Another belated obituary, this time for the Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk.
One of the few Korean films I have seen at the cinema is his ‘Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring‘ from 2003, which tells the life of a Buddhist monk in a secluded temple.
The film uses long takes to convey the slow passage of time, while the scenic lake and mountains add to the tranquility despite worldly temptations and intrusions into the retreat.
His first international success was his fourth film, ‘The Isle‘ from 2000. Hee-jin is a mute who operates a floating resort where people can live alone. One day a man wanted by the police arrives, and hides out at the isle.
The two become close although, typically in art house movies, the ending is open; we see them floating away but have to decide for ourselves what their future holds.
‘3-Iron‘ was released in 2004, telling about the unconventional relationship between a housebreaker, Tae-suk, and an abused housewife, Sun-hwa.
The film can be taken literally, or interpreted in several ways. A popular theory is that Sun-hwa invents Tae-suk as a way of protecting herself from her violent husband. The fact that the two never exchange even one word during the film could support that view.
The beauty of such works, what distinguishes a work of art is the very fact that the viewer has to be personally involved, almost to be a co-writer. Any theory is valid provided it can be supported by evidence from within the film.
Kim Ki-duk won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival for Best Director with this film.
Kim ki-duk made over thirty films, but my favourite is 2004’s ‘Samaritan Girl‘ which was one of the first films I watched when I began to seriously explore Korean Cinema.
The subject is teenage prostitution, one girl acts as pimp, the other provides the service until they can save enough money for a trip to Europe. I shall not spoil the plot in case you want to see the film.
At the Berlin Film Festival, the film won the Silver Bear, the second-place award.
Kim Ki-duk’s films are controversial, not just for subject matter, sex and violence, but some films show animal cruelty, which brought him into conflict with various censor boards.
I didn’t know too much about Kim’s personal life until I began to look online after I heard about his passing.
I discovered that he had been accused of physical and sexual violence. From what I have read, Kim was charged and fined for physical violence against an actress, but due to lack of evidence, there were no further charges. More details can easily be accessed online.
One has to state that these are allegations, and I have no way of knowing the truth. Nevertheless, it is very disturbing and distressing. As such, I felt I couldn’t call this a tribute. Instead, I wanted to highlight some Korean films that I have enjoyed, challenging films from a controversial director.
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Less than two weeks ago we lost legendary British guitarist Jeff Beck. Today, we mourn the passing of another 60s icon, David Crosby, who passed away aged 81.
David was a member of the Byrds, playing on their first five LPs, before forming the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Famous for their vocal harmonies, the group, frequently augmented by the addition of Neil Young, eptitomise the ‘California sound’ of the late 60s and early 70s.
Graham Nash said of David, “He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy.”
Crosby (bottom left) in the Byrds.
The debut album of the supergroup.
David Crosby August 14th 1941 – January 18th 2023
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Everyone allow me to introduce you to my favourite YouTuber, Stella, who has a channel dedicated to music :
As you can see from this screenshot, Stella discusses individual bands, favourite songs and genres of music, all in an educated yet very entertaining manner.
Her laugh is just about the cutest thing you will ever hear, as well.
I suggested Stella take a look at some Swedish rock and pop bands; not the global acts such as Ace of Bass, The Cardigans or Rednex (not to mention ABBA) but the lesser known bands, the indie rock of Stockholm, Gothenburg and my old stomping ground, Malmö.
KB music venue, 10 minutes walk from my old apartment in Malmö
What follows is the tip of the Nordic iceberg, a very mixed bag of styles and attitudes. I hope you find something of interest.
Tack så mycket (thank you very much)
To kick off, the first Swedish artist I heard, Thomas di Leva, and ‘Vi Har Bara Varandra.’ The title roughly translates as ‘We only have each other.’
Thomas was born in 1963, and achieved wide success in 1987, even being name-checked by David Bowie (the back blurb of a book on Di Leva). The main body of his work is from the mid 80s to the 90s, his last LP being released in 2013.
I think this song is so catchy, immediately infectious and memorable. I often sang it, along with the whole crowd, at festivals.
Next up is another band active from the mid 80s to the early 90s, Union Carbide Productions. My favourite song is the guitar-riff heavy ‘Golden Age.’ This one’s for you, Stella.
