as I listened the other day. 

It's set on the Isle of Skye, a landscape I love, and which I need to return to - it's been too long since I headed all the way up there.
It also references Sorley MacLean who I had the privilege of meeting on one visit to the island, outside his home in Peinnachorrain in Braes on Skye across the sound from the Isle of Raasay. 

The song is about the troubles we face and how we get through them. 

It's from the 2013 Capercaillie album of the same name.

Enjoy.

Let’s go up the hillside
To the highest ridge of Storr
Where the lapwing sings a eulogy
At the wonder of it all
As the evening shadows plunder
The cloak around the world
We remember all the mornings
At the heart of it all

Nov 1: Great guitar riffs

“A riff, when done right, can shape a song and often rule it.” - Greg Lott

There are some memorable guitar riffs which can make a song particularly memorable to people.

A few of my favourites.

Chris Squire's bass riff here...

BBC Bitesize explored what makes a good riff.

I added a Google Form to the blog asking for suggestions.

The first one in was this one.

It's Audioslave and 'Like a Stone'.

It's not too late to tell me your favourite riffs.... 

The form is here.

Oct 31: Spooky

As it's Halloween, how about some spooky songs and stories...

Many people were spooked out by the Exorcist movie, and Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' piano motif reached new audiences...

Michael Jackson released this track on Halloween back in 1982. I remember watching it as it happened on MTV. There was a lot of hype around it...

Michael Jackson's 14-minute short film "Thriller" revolutionised the music video genre forever. Hailed as the greatest music video of all time by MTV, VH1, Rolling Stone and others, "Thriller," directed by John Landis, is also the only music video selected to be included in the Library of Congress' prestigious National Film Registry.

Director: John Landis 

Michael Jackson's short film for "Thriller" was the third of three short films produced for recordings from Thriller.

John Carpenter has produced a number of Halloween films, the first in 1978.

He is also an accomplished musician who has composed the theme music for his films, although he worked with Ennio Morricone for 'The Thing'. More on him to come in a future blog post.

Here's the theme tune from the original 'Halloween' film.

Some more suggestions here.... what do you think should be added to the list?

Oct 30: Elements

I'd forgotten about this track until a few weeks ago when a student used it as part of a presentation.

Lemon Jelly produced a number of albums in the early 2000s.

The first single was called 'The Staunton Lick'.

Lemon Jelly are Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen.

On this album, other musicians include John Themis.

Here's a track called 'Elements'

Oct 29: 50 years old: Olias of Sunhillow

This was Jon Anderson's first solo project and one that caused him a lot of creative challenges.

Anderson played all the instruments. He planned for it to take 2 months, but it took more than 6.

The story, from this review is:

It tells the story of a group of four alien tribes that are driven to migrate through space due to a catastrophic event on their home planet. One of these aliens, Olias, is a magician who is tasked with the construction of a spacefaring ark called the Moorglade Mover. He’s helped by fellow magicians Qoquaq and Ranyart, who use their particular skills (Qoquaq’s diplomacy and Ranyart’s music/navigation) help guide the ship through the recesses of space. After a turbulent flight, the ship finally makes it to a new planet called Asguard, and the tribes settle in, while the three magicians ascend onto a higher plane.

I remember a 6th former talking to me about this album over 20 years ago... 

It has some good moments.

Here's 'Flight of the Moorglade'...

It was wonderful to see Jon play live in person again in September at the London Palladium.

Oct 28: The music of 'Gone Fishing'

The latest series of 'Gone Fishing' returned to Sunday night TV at the weekend. The first episode was the final one to feature Ted the dog. I noticed that he joined them on the pier in the opening and closing animation.

The show is one of my favourites for its unhurried pace, genuine friendship of Bob and Paul, and the lovely locations they visit and the accommodation they stay in.

Another feature of the series is the music choices. There are several Spotify playlists which have captured music from different series. They include this one:

On Sunday there were on the River Tees... and they finished with a song from Chris Rea. who had been a previous guest on the show... the Tees is the Steel River.

Oct 28: Cursus

This is an electronic album from Robert Reed. I have a copy of this, and it's quite different to his Sanctuary or Magenta albums, and features Les Penning too. The title is geographical in the sense that the numbers in the title are a grid reference. Find the map sheet which shows Stonehenge and see what is there...

