Category Archives: music

You wait five years, when along comes…

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this…

What could it be, vintage mates? Hm, a piece of small red plastic; some component to match with other pieces, to complete a set?

A little clue…

Another clue…

Still no idea? Okay, another clue…

Easy peasy lemon squeezy?

If anyone guessed correctly that it is the stage platform for the 1991 Playmobil Romani Circus Jazz Band – then award yourself a mighty 3,000 vintage points!

Below is the band from my old picture gallery, naked of a stage (every band needs a stage, right?)

And below, here is the band onstage at last…

The drummer jazz dude with his little blue drum kit is my fave. He’s missing a cymbal and an extra pair of drumsticks (one can never have enough drumsticks) so the set is still not 100% complete, but I can source these parts another time. For now, having that stage finally turn up at a decent price makes all the difference.

Below is a picture (courtesy of eBay) showing the jazz band in the Romani Circus play set…

Thanks for looking 🙂

And, while we’re on about music… (and apologies for leaping from Playmobil to politics) …

F#@k you Brexit!

I’m pissed off to learn that the UK Conservative government has just shafted British and European touring artists by not agreeing to waiver performance visas in light of the recent Brexit trade agreements. The EU said they made an offer to allow continued frictionless travel between countries for performers, and that the UK rejected it. The UK are of course blaming the EU. I know who I’d rather believe.

As a drummer who once played live around Europe in numerous bands, the joy of performing to a wide and diverse audience is a pure high; but for bands and artists who earn a regular living from performing – this is also a cruel and unecessary blow to their livelihoods, which have already been savaged by Covid-19 restrictions.

Links: Musicians’ Union and The Gurdian and The Independent

The British music industry in 2019 contributed an estimated £5.8bn to the UK economy. The UK government – in restricting the freedom of travel for musicians – is causing a major self-harm with its shallow and spiteful gesture made to those who work in the arts. But then, what else would you expect from the government who produced Brexit Britain.

“For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps, it was only an echo.” ― Lois Lowry

or…

“Welcome to the Brexit, sir. I’m sorry.” – Netherlands Border Control

😂🤣😂

1991 Rock Cards by Brokum

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Here be rockers!

Iron Maiden

Mötley Crüe

Anthrax

Megadeth

Bon Jovi

Alice Cooper

And a Marvel Alice diversion… why not!

Marvel 50th Premiere. Alice Cooper. Sutton and Austin. 1979.

About Rock Cards

In 1991, the Brokum Trading Card company marketed a collectable set of heavy metal and rock band trading cards and unleashed it to the headbanging public. Cards came in random packs of 13 and featured many famous bands of the 1980s along with some class acts from the 70s. The front of each card showed a full colour photograph of the band or band member, while the back showed an additional photo along with information and stats.

Big thanks to my Canadian mate and fellow WP blogger, Resa, over at Graffiti Lux Art & More who sent me these awesome trading cards. Resa, you rock! \m/

Coming next in our Rock Cards series:

Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Exodus, Testament, Skid Row, Posion, and more!

1991 Rock Cards by Brokum – Having a big bad hair day!

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Rock Cards collectable trading cards by Brokum, 1991.

Rock Cards by Brokum. 1991. Rikki Rockett.

Rock Cards by Brokum. 1991. Winger.

Rock Cards by Brokum. 1991. Bon Jovi.

Big, bad, beautiful hair!

In the 1980s, it was not just movie stars and TV personalities sporting audacious big hair – it was rock and heavy metal musicians too! From Poison to Cinderella to Bon Jovi to Mötley Crüe to The Cure to even Metallica at one point in their career.

This post takes a light-hearted look at some of the boys who weren’t afraid to look like girls. In short, I have nothing but admiration for them. I, too, sported various versions of big hair during my stints with bands throughout the 80s and 90s. Being in a band helped glamorise the glam I was aiming for. It was cool to go shopping for clothes you knew you were going to wear on stage at the weekend. Did I wear makeup? Eyeliner a couple of times – depended what band I was in at the time. Black nail varnish? Hell, yeah, often!

Rock Cards by Brokum. 1991. Alice Cooper.

Rock Cards by Brokum. 1991. Jani Lane.

Rock Cards by Brokum. 1991. Mick Mars + Queen’s Royal Guard.

Rock Cards by Brokum. 1991. Jon Bon Jovi.

Damage to the environment caused by hair, 80s style

In the 1980s, scientists were making it known about the damage being caused to the ozone layer, attributed in part by harmful chlorofluoro­carbons (CFCs) found in aerosol cans like deodorant, hairspray, spray paint, and even Silly String.

