The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 29 March 2009

Here was tonight's 'virtual' playlist, which was recorded before last week's show because I was supposed to be in Blackpool. I say "supposed to be" because Mr Chicken Pox came to stay! And I didn't win at the awards!!

Val McKenna - House For Sale (Spark 1968)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Variations - She'll Know I'm Sorry (Immediate 1965)
Mike Stevens & The Shevelles - Go-Go Train (Pye 1967)
Gregory Phillips - Down In The Boondocks (Immediate 1965)
The First Gear - The In Crowd (Pye 1965)
Sandra Bryant - Girl with Money (Major Minor 1967)
The Poets - Some Things I Can't Forget (Immediate 1965)
Goldie & The Gingerbreads - Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (Decca 1964) (Connect 3)
David John & The Mood - Diggin' For Gold (Parlophone 1965) (Connect 3)
Golden Apples of the Sun - The Monkey Time (Immediate 1965) (Connect 3)
Joey Vine - The Out of Towner (Immediate 1965)
The Pussycats - I Want Your Love (Columbia 1965)
Eden Kane - Boys Cry (Fontana 1964) (Birthday: 29/3/41 Eden Kane)
The Soul Agents - The Seventh Son (Pye 1964)
The Mockingbirds - You Stole My Love (Immediate 1965)
Stone - Fille ou Garcon (Sloop John B) (Label/Year Unknown) (Foreign Language)
The Factotums - Can't Go Home Anymore My Love (Immediate 1966)
The Thunderbolts - March of the Spaceman (Label/Year Unknown) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Samantha Jones - Today Without You (Penny Farthing 1969)
Jan Tanzy - That New Boy In Town (Columbia 1965)
The Hotrods - I Don't Love Her No More (Columbia 1965)
The Ferris Wheel - The Na Na Song (Pye 1968)
Beat Boys - That's My Plan (Decca 1963)
The Bootiques - Did You Get Your Fun (Date 1966)
April March - Chick Habit (Sympathy For The Record Industry Records 1995) (Under The Influence)
Nico - I'm Not Saying (Immediate 1965)
Gene Chandler - Nothing Can Stop Me (Constellation 1965)
Peter Chris & The Outcasts - The Right Girl For You (Columbia 1966)
Little Peggy March - I Will Follow Him (RCA 1963) (Connect 3)
Lulu - March (EMI 1969) (Connect 3)
Tracey Dey - Marching Home (Columbia 1966) (Connect 3)
Buddy Britten & The Regents - Right Now (Piccadilly 1965)
Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller (Minit 1962)
The McCoys - I Can't Explain It (Immediate 1965) (Two of a Kind)
The McCoys - Don't Worry Mother (Your Son's Heart Is Pure) (Immediate 1966) (Two of a Kind)
The Surfer Girls - One Boy Tells Another (Columbia 1964)
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Polydor 1971)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

With next week being Joe Meek's birthday, it'll be a Joe Meek special.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 22 March 2009

Here was tonight's "Mother's Day" playlist:

The Chiffons - Nobody Knows What's Going On In My Mind But Me (Laurie 1965)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Petula Clark - Heart (Pye 1965)
The Goodies - Sophisticated Boom Boom (Blue Cat 1965)
Syreeta Wright - I Can't Give You Back The Love I Feel (Gordy 1968)
Dorothy Berry - You're So Fine (Challenge 1963)
The Fabulettes - Try The Worryin' Way (Sound Stage 7 1966)
Cilla Black - I've Been Wrong Before (Parlophone 1965)
The Caravelles - Hey Mama You've Been On My Mind (Polydor 1966) (Connect 3)
Etta James - Tell Mama (Chess 1968) (Connect 3)
Barbara Carr - My Mama Told Me (Chess 1966) (Connect 3)
The Breakaways - That's How It Goes (Pye 1964)
Denria Lynn - I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls (Capitol 1965)
The Yardbirds - For Your Love (Birthday: 22/3/43 Keith Relf)
Dusty Springfield - I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face (Phillips 1967)
The Geminis - A Friend of Mine (RCA Victor 1966)
Liz Brady - Partie de Dames (Pathe 1966) (Foreign Language)
Earl Jean - I'm Into Something Good
The Ramblers - Just for Chicks (Decca 1963)(Half-Time Instrumental)
Connie Francis - Don't Ever Leave Me (MGM 1964)
Little Eva - Keep Your Hands Off Of My Baby (London 1962)
Carole King - Crying In The Rain (Dimension 1963)
Bessie Banks - Go Now (Tiger 1964)
Mary Wells - Bye Bye Baby (Motown 1960)
Barbara Lewis - Don't Forget About Me (Atlantic 1966)
Fanny - Long Road Home (Reprise 1973) (Under The Influence)
Sylvan - We Don't Belong (Columbia 1965)
Ellie Greenwich - You Don't Know (Red Bird 1965)
Peanut - Thank Goodness For The Rain (Pye 1965)
Ruby and the Romantics - When You're Young and In Love (Kapp 1964) (Connect 3)
The Emeralds - Wanna Make Him Mine (Jubilee 1964) (Connect 3)
The Sapphires - Who Do You Love (Swan 1963) (Connect 3)
Shirley Matthews - Big Town Boy (Atlantic 1963)
Jackie DeShannon - Dream Boy (Unreleased 1964)
Mama Cass - Dream A Little Dream of Me (Dunhill 1968) (Two of a Kind)
Mama Cass - It's Getting Better (Dunhill 1969) (Two of a Kind)
Cher - Dream Baby (Imperial 1964)
The Girls - Chico's Girl (Capitol 1966)
Fanny - Charity Ball (Reprise 1970)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

TIME TO ARMAGEDDON

Maybe it's just because I'm on a downer at the moment or maybe it's I just that I feel the need to 'cleanse my soul' (or some such bullshit) but I'm giving serious thought to setting myself a Time To Armageddon, a day of reckoning, if you will, when things MUST change.

The idea is that if I'm not doing the job I want by a certain date, or at least in a more creative one than the soul-sucking excuse for employment I currently endure five days a week, I would cease any attempt to find work happiness and "jack in" my life as I know it.

I don't mean that I would take a leap off the top of the Forth Road Bridge or choke myself to death on cornflakes (see the film "That Sinking Feeling"). I wouldn't even get a tattoo and ride off into the sunset with a couple of whores (it's not the same having to get public transport instead of a motorbike). I mean that I would give my life a radical re-think and total declutter. While it would be stupid of me to jack in my job (she-who-must-be-obeyed-wouldn't-let-me anyway), I figured that on my preferred Day of Doom I would do the following:

Stop Blogging
Stop Twittering
Scrap my MySpace page
Scrap my Jocknroll website/blog
Stop writing
Stop hosting quiz nights
Stop doing my hospital radio show
Scrap my magazine subscriptions
Clear out all my e-mails

I give up too much of myself, my soul and my time for nothing and to a largely unappreciative audience. Why should I bother? What's the point? I'm getting nothing out it but stress and grief. Mentally, I'm spent.

Maybe I'm just feeling sorry for myself or maybe I'm just being a realist but we have so much physical and emotional shit to cart around and I am, quite frankly, sick of it. There just isn't enough time in the day to do those "when I get a day off" projects, which remain largely unfinished, and when they are complete take too much effort to maintain. Why bother?

How does 3 May 2010 sound? Is that good for you?

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 15 March 2009

Here was tonight's playlist:

Nancy Sinatra - Last of the Secret Agents (Reprise 1966)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Bats - Listen To My Heart (Decca 1966)
The Creation - Try and Stop Me (Planet 1966)
Emitt Rhodes - Fresh As A Daisy (ABC/Dunhill 1970)
The Crystals - Uptown (Philles 1962)
Linda Cumbo - Did You Ever Lose Your Mind (Over a Boy) (Select 1965)
The New Faces - (Walk Tall) Like A Man (Pye 1966)
Twinkle - Ain't Nobody Home But Me (Decca 1965) (Connect 3)
Billie Davis - Nobody's Home To Go Home To (Decca 1969) (Connect 3)
Darlene Love - Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home (Philles 1963) (Connect 3)
Jimmy Thomas - Where There's A Will (Mirwood 1966)
Linda Kaye - I Can't Stop Thinking About You (Columbia 1966)
Sly Stone - Luv 'N Haight (Epic 1971) (Birthday: Sly Stone 15/3/44)
The Marvelettes - Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead (Motown 1975)
The In Crowd - Blow Up (demo) (Unreleased 1967)
Stone - Les Framboises (You're So Good To Me) (Decca 1966) (Foreign Language)
The Exciters - Run Mascara (Roulette 1965)
Tony Newman - Let The Good Times Roll (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Cryan' Shames - I Wanna Meet You (mono) (Destination 1966)
Marmalade - Butterfly (CBS 1969)
The Girlfriends - My One and Only Jimmy Boy (Colpix 1963)
Millie Foster - Love Wheel (President 1962)
The Staple Singers - When Will We Be Paid (For The Work We've Done) (Stax 1969)
The Byrds - Lady Friend (CBS 1967)
Camera Obscura - French Navy (4AD 2009) (Under The Influence)
Love Affair - A Day Without Love (CBS 1968)
The Beach Boys - This Whole World (Brother 1969)
Cindy Williams - They Talk About Us (Parlophone 1967)
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Motoring (Gordy 1965) (Connect 3)
The Supremes - You're My Driving Wheel (Motown 1976) (Connect 3)
The Kinks - Drivin' (Pye 1969) (Connect 3)
Jackie Lee - Anything You Want (Unreleased ?)
Jackie Lee - Love Is A Gamble (Pye 1969)
Amen Corner - Hey! Hey! Girl (Immediate 1969) (Two of a Kind)
Amen Corner - Our Love Is In Pocket (Decca 1968) (Two of a Kind)
The Shangri-las - Heaven Only Knows (Red Bird 1965)
The Rockin' Vickers - It's Alright (CBS/Columbia 1966)
Carole Deene - Some People (HMV 1962)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

I WON

Regular viewers will know I've been having battles with a number of battles with various organisations over a number of issues. Well, I've had a couple of victories, albeit minor ones.

The ILA have refunded my £200 through a most complex administration system. The learning provider had to "cancel" the course (even though I did it) and that would get the money back into my account. Now I go and do guitar lessons and I'm been thinking about doing sign language too. I was getting right into it having watching Mr Tumble on CBeebies. I found it quite exciting learning new words and their signs.

Orange have also stopped sending me stupid messages that I don't want, even though they promised before that they would cease. I still can't work out how my Calls Made/Missed Calls log has stopped since May 2008.

Asda still haven't phoned me back about the piss-poor service I got last week, which underlines my point.

The Dunfermline Press printed my letter this week about Councillor Martin; he was the one who insulted me in an e-mail and then made the rather stupid mistake of forwarding it on to me. He had sent a letter to the paper last week defending one of his party faithful who'd been slagged off by someone else in the paper. Pot kettle, Mr Martin, pot kettle. The DePress still aren't interested in my nomination for the National Hospital Radio Awards but they did feature the local girl who has made the last 10 for FHM's High Street Honeys. Can't think why!

You can hear my today on Jon Holmes' BBC6Music show between 2 and 4 (at about 3.45pm) talking about Journey's "Don't Stop Believing". I kid you not.

CAT-ASTROPHIC

I got offered a job with the RSPCA but the office was too small. There wasn't enough room to swing a cat.

DON'T STOP BELIEVING IN JOURNEY

On Saturday afternoon I'll be taking part in the Soft Rock feature on Jon Holmes' BBC 6Music Show. It was bad enough writing an appreciation of Status Quo for The Scotsman (I got paid but I felt I'd sold my soul) but any credibility I have remaining will now be up in smoke as I wax lyrical about Journey's powerpop ballad classic "Don't Stop Believing".

The most frustrating thing about it is that I went into my large singles box this afternoon and it wasn't there. I must have got rid of it pending a raid from the taste police. I recall it was a double A-side with another of their other big US hits from the "Escape" album, "Who's Crying Now" and came in a die-cut sleeve. It was being used to "sell" Journey in the UK but it never really took off, peaking in the charts at number 62. The other A-side "Who's Crying Now" was released again in August 1982 and got to 46.

I also found this out:

"Don't Stop Believing", the classic Journey power ballad, has just become the first catalog track in history to achieve online digital sales of more than 2 million units, according to SoundScan.