Oct 28: 51 years ago today

The greatest album of all time was released... imho....

Oct 27: Resting places

There are plenty of famous musicians whose graves have become a place of pilgrimage for fans.

In a previous post, I mentioned Pere Lachaise cemetery.

Countryfile have provided a list of 10 sites.

When I visited Paris a couple of years ago, we visited the cemetery at Montparnasse, and there were various famous people buried there.

Dean Goodman's website provides details of some famous musicians, including Amy Winehouse.

Some rock graves here.

While not a resting place, I've visited the John Lennon memorial at Strawberry Fields in Central Park.

Image: Alan Parkinson

Oct 27: Smallfilms

“If you look up at the sky at night, and see all the stars and planets against the blackness of the sky, they seem silent and still”

Smallfilms was the work of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. They created a whole range of stop-motion animations.

They made a series of 

Pogle's Wood

Pingwings

The Clangers

Bagpuss

Noggin the Nog

Ivor the Engine

Some of the music was composed by Vernon Elliott.

Here's the main theme for Ivor the Engine:

The Clangers had music at the heart of their daily life.

Tim Worthington also considered the music of Bagpuss.

What were your favourite pieces of music from these series?

I visited the Beaney Museum in Canterbury.

Image: Alan Parkinson

Oct 26: Snoopy and Thanksgiving

Around this time in the USA there is a tradition of showing a Snoopy cartoon which features Linus and 'the Great Pumpkin'....

Later, the Christmas album will also come out with a special film.

In each of these albums and films, the music is very cool and jazzy.

The music is by jazz musicians the Vince Guaraldi Trio. It will be instantly familiar to people of a certain age...

In the cartoons, the music is from Schroeder. And with dance moves from Snoopy.

Good grief!

Here's a sample of the music...

Oct 26: Songs about Food

Here's 20 of them...

Can you think of any others?

Add them in the comments.

Oct 25: John Shuttleworth

John Shuttleworth is a comic creation of the actor Graham Fellows. He has been playing Shuttleworth for decades, so much so that he no longer needs the ageing make-up he used to use.

'Nice up North' was a film which was made in 2006. A comedy documentary which was made with the photographer Martin Parr.

Shuttleworth travels to the Shetland Islands to test his theory that the further north in Great Britain you go the nicer people are, Shetland being the most far north part of the UK. He meets various Shetland people in unrehearsed situations. Many assume him to be a real person and not a comic creation, though some scenes are acted, particularly parts with famous local tour guide Elma Johnson.

There are many classic songs from his live act. 

He is billed as a 'versatile singer - songwriter' and I remember a gig in Norwich where the person sat next to us was expecting a 'normal' singer, and asked us why we were laughing... they weren't there for the second half of the show.

He has had a number of Radio 4 series, and specials. 

I have seen him several times over the last 25 years.... including last year at the Norwich Playhouse.

Here's a few classics from his back catalogue.

Here's 'You're Like Manchester'....

(you've got Strangeways....)

Save the Whale...

(its fin, its hump, its tail...)

Austin Ambassador 'Y' reg....

Here he is on 'Later with Jools Holland'.

Oct 24: Atlas

I'm enjoying this track from an album called Astralia.

This followed on from a listen to the 'Cardinal Winds' album from the band Ranges.

Oct 24: John Peel and Ommadawn

Via the Tubular World Facebook Group.

Pictures by Andrew Judge.

Back in 1975, my favourite Mike Oldfield album was about to be released. John Peel was going to play it in full on his radio show on this date, but the BBC cancelled the broadcast apparently.

Oct 24: Donal Lunny RIP

Sad news today of the passing of an Irish music legend.

Donal Lunny played with three of the finest bands ever: Planxty, The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts.

He was also involved in producing and playing on the music of many other bands and musicians, particularly Christy Moore and Andy Irvine.

Here's a few tunes:

And a report on the news:

And to finish, here's this classic... I used to listen to this while heading for Skye.

Oct 23: African drumming

Scars features a complex drum pattern in which both acoustic and electronic drums are utilised. The pattern was derived from a tribal rhythm that Neil Peart experienced while on a bicycle tour of Africa (later chronicled in his first book, The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa).