Blitz Wolf (1942)

This was Tex Avery's Directional debut for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

An unashamed WWII propaganda cartoon which was nominated

for the Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons

but lost out to 'Der Fuehrer's Face',

another anti-Nazi World War II parody featuring Donald Duck.

It is based on the Three Little Pigs children's story

with Adolf, unsurprisingly, cast as the Big Bad Wolf.

Tex Avery was always controversial

and there are many things of interest to the keen eyed viewer.

Alongside the smorgasbord of cultural references there are various 'edits'.

Some were done to the original before release.

Others were done later.

Here's a selection of things I find interesting (there are numerous others)

The sign labelled "No Dogs Allowed" has 'Dogs' crossed out.

'Dogs' was originally replaced by 'Japs' but it is blurred out in yellow.

When one of the shells hits the wolf's tank it turns into cans.

A reference to the scrap metal drives during World War II.

Sergeant Pork was based on a famous World War I hero Sergeant York.

The two pigs sing to Sergeant Pork:

You're in the Army Now,

You're Not Behind the Plow,

You're Diggin' a Ditch,

[pause and motion freeze],

You're in the Army Now!

The pause was inserted to replace the line "You Son of a Bitch",

which was deemed inappropriate for a film at the time.

regards

Titus

link

World War II in Colour (2008)

Episode 11 - The Island War

An aggressive war is being waged against the Japanese.

The United States is now starting to use a new tactic of island-hopping,

resulting in the slow crumbling of the Japanese air force and navy.

regards

Titus

link

Jerry Sadowitz is an American-born Scottish stand-up comedian and magician.

I saw him perform a couple of times in the late 1980s.

It's not something one ever forgets.

I enjoyed watching the audiences gradually thin out

as he explored every possible avenue to offend everyone.

Sadowitz was born in June 1961 in New Jersey, the son of a Scottish-Jewish mother

named Roslyn and a Jewish-American father who worked as a scrap metal merchant.

His parents split up when he was three, and he moved with his mother

back to her native Glasgow when he was seven.

Jerry has had very little TV exposure due to the uncompromising nature of his humour.

He shocked me too at times but I stuck it out because that's the fucking point.

There's little around online but, in a very old box, I found this very old DVD.

Non-Brits (and even some Brits) may find his accent difficult to understand.

In 1991, Sadowitz was knocked unconscious by an audience member

during a performance at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal,

where he mocked French Canadians,

starting with the greeting "Hello moosefuckers! I tell you why I hate Canada,

half of you speak French, and the other half let them."

The rarely quoted follow-up line,

which Sadowitz claims is what actually led to him being attacked,

was "Why don't you speak Indian? You might as well speak the language

of the people you stole the country off of in the first place."

Sadowitz's 2022 Edinburgh Fringe show was cancelled after one night

because staff members—and, reportedly, audience members

at the Pleasance theatre found the material offensive.

The venue later clarified that this was due to

"racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny",

that "the material presented at his first show is not acceptable

and does not align with our values",

and that he had exposed his penis to a member of the audience.

He is a fantastic magician particularly skilled in card tricks

including amazing close-up work.

A subject on which he seems to be something of an expert/historian.

So I hope anyone unfamiliar with Jerry will understand

this is not suitable for the easily offended

and even the difficultly offended amongst you may take the odd hit :)

regards

Titus

link

p.s. If you click on the Jerry Sadowitz label

you can read a older post I wrote about him and David Icke.

My Great (x50K) Uncle Thug invented music just over a million years ago.

He would bang on some wood with another piece of wood...rhythmically.

It annoyed the neighbours who would bang on the adjoining cave wall.

So he invented that too.

You can still hear his music coming from VW Golfs.

He never received a penny in royalties.

The family is still embroiled in legal disputes to this day

which have dragged on for just over a million years.

In 1966 time travellers travelled back in time

to film the documentary 'One Million Years B.C.'

They were looking for extras and my Uncle Thug volunteered.

