Friends of the stars....
I'm going to try to put the best of them on the blog during the show.
Great one just come in from Shona Storer:
Sydney devine gate-crashed my 21st birthday party..
Back in the olden days (1976) when pubs shut at 10 pm My friend Sheila and I had booked the function suite at the Dee Motel Aberdeen, got our late licence, booked the disco,and invited our pals.
The night went well but about 11.30ish someone said Sydney Devine was in the hall.... general disbelief, but it was true - he bought Sheila and myself a drink. (He'd been appearing in concert in Abedeen and was staying at the hotel, got back with his entourage and wanted a drink - by that time the hotel had closed up its bars so they sent them into our party as the only bar that was open.) we were only mildly outraged at the hotel management...
How about playing the Peter Nardini song - I wish I could sing like Sydney - or failing that -tiger feet by Mud - because my husband Geoff said the disco played that a lot that night.
Next up, Bobby from Howwood:
I have been very lucky in being able to meet a number of famous people due to our local pub having had a great line up of acts which I was involved in booking. People like Albert Lee, Geoff Martyn, Boo Hewerdine, Colin Vernecombe (Black), Kevin McDermott, Justin Currie and Eddie Reader. I have even managed to play guitar with the great Martin Stephenson and Chas and Dave!
I also once met Paul and Linda and the kids whilst on a beach in Southend in the Mull of Kintyre where I was holidaying with my Mum and Dad. They just looked like an ordinary family.
However, as a surreal moment from the past, I remember going to get a bus into Glasgow on a Friday night when I lived with my parents in Craigton. And standing at the bus stop on Paisley Road West at the Ballahouston Park was Robert Hodgens (Bobby Bluebell to you guys) who lived around the corner from me 鈥 I knew his wee brother. And I鈥檓 looking at the girl who鈥檚 with him and I thought, I know that face? Turns out to be Siobhan Fahey of Bananrama! Standing at MY bus stop. Couldny believe it.
So How about 鈥淚t aint what you do it鈥檚 the way that you do it鈥 by Bananarama and Fun Boy Three
If not anything by The Smiths would do and I鈥檒l make up a story about meeting Morrissey if you want?
Bobby from Howwood
Ever since I was 12 years old I have been a fan of Ralph McTell and when all my school pals were writing "I love David Essex" on their school jotters I got the mickey taken out of me for writing "I love Relph McTell" on mine. But I had the last laugh when he played in Tain quite a few years ago and Rob the guy who was organising the gig asked me if I would mind going to Inverness Airport to pick up Ralph as he was too busy. Cos I was too nervous to drive I had to get my boyfriend Geoff to drive up from Aberdeen to Tain to pick me up then back to Inverness, stopping off on the way for some incontinence pants in case the excitement got too much. But he was such a nice down to earth person that I managed to contain myself even when he came to a party that night after the show. Also when I was in Hamburg once I met a Russian guy who used to collect Ralph McTell's money for him when he was busking in Paris. And another time when ski-ing in Italy I met a girl from Dublin who was a hairdresser in London who cut the hair of Iris Bentley who was the sister of Derek Bentley who features in Ralph's song "Bentley & Craig" - Ralph had just played at her funeral. (Iris campaigned for years to get a posthumous pardon for her brother who was hanged for murder in 1953). I also have a friend who was inspired to take up music after Ralph visited her primary school and I have a theory that everybody's life has been touched in some tenuous way by Ralph. (You only have to listen to someone like Christy Moore talking about his early days in the music business to know this is true). Please play Bentley & Craig from Ralph's "Water of Dreams" album which I am sure will be in Iain Anderson's collection - or any other Ralph song of your choice!
Ta
Ali in Newtonmore
In the early 70's as a teeneger we were hanging around Keswick Cumbria, climbing and drinking, when a gang of us got work on the next Ken Russel film TOMMY humping camera gear, tents, food etc from one mountain top location to the next. On our way up Haystacks, near Buttermere, we off loaded the gear and started soloing around a small crag. A voice from behind said, "You al right lads?" Not 2 foot away stood Roger Daltry. The poster of him at Woodstock was still on my bedroom wall, the memory of a great night at Newcastle City Hall still fresh in my mind. He then stopped for a chat. The rest of the day was spent watching him completing the final scene of the movie, singing 'See me feel me' etc climbing streams and mountains. The weather was great, the food was good and we were getting paid so if you could play that final song from the WHO it would be fantastic.
Arthur from Carlisle
I like this one that's just come in from Dave Hamilton...
My pal Manus's parents were in the Ingram Hotel , Glasgow in the early 80s when they befriended a lonely Irishman. Realising he was from "the old country", they invited him to their table and Manus's mum suggested he phone home and things would seem much better. He did so and returned to the table much happier. As the converstaion went on they discovered that the Irishman was a musician- but Manus's parents had never heard of the band that he played in. Not convinced that this was a profitable career for a young fella', Manus's father suggested that the musician return to his trade of plastering. Bono thanked Manus's parents for their friendship and advice and the following day U2 played a sell out gig in Glasgow!
Hi Brian, While in the sixth year studies English class at Greenock High School (a wee while ago!) one of the select band had great ambitions to be a writer. I proof read the manuscript for "Use of Weapons" for my classmate Iain Banks ......his main aim at the time being to paper the walls of his folks' loo with rejection slips - a few years later Iain became the "Living Legend" and "Use of Weapons" was published under his "Iain M. Banks" scifi persona-Please play Paperback writer by the beatles-thanks-Innes from Inverkip (Archie's mrs!)
This was from Strathaven Dave...
Years ago my mate Tom's older brother was friends with Simple Minds first manager.They made up some demo tapes and sent them out to record companies and big names in the business.
One friday night we were listening to Round table on Radio 1 who used to review new songs and they played Chelsea Girl. Phil Lynott was one of the panel and he said complimentary things about the song, but said it wasnt as good as the demo he'd been sent about a year earlier.At this point my mate Tom started jumping about wildly shouting " that tape deck made the demos" "that tape deck made the demos"
It took us a while to get him to calm down.
