British Invasion Redux - Records!!!!

...One thing I was really looking forward to on my trip to the UK was....RECORDS!!!....The last time I was in the UK (2007),It was for such a short visit I only had time to hit one place in Birmingham,just for a bit before we met the 15+ Mojo-ites at our epic Mojo-Jolly!....

...This time,however,plenty of time to hit the shops.....and I didnt have a ton of money to set aside for high-end purchases,I dont mess much with that kinda stuff anyway,so I was pretty confident I could fill a bag or two!....as luck would have it,on the weekend I was in Brum...a record show!....right in Ade's general vicinity!....

All these were 1-2 pounds.....except The Clash Cost Of Living EP,which was one of the things I really wanted to pick up while I was here...in the USA it generally goes for 20-30 bucks.....at this show? 4 pounds!!....AND the guy threw in that Sid/Sex Pistols single free!

Didnt get to shop in Scotland....only in Glasgow for a few hours and then off to the countryside....

But,as I mentioned,I wasnt off the bus to Manchester for 2 minutes before Spenny presented me with a copy of The Buzzcocks' Spiral Scratch EP as a gift!....and to he record shops!.....another band I was specifically looking for was Dr. Feelgood....you just dont see their records in America....so,score on the 33 1/3 AND 45 fronts!!...plus,though it's far from their best work...cool to find a Can single,I dont have any!....and no,that Ambrose Slade album is not the original that goes for upwards of 600 bucks,but a well made bootleg which I was thrilled to get for 12 pounds!.....

Next up.....spoils from London!

These were purchased during the Berwick Fest in Soho....Ive already went on about the fantastic Soho Hobo single....the only other RSD exclusives I bought were the Sonic Rendevous Band (which I didnt even ask for....I asked for THE SONICS single...but what the hell,its a great record and I only have the songs on bootlegs..) and Wesley Stace,aka John Wesley Harding's new album...also cool to find the new Baseball Project album while I was thousands of miles away from baseball!.....

....and this is my haul from Camden Market!.....I couldve spent a few hundred dollars at least in these stalls!....so much great stuff.....but after 11 days on vacation at this point,the funds had to be rationed....but I still got some cool albums cheap (and ever since Brum,where Ade and I saw The Move,I had "Hello Susie" stuck in my head so HAD to come home with a record of it!) and the biggest record-shopping fun of the whole trip....one stall had two huge boxes of singles....at 50p each!!...all UK issues,many I'd NEVER see in America....T.Rex,Slade,Nick Lowe,Ian Drury,Mick Ronson,Bowie,Fats Waller,UFO....the list goes on and on!...I even found a Rush single to give to my brother!....

Fantastic finds and SO much fun....and except for the couple of RSD purchases (which are always over-priced) the total I spent (yes,I keep track!) was a little less than 90 pounds.....not bad at all!!

Thanks for re-living the whole British Invasion with me!....Cheers!

British Invasion Pt. 5 - You Really Got Me!!

...and an early afternoon train to London!...

Checked into The County Hotel,conveniently located a block from Euston station....

My Mojo-buddy Nick (Fuzzy),who lives near Muswell Hill, was kind enough to pick me up at the train station and we had plans to grab a bit to eat and head over to The Clissord Arms...which is famous for being the location of the first (1960) and last (1996) gigs by the mighty Kinks!!...They have a "Kinks Room" with photos,memorabilia,etc...Ive been a huge fan of The Kinks since I got the "Low Budget" album at 13 (1979) so I was excited to see the place!

.....BUT.....before we got there.....

Fuzzy casually mentions as we turn a street corner, "I think that's Ray Davies walking there.."....sure as shit!....he turns down a gangway and I say,crestfallen,"ah,there he goes".....but Fuzzy cuts around another corner...and there he is!.....Now,I have conversed with Fuzzy on the Mojo boards a lot,but Ive real-life known him for all of 2 minutes at this point....but I say 'STOP THE CAR!!".....I hop out,running down the street yelling RAY!!.....RAAAAAYYY!.....and whatcha know,Ray stops and chats!....

