Go Olympics

Typhoons, euphoric crowds chanting "Go Olympics, Go Beijing" and a giant carrying the torch.

It's really hotting up now. Just waiting for the drug cheats and scandals. Oh and not forgetting to mention the Free Tibetan Mob - including a nice bit of posh totty called Lucy. Wait 'til it starts in earnest


Posh Girl

So far we've had a bit of footy as the kids call it but not footy as we know it. This was the girly kind but it was good to see that the gold old USA lost to Norway 2-0 while other results were as follows:

Argentina 1-2 Canada
Germany 0-0 Brazil
Japan 2-2 New Zealand
China PR 2-1 Sweden
Korea DPR 1-0 Nigeria

And whilst we are on the subject of American losers US President George W Bush has expressed "deep concerns" over China's human rights record in a speech on the eve of the Beijing Olympics.

So that's sorted that out then



"Who's the bastard in the yellow?"

The Olympics begin here...

Kornelia Ender

It was 1976 and the Olympics were being held in Montreal. Five hours behind our time meant that you could settle in nicely for an evening watching the swimming and all these Eastern European women.

And from them all shone Kornelia Ender of the German Democratic Republic. She followed up her three silver medals from the Munich Olympics with four golds - all in world record times.

Needless to say she was later shown to be on performance enhancers and I think the photo tells you that but what the heck - I would!!!

Hairy not Hippy - 1971 and all that

Mott the Hoople

It was the period just as skinhead/suedehead was dying out and the lads were beginning to grow their hair out. It wasn’t hippy even if it was hairy and there was a lot of denim about. Jackets, jeans and shirts. All worn tight, with that whiff of greaser chic about it. It was around 1971.

By 1973 it had all gone a bit ridiculous as glam took hold but for a year or so it was the look that took over the terraces, pubs and clubs of Britain. With Rod and The Faces and Maggie May at the top of the charts it was a thrilling time.

For as well as The Faces, the Rolling Stones released Exile on Main Street and played Hyde Park. George Harrison was at number one for – what seemed like half the year – and T Rex took over teenagers’ minds. While bands such as Family, Free and Mott the Hoople pushed the testosterone level up a notch. That was testosterone with love beads and bangles by the way…

We won it one time, actually

After election to the Football League in 1978 it was four seasons before we had our first success with promotion to Division Three. It was however three seasons later that we picked up our first trophy when we lifted the inaugural Freight Rover Trophy on 1st June 1985. The team made it by beating Mansfield at the Field Mill on penalties as the young cocky Warren Aspinall put the final penalty away after Roy Tunks had saved three penalties to win the shoot out. Make no doubt about it the side back then was superb. Paul Jewell was often left on the bench.

In the build-up to the game the ever-reliant John Butler was injured with his place being taken by local lad Barry Knowles. In goal and with over 600 League appearances Tunks was stepping out at Wembley for the first time. Alongside him were experienced players such as Colin Methven and Alex Cribley with young scallies like David Lowe and Gary Bennett. At the age of 20 Paul Jewell had been to Wembley six times previously with Liverpool without getting a game. As Jewell said before the game "When I left Anfield I thought 'that's it. There goes what chance I had of playing at Wembley' but I couldn't be more wrong." Needless to say arch-scally Tony Kelly had more than sixty of the Kelly clan following him to Wembley. As Kelly said "Aunties and uncles I never knew I had have all asked for tickets and there's no question about it, when my family have a day out, they certainly go in force."

When the glorious day arrived the Kelly clan was joined by 15,000 Wiganers that made the journey south to the old stadium of Wembley and saw us beat a fine Brentford side 3-1. With the world's media focused on the game due to the dreadful scenes at Heysel three days earlier the final was billed as "a day out for the family" and the teams and fans certainly obliged (many had been two weeks earlier watching the rugby). Before the match there was an all-star charity kick-about. Naturally I was in the pub and didn't see it but I believe George Best and Rod Stewart played for the Showbiz XI against a London Broadcasting XI. Other players on the pitch included Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Stan Bowles and Geoff Hurst.

Unsurprisingly the minute's silence for the victims at Heysel and the Bradford fire was interrupted by some visiting Chelsea fans and then the teams were introduced to ELTON JOHN. Well he is the Queen Mum of pop, I suppose.