The band morphed into The Soundtrack of Our Lives in the mid 90s.
Now for one of Sweden’s biggest guitar bands, Kent. Here’s the video for ‘Dom Andra‘ from 2002:
The band, who broke up in 2016, released 12 albums. Lead singer and guitarist Joakim Berg also wrote for other artists, such as Lisa Miskovsky.
I saw Lisa at a free concert at the Malmö Festival, and she was amazing. This is a live version of ‘California Heart‘ from the 2006 ‘Changes’ album.
Staying in Malmö, Skilla is an all-girl band that I saw live on a few occasions. I once met Lisa, the guitarist, after a gig, and the lyricist Nina allowed me to interview her for a paper I was writing on linguistics. ‘Tragic Song‘ is from their debut album.
The next band, The Hives, had success outside of Sweden, an early album reaching number 7 in the UK charts. You may know this song, ‘Hate to say I Told You So,’ a great garage band thrash.
One Swedish band who apparently have quite a following in Japan is Mando Diao, and here’s the video for one of their early hits, ‘Sheepdog.’
Finally The Sounds, a band from Helsingborg, and ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll‘ from their 2002 debut album.
As mentioned, we have only scrapped the surface here, there are so many bands I omitted; Melody Club, First Aid Kit, The Mo, Alice in Videoland, Lisa Ekdahl, Weeping Willows, The Ark, Lykke Li, Veronica Maggio, Dolkows, Atomic Swing … I feel a Part Two coming on.
So now it’s Ringo’s turn, and he co-starred alongside Richard Burton, and Peter Sellers among others. Furthermore, two-time Oscar winner Marlon Brando was in one of the films so they should have been magical … unfortunately that is not the case.
Let’s start with the source material, novels by Terry Southern.
Southern had published these books in 1958 and 1959 respectively, then in the 60s he worked on such iconic films as ‘Dr Strangelove,’ ‘The Collector’ and ‘Easy Rider.’
Writer Terry Southern
‘Candy’ is said to be based on Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ but I think the film, described as a sex farce, owes more to de Sade.
A blonde-haired, blue-eyed innocent teenage girl is sexually manipulated and exploited throughout the film. Ringo only appears in one sequence (with a brief appearance at the end of the movie) playing a gardener, speaking broken English with some kind of accent. He is later identified as being Mexican though he sounds pure Merseyside.
Brando appears as a guru, and actually displays some excellent comic timing. Just a pity the material is rather weak, laboured and very dated.
Candy star Ewa Aulin with Marlon Brando
The film, however, was quite a commercial hit although reviews were mixed. Today it has acquired cult status and is very much a late 60s period piece, the look, the sound and social mores.
‘Candy’ was released in the US on 17th December 1968, and the soundtrack features The Byrds and Steppenwolf.
A year later, Ringo’s second solo film was released. In ‘The Magic Christian,’ he has a co-starring role alongside Peter Sellers (who had memorably played three roles in Kubrick’s ‘Dr Strangelove’).
The film is a satire on wealth and greed, and a condemnation of capitalism. Sellers plays a man of immense wealth, who sees Ringo’s character as the son he never had, and subsequently adopts him.
Ringo with 60s icon Raquel Welch
The film is a series of set-pieces where Sellers shows what people will do for money; a Shakespearean actor is bribed to strip during the famous soliloquy in ‘Hamlet,’ a traffic warden is asked to eat a parking ticket, and the climax shows respectable businesspeople diving into a tank of unmentionable content to retrieve paper money. This film does not go in for subtlety.
Again, the film is packed with familiar faces from film and British TV, and again, as with ‘Candy,’ it’s not a film I would rush to re-watch.
Finally, there is another Beatles connection in this film. The main song is ‘Come and Get It,’ performed by Badfinger but written by Paul McCartney.
Speaking of The Beatles, they spent January of 1969 rehearsing for a proposed TV special or live concert. This was captured in the documentary film ‘Let It Be,’ released in May 1970 by which time the band had broken up.
But the music remains … forever.
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Before The Beatles broke up in 1970, each member had released at least one solo record or appeared in a non-Beatles film.
These solo outings are a ‘must-see’ for Beatles fans, although none of them match the artistic excellent of The Beatles music, or come anywhere close. Most are now curio pieces, examples of the late 60s zeitgeist, and are of little cinematic merit despite amazing casts and writers.