He played a supporting role alongside Raquel Welsh's bra.

The documentary proved, once and for all, that dinosaurs and humans

did, in fact, co-exist (at the same time) but didn't mix socially.

regards

Titus

Alice Cooper

Millennium Masquerade

Cooperstown

Phoenix, AZ

December 31st 1999/January 1st 2000

Remastered audience recording.

Not the best sound quality but a good fun New Years Eve bash.

Recorded at Alice's restaurant.

The Disc 2 'bar-band' set is from an alternative source.

regards

Titus

Disc 1

01 Hello Hooray

02 Sideshow

03 Billion Dollar Babies

04 No More Mr. Nice Guy

05 Be My Lover

06 Lost in America

07 Is it My Body?

08 I'm Eighteen

09 From the Inside

10 Only Women Bleed

11 Steven

12 Poison

13 Cold Ethyl

14 Auld Lang Syne

15 Halo of Flies

16 School's Out

Disc 2

01 Brown Sugar

02 Start Me Up

03 Honky Tonk Women

04 I Saw Her Standing There

05 Can't Buy Me Love

06 Drive My Car

07 Revolution

08 Jailhouse Rock

09 All Shook Up

10 Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

11 Under My Wheels

link

Symphony in Slang (1951)

Frederick Bean 'Tex' Avery (February 26th 1908 – August 26th 1980)

was an American animator, film director and voice actor.

He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons

during the golden age of American animation.

Avery was a genius but some of his work is controversial

due to his depictions of African/Native American characters.

His time at MGM is considered to be the peak of his career.

Symphony in Slang is one of my favourites.

This copy has optional French subtitles

and a choice of audio in English or French.

I'm bemused as to how this can be translated into any language.

Surely the slang/puns would only work in Americanised English?

When I'm in the right mood this cartoon can make me cry with laughter.

That bloody cat that always gets me :)

regards

Titus

link

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

The Sun, Dear Readers, has often been worshipped as a deity.

It certainly has a valid claim on the "Giver of Life" title.

According to Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity,

gravity travels at the speed of light.

If the sun suddenly vanished, Earth would keep orbiting normally

for 8 minutes and 20 seconds before flying off into space.

As light also travels at the speed of itself there would be no warning.

The First Minutes and Hours

The 8-Minute Delay: We would still see the sun shining and feel its pull.

Sudden Darkness: After 8 minutes and 20 seconds, the light would stop completely

and the moon would go dark becoming just a circle where there are no visible stars.

Loss of Orbit: The Earth would fly off in a straight line into space

at about 30k per second and the Moon will come along for the ride.

Days and Weeks

Freezing Surface: Temperatures would drop fast,

falling below freezing globally within a week.

End of Photosynthesis: Plants would stop making food immediately.

Most small plants would die in days.

No Weather: Rain and the water cycle would stop

because there is no heat to evaporate water.

Long-Term Survival

Frozen Wasteland: Within a year, surface temperatures

would drop to around -100°F (-73°C).

Deep Ocean Life: Deep-sea creatures near hydrothermal vents

could survive for a long time using chemical energy instead of sunlight.

Human Shelters: Humans could only survive deep underground

using nuclear or geothermal energy.

(Well that was fun...Ed.)

regards

Titus

The Fixx

The Ritz

New York City

July 10th 1986

Remastered FM.

A very good recording from the Westwood One Superstars in concert series.

regards

Titus

01 intro/Deeper and Deeper

02 Cameras in Paris

03 Less Cities, More Moving People

04 Saved by Zero

05 Sense the Adventure

06 Opinions

07 Chase the Fire

08 Built for the Future

09 Secret Separation

10 Are We Ourselves?

11 Can't Finish what You Started

12 Question

13 Lost Planes

14 Camphor

15 Walkabout

16 One Thing Leads to Another

17 Red Skies/outro

link

Americans wake up...you are being lied to.

