My Top Thirteen Epic Songs

It all began because I tried in vain to list my top 13 songs of all time – 130 would be nearer the mark. So then I thought of my top 13 acts and tried to pick one song. I started to write that these are probably the band’s one defining song (think Journey: Don’t Sop Believing, Billy Joel: Piano Man, Meatloaf: Bat Outta Hell), the one most people expect to hear if they go to a live show. But then I realised those weren’t the ones I’d necessarily pick as a favourite – iconic, for sure, but not my go-to on my comfort-songs playlist – these tend to be longer than normal, usually a story song, huge arrangements bordering on operatic and when the last note dies, you need a pause because you’ve been put through a massive emotional journey.
A Magnum Opus.
I’d intended to call these “Opus” songs, but after a lively debate with my better half, decided on epic instead.

To my mind, these are the exact definition of a magnus opus – “a large and important work of art, music, or literature, especially one regarded as the best work of an artist composer, or writer.” The first one of those, for me, was Keith West’s awesome “Excerpt From a Teenage Opera,” ending poignantly with a bunch of kids singing:
“Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack, is it true what Mummy said, you won’t come back? Oh no, no.”

After that, there were a bunch of standout songs, all the way to Queen’s unashamedly operatic offering in 1975 – which most people would have as their number one. But for me there were a couple which are more personal to me for one reason or another.
This post will be a work in progress as I remember more and more I can’t leave off the list.

1. Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper 1978
2. Disturbed – Sound of Silence 2015
3. Whitesnake – Still of the Night 1987
4. Thin Lizzie – Still in Love with You 1974
5. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody 1975
6. Billy Joel – Scenes from an Italian Restaurant 1977
7. John Miles – Music 1976
8. Richard Harris – MacArthur Park 1968
9. ELO – Mr Blue Sky 1978
10. Ultravox – Vienna 1981
11. Slade – How Does it Feel? 1975
12. Styx – A.D. 1928/Rocking the Paradise 1981
13. Carpenters – Goodbye to Love 1972

Interesting that 8 of them were from my favourite decade – the 70s. And only one from this millenium!
As ever, I had so many, so here’s another bunch:

Journey – Change for the Better 2008
Spandau Ballet – Through the Barricades 1986
David Bowie – As the World Falls Down 1986
City Boy – Ambition 1979
Manfred Man’s Earth Band – Joybringer 1973
Meatloaf – Paradise by the Dashboard Light 1977
My Chemical Romance – Welcome to the Black Parade 2006
Foo Fighters – Everlong 1997
Wings – Live and Let Die 1973
Python Lee Jackson – In a Broken Dream 1972
Richard Marx – Hazard 1991
Hollies – Air that I Breathe 1974
Sad Café –Every Day Hurts 1979
Beach Boys – Good Vibrations 1966
Rush – Spirit of Radio 1980
Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush Don’t Give Up 1986
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Legend Of Xanadu 1968
Keith West – Excerpt From a Teenage Opera 1967
Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe – Barcelona 1987
Bee Gees – New York Mining Disaster 1941 1967

Time Travellers – Guess the Year #4

Famous Hatches, Matches and Dispatches from this year
Births:
Emma Stone, Vanessa Hudgens, Rupert Grint, Rose McIver, Adele, Jessie J & Rhianna

Marriages:
Mike Tyson and Robin Givens, Mick Fleetwood and Sara Recor, Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Jonathan Frakes and Genie Francis, Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan, Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis

Deaths:
Roy Orbison (52), Andy Gibb (30), Kenneth Williams (62), Trevor Howard (75) & Roy Kinnear(54)

Time Travellers – Guess the Year #3

Famous Hatches, Matches and Dispatches from this year
Births:
Adam Sandler, Helena Bonham Carter, Halle Berry, John Cusack, Kiefer Sutherland, David Schwimmer, Rick Astley, Salma Hayek, Janet Jackson, Jon Favreau, Eric Cantona, Mike Tyson, & Gordon Ramsay

Marriages:
George Harrison and Patti Boyd, Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Brigitte Bardot and Gunter Sachs, Dolly Parton and Carl Dean

Deaths:
Walt Disney(65), Montgomery Clift(46), Evelyn Waugh (63), Johnny Kidd(31) & Buster Keaton(71)

Guess who’s 40 on Sunday 13th July?

