Happy New Year Brummies!! , Brumbeat Musicians, Mates in The States, Kevin in the The Klondike, Yuki the Japanese Loft Boy, Big Al in the Valley and someone from the Aland Islands....
Welcome one and all to the Bulls Head Bob blog for normal people, the blog that knows no boundaries, is completely free of gender neutral references or anything to do with this "Woke" nonsense. So, along with the aforementioned annoyance to which my answer is BOLLOCKS!!!, 2021 was certainly a year of events that we dont really want to revisit. In fact some of the issues have made me incandescent with rage, which is not like me, I am a gentle soul who only wants the best for everyone.
Let's hope that this year some people, who should know better, start to get their act together and promote some peace, stability and sensibility back into the world, it's not too difficult to get along. Before we go any further I would like to give my belated birthday wishes to the truly wonderful Joni Mitchell, 78 years young.
She was original not only in her autobiographical songs that ushered you into her very soul set to sublime melodies but also her outstanding musicality on various instruments. Refusing to be stereotyped, she explored the world of jazz which was met with varying critique but she had the right to do whatever she wanted, she had to move on. Joni famously played guitar in various tunings and there is a wonderful clip of her playing "Coyote" at Gordon Lightfoots house, with other great musicians pure class!!
So glad she is still around, her songs fill my life...xxxxx
This months episode in the Life of Bob has been written prior to Christmas Day so I too can enjoy the holidays in a relaxed attitude instead or worrying about getting the blog out on time. I have made the egg nog which, at the time of writing, is sat in the fridge getting stronger as the brandy and sugar get fermenting, two glasses of that will get Mrs Bob and I nicely fermented too. One of the Bobettes kindly bought us the Moose Glasses last year.MIKE NESMITH. RIP.
The Monkees during the 60's were not regarded as good musicians or influencers of musicians, they were actors playing a make believe group, in a TV show that was whacky, funny and had a massive impact with the teeny bopper girls who swooned over, mainly, Davy Jones, the English component of the group. However, they did play instruments at differing levels. It was a funny show at the time and made me laugh.They had some great hits, some of them written by Neil Diamond including the great 'I'm a Believer' and even the title song of the show.
Stephen Stills auditioned but didn't make it and there was a story that Charles Manson had auditioned too but in fact it was something that, drummer Mickey Dolenz had said in jest, with reference to the fact that the world and his wife had turned up for the auditions!
Mike Nesmith was portrayed on the show as the nerdy dimwit in the band but there was little lacking in his musical ability post-Monkees, with his masterful and classy song "Flying down to Rio", it remains a favourite in the Bob household. It also has a lovely accompanying Videoclip which Nesmith claims as the First Music Video Clip, that is absolute nonsense. That accolade belongs to Alex Whartons clip accompanying Birmingham's The Moody Blues "Go Now" in 1964.
The TV show passed its 'sell by' date but The Monkees as a band would reunite for a tour now and again however it wasn't what Nesmith wanted to do. He wasn't big in the UK but in other countries his 'Rio' song had topped the charts and had scored success with his follow up LP. Sadly this very day, at 78, he passed away of natural causes in his sleep. He made me laugh as a teenager and made me respect his musical ability in 1977.
Thankyou Mike Nesmith.....happy travels.
GREATEST ROCK STAR IN THE UNIVERSE.
There can only be one person who is the biggest rock star in the universe otherwise there would be two or more of them.
During the early days of rock and roll there was an massive competition between Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis to claim the title of King of Rock and Roll and that outcome was settled by a fist fight between them in Jerry Lees dressing room whilst on tour. The person who walked out of the dressing room first will be The King of Kings........"He whooped my ass" said Jerry Lee Lewis!!! So, you are Chuck Berry and are now King of Kings and find that your promotion prospects have dried up, where do you go from there? To the universe and beyond is the answer. When NASA launched Voyager 1 it carried with it a gold disc of information about the human race AND music, some classical guff, a Javanese Gamelan orchestra and the epic "Johnny B Goode". On his 60th Birthday Chuck Berry received the following letter. It must have raised a smile on Chuck's face, the canniest and hardest man in showbiz.
Voyager 1 has continued transmitting data and has now left our own solar system completely. It was launched in 1977 and the first star it will approach will be in 39,451 years time!!! There is a stylus attached to the disc but I have spent years wondering why there wasn't a record player too? If some alien race finds it they might think it's a biscuit?
I've always felt a bit sad for todays generation in that they never experienced that first wave of Rock and Roll, going crazy to learn the Chuck Berry sound but maybe some gloopy, 6 eyed blob of matter will experience it too in a Galaxy Far, Far away.
MRS BOB'S CHRISTMAS GIFT.
I have to say that over the years I may have been lacking in my choice of Christmas gifts for my lovely wife Mrs Bob. I could have been a little more open minded, I believe her days of DIY are coming to a close so power tools are really out of the question, they were always a "go to" but as we are now in our twilight years, it's been my focus for a radical re-think on my part as to what could be the perfect gift.
With regards to Christmas I have the mindset of "If it hasn't hurt your wallet you couldn't have enjoyed it" so to repay her for the countless years she's been working on the house I have bought her the pinnacle of quality, musically speaking.
Yes, it's a 1958 Les Paul, beautiful sunburst. You can almost hear the sustain just by looking at the picture!! She doesn't actually play the guitar and, in reality, she might have a problem playing it at all due to an arthritic left handcaused by the vibration of the pneumatic drill she used to renovate the drive with. However she will get the pleasure of hearing it in action, in my hands, and I can make it sing. I am going to give her some FREE lessons and I've also enrolled her onto my FREE home course of musical instrument maintenance that comes with 5 FREE dusters and polish, the whole package!!
FINALLY.
I do REALLY wish you all a hopeful New Year. Be kind to each other.
Bob
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Contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com
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