Ask Stewart Osborne

Dear Mark,

What about it?

I'm not sure what's supposed to be on it to be honest but there are certainly some albums kicking about (by The Boys iirc and possibly Buzzcocks too) which purport to have been recorded at The Roxy but actually weren't.

Having been (in historical / punk credibility terms, at least) "fortunate" enough to visit the dump once or twice in the latter days before it closed, it baffles me how anyone could have got a recording of anything even approaching listenable-quality out of anything anyone ever played there.

Before I respond, please will you clarify the following phrases or expressions used in your question:
1. "the deal" - specifically in the context "What's the deal with...." (and with particular reference to Russ Titelemn".
2. "Russ Titelman", and in particular, what the deal is with him.

Other than that:

He was born on Aug 16, 1944 in Los Angeles, CA, is a noted session musician and record producer best known for his work with Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, Ry Cooder and Cyndi Lauper and he played guitar for the recording of "Where There's Woman" and "Autumn's Child" on the Captain Beefheart album Safe As Milk and on the album Clear Spot.

Search engines. They're fuckin' marvellous, aren't they?

Everything you ever wanted to know about Herb Bermann (but were afraid to ask)

If you know where to look that's frequently most of the problem solved, I reckon.

Have you got one of these?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4072956582&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V

Just wondered.

MG

Not that precise edition, no. I have got the album on vinyl and on a Japanese import CD 'though.

Never mind - if you're looking for ideas, you could always get me one of these instead.

I am off to see the reformed House of Love at the Fez Club this evening. Have you witnessed many other desperately recobbled-together acts reforming and playing in the Reading area?

Kind regards,

Rob

Who have you got on the front of "Love Song"? Mine's an Algy.

Oh, and I didn't even have to click that link to know what it was...

It's my b-day next month.

I hadn't heard about that one - I've got a mate who'll be very disappointed that we missed that one!

Hmmm. "Desperately recobbled-together acts reforming and playing in the Reading area", eh?

Well, I've certainly seen some dire rubbish at The After Dark over the years but "desperately recobbled-together acts reforming"?

Well I know there are some would put The Revillos in the category - why there are even some heretics who would say that of The Damned (actually, some of the incarnations of The Damned that I've seen genuinely do fit that description if I'm honest - NOT the current one 'though, I hasten to add!).

I saw The Vibrators at The Hexagon (supporting The Ruts) during that dreadful wilderness-years incarnation of the band that didn't include Knox....

Am I allowed to include the Festival as being "in the Reading area" or is that cheating? If I am then the Stone Roses have got to be the most conspicuous example....

No! Wait! I had tried to erase it from my memory but I'm sure I saw The Clash at The University after they threw Mick out!

Did you go and see Bloc Party at The Fez last night btw Robert? What were they like? I was a bit tempted to go but just couldn't be arsed when it came to it. Must be getting old.

I.... err.... have all four sleeves.

Two sets in fact.

I bought four copies when it came out to get all four sleeves (and sold the odd three in plain white ones).

Then I bought another copy when it subsequently came out on red vinyl (or was it the other way 'round?).

Then the lovely people in Quicksilver (aaaaaah! Quicksilver! Do you remember Quicksilver? Stiles, Skully, Blainey, Wheeler, Mick - I used to help them do their ordering for a while and they kept giving me staff discount right up until they folded, bless their little 'earts!) gave me a set that they'd been given for promotional purposes.

I used to have them stuck on my bedroom wall in formation like flying ducks.

Are you referring to The Damned at the Uni in the late 80s when Vanian wore an almighty quiff?

Actually no, although I do remember the gig you mean (tour to promote Anything if I'm not very much mistaken?).

I've always thought that there was something inherently wrong with the concept of "The Damned" without The Captain; but putting that aside, Roman Jugg and Bryn Merrick were actually bloody good that night as I recall.

Nutted by reality,
Ken L

This was on the way to the so-called "Punk" festival in Monsarne in France, I believe. Chris Miller (who is rat) had known Nick, Dave Edmunds and co for a few years, but that didn't stop him berating Nick with "Nick is such a hippy, Nick's a fuckin hippy tara ra ra" type singing all the way. Until one point, nick passed by with some beers, and rat jumped and wrestled nick in the coach aisle. Apparently, the fight became semi-serious and at the end, both were more 'oops, sorry that wasn't really meant to happen' and Nick accepted it as such and sat back down again. The t-shirt was Eddie Cochrane, a promo of recent vintage from United Artists, Nick's record label at that time.

Stewart Osbourne... sort of.

Wondering about Wokingham

No no no no no - his name is Millar not Miller. Honestly!

Absolutely everything I know / you probably need to know about the Wokingham scene has already been covered in as much detail as I can remember on this thread 'ere

In the days of punk it was customary - as a sign of affection - for punters to spit on performers. What is the worst case of this you have seen? Have you, yourself, ever spat a big lunger on a performer you admired?

best
gaz

Probably Tapper Zukie when he was supporting The Clash - the por guy was absolutely drenched.

To be honest, I'm not at all sure most of us always actually knew why we we were doing it either.

its a bizarre thing.

so you did it stewart?

Alas yes, I'm very much afraid I did.

I'd certainly stopped it a long time before that.

(x-post)

Not off hand

Yes, I was there. It was in the RUSU Main Hall in 1984. I think it was just before Meat Is Murder came out.

I wonder if gobbing was a London thing? At gigs I went to in 76-78 up north, there wasn't any to speak of.

I've heard it suggested that it originated from Johny Rotten, who actually used to spit a lot because he had some sort of problem with his adenoids (?).

Where was this?

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