First made available through the iTunes Store on April 28, 2003, the truly timeless "Don't Stop Believing" has become the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history and the sole catalog track to have crossed the 2 million (double platinum) threshold. (The term "catalog" is used to refer to a pre-digital era track released for digital sales prior to the launch of the iTunes Store.)

"Don't Stop Believin'" enjoyed a massive resurgence in popularity in June 2007 after serving as the soundtrack to the climactic final set-piece of HBO's hit mafia family television series, "The Sopranos." Download sales of the song on iTunes rocketed an incredible 482% for the period from Saturday, June 9th (the night before "The Sopranos" finale) through Tuesday, June 12th, of that year.

As downloads of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" reached record numbers, demand for the band's CD catalog began accelerating and continue to this day."

Here are those singalong lyrics, reproduced with no permission whatsoever:

"Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world She took the midnight train goin' anywhere Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit He took the midnight train goin' anywhere A singer in a smokey room A smell of wine and cheap perfume For a smile they can share the night It goes on and on and on and on Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard Their shadows searching in the night Streetlights people, living just to find emotion Hiding, somewhere in the night Working hard to get my fill, everybody wants a thrill Payin' anything to roll the dice, just one more time Some will win, some will lose Some were born to sing the blues Oh, the movie never ends It goes on and on and on and on Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard Their shadows searching in the night Streetlights people, living just to find emotion Hiding, somewhere in the night Don't stop believin' Hold on to the feelin' Streetlights people Don't stop believin' Hold on Streetlight people Don't stop believin' Hold on to the feelin' Streetlights people"

Hell, who am I kidding? It's a guilty pleasure and no mistake. Now where did I put that poodle-perm wig?


Other songs selected so far have been:

Heart - There's The Girl
Angry Anderson - Suddenly
Posion - Every Rose Has It's Thorn
Toto - Africa*
Scorpions - Wind Of Change
Kiss - God Gave Rock N Roll To You
Warrant - Heaven
Stan Bush - The Touch
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again*
Bon Jovi - Runaway *
Stryper - Always There For You
Def Leppard - Love Bites
REO Speedwagon - Keep On Lovin' You*
Firehouse - Love Of A Lifetime
Guns N Roses - November Rain
Bryan Adams - Heaven
David Lee Roth - Just Like Paradise
Cheap Trick - The Flame*
Aerosmith - Angel

I would agree with the ones with asterisks (I haven't heard some of the others) but I would also add Quarterflash's "Harden My Heart", Heart's "Alone", Grand Prix's "Keep On Believing" (1 week at 75 in the UK chart), Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield", Huey Lewis and the News' "Do You Believe In Love" and Asia's "Heat of the Moment".

What would you pick?

PISS POOR SERVICE

I had to leave work this morning to pick up my daughter because she's covered in spots. After two buses home, I picked her up from pre-school and drove her home. After an afternoon of "Lady and the Tramp" (interrupted by the window cleaner and a stupid saleswoman who didn't want to take no for an answer and asked for my address even though she was standing at my front door in front of the number with the street sign behind her. She can't read because we have one of the "No Salespeople" stickers in the window) and CBeebies.

A trip to the doctor confirmed our fears about chicken pox, although she's had it before. After picking up mummy from the station (a special "thank you" to the dickheads who continue to park at the entrance to the car park instead of IN the car park. We literally scraped past one Chelsea tractor but fuck 'em - your car's worth more than mine and parked stupidly so I hope the damage to your vehicle wasn't trivial) and dropping them home I head back out to Asda to pick up a prescription for Calamine Cream and get some petrol. There's is where the "fun" begins.

I get to the Pharmacy at the Halbeath Road branch of Asda in Dunfermline. I wait what seems like an eternity to get served. During this time I fill in the form on the back (thinking this might help the harassed-looking staff) and wait to be served. Finally, I'm served - it is now 1745. The lady looks at the script, turns and picks up a jar of cream from behind the counter. Instead of handing to me, she passes it to her colleague and turns to me to say "that'll be 20 minutes"! I'm speechless. She then, thinking I'm half daft, writes "6.05pm" on the collection receipt.

Incredulous, I wander off to find some bin bags and look at the DVDs. At 6pm exactly I return and take a seat. Having been told the script wouldn't be ready until 5 past I sit down and wait for my name to be called. And I wait...and I wait...