Africa does not look like this:

It looks like this::

regards

Titus

Curriculee Curricula (1978)

A made-for-TV musical/rock opera starring Chris Farlowe and Sonja Kristina.

The music was composed by Dave Greenslade.

Dave had been steadily making inroads into the world of TV music

since his work on the classic 'Gangsters' series.

Not sure how he managed to get this one commissioned though.

It's good fun with some great tunes but the plot is ultra thin :)

regards

Titus

link

Nucleus

Molde Jazz Festival

Rådhuset

Molde, Norway

August 2nd/3rd 1974

Reposted from November 2023

Taken from a Norwegian TV broadcast.

This is a real gem and includes an interview with Ian.

They played on two days so I can't be sure when the footage was shot.

featuring: 

Ian Carr - trumpet, flugelhorn

Bob Bertles - alto saxophone, flute

Ken Shaw - guitar

Geoff Castle - keyboards

Roger Sutton - bass

Bryan Spring - drums

regards

Titus

link

Colosseum

Sendesaal Studio F

Bremen, Germany

November 20th 1970

Remastered FM.

Not the best sound quality but the music is great.

regards

Titus 

01 intro/Downhill and Shadows

02 Take Me Back to Doomsday

03 Tanglewood '63

04 Lost Angeles 

bonus:

La Taverne de L'Olympia

Paris, France (TV broadcast)

July 7th 1971

05 Skellington

06 Tanglewood '63

07 Summertime

link

World War II in Colour (2008)

Episode 10 - Closing the Ring

The Allies are now on the offensive on all three fronts.

I'm not keen on heights at the best of time.

Parachuting into hostile territory?

The Germans introduce the V2 rocket.

The scientists and technicians involved would largely escape justice.

They were whisked away to work for their new bosses.

As forces push through Europe soldiers start uncovering Hitler's death camps.

This was the Allies' first concrete knowledge of the Holocaust.

There are many shocking images throughout the series

but these later episodes are particularly sobering.

I feel it's worth warning you in advance.

Brings the Frau Luxor to tears.

regards

Titus

link

if 

BBC In Concert

Paris Theatre

London, UK

July 22nd 1972 (broadcast date)

Reposted from August 2020

A much overlooked band who were fine musicians.

I guess I'd call it jazz rock.

This is a superb recording.

Only 30 mins long so a nice introduction for the newcomer

and a must-have addition to any fan's collection.

regards

Titus

1. The Light Still Shines

2. What Did I Say About The Box, Jack?

3. Waterfall

4. Seldom Seen Sam

link

BBC Blues sessions

Volume 5

Reposted from October 2020

This took me back to 1979 when I saw Southside Johnny.

They were on the bill at Led Zeppelin's Knebworth show.

Fair to say I am now more responsive to their big band style than I was back then.

regards

Titus

Angela Brown & The Mighty 45s

01. People Will Be People - 2nd November 2006 

02. Either Way We Lose - 2nd November 2006

03. You Didn't Want What You Had - 2nd November 2006

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes

(Cardiff tracks were Broadcast on The Bob Harris saturday night show)

04. The Fever - Live At Cardiff Coal Exchange 14th October 2001

05. Tired Skin - Live At Cardiff Coal Exchange 14th October 2001

06. I Don't Wanna Go Home - Live At Cardiff Coal Exchange 14th October 2006

07. Key To The Highway (Paul Jones show session) - 9th November 2006

08. Into The Harbour (Paul Jones show session) - 9th November 2006

09. C'mon Caroline (Paul Jones show session) - 9th November 2006

10. Nothin' But A Heartache (Paul Jones show session) - 9th November 2006

Eric Bibb

11. Stagger Lee - 16th November 2006

12. Got To Do Better - 16th November 2006

13. Destiny Blues - 16th November 2006

14. Going Down Slow

(from Jools Holland's radio show with Jool's Rhythm section) - 27th November 2006 

15. In My Father's House

(from Jools Holland's 'Later' TV show) - Broadcast 8th December 2006

16. The Needed Time - Cambridge Folk Festival 2002

17. Shingle By Shingle - Cambridge Folk Festival 2002

18. Good Stuff - Cambridge Folk Festival 2002

link

Clever Clogs

About 40 years ago I had a workmate who was really smart.