Me: "Ive come here from America to see Kinks stuff!"
Ray: "Well....I'M Kinks stuff!"

I didnt want to be a pest,but we chatted for a minute,and he agreed to a photo,but insisted on holding up his grocery bag...

No contest.....the ODDEST thing that happened on this trip!!!

After a great chicken burrito (it was called "The Flying Burrito"!) and a great chat with ol' Fuzzy...It was time to call it a night...a very momentous night!!
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Next day was Record Store Day!....which as far as buying over-priced junk,I wasnt too excited about....but in Soho there was going to be a fest (The Berwick Street Fest) with some good bands and a bunch of record shops to prowl...and I had plans to meet my Mojo-buddy Mark there.....

...so I decided to go early and its a good thing I did,because for the one-and-only time on my trip...I got LOST...no matter how many times a checked my phone map I was always 6-7 minutes away!....I found out later Soho streets kinda wind around,its a grid within itself....anyway,I just kept asking people while I walked and eventually heard crowds and music...I was there!

The record shops did not disappoint (as I mentioned,record stuff in a separate post!)...and playing when I got there was The Soho Hobo doing a song they worked up from 1912 called "The Piccadilly Trot"....well,I bought the single and have listened to the song a million or so times since!.....GREAT stuff!...

Check it out!

Next on the bill was Edwyn Collins....not heard a ton by him,but do like some of his stuff,and the story of how he came back from a life-threatening stroke a while ago is pretty amazing...the crowd showed the man a lot of love...

..By then Mark had shown up....we waited in line at Sister Ray records,had a drink at The Ship (Spenny recommended!) and next door is the site of the original Marquee Club!

After a fine day in Soho....we met another Mojo-ite,Matthew (DWashburn) for a fine Italian dinner,drinks and more music talk!....Great time spent with these two!!

..after they took their leave I decided to trek down to Camden Town....had a couple drinks but didnt really prowl around too much....for I knew I'd be back the next morning!..
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My last day of the trip,Sunday....and I was on my own.....

First stop was the Camden Market....WOW!....great food,lively folks and RECORDS!!.....and I basically had lunch on all the free samples they were pushing on me! (you try!...you like?...come back!!)....although I really shoulda got the Clinton Love Child Dog!..haha!!

Stopped at Abbey Road afterward,but not much to see.....and they actively discourage you from going near Abbey Road studios....so.....here it is!

..and back to the hotel to plot my next move (and I know my american friends wanna see an old building and a double decker bus....so I snapped both at once!)

...and decided to check out Piccadilly Circus for my last evening in the UK....VERY nice!....its the theatre district,as well as home to Capitol Radio (one of my favorite Clash songs!)....had a nice tex-mex dinner and a wander.....

....and after a couple drinks at the pub near my hotel.....and slept like a baby......and off the next morning for home......

British Invasion Pt.4 - 'Avin it in Manchester!

...and onto another Megabus for a trip to Manchester!...

...Spenny and Dave waiting at the station,and the yapping commences!....a quick check-in at the hotel,and a quick drink at the hotel bar and we're off!....I should mention that immediately after getting off the bus,Spenny presented me with a gift...a copy of The Buzzcocks' seminal "Spiral Scratch" EP....which Ive highly coveted!...you da man,Spen!.....

Our pub crawl is joined by their buddy,my new pal Paul....and music talk commences....our tastes are all pretty similar and there was much rejoicing of Lou,Iggy,MC5,etc....A fine night,indeed!

The next day,Spenny showed me the sights,amid the pubs!.....Being the anglophile I am,had to see where they do Coronation Street!...well,its behind the big black gate!.....also went by the Manchester Free Trade Hall,the spot where Dylan's infamous "Royal Albert Hall" show was actually performed (yes,the "JUDAS!!" show!)...also the Sex Pistols/Buzzcocks gig that pretty much kicked off that whole scene....also a beautiful mural showing the building of Liverpool rd.....and the world-famous site of The Hacienda....which is now apartment buildings!

after a great afternoon of sightseeing,a drink or two,some record shopping (dont worry,the whole record-shopping thing will get its own post!!) and such (even found some american baseball cards at a junk shop for my son!),Spenny was off to collect his beautiful daughter for the weekend.....so I had a couple more,had a meal at the hotel,and ran into some folks at the hotel bar from America...Philly,actually...so we had a good chat .....