At 6.35pm one of the assistants finally asks me my surname - she may have been prompted by the steam coming out of my ears and face like thunder that met her question. I ask her rather firmly and in front of about seven other customers why it's taken her 35 minutes to ask me my surname, what did she think I was waiting there for - a bus? I ask why if they're so busy that people have to wait 20 minutes for a script, even when it's on a shelf behind them, does she have time for a 10-minute chat with a passing friend? I let her know in no uncertain terms how piss-poor I think the service and that I'll be making a complaint. (I almost failed to mention that while the backlog, like Ulrika Jonsson, continued to mount, the pharmacist actually pissed off somewhere else for 7-8 minutes too.)

Yet another long queue, now being told it'll be 30 minutes to get a prescription, is waiting as I storm off in the direction of Customer Services. The queue is quiet and has no doubt been hanging on to every word of the rather one-sided conversation. The clueless assistant seemed to indicate that it was ME who should have informed HER that I was there (I was sitting less than 3 feet away from her for 35 minutes). Not once did she enquire if I was being served, as any customer assistant worth their salt would have done. I finally received the cream some 50 minutes after I handed the prescription over. That, to me, is unacceptable.

I tried to stayed calm as a rather panicky Customer services assistant tried in vain to locate the Manager. After 5 minutes he showed up. As calmly as I could, I laid the facts in front of him, gave him my details and told him I was off to administer the cream to my chicken pox-ridden four year old. He said he would be in touch. I decided against getting petrol at Asda after all (fuck 'em) and drove home, still fuming. (I went to Tesco to get the fuel while the Good Lady Wife was watching Heston Bloomingheck.) Aaaarrrggghhh!!!!!

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 8 March 2009

Here was tonight's playlist for the award-nominated (did I mention that?) "Where The Action Is":

The Shangri-las - Give Him A Great Big Kiss (Red Bird 1965)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Cyrkle - Turn Down Day (Columbia 1966)
The Stories - Love Is In Motion (Kama Sutra 1972)
Sharon Tandy - You Gotta Believe It (Atlantic 1968)
The Beas - International Girl (Label and year unknown)
13th Floor Elevators - (I've Got) Levitation (International Artists 1967)
Homer's Knods - Mr Rainbow (Pye 1969)
Annette Funicello - Pineapple Princess (Disneyland 1960) (Connect 3)
Little Eva - Sugar Plum (Give Me Some) (Unreleased 1968) (Connect 3)
Patsy Ann Noble - Sour Grapes (Columbia 1963) (Connect 3)
Julie Grant - Count On Me (Pye 1963)
The Liverbirds - Shop Around (Label and year unknown)
The Monkees - All The King's Horses (Unrelased 1966) (Birthday: Mickey Dolenz 8/3/45)
The Action - Shadows and Reflections (BBC 1967)
Norma Tracy & The Cinderella Kids - Skateboard Song (Label and year unknown)
Louise Cordet - Que m'a-t-il-fait? (Label and year unknown) (Foreign Language)
Billie Davis - I Want You To Be My Baby (Decca 1968)
The Rustlers - A Matter of Who (Pye 1961) (Half-Time Instrumental)
First Crow To The Moon - The Sun Lights Up The Shadows of Your Mind (Label Unknown 1967)
Aerovons - The Train (Parlophone 1969)
Jan and Dean - The Anaheim, Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association (Liberty 1964)
The Velvelettes - A Bird In The Hand (Is Worth Two In The Bush) (VIP 1965)
The Ashes - Let's Take Our Love (Label and Year Unknown)
Lulu - Rattler (EMI 1967)
The Thrills - Bug Sur (EMI 2003) (Under The Influence)
The Freshmen - Carpet Man (Pye 1968)
The Music Machine - The People In Me (Label Unknown 1967)
Herman's Hermits - Bus Stop (Columbia 1966)
Stamford Bridge - Happiness and Rainy Days (Label Unknown 1970) (Connect 3)
Julie London - February Brings The Rain (Liberty 1956) (Connect 3)
The Searchers - What Have You Done To The Rain? (Pye 1964) (Connect 3)
The Montanas - You're Making A Big Mistake (Pye 1968)
The Birdies - The Hucklebuck 65 (Label and Year Unknown)
Wilson Pickett - If You Need Me (Atlantic 1965) (Two of a Kind)
Wilson Pickett - Don't Fight It (Atlantic 1965) (Two of a Kind)
Two of Each - Trust (Pye 1969)
Sandie Shaw - Downtown (Pye 1965)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

I would give tonight's show 9.75 out of10. I really enjoyed it.

