British glam rock pioneers Slade had a last hurrah in the early 1980s, having scored a string of hit singles a decade earlier and been regulars on 'Top Of The Pops', they had endured some lean years after a venture across the pond. While not really breaking through in the US in the way they'd hoped, their influence was felt when firstly KISS formed, taking cues from the way Slade connected with their crowd, and later when the LA 'hair metal' bands achieved prominence, many (including Mötley Crüe) cited Slade, Sweet and T. Rex as inspirations. In particular, this year saw LA band Quiet Riot hit big with their cover of 'Cum On Feel The Noize', which many people in the US believed to be one of that band's own compositions and were surprised to find that it was actually a decade old.
Slade themselves regrouped in the late 1970s, having ploughed on through the punk era to diminishing returns, they were almost ready to call it a day when called up at the last minute to play at Reading Festival in 1980, their set went down a storm that day and directly led to a revival in fortunes. In 1983 they scored a hit with the anthemic 'My Oh My', a hand-waving singalong that showcased singer Noddy Holder's still-powerful voice. A tour was arranged for December of 1983 and this was to call at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre. I was a youngster still then, but by now old enough to attend gigs and having been a fan of Slade from when I was small, this was a gig I was very much looking forward to.
What nobody realised at the time was that this would be their final show in Britain with the original (some would claim 'only') line-up. Their set, lively and riotous, with many hits performed alongside a few later cuts, went down a total storm with the Liverpool crowd. (Interestingly, they did NOT play 'Cum On Feel The Noize' that night!) Ending, as you'd expect with perennial favourite 'Merry Christmas Everybody' they took their bows and I for one thought there'd be many more chances to see these classic glam rockers now that they'd re-established themselves. However, as fates would have it, that was the one and only time I would see this band in their classic form. They played further dates in Europe, but a planned visit to the US was cut short when Noddy Holder took ill. (They also scored a belated hit over there that year with 'Run Runaway') The band did make a few more albums, but although their last hit ('Radio Wall of Sound') came in 1991 they were never seen again on a stage.
Eventually Noddy Holder called time on the group, he'd wanted to try some other things for a long time and took acting roles, notably as a music teacher in 'The Grimleys', a comedy-drama about the struggles of a 1970s working class family in the Midlands. He then became an occasional radio presenter, while fellow Slade writer, bassist Jim Lea also stood down from the group. This left guitarist Dave Hill and drummer Don Powell to find new personnel, and they have continued to the present day under the Slade name. This has not pleased everyone, as the band's best-loved songs were all Holder/Lea compositions, and to say the least, Holder's voice is not easily replicated. However, Holder himself has stated that he did not want to stop the other guys from working, and so the Hill/Powell version of Slade have continued with his blessing.
2023 Update: Don Powell and Dave Hill parted company in 2020, leaving only the guitarist as sole original member of the Slade which tours still. Powell has come through some health issues and has more recently worked with Jim Lea once again for a single release in 2023.
That show on 18th December 1983 then, remains a fond memory and I consider myself fortunate to have caught them just before they exited the stage.
Some video footage exists from that show (video cameras were rather more cumbersome than the phone/cameras of today!) and so here is a clip from the Royal Court:
Wednesday 18 December 2013
Monday 16 December 2013
1983 in film: Battle Of The Bonds
The James Bond film franchise had become a lucrative one for producer Cubby Broccoli since the series began in 1962 with 'Dr No', and despite the fact that the actor portraying the British secret agent had changed from Sean Connery to Roger Moore (via one film starring George Lazenby in the role). Broccoli's Eon Productions released the 18th Bond film 'Octopussy' (via MGM/United Artists) in June of 1983, starring Roger Moore in his sixth film portraying Bond. That film saw Bond thwart a Soviet-backed plot to convince the West into nuclear disarmament via an 'accidental' nuclear explosion at a US base in West Germany, under the guise of smuggling priceless treasures from East to West.
Also that year a 'rival' Bond film, starring original actor Sean Connery, was to be released via a different production company. Connery had last played Bond in 1971's 'Diamonds Are Forever' and at the time of this production was 52 years of age (Moore was 56 by this time). How that situation came about is somewhat complex, but dates back to when author Ian Fleming (who created James Bond for a series of novels) began working with Kevin McClory, an Irish screenwriter with a view to bringing his creation to the screen. They had been working on several drafts of a script when Broccoli and Harry Saltzman purchased the film rights to the character. 'Dr No' became a success, launching the franchise, and it wasn't until Fleming used the aborted script as basis for his novel 'Thunderball' that McClory took legal action, claiming he had created many of the elements of the story, most notably the use of the name 'SPECTRE' for the organised crime syndicate. The High Court in London agreed, and when Eon Productions wanted to adapt the 'Thunderball' novel into a Bond film, they were obliged to give McClory a producer's credit in the completed movie (1965). Furthermore, the court also stipulated that McClory, as owner of the concepts, would (after a period of ten years) be able to produce a film of his own using that concept.
By the time the ten years had elapsed, McClory was indeed attempting to get a rival Bond film off the ground, but as the 'official' franchise had by that time become firmly established, he was embroiled in further legal tussles with Eon Productions. However he convinced original actor Sean Connery to reprise his role (offering the actor input into the script and the casting), and once Connery was on board, funding was soon made available and he secured director Irvin Kershner (who had recently helmed 'The Empire Strikes Back', the second 'Star Wars' film). The film, a reworking of 'Thunderball' using many elements originally created by McClory, and humorously titled 'Never Say Never Again', was released in the US by Warner Brothers in October 1983 (December 1983 in the UK).
The two films performed similarly at the box office, with 'Octopussy' doing a little better, taking $187m as opposed to the $160m that 'Never Say Never Again' grossed. Critically, the reviews for the 'official' film were mixed at best, while the Connery outing (also starring a younger Kim Basinger) got a better reception. McClory had plans to make further films after this, but these never came to fruition and he died in 2006, just after the Bond film series had been rebooted now with Daniel Craig in the role, making his debut with 'Casino Royale'.
Trailers for both films are shown below (2023 edit: replaced dead link for Octopussy trailer) :
Also that year a 'rival' Bond film, starring original actor Sean Connery, was to be released via a different production company. Connery had last played Bond in 1971's 'Diamonds Are Forever' and at the time of this production was 52 years of age (Moore was 56 by this time). How that situation came about is somewhat complex, but dates back to when author Ian Fleming (who created James Bond for a series of novels) began working with Kevin McClory, an Irish screenwriter with a view to bringing his creation to the screen. They had been working on several drafts of a script when Broccoli and Harry Saltzman purchased the film rights to the character. 'Dr No' became a success, launching the franchise, and it wasn't until Fleming used the aborted script as basis for his novel 'Thunderball' that McClory took legal action, claiming he had created many of the elements of the story, most notably the use of the name 'SPECTRE' for the organised crime syndicate. The High Court in London agreed, and when Eon Productions wanted to adapt the 'Thunderball' novel into a Bond film, they were obliged to give McClory a producer's credit in the completed movie (1965). Furthermore, the court also stipulated that McClory, as owner of the concepts, would (after a period of ten years) be able to produce a film of his own using that concept.
By the time the ten years had elapsed, McClory was indeed attempting to get a rival Bond film off the ground, but as the 'official' franchise had by that time become firmly established, he was embroiled in further legal tussles with Eon Productions. However he convinced original actor Sean Connery to reprise his role (offering the actor input into the script and the casting), and once Connery was on board, funding was soon made available and he secured director Irvin Kershner (who had recently helmed 'The Empire Strikes Back', the second 'Star Wars' film). The film, a reworking of 'Thunderball' using many elements originally created by McClory, and humorously titled 'Never Say Never Again', was released in the US by Warner Brothers in October 1983 (December 1983 in the UK).
The two films performed similarly at the box office, with 'Octopussy' doing a little better, taking $187m as opposed to the $160m that 'Never Say Never Again' grossed. Critically, the reviews for the 'official' film were mixed at best, while the Connery outing (also starring a younger Kim Basinger) got a better reception. McClory had plans to make further films after this, but these never came to fruition and he died in 2006, just after the Bond film series had been rebooted now with Daniel Craig in the role, making his debut with 'Casino Royale'.
Trailers for both films are shown below (2023 edit: replaced dead link for Octopussy trailer) :
Tuesday 10 December 2013
1983 in rock: Ozzy returns with Bark At The Moon
Former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne emerged from a difficult period in late 1983 with the release of his third solo album, 'Bark At The Moon'. Following the death of guitarist Randy Rhoads the previous year in a plane crash, the vocalist had lost his main creative partner, who had played on the previous two albums and co-written most of the material. Ozzy fulfilled touring commitments that year with stand-in guitarists including former Gillan axeman Bernie Torme, then Brad Gillis who would go on to success with his band Night Ranger.
For 1983, he recruited young hotshot guitar hero Jake E. Lee; Ozzy had also restored bassist Bob Daisley to his band (after a brief and disastrous period with Don Costa, reportedly too wild even for Ozzy!) and had drafted in veteran drummer Carmine Appice (older brother of Vinnie, by then a member of Dio). Previous bass player Rudy Sarzo had returned to former band Quiet Riot by this stage, and although Tommy Aldridge played drums on the album, he was replaced - briefly - by veteran Carmine Appice in the touring band, before a hasty reshuffle saw Aldridge return to the drum stool.
The album was recorded at Ridge Farm Studios in the UK, and was released on 15th November 1983 on Epic Records. The title track was the opener, a pacy hard rocker which introduced Lee with a blistering array of riffs and flashy soloing. The video for the song featured Ozzy as a sort of Dr Jekyll character who transforms into a werewolf upon taking a potion of his own creation. The track proved to be a success, just missing the UK top 20 and the album also reached number 24 on the UK albums chart. Lee, an American guitarist of Japanese and Welsh ancestry, was praised for his performance and also for successfully stepping into the huge void left by Rhoads. A UK tour took place in late 1983 (sadly for this blogger, a planned show at Liverpool Royal Court was pulled) before Ozzy took to the road in the States, supported by Mötley Crüe .
A further single ('So Tired') also reached the UK charts in 1984, and Ozzy was slated to perform on the bill at the 1984 Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, performing a well-received set on a strong bill also featuring AC/DC, Van Halen, Gary Moore, Y&T and opened by Mötley Crüe.
Some years later, suspicions that the writing credits were not accurate were confirmed when bassist Bob Daisley revealed in his autobiography that he had been paid a lump sum to write the material. Jake E Lee had co-written the songs with Daisley but was forced to sign away all rights by manager Sharon Osbourne, on threat of being replaced in the touring band. The writing credits on record (credited solely to Osbourne), defied all credibility since he was not known for his musical prowess, and at that time was in the firm grip of substance addictions. Osbourne himself belatedly acknowledged Lee's input into the writing (in the sleevenotes to compilation album 'The Ozzman Cometh', admitting that Lee 'co-wrote' the title track. To the best of my knowledge however, no recompense has ever been made to Lee for his writing.
By 1986, Lee was not prepared to write anything for Ozzy without a contract in place, and secured a deal to write the material for next album 'The Ultimate Sin'. Once again teaming up with Daisley, the two wrote the bulk of the material although when that album was released, it initially credited the writing to 'Osbourne/Lee'. Daisley had to push to get his credit acknowledged, which was corrected on later pressings. However lead-off single 'Shot In The Dark' was credited to newly-recruited bassist Phil Soussan; that song has itself become the subject of controversy as an early version from Soussan's previous band Wildlife later emerged, suggesting it was actually co-written with then Wildlife colleagues Steve and Chris Overland (later of the AOR band FM). Although 'The Ultimate Sin' was a success at the time, the album has since been deleted and was left out of subsequent reissues of the Ozzy catalogue.
Lee eventually quit Ozzy's band in 1987, or was fired depending on whom you believe, and formed Badlands who released two albums in the late 1980s to acclaim. He was not heard from for many years, before finally resurfacing in 2013 with a new band, Red Dragon Cartel.
Daisley issued a book ('For Fact's Sake') in 2012 which chronicled his entire career in music, but it was the period spent with Ozzy which grabbed the attention of many fans as the bassist sought to put the record straight on who did what in the early days of Ozzy's post-Sabbath career, including writing and recording. He also pointed out that Ozzy's first 'solo' album was actually recorded under the band name Blizzard of Ozz, proving that with the use of publicity photos from the time. This caused controversy as he was at this time pushing for royalties that he and original drummer Lee Kerslake felt they were due, after their parts were re-recorded for a reissue of the first two albums.
Ozzy would go on to further success, recruiting then unknown guitarist Zakk Wylde for later albums, a collaboration which lasted for many years and launched Wylde into his own solo career. He then reunited with Black Sabbath for on/off periods, and was last heard of working with guitarist Gus G of the band Firewind.
2023 Update: Ozzy Osbourne, after a prolonged period of ill-health forcing a planned tour with Judas Priest to be rescheduled several times and ultimately being cancelled altogether, announced his retirement from live performances in February 2023. He has since hinted at the possibility of one-off shows but will no longer tour.
From 1983, the video for 'Bark At The Moon':
For 1983, he recruited young hotshot guitar hero Jake E. Lee; Ozzy had also restored bassist Bob Daisley to his band (after a brief and disastrous period with Don Costa, reportedly too wild even for Ozzy!) and had drafted in veteran drummer Carmine Appice (older brother of Vinnie, by then a member of Dio). Previous bass player Rudy Sarzo had returned to former band Quiet Riot by this stage, and although Tommy Aldridge played drums on the album, he was replaced - briefly - by veteran Carmine Appice in the touring band, before a hasty reshuffle saw Aldridge return to the drum stool.