Brentford went into the game as the favourites on the back of a thirteen-match unbeaten run but once Latics went ahead after twenty-seven minutes through Mike Newell they were never in it. The main battle on the pitch was in midfield between Graham Barrow and Brentford's hardman Terry Hurlock. Barrow was supreme and there with it went the match. With seven minutes to half time Barrow laid the ball off to Tony Kelly and his low shot skidded below the Brentford keeper Phillips body. Brentford were given a bit of hope when Robbie Cooke volleyed home for them on 52 minutes but within three minutes David Lowe produced a brilliant overhead kick to make it 3-1 and seal the match.

It was a tremendous game and if you can pick up a video/DVD of the game then do so and appreciate the skill of that Wigan team of 1985.

TEAMS
Brentford, - Phillips: Salman, Murray, Millen, Wignall, Hurlock, Kamara (yes the moustachioed one from SKY), Cooke, Booker (Bullivant 60), Cassells, Roberts

Wigan, - Tunks: Cribley, Knowles, Kelly, Walsh, Methven, Lowe, Barrow, Bennett (Aspinall 65), Newell (Jewell 85), Langley

This article originally appeared in '92nd and we don't care' available to download FOC @ http://www.mudhutsmedia.co.uk/download.php?view.9

SWINE IS THREE - HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Swine July 2008 - Happy Birthday to ya...

Every month for the past three years, the motley crew of contributors with their unique brand of cynicism, humour, sarcasm, polemic and downright nastiness have brought about one of the best websites this side of Bootle.

With no sponsors, money or media interest whatsoever and a punishing monthly schedule dictated by the narcotic whims of the editors, Swine has continued to pump out its scallycentric blend of music, fashion, comment and recipes simply by pleasing itself - some of it may offend, some of it may baffle but in an internet age when every perverse whim is catered for, our audience of ageing but culturally atuned ne'erdowells and egg scuttlers continue to tell it like it is (or at least how they see it from their mentally scarred imaginations).

With the empire now expanded into tv (cobbled together youtube clips set to music) with the launch of Swine TV (www.swinetv.blogspot.com), the puddled porcine world of the Swine crew is evolving into theatre, opera, fine arts and self-delusion of every stamp.

With over 600 articles, 590 about Zappa, sex, drugs and Zappa cover bands, join us as we celebrate - here's to 3 years of consistent self opinionated claptrap that only our ma's probably read...hurrah!

Check it all out @ http://www.swinemagazine.co.uk/

GEORGIE FAME - LOCAL HEROES NUMBER 1

Georgie Fame was in fact a Leyther called Clive Powell who was born in that old mining/mill town on 26th June 1943. He came from a musical family with his father playing in an amateur dance band and Clive himself began piano lessons at the age of seven. It was the usual stuff until rock and roll hit our shores and he became more and more interested in the piano styles of Little Richard and Fats Domino and was soon to play in a local band called 'The Dominoes'.

Whilst on holiday in 1959 Clive's talents were spotted by the camp's resident band leader Rory Blackwell who offered him a job in London after the season had finished. Clive left his job in the mill and moved to London. Although the job didn't bring wealth and fortune he elected to remain in London to give it a go. By October with things looking grim Blackwell suggested that he auditioned for the role of pianist for the impresario Larry Parne's stable of singers. He walked the audition and as is Parnes' want he re-christened Powell "Georgie Fame" a name that has stuck to this day.

By the age of 16, Georgie had toured Britain extensively, playing alongside Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Tony Sheridan, Freddie Canon, Jerry Keller, Dickie Pride, Joe Brown and many more. During this time, Billy Fury selected four musicians, including Fame, for his personal backing group and the “Blue Flames” were born. By 1962 Fame had fallen out with Fury
and now working as "Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames" and found work at the Flamingo. A gig that was to last 3 years where according to Fame: they played “rhythm and blues all-nighters to black American GIs, West Indians, pimps, prostitutes and gangsters.”

They were soon to establish themselves as THE band in London and recorded their first album live at the club. The hit singles followed - he had a dozen UK hits including three number 1s, one of which was the 'Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde' a record that also sold well in the USA. Fame was held in such high esteem that he was the only UK act invited to perform with the first Motown Review when it hit London in the mid-1960s.

Between 1970 and 1973 Fame joined forces with the ex-Animals keyboard player and singer Alan Price and they had great success including the hit single 'Rosetta' and a television series that made them both household names in Britain. By 1974 Fame and reformed the Blue Flames and worked solidly on both the road and on vinyl.

