HAPPY HATTER CHRISTMAS

Get The Real Tuesday Weld's 2014 Audio Christmas Card HERE
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It's almost that time of year again isn't it?.  It seems to come with increasing rapidity.  Good job I'm immortal.. 

In the sixties, The Beatles, who were pioneers in SO many ways, used to make special flexi discs containing songs and bits of spoken word for their fan club at Christmas. Inspired, The Real Tuesday Weld have made an Audio Christmas Card for the last eight years.  Originally it was just for friends and to say thanks to all the amazing people who have helped or supported us but a few years back after many requests (well, two or three), we started to make them available to all.  They contain new music and pieces from the past year that wouldn't normally see the light of day.  Often some of our best work I think. 

They take the form of a specially designed greetings card with a mini cd inside - a format I have always loved although it is now almost totally anachronistic.  You can actually play them in a standard cd player tray - although not of course in a laptop.  Every year, we think 'shall we bother?"  and I always say 'yes' because although we now also include a digital download token, it just doesn't seem the same to not have 'the actual thing' in some physical form or other.  You can use the cd as a small coaster if you like.

You can get this year's card  HERE - signed and dedicated if you like.

The super cool image is one from the Alice in Wonderband collection by Antique Beat - beautiful cool greetings cards and T shirts featuring Alice and her friends in a psych-rock band (really).  With all the other things Antique Beat have on offer, that should really cover your Christmas list right?

I am particularly pleased with the music this time: "Hey Miss Policeman" (a song about a cross-dressing law officer); "Forsaken" with my dear friend Marcella Puppini (from this year's score for the US film 'Meet Me in Montenegro'); "Cheshire Love Cat Blooze" (does what it says on the tin) and 'It Came Through the Window" inspired by 'The Man Who Married Kittens', the Walter Potter biopic I scored for maverick director Ronni Thomas.




And as an extra Christmas stocking filler, the EP contains a copy of our much requested cover version of Abba's masterpiece "The Day Before You Came". This was only previously available on a US compilation. The original is one of my favourite ever songs:

CREATURE COMFORTS

The Antique Beat Boutique is full of wonderful things for Christmas.  Apart from The Real Tuesday Weld 2012 audio Christmas Card, it was recently invaded by an army of small creatures designed and made by my good friend Koo.  She is a curious creature herself- rather shy and unpredictable - but in the time I have known her, I don't think there is once when we have met and she hasn't give me something fabulous - and always designed and hand made by herself.  She has done many drawings (mostly impertinent) of The Real Tuesday Weld over the past few years.

Anyway here they are: The Creature Comforts: 
Mr Night Owl
Ms Snowy Owl
The Cad
Banker Boy and
The Pirate

Wonderful right?

I had the idea for accesories for shy men a couple of years back.  There are loads of brooches for girls but hardly anything for the fairer sex. But whenever I wore my Death's Head Flower (made by dear Za Za) people would always stop me to talk about it and I mean EVERY single time. So now it's what I recommend for a boy with a broken heart.  And I mean boys of either sex naturally.

(Antique Beat have been selling them to confident girls too  - that wasn't quite the point but that's commerce for you I guess)

As Koo says: "Show your lapel some Love"

There are also some absolutely lovely other things in the boutique but I am starting to sound like an advertisement so I will stop - you get the picture I'm sure.

I probably won't write again now until next year.  Assuming the Mayans (and me) were wrong and the world won't be ending in the next 24 days, I intend to be sitting by the fire or beach-combing in the far north of Scotland.  It has seemed a very full year.  I can't be bothered to list all the incredible achievements and witty comments I made but as ever, it was the people that mattered.

It has been great fun getting to know and playing with Matthew Snowden and Josephine Lloyd.  And I remain very appreciative of my stalwart bass player the crime jazz detective Don Brosnan not to mention the boy with the golden flute Jacques Van Rhijn and Wing Commander Clive Painter.

And of course to you, if you are there and reading, looking or listening.

A pleasure and an honour as always.

TCK

WOLF DREAMS AT THE YEAR'S END

Already December is upon us. The London leaves have fallen, there are cool blue skies over the city and the lights are twinkling along the river.  That means only one thing: the annual The Real Tuesday Weld Audio Christmas card has arrived at Antique Beat's pop-up Christmas shop somewhere in Clerkenwell.  And it looks beautiful. And it is long. And there are two versions: Red Wolf Country and Blue Wolf City.

As ever, it contains new or unreleased music from the past year. The crazy gypsy electro-swing foot tapper "Spring Heeled Jane" features the most stylish DJ duo in the world The Broken Hearts.  Josephine Lloyd and the band perform a heart-stopping version of "Torched Song"  (originally written for the LA Noire soundtrack) whilst a demo version of a new song "Black Bird Day" (soon to appear on Arctic Circle's forthcoming incredible Age of Not Believing project) brings a haunting fairytale atmosphere to the proceedings.  "Snowball" and "Last Light" bookend the mini-album with crackly old meets new sounds suitably coloured to the winter season (well, if you are in the Northern hemisphere that is).

Antique Beat have been doing these for a few years now.  They made them available for sale and for personalisation four years ago. It's nice to see they have become collector's items.  I think you can even still buy some of the previous ones if you haven't already.

They have also commissioned an absolutely gorgeous new set of brooches for shy men (also reluctantly made available to confident girls)  - more on them and on Christmas and on dreams soon.

Thursday is the first of our Salons for the City at Westminster Arts Library.  If you are coming, I look forward to seeing you there. Gin and seventeenth century coffee will be served. We have had a fabulous response with so many people wanting to come and talk. Future events include "London Over, London Under". "London before London, London after London", " Dying in London", "London by Night" and so on and so on.  We already have a fabulous selection of speakers and are hoping to announce some VERY special guests soon.  You heard it all here.

Happy Howlidays
THE REAL TUESDAY WELD Seasons Dreamings 2012 preview by The Real Tuesday Weld