The album was recorded at Ridge Farm Studios in the UK, and was released on 15th November 1983 on Epic Records. The title track was the opener, a pacy hard rocker which introduced Lee with a blistering array of riffs and flashy soloing. The video for the song featured Ozzy as a sort of Dr Jekyll character who transforms into a werewolf upon taking a potion of his own creation. The track proved to be a success, just missing the UK top 20 and the album also reached number 24 on the UK albums chart. Lee, an American guitarist of Japanese and Welsh ancestry, was praised for his performance and also for successfully stepping into the huge void left by Rhoads. A UK tour took place in late 1983 (sadly for this blogger, a planned show at Liverpool Royal Court was pulled) before Ozzy took to the road in the States, supported by Mötley Crüe .
A further single ('So Tired') also reached the UK charts in 1984, and Ozzy was slated to perform on the bill at the 1984 Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, performing a well-received set on a strong bill also featuring AC/DC, Van Halen, Gary Moore, Y&T and opened by Mötley Crüe.
Some years later, suspicions that the writing credits were not accurate were confirmed when bassist Bob Daisley revealed in his autobiography that he had been paid a lump sum to write the material. Jake E Lee had co-written the songs with Daisley but was forced to sign away all rights by manager Sharon Osbourne, on threat of being replaced in the touring band. The writing credits on record (credited solely to Osbourne), defied all credibility since he was not known for his musical prowess, and at that time was in the firm grip of substance addictions. Osbourne himself belatedly acknowledged Lee's input into the writing (in the sleevenotes to compilation album 'The Ozzman Cometh', admitting that Lee 'co-wrote' the title track. To the best of my knowledge however, no recompense has ever been made to Lee for his writing.
By 1986, Lee was not prepared to write anything for Ozzy without a contract in place, and secured a deal to write the material for next album 'The Ultimate Sin'. Once again teaming up with Daisley, the two wrote the bulk of the material although when that album was released, it initially credited the writing to 'Osbourne/Lee'. Daisley had to push to get his credit acknowledged, which was corrected on later pressings. However lead-off single 'Shot In The Dark' was credited to newly-recruited bassist Phil Soussan; that song has itself become the subject of controversy as an early version from Soussan's previous band Wildlife later emerged, suggesting it was actually co-written with then Wildlife colleagues Steve and Chris Overland (later of the AOR band FM). Although 'The Ultimate Sin' was a success at the time, the album has since been deleted and was left out of subsequent reissues of the Ozzy catalogue.
Lee eventually quit Ozzy's band in 1987, or was fired depending on whom you believe, and formed Badlands who released two albums in the late 1980s to acclaim. He was not heard from for many years, before finally resurfacing in 2013 with a new band, Red Dragon Cartel.
Daisley issued a book ('For Fact's Sake') in 2012 which chronicled his entire career in music, but it was the period spent with Ozzy which grabbed the attention of many fans as the bassist sought to put the record straight on who did what in the early days of Ozzy's post-Sabbath career, including writing and recording. He also pointed out that Ozzy's first 'solo' album was actually recorded under the band name Blizzard of Ozz, proving that with the use of publicity photos from the time. This caused controversy as he was at this time pushing for royalties that he and original drummer Lee Kerslake felt they were due, after their parts were re-recorded for a reissue of the first two albums.
Ozzy would go on to further success, recruiting then unknown guitarist Zakk Wylde for later albums, a collaboration which lasted for many years and launched Wylde into his own solo career. He then reunited with Black Sabbath for on/off periods, and was last heard of working with guitarist Gus G of the band Firewind.
2023 Update: Ozzy Osbourne, after a prolonged period of ill-health forcing a planned tour with Judas Priest to be rescheduled several times and ultimately being cancelled altogether, announced his retirement from live performances in February 2023. He has since hinted at the possibility of one-off shows but will no longer tour.
From 1983, the video for 'Bark At The Moon':
Thursday 28 November 2013
Music of 1983: Now! That's What I Call Music launches
It was 30 years ago that a partnership between major record labels came up with an idea so simple, it was amazing it hadn't been done before. Compilation albums of hits by various artists were nothing new, but they tended to consist of hits from years gone by, in a specific genre (for example 20 Golden Country Greats, or Hits of the Sixties, or other such titles I just made up!). The 'Now! That's What I Call Music' (often shortened to just 'Now!') series of compilation records was different. These records, selling for a reasonable price, were issued originally on double vinyl LP or cassette (CD came later) and contained a bumper selection of hit singles by current acts, and the songs themselves were all still fresh in the mind, having been in the charts only weeks earlier.
The fact that the records were on double LP was also important, the limitations of the format meant that to obtain optimum sound quality, a vinyl LP could not go for much longer than 20 minutes a side. Earlier compilation albums released by budget labels always tried to cram at least an hour's worth of music onto a single LP, at the expense of volume and clarity.
The format was an immediate success, as a buyer could have a whole album full of recent hits at a fraction of the price it would have cost to buy them all as singles. Follow-up compilations were soon released, settling at the rate of three per year and always including the chart hits from the intervening period.
Other record labels soon got in on the act, and similar compilations featuring hits from acts on their rosters began to appear in the shops. For a time in the 1980s, the album charts were almost completely dominated by these compilation albums as they sold in large numbers. That all changed at the end of the 1980s when the same record labels began to complain that their marquee acts were being kept off the top of the album charts by these compilations. The chart compilers sympathised, and a separate chart was established to contain only these multi-artist compilation albums. Where that left the credibility of the album charts, based as it was on sales, was questionable. However, the Now! series has continued to this day, at the time of writing the 84th 'Now!' album has just been released, although these days it is issued on CD and also as a digital download. Even this is better value, since it works out cheaper to buy a download of the Now! compilations than it would be to buy the same tracks separately.
The original vinyl LP track listing for the first 'Now! That's What I Call Music' album was as follows:
Side one
Phil Collins : "You Can't Hurry Love"
Duran Duran : "Is There Something I Should Know"
UB40 : "Red Red Wine"
Limahl : "Only for Love"
Heaven 17 : "Temptation"
KC & The Sunshine Band : "Give It Up"
Malcolm McClaren : "Double Dutch"
Bonnie Tyler : "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
Side two
Culture Club : "Karma Chameleon"
Men Without Hats : "The Safety Dance"
Kajagoogoo : "Too Shy"
Mike Oldfield : "Moonlight Shadow"
Men at Work : "Down Under"
Rock Steady Crew : "Hey You (Rock Steady Crew)"
Rod Stewart : "Baby Jane"
Paul Young : "Wherever I Lay My Hat"
Side three
New Edition : "Candy Girl"
Kajagoogoo : "Big Apple"
Tina Turner : "Let's Stay Together"
The Human League : "(Keep Feeling) Fascination"
Howard Jones : "New Song"
UB40 : "Please Don't Make Me Cry"
Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack : "Tonight I Celebrate My Love"
Side four
Tracey Ullman : "They Don't Know"
Will Powers : "Kissing with Confidence"
Genesis : "That's All"
The Cure : "The Love Cats"
Simple Minds : "Waterfront"
Madness : "The Sun and the Rain"
Culture Club : "Victims"
Looking through these compilations, they are a time capsule of the years in which they were released. To close this look back, here is an advert from 1983 advertising that very first Now! album (2023 edit: dead link replaced):
The fact that the records were on double LP was also important, the limitations of the format meant that to obtain optimum sound quality, a vinyl LP could not go for much longer than 20 minutes a side. Earlier compilation albums released by budget labels always tried to cram at least an hour's worth of music onto a single LP, at the expense of volume and clarity.
The format was an immediate success, as a buyer could have a whole album full of recent hits at a fraction of the price it would have cost to buy them all as singles. Follow-up compilations were soon released, settling at the rate of three per year and always including the chart hits from the intervening period.
Other record labels soon got in on the act, and similar compilations featuring hits from acts on their rosters began to appear in the shops. For a time in the 1980s, the album charts were almost completely dominated by these compilation albums as they sold in large numbers. That all changed at the end of the 1980s when the same record labels began to complain that their marquee acts were being kept off the top of the album charts by these compilations. The chart compilers sympathised, and a separate chart was established to contain only these multi-artist compilation albums. Where that left the credibility of the album charts, based as it was on sales, was questionable. However, the Now! series has continued to this day, at the time of writing the 84th 'Now!' album has just been released, although these days it is issued on CD and also as a digital download. Even this is better value, since it works out cheaper to buy a download of the Now! compilations than it would be to buy the same tracks separately.
The original vinyl LP track listing for the first 'Now! That's What I Call Music' album was as follows:
Side one
Phil Collins : "You Can't Hurry Love"
Duran Duran : "Is There Something I Should Know"
UB40 : "Red Red Wine"
Limahl : "Only for Love"
Heaven 17 : "Temptation"
KC & The Sunshine Band : "Give It Up"
Malcolm McClaren : "Double Dutch"
Bonnie Tyler : "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
Side two
Culture Club : "Karma Chameleon"
Men Without Hats : "The Safety Dance"
Kajagoogoo : "Too Shy"
Mike Oldfield : "Moonlight Shadow"
Men at Work : "Down Under"
Rock Steady Crew : "Hey You (Rock Steady Crew)"
Rod Stewart : "Baby Jane"
Paul Young : "Wherever I Lay My Hat"
Side three
New Edition : "Candy Girl"
Kajagoogoo : "Big Apple"
Tina Turner : "Let's Stay Together"
The Human League : "(Keep Feeling) Fascination"
Howard Jones : "New Song"
UB40 : "Please Don't Make Me Cry"
Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack : "Tonight I Celebrate My Love"
Side four
Tracey Ullman : "They Don't Know"
Will Powers : "Kissing with Confidence"
Genesis : "That's All"
The Cure : "The Love Cats"
Simple Minds : "Waterfront"
Madness : "The Sun and the Rain"
Culture Club : "Victims"
Looking through these compilations, they are a time capsule of the years in which they were released. To close this look back, here is an advert from 1983 advertising that very first Now! album (2023 edit: dead link replaced):
Wednesday 27 November 2013
The Cabbage Patch Kids craze
The 'must-have' toy of 1983 was the Cabbage Patch Kids doll. Created by Xavier Roberts, these were hand-stitched, soft-sculptured dolls resembling small children, which were sold complete with an 'adoption' certificate, and each doll was unique. Launched nationwide by US toy firm Coleco, the dolls soon became popular among collectors and rapidly became the latest must-have toy. The scarcity of the dolls led directly to riots at stores, as demand far outstripped supply and angry consumers fought amongst themselves for the much-prized dolls. The scenes were forerunners to the now-annual Black Friday sales in the US and elsewhere, when customers looking for bargains frequently fought one another for the few heavily discounted items on offer.
As with most fads, the Cabbage Patch Kids demand ebbed away in later years as new 'must-have' toys emerged; the dolls are still produced to this day however and still have a cult following, even a dedicated website.
A period commercial for Cabbage Patch Kids is shown here:
As with most fads, the Cabbage Patch Kids demand ebbed away in later years as new 'must-have' toys emerged; the dolls are still produced to this day however and still have a cult following, even a dedicated website.
A period commercial for Cabbage Patch Kids is shown here:
Monday 25 November 2013
The Brinks-Mat Robbery: the crime of the century
The media called it 'the crime of the century' when in November 1983, a gang of six thieves broke into the Brinks-Mat warehouse sited close to London Heathrow Airport. Having forced their way past the security guard, the gang once inside poured petrol over staff inside, threatening to ignite it if the combination to the vaults was not surrendered. Expecting to find £3.2 million in cash, the gang instead discovered that the vault contained three tonnes of gold bullion. Ultimately the haul was £26million in gold, diamonds and cash (worth around £500 million in today's money). The bullion was owned by Johnson Matthey bankers, who subsequently collapsed and came under police investigation themselves when it was discovered that they had made large loans to fraudsters and insolvent firms.
It later emerged that the security guard was a brother-in-law to one of the robbers, and had been in on the plot. Both were arrested in December 1983. Members of the gang were tracked down and arrested, most notably Kenneth Noye who was convicted of handling the stolen gold in 1986 and imprisoned. He served seven years before he became involved in a 'road rage' murder of another motorist in 1996. Having fled to Spain, he was extradited and tried, receiving a life sentence. One of the thieves, Micky McAvoy was given a 25-year prison sentence for his part in the robbery. An associate (George Francis) was later murdered, but none of the other robbers were ever caught.
Most of the three tonnes of stolen gold was never recovered, and it is believed at least half of it made its way back onto the market by 1996. Many of those involved directly or indirectly have met with early deaths, leading to the so-called 'curse of Brinks-Mat'.
The robbery has become almost as notorious as the Great Train Robbery of the 1960s and has been the basis for several documentaries and a film ('Fools Gold', 1992) starring Sean Bean as one of the thieves.
It later emerged that the security guard was a brother-in-law to one of the robbers, and had been in on the plot. Both were arrested in December 1983. Members of the gang were tracked down and arrested, most notably Kenneth Noye who was convicted of handling the stolen gold in 1986 and imprisoned. He served seven years before he became involved in a 'road rage' murder of another motorist in 1996. Having fled to Spain, he was extradited and tried, receiving a life sentence. One of the thieves, Micky McAvoy was given a 25-year prison sentence for his part in the robbery. An associate (George Francis) was later murdered, but none of the other robbers were ever caught.
