29 January 2010

It’s showtime! Well almost. Yes folks, it’s Friday and I’ve been working through my play-list for Sunday. I was feeling a tad nostalgic so decided to go back in time to the sixties, much of which I spent in Hong Kong where my father was working. We lived on Lantau island which was miles from anywhere, so alongside sport, hiking, swimming and fishing, listening to music was a major pastime. Fortunately my dad loved music so he picked up a top quality USA-built Scott hi-fi set up for San Miguel money on the mainland, at a time when Hong Kong was a real bargain centre for all things material. Dad also happened to be a high quality crooner who during the second world war sang alongside Gracie Fields to the troops. He lied about his age to get into the army and at 18 years of age was the youngest sergeant major in the Kings Royal Rifles, and I believe the whole of the British army. He especially loved Julie London, Della Reece, and Tom Jones who peppered his vinyl collection. It’s hard to believe that TJ is still going strong today. My brother and I were obliged to attend boarding school on the mainland which allowed me to build my own collection of singles dating back to 1959 (I know because I wrote the date on each single I bought, and still have them). The late fifties and sixties boasted some of the best singles ever which sold in their millions, unlike today. So I’ve included some real favourites from the period including David Bowie, Four Tops, Sonny & Cher and Ike & Tina Turner - great songs then, great songs now. Choosing the play-list is a real pleasure as it’s the only chance I get to play music I really love - both old and new.

It’s also showtime for one Tony Blair who this morning was described as being ‘one of Britain’s most successful post-war prime ministers’ by BBC Radio 4. Was he? I don’t think so. He adopted the outgoing government’s budget for two years and subsequently trashed the economy (some would say ‘in a good way’). Then there was the F1 political funding fiasco plus some. Then there was the Iraq war. Then the failure to sack incompetent and dishonest ministers who finally had to go but were re-appointed, and had to be fired again. And the rich are richer and poor are poorer, while Britiah industry was allowed to die a lingering death. I could go on… Both he and his Attorney General should have stuck to the rules of cricket, i.e. if there’s any doubt as to whether a batsman is out then he should be adjudged not-out. Maybe one day they will both be made to answer to international law on causing the deaths of so many thousands based on the flimsiest of evidence, and downright lies. Funny how those that do so wrong get so rich…

It was also showtime for the CEO of Apple Corp when he unveiled the the much anticipated iPad. This could be a life changer for the publishing (especially) and entertainment industries, as they begin to explore the possibilities the technology offers. It may take some time yet but the lesson learned by the music industry should be a salutary lesson - failure to adopt to downloading more quickly, and ultimately the decline in sales and profits.