The Old Grey Whistle Test & other stuff....

Greetings World's !!

It's a very bright & Sunny day, here in England.... it has made a change, these past few days, to have some dry weather !! After what has seemed like months & months of rain, to actually have a bright spell is brilliant !!

I've just sent an e-mail to Lady V & Sir J  "Hi guys" in America.... and, altho' it has not been very good, for those with water in their homes, the "level" are looking like a massive lake !! Going back a few centuries, the whole area looked like it does now - with water everywhere and islands sticking out of it. Now - in 21st century, nature has taken back what it used to rule over...... leaving people to pick up the pieces of their lives !!

Oh well...... it's a very special day, here in the Clan's household !! ME has reach her 23rd birthday & - if all goes to her & boyfriend M's plans, this will be her last birthday at home !! As mentioned before - the two of them are in the process of buying their own place.... so, from here on in, she will be waking up in a different place, on her birthdays !!

As I type, B is behind me, cooking & baking up some treats for a birthday tea !! The "M & M's" have gone out shopping today, so it's given My Wife & Dearest Friend a chance to do a couple of surprises - which hopefully will go down well, a bit later on tonight !!

So - as B is here & ME has gone out.... that just leaves our Son, J.... who is over in Wales, doing his Uni course !! "Hi" J - I hope you're well & happy ?!

As for me.... I'm sat here listening to a 5 Cd mish-mash of stuff, that was released under the banner of 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'. If you've never heard of it - go onto the internet & check it out...... it, for me, was a brilliant TV show, that the BBC used to show, "way back when"......

In a nut shell, it used to show bands, that normally would never get a look in, as far as regular TV stations went !! Also - being as it was a very long time ago - there were only 4 (maybe 3) TV stations on air, at that time, here in England !! So - it was one of those shows that was a "must see" at the time, to keep up to date with various bands & what was new etc etc !!

One of the "classic"  shows - for me at least - was the Lynyrd Skynyrd broadcast, from November 1975. I had seen the band, the previous week - so, to see them on the "box" playing some of the tracks, that I had heard the week before was - in those days - pretty good !!

At the time, I had made a recording, from the TV speaker, onto a cassette (I think).... which, looking back, was really crap !! Then - at some point, I bought a bootleg Lp of the broadcast..... and, many more Moons later, the band released it officially on a DVD !!

The tracks are:

1) Double Trouble
2) I Ain't The One
3) Call Me The Breeze
4) I Got The Same Old Blues
5) Every Mother's Son
6) Sweet Home Alabama
7) Free Bird

Ok - I know it's only 7 tracks, but..... !! It was just brilliant to have a live copy of them !! As always, don't pay for bootlegs..... buy the official stuff instead !! I know I bought the Lp - but, that was sooooo long ago.... I've learnt the error of my ways !! The official release is on the 'Deluxe Edition' of the bands 'Gimme Back My Bullets' Cd..... which, I think, came out in, or around, 2006..... it's well good !!

I won't bore you all, with the tracks on this 'OGWT' set, that I'm listening to.... mainly as there are about 100 of them & I can't be bothered to list them !! Take my word for it - there are bands from A-Z on the thing, so.... !!

I've mentioned before - how I've done these collections of stuff, all labelled as 'Bust A Gut....' something or another. Well - I'm going to do another one.... but, for the first time, I'm going to do them as an iPod collection. What's sooooo great about that ? Well, nothing at all really..... but, instead of putting stuff, onto Cd & then putting them onto the Mini Egg (my iPod) - I've decided to save the Cd's !! I would put it on the egg anyhoo - so, why not !!

I think there are about 30,300+ tracks, actually on the Egg.... so, I'm thinking I'll delete some of those & make the space for the new ones. If nothing else, it'll give me something to concentrate on & keep my mind off the streets !! I'll let you know how I get on....

Right, my plans for today.... well, very little & few between really. I'll probably sit back & listen to some more of these Cd's - at the moment, The Pogues 'Dirty Old Town' is playing - and maybe have some of ME's birthday cake, in a while !! It's hard to believe she has reach 23 !! Oh well...... life goes on & on !! Unfortunately, when she was really little, I was working 50 or 60 hours a week, trying to earn some money.... and, I missed a lot !! It didn't put any extra cash in the bank...... but, nevermind how little cash we had, at least I tried my best to put it there !! Oh well....

I'm off now.... I thank you all for taking the time to log in & read my words, from America, thru' Europe & over to Russia & beyond.... I thank you.... until next time.....

Bye Bye