Most of the three tonnes of stolen gold was never recovered, and it is believed at least half of it made its way back onto the market by 1996. Many of those involved directly or indirectly have met with early deaths, leading to the so-called 'curse of Brinks-Mat'.
The robbery has become almost as notorious as the Great Train Robbery of the 1960s and has been the basis for several documentaries and a film ('Fools Gold', 1992) starring Sean Bean as one of the thieves.
Thursday 21 November 2013
Vandalism of The Blue Peter Garden
Vandalism was nothing new even in 1983 but the news that the Blue Peter garden had been destroyed in a senseless act made national headlines. Blue Peter was a long-running magazine show broadcast twice weekly on BBC television, aimed at children its variety of features appealed to all ages. The garden was a regular feature on the programme, created in 1974 by Percy Thrower (the original celebrity TV gardener) it featured a greenhouse, a vegetable patch and a sunken garden with a pond.
The vandalism was reported on the programme itself by then presenter Janet Ellis, damage reported included a broken urn, trampled-upon vegetation and oil deposited into the pond, poisoning the goldfish within. She appealed on-air for information which would lead to the arrest of the vandals, but the identity of the culprits remained a mystery until, in an apparent confession in the year 2000, former QPR, Newcastle and Tottenham football player Les Ferdinand said he 'might have' helped others over the wall including fellow former player Dennis Wise (a schoolfriend of his at the time). Although Ferdinand claimed this was said in jest, the press published it as a confession and the story made national headlines once again.
A more amusing reference to this incident came in the 2006 TV cop/time travel series 'Ashes To Ashes'; in the story, a suspect is being chased by DCI Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister) when he suddenly climbs over a wall. Hunt climbs after him while, closely behind, DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster) launches a missile over the wall and (incredibly) hits the suspect with it. The missile was an oil can, and Hunt is seen coming back over to demand assistance in apprehending the suspect, still unaware of where he is. When the camera zooms out, the famous 'Blue Peter' logo is revealed.
As for the garden itself, it was eventually restored and many years later, was relocated when the BBC moved the children's section north to Salford. 'Blue Peter' is still shown but is nowadays broadcast on the specialist CBBC channel, a far cry from the days when it commanded millions of viewers of all ages.
The vandalism was reported on the programme itself by then presenter Janet Ellis, damage reported included a broken urn, trampled-upon vegetation and oil deposited into the pond, poisoning the goldfish within. She appealed on-air for information which would lead to the arrest of the vandals, but the identity of the culprits remained a mystery until, in an apparent confession in the year 2000, former QPR, Newcastle and Tottenham football player Les Ferdinand said he 'might have' helped others over the wall including fellow former player Dennis Wise (a schoolfriend of his at the time). Although Ferdinand claimed this was said in jest, the press published it as a confession and the story made national headlines once again.
A more amusing reference to this incident came in the 2006 TV cop/time travel series 'Ashes To Ashes'; in the story, a suspect is being chased by DCI Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister) when he suddenly climbs over a wall. Hunt climbs after him while, closely behind, DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster) launches a missile over the wall and (incredibly) hits the suspect with it. The missile was an oil can, and Hunt is seen coming back over to demand assistance in apprehending the suspect, still unaware of where he is. When the camera zooms out, the famous 'Blue Peter' logo is revealed.
As for the garden itself, it was eventually restored and many years later, was relocated when the BBC moved the children's section north to Salford. 'Blue Peter' is still shown but is nowadays broadcast on the specialist CBBC channel, a far cry from the days when it commanded millions of viewers of all ages.
Wednesday 20 November 2013
1983 in television: The Day After
Television movie 'The Day After' was first shown in the United States on 20 November 1983. The film, which depicted war breaking out between the NATO alliance (headed by the US) and the Warsaw Pact countries of the Soviet Union, drew an audience of over 100 million people. Coming as it did at a time of real tension between these two blocs, this fictionalised account of events leading up to an exchange of nuclear strikes and the consequences struck a chord with many, most notably including then-President Ronald Reagan.
The plot, in brief, chronicles a military build-up in (then Warsaw Pact-held) East Germany by the Soviet forces, who are aiming to drive the US, UK and French garrisons from West Berlin. When this does not succeed, tensions escalate with the Soviet Union blockading West Berlin and provoking NATO forces into East Germany in order to liberate their half of the divided city. Eventually it escalates into full-blown conflict, and nuclear missiles are launched from both sides (the film's producers intentionally left it ambiguous as to which side struck first).
The film's frank depiction of the aftermath of a nuclear attack on an ordinary American city hit home with viewers, since before the attack scenes the characters were introduced complete with back stories, families, leading lives that many could relate to.
Director Nicholas Meyer set out to show as honest a depiction of the disastrous effects of nuclear war as possible, and fought with censors from ABC television to get his wishes. In addition, he did not want to use any big-name stars in the movie, although actor Steve Guttenberg (who went on to star in the Police Academy series of movies) was cast. Following the film's transmission in the US, ABC aired a live studio debate including figures such as former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, scientist Carl Sagan and former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, as well as General Brent Scowcroft and a conservative political commentator (William F. Buckley, Jr). The film was also shown internationally, being broadcast in the UK on the ITV network soon after transmission in the US.
Also shown in early 1984 (filmed in 1983) was the BBC's own film 'Threads'; this was an even darker production which focused on two families in Sheffield, UK who were drawn together by the engagement of a son and daughter from either family. Their plans for a life together are at first underscored by news reports depicting a military build-up similar to that told in 'The Day After' then shattered altogether by a sudden escalation of hostilities, culminating in an attack on the UK and its (bleak) aftermath.
Both 'The Day After' and 'Threads' brought it home to the ordinary person in the street just what could happen at any time, and the period was a worrying time in late 20th century history. Ultimately the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact collapsed at the end of the 1980s and so none of this came to pass, however the weapons remain and although many have grown up without the shadow of 'mutually assured destruction' hanging over them, threats from other nations remain.
Shown is a trailer for 'The Day After':
The plot, in brief, chronicles a military build-up in (then Warsaw Pact-held) East Germany by the Soviet forces, who are aiming to drive the US, UK and French garrisons from West Berlin. When this does not succeed, tensions escalate with the Soviet Union blockading West Berlin and provoking NATO forces into East Germany in order to liberate their half of the divided city. Eventually it escalates into full-blown conflict, and nuclear missiles are launched from both sides (the film's producers intentionally left it ambiguous as to which side struck first).
The film's frank depiction of the aftermath of a nuclear attack on an ordinary American city hit home with viewers, since before the attack scenes the characters were introduced complete with back stories, families, leading lives that many could relate to.
Director Nicholas Meyer set out to show as honest a depiction of the disastrous effects of nuclear war as possible, and fought with censors from ABC television to get his wishes. In addition, he did not want to use any big-name stars in the movie, although actor Steve Guttenberg (who went on to star in the Police Academy series of movies) was cast. Following the film's transmission in the US, ABC aired a live studio debate including figures such as former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, scientist Carl Sagan and former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, as well as General Brent Scowcroft and a conservative political commentator (William F. Buckley, Jr). The film was also shown internationally, being broadcast in the UK on the ITV network soon after transmission in the US.
Also shown in early 1984 (filmed in 1983) was the BBC's own film 'Threads'; this was an even darker production which focused on two families in Sheffield, UK who were drawn together by the engagement of a son and daughter from either family. Their plans for a life together are at first underscored by news reports depicting a military build-up similar to that told in 'The Day After' then shattered altogether by a sudden escalation of hostilities, culminating in an attack on the UK and its (bleak) aftermath.
Both 'The Day After' and 'Threads' brought it home to the ordinary person in the street just what could happen at any time, and the period was a worrying time in late 20th century history. Ultimately the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact collapsed at the end of the 1980s and so none of this came to pass, however the weapons remain and although many have grown up without the shadow of 'mutually assured destruction' hanging over them, threats from other nations remain.
Shown is a trailer for 'The Day After':
Monday 11 November 2013
1983 in television: Auf Wiedersehen Pet
First broadcast on ITV in 1983, the comedy-drama 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet' about a group of British construction workers who found work in (West) Germany, was a hit show and made stars of its cast, notably Geordie actor Jimmy Nail (cast as builder 'Oz'), Timothy Spall (as electrician Barry), Kevin Whately (who played Neville, he later had another hit role alongside John Thaw in the 'Inspector Morse' series), Tim Healy (who played lead character Dennis) and wrestler-turned-actor Pat 'Bomber' Roach, whose character was coincidentally called Bomber. Also starring in this series was Gary Holton, a former rock musician who played 'chirpy Cockney' carpenter Wayne.
The first series, written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais of 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?' fame, chronicled the group as they worked on a site in Düsseldorf, finding that their accommodation was not the promised hostel, but a small hut ('like a PoW camp' according to the group) and chronicling the interaction between the guys, who hailed from different parts of the country (including one Scouse character, plasterer 'Moxey' played by Christopher Fairbank) but centred on the three Geordies in the group, 'Oz' (Jimmy Nail), Dennis (Tim Healey) and Neville (Kevin Whately). Although set in Germany, much of the filming took place on the backlot at Borehamwood (used in many UK productions including 'The Prisoner') which was then operated by series producers Central TV. A notable 'first' for this series was the use of lightweight video cameras, then in their infancy and used more frequently by news reporters at that time.
By the end of series one, the guys were forced to return to the UK as a change in tax laws meant their stay in Germany was no longer tenable. It wasn't until 1986 that a follow-up series was produced with the guys now working on a site in Wolverhampton then heading to Spain to work on another project. Sadly, actor Gary Holton died during filming of this series; with body doubles and script rewrites used to compensate for his absence.
After many years off-screen the surviving cast were reunited in 2002 for a new series, this time airing on BBC One, to further success and a second series was commissioned in 2004. In Holton's place, actor Noel Clarke joined the cast as Wayne's son Wyman. The saga finally concluded in December that year with a two-part special.
Many of the cast are still known to this day for their roles in this series, Spall in particular is frequently cast as a Brummie even though he is actually a Londoner. The series is fondly remembered today, and has sometimes been repeated on satellite TV.
The theme tune 'That's Living Alright' was a hit single for singer Joe Fagin, here is his performance on Top of The Pops:
The first series, written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais of 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?' fame, chronicled the group as they worked on a site in Düsseldorf, finding that their accommodation was not the promised hostel, but a small hut ('like a PoW camp' according to the group) and chronicling the interaction between the guys, who hailed from different parts of the country (including one Scouse character, plasterer 'Moxey' played by Christopher Fairbank) but centred on the three Geordies in the group, 'Oz' (Jimmy Nail), Dennis (Tim Healey) and Neville (Kevin Whately). Although set in Germany, much of the filming took place on the backlot at Borehamwood (used in many UK productions including 'The Prisoner') which was then operated by series producers Central TV. A notable 'first' for this series was the use of lightweight video cameras, then in their infancy and used more frequently by news reporters at that time.
By the end of series one, the guys were forced to return to the UK as a change in tax laws meant their stay in Germany was no longer tenable. It wasn't until 1986 that a follow-up series was produced with the guys now working on a site in Wolverhampton then heading to Spain to work on another project. Sadly, actor Gary Holton died during filming of this series; with body doubles and script rewrites used to compensate for his absence.
After many years off-screen the surviving cast were reunited in 2002 for a new series, this time airing on BBC One, to further success and a second series was commissioned in 2004. In Holton's place, actor Noel Clarke joined the cast as Wayne's son Wyman. The saga finally concluded in December that year with a two-part special.
Many of the cast are still known to this day for their roles in this series, Spall in particular is frequently cast as a Brummie even though he is actually a Londoner. The series is fondly remembered today, and has sometimes been repeated on satellite TV.
The theme tune 'That's Living Alright' was a hit single for singer Joe Fagin, here is his performance on Top of The Pops:
Saturday 2 November 2013
1983 in music: Status Quo score hit with 'Back To Back' album
On the face of it, 1983 appeared to be a great year for UK boogie veterans Status Quo. They were still considered a legitimate rock band (they'd headlined the Donington Monsters of Rock festival the previous year), and they were still releasing albums on an annual basis at this time. Their 'Back To Back' album which was released in November of 1983, spawned several hit singles. As ever, they were regulars on BBC's 'Top Of The Pops' (in actual fact they still hold the record for most appearances on the show) and on one memorable occasion, guitarist/vocalist Rick Parfitt took a tumble into the drum kit while they lip-synced to the song 'Marguerita Time'!
However, behind the scenes the cracks were already showing in the band, which eventually led to them calling a halt to live performances the next year (temporarily, as it turned out) and resulting in the departure of long-time bassist/vocalist Alan Lancaster. One of the hits off this album, 'Ol' Rag Blues' was written by Lancaster with Keith Lamb, and was originally intended to feature his lead vocal. To his dismay, the label insisted that a version featuring the lead vocal of regular frontman Francis Rossi be issued instead, and that duly reached number 9 in the UK singles charts.
Lancaster was also less than happy with the inclusion of 'Marguerita Time' and declined to appear on 'Top Of The Pops'; his place being taken by Slade's Jim Lea. Nonetheless, the single scored highly, reaching number 3 in the charts (despite Parfitt's televised mishap). Other hits from the album were 'Going Down Town Tonight', and a cover of 'A Mess Of Blues', originally made famous by Elvis Presley.