I hadn’t previously seen any of the following five films. Unfortunately it proved to be a rather disappointing experience.
Anyway, in true Beatles style, “One, two, three, four …”
Let’s start in the Autumn of 1966. The ‘Revolver’ LP had been released in August. John Lennon was offered a part in an anti-war black comedy so left the UK to film in Germany and Spain. Meanwhile, Paul McCartney was approached to write a score for a domestic comedy-drama called ‘The Family Way.’
The film was released on 18th December 1966 (June 1967 in the US), while the soundtrack LP was issued in the new year, on 6th January 1967. First, the film review.
‘The Family Way’ is by far my favourite of the five.
The Boulting Brothers, producer and director, were significant names in 50s British cinema, making some classic films on a limited, post-war budget (films such as ‘I’m All Right, Jack’, ‘Brighton Rock’ & ‘Lucky Jim’ among others). The script was by Bill Naughton, who had written the iconic 60s play ‘Alfie’.
British viewers (of a certain age) will recognise many familiar faces from film and TV, especially the male lead, Hywel Bennett (later to play the eponymous Percy in 1971, music written by Ray Davies of The Kinks).
Hayley Mills & Hywel Bennett
The title is somewhat misleading, as the phrase is a British euphemism for being pregnant, usually out of wedlock (a social stigma at this time). In fact, the lack of a family is the main point of the film.
Set in the Manchester region of north-west England, the film following the wedding of Jenny and Arthur, Jenny from a middle-class background, Arthur’s father a life-long employee at the local gas works. Arthur enjoys classical music and literature, at odds with his uneducated father. There are tensions at the wedding between father and son, but the real problem occurs on the wedding night; Arthur is unable to consummate the marriage, and the couple to sleep separately throughout most of the film.
Finally Arthur overcomes his issues, and the couple go on a belated honeymoon, and will move into their own home when they return. It is also heavily implied that another man was Arthur’s biological father, although he now seems to fully accept and love his dad.
Of the five films under discussion, this is the only one I would be happy to watch again. Additionally, it is also one with the least contribution from a Beatle.
Paul McCartney wrote some pieces which his producer, the legendary George Martin, scored and wrote variations for orchestra. According to online sources, Martin had to force McCartney to finish the work, staying at McCartney’s house one night until Paul had produced some music. [1]
Paul McCartney at the film’s premiere
As for the music, I feel it’s pretty uninspiring and inconsequential. The LP clocks in at under 27 minutes, and I doubt if many Beatles fans who actually own it, play it often.
However, it may hold a very important key. Because of the northern setting, McCartney thought a brass band would be a good idea, and it has been suggested that this led to the idea of ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’ Of course, that LP is another story altogether …
‘Sgt Pepper’s’ epitomises the ‘Summer of Love’ in 1967. Meanwhile, the US forces were increasing in Vietnam, fighting was escalating.
At this point, John Lennon made his solo screen outing as Private Gripweed in ‘How I Won The War,’ released on 18th October 1967
The film centres on a lower middle-class man who becomes an officer (Michael Crawford), and how out of touch officers were with the men under their command. The humour, often black, is very hit-and-miss, not to say outdated. Occasionally the jokes don’t work at all.
Lennon, with cropped hair, merely plays a version of himself, and is competent and enjoyable to watch although the film does drag. The plot is basically a group of soldiers being sent into the desert to prepare a grassy area suitable for a game of cricket.
The film received moderate reviews which was disappointing as the director was Richard Lester, who had made ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ the first Beatles film, which was so fresh and exciting.
Another interesting incident is that Lennon stayed in a villa in Spain during the shoot, a villa that reminded him of a certain building in Liverpool, a Salvation Army garden called Strawberry Fields.
One of the co-stars, Jack MacGowran, would be the lead actor in ‘Wonderwall’ (1968) for which George Harrison composed the music.
Harrison’s soundtrack was released on 1st November 1968, while the film wouldn’t get a full UK release until 12th January 1969.