Until next time, good night and good health...

RADIO KILLED THE RADIO STAR

Yesterday I attended a Radio Academy event at the Royal Concert Hall called "Foot in the Door". It was supposed to be just for radio students but, after initially being told I couldn't go, I was invited too. (Thanks to John Collins (no, not that one), Helliate and Laura.)

While in my ways I was glad I went I left feeling rather more depressed than when I arrived (and I've been very down this week). I took a lot of good information away and I certainly asked plenty of questions - I figured it might be my only chance.

The event was split into a number of sessions covering different areas of radio/broadcasting.

Imaging - Marketing a station's brand
Indies - Getting work on the BBC via independent producers
Music radio production - Selection and scheduling of music on the BBC and independent radio
Speech sequence radio production and presentation - Producing busy, regular speech radio
How to get your work commissioned - Exactly as it sounds
Podcasting - See above
Music Presentation Skills - What rocks on air and why
Community Radio - As it says

I plumped for Podcasting, How To Get Commissioned, Indies and Music Presentation Skills, although the last one seemed to have disappeared so I plumped for a very busy Speech Production table.

The podcasting table featured Karen Miller and Jim Gellatly, who already do their own (excellent) podcasts and Tony Currie who runs Radio Six International, an Internet radio station based in Glasgow. Most of the chat centred around money; namely licences from PPL and the mouthful that is the MCPS-PRS Alliance. While it made no attempt to cover up the realities I felt the dark clouds of doom begin to hover.

Cumulo Depressus showed no sign of disappearing through "How To Get Your Work Commissioned". Okay, maybe they were just being realistic about your chances of getting your ideas commissioned or even stolen but there was definitely an air of doom and gloom about it all.

The third table, after a very pricey lunch in the Concert Hall cafe, was even more depressing. Colin Somerville is someone I grew up listening to over many years and while it was great to put a face to the voice he seemed tinged with a world-weary sadness that didn't fill me with hope for my own chances of getting paid for doing what I love to do. Again, maybe he was just telling it like it is, keeping it real, making sure we were under no illusions as to how tough 'the business' is but it just made me feel like going home.

The last table, Speech Sequence Radio Production and Presentation, gave me a bit more hope. One thing I did learn is that Scott Wilson, resplendent in a lovely grey golfing jumper, doesn't need a microphone! Ever! I managed to chat with two of the panellists from this table later on, namely Graham Stewart and Stephen Hollywood, both who work for Radio Scotland. Graham presents "Morning Extra" on Radio Scotland and I phoned in on Christmas Eve to talk about two of the featured topics - Christmas records and working over the festive period. I was on air when I was on my way to do my Christmas Countdown show on VRN. I also had a chat with Stephen Hollywood, a senior Producer for Radio Scotland who looks after Fred MacAulay's Show. I was interviewed about the Jocknroll Best/Worst Album Poll by Fred and I spoke to Stephen about being a music contributor on the show. If you don't ask...

After an excellent closing speech by Trevor Dann and a brief chat with Jim I made my way to one of my least favourite places, Buchanan Street Bus Station. Even in broad daylight I'm very wary of the place.

While the event was well organised I did feel at times that I was on my own and spent a lot of wondering aimlessly around. I did meet and talk to a few people but most of them were the actual panel members for each group.

I like to thank the following people for their time and words of wisdom: Graham Stewart , Stephen Hollywood, Paul Saunders (Programme Director for Radio Clyde who allowed me to foist my demo on to him), Nick Low (Demus Productions, who voted in the Jocknroll Singles poll), Karen Miller, Tony Currie and last, but not least, the larger-than-life Jim Gellatly, who did a little piece to camera for a rolling Jocknroll project that I'm working on (and not telling you about yet).

NO WONDER I'M DePRESSED

As regular readers will be aware I’ve been short listed for the Best Newcomer award at the National Hospital Radio Awards. I’m rightly proud of my achievement thus far and why shouldn’t I be? I worked hard for it and I always say that if you don’t blow your own trumpet, no one else will.