He worked on the latest tech and was clued up on  computer programming etc.

Back then there was no internet access to speak of

and our work involved some maths including quadratic equations,

trigonometry and calculations involving Pi.

If I was ever unsure I could rely on my colleague to verify my workings out.

It turned out we were both keen chess players.

So we began playing at work when we had the time.

Some great games as we were equally matched.

At that time we worked a day/night shift.

There was a gap between shifts and you never actually saw the next person

so it was customary to leave a note for them.

I had seen my co-worker's notes.

He could not spell, had no concept of punctuation

and didn't know the difference between there, their and they're.

I was shocked.

One day I plucked up the courage and asked:

"How can someone as clever as you have such little grasp of written English?"

He replied:

"That's what I think about you when you can't do trigonometry"

Checkmate.

regards

Titus

if

My Father's Place

Roslyn, NY

March 5th 1974

Reposted from September 2023

Remastered FM broadcast.

A band who deserve much more recognition than they tend to garner.

Multiple tours in the US suggests they may have

found a more appreciative audience over there.

Their blend of jazz rock reminds me, at times, of 'It's a Beautiful Day'.

regards

Titus

01 What did I Say about the Box Jack?

02 Chiswick High Road Blues

03 In the Winter of Your Life

04 I Believe in Rock & Roll

05 Follow that with Your Performing Seals

06 Raw Sewage

link

XTC

Michigan Theatre

Ann Arbor, MI

January 22nd 1980

Reposted from October 2021

XTC were possibly too clever for their own good.

This is an FM sourced recording of their set as openers for The Police.

The arrangements/interplay between the two guitars is stunning.

I've always wondered about the name of this town...so I looked it up:

Ann Arbor gets its name from the first wives of its two founders,

John Allen and Elisha Rumsey, who were both named Ann,

combined with the natural bur oak trees in the area. 

The settlement was officially registered with Wayne County (that mame rings bells)

as 'Annarbour' on May 25th 1824 (my birthday...so to speak) 

regards

Titus

01 Beatown

02 Real by Reel

03 When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty

04 Life Begins at the Hop

05 The Rhythm

06 Meccanik Dancing

07 Roads Girdle the Globe

08 Ten Feet Tall

09 Helicopter

10 This Is Pop?

11 Battery Brides

12 Instant Tunes

13 Crowded Room

14 Complicated Game

15 Making Plans For Nigel

link

Reposted from September 2023

I was rummaging through my 'papers'

looking for some obscure document I'd foolishly signed in 1984

when I came across this old flyer from a 1992 gig in Cambridge.

We had shortened the previous Phineas Foam name.

We were just Foam by this point.

Our 'opening act' was the Sweden/France Euros game shown on a big screen

It ended in a 1-1 draw although I didn't watch much

because I was busy making sure all MY stuff was turned up to eleven.

It was a big place and it was rammed with students.

You can imagine what happened at 8pm: (see flyer)

It was a good gig and we went down well as I recall.

Captive audience, mainly there for the cheap beer, I know.

A couple of people said we were the best band they'd ever seen there.

but they were, admittedly, the usual unkempt misfits.

This was the view from the stage:

I like students

...but I couldn't eat a full one.

regards

Titus

Blue Öyster Cult

Rockin' Rodeo

Bakersfield, CA

January 26th 1998

Remastered audience recording.

Medium quality...needs playing loud.

Going off Eric's comments I assume the gig was not well attended.

I believe the venue developed a bad reputation

and was eventually closed down following a murder or two.

I find it genuinely sad that it isn't the first time I've written

something along those lines after researching small US venues.

What's wrong with a good old-fashioned punch-up?

