Posted on the March 31st, 2008 under music, video by rob
It’s A’s birthday and this song reminds me of her birth, simply because it was one of the albums that we took into the hospital to listen to while we were waiting for her to arrive.
I don’t actually think it was playing when she was born, but it brings back happy memories…
Mazzy Star were effectively a one-album wonder, their debut She Hangs Brightly, although they released two further albums later in the 90s.
They never really had any success in the UK and have picked up a sort of cult status in this country, mainly through the help of the internet.
Their singer Hope Sandoval has a wonderful ethereal quality to her voice and, since Mazzy Star’s split, has recorded with a folk hero of mine Bert Jansch.
Halah is a dreamy, almost psychedelic track from She Hangs Brightly and typifies this album. Glorious!
I’m sure these two will be fine in their new job, but what happened to the notion of getting properly-trained radio DJs to present shows, rather than bussing in people famous for their face.
Surely people listen to Classic FM for the music, not to hear a posh interior designer wittering on between a couple of tunes by Satie and Mozart.
And Fiona Phillips might be good at sitting on a couch at 5am and making people feel better about the start of the day, but how does that quality her for a job behind a microphone where no-one can actually see her face.
Celebrity radio has recently become the thing to do. Classic FM also hired Alex ‘I make cheese’ James in their recent revamp, an even more odd choice, if you ask me.
It’s only when you listen to the likes of Brian Matthews presenting Sounds Of The 60s on Saturday morning Radio 2 that you realise what a proper DJ should sound like.
Some ‘famous faces’ adapt quite well – I’m actually quite a fan of Dermot O’Leary, although his Big Brother sidekick Davina McCall did a pretty ropey job standing in for Ken Bruce (I think) last year.
Virgin Radio have tried something similar. They got Shane Richie to try his spinning the wheels of steel last year, which I’m pretty sure developed a flat tyre quicker than you could say Kwik fit.
Now Tony Hadley presents their Saturday night party classics show and is, to coin a Simon Cowell phrase, distinctly average.
I reckon that most of them are going wrong is one simple regard. To sound good on the radio, you have to imagine you’re talking to one person, rather than 1 million.
Perhaps some of these ‘celebrity’ signings should try and see how well it works.
Today, 
There’s a real guilty pleasure in looking up your own name on the Internet. 