Tensions in the band beneath the surface eventually boiled over, and the band announced their intention to retire from live performances in early 1984. Taken at the time as a split in the band, it was denied on stage by Rossi but following their 'final' show at Milton Keynes Bowl, Lancaster retired to Australia and drummer Pete Kircher (who had replaced John Coghlan only two years before) quietly left the group. They did break out the Telecasters once more on 13 July 1985, as the openers for Live Aid at Wembley Stadium, but when Rossi and Parfitt eventually decided to get Quo active again in 1986, it was with a new rhythm section backing themselves and long-time keyboard player Andy Bown. Bass player John 'Rhino' Edwards remains with the group to this day, while they have recently recruited drummer Leon Cave in place of previous incumbent Matt Letley.
In 2013, the so-called 'Frantic Four' of Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster and Coghlan reunited for a series of UK gigs which were well-received, but it was made clear that this was a one-off and that the 'present' Quo line-up would continue. That line-up is scheduled to play more shows in winter 2013.
Here is the infamous Top of The Pops performance of 'Marguerita Time' with Parfitt demolishing the drum kit. (2023 edit: dead link replaced.) Look out for Jim Lea appearing in place of Alan Lancaster also:
However, behind the scenes the cracks were already showing in the band, which eventually led to them calling a halt to live performances the next year (temporarily, as it turned out) and resulting in the departure of long-time bassist/vocalist Alan Lancaster. One of the hits off this album, 'Ol' Rag Blues' was written by Lancaster with Keith Lamb, and was originally intended to feature his lead vocal. To his dismay, the label insisted that a version featuring the lead vocal of regular frontman Francis Rossi be issued instead, and that duly reached number 9 in the UK singles charts.
Lancaster was also less than happy with the inclusion of 'Marguerita Time' and declined to appear on 'Top Of The Pops'; his place being taken by Slade's Jim Lea. Nonetheless, the single scored highly, reaching number 3 in the charts (despite Parfitt's televised mishap). Other hits from the album were 'Going Down Town Tonight', and a cover of 'A Mess Of Blues', originally made famous by Elvis Presley.
Tensions in the band beneath the surface eventually boiled over, and the band announced their intention to retire from live performances in early 1984. Taken at the time as a split in the band, it was denied on stage by Rossi but following their 'final' show at Milton Keynes Bowl, Lancaster retired to Australia and drummer Pete Kircher (who had replaced John Coghlan only two years before) quietly left the group. They did break out the Telecasters once more on 13 July 1985, as the openers for Live Aid at Wembley Stadium, but when Rossi and Parfitt eventually decided to get Quo active again in 1986, it was with a new rhythm section backing themselves and long-time keyboard player Andy Bown. Bass player John 'Rhino' Edwards remains with the group to this day, while they have recently recruited drummer Leon Cave in place of previous incumbent Matt Letley.
In 2013, the so-called 'Frantic Four' of Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster and Coghlan reunited for a series of UK gigs which were well-received, but it was made clear that this was a one-off and that the 'present' Quo line-up would continue. That line-up is scheduled to play more shows in winter 2013.
Here is the infamous Top of The Pops performance of 'Marguerita Time' with Parfitt demolishing the drum kit. (2023 edit: dead link replaced.) Look out for Jim Lea appearing in place of Alan Lancaster also:
Friday 1 November 2013
1983 in music: The Rolling Stones go Undercover
The Rolling Stones seem to have been around since time began, and even in 1983 they were seen as the old guard. Having been contemporaries of The Beatles they'd survived many different changes in musical trends down the years, and would continue through many more to survive to the present day.
Their album of 1983, 'Undercover' was their first album of all-new material of that decade, and saw the band attempting to move with the times. While frontman Mick Jagger was keen to push the envelope, guitarist Keith Richards was less so, preferring to stay true to the group's rock 'n' roll roots. Consequently the album covered several bases, and lead-off single 'Undercover Of The Night' was mostly a Jagger composition, with its lyrical content dealing with the dangerous political situation in South American countries:
Their album of 1983, 'Undercover' was their first album of all-new material of that decade, and saw the band attempting to move with the times. While frontman Mick Jagger was keen to push the envelope, guitarist Keith Richards was less so, preferring to stay true to the group's rock 'n' roll roots. Consequently the album covered several bases, and lead-off single 'Undercover Of The Night' was mostly a Jagger composition, with its lyrical content dealing with the dangerous political situation in South American countries:
"One hundred thousand disparos
Lost in the jails in South America".
Lost in the jails in South America".
The video to the song attracted yet more controversy since it showed Jagger as a detective trying to rescue a hostage from kidnappers, only to be shot by one of them (played by Richards). British tabloid papers screamed headlines such as 'Beeb ban Mick's video nasty'; referring to the then-ongoing controversy over explicitly gory horror films released on video cassette being easily accessible to minors. The BBC did ban it, but it was shown on Channel 4's 'The Tube' music show. That was accompanied by a fractious interview where Jagger was grilled by presenter Muriel Gray over the content, the encounter established TV newcomer Gray as a tough interviewer unafraid to stand up to even established stars.
Shown is the controversial video for 'Undercover Of The Night':
Monday 28 October 2013
Tabloid press expose Cecil Parkinson's affair with secretary
A major scandal involving a leading member of Margaret Thatcher's Government erupted in the autumn of 1983 when it emerged that Conservative Party Chairman Cecil Parkinson had not only been involved in an affair with his then secretary Sara Keays, but that she was carrying his child.
Parkinson was credited with masterminding the Conservative election victory of that year; Thatcher had intended to make Parkinson Foreign Secretary in her new Government but had been advised by Parkinson himself that this was not a wise move, informing her of the situation. Instead, she awarded him the post of Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. When the affair reached the attention of the tabloid press, they published lurid headlines such as 'PARKINSON SENSATION' and in the wake of this, Parkinson was forced to resign from his post. Despite this, his wife Anne stood by Parkinson, and the baby (Flora) was born on the last day of 1983, 31st December.
A dispute over child maintenance payments, plus the persistent attention of the press, led to Parkinson taking out an injunction in 1993 which forbade any mention of their daughter in the media. At first this was supported by Keays, but it later emerged that Flora was suffering from learning difficulties and Asperger's Syndrome, causing Parkinson to be painted as uncaring.
He was reappointed to Thatcher's Government in 1987, as Secretary of State for Energy and moved to Transport in 1989. Standing down as an MP at the 1992 General Election he was created as Baron Parkinson of Carnforth that year.
The injunction expired in 2001, when Flora reached 18 years old, and when it was shown that Keays had essentially brought up her daughter alone and with little to no contact from Parkinson (other than some financial support), the politician came in for renewed criticism from the media who were now free to report on the matter.
2023 update: Cecil Parkinson died in January 2016 aged 84; it was reported that he had left Flora out of his will but had provided a life assurance policy for her. Her mother later sued the estate for further support, stating that Flora still required round-the-clock care.
Keays herself was critical of Parkinson's attitude and in particular of how the party appeared to 'close ranks' on her, accusing them of actively seeking to discredit her.
Flora continues to require 24-hour care, and in a documentary broadcast on Channel 4 in 2002 she herself stated that she was disappointed that her father was never involved in her life.
Parkinson was credited with masterminding the Conservative election victory of that year; Thatcher had intended to make Parkinson Foreign Secretary in her new Government but had been advised by Parkinson himself that this was not a wise move, informing her of the situation. Instead, she awarded him the post of Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. When the affair reached the attention of the tabloid press, they published lurid headlines such as 'PARKINSON SENSATION' and in the wake of this, Parkinson was forced to resign from his post. Despite this, his wife Anne stood by Parkinson, and the baby (Flora) was born on the last day of 1983, 31st December.
A dispute over child maintenance payments, plus the persistent attention of the press, led to Parkinson taking out an injunction in 1993 which forbade any mention of their daughter in the media. At first this was supported by Keays, but it later emerged that Flora was suffering from learning difficulties and Asperger's Syndrome, causing Parkinson to be painted as uncaring.
He was reappointed to Thatcher's Government in 1987, as Secretary of State for Energy and moved to Transport in 1989. Standing down as an MP at the 1992 General Election he was created as Baron Parkinson of Carnforth that year.
The injunction expired in 2001, when Flora reached 18 years old, and when it was shown that Keays had essentially brought up her daughter alone and with little to no contact from Parkinson (other than some financial support), the politician came in for renewed criticism from the media who were now free to report on the matter.
2023 update: Cecil Parkinson died in January 2016 aged 84; it was reported that he had left Flora out of his will but had provided a life assurance policy for her. Her mother later sued the estate for further support, stating that Flora still required round-the-clock care.
Keays herself was critical of Parkinson's attitude and in particular of how the party appeared to 'close ranks' on her, accusing them of actively seeking to discredit her.
Flora continues to require 24-hour care, and in a documentary broadcast on Channel 4 in 2002 she herself stated that she was disappointed that her father was never involved in her life.
Friday 25 October 2013
US invade Grenada and infuriate UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Operation Urgent Fury, or the United States-led intervention on the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, caused a diplomatic rift between (usually-close) allies US President Ronald Reagan and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The background to the operation was that following Grenada's independence from the UK in 1974, a coup five years later saw Maurice Bishop and his New Jewel movement seize power from incumbent Eric Gairy. Bishop's policy of friendship with Cuba irritated Reagan, but it wasn't until an internal power struggle from hard-liners within the New Jewel Movement saw the more moderate Bishop captured and then executed, that the US decided to act.
Reportedly it was Grenadian Govenor-General Paul Scoon who appealed to the US for assistance and within six days of Bishops execution, US troops were deployed. This turn of events caught out then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was no supporter of the Grenadian regime but was deeply concerned that the invasion would be seen as Western intervention against a smaller, independent nation's affairs. Reagan's decision to act despite the concerns of the UK Prime Minister caused a momentary rift between the leaders, but Thatcher (in public) supported the intervention. The United Nations also condemned the invasion as a 'flagrant violation of international law'.
The operation was a success, as Scoon was freed from house arrest by the US troops and the military government led by Hudson Austin deposed. Scoon, once restored to office, appointed an interim government before fresh elections were held in December 1984, won by Herbert Blaize's Grenada National Party. The anniversary of the invasion is now marked as a national holiday in Grenada (Thanksgiving Day).
Ultimately the invasion did not damage relations between the US and UK; Reagan's apology for 'miscommunication' was accepted and the two leaders resumed relations.
Reportedly it was Grenadian Govenor-General Paul Scoon who appealed to the US for assistance and within six days of Bishops execution, US troops were deployed. This turn of events caught out then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was no supporter of the Grenadian regime but was deeply concerned that the invasion would be seen as Western intervention against a smaller, independent nation's affairs. Reagan's decision to act despite the concerns of the UK Prime Minister caused a momentary rift between the leaders, but Thatcher (in public) supported the intervention. The United Nations also condemned the invasion as a 'flagrant violation of international law'.
The operation was a success, as Scoon was freed from house arrest by the US troops and the military government led by Hudson Austin deposed. Scoon, once restored to office, appointed an interim government before fresh elections were held in December 1984, won by Herbert Blaize's Grenada National Party. The anniversary of the invasion is now marked as a national holiday in Grenada (Thanksgiving Day).
Ultimately the invasion did not damage relations between the US and UK; Reagan's apology for 'miscommunication' was accepted and the two leaders resumed relations.
Thursday 10 October 2013
1983 in music: Megastars Jackson and McCartney join forces
The pairing of former Beatle Paul McCartney and megastar Michael Jackson was one of the biggest collaborations of the decade, never mind the year. The two worked on the song 'Say Say Say', which was recorded in 1981 during sessions for McCartney's album 'Tug of War', but along with many other tracks (including 'Man', another Jackson collaboration) actually saw the light of day on his 'Pipes of Peace' album released in October of 1983.
Jackson and McCartney had become friends during the early 1980s and during one evening together, the former Beatle had revealed to Jackson that much of his income came from music publishing rights. (The Beatles, famously, missed out on this from their own songs when the rights were sold without their knowledge.) He had showed Jackson a booklet detailing what songs he owned the rights to (he owned the publishing rights to Buddy Holly's back catalogue for example, and had covered some of his material), and the American megastar duly took note.
'Say Say Say', a pop/disco number, was accompanied by a humorous video directed by Bob Giraldi (who also directed Jackson's 'Beat It' promo) showing the duo as travelling 'snake oil' salesmen (dubbed 'Mack and Jack') selling 'wonder potion', before donating all their proceeds to an orphanage and becoming vaudeville performers. The video included an appearance from Jackson's sister LaToya, and McCartney's wife Linda. The song was a hit in many countries, reaching number 1 on the Billboard hot 100 and reaching at number 2 in the UK singles chart.
The collaboration continued with 'The Girl Is Mine'; this duet appeared on Jackson's mega-successful 'Thriller' album and initially appeared in late 1982, although the song was actually recorded at a later time than 'Say Say Say'. That song originated from producer Quincy Jones asking Jackson to write a song about two men arguing over the same girl, and he completed writing that while watching cartoons on television alongside McCartney. The sessions were described by Jackson as some of his most enjoyable, as the two stars joked about in the studio. However this pairing came to an abrupt end, as in 1985 Jackson (having taken on board McCartney's advice about purchasing music publishing rights), bought up ATV Music Publishing, who owned the rights to the Beatles' back catalogue - outbidding McCartney and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono in the process. That spelt the end of their partnership and the two remained estranged until Jackson's death in 2009. As of 2013, the rights to the Beatles' material remain out of the hands of their creators.
