Category Archives: Books Films, TV & Radio

High Life, high fidelity – back in touch with The Puppini Sisters

The past decade has proved a blast for The Puppini Sisters, this close harmony trio amassing gold and multi-platinum discs, and enjoying famous collaborations with everyone from Cyndi Lauper and Michael Bublé to The Manhattan Transfer. There have been lots of … Continue reading

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Meeting Himself, coming back – the Gilbert O’Sullivan interview

According to my battered copy of British Record Charts 1955-1979, Gilbert O’Sullivan sold more UK singles than any other solo male artist in 1972, seeing off the likes of fellow top-10 acts Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Donny Osmond, David Cassidy … Continue reading

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Reliving The Kinks’ golden years – the Mick Avory interview

He may have been outside The Kinks for three decades now, but Mick Avory was there when it mattered, overseeing a happening 20-year period with this most quintessential English outfit. While it was his difficult relationship with guitarist Dave Davies … Continue reading

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Me and Mr Jones – the Howard Jones interview

Can it really be more than 30 years since Howard Jones first arrived on our TV screens, with that cutaway t-shirt and distinctive split-level dyed-blond spiky hair, amid a bank of synthesisers performing New Song on Top of the Pops? … Continue reading

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They Might be Giants – Manchester Academy 2

Ever tried explaining They Might Be Giants to anyone not in the know? I have, and strongly advise that you shouldn’t bother. Just give people links to a few tracks and let them work it out for themselves. I’m guessing … Continue reading

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Going back 25 years, ending up 10,000 miles from Kingfield

Woking’s National League defeat at Altrincham on Tuesday, January 26th, 2016, won’t stay in the memory bank for long for too many Cardinals fans, despite the latest party-piece goal from free-kick maestro Giuseppe Sole. For a moment there in the … Continue reading

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Giants’ steps lead to Manhattan transfer – the John Flansburgh interview

The signs weren’t so good when I made contact with John Flansburgh in Manhattan last week. He sounded affable enough, but he’d already had a hard morning fielding questions from UK journalists. “I’m completely bored of myself. I’m just going … Continue reading

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Now the time has come – back in touch with Bruce Foxton

After an extended festive break, Bruce Foxton is all set for another punishing year for his band, with 100-plus gigs already arranged and a brand new album on its way. If anything, the anniversary circuit is old hat for Bruce … Continue reading

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The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin – a writewyattuk book review

Some books have you hooked from the start, and the debut novel from Ali Benjamin offers a prime example … even if the last thing I reckon I’d want on the end of a hook would be a jellyfish. The … Continue reading

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Remembering Bowie, through Sound and Vision

There’s not a lot I can write here that hasn’t been covered elsewhere, but I couldn’t let the week pass without my own tribute to David Bowie, who left us on Sunday, January 10th, 2016, two days after his 69th … Continue reading

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