SEASONS DREAMINGS

Time goes so quickly now doesn't it? - And it's almost already that time of year again. Every winter for almost a decade now The Real Tuesday Weld have sent out a little audio christmas card with exclusive tracks and funny things and now they've finally made it available to all friends.

It has artwork by Catherine Anyango and contains some real surprises. It will fit most stocking sizes.

I believe they have also remixed Count Basie for the Verve Christmas album. Very nice too.

Best wishes to all. Thanks for listening, reading, watching, commenting. I appreciate that very much. See you next year I hope..

ANGELS OVER LONDON

At the end of this month, it's 251 years since William Blake was born. We usually go to see his grave in Bunhill Fields every year and I noticed that The Real Tuesday Weld cheekily pinched some of his work on their album 'The London Book of the Dead'. I always thought that he was buried in a mass grave with up to thirty other people, but the recent discovery of a secret coded grid on the graveyard wall may change that. Last time we visited, we found a small piece of nineteenth century oak coffin with two copper nails in it and wondered whether it was a bit of his.

When he was a child he was reputed to see angels in the trees and he became rather angelic himself as he grew older - but not in a cute way - more in the manner of the giant figure said to be guarding the gates of Eden with blazing sword and loud trumpet. I was reminded of this when I saw Alex De Campi's video for The Real Tuesday Weld song 'Last Words' - oh, and of course, of that wonderful film: Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders.

I understand she had a hellish time making it and performed several miracles to pull it off but she has a place in video heaven we know.

HORSING AROUND?

After doing a few Baby Food ads, it's been nice to even up THE SCORE, shake off a bit of my Catholic past and for once do something to make the world a safer (and possibly smaller) place. The opportunty was provided me by Brooklyn cult filmmaker Ronni Raygun Thomas. Cheers Ronni.

And remember kids, do do this at home.

US AND THEM

In conjunction with 'Cold War Modern' show at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Radio Clerkenwell will be broadcasting a series of shows for Resonance 104.4FM the London Arts Radio Station. The series is a trip through 'Sounds of Propaganda and the Cold War' featuring some of the absolutely extraordinary music, broadcasts and spoken word recordings of the time. I will have some very special guests along the way to keep me company too.

The shows go out from Sunday October 5th at 6.30pm GMT and will be repeated the following Tuesdays at 11.00pm GMT. There are a schedule of the programs and I will be posting playlists here each week (and a list of sources at the end of the series.). Outside the capital, the station can be listened to on-line at www.resonancefm.com

MEETUP?

Well you know, we probably all spend too much time in front of our computers and for many of us it seems the hours spent on the de rigeur  on-line virtual networking sites has even overtaken the time we spend actually meeting people in the flesh. I'm really not sure about it all to tell you the truth. Yet, when asked by Curious Pictures to contribute music to their new promo for yet another such site, I accepted. Why?  Well, because the film was made by Ro Rao the director who directed 'Bringing the Body Back Home' and of course, as you might expect, it's wonderful.

But anyway, what does this particular on-line social networking site promote that all the others out there don't already?  Yes, you guessed it, it's aimed at getting you away from your computer and on-line social networking sites...

And so it goes, round and round and round - 

but here's the film anyway.  

Kind of makes me wish I had a tail..

DEEP BLUE SOMETHING

Speaking of Catherine, she recently asked me to re-score her wonderful film 'Deep Blue Something'. She is rather reclusive and seems reluctant to ever step into the footlights, so I am forced to do it for her.

Many people have asked about the imagery The Real Tuesday Weld use at live shows - most of it is by Catherine too. If you are in London and would like to see it - come and join them at Corsica Studios on the 25th - I shall be there myself.

Anyway, here is the film with new music and voice: dive in to the deep blue

THE LONDON BOOK OF THE DEAD

This album by The Real Tuesday Weld came out in the US late last year and there is a terrible tale of skulduggery, betrayal and infidelity behind why it is only now available in Europe. But, praise the Lord,  it is now being released through Cargo / Six Degrees in all the usual places and by the new label Antique Beat as a special collectors' edition forty page hardback book. This is made with wonderful illustrations by the very magical and mysterious Ms Catherine Anyango (a fellow denizen of East Central London) who tells the album's story in a series of gorgeous linked montaged tableaux.   

They also kindly included some of my writings and future reminiscences together with a special piece by London literary luminary Glen Duncan and I believe there is a special gift for those who look hard enough.

Above is an image from Catherine's wonderful film for the first track: 'Blood Sugar Love'.  It was  made around my house in Clerkenwell. Click here to watch it. Quite beautiful I think you will agree.

MAD MAN MOON

Alex has been at it again.

A couple of years ago he came over to the UK an visited Callanish at my suggestion. Now Callanish is a place on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off the North West coast of Scotland where there is an extraordinary and massive prehistoric stone site to rival Stonehenge.

It's pretty remote and a long and complicated trip is necessary to get there. He made the journey all the way from Brooklyn, arrived and then left again after five minutes. Why? Because it completely freaked him out. He loved Stonehenge but then Stonehenge is a Solar temple.. Callanish is a Lunar temple. Now, I know he doesn't take drugs so I am assuming he has that condition that means you get affected by the movements of the moon.

Why am I telling you all this? Because he has just posted 'Last time in Clerkenwell' - a kind of sequel to 'Bathtime in Clerkenwell' - on Youtube and it's completely stark raving bonkers. Youtube have featured it on the front page, so his lunacy - and considerable genius - will hopefully be appreciated by a great deal of people. Hurray.

THE LONG MARCH HOME

Back to Blighty after visiting the New World. Meeting new friends and old, meeting celebrities, a Siegfried and Roy moment, a Spinal Tap moment, getting sunburned, getting stoned. Experiencing a lot of generosity, appreciation and passion. And that was just on the way to Heathrow..

In New York I met up with Ro Rao - who has made a wonderful animation / film / puppet show for the song 'Bringing the Body Back Home. Here is a quick preview before we launch it in the Autumn.

Blew me away.

US and THEM

Well, well, well- after all this time The Real Tuesday Weld are going back to play in Canada and the USA and I will be accompanying them. About time too. The world has changed and governments do their thing - incomprehensible to most of us I suspect - so it's all become much more complicated and long winded and paranoic but I'm really looking forward to seeing friends, meeting strangers and travelling across that amazing landscape. I've hopped over the channel to work / collaborate / hang out quite a bit these last few years and it's always such a pleasure.

I don't know if you will be able to be there but it would be an honour to say hello if you were. All the dates are on that myspace thing.

In the meantime, or if we won't see you, for a little something (a little cheeky something) to whet the appetite and to show that that famous 'special relationship' is still firmly in place, click here