From happier times, here is Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's video for 'Say Say Say':
Jackson and McCartney had become friends during the early 1980s and during one evening together, the former Beatle had revealed to Jackson that much of his income came from music publishing rights. (The Beatles, famously, missed out on this from their own songs when the rights were sold without their knowledge.) He had showed Jackson a booklet detailing what songs he owned the rights to (he owned the publishing rights to Buddy Holly's back catalogue for example, and had covered some of his material), and the American megastar duly took note.
'Say Say Say', a pop/disco number, was accompanied by a humorous video directed by Bob Giraldi (who also directed Jackson's 'Beat It' promo) showing the duo as travelling 'snake oil' salesmen (dubbed 'Mack and Jack') selling 'wonder potion', before donating all their proceeds to an orphanage and becoming vaudeville performers. The video included an appearance from Jackson's sister LaToya, and McCartney's wife Linda. The song was a hit in many countries, reaching number 1 on the Billboard hot 100 and reaching at number 2 in the UK singles chart.
The collaboration continued with 'The Girl Is Mine'; this duet appeared on Jackson's mega-successful 'Thriller' album and initially appeared in late 1982, although the song was actually recorded at a later time than 'Say Say Say'. That song originated from producer Quincy Jones asking Jackson to write a song about two men arguing over the same girl, and he completed writing that while watching cartoons on television alongside McCartney. The sessions were described by Jackson as some of his most enjoyable, as the two stars joked about in the studio. However this pairing came to an abrupt end, as in 1985 Jackson (having taken on board McCartney's advice about purchasing music publishing rights), bought up ATV Music Publishing, who owned the rights to the Beatles' back catalogue - outbidding McCartney and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono in the process. That spelt the end of their partnership and the two remained estranged until Jackson's death in 2009. As of 2013, the rights to the Beatles' material remain out of the hands of their creators.
From happier times, here is Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's video for 'Say Say Say':
Monday 7 October 2013
1983 in rock: Paul Rodgers goes solo with 'Cut Loose'
Paul Rodgers was a veteran singer already by 1983, having fronted two legendary bands by then. First of all he came to fame as lead singer of Free, blues-boomers from the UK who had a short but stellar career before imploding, then as singer with Bad Company, formed with Free drummer Simon Kirke and with Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople fame on guitar. The latter band was a huge seller throughout the 1970s, sharing management and record label with Led Zeppelin they were only slightly behind in terms of sales. However, after six albums, Rodgers had become jaded and was looking to start a solo career at last, and after 'Rough Diamonds' (the final album by the original Bad Company line-up) had been critically savaged, he took the opportunity to strike out alone.
Rodgers took literally the concept of a solo album; writing the material and playing all instruments himself, he also produced the album, recorded at his own home. He did enlist engineer Julian Mendelsohn for the sessions, but the finished album was the most accurate example of a 'solo' album as is possible to find. Released in October 1983, it kicked off with 'Fragile', a hard rock number not far removed from that of his previous band. One song, 'Superstar Woman' was a re-recorded version of an unused Bad Co song (which eventually surfaced on the 'Anthology' collection) and another song, 'Live In Peace', had a second life when Rodgers teamed up with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page two years later.
Perhaps because Rodgers did not tour to promote this record, it did not become a big seller and has become something of a forgotten gem among the other stellar work Rodgers has produced. He has collaborated with many artists since this album, but it wasn't until the 1990s that he once again released records under his own name but this time toured to support them. He remains one of the great singers of rock, perhaps the greatest, and anything he puts his name to is worth investigating.
Because there was no video or single for this album, this is the audio of 'Cut Loose' as provided to YouTube:
Rodgers took literally the concept of a solo album; writing the material and playing all instruments himself, he also produced the album, recorded at his own home. He did enlist engineer Julian Mendelsohn for the sessions, but the finished album was the most accurate example of a 'solo' album as is possible to find. Released in October 1983, it kicked off with 'Fragile', a hard rock number not far removed from that of his previous band. One song, 'Superstar Woman' was a re-recorded version of an unused Bad Co song (which eventually surfaced on the 'Anthology' collection) and another song, 'Live In Peace', had a second life when Rodgers teamed up with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page two years later.
Perhaps because Rodgers did not tour to promote this record, it did not become a big seller and has become something of a forgotten gem among the other stellar work Rodgers has produced. He has collaborated with many artists since this album, but it wasn't until the 1990s that he once again released records under his own name but this time toured to support them. He remains one of the great singers of rock, perhaps the greatest, and anything he puts his name to is worth investigating.
Because there was no video or single for this album, this is the audio of 'Cut Loose' as provided to YouTube:
Wednesday 2 October 2013
The tide sweeps up Neil Kinnock in view of the TV cameras
A hilarious moment in politics happened in the autumn of 1983, when the Labour party, which was still licking its wounds after a thumping defeat in that year's General Election, had just voted in Welshman Neil Kinnock as its party leader. The party conference was held in Brighton that year, and the election of Kinnock and his deputy Roy Hattersley was widely regarded as the 'dream ticket'; two astute politicians who would reform the party and restore its credibility to the British public.
All of that came crashing down within days, as the new leader made an ill-judged decision to stroll onto the beach with wife Glenys; intending to give the cameramen a scoop by pledging to 'walk on the water', instead the water literally swept him off his feet causing an undignified and embarrassing tumble into the sand, whereupon the tide washed over the prone politician. The clip was replayed over and over again on television, destroying the leader's credibility before he even had a chance to establish himself.
His career as leader never really recovered from that moment; the satirical puppet show 'Spitting Image' which launched a year later, used the clip in its opening titles and lampooned him mercilessly (among many others, it should be said) while the tabloid press had a field day with the gaffe. Nevertheless, he did instigate many changes to the party and while never really getting within striking distance of Number 10 himself, he did do a lot to start the Labour Party back towards electability. Kinnock later served with the European Commission before accepting a life peerage in 2005. Even that caused criticism, since he had been a vocal opponent of the House of Lords while Leader of the Opposition.
Once again for the amusement of anyone who remembers it, here's Neil Kinnock being swept away by the tide:
All of that came crashing down within days, as the new leader made an ill-judged decision to stroll onto the beach with wife Glenys; intending to give the cameramen a scoop by pledging to 'walk on the water', instead the water literally swept him off his feet causing an undignified and embarrassing tumble into the sand, whereupon the tide washed over the prone politician. The clip was replayed over and over again on television, destroying the leader's credibility before he even had a chance to establish himself.
His career as leader never really recovered from that moment; the satirical puppet show 'Spitting Image' which launched a year later, used the clip in its opening titles and lampooned him mercilessly (among many others, it should be said) while the tabloid press had a field day with the gaffe. Nevertheless, he did instigate many changes to the party and while never really getting within striking distance of Number 10 himself, he did do a lot to start the Labour Party back towards electability. Kinnock later served with the European Commission before accepting a life peerage in 2005. Even that caused criticism, since he had been a vocal opponent of the House of Lords while Leader of the Opposition.
Once again for the amusement of anyone who remembers it, here's Neil Kinnock being swept away by the tide:
Tuesday 1 October 2013
1983 in rock: Brian May's Star Fleet Project
In the spring of 1983, Queen's guitarist Brian May found himself in Los Angeles with some musician friends. Those friends included hotshot guitar hero Eddie van Halen, session players Fred Mandel (a keyboard player who had worked with Queen) and Phil Chen (bass player who had worked with Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart), plus REO Speedwagon's drummer Alan Gratzer.
The grouping got together at the Record Plant studios and cut three tracks, the lead-off was a reworking of the theme tune to 'Star Fleet', a children's sci-fi TV show originally from Japan, but had been redubbed using British actors' voices for UK transmission. The theme tune for the UK version of the programme was composed by Paul Bliss, and May had become interested in covering the theme after he had discovered the programme through his young son. The musicians decided to record two more tracks; 'Let Me Out' was a song written by May which had not been used previously, and 'Bluesbreaker' an extended jam. Indeed both 'Let Me Out' and 'Bluesbreaker' were to feature the two guitarists trading extended lead breaks.
Having recorded these tracks, the Queen guitarist considered keeping them privately for his own enjoyment before being persuaded by friends to put the recordings out. According to the sleeve notes on the record, post-production was kept to a minimum (a few backing vocals from Queen drummer Roger Taylor on the 'Star Fleet' theme itself were acknowledged). In his own words, May had not "...messed one scrap with the tracking done on the day".
The record was eventually issued in October 1983 as a 'mini-LP'; for many years it was available only as a vinyl record. It wasn't until almost ten years later that the tracks became available on CD, issued over two versions of May's solo single 'Back To The Light'. The first CD single included 'Star Fleet' and 'Let Me Out', while the second CD included 'Bluesbreaker'.
The new for 2023 single version of 'Star Fleet' can be heard here:
Bonus: For anyone who wondered what the original theme sounded like, here is Paul Bliss's version over the end credits to an episode of 'Star Fleet':
The grouping got together at the Record Plant studios and cut three tracks, the lead-off was a reworking of the theme tune to 'Star Fleet', a children's sci-fi TV show originally from Japan, but had been redubbed using British actors' voices for UK transmission. The theme tune for the UK version of the programme was composed by Paul Bliss, and May had become interested in covering the theme after he had discovered the programme through his young son. The musicians decided to record two more tracks; 'Let Me Out' was a song written by May which had not been used previously, and 'Bluesbreaker' an extended jam. Indeed both 'Let Me Out' and 'Bluesbreaker' were to feature the two guitarists trading extended lead breaks.
Having recorded these tracks, the Queen guitarist considered keeping them privately for his own enjoyment before being persuaded by friends to put the recordings out. According to the sleeve notes on the record, post-production was kept to a minimum (a few backing vocals from Queen drummer Roger Taylor on the 'Star Fleet' theme itself were acknowledged). In his own words, May had not "...messed one scrap with the tracking done on the day".
The record was eventually issued in October 1983 as a 'mini-LP'; for many years it was available only as a vinyl record. It wasn't until almost ten years later that the tracks became available on CD, issued over two versions of May's solo single 'Back To The Light'. The first CD single included 'Star Fleet' and 'Let Me Out', while the second CD included 'Bluesbreaker'.
The new for 2023 single version of 'Star Fleet' can be heard here:
Bonus: For anyone who wondered what the original theme sounded like, here is Paul Bliss's version over the end credits to an episode of 'Star Fleet':
Monday 30 September 2013
1983 in television: Gerry Anderson returns with Terrahawks
Fans of cult television, this one included, were delighted to learn that Gerry Anderson, producer of such puppet classics as 'Thunderbirds', 'Captain Scarlet' and 'Stingray' and live-action series including 'UFO', 'Space:1999' and 'The Protectors', was to launch a new puppet science-fiction series in autumn 1983. 'Terrahawks', co-produced by Anderson with Christopher Burr, trod familiar ground but with a whole new set of characters; the premise was that in the year 2020, an elite force named the 'Terrahawks', was established in South America to defend Earth from alien attack, after a NASA base on Mars had been destroyed by the aliens.
Unlike with Anderson's earlier series, the puppets used were not marionettes but latex hand puppets, not unlike those used by Jim Henson for his 'Muppet' characters. This was known as 'Supermacromation', following on from the 'Supermarionation' technique of using electronically-enhanced marionettes in Anderson's earlier series. The Terrahawks were led by Dr. "Tiger" Ninestein, one of nine clones. He was joined by second-in-command Captain Mary Falconer who would often rein in Ninestein's trigger-happy instincts. Other pilots included Captain Kate Kestrel, who led a dual life of pop singer (signed to "Anderburr Records", an obvious in-joke) and her co-pilot Lieutenant Hawkeye, who had micro-computers in place of his eyes. In addition to the human crew, the Terrahawks were assisted by spherical robots named Zeroids, the most prominent of which were Sergeant-Major Zero (voiced by veteran comedy actor Windsor Davies, famed for playing Sergeant-Majors in film and TV) and Space Sergeant 101.
The alien enemy was led by three androids, modelled on the oldest citizens of their home planet Guk. Zelda was the leader, with the power of teleportation and the chief architect of the schemes to conquer Earth, accompanied by her 'sister' Cy-Star (geddit?) and 'son' Yung-Star. Both are cowardly in contrast to Zelda, and prefer to laze about than partake in Zelda's schemes. They also had 'Cubes'; robot equivalents to the Terrahawks' Zeroids which had the power to combine and change into weapons as required.
The series had the familiar Anderson motifs of advanced technology, futuristic vehicles such as Ninestein's car HUDSON (a Rolls-Royce with camouflage technology built in) and dramatic action laced with liberal doses of humour.
Indeed it could be argued that 'Terrahawks' itself is just an updated cross between 'Thunderbirds' and 'Captain Scarlet'; with each member having an aircraft assigned to them (similar to 'Thunderbirds') while taking on an alien invader, similar to 'Captain Scarlet'.
The series ran for 39 episodes over three seasons, and was shown on ITV in the United Kingdom. Although successful during its televised run, it was overlooked during the 1990s when the earlier Anderson series (all produced via Lew Grade's ITC company) began to pick up in popularity with repeat runs on BBC TV. 'Terrahawks', which was produced by Anderson Burr Pictures, was not released on DVD until several years after the other series had been issued.