If you listen to radio/watch TV in the UK, you can’t be unaware that this Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of a rather special day back in 1985.
Where were you when Mr Geldorf was letting loose his potty mouth all over the BBC?
If you listen to Greatest Hits Radio (home of Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo), you’ll know they’re playing all the original recordings from 12 noon on the 13th. Enjoy.

Time Travellers – Guess the year #2

Famous Hatches, Matches and Dispatches from this year:
Births:
Rowan Atkinson, Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammer, Billy Bob Thornton, Bruno Tonioli, Olga Korbut, Simon Rattle and Yo-Yo Ma

Marriages:
Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck and Veronique Passani, Rock Hudson and Phyllis Gates, Clark Gable and Kay Spreckles, Michael Caine and Patricia Haines

Deaths:
Albert Einstein (76), James Dean (24), Alexander Fleming (74), Charlie Parker (35)

While researching, I noticed some fun coincidences among people born that year, must have been something in the water.
Inventors: Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple) & Tim Berners-Lee (World Wide Web)
Musicians: Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen), Angus Young (AC/DC), Billy Idol (Generation X)
Actresses in Sci-Fi series: Kate Mulgrew (Captain Katherine Janeway), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), Mira Furlan (Ambassador Delenn), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan) – can you guess the odd one out?

Time Doctor 1 – Time Travellers

Famous Hatches, Matches and Dispatches from this year:
Births
Liv Tyler, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tom Hardy, Orlando Bloom, Michael Fassbender, Chris Martin, Richard Ayoade & Shakira

Marriages
David Cassidy and Kay Lenz, Brian May and Chrissie May, Marvin Gaye and Janis Hunter,
Bruce Boxleitner and Kathryn Holcomb, Chris De Burgh and Diane Davison,
Graham Nash and Susan Sennett, Donald Trump and Ivana Zelníčková

Deaths
Elvis Presley(42), Charlie Chaplin(88), Bing Crosby(74) & Marc Bolan (30)

Solstice Greetings – Happy Midsummer

I just happened to be up at the crack of dawn (or actually quite a while later) in time to watch the sun rise above the horizon, and the scene through my front window had that golden orb shining between the tall trees in the park opposite. Unfortunately I wasn’t sharp enough to grab my camera, but the closest I could find was this.
The sun reflecting off the white side door had a buttery creaminess to it, reminding me of how special the sunrise is at that time of year.

I only joined the throng at Stonehenge once and was most disappointed by the lack of respect of the lumpenproletariat as they swarmed all over the stones and left their detritus behind. And it was cloudy! This year’s figure mentions 25 thousand – my idea of hell. I much prefer the celebration at Avebury – much smaller and more spiritual, although plenty of entertainment with drummers and fire-poi dancers.

It’s been a while since I did the epic drive – these days the spirit is willing, but you know the rest. I keep promising myself to do Glastonbury Tor one year – we’ll see.

Celebrating Fathers

For years, I got quite worked up about the fact Mother’s Day is always on the shortest day of the year (not the Winter Solstice, but because the clocks move forward). And then Father’s Day is on the longest day of the year (but not when the clocks go back). For several years the Summer Solstice fell on the same weekend, so I had to run around doing stuff for my husband, his father and mine before I could drive down to Avebury to celebrate with like-minded people.

So this year, with it being on the 15th, nearly caught me out, and I looked into why it wasn’t on the 22nd as I would have expected. A few keystrokes later, I discovered it’s celebrated in the UK on the third Sunday in June. The one in June celebrated in the UK is a relatively modern tradition, adopted from the United States. where the first unofficial Father’s day was held on 19 June 1910. It was introduced by Sonora Smart Dodd from Arkansas, who wanted to honour her widowed father’s dedication to raising six children after his wife died in childbirth. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honouring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. From there, it was made a permanent national holiday by President Richard Nixon in 1972.The idea spread internationally, and by the 1970s, it became popular in the UK. Many people celebrate with cards, gifts and homemade school projects. The day often starts with children preparing breakfast in bed, followed later by a family meal. Dad is treated like royalty and not allowed to lift a finger – not even to make a cup of tea.