No chance of a re-match post-murder.

God bless America :)

Buck is God (Don't listen to him...Ed.)

regards

Titus

Disc 1

01 intro

02 Stairway to the Stars

03 Before the Kiss (A Redcap)

04 E.T.I.

05 Burnin' for You

06 Harvest Moon

07 Buck's Boogie

08 The Vigil

09 Live for Me

10 See You in Black

Disc 2

01 Flaming Telepaths

02 (Then Came) The Last Days of May

03 In Thee

04 Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll

05 Godzilla

06 (Don't Fear) The Reaper

07 OD'd on Life Itself

08 Dominance and Submission

09 outro

link

The Castle Museum in York is a marvelous place to visit.

There is a reproduction of an entire Victorian street area 'Kirkgate':

If you hang around there for a while it gradually goes through a day/night cycle.

You can go inside many of the buildings and explore the dingy back alleys.

Among the museum's, wide and varied, exhibits there's a whole section devoted to WWI.

As you leave the Great War area you pass through a room

which has large blackboards covering the walls and a supply of chalk.

Visitors are invited to leave their comments.

Most are praising the presentation or expressing sorrow for the loss of life.

I've been many times over the years but one occasion in that room stands out.

A family walked in and their young son was thrilled to see the blackboards.

He ran over, grabbed a stick of chalk and in large letters wrote...LOL

It could be tempting to go into "I blame the parents" mode.

Or, like me,  you could have an inner cynical devil who thinks:

'Good on yer kid. This blackboard idea is a bit cheesy'

My long term assessment? I'd prefer kids to grow up in a peaceful world.

Let them be free to not know or care.

Plenty of time for them to reflect more seriously when they get older.

Tanks are cool/LOL/Can I have an ice cream?

I think all kids should think that way. I'm sure I did.

regards

Titus

World War II in Colour (2008)

Episode 9 - Overlord

Following careful planning and tremendous secrecy

but, perhaps, more importantly Hitler's lack of attention,

the Allies successfully breach mainland Europe through the Normandy landings.

After thousands of lives are lost to the operation,

the Allies are able to start the liberation of Western Europe.

Whatever circumstances you are born into is 'normal'.

I have heard people who grew up during the London Blitz say how great it was

because you had all those bombed out buildings to explore and play in.

These kids are barely distracted from their skipping rope:

Someone born 18 years after the Falklands War would be about 26 now.

I was born about 18 years after WWII ended.

It was 'History' and was taught in the same way they taught about ancient Rome.

Now it feels very recent and I suspect we "baby boomers" were bred to fight in the next war.

Incentives to have more kids run throughout all these War histories.

They had not predicted the 'Cold War' so we didn't die.

Instead, we bought all the houses, had less children

and built up pensions we were never expected to draw.

The consequences are glaringly obvious.

regards

Titus

link

Max Webster

Gasworks Tavern

Toronto, ON, Canada

December 22nd 1976

Remastered soundboard.

There are a few cuts but overall it's quite good.

I used patching and devilish trickery to make it flow reasonably smoothly.

Some great Zappa-esque guitar from Kim Mitchell.

Highly recommended.

regards

Titus

01 In Context of the Moon

02 Beyond the Moon

03 Lily

04 Words to Words

05 Blue River Liquor Shine

06 Toronto Tontos

07 Only Your Nose Knows

08 Coming Off the Moon

09 On the Road

10 Summer's Up

11 Let Your Man Fly

12 Hangover

13 Here Among the Cats

link

Evil Roy Slade (1972)

"The meanest villain in the West".

A classic spoof wild-Western tale.

Starring John Astin (Gomez from the Adams Family)

Astin is good but I think the role was tailor-made for Lemmy :)

Lookout: "Hey Evil Roy, there's someone coming"

Roy: "Kill him"

Lookout: "It's a woman"

Roy: "Wound her"

I know it's corny but it always makes me smile.

regards

Titus

link