Whilst Fame was renowned as an R&B performer he never lost his love of jazz music and in 1981 he co-produced and performed with jazz vocalist Annie Ross, on the album 'In Hoagland', which featured the music of the Hoagy Carmichael.

In 1989 Fame joined forces with grumpy old Van the man Morrison playing organ on Van's Avalon Sunse. He continued to play and record with him throughout the nineties co-producing and performing on the Verve albums, 'How Long Has This Been Going On', released in 1995 and 'Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison', released in 1996.

In 1997, bassist Bill Wyman began forming his new band The Rhythm Kings and Georgie Fame became a founding member. Since that time, there have been five CDs and several tours, and The Rhythm Kings "reform" periodically to tour and record to the present day. During 1999, Fame presented several radio programs on BBC Radio, including his own six-week series featuring The Blue Flames plus special guests, including Madeline Bell, Bill Wyman, Zoot Money, Peter King, Steve Gray and Claire Martin.

In the year 2000, Georgie’s critically-acclaimed CD, 'Poet in New York', was voted Best Jazz Vocal Album by the Academie du Jazz in France. In 2001, the latest Three Line Whip CD (featuring Georgie’s sons, Tristan and James), 'Relationships', was released, which included some of Georgie Fame’s finest songwriting to date. In the same year, a compilation CD, 'Funny How Time Slips Away: The Pye Anthology', was released.

His career is now approaching its fiftieth year and it shows no signs of slowing down. A career that has seen him playing with hundreds of outstanding artistes: from Gene Vincent to Van Morrison via Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman. Not bad for a lad from Leigh!

Most information taken from the excellent Georgie Fame website:
http://georgiefame.absoluteelsewhere.net/

The Football Season is here.... Yes

Manager John Neafcy

Forget your Decos, Klasnichs, Ronaldos and all the other funny sounding names we watched in the monsoon that was Euro 2008 and get ready for the Wigan Monsson and the first game of the season.

The Venue: Robin Park
The Teams: Robin Park v Marine

and the first pre-season friendly for Wigan Robin Park as a North West Counties side.

The team formed as recently as 2005 walked away with the Manchester Premier League title (alright won it on last game of the season), grabbed the Gilgryst Cup a couple of days later (on penalties) and were duly elected to the Vodkat NWCFL.

With the Robin Park pitch under the groundsmanship (is that a word?) of Cliff Aspey the arena will be like the Wembley of the north for teams at this level and it should be an interesting and challenging season for all those involved with Robin Park FC. For those amongst us that want a change from the Premiership Prima Donnas then it will prove a welcome respite and - if they get the bar sorted out - a nice little Saturday afternoon's entertainment.

The game on Saturday will provide a huge task for the players as Marine are currently residing in the Unibond Premier League but once the season begins with Bootle FC on 9 August the team should be able to begin to gauge how they will do.

Not to mention the needs of this league like hot food, admission fees, programmes etc

With famous non-league names such as Darwen and Holker Old Boys in the NWCL 1st division along with derby games at Daisy Hill and Ashton Town and the arrival of new team AFC Liverpool it looks to be an exciting time and will offer a contrast with the corporate bollocks - sorry top class football - taking place 50 metres away

It should be fun...

Pre Season Friendlies announced so far

Saturday 12th July Marine Home 2.30pm K.O
Tuesday 22nd July Prescot Cables Home 8.00pm K.O
Saturday 26th July Radcliffe Borough Home 2.30pm K.O
Tuesday 29th July Euxton Villa Away 6.45pm K.O

REASONS TO BE PISSED OFF PART THREE

You know that bit on facebook where some middle-class kid puts: "Atticus is currently chilled out" well here in grotty old Wigan "Joe Hawkins is seriously pissed-off"

And here are 21 reasons why

1. No money
2. No woman
3. No cry
4. The continual raincloud that hangs over Wigan 364 days of the year
5. Wigan - get me out of this place!
6. This place of scrotes in shorts and black socks and
7. 15-year-olds pushing prams
8. Bad pies. even dependables such as Greenhalghs are off-form at the moment
9. Writer's block
10. Big Brother 9 - not watched it, mind... But it's bound to be shite
11. Jeremy Kyle
12. Rugby League fans - and how many fatties were in the crowd at the JJB on Friday?
13. 22,000 according to Sky!!! Keep the propaganda going folks
14. Football rumours - not arsed as we'll spend nowt so who cares?
15. People that spend all day on mesageboards talking about said rumours
16. Federer losing the tennis in a great match. Shame about Nike v Nike - oh for Fila v Sergio or Ellesse v Cerutti
17. The Williams sisters
18. Midsomer Murders - how bad was it last night? As bad as everything else on British TV at the moment
19. Ronaldo - will he go or stay? Does anybody really give a toss?
20. Credit Crunch hits WN5 - ASDA smart price milk chocolate digestives up 11p to 37p. Scandalous. It's Bourbons from now on
21. Mid-life crisis number 23

The only thing keeping my head abov water are The Grants The most beautiful sounding-band to come out of Fazackerley ever...