It was great to hang out with these fine lads,and I really wish I coulda spent more time in their company...cheers,fellas!

Next morning.....Off to London!!!......

British Invasion Pt.3 - Scotland....Aye!!

...Before we leave the Midlands,a huge thanks to Adrian!....the perfect host and a diamond geezer!

...On Monday,it was time to head off on the Megabus to Glasgow to meet my pals Joe and John....who duly met me at the station and whisked me off to an acoustic jam in Glasgow...lotsa cool folks ready to sing and play....including Dave and (another) John....both of who met us....I felt very proud that after my first Hank Williams song (Mind Your Own Business),I was asked to do another (I Saw The Light)..woo-hoo!

Next day....a drive out into some beautiful scenery and a stop in Girvan and along The Clyde....

Tuesday night was given to over another jam...this time electric!....at the excellently named bar Fanny By Gaslight!

...and here's me playing at it!

A fantastic couple days in Scotland and special thanks to my companions in Scotland...Joe and John!

Next stop......Manchester!!

British Invasion Pt.2 - Beatlemania!

...So...after witnessing Ade and friends in their natural habitat (the pub!!) and having ourselves a right fine knees-up on Saturday....Sunday,my last day in Ade's fine company,was time for a trip to Liverpool and immersion in The Fabs,The Lads,THE BEATLES!!!

I must admit...when I was planning my trip I was warned away from Liverpool with "too touristy",etc....well,im SO glad Ade suggested it and we took the tour...it was...well...FAB!

For some reason I dont have my pic of Ringo's boyhood home....its in the dirt-poor area...in fact we were told the whole rows of flats are set to be destroyed,except for Ringo's block!....anyway,here's the pub near there that was used for Ringo's "Sentimental Journey" and George's modest boyhood home

Of course,John's place,Mendips,is quite a step up....very nice home of Aunt Mimi...we were told Yoko bought it and donated it to The National Trust so it can be preserved...so there's one for Yoko,who'da thought!?

....and onto Paul's....of special interest since right inside there,John and Paul wrote many of the Beatles early hits....wow!!

We saw the "shelter in the middle of the roundabout" on Penny Lane,which has the firehouse and the barber shop!....and of course Strawberry Fields....which is right around the corner from John's place...and you can imagine little John running out of his house,onto the property and letting his imagination run wild among the trees....where he must be high or low......

The tour ended at the "Cavern"...its not the real Cavern unfortunately....BUT....the original front of the original Cavern is still there,so you can imagine the lads lugging their stuff into those early gigs,and Brian Epstein going through this very doorway to change their lives forever!

There was much more...these are just a sampling....
And a word about our driver and guide,Tony....great guy and he seemed genuinely engaged in the tour...not just rote recital,he added stuff like "this isnt part of the tour,but Cynthia Powell (later Johns first wife) lived right over there in those flats...since John didnt have a place of his own yet,its very probable Julian was conceived at that very address...not that there's a plaque there or anything!"....haha!....great to make your aquaintance,Tony!

The Merseyside itself is quite beautiful...and since none of my american friends will know who the hell he is,the statue is Billy Fury....

So after bumming around some shops and the fake Cavern,we were on our way....

Ive been a Beatles fan since I was 8 or 9....My mom took me to see "Beatlemania" the play in 1977,the same year my Aunt Vickie bought me my first Beatles book "The Beatles Forever"....so we're talkin near 40 years,folks!....twas a great day!!!

and I'll leave ya with one arcane fact I picked up....we passed a school where John and George both went,though they didnt know each other yet.....the street it was on was called "Dovedale"....then it hit me!
(from the song "Glass Onion") - "tryin to make a Dovedale joint,yeah!"....ha!,never knew what John was saying there....mystery solved!....

YEAH YEAH YEAH!!

next installment - Off To Scotland!