MacGowran plays a stereotypical absent-minded scientist, who lives alone in a drab, brown-toned apartment, piles of dusty papers everywhere. One day, through a crack in the wall, he sees into the next apartment (alluded to in the LP cover). His neighbour is a beautiful young girl (Jane Birkin) who practises free love, her living space open and multicoloured. The scientist envies her life, and boyfriend, until he witnesses the other side of the permissive society; the irresponsibility. The girl gets pregnant, the boyfriend leaves her and she attempts suicide. The scientist sees this and calls an ambulance, thus saving her. The film is a condemnation of the hippie lifestyle, the squares save the day, depth and character over superficial image.
Jane Birkin
Jack MacGowran
Musically, the LP has its admirers, featuring Harrison’s fascination with the sitar. This works well with the film and places the film firmly in the late 60s. The music is quite listenable, without the images, mixing eastern and western influences, and did receive some praise from contemporary reviewers.
Ringo, meanwhile, made two films in the late 60s, both based on books by Terry Southern, ‘Candy’ and ‘The Magic Christian.’ The much-loved drummer worked with such screen legends as Richard Burton, Peter Sellers and Marlon Brando … but I will save that for another blog.
Goodbye from Ringo
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Recently, I finished an anthology of Modern Chinese short stories namely ‘The Picador Book of Contemporary Chinese Fiction.’
The collection, first published in 1998, is one of the best I’ve ever read; all stories are worth reading and many are excellent.
My experience of Chinese Literature has been mainly limited to the Classics: Confucius, Lao Tzu and poetry from various dynasties, so this is a great introduction to contemporary fiction.
A 2004 collection by China’s first Noble Laurate
The Picador anthology has the following contents:
Western readers may be aware of Su Tong as he wrote ‘Raise the Red Lantern’, which was filmed by Zhang Yi-mou in 1991.
If you can find a copy I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
1965 ended with The Beatles throwing down the gauntlet with the ‘Rubber Soul’ LP. The musical Cold War between The Beatles and the Beach Boys was on !
Bob Dylan had released ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ which would be a very tough act to follow, while The Who had debuted on LP with ‘My Generation’.
Ravi Shankar issued his ‘Sound of the Sitar’ LP, an instrument that George Harrison would use on ‘Rubber Soul’, and would be heard on several big hits over the next two years.
Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones playing sitar
Some of the early 60s beat bands were fading away while garage bands were on the rise. Meanwhile London was swinging, and the UK was getting ready for the World Cup
London 1966
Bob Dylan in the UK
Please note, most dates are from Wikipedia so there may be some errors. Also, some LPs were only issued in the States, while UK and US release dates varied; I have usually given the UK date. This is a selective discography, showcasing just some of the amazing music of 1966.
January
1st Paul Jones ‘My Way’ LP
7th ‘Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds’. Live recording from December 1963, featuring Eric Clapton.
7th Spencer Davis Group ‘The Second Album’ LP
14th London-born singer David Jones changes his name to David Bowie. Bowie would release four singles in 1966 but none entered either the UK or US charts.
17th Simon & Garfunkel ‘Sound of Silence’ LP
21st Them ‘Them Again’ LP, featuring Van Morrison on vocals, but the LP failed to chart.
31st Tony Bennett ‘Movie Song Album’ LP
February
4th Rolling Stones ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ single
9th Death of Blues singer Sophie Tucker
11th The Animals ‘Inside-Looking Out’ single
14th Bob Dylan ‘One of us Must Know’ single. Reached 33 in the UK, but didn’t crack the Billboard 100 in the US.
18th The Hollies ‘I Can’t Let Go’ single
19th The Lovin’ Spoonful ‘Daydream’ single
21st Cher ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ single
25th The Kinks ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ single
25th The Yardbirds ‘Shapes of things’ single. Some critics have labelled this as the first psychedelic rock song.
Michelle Philipps of The Mamas and the Papas
28th The Mamas and the Papas ‘If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears’ LP
March
1st Elvis ‘Frankie and Johnny’ soundtrack LP
4th The Who ‘Substitute’ single
4th The Beatles ‘Yesterday’ EP
4th John Lennon quoted in the London Evening Standard saying that the Beatles were “More popular than Jesus.” This causes protests and record burnings, especially in the Bible belt of the USA
7th The Who ‘A Legal Matter’ single. Issued by Shel Talmy (producer) without the band’s permission.
8th Crispian St. Peters ‘the Pied Piper’ single. Peters also covered the Phil Ochs song ‘Changes’ but it failed to chart.