Mudhuts FM Volume 3 - One Foot in the Past

…..one eye on the future.

What a wanky cliché that is ( & half inched blatantly from the Andy Lewis sleeve notes ) but you get the jist. Starting off with some tremendous modern reworkings of the Northern sound which show all this Duffy nonsense up for the sham it really is, we then take in some funky ass retro shit before this week’s bunch of 5’s – a tribute to one of the most innovative & best UK record labels ever – those sadly lamented Mancunians Grand Central Records. After that, we’re straight into some superb modern soul ( including the genius that is Joey Negro ) before cooling things off with an unusual bit of Weller, a slab of prime time Quincy & ending up right back to where we started with a bone fide Northern floor filler.

Download Mudhuts FM Volume 3 Here

http://www.mudhutsmedia.co.uk/download.php?view.34

Melody's the tune of this song

And they call it puppy love

The movie came out around 1970 and it was called Melody aka SWALK. The SWALK bit was Sealed With a Loving Kiss and I was smitten. In love with the young actress that was around my age 11 or 12 or whatever.
Her name was Tracy Hyde and she was Melody Perkins – the Melody in the title. She was the schoolgirl love interest of Mark Lester who had been Oliver in the hit musical film and this film was basically a vehicle for him and the other Oliver star Jack Wild who also starred in Melody.
But it was Tracy Hide that I loved. This cute –nay beautiful – brunette with great pert breasts. Breasts – bloody hell. She was simply stunning and for months I dreamt of Melody Perkins. There was something definitely stirring down there and when I hit senior school it was doing more that stirring but by then I’d forgotten all about Melody. But for that summer – and I’m sure it was summer – she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Where is she now? I don’t know. I could “google” her, for sure, and the image I have found – that accompanies this piece suggests the film is now available on video - but for now I’ll just remember that ‘first love’.

Oh and almost 40 years later I still love cute brunettes with great tits!

Clare Grogan, Tommy Cooper & Peter Sellers

The streets of London may not be paved with gold but the floor of my bedsit most definitely is. I put eight empties in the bin, swap the pint of milk for a can from the fridge and bite into the pie.

It steams and scolds the roof of my mouth. The dryness is nice.

Really nice. The beer is so cold it hurts and then I am at ease. My hands stop shaking. I relax. Even think of Ranvir. And then think of Jenny and then Claudette. I am at one with, if not the world, then myself.

I must have dozed off as it is now gone twelve. Joe knocks the door. The phone is for me. It's Gal and we are now going around Islington this evening. Seeing Az after the Arsenal. Few beers, chew the fat, talk about football and training shoes. Girls and grog.

Politics and pettiness. Clare Grogan and The Raincoats. Post-punk princesses. Radical haircuts and Margaret Hilda Fucking Thatcher.

Margaret Hilda Fucking Thatcher. We hate that woman. She is the devil incarnate, the Highgate Vampire arisen, the evil woman!

I shower, slip on a Lacoste polo, a pair of jumbo cords, my Borg Elite and a leather and lock the door. Joe is still vacuuming the stairs. He is so fucking cheerful - the old queen. I walk to the bus stop and jump the 134 into town.

Past the woods and by The Woodman pub. I saw Tommy Cooper in there during the week. He was wasted. Absolutely fucking wasted.

Couldn't stand up. Couldn't speak. His missus was just the same.

Irishmen saying "Just Like That" and laughing. I kept my head in my Guinness and Guardian.

Down Archway Road under Suicide Bridge. I think about suicide. I think about suicide a lot. Then again I think about football and fucking a lot. But I always think about suicide when I go under the bridge. Peter Sellers once saved somebody's life on Suicide Bridge. And when I've stopped thinking about Peter Sellers and Tommy Cooper we are at the Archway Tavern and I'm thinking about Ray Davies and all the other Muswell Hillbillies. Me, and all the other Muswell Hillbillies deep in thought on the 134 bus.