Below is the opening sequence to 'Terrahawks' complete with an unmistakably 1980s theme tune :)
Unlike with Anderson's earlier series, the puppets used were not marionettes but latex hand puppets, not unlike those used by Jim Henson for his 'Muppet' characters. This was known as 'Supermacromation', following on from the 'Supermarionation' technique of using electronically-enhanced marionettes in Anderson's earlier series. The Terrahawks were led by Dr. "Tiger" Ninestein, one of nine clones. He was joined by second-in-command Captain Mary Falconer who would often rein in Ninestein's trigger-happy instincts. Other pilots included Captain Kate Kestrel, who led a dual life of pop singer (signed to "Anderburr Records", an obvious in-joke) and her co-pilot Lieutenant Hawkeye, who had micro-computers in place of his eyes. In addition to the human crew, the Terrahawks were assisted by spherical robots named Zeroids, the most prominent of which were Sergeant-Major Zero (voiced by veteran comedy actor Windsor Davies, famed for playing Sergeant-Majors in film and TV) and Space Sergeant 101.
The alien enemy was led by three androids, modelled on the oldest citizens of their home planet Guk. Zelda was the leader, with the power of teleportation and the chief architect of the schemes to conquer Earth, accompanied by her 'sister' Cy-Star (geddit?) and 'son' Yung-Star. Both are cowardly in contrast to Zelda, and prefer to laze about than partake in Zelda's schemes. They also had 'Cubes'; robot equivalents to the Terrahawks' Zeroids which had the power to combine and change into weapons as required.
The series had the familiar Anderson motifs of advanced technology, futuristic vehicles such as Ninestein's car HUDSON (a Rolls-Royce with camouflage technology built in) and dramatic action laced with liberal doses of humour.
Indeed it could be argued that 'Terrahawks' itself is just an updated cross between 'Thunderbirds' and 'Captain Scarlet'; with each member having an aircraft assigned to them (similar to 'Thunderbirds') while taking on an alien invader, similar to 'Captain Scarlet'.
The series ran for 39 episodes over three seasons, and was shown on ITV in the United Kingdom. Although successful during its televised run, it was overlooked during the 1990s when the earlier Anderson series (all produced via Lew Grade's ITC company) began to pick up in popularity with repeat runs on BBC TV. 'Terrahawks', which was produced by Anderson Burr Pictures, was not released on DVD until several years after the other series had been issued.
Below is the opening sequence to 'Terrahawks' complete with an unmistakably 1980s theme tune :)
Tuesday 24 September 2013
1983 in rock: KISS lick it up and wash off the makeup
1983 was a significant year for veteran glam rockers KISS. They'd endured a few tough years after a run of success in the 1970s, kicked off by their 'Alive' album selling by the truckload and culminating in the group being seen everywhere from comic books to lunchboxes. The KISS logo was plastered on merchandise wherever you looked, but by 1980 the cracks were showing in the apparently closely-knit masked foursome. First drummer Peter Criss washed off his Cat makeup and quit the band, then guitarist Ace Frehley, whose status in the band was becoming undermined (not helped by his ideas being outvoted by bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley), began to suffer from the effects of alcohol abuse.
KISS had tried and failed to change style, experimenting with disco ('I Was Made for Loving You') and their attempt at a serious concept album ('Music From The Elder') bombed badly, as their fans threw up their hands in horror at it. The band got the message and released 'Creatures of the Night' a year later, the hard rock album which they'd promised to make a year previously, but by that stage Frehley was slipping out of the band and into his own problems. Simmons and Stanley now had two new members in drummer Eric Carr and new guitarist Vinnie Vincent to find new mask designs for; Carr became 'the Fox' while Vincent wore an Egyptian-themed mask for his one tour in make-up. Sensing that the game was up for the band famed for never appearing in public without full make-up applied, they decided to drop their masks altogether in 1983 and appear in public as themselves for the first time since achieving fame a decade earlier. Initially, they chose MTV as the vehicle to unveil themselves, then released the 'Lick It Up' album with a simple band shot on the cover. Simmons, now barefaced, still poked out his tongue on the cover, a gesture intended to say 'hey, it is still us!'.
The move did work out for the group in the short-term; the band got the publicity they desired and the records started to sell again. However, tension between the founding members and Vinnie Vincent meant that the guitarist was shown the door by the end of the tour. This disappointed some fans, impressed with his flashy guitar playing in the live setting, but after recruiting Mark St John to record 1984's follow-up 'Animalize', they looked set to continue their recovery. Alas, St John was unable to tour with the band owing to a condition similar to arthritis which rendered him unable to play guitar; Bruce Kulick was quickly hired to tour in his place before being promoted to full-time guitarist shortly afterwards. This line-up would continue for the remainder of the decade, maintaining a solid touring and recording schedule.
The original line-up of KISS finally reunited in 1996 after a successful 'Unplugged' performance for MTV saw the then-current band play with Criss and Frehley, even putting the make-up back on and going back into those outrageous costumes. However, that did not last and both Criss and Frehley were out, then in, then out of the band in subsequent years. Currently, drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer complete the band, and controversially both wear make-up designs made famous by Criss and Frehley. This is now possible since the rights to the designs were acquired by Simmons and Stanley from Criss and Frehley, but it does not sit well with all of the band's fans.
Heading back to 1983 then here is KISS with their video for 'Lick It Up'. The outfits are very much of their time, it must be said! :)
Monday 23 September 2013
1983 in television: Channel 4 repeat The Prisoner
OK it is a little bit of a cheat, since 'The Prisoner', co-created by and starring actor Patrick McGoohan was of course made in the 1960s. That said, although it had been shown on the ITV network in the 60s, and repeated in the mid-1970s (leading to the formation of a fan club whose membership once outranked that of CND, but years of mismanagement have rendered it a pale shadow of its former self today), the 1983 screening of this cult television series was actually the first time it had been nationally networked on UK television.
The reason for that was because when the series was first seen in the UK, it went out at different times, in different regions across the United Kingdom. Without going into too much detail, the ITV network actually consisted of a collection of regional TV stations, each having some autonomy over their schedules. Thus, when (or whether) you saw a programme was often dependent on the regional scheduler. The new station, Channel 4, launched in late 1982, had the same schedule for the whole country (except for Wales, which had its own fourth channel, S4C). It was originally intended to be a minority-interest channel, funded mainly by those ITV regional companies, and with the ironic exception of Wales (where Portmeirion is, the location setting for 'The Village') it was on this station that 'The Prisoner' got its first national screening in the autumn of 1983.
For those who have no idea what this show is about, or why it is so significant, I'll attempt to sum it up. However, there have been many books and a lot of other literature written on this one television series, and it still attracts a following to this day!
Essentially, the series follows an unnamed man who, it is implied, worked for the British Government in a very high-ranking role. He is seen to resign from his post and return home, intending to take a holiday - but is instead followed home, whereupon he's knocked unconscious with gas and when he wakes, he finds himself not in his London flat but in a strange, mysterious location - The Village. From there he is given a number (6) and is identified only by that number from then on, throughout the series.
The programme was a vehicle for its star, Patrick McGoohan, at one time the highest-paid actor in Britain. He was sufficiently popular and influential to be given a virtual free reign to make the programme as he saw fit, by his backer Sir Lew Grade of television producers ITC. McGoohan took the opportunity to touch on many themes in the series; ostensibly a spy thriller there were elements of science fiction, fantasy, action and adventure and all centred around the theme: who is this man and why did he resign from his high-ranking position?
By the time of this 1983 screening, McGoohan had long since left the UK to live and work in the United States, taking work only when he felt it worthwhile and refusing to be drawn on the themes made in 'The Prisoner'. An intensely private man, he resisted many calls for interviews but did agree to make a short film which was supposed to help clarify things regarding 'The Prisoner'. However, the film he produced, known as 'The LA Tape' only raised more questions, shown partially in a documentary commissioned by Channel 4 which was shown in early 1984, after the concluding episode of 'The Prisoner'.
The programme's cult following received a huge boost as a result of this screening however, and membership of the fan club blossomed. Nowadays, with this and many other TV series readily available on DVD or Blu-Ray, or even on YouTube, there is not quite the same cachet about watching this unique series as there was when it was rarely seen. The 1983 screening of 'The Prisoner' was a significant TV event, at least for one 18-year old viewer who had always been fascinated by the programme and its imagery. 1983 was the first time I'd seen the entire programme in full, from the start, and despite Channel 4 mucking up the episode order (a debate which has itself seen many pages printed!), it hooked me instantly and I remain a fan of the series to this day.
With the uncertain state of the world in 2013, it is worth watching this series made almost 50 years ago to see just how many predictions made back then came true, or are becoming true even now. If you haven't seen it, you may be surprised just how relevant much of it remains.
For viewers who want to know more about 'The Prisoner', including locations used in filming, there is a lot of content available here:
The reason for that was because when the series was first seen in the UK, it went out at different times, in different regions across the United Kingdom. Without going into too much detail, the ITV network actually consisted of a collection of regional TV stations, each having some autonomy over their schedules. Thus, when (or whether) you saw a programme was often dependent on the regional scheduler. The new station, Channel 4, launched in late 1982, had the same schedule for the whole country (except for Wales, which had its own fourth channel, S4C). It was originally intended to be a minority-interest channel, funded mainly by those ITV regional companies, and with the ironic exception of Wales (where Portmeirion is, the location setting for 'The Village') it was on this station that 'The Prisoner' got its first national screening in the autumn of 1983.
For those who have no idea what this show is about, or why it is so significant, I'll attempt to sum it up. However, there have been many books and a lot of other literature written on this one television series, and it still attracts a following to this day!
Essentially, the series follows an unnamed man who, it is implied, worked for the British Government in a very high-ranking role. He is seen to resign from his post and return home, intending to take a holiday - but is instead followed home, whereupon he's knocked unconscious with gas and when he wakes, he finds himself not in his London flat but in a strange, mysterious location - The Village. From there he is given a number (6) and is identified only by that number from then on, throughout the series.
The programme was a vehicle for its star, Patrick McGoohan, at one time the highest-paid actor in Britain. He was sufficiently popular and influential to be given a virtual free reign to make the programme as he saw fit, by his backer Sir Lew Grade of television producers ITC. McGoohan took the opportunity to touch on many themes in the series; ostensibly a spy thriller there were elements of science fiction, fantasy, action and adventure and all centred around the theme: who is this man and why did he resign from his high-ranking position?
By the time of this 1983 screening, McGoohan had long since left the UK to live and work in the United States, taking work only when he felt it worthwhile and refusing to be drawn on the themes made in 'The Prisoner'. An intensely private man, he resisted many calls for interviews but did agree to make a short film which was supposed to help clarify things regarding 'The Prisoner'. However, the film he produced, known as 'The LA Tape' only raised more questions, shown partially in a documentary commissioned by Channel 4 which was shown in early 1984, after the concluding episode of 'The Prisoner'.
The programme's cult following received a huge boost as a result of this screening however, and membership of the fan club blossomed. Nowadays, with this and many other TV series readily available on DVD or Blu-Ray, or even on YouTube, there is not quite the same cachet about watching this unique series as there was when it was rarely seen. The 1983 screening of 'The Prisoner' was a significant TV event, at least for one 18-year old viewer who had always been fascinated by the programme and its imagery. 1983 was the first time I'd seen the entire programme in full, from the start, and despite Channel 4 mucking up the episode order (a debate which has itself seen many pages printed!), it hooked me instantly and I remain a fan of the series to this day.
With the uncertain state of the world in 2013, it is worth watching this series made almost 50 years ago to see just how many predictions made back then came true, or are becoming true even now. If you haven't seen it, you may be surprised just how relevant much of it remains.
For viewers who want to know more about 'The Prisoner', including locations used in filming, there is a lot of content available here:
Monday 16 September 2013
Australia II takes sailing's America's Cup
The America's Cup, a yacht sailing contest which had been in existence for over a century (to little publicity, at least in the UK) sprang into public consciousness in 1983, when the Australian vessel Australia II emerged as a serious contender for the trophy, defeating all challengers to take on the American holders, represented in 1983 by the Liberty vessel.
The trophy was named the America's Cup in honour of the schooner America, which won a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851 to take the trophy, presented by The Royal Yacht Squadron of the UK. Ever since, it had been in the possession of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) and, so the story goes, the trophy was actually bolted in place at NYYC, so confident were they that they could defend it against any challenger.
Australia II, representing challengers the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and backed by businessman Alan Bond, boasted a winged keel design that had been kept a closely-guarded secret. The design was controversial since the NYYC had claimed that it was illegal under contest rules, however it had been ruled legal by the authorities, and the vessel easily qualified through the challenger series to become the contender to take on the NYYC vessel in the final contest. The speed of the Australia II in these challenges, coupled with its secret weapon keel design, aroused media interest which made this year's America's Cup one that attracted more publicity than ever before.
The final races themselves took place between September 14th and 26th, and it was the NYYC who took the first two with Liberty, before Australia II won the third race. Liberty won again to go 3-1 up in the series, but Australia II then won the fifth race and then the sixth, to take it to a deciding race. Until then, the series had never gone to even six races, let alone a deciding seventh. A closely-fought race with several lead changes ended with Australia II winning by 41 seconds to take the America's Cup and become the first successful challenger since that 1851 race around the Isle of Wight.