The radio station I’m on doesn’t seem to have a policy when it comes to issuing press releases to publicise events and achievements so, with the chairman’s permission, I put one together myself. The small but perfectly-formed press release, in which I actually gave top billing to my colleague John who is nominated in one of the more prestigious categories (Male Presenter of the Year, which he has won twice), was e-mailed to the local free papers, as well as the Fife Free Press and the Dunfermline Press. The radio station is based in Kirkcaldy but I sent the information to the Dunfermline Press because I figured that they might just be interested in a story of a local resident doing good.

I had hoped that making the final 10 of a national competition might be deemed newsworthy but, no, they weren’t interested. (I don’t know if it was in any of the free papers because the one week in which I wanted to read them they never appeared!) Anyway, imagine my surprise when I saw THIS STORY from this week’s Dunfermline Press.

Now why do you suppose that my story didn’t make it and this one did? We’re both in the running to win a UK-wide competition and yet the tall, leggy, big-breasted father-of-one is ignored in favour of a 23-year-old phlebotomist*.

Maybe if I offered to lie down in my vest and pants they’d print my story too.

The newspaper’s snubbing of me may have something to do with the time I took them to the Press Complaints Commission over their attempt at character assassination. I’ve also written to their letters page about issues that I thought would be of interest to them and local residents only to find my letter doesn’t appear in print and but a story on the same subject appears elsewhere in the paper. No thanks, no acknowledgment, nothing.

I’ve also been known to point out their spelling mistakes and grammatical errors so maybe it’s understandable that they might want to take their “revenge” by ignoring a perfect decent little story. It’s their choice, albeit a rather sad one, if they want to cut off their nose to spite their face.

What is rather ironic is that there’s a possible follow-up story/photo-opportunity because Stagecoach have kindly offered to sponsor us on our trip to Blackpool by loaning us a 7-seater people carrier, complete with a tank of petrol.

The only problem is that the DePress hates Stagecoach more than it hates me!

The Cat
=^..^=

* If Ms McDaid wins she gets £10,000, an appearance on the cover of FHM and a chance to present a music show on KISS TV. My prize, if I’m lucky enough to win, will be a certificate, a mention in On-Air magazine (the official journal of the Hospital Broadcasting Association) and the undying admiration of my family and friends. (There used to be cash prizes but times are hard). Ms McDaid says she’ll buy her mother Botox, while I’ll be lucky if I can afford a stick of rock.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 1 March 2009

Here was tonight's "fame" playlist:

Heinz - Just Like Eddie (Decca 1963)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
David Bowie - Andy Warhol (RCA 1971)
Twiggy - When I Think of You (Ember 1967)
Gloria Hunniford - Are You Ready for Love (Tangerine 1969)
Sophia Loren - Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo (Parlophone 1961)
John Leyton - The Great Escape (HMV 1963)
Billy Boyle - My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Elvis (Decca 1962)
Bonnie Jo Mason (Cher) - Ringo I Love You (Annette 1964) (Connect 3)
Polly Perkins - You Too Can Be A Beatle (Oriole 1964) (Connect 3)
Rainbo (Sissy Spacek) - John You Went Too Far This Time (? 1968) (Connect 3)
Marlene Dietrich - Near You (? 1957)
Mike Berry & The Outlaws - Tribute To Buddy Holly (HMV 1961)
Adrienne Posta - Shang A Doo Lang (Decca 1964) (Birthday: Adrienne Posta 1/3/48)
Patrick Macnee/Honor Blackman - Kinky Boots (Deram 1964)
Mark Wynter - Can I Get To Know You Better (Pye 1965)
Brigitte Bardot - Moi Je Joue (Mercury 1964) (Foreign Language)
Maya Angelou - Since Me Man Done Gone and Went (Liberty 1957)
David McCallum - The Edge (Capitol 1967) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Jimmy Tarbuck - Someday (You'll Want Me To Love You) (Immediate 1965)
Josephine Baker - Don't Touch My Tomatoes (Label/Year Unknown)
Cilla Black - Work Is A Four Letter Word (Parlophone 1968)
Anita Harris - Something Must Be Done (Pye 1966)
Bruce Forsyth - I'm Backine Britain (Pye 1968)
Jayne Mansfield - That Makes It! (? 1966)
OMD - Pandora's Box (Virgin 1991) (Under The Influence)
Gillian Hills - Tomorrow Is Another Day (Vogue 1965)
Shirley Abicair - You Can't Hide A Broken Heart (Piccadilly 1967)
Peter Cook & Dudley Moore/The Breakaways - Bedazzled (Decca 1967)
Diana Dors - So Little Time (Fontana 1964) (Connect 3)
Linda Thorson - Here I Am (Ember 1968) (Connect 3)
Jenny Moss - Big Boys (Columbia 1963) (Connect 3)
Judy Carne - Sock It To Me (Reprise 1968)
Janice Nicholls - I'll Give It Five (Decca 1963)
Alison Wonder* - Once More With Feeling (Columbia 1970) (Two of a Kind)
Cheryl St. Clair* - I'll Forget You Tonight (Columbia 1967) (Two of a Kind)
Marilyn Monroe - Heatwave (? 1954)
Lenny Gamble** - I'll Do Anything (Anything She Wants) (Polydor 1973)
Susan Hampshire - When Love Is True (Decca 1965)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