14th The Byrds ‘Eight Miles High’ single. Record is widely banned due to perceived drug references.
15th Nancy Sinatra ‘Boots’ LP
25th Dusty Springfield ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’ single
28th Cher ‘The Sonny Side of Cher’ LP
March
The Mamas and the Papas ‘Monday, Monday’ single
Percy Sledge ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ single
The Fugs ‘The Fugs’ LP
Love ‘Love’ LP
The Lovin’ Spoonful’ Daydream LP
The Monks ‘Black Monk Time’ LP
Phil Ochs ‘In Concert’ LP
April
1st Sam & Dave ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ LP
7th Manfred Mann ‘Machines’ EP
15th Manfred Mann ‘Pretty Flamingo’ single
15th The Beach Boys ‘Sloop John B’ single (March 21st in USA)
15th Rolling Stones ‘Aftermath’ LP (2nd July in USA)
22nd The Troggs ‘Wild Thing’ single
April
James Brown ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ single
Bob Dylan ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’ single
The Seeds ‘The Seeds’ LP
Otis Redding ‘The Soul Album’ LP
May
3rd The Temptations ‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’ single
4th Stevie Wonder ‘Uptight’ LP
6th Small Faces ‘Small Faces’ LP
7th Rolling Stones ‘Paint it Black’ single
13th the Animals ‘Animalisms’ LP
21st The Animals ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ single
27th The Yardbirds ‘Over Under Sideways’ single
30th The Beatles ‘Paperback Writer / Rain’ single
May
Dave Clark Five ‘Look Before You Leap’ single. Only reaches number #50 in the UK charts.
Simon & Garfunkel ‘I Am A Rock’ single
Frank Sinatra ‘Strangers in the Night’ single
‘When The Boys Meet The Girls’ soundtrack LP. The first film starring Herman’s Hermits. The LP is an eclectic mix, featuring the British band alongside Connie Francis, Liberace & Louis Armstrong
June
3rd The Kinks ‘Sunny Afternoon’ single
3rd Jimmy Ruffin ‘What Becomes of the Brokenhearted’ single
3rd Manfred Mann ‘Instrumental Asylum’ EP
10th Elvis ‘Paradise, Hawaiian Style’ soundtrack LP
15th The Beatles ‘Yesterday and Today’ LP (US only)
The infamous, unreleased butcher cover
The cover that was released
Beatles producer George Martin stated that his first disagreement with the band was over this LP cover. Capital Records recalled the sleeve which today is a valuable collector’s item.
17th The Hollies ‘Bus Stop’ single
17th Death of Jazz musician Johnny St. Cyr
20th Bob Dylan ‘I Want You’ single
20th Bob Dylan ‘Blonde on Blonde’ double LP
27th The Beach Boys ‘Pet Sounds’ LP (May 16th in USA). The LP peaked at number 2 in the UK, but only reached 10 in the USA
27th Mothers of Invention ‘Freak Out’ LP
June
The Count Five ‘Psychotic Reaction’ single
Bobby Hebb ‘Sunny’ single
‘What’s Shakin” compilation LP featuring The Lovin’ Spoonful, Paul Butterfield and Powerhouse, a supergroup comprising Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce & Steve Winwood.
July
1st Donovan ‘Sunshine Superman’ single
1st The Hollies ‘Would You Believe ?’ LP
4th The Lovin’ Spoonful ‘Summer in the City’ single
8th The Beatles ‘Nowhere Man’ EP
11th Cher ‘Alfie’ single
15th The Kinks ‘Dedicated Kinks’ EP
Cover by guitarist Chris Dreja
15th The Yardbirds ‘Yardbirds’ LP, more commonly known as ‘Roger the Engineer’
18th The Byrds ‘Fifth Dimension’ LP
18th The Beach Boys ‘Wouldn’t it be Nice’ / ‘God Only Knows’ single.
Paul McCartney proclaims ‘God Only Knows’ “The greatest song ever written.”
22nd John Mayall ‘Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton’ LP
The Supremes
25th The Supremes ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ single
25 The Troggs ‘From Nowhere’ LP
29th Manfred Mann ‘Just Like A Woman’ single
30th World Cup Final. England beat West Germany 4 – 2 after extra time.
