Ask Stewart Osborne

xposts

Are you looking forward to this?

And not when someone said it was, which came first.

love
gaz

(X-post)

Gaz, I'm doing so, slowly

A somewhat different perspective on where punk ends and post-punk begins from my own (certainly insofar as SR seems to consider the huge rush of bands that emerged from the suburbs in the immediate wake of the first wave of punk to be largely "post-punk" whereas I consider them to be simply the second wave of punk) but then it would probably have to be, almost by definition, wouldn't it?

In the final analysis I think the difference is probably largely semantic anyway, and SR's approach certainly seems to be an intelligent, rational, and thoroughly researched one that actually acknowledges (and maybe even celebrates) the inherent inconsistencies in how things really were, rather than attempting to re-write history to fit some inaccurate and ill-defined theory of how things ought to have been.

Still waiting with interest to see what his analysis is of some of the bands who were stylistically "post-punk" but chronologically pre-punk....

Why is there a picture of Robert Fripp on the cover of the Damned's "Light at the End of the Tunnel?" This is for me, perhaps the Only Unanswered Question in Rock.

Best regards,

OK, apparently Robert Fripp met The Captain shortly after The Damned had recorded Strawberries (so '82 / '83 -ish?) and collaborated with the Sensible / Vanian / Scabies / Merrick line-up, playing guitar and co-producing (with The Captain) a song called "Fun Factory".

This was originally intended to be released as a single on Bronze, but in the event didn't actually manage to limp out until 1991, when it was issued by The Captain's own Deltic label (so-called after his favourite diesel locomotive!) with one Sensible solo track (a remix of "A Riot On Eastbourne Pier" from his Revolution Now album) on the 'B' side of the 7" and a further 2 ("Freedom" and "Pasties") on the 12".

At that time The Damned were just reforming with Sensible after one of their periodic "we've split up, permanently this time, and we all hate each other, and we're not even talking to each other or anything ever again, and this time we really mean it, honest.... well, at least, definitely not until we all run out of money again and remember that this is the only way we're ever going to earn any anyway" periods, and didn't have a recording contract and were evidently desperate to have some - any - sort of new product out there with their name on it.

Of course it promptly sank without trace; partly because it received little or no promotion or distribution; but mainly, I suspect, because frankly it's not particularly good - and indeed it has apparently subsequently been conveniently air-brushed out of Official Damned History; although it definitely does exist and iirc was being sold on the band's official merchandise stalls on their subsequent tours.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5b/Damned_FunFactory.jpg

"This is for me, perhaps the Only Unanswered Question in Rock."

Well, I hope that having provided you with this answer will allow you to sleep easily at night, and does not mean that I have just resigned you to drifting aimlessly through the remainder of a life has, from this very moment, suddenly become bereft of all meaning.

If you saw some young whippersnappers wearing a. Foo Fighters T-shirt or b. Green Day T-Shirt which would you cuff around the head and send on their way with profanities ringing in their ears?

Fetsively yours

Billy

FWIW 'though, I quite like some of Green Day's stuff and they're great live. Foo Fighters? Meh.

Rudderless in NYC

Woking is quite close to Reading/Wokingham, but not exactly 'local'. AA road map has it as being 16 miles by road. Even so, The Jam were more based in London when they were part of the 'emerging punk scene' in 1977 onwards. I didn't see the Jam live until their final gigs at Wembley arena, but I did see Paul Weller once walking through the Woking shopping centre, a few years ago.

I used to know Pete Buckler, Rick's twin brother, when we both worked at Rank Video, back 12 years ago. Nice bloke.

Mark Grout.

IIIRC I first saw The Jam during the Summer of '78, around the time they released the "'A' Bomb In Wardour Street" / "David Watts" single; and me and my mate interviewed them in early '80 when they were touring to promote Setting Sons.

I was going to tell the story of how one of my other mates, N*, encountered Bruce Foxton a little while back once again; but when it came to it I just couldn't be arsed to type it all out again.

Have you got the Laughing Clowns 3CD box yet? If not, I suggest that it would be right up your street, and would make an ideal Christmas gift to yourself from you.

I humbly await...etc

Dr.C

No I haven't, 'though I was extremely intrigued by the review I read in.... (Mojo? Uncut?). Your recommendation is certainly the clincher I needed - I shall purchase now purchase with confidence and without further ado.

Dear Stewart (and other members of the Reading Massive),
Do you know how to find any of our Only Ones threads? They seem to have sunk into the G00gle quagmire.

Sincerely,
Miles From Nowhere

I listened to Special View last night, all the way through. Best song is "Out There in the Night" not "AGAP", it would seem.

Finding this thread, but I know there were a few more The Only Ones now??

OK, I found the main one Only Ones: Classic or Dud?

There was another one that came and went but I guess we have to sacrifice that to the Google Idols.

Dear Stewart,
Does the phrase "fallen at the first fence" come from equestrianism?

Sincerely,
There's The Old Gray Whistle Test

Aintree (where the Grand National is run) has many fences. The first one is very easy, fooling inexperienced riders (and horses) into thinking the race is easy. The second fence has lower ground on the other side. So, those that fall at the first fence really did not have the capability.

Out there in the night is about a cat.

Yup. As per this thread Songs about pets

I think Stewart should come back and post.

I wish

He's on facebook if you want to chat to him there

Dr C i keep asking to come back too