I think the band I was in at the time got through enough cans of Silvikrin and Harmony hairspray we likely contributed to at least half of that hole.

It wasn’t always big hair for me though…

Here we can chart the approximate ‘style’ and ‘bigness’ of my hair throughout the 80s and 90s by comparing it to musicians from Rock Cards!

As for now… I still have hair, luckily, even though there are a fair few patches of grey. Most times it’s cut short at the sides with a spikey mop on top – a bit punky. Bathroom hair days now are only ever short compared to the best part of an hour in older days. Some gel. Wax. Easy. And if it’s a bad hair day… there’s always a hat 🙂

That’s all for now, mates! Join us again soon for more Rock Cards fun, and thank you for doing your hair with us 🙂

About Rock Cards

In 1991, the Brokum Trading Card company marketed a collectable set of heavy metal and rock band trading cards and unleashed it to the headbanging public. Cards came in random packs of 13 and featured many famous bands of the 1980s along with some class acts from the 70s. The front of each card showed a full colour photograph of the band or band member, while the back showed an additional photo along with information and stats.

Big thanks to my Canadian mate and fellow WP blogger, Resa, over at Graffiti Lux Art & More who sent me these awesome trading cards. Resa, you rock! \m/

 

The art of children’s storybooks and vinyl records, 1960s -1980s

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Agathe Tran Quang My and Biosca art for Anne Sylvestre – “Fabulettes” 1969.

The storybook and vinyl record was an opportunity for children to fully immerse themselves in their favourite fairy tale, nursery ryhme, song or film. As Disney proclaimed: children can “see the pictures” “hear the record” and “read the book”. Disney Records and its Buena Vista label, along with Peter Pan Records and its derivative Power Records, were among the first companies to explore this multi-media approach to entertaining children by releasing storybooks with a vinyl record. Later would come cassettes – adding a new dimension of ‘mobility’ to the experience, when children could listen on a Walkman and be free to move from room to room or even go outside.

In today’s post we take a look at some French storybooks and vinyl records aimed at the younger children’s market, featuring fairy tales, nursery rhymes and traditional songs. Especially, we take the opportunity to look at some of the artwork involved, and here we see wonderful illustrations from the likes of Biosca, Denise Chabot, Agathe Tran Quang My, Annette Moch and JP Huster who each contributed delightful art for many record sleeves and booklets aimed at children throughout 1960s and 1980s France.

The art of Denise Chabot from “Rondes Enfantines” storybook and record 

The art of Annette Moch and JP Huster – “Fabulettes” 1964.

Anne Silvestre. “FABULETTES”. Dessins par Annette Moch and JP Huster. 1964.

The art of Biosca – “Fabulettes en Couleurs” and “L’école”

Anne Sylvestre “FABULETTES EN COULEURS”. Dessins par Biosca. 1983.

Anne Sylvestre “FABULETTES EN COULEURS”. Dessins par Biosca. 1983.

Anne Silvestre “L’ECOLE” Dessins par Biosca.

Anne Silvestre “L’ECOLE”. Dessins par Biosca.

The art of Agathe Tran Quang My and Biosca – “Fabulettes” 1969

Agathe Tran Quang My and Biosca art for Anne Sylvestre – “Fabulettes” 1969.

Agathe Tran Quang My and Biosca art for Anne Sylvestre – “Fabulettes” 1969.

Agathe Tran Quang My and Biosca art for Anne Sylvestre – “Fabulettes” 1969.

Agathe Tran Quang My and Biosca art for Anne Sylvestre – “Fabulettes” 1969.

Walt Disney storybooks and records

Walt Disney Jungle Book. Storybook and record. 1983. France.

Waly Disney The Fox and the Hound. Storybook and record. 1983.

Walt Disney The Three Little Pigs. Storybook and record. 1968. France.

Little Red Ridng Hood

Little Red Riding Hood story and record with colouring pages. Le Petit Chaperon Rouge. Disque à Colorier. Artist and date unknown.

Thank you for “seeing, hearing and reading” with us 🙂

Just can’t get enough (of 7-inch vinyl records)

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A TVTA Special

 

Presenting: a gallery of seven inch vinyl records spanning the 1970s, 80s and 90s, direct from the collection of TVTA. 

 

Missing records… but look at how cool these sleeves are from the Columbia company.

Put the needle on the record!
7 inch vinyl story book records and other interesting discs. The fun starts here!

Planet of the Hoojibs. 7 inch vinyl record and book. Buena Vista Records. 1983.

Below: Masters of the Universe story books and records, French pressings
Below: The Muppets print advert

The Muppets Take Manhattan storybook and record. 1984 print advert.