31st Death of Jazz pianist Bud Powell
July
Lee Dorsey ‘Working in the Coal Mine’ single
The Left Banke ‘Walk Away Renée’ single
Wilson Pickett ‘Land of a Thousand Dances’ single
The Troggs ‘With a Girl Like You’ single
The Butterfield Blues Band ‘East – West’ LP
The Troggs
Tim Hardin ‘Tim Hardin 1’ LP
Paul Jones leaves Manfred Mann for a solo career, and is replaced by Mike d’Abo
August
5th The Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby’ single
5th Small Faces ‘All or Nothing’ single
5th The Beatles ‘Revolver’ LP
12th The Who ‘The Kids are Alright’ single. This iconic track didn’t even enter the UK Top 40.
Carnaby St, London
15th Jefferson Airplane ‘Jefferson Airplane Takes Off’ LP with original singer Signe Toly Anderson, and Skip Spence on drums
16th The Monkees ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ single
18th Bob Dylan ‘Just Like a Woman’ single (US only)
18th The Four Tops ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’ single
26th The Who ‘I’m a Boy’ single
26th Spencer Davis Group ‘Autumn ’66’ LP
26th The Walker Brothers ‘Portrait’ LP
29th The Beatles play their last ever public concert at Candlestick Park, San Francisco.
August
? and the Mysterians ’96 Tears’ single
September
6th The Byrds ‘Mr Spaceman’ single
12th The Mamas and the Papas ‘The Mamas and the Papas’ LP
Rolling Stones in drag for the ‘Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby’ promo film.
23rd Rolling Stones ‘Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby’ single
September
Ike & Tina Turner ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ LP
The Incredible String Band ‘The Incredible String Band’ LP
Autumn
John Lennon begins filming How I Won the War
October
7th The Hollies ‘Stop Stop Stop’ single
7th Death of Johnny Kidd
10th The Beach Boys ‘Good Vibrations’ single
10th The Seekers ‘Georgy Girl’ single
10th The Monkees ‘The Monkees’ LP
12th Supremes ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’ single
21st Manfred Mann ‘Semi-Detached Suburban Mr Jones single
Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page
21st The Yardbirds ‘Happenings Ten Years Time Ago’ single. One of the few Yardbird tracks to feature both Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page.
21st Manfred Mann ‘As Is’ LP
22nd Simon & Garfunkel ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter’ single
24th Simon & Garfunkel ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’ LP
28th The Kinks ‘Face to Face’ LP
31st Elvis ‘Spinout’ soundtrack LP
October
Bobby Darin ‘If I Were A Carpenter’ single
Tim Buckley ‘Tim Buckley’ LP featuring Lee Underwood, Van Dyke Parks & Jack Nietzsche
The Deep ‘Psychedelic Moods’ LP
Herman’s Hermits ‘Both Sides of Herman’s Hermits’ LP
John Lee Hooker ‘The Real Folk Blues’ LP
13th Floor Elevators ‘The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators’ LP
November
2nd Death of Bluesman Mississippi John Hurt
10th Los Bravos ‘Black is Black’ LP, featuring the hit single by this Spanish band fronted by a German singer.
11th The Who ‘La-La-La-Lies’ single. Another track released by producer Shel Talmy without permission.
12th The Monkees ‘I’m a Believer’ single
16th Martha and the Vandellas ‘Watchout !’ LP
16th Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ‘Away We a Go-Go’ LP
Shot from the ‘Dead End Street’ promo film
18th The Kinks ‘Dead End Street’ single
21st Joan Baez ‘Noël’ Christmas LP
28th Tages ‘Extra Extra’ LP a beat group from Sweden
November
The Bee Gees ‘Spicks and Specks’ LP
James Brown ‘Handful of Soul’ LP
Love ‘Da Capo’ LP
The Lovin’ Spoonful ‘Hums of The Lovin’ Spoonful’ LP
Booker T & The MGs ‘And Now!’ LP featured one single ‘Sweet Potato’ which was nowhere near as successful as ‘Green Onions.’
December
3rd The Who ‘Happy Jack’ single
5th Buffalo Springfield ‘Buffalo Springfield’ LP. Future pressing replaced an LP track with the ‘For What it’s Worth’ single.
9th The Hollies ‘For Certain Because’ LP
9th The Who ‘A Quick One’ LP
9th Cream ‘Fresh Cream’ LP
10th The Beatles ‘A Collection of Beatles Oldies’ compilation LP
18th The Family Way film released, music by Paul McCartney, the first solo Beatles recording.