In Germany, Father’s Day – Vatertag – (also known as Männertag gentlemen’s day/boys’ day out) is celebrated on Ascension Day – the Thursday forty days after Easter. One tradition involves young and older males taking parts in hiking tours. They take small wagons filled with beer and Hausmannkost – simple, hearty dishes prepared at home. Alternatively, they ride beer-bikes, but the general idea is plenty of fun, beer and no responsibility.

In Paraguay, Father’s Day is celebrated with a traditional banquet of Paraguayan food like chipa (cheese-flavoured rolls), mbeju (starch cake) and sopa paraguaya (similar to corn bread).

First promoted In France by the manufacturer of cigarette lighters “Flaminaire” in Bretagne (1946 to 1969) known for inventing the first gas cigarette lighter, who had the brilliant idea to boost his sales by pushing the then little known holiday.  At the time, smoking was a sign of masculinity and virility and a cigarette lighter was the perfect gift choice. Officially recognised in 1952 (on the third Sunday in June), dads and father figures got nominated for a national prize by the social services of each town hall or mayor’s office.

In Thailand, Father’s Day takes place on 5 December, (birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej). Traditionally, Thais would celebrate by giving their father figures a canna flower, although this is not as popular anymore. They also wear yellow and light candles to show respect for the late king, who was seen as the “father of the nation”.

In Japan, traditional gifts for Father’s Day include sake (Japanese rice wine), shochu (Japanese liquor), gourmet food and various sweets.

My Cover Designers 3 – Getcovers

Post-pandemic saw a new era, and 2022 saw me releasing three books in the Calamity Chicks series with my own cover designs (more about those later).
Then I heard Keith A Pearson, a phenomenal Time Travel author on Ken Bruce’s Popmaster, and it was a defining moment. After reading a stack of stories by Keith and Adam Eccles, I was inspired, and abandoned my retro chick-lit series.

I had the idea of a bunch of 30-something nerds – like a British version of Big Bang Theory. But I couldn’t just do a straight Time-Travel adventure – my fascination with Dungeons and Dragons, meant I did a genre mash-up – given the growing interest in series like Big Bang, Stranger things and even iZombie, I hoped I’d be onto a winner.

As ever, I’d left it far too late to ask anyone, so I had a go myself, based on the general lad-lit covers format of plain background (left).
Pitiful, eh?

Then someone mentioned Getcovers, and they did a phenomenal job in just under a week (right).
Talk about a transformation!

I managed to squeeze books 1 and 2 in before the end of 2022 – which was a tough target, as I didn’t start Just in Time until November, but thanks to NaNoWriMo, I wrote it in a month. Two years later, I pubbed the sixth book, and here are the glorious covers. Didn’t they do well?

I cannot recommend this Ukrainian outfit enough.
Every dealing I’ve had with them has been an enjoyable experience thanks to the friendly, helpful project managers, and the designers have taken on board every note and quickly tweaked the cover to my satisfaction.

I was so impressed, I got them to redo the Calamity Chicks covers. The differences between my covers and theirs are subtle, but they have a huge impact.

Eurovision Winners – Part 3

So it took a while, but continuing our tradition, I watched the movie: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Although it’s only been a year since I last saw it, as ever, there were one or two wee scenes which caught me unawares. I hadn’t really clocked quite how many previous contestants bought into the idea.
There were a whole bunch of cameos from actual Eurovision winners including:

Salvador Sobral, the Portuguese singer who won the contest in 2017 with “Amar Pelos Dois,” who appears briefly as a street performer in Scotland.

John Lundvik, who kicks off the song-a-long, is a Swedish pop singer who placed fifth in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv with the song “Too Late for Love.”

Anna Odobescu represented Moldova in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, where she performed “Stay.”

Bilal Hassani represented France in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Roi.” He made it to the finals, ultimately placing 16th.

Loreen is a Swedish pop singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with her song “Euphoria.”