I get off at Camden and look at Japanese tourists in the market. Tat and tourists. Student girls and art school arrivistes. Punk rockers and geezers. I walk to and through Regent's Park. It's fucking beautiful. My head is clear. Black boys in gold belchers and Gabicci check my shoes. I swagger that northern swagger that these cockney boys don't understand. I reckon I'll be on my toes in a minute but thankfully they are more interested in putting their hands up their girls' sweaters.

The Mudhutter 16 online now

"We want all you skinheads to get up on your feet
Put your braces together and your boots on your feet
And give me some of that old moonstomping"

And welcome to the 44-page July issue of The Mudhutter
Inside we have an exclusive interview with Paul McDonald - the author of the hilarious Northern Soul book Do I Love you?, we revisit The Doors, chew the fat with Fern Britton and are blown away by Ben Johnson's Liverpool Cityscape. There's political comment, a set of Orrible Ives, dewy-eyed and not so dewy-eyed reminiscences, great websites, arty jazz mags er sorry coffee table books, sport, girls and of course the obligatory mention of rubber-soled footwear.

Enjoy it all, let your mates know and we'll be back in a month's time

Download below

http://www.mudhutsmedia.co.uk/download.php?view.33

Fleet Foxes - Cunningly magnificent

NME is telling me that Glasvegas are "the best new band in Britain". That may or not be the case but one thing is for sure and that is that British music is on it's arse!

Unfortunately it cannot light a match to the stuff coming out of America at the moment and the first item of evidence for the prosecution is the stunningly beautiful eponymous album from Fleet Foxes.

The five piece from Seattle don't reference that city's grunge scene more the incredible melodies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young versus Fairport Comvention.

Melody is the key. Well that plus great lyrics, perfect instrumentation and gorgeus vocal harmonies. In all honesty it is just a perfect pop record in the old sense of the phrase. Just magic and it will be on the headphones for the next month until The Hold Steady's next release.

Proving without doubt that it is beards, booze and scruffy clothes that wins the day over the tedious white pumps, skinny jeans and crappy pop that the appalling NME keeps telling all the kids in their tedious white pumps and skinny jeans... Oh you get the picture.

Fleet Foxes - just beautiful

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY – There’s a darkness on the edge of the town

Between the Springsteen albums Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town there was punk rock, which was very handy. Bruce’s dispute with his record company led to a three-year hiatus that meant us punks didn’t need to fret about adoring an American rock star. Not that he was mega by then – that was to come later – but he wasn’t punk was he?

Well in fact he probably was but… He was back with an album that not only matched the previously album but pushed his music further along as he got right into the heart of blue-collar America. Darkness on the Edge of Town is as it says on the tin. A dark album that explores the Badlands of factory lives and loves of normal Americans just as Reaganomics begin to kick in.

The album that was released on June 1 1978 is indeed dark but it is also absolutely heart achingly beautiful. It gets so deep into the soul that the joyous tune of Candy’s Room is a welcome relief after the harsh, powerful opening three tracks but that is only temporary as Racing in the Street – a song that only Springsteen could pen – is anything but fast and dangerous. It is a mournful lament that almost has you believing that he has almost give up on the open road that was so much part of the allure of Born to Run. You fear for this troubadour of the streets. This guitar hero that lets Roy Bittan’s piano close the song and side.

Of course ‘sides’ are relevant to vinyl and although the album has been issued as a CD and there may even be a 30th anniversary issue due – I don’t know – but it needs to be played on vinyl. For as you flip the record over – just when you thought Bruce was doubting his vision the opening track has him telling you in no doubt that he believes in the Promised Land.

And with that song the glorious second of side of this record takes to life. Factory is the greatest song about the drudgery of work that has ever been written. Again beautiful is not too strong a word to describe the lyrics: “End of the day factory whistle cries, men walk through those gates with death in their eyes.” But of course it is not just about work; it is about his father and his family and the things that really matter.

Back on the Streets of Fire and with him going out to Prove it all Night this cinematic album is brought to a close with the epic title track.
It is a truly stunning album. Musically it is pretty near perfect and you can hear the three years of dispute and frustration being captured in the studio with all the rage it deserved. The E Street band and Springsteen are on top of their game and while they are still furrowing the same territory – still on the streets, still political - with varying degrees of success – thirty years ago, this June, this album was essential. And you know what it still is!

This article originally appeared in The Mudhutter 15 for more details see:

www.mudhutsmedia.co.uk
www.themudhutter.blogspot.com