John Lennon filmed in Soho, London, November 1966
26th ‘Not Only, But Also’ TV comedy Christmas Special aired on the BBC, featuring John Lennon
Peter sellers
December
The Left Banke ‘Pretty Ballerina’ single
‘After the Fox’ film released. The Hollies released a single of the title track in August but it failed to chart.
December Eric Burdon of the Animals, releases his first solo single ‘Help Me Girl’. His first LP in 1967 is credited to Eric Burdon and the Animals.
December Gerry and the Pacemakers ‘Girl on a Swing’ LP. Fails to chart in either UK or USA
In Jazz:
Wes Montgomery released ‘Tequila’ & ‘California Dreaming’
Miles Davies released the live ‘Four & More’ LP and Lee Morgan issued the ‘Charisma’ LP.
In Free Jazz, Ornette Coleman had two LPs, ‘Chappaqua Suite’ and ‘The Empty Foxhole’.
John Coltrane released ‘Ascension’ and ‘Meditations’
In Folk and Country:
Bob Lind, whose songs have been covered by Glenn Campbell, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, and Eric Clapton among others, released ‘The Elusive Bob Lind’. Glen Campbell issued ‘The 12 String Guitar’ LP.
Waylon Jennings issued 3 LPs including ‘Folk-Country’ while Johnny Cash released 2, including ‘Happiness is You’.
In Blues:
B.B. King released ‘Confessin’ the Blues’, Muddy Waters issued ‘Muddy, Brass & the Blues’ & Lightning Hopkins had ‘Lightnin’ Strikes’.
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
In 1995 I began making a series of short, silent Super 8 films that would be collectively known as ‘L’ Assommoir Perdu’.
The first film made in March 1995, after a particularly bitter Berlin winter, was called ‘Igor or the Young Person’s Guide to Berlin.’ The title refers to the music chosen to accompany the film: ‘The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’ by Benjamin Britten.
Igor, played by Martin O’Shea (who was my main actor in many films, and later theatre projects), is an idealistic Socialist and Brecht fanatic. The young man visits Berlin, making pilgrimages to the Brecht Haus and grave, as well as various locations associated with Socialist Berlin.
We began the film quite seriously but at one point, when Igor reaches into his pocket to find a toffee, it took on a more light-hearted tone.
The climax, with a cast of dozens, was totally unplanned. The boy band Take That were playing two gigs in Berlin and the weekend before, for some reason, a large group of teenage girls marched up Unter Den Linden, from Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate, singing Take That songs.
Following ‘Igor’ was a more modest film, shot in about an hour in a small park at the end of my street.
In ‘Kleingeld und Dulcimer’, Martin O’Shea plays Mr Kleingeld (German for small change), a loner of indeterminate age. After going shopping in a cheap supermarket, Mr Kleingeld sees a busker and is so impressed, he gives the musician some small change. Very small change. However, Mr Kleingeld has no idea about social behaviour and Mr Dulcimer, played by Detroit musician Jeff Tarlton, reacts to having his space invaded.
This film won first prize at the Prenzlau International Film Festival in winter 1995, which was held on a farm north of Berlin.
Cultural nod – the character of Mr Kleingeld was based on British comedian Eric Morcombe.
The third film, featuring a cameo from Mr Kleingeld, is ‘Les Aventures de Bruno Dalle’. Bruno tries to be French cinema icon Jean-Paul Belmondo. His girlfriend, Iris, brings him back to reality. She needs him to get a job. Angered, Bruno decides to take his Belmondo fascination further. He meets his friend, Richard Rastignac (who will appear in a later film), and is given a gun and told to go rob a bank. Will Bruno go through with the plan ? How will he appease Iris ? What exactly is Mr Kleingeld doing in this movie ?
Cine transfer organised by Martin O’Shea with the assistance of Screenshot Berlin (www.screenshot-berlin.de).
A selection of photos found on web searches. No copyright infringement is intended.
adoreness.com
Model Pattie Boyd from vogue.com
Britt Ekland from outdressing.comImage from elle.com
theatreoffashion.com
time.com
adoreness.com
itsacharminglife.com
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Thay Paul's Notes 