Into the Gap

I’m always really interested to see what happened to old pop stars, especially of the 80s’ era.

Claire Grogan of Altered Images fame, for example, continued into acting, most notably in Red Dwarf as Kochansky and can be heard on the most recent Word Magazine podcast.

Some, however, disappear into the ether and their whereabouts become the stuff of pop trivia. Thus it was with at least two of the Thompson Twins, Tom Bailey and his co-bandmate and wife Alannah Currie (her with the wacky hair), who emigrated to New Zealand together.

So it was with great interest that I came across an interview with Alannah Currie in last Saturday’s Weekend Guardian.

And, in keeping with her slightly wacky look in the 80s, she has turned her new career into a slightly off-the-wall pursuit – I’ll let you read the article to find out exactly what she does!

I was also intrigued to discover that she’s now with Jimmy Cauty, artist, record producer (of the TTs, if I remember correctly) and former member of the KLF.

Here’s a great slice of 80s pop to remind of how good the TTs were and my first recollections of them – We Are Detectives

Banjo, Banjo, Banjo is brand new

Someone mentioned old-skool chocolate bars today and Banjo came to mind.

I remember reading recently that countless chocolate bars are launched in the UK every year and very few of them actually make it past the first few months.

Who can forget Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey’s misguided attempts to plug a… errr… well, whatever the bar was at their wedding?

Well, clearly a Banjo is no longer available, but I remember enjoying them a lot in the 70s/80s and would love to see them back.

Anyway, all that nonsense put me in mind of the banjo, as a musical instrument, and I remembered the fantastic album by Laura Veirs, The Triumphs and Travails of Orphan Mae and this track Jailhouse Fire. Enjoy!

Bach’s Toccata & Fugue

This evening’s final episode of BBC4’s Sacred Music presented by Simon Russell Beale was all about Johann Sebastian Bach and the Lutheran legacy.

It started with his Toccata & Fugue, a wonderful piece of organ music that can be one of the most uplifting things you will ever hear.

I remember many years ago on a study trip to Nuremberg, I made friends with some Germans who were studying at the city’s Konservatorium.

One night, after a few beers, one of the students took us into a local church that he had the keys to, so he could practise the organ.

At well after midnight, we were the only ones in the church and the student treated us to a rendition of Bach’s Toccata.

I’m not a religious person, but it was one of the most spiritually uplifting things I had experienced.

This clip won’t exactly recreate the same feeling, but enjoy it all the same.