Jessy Matador represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo with “Allez Ola Olé,” which placed 12th:


Also:

  • Alexander Rybak is a Belarusian Norwegian singer and violinist who has represented Norway in two separate Eurovision Song Contests. In 2009, he won the contest with “Fairytale,” which features some very energetic violin playing, and In 2018, Rybak returned with “That’s How You Write a Song,” which placed 15th.
  • Jamala is a Ukrainian singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with “1944,” a song about Stalin and Beria’s deportation of the Crimean Tartars.
  • Elina Nechayeva represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, placing eighth with “La Forza.”
  • Conchita Wurst, the stage persona of Austrian singer Thomas Neuwirth, won the contest in 2014 with “Rise Like a Phoenix.”
  • Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, with “Toy.”
YearCountrySongPerformer
1956 Switzerland “Refrain “Lys Assia
1957 Netherlands“Net als toen”Corry Brokken
1958 France“Dors, mon amour”André Claveau
1959 Netherlands“Een beetje”Teddy Scholten
1960 France“Tom Pillibi”Jacqueline Boyer
1961 Luxembourg“Nous les amoureux”Jean-Claude Pascal
1962 France“Un premier amour”Isabelle Aubret
1963 Denmark“Dansevise”Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann
1964 Italy“Non ho l’età”Gigliola Cinquetti
1965 Luxembourg“Poupée de cire, poupée de son”France Gall
1966 Austria“Merci, Chérie”Udo Jürgens
1967 United Kingdom“Puppet on a String”Sandie Shaw
1968 Spain“La La La”Massiel
1969 Spain“Vivo cantando”Salomé
United Kingdom“Boom Bang-a-Bang”Lulu
Netherlands“De troubadour”Lenny Kuhr
France“Un jour, un enfant”Frida Boccara
1970 Ireland“All Kinds of Everything””Dana
1971 Monaco“Un banc, un arbre, une rue”Séverine
1972 Luxembourg“Après toi”Vicky Leandros
1973 Luxembourg“Tu te reconnaîtras”Anne-Marie David
1974 Sweden“Waterloo”ABBA
1975 Netherlands“Ding-a-dong”Teach-In
1976 United Kingdom“Save Your Kisses for Me”Brotherhood of Man
1977 France“L’Oiseau et l’Enfant”Marie Myriam
1978 Israel“A-Ba-Ni-Bi” Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta
1979 Israel“Hallelujah”Milk and Honey
1980 Ireland“What’s Another Year”Johnny Logan
1981 United Kingdom“Making Your Mind Up”Bucks Fizz
1982 Germany“Ein bißchen Frieden”Nicole
1983 Luxembourg“Si la vie est cadeau”Corinne Hermès
1984 Sweden“Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley“Herreys
1985 Norway“La det swinge”Bobbysocks!
1986 Belgium“J’aime la vie”Sandra Kim
1987 Ireland“Hold Me Now”Johnny Logan
1988 Switzerland“Ne partez pas sans moi”Céline Dion
1989 Yugoslavia“Rock Me”Riva

A few fun facts and figures:
The performer and the songwriter(s) of the winning song only receive a medal or a trophy, while its participating broadcaster is invited to host the following year’s contest. Since 2008, the performer has been awarded a handmade trophy of sandblasted glass in the shape of a 1950s microphone, while the songwriter(s) and the broadcaster receive smaller versions of the trophy.

Ireland and Sweden have won seven times, more than any other country. Ireland also won the contest for three consecutive years (1992, 1993, and 1994), the only country to ever do so. Three countries have won twice in a row: Spain (1968 and 1969), Luxembourg (1972 and 1973) and Israel (1978 and 1979). Serbia is the only country to win with its debut entry (in 2007).[b] By contrast, Portugal holds the record for waiting the longest to achieve their first win, doing so in 2017; 53 years after their first appearance in the contest. Two people have won more than once as a performer: Ireland’s Johnny Logan, who performed “What’s Another Year” in 1980 and “Hold Me Now” in 1987, and Sweden’s Loreen, who performed “Euphoria” in 2012 and “Tattoo” in 2023.

The United Kingdom has finished second sixteen times at Eurovision (most recently in 2022), more than any other country. France has finished third and fourth eight times at Eurovision (most recently respectively in 1981 and in 2024), and Sweden has finished fifth nine times at Eurovision (most recently in 2019). The country with the most top three places that has never won the contest is Malta, having finished second in 2002 and 2005 and third in 1992 and 1998. Another island nation, Iceland, has also finished second twice, in 1999 and 2009.

With Portugal achieving its first win in 2017, Malta now also holds the record for longest wait for a first win, having first entered the contest in 1971 (although Cyprus has more winless appearances, with 36 since debuting in 1981, due to Malta taking a break from 1976 through 1990). Spain holds the current record for longest drought by a winning country, having last won in 1969. They are followed by France (1977) and Belgium (1986).