Sunstone

I was working at Pinewood Studios in the Spring of 2000. Running late for a appointment with one of the cast of Thursday The 13th, I hurtled down the corridor to make the meeting on time. Unfortunately, I ran into a crowd of people blocking the way. I couldn’t stop in time and ran into a girl. The girl was surrounded by men, a lot of men. “I’m sorry” I said “I’m late.” The lady lifted her head and laughed. “That’s ok, don’t worry about it.”

It was Kylie, Kylie Minogue. She looked small and amazing surrounded by her panicked security guards wearing a white dressing robe. She was making, what turned out to be, her big come back debut video for the single “Spinning Around.”

The track went straight to No.1 in the UK ,followed later by the classic “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.”

Sorry Kylie, but it was a pleasure to meet you and witness the magic up close maybe a little too close !

(Funnily enough I went to work with her Sister Danni on Britain’s Next Top Model years later, fate plays it’s hand in weird and wonderful ways.)

HIDE N SnEAK

It’s flattering to have such an esteemed follower. It’s people like P4Soul who are the engine and keep R&B alive. Gratitude and Respect. Go check them Out

It must have been the Early 90s. I was freelance and in my spare time I would hang out with Mark Plumb at his engraving store on Hoe Street, Walthamstow London.

Mark introduced me to Tommy’s cafe. They did the best bacon sandwiches in London.

Thick doorstep crusty bread with fried tomatoes and brown sauce, you think you’d died and gone to heaven.

My God is was good!

My Dad bought our first Hi-fi 1974, an Hitachi SDT. It was state of the art, you could record with a mic to tape, it had it all.

My kids have no idea what it is. My kids have never seen a record player. The wireless radio with FM as FM was a big deal is now a relic. The Tape Cassette player/recorder..is met with sorry Dad Ca..what?

Times have change beyond recognition. I am so happy to have seen the transition. Tech is wonderful, amazing and represents the best of mankind.

Also My Dad was such a Dude..!

I read a book called A Fault in The Stars one afternoon. My daughter discarded it and I picked it up and had a quick read. I nearly gave up on it as it was bringing me down. The lead, a teenage girl, had terminal cancer. Regardless I thought I owed it to the people actually going through this to tough it out.

It was a good book, it unexpectedly left a mark on me I guess as about six months later I wrote a song called Quiet Girl based on Hazel, the lead character first meeting Augustus , her soon to be BF.

Maybe that was a little nod for toughing it out?!

Not knocking George, he wrote some of the best Beatles material but when it came to the surreal no-one done it better than John.

I Am The Walrus, Come Together and Dig-A-Pony, Strawberry Fields made absolutely no sense but John made nonsense sound hip.

Only a Northern song , I Me Mine and Savoy Truffle in comparison I think shows how surreal , if done right can push the boundaries.

I admire George for trying at least that’s more can be said for Paul. Sorry Paul but show us yours!

Paul.

I have thought deeply about this, switching sides more than once. I even declared it a tie (which is a cop out so that got ditched immediately). Then came along, Get Back the Netflix Documentary and it changed my mind slowly.

I do think John and Paul are equally gifted song writers. I love Strawberry Fields but Paul’s Sgt Pepper get’s a ten too. Paul brought the funk with Paperback Writer and John with Come Together. They went toe to toe on all genres and created Rock Pop as we know it today, even-stevens right?

Wrong. The clincher came when I realised Paul was the one that kept the Beatles together. He fought for the love of music and his bandmates and he won.

Because of Paul we have Let it Be and Abbey Road. Sorry John but Paul get’s it from me.

…..but I do love you guys equally!