Below: web-slinging, disc-spinning, abominable audio at 33​ 1⁄3 RPM on 7 inch vinyl! Phew! An Amazing Spider-Man story from Power Records.

Below: California dreamin’ Barbie

Beach Boys 7 inch flexi-disc Barbie doll record: Living Doll, Brother Records, 1987.

Below: Les mysterieuses cites D’or (The Mysterious Cities of Gold),1982

Les mysterieuses cites D’or 7 inch single. French pressing. Saban records. 1982.

Below: Albator 7 inch single, 1982

Albator 84 TV series theme. 7 inch single. 1982. French pressing. Carrere.

Below: La chanson de Kiki, 1978

La chanson de Kiki, 45 RPM record, 1978.

Below: Pac-Man as sang by Willy, 1983

Pac-Man French pressing 7 inch vinyl record, sang by Willy. 1983. Polydor Records.

That’s all folks!
Thanks for always looking on the bright side of life with us 🙂

Review: Kim Wilde, live in concert, La Garde, France

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Place de la République. 29 July 2019.

It’s only taken me thirty odd years to see the wonderful Kim Wilde and her band play live in concert, and she came right to my front door… okay, it was a five minute walk to the stage from where I live, but how much closer can you get to seeing an international pop-rock superstar without needing to take the car or public transport?

When I learned some weeks back that Kim Wilde and her band was going to play a free outdoor concert in town, I couldn’t quite believe it. I cleared out my schedule for that evening and made sure the trusty TVTA camera would be charged and ready to document the event.

Finally that night came, and I arrived early to get as close to the stage as possible, passing the time for the band to come onstage by chatting with Steve, a French megafan of Kim’s, who filled me in on the five albums she’d made since her success in the 80s and early 90s when I first bought some of her singles, an album, and bopped along to her music on the radio. I confess right now, I haven’t listened to Kim in a long while, but that’s going to change thanks to the incredible show I witnessed tonight. There’s her last album for starters – 2018’s Here Come the Aliens, then an upcoming live album (her first) which Kim announced on stage she was going to release.

Onto the show… I’ve seen some fantastic concerts by amazing bands over the years. After tonight, Kim Wilde and her band now rank among the best of them. With a near two hour performance including many of her seemingly endless 80s hits, and a barrage of her newer songs, plus many in between, there wasn’t a single moment when the energy dropped or the foot came off the pedal. How refreshing to see an artist and band enjoying themselves to the absolute limit. As an eight piece line-up which includes Kim, two guitars, bass, keyboards, a backing vocalist/dancer, and two (yes that’s two!) drummers, there was plenty to watch and admire from a band who were quite evidently having the time of their lives.

Top marks to Kim and guitarist/songwriter – her brother Ricky Wilde, for assembling across the years such a talented and enthusiastic troupe, who not only played magnificently but performed magnificently. Top marks must also go to the sound and lighting engineers. And Kim, ever humble and sweet, sincerely thanking and merci beaucoup-ing the crowd in between each and every number. In her own words: “Thank you so much for coming to see us on this beautiful summer night in the South of France, this is just so beautiful. Thank you. Merci beaucoup!”

Beautiful. I couldn’t agree more. Kudos and spaceships and love to Kim and her band and crew, and thank you for bringing a bit of rock, pop and magic to this little city in the South of France.

TVTA bonus!

Going through my French 45 RPM collection this morning I came across this 🙂

Kim Wilde. View From a Bridge. RAK 1982.

TVTA update September 2019!

I bought Kim’s album Here Come The Albums on CD 🙂

Kim Wilde Here Come The Aliens 2018 CD. Artwork by Scarlett Wilde.

Thanks for looking. Words and photographs by the editor. ©TVTA. 2019.

Music makes the people come together, yeah!

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“A life without music is a solitary trek along a darkened path trod souless and bare. Let music be your joy, your comfort, your inspiration. Sing, dance, and play upon your journeys. Let music be your lantern.”  

I believe in angels…

“And if these are my final words I will attempt to sing them in tune; to draw sweet harmony with the divine muse. To celebrate you. Embrace you. Love you. Praise your sweet gift of music bestowed, here, there, now, onwards, and over the very next hill.”

Thank you for joining us. Dedicated to music, friends, family, loved ones, Madonna, and Primus in all suckiness 🙂

Junior Turntables and Audio Systems, 1980

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The 1980 Fair-Play distributor catalogue offered some sweet turntable and audio systems for kids. 

Random records spotted: Michael Jackson – ?? The Dickies – Knights in White Satin (white vinyl). Blondie – Dreaming. Third World – ??

Click images to go bigger. Thanks for looking  🙂

Images scanned by TVTA from the 1980 Fair-Play distributor catalogue, France.