There were mass celebrations throughout Australia, where the race had been televised live in the small hours, while in the United States the loss of the cup after 132 years, and the end of the longest winning streak in any sport was greeted with dismay. Liberty skipper Dennis Conner took the loss badly, stating that he had "just wanted to hide" after becoming the first US skipper to lose the America's Cup.
The loss was avenged four years later in Australia, when a fired-up US team, once again skippered by Dennis Conner, reclaimed the trophy with the vessel Stars and Stripes 87. Conner later claimed that losing the trophy in 1983 was the best thing that had happened to them since it made them realise just how much they appreciated their trophy. When they reclaimed the trophy, they were given a ticker-tape parade in New York and an audience with President Ronald Reagan.
30 years have passed since that historic win for Australia II, and there will be a new America's Cup series of races in 2013. The United States will be represented by the Golden Gate Yachting Club with their vessel Oracle Team USA 17, (with a crew including multiple Olympic gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie from Great Britain), and they will race against The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron with their vessel Aotearoa.
Relive that moment in September 1983 when America's Cup became Australia's Cup with this news clip from the time (2023 update - dead link replaced):
Tuesday 10 September 2013
Newspaper publisher Eddy Shah vs the print unions
An industrial dispute which became extremely significant took place in 1983 when Eddy Shah, a newspaper publisher from North West England expanded his operations from his base in Stockport, into Warrington. In doing so, he recruited non-union labour which provoked the National Graphical Association (NGA) into a walkout. Shah promptly fired six of the unionised workers, and a bitter dispute between the publisher and the union followed. However, the Thatcher government had recently introduced legislation aimed at curbing trade union power, and it had become illegal for unions to protest with so-called 'secondary picketing'; that is, picketing of workplaces not directly involved in the dispute at hand. A mass picket against Shah's Warrington offices led to the NGA receiving a fine, which led to members in London's Fleet Street also walking out.
The dispute dragged on for several weeks and became increasingly bitter, and it came to a head in November 1983 when a mass picket consisting of over four thousand NGA members was confronted by a police operation including riot-trained squads. The police charged at the picketing union members and forcibly broke up the demonstration, ushering in a new era of confrontation between police and trade unions.
Shah ultimately prevailed in the dispute when the TUC failed to back the NGA, and the union conceded defeat. Eventually, Shah's publishing company entered into a single-union agreement with a different union, the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (EETPU).
The significance of this victory for the regional publisher became apparent three years later when Rupert Murdoch used similar methods, only on a much larger scale, to centralise his newspaper printing operations to Wapping in London with new machinery. An even bigger and more bitter dispute took place then, but once again it was the publisher who prevailed and union power in the printing industry was broken once and for all.
Eddy Shah himself ventured into national newspaper publishing in 1986 with the launch of Today newspaper, the first British newspaper to be printed in colour. In an ironic twist, the paper failed to gain sufficient circulation and collapsed, only to be bought out by Murdoch's News International empire. (It eventually closed down in 1995.) He tried again in the late 1980s with The Post, a tabloid-style newspaper, which once again failed to attract readers and closed down after only five weeks. Following this, Shah sold up and left the publishing industry. He now runs leisure businesses, hotels and golf courses.
The industrial dispute between Eddy Shah's publishing companies and the trade unions set the tone for many more increasingly bitter industrial disputes in the 1980s, most notably the miners' strike in 1984/5, with the police becoming cast in the role of government enforcers.
A news clip reporting on the dispute:
Friday 6 September 2013
1983 in rock: Ritchie Blackmore gets Bent Out Of Shape with Rainbow
It wasn't yet public knowledge but guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore had been working behind the scenes to reform the classic line-up of Deep Purple during this year. To the rest of us, his band Rainbow (at that time, also featuring former Purple bassist Roger Glover) were still very much a going concern; they released their seventh studio album 'Bent Out Of Shape' in August of 1983, their third with singer Joe Lynn Turner at the helm. The band had by this time moved away from the sword 'n' sorcery imagery of the Ronnie James Dio days, to a sound more suited to American radio, closer to the likes of Foreigner.
They had also appeared to have become a more stable outfit than had previously been the case, although Blackmore had once again made one change to the line-up with the recruitment of drummer Chuck Burgi in place of previous incumbent Bobby Rondinelli. 'Bent Out Of Shape' continued in this style, with singles 'Street Of Dreams' and 'Can't Let You Go' smoothly produced to get radio airplay, with Blackmore's guitar taking a less prominent role.
Rainbow had announced a UK tour for September of this year, which came as a surprise to your correspondent as they would start off with two shows at Liverpool's Royal Court theatre. Blackmore had been handed a life ban at the nearby Empire six years previously, when he ventured into the royal box during a Rainbow show there and proceeded to assault the ornate plasterwork with his guitar. He'd missed out the UK altogether during 1982's tour supporting previous album 'Straight Between The Eyes', with fans in this country having to settle for a live video release on VHS, taken from a US concert.
The support for this tour was Lita Ford, who was still making a name for herself following the demise of her old band the Runaways, and she gave a good account of herself performing tracks from her then-current release 'Out For Blood'. She later went in a more melodic rock direction herself and scored numerous hits towards the end of the 1980s but at this time, her style was more classic heavy metal. With the hall packed out, anticipation was high as the PA played the traditional 'Land Of Hope And Glory' prelude to the start of the concert. The clip from 'Wizard of Oz' as heard on Rainbow 'On Stage' heralded the group as they kicked things off with 'Spotlight Kid'. Five tracks from 'Bent Out Of Shape' were performed, with several fan favourites from across their back catalogue also played, including hits 'I Surrender' and 'All Night Long'.
The stage set, a huge pair of eyes with rotating lights inside, was retained for this tour despite it being based on the 'Straight Between The Eyes' album cover of the previous year, presumably they thought it might as well get a belated outing in the UK! Turner's smoother style of vocal suited older, more ballad-related material such as 'Catch The Rainbow' more easily than heavier tracks such as 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll'.
The two dates went down well with the Liverpool audience, though an enduring memory for me was actually meeting Joe outside the venue shortly after their first night's performance. A confession from one of the gathered throng that the show had been taped prompted him to express some surprise - 'Really - you TAPED that s**t?' He'd felt that as it was the beginning of the tour the band had not yet got up to speed properly, but to a young rock fan like me, it was a great gig. What I hadn't realised was that (and the following night) would be the only times I'd see any incarnation of Rainbow live. I was too young to go to gigs when Dio was part of the band, and of course in the spring of 1984 Blackmore announced he was putting Rainbow 'on ice' - the reason for that became clear soon afterwards when news of the Deep Purple reunion was broken by Tommy Vance on his Friday Rock show on BBC Radio One.
Blackmore himself only returned to Merseyside twice after this; in autumn 1984 he, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, took part in a charity football game organised by Phil Easton of Radio City, held at Prescot (near Liverpool), and played a show in autumn 2001 at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall with Blackmore's Night. That was a vastly different experience to his Rainbow days, to put it mildly, and after he quit Deep Purple for the second and final time in 1993, he assembled a new band under the Rainbow name in 1995-96. That soon morphed into the Renaissance/folk influenced outfit Blackmore's Night, formed with his wife Candice Night, and they have since released numerous albums under that moniker.
From the 1983 album 'Bent Out of Shape' this is 'Street Of Dreams':
They had also appeared to have become a more stable outfit than had previously been the case, although Blackmore had once again made one change to the line-up with the recruitment of drummer Chuck Burgi in place of previous incumbent Bobby Rondinelli. 'Bent Out Of Shape' continued in this style, with singles 'Street Of Dreams' and 'Can't Let You Go' smoothly produced to get radio airplay, with Blackmore's guitar taking a less prominent role.
Rainbow had announced a UK tour for September of this year, which came as a surprise to your correspondent as they would start off with two shows at Liverpool's Royal Court theatre. Blackmore had been handed a life ban at the nearby Empire six years previously, when he ventured into the royal box during a Rainbow show there and proceeded to assault the ornate plasterwork with his guitar. He'd missed out the UK altogether during 1982's tour supporting previous album 'Straight Between The Eyes', with fans in this country having to settle for a live video release on VHS, taken from a US concert.
The support for this tour was Lita Ford, who was still making a name for herself following the demise of her old band the Runaways, and she gave a good account of herself performing tracks from her then-current release 'Out For Blood'. She later went in a more melodic rock direction herself and scored numerous hits towards the end of the 1980s but at this time, her style was more classic heavy metal. With the hall packed out, anticipation was high as the PA played the traditional 'Land Of Hope And Glory' prelude to the start of the concert. The clip from 'Wizard of Oz' as heard on Rainbow 'On Stage' heralded the group as they kicked things off with 'Spotlight Kid'. Five tracks from 'Bent Out Of Shape' were performed, with several fan favourites from across their back catalogue also played, including hits 'I Surrender' and 'All Night Long'.
The stage set, a huge pair of eyes with rotating lights inside, was retained for this tour despite it being based on the 'Straight Between The Eyes' album cover of the previous year, presumably they thought it might as well get a belated outing in the UK! Turner's smoother style of vocal suited older, more ballad-related material such as 'Catch The Rainbow' more easily than heavier tracks such as 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll'.
The two dates went down well with the Liverpool audience, though an enduring memory for me was actually meeting Joe outside the venue shortly after their first night's performance. A confession from one of the gathered throng that the show had been taped prompted him to express some surprise - 'Really - you TAPED that s**t?' He'd felt that as it was the beginning of the tour the band had not yet got up to speed properly, but to a young rock fan like me, it was a great gig. What I hadn't realised was that (and the following night) would be the only times I'd see any incarnation of Rainbow live. I was too young to go to gigs when Dio was part of the band, and of course in the spring of 1984 Blackmore announced he was putting Rainbow 'on ice' - the reason for that became clear soon afterwards when news of the Deep Purple reunion was broken by Tommy Vance on his Friday Rock show on BBC Radio One.
Blackmore himself only returned to Merseyside twice after this; in autumn 1984 he, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, took part in a charity football game organised by Phil Easton of Radio City, held at Prescot (near Liverpool), and played a show in autumn 2001 at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall with Blackmore's Night. That was a vastly different experience to his Rainbow days, to put it mildly, and after he quit Deep Purple for the second and final time in 1993, he assembled a new band under the Rainbow name in 1995-96. That soon morphed into the Renaissance/folk influenced outfit Blackmore's Night, formed with his wife Candice Night, and they have since released numerous albums under that moniker.
From the 1983 album 'Bent Out of Shape' this is 'Street Of Dreams':
Sunday 1 September 2013
Korean passenger jet shot down by Soviet fighter jets with loss of 269
A tragic Cold War incident took place in September 1983 when a civil airliner, Korean Air Lines flight KAL 007, heading for Seoul from Anchorage in Alaska, was shot down by Soviet fighter jets with the loss of 269 passengers and crew.
At first, the Soviets only admitted to an incident with an 'unidentified aircraft' which they claimed had violated their airspace, but later admitted that they had shot down the airliner, a Boeing 747, having insisted that the aircraft (flying in the dark) had violated Soviet airspace, was flying with no navigation lights and did not respond to communication.
Investigations, hampered somewhat by Soviet refusals to hand over evidence including the flight recorders, concluded that the aircraft had deviated from its scheduled course because of an error in the navigation system, which had not been spotted by the flight crew.
With the loss of all on board, including a sitting US congressman and 22 children under the age of 12, the incident increased an already-tense Cold War situation. The shooting was condemned by then US President Ronald Reagan, who subsequently ordered the banning of civilian flights by the Soviet airline Aeroflot to the United States.
It wasn't until the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and the election of Boris Yeltsin as Russian President, that more details emerged. Yeltsin authorised the release of top-secret memos and the fight recorders themselves, which bore out the theory that the aircraft had mistakenly deviated from its scheduled path.
Ultimately, the loss of 269 victims who had no connection, or interest in global politics was a black day, being as they were innocent victims of two global superpowers faced off against each other.
Artist's impression of KAL 007 (Wikipedia)
Friday 30 August 2013
1983 in television: Blockbusters starts and coins a catchphrase
A long-running game show made its UK debut in 1983, which eventually drew a large cult following and introduced a humorous catchphrase to the lexicon.
Blockbusters, hosted by veteran presenter Bob Holness, was based on an American format but it was the British version of the show which would run for longer. The premise was that a solo contestant would take on a team of two, in trying to complete a path of a game board consisting of hexagons, each with a letter. That letter would form the basis of the question which Holness would put to either side, and a successful answer won the hexagon. If the answer was wrong, the other side would get the chance to answer the question, win the hexagon and 'block' the path of their opponent. The team of two had the longer horizontal path across the board while the solo contestant would play vertically, the shorter route. The contestants were students, and Holness established himself as the older genial host. The humour often derived from a contestant requesting the hexagon containing the letter 'P', leading to the catchphrase "Can I Have A 'P' Please, Bob?".
The show ran for eleven years on ITV, and enjoyed its most successful period from about the late 1980s. Occasionally, the end credit sequence showed the studio audience performing the 'hand jive' to the theme music, something which became more frequent as it caught on in popularity.
The show eventually ended in 1994 after a short-lived move to satellite channel Sky One, but Bob Holness was indelibly associated with the programme for the remainder of his life. He died in January 2012 at the age of 83, and tributes to him inevitably focused on his time presenting 'Blockbusters'. Re-runs of the series are sometimes seen on UK satellite television today.
Here is the opening theme to 'Blockbusters' - hand jives optional!
