The Light Programme

The first episode of Stand Down, Margaret was a fine piece of radio - a beautifully edited collage of interviews, music and archive tape. The second and final episode is on Radio Two this evening, at the later time of 11 pm.

Stand Down Please...

More on Stand Down, Margaret - the Radio 2 series starting tonight and continuing next week - here's an article by presenter Jeremy Vine.

Stand Down, Margaret

What should be a fine two-part series about political pop music in the 1980s starts on Radio 2 on Tuesday 16 June at 10.30 pm. Titled Stand Down, Margaret, produced by Kate Willgress and hosted by Jeremy Vine, the only thing likely to spoil it is hearing me pontificating about the period.

The Book Depository

The excellent people at The Book Depository have been kind enough to put online an interview with me about my book Crisis? What Crisis? I think it's quite fun, covering everything from David Cameron to the Wombles.

My thanks to Mark Thwaite for his enthusiasm and encouragement.

Fallen Svengalis

I’ve been so immersed in the past this month, frantically writing away on a new book, that I completely failed to notice the death of Tam Paton, the former manager of the Bay City Rollers.

Now, I know few people had good words to say about Tam – particularly those musicians who he managed – but I always had a bit of a soft spot for him. He was a very visible media presence when I was young, and a couple of years back I spoke with him for the book Cult Rock Posters 1972-1982, that I did with Roger Crimlis.

What impressed me most was his commitment to keeping total control over the image of his charges: ‘I had to control it,’ he said, ‘because I was aware that all I had was an image.’ So he would destroy all the discarded negatives from a photo session to ensure that only approved shots could be published. And, he said, he monitored everything: ‘I used to keep in control of the fan club at the same time. We used to ask who their favourite Roller was, and when I found any member of the Rollers was falling behind big-style, I would then concentrate on them, getting them press, photographing them, trying to push them ahead.’

He was never given as much credit as he deserved for his ability to manipulate the media.

It all ended in scandal, of course. And in the courts.

Which reminds me that I met Jonathan King this week. Another fascinating man from the neglected side of rock and roll history – the missing link between Larry Parnes and Malcolm McLaren.

He’s written and filmed a rock opera about the trumped-up charges he faced and the outrageously long sentence he received, a copy of which he was kind enough to give me. Titled Vile Pervert, it’s available for viewing on his website and it has some good stuff in there, including the wonderful Johnny Reggae, as well as new songs – There’s Nothing Wrong with Buggering Boys is a particular gem.

Beyond a Joke

In case you’re sorting out your viewing for the bank holiday weekend, may I direct you to Beyond A Joke, on ITV3 at 9pm, Monday 4 May. It’s the first of a five-part series about sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s and, amongst all the proper people who should be there talking about the subject, there’s also some contributions from me, making asinine comments.

Recession - The Queen Speaks

I’ve been immersing myself recently in the 1980s for a book I’m working on. Which means that, while I’m a little out of touch with the details of the current recession, I am at least up to speed on the two Thatcherite recessions.

And in Gyles Brandreth’s excellent volume of diaries, Breaking the Code, there’s a fine passage where he’s trying to make small talk with the Queen in 1990. He mentions the recession, and she replies:

‘We do seem to get them every few years – and none of my governments seems to know what to do about them.’

Plus ça change...