*Singing nom-de-plumes for Cheryl Barrymore, wife of Michael
**Tony Blackburn does Northern Soul

Tonight's show was probably a 8/10. I forgot one of the tracks I was going to play and it through me for a few minutes.

Until next time, good night and good health...

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 22 March 2009

Here was tonight's "fame" special playlist:

The Chiffons - Nobody Knows What's Going On In My Mind But Me (Laurie 1965)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Petula Clark - Heart (Pye 1965)
The Goodies - Sophisticated Boom Boom (Blue Cat 1965)
Syreeta Wright - I Can't Give You Back The Love I Feel (Gordy 1968)
Dorothy Berry - You're So Fine (Challenge 1963)
The Fabulettes - Try The Worryin' Way (Sound Stage 7 1966)
Cilla Black - I've Been Wrong Before (Parlophone 1965)
The Caravelles - Hey Mama You've Been On My Mind (Polydor 1966) (Connect 3)
Etta James - Tell Mama (Chess 1968) (Connect 3)
Barbara Carr - My Mama Told Me (Chess 1966) (Connect 3)
The Breakaways - That's How It Goes (Pye 1964)
Denria Lynn - I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls (Capitol 1965)
The Yardbirds - For Your Love (Birthday: 22/3/43 Keith Relf)
Dusty Springfield - I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face (Phillips 1967)
The Geminis - A Friend of Mine (RCA Victor 1966)
Liz Brady - Partie de Dames (Pathe 1966) (Foreign Language)
Earl Jean - I'm Into Something Good
The Ramblers - Just for Chicks (Decca 1963)(Half-Time Instrumental)
Connie Francis - Don't Ever Leave Me (MGM 1964)
Little Eva - Keep Your Hands Off Of My Baby (London 1962)
Carole King - Crying In The Rain (Dimension 1963)
Bessie Banks - Go Now (Tiger 1964)
Mary Wells - Bye Bye Baby (Motown 1960)
Barbara Lewis - Don't Forget About Me (Atlantic 1966)
Fanny - Long Road Home (Reprise 1973) (Under The Influence)
Sylvan - We Don't Belong (Columbia 1965)
Ellie Greenwich - You Don't Know (Red Bird 1965)
Peanut - Thank Goodness For The Rain (Pye 1965)
Ruby and the Romantics - When You're Young and In Love (Kapp 1964) (Connect 3)
The Emeralds - Wanna Make Him Mine (Jubilee 1964) (Connect 3)
The Sapphires - Who Do You Love (Swan 1963) (Connect 3)
Shirley Matthews - Big Town Boy (Atlantic 1963)
Jackie DeShannon - Dream Boy (Unreleased 1964)
Mama Cass - Dream A Little Dream of Me (Dunhill 1968) (Two of a Kind)
Mama Cass - It's Getting Better (Dunhill 1969) (Two of a Kind)
Cher - Dream Baby (Imperial 1964)
The Girls - Chico's Girl (Capitol 1966)
Fanny - Charity Ball (Reprise 1970)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)