Wednesday 28 August 2013
Music of 1983: Manilow Blenheim Palace gig
A balladeer from New York City, Barry Manilow had scored a string of UK hits from around the mid-1970s and was undeniably popular, despite his career coinciding with the era of punk and new wave, and despite his style being shamelessly 'middle-of-the-road'. His audience was definitely that of the older demographic, but his consistent success illustrated sharply that the music charts didn't belong exclusively to teenagers.
As a consequence, he was derided as 'uncool' by pretty much anyone under 30 who considered themselves a music fan, but this didn't affect his record sales, or his concert attendances. By 1983, he was sufficiently big to stage a huge summer outdoor concert in the UK. The location was a unusual one: the grounds of Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Duke of Marlborough was to be the setting. The Duke and Duchess were reportedly fans of Manilow themselves which made the arrangements possible.
An estimated 50,000 people attended the concert, and it was televised for transmission on BBC television. My memory of that transmission is that it seemed to be repeated over, and over again in a period of about six months following the concert! As a hard rock fan, and with only four TV channels to choose from at the time, that didn't go down at all well with my earlier self (!)
Manilow himself considered the concert to be a watershed moment, he hadn't realised just how big the audience was until later on in the show, when a sea of lighters, candles or torches were lit during one number. Overcome at the sight, he took a moment to compose himself.
Following this show he took some time away from the music scene; returning with an album more influenced by jazz rather than pop.
Barry Manilow is without doubt a 'Marmite' artist; someone you either love or hate. Whichever side you fall on, there was no doubt he was a hugely successful artist. If you've read this far, you are likely to actually watch the clip posted below! :D
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Thursday 22 August 2013
1983 in photography: popular cameras of the year
With photography being one of my passions in 1983 just as much as it is today, I thought I'd write about some of the developments (pun intended) in the photography world of 30 years ago. The period was one of intense competition between five major Japanese camera brands, as each tried to outdo the other with their flagship SLR (single-lens reflex) camera models. By 1983 however, SLR sales were starting to decline and makers were looking for new innovations to maintain their share of the market. The 35mm camera brand most favoured by professionals working in the field was Nikon, and their most recent professional model, the F3 had been released three years earlier to positive response. A variation on that model, the toughened-up F3/T (for 'titanium', used in its construction) was issued during 1983. Intended for use in extreme conditions where reliability was a must, it was available in black finish and also champagne coloured finish.
For the enthusiast or serious amateur, Nikon also released two other models in 1983. The FE2 was an improved version of their popular FE, featuring aperture-priority automatic and manual, but with a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 second. This was made possible by a revolutionary shutter design first seen on the FM2 of the previous year, and the design also allowed flash to be used at a maximum speed of 1/250 second. (Most SLR cameras of the time were only able to use flash at a speed no greater than 1/60 second; a handful did go to 1/125 second). The rugged design of Nikons meant that even models such as the FE2 or FM2 found favour with professionals.
Their other model released that year was the FA, the company's first venture into 'multi-mode' SLR production. This sector of the market had been sewn up by rivals Canon for the five years previously, as their flagship A-1 camera sold by the lorryload. Multi-mode meant that the camera could be used in more than one automatic mode; aperture priority (the user sets the lens aperture while the camera selected the correct shutter speed), shutter-speed priority (the other way around), or programmed mode where the camera would calculate the exposure selecting both aperture and shutter speed. The FA also had a new trick up its sleeve; its metering system was extremely advanced for the time and could calculate the correct setting using different segments of the scene. This is known today as 'matrix' metering, and was revolutionary in 1983. Almost every modern camera made today uses a variation of this system.
Canon meanwhile had tried a different approach with their latest SLR models. The T-series of SLRs began in 1983 with the launch of the T-50; this model was aimed at the photographer who wanted a first SLR and came with programmed exposure only (no manual mode) and in addition to that, it had a built-in power winder. The T-50 was soon overshadowed by subsequent models; the T-70 offered more control while the later, ultra-sophisticated T-90 became a design classic.
Pentax were a very popular choice of camera brand for enthusiasts in the UK at this time thanks largely to their ME-Super model of 1980, one of the best-selling camera models of the day. The Super-A, released in 1983, took things a stage further, once again offering multi-mode exposure systems and with a push-button system of operation similar to that of the ME-Super, it appeared to be the logical upgrade for ME-Super users. However, to achieve the multi-mode functionality, it was necessary for Pentax to modify their lens mount, adding electronic contacts to be used with a new range of lenses. Although existing lenses lacking the contacts fitted the new model. it meant that existing Pentax users were unable to take advantage of the Super-A's new features. It still won European Camera of the Year however, and it was soon accompanied by a slightly cheaper model, the Program-A.
Pentax Super-A (Wikipedia)
Meanwhile, Olympus had finally unveiled two new flagship models intended to replace their ageing SLR line-up. Their manual OM-1 and automatic OM-2 had been in production since the early 1970s, and although revolutionary for their day, other makers had caught up with them and in some cases were overtaking them. The OM-4 of 1983 was intended to be the successor to the OM-2, still offering automatic and manual exposure, it also had the most sophisticated metering system yet seen on an SLR camera. In short, it was able to 'spot-meter' up to eight different points and work out the correct exposure from an average of these. In addition, it could also 'spot' the darkest or lightest part of a scene and adjust its setting accordingly. The innovation didn't end there; Olympus had licked the problem of flash with focal-plane shutters once and for all with their new flashgun designed specifically for the OM-4. This flashgun allowed operation at any shutter speed; SLR cameras had a maximum speed where the shutter would fully open, beyond that the shutter would only open partially, with a 'slit' of light moving quickly across the frame. The new flash, called 'Full Synchro' worked by firing a continuous burst of light all through the shutter's motion, so the image would be correctly lit across the whole frame. The camera was a sensation and remained in production until 2002, albeit in a revised form with a titanium body (and higher price to match). The OM-3 (the successor to the manual, mechanical OM-1) boasted the same metering and flash features but without the automatic exposure; produced in limited quantities this model is now a much sought-after collectors' item.
The last of the major SLR makers, Minolta, were still two years away from launching their autofocus SLR (the Maxxum 7000) which would change the photography scene for good. They had a multi-mode SLR out already (the X-700, released in 1982) and their X-570 was a lower-specification, lower-priced variation of that. They were very much the lesser lights of the photography scene back then, but their autofocus 7000 and 9000 models which came later in the decade changed all of that and caught their rivals napping.
Autofocus had arrived with compact cameras by this time, a popular model was Canon's 'Sure Shot' 35mm with motor wind and a built-in flash to go with its autofocus ability.
However, early attempts at bringing autofocus to SLR cameras were clunky efforts, with the mechanisms often built into specially-developed lenses, adding extra bulk. The Pentax ME-F and Olympus OM-30 were SLR models with the ability to 'confirm' correct focus with an indicator in the viewfinder, but needed such a special lens to offer true autofocus. Nikon also offered a variant of their professional F3, the F3AF, but this was a very specialist and expensive item. The real revolution came two years later, as described above.
In the snapshot market, Kodak had launched Disc film and a whole new range of cameras. This film came in a format resembling a computer disk, inside was a wheel containing 15 individual frames of film. The makers trumpeted this as an innovative design allowing for neater, smaller cameras, however the format flopped badly since the negatives it gave were a very tiny 11mm x 8mm. This meant considerable enlargement to give even small prints, and the results were unacceptable to most users. Kodak got away with this trick a few years earlier with 110 film, a small drop-in cartridge offering negatives of 17mm x 13mm (compared to 24mm x 36mm on a 35mm film negative), which meant they could sell less film for the same money. However, by the time of Disc, the consumer had wised up to that ploy.
Kodak's short-lived Disc film and camera (Wikipedia)
Another innovation which failed to catch on was 3D stereo photography. The Nimslo camera (with four lenses set alongside each other) was finally launched this year after a lot of hype, but although it took conventional 35mm film, the lack of photofinishers geared up to handle the printing of these snaps meant that the product bombed, and the company soon collapsed.
Lastly, in the movie camera market, the whole industry had shifted to video by this time as video maker JVC produced VHS-C, a cut-down version of the VHS tape format (which would play in a conventional VHS player via an adapter) making smaller camcorders possible. Rival Sony responded with Video 8, a small-format tape designed specifically for their camcorders. Camcorders all but killed off the cine camera, as the Super-8 cine film format passed into history. In years to come, digital still photography would do the same thing to conventional film cameras.
Tuesday 20 August 2013
1983 in rock: Monsters of Rock festival
The Monsters of Rock festival, held at Donington Park, Leicestershire, England every summer had become a fixture in the rock fans' calendar since its inception in 1980. A one-day event featuring six or seven bands held in the centre of a motor racing circuit, it attracted star names such as Rainbow and AC/DC as headliners in the past. In 1983, the headliners were to be blues-rock stalwarts Whitesnake, topping a bill which aimed to mix old and new rock acts. Special guest was none other than Meat Loaf, who despite having gone on to make more music since his breakthrough album 'Bat Out Of Hell', was still strongly associated with that record. Texan blues-boogie masters ZZ Top were also on the bill, at the request of David Coverdale, along with up-and-coming shock rockers Twisted Sister. Rounding out the bill were Dio (who were making their debut UK appearance, having formed only months before) and openers Diamond Head, who had changed style somewhat with their 'Canterbury' album.
For me personally, this was a big event; only my second Monsters of Rock and the band I was looking forward to seeing the most was Dio. I'd become a big fan of Ronnie James Dio's work over the past year thanks to a friend who was a devotee, so much so he spent months tracking down some of RJD's more obscure work (these being the days when the Internet was a distant dream). With him having launched his own band in fine style that year with the 'Holy Diver' LP, the UK debut for his own band was eagerly anticipated.
My memories of the day are a little hazy now but I do remember only catching the end of Diamond Head, being more concerned with getting a spot to enjoy Dio's set. When they came on after a lengthy keyboard intro, and opened with 'Stand Up And Shout' off that 'Holy Diver' LP, something was immediately amiss. The guitar - where was it? Completely inaudible, the set got off the worst possible start as we could see, but not hear, axeman Vivian Campbell. The sound only began to straighten itself out after the second number, but somehow Ronnie James Dio held the whole thing together and that immense voice of his all but made up for the missing guitar. Once we could hear the whole band, it became a short but sweet run through of the choicest cuts from their album, plus a few oldies from his Rainbow and Black Sabbath days. They were only on stage for about 45 minutes, but arguably stole the day. Following this appearance the band returned to the UK in the autumn for a well-received tour.
Next up were Twisted Sister, a band who divided opinion mainly because of their outrageous appearance. Frontman Dee Snider gave short shrift to the infamous bottle-chuckers and after one rant where he offered to 'meet' anyone who cared to take him on personally, they settled and delivered a strong set. Snider, when not fronting up, was a strong vocalist and had to be, to follow Ronnie James Dio.
Things settled down for ZZ Top who delivered what I remember to be a chilled-out set, the highpoint of which was probably 'Tubesnake Boogie'. They hadn't quite broken through in this country yet, although 'Eliminator' was out by then, and it wasn't until two years later that they were big enough to headline this event themselves.
Meat Loaf was probably a bit too theatrical for this kind of event, though he gave a good performance, it didn't really go down that well with the audience who were by this time lobbing plastic bottles filled with dubious liquids everywhere. His set did lean heavily on 'Bat' despite having a new album 'Midnight At The Lost And Found' out at the time.
I've since become a big fan of Whitesnake, but 30 years ago was the first time I'd seen them at all. They had played here once before as special guests to AC/DC two years earlier, but by this time the classic line-up had splintered. David Coverdale had patched together a new line-up for this show and had been working on the 'Slide It In' album with producer Eddie Kramer. A single, 'Guilty Of Love' was rush-released to coincide with this show, and Coverdale's band comprised guitarist Micky Moody and keyboard player Jon Lord from the 'classic' band, with Cozy Powell coming in on drums, veteran blueser Colin 'Bomber' Hodgkinson on bass and former Trapeze guitarist Mel Galley completing the line-up. The latter had been working as a stagehand at this event 12 months previously; now he was part of the headline act.
Despite these changes to the personnel, it was still 'early' Whitesnake; the band adopted a quasi-military image for the occasion, styling themselves as 'Whitesnake Commandos', dressing in combats for the publicity photos and issuing T-shirts in khaki green with 'IV Donington Campaign '83' written in stencil-type lettering on the back. On stage however, it was jeans and T-shirts as usual. The set featured some of the older songs being played for the last time, including 'Lovehunter' and the Deep Purple classic 'Mistreated', and Coverdale is on record as having almost become overcome when the crowd took over 'Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City'.
The set went over well, and was filmed for a later video release. Behind the scenes however, things were still tempestuous. Moody quit shortly after this show after a backstage dispute with Coverdale, and soon afterward 'Bomber' Hodgkinson followed suit. The album sessions they'd been working on with Eddie Kramer were completely discarded and Coverdale started afresh, recalling bassist Neil Murray to the ranks and recruiting hotshot guitarist John Sykes from Thin Lizzy. He also brought Martin Birch back to the producer's chair, but the turbulence caused a planned run of UK dates at the end of 1983 to be cancelled, and rescheduled for spring 1984.
It was only the beginning of a tempestuous period for Coverdale and his troops of course, which ultimately would lead to huge success across the pond, but that is something for a completely different article!
Here is Whitesnake with 'Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City' from Donington 1983:
Whitesnake - Ain't no love in the heart of the... by trashking
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