The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 12 July 2009

This is the playlist for tonight's show::

The Action - Shadows and Reflections (Parlophone 1967)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Mamas and the Papas - Go Where You Wanna Go (Dunhill 1965)
The Shangri-las - Out In The Streets (Red Bird 1965)
The Rockin' Berries - He's In Town (Piccadilly 1964)
The Seeds - Can't Seem To Make You Mine (GNP Crescendo 1965)
The Boys - Splendor In The Grass (Kama Sutra 1965)
The Ad-Libs - He Ain't No Angel (Blue Cat 1965)
The Ivy League - Running Round In Circles (Piccadilly 1966) (Connect 3)
Les Fleur de Lys - Circles (Immediate 1966) (Connect 3)
Buffy Sainte-Marie - The Circle Game (Vanguard 1967) (Connect 3)
The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby (Capitol 1964)
The Chiffons - I Have A Boyfriend (Laurie 1963)
Julie Grant - Somebody Tell Me (Pye 1962) (Birthday: 12/7/46 Julie Grant)
Barry McGuire - This Precious Time (Dunhill 1966)
The Bandits - I Remember The Girl (Panorama 1966)
France Gall - Christiansen (Philips 1964) (Foreign Language)
The Jelly Beans - Baby Be Mine (Red Bird 1964)
David Ede & The Rabin Rock Band - Twistin' Those Meeces To Pieces (Pye 1962) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes - Guitar Child (RCA Victor 1964)
Sharon Marie - Run-Around Lover (Capitol 1963)
The Exciters - Do-Wah-Diddy (United Artists 1963)
The Survivors - Pamela Jean (Capitol 1964)
The Byrds - Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe (Columbia 1965)
The Honeys - The One You Can't Have (Capitol 1963)
The Spooks - Sally Machine (Egomania 2001) (Under The Influence)
Moody & The Deltas - Everybody Come Clap Your Hands (Daisy 1963)
Big Star - I'm In Love With A Girl (Stax 1973)
The Fashionettes - Daydreamin' of You (GNP Crescendo 1964)
Bobby Vee - Take Good Care of My Baby (London 1961) (Connect 3)
Bobby Sheen - I Want You For My Sweetheart (Dimension 1965) (Connect 3)
Bobby Cristo - The Others Side of the Track (Decca 1964) (Connect 3)
Karen Verros - Little Boy (Dot 1965)
Brenda Lee - So Deep (Decca 1962)
The Who - Magic Bus (Track 1968) (Two of a Kind)
The Who - Substitute (Reaction 1966) (Two of a Kind)
The Orchids - That Boy Is Messin' Up My Mind (Columbia 1963)
American Spring - Shyin' Away (Columbia 1973)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Remember, if you're ever involved in a non-fatal accident in the Kirkcaldy area, do tune in on 1287AM or Channel 3 on the hospital headsets to "Where The Action Is", a blend of mod, coul, Motown, girl groups/singers and alternative pop from the late 50s through to the early 70s.

Feel free to leave a comment or indeed a request or two. I can't promise to play it immediately - the shows are usually done live but prepared two or three weeks in advance - but I'll endeavour to play them within a month.

The Cat
=^..^=

"Where The Action Is" playlist - Sunday 5 July 2009

This is tonight's show in all its glory:

Keith West - Excerpt from a Teenage Opera (Parlophone 1967)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Merseys - The Cat (Fontana 1967)
Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music (Atlantic 1967)
The Hellions - Think It Over (Piccadilly 1965)
The Yardbirds - Over Under Sideways Down (Columbia 1966)
Simon and Garfunkel - Keep The Customer Satisfied (Columbia 1970)
Limey and the Yanks - Guaranteed Love (Starburst 1965)
R Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost in My House (Motown 1974) (Connect 3)
Val McKenna - House For Sale (Spark 1968) (Connect 3)
The Kinsmen - Glass House Green, Splinter Red (Decca 1968) (Connect 3)
Etta James - Pay Back (Argo 1961)
Loose Ends - Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore (Decca 1966)
The Canadian Squires - Leave Me Alone (Ware 1965) (Birthday: 5/7/43 Robbie Robertson, The Band)
Young Idea - Tar and Cement (EMI 1968)
Arthur Alexander - Soldier of Love (London 1962)
Brigitte Bardot - Harley Davidson (Mercury 1967) (Foreign Language)
Chris Clark - Head To Toe (Motown 1967)
The Eagles - March of the Eagles (Pye 1962) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Samantha Jones - Today Without You (Penny Farthing 1969)
Carter-Lewis & The Southerners - Skinny Minnie (Oriole 1964)
The Move - Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree (Regal Zonophone 1967)
Annette Funicello - First Name Initial (Vista 1959)
Barbara Ruskin - Pawnbroker, Pawnbroker (President 1968)
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Hungry For Love (HMV 1963)
Belle and Sebastian - Wrapped Up In Books (Rough Trade 2003) (Under The Influence)
The Knickerbockers - Love Is A Bird (Challenge 1966)
The 23rd Turnoff - Leave Me Here (Deram 1967)
Marvin Gaye - One More Heartache (Motown 1966)
Billie Davis - It's So Funny I Could Cry (Unreleased 1963) (Connect 3)
The Redcaps - Funny Things (Decca 1964) (Connect 3)
John Leyton - Funny Man (HMV 1963) (Connect 3)
Cinnamon - You Won't See Me Leaving (Beacon 1968)
Vicky Gomez - Boys Are Dime A Dozen (ABC Paramount 1965)
The Kinks - This Man He Weeps Tonight (Pye 1969) (Two of a Kind)
The Kinks - Tin Soldier Man (Pye 1967) (Two of a Kind)
Gene Chandler - I Fooled You This Time (Checker 1966)
Fontella Bass - I Surrender (Checker 1966)
David Bowie - I Dig Everything (Pye 1966)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

It was great getting back in the studio for a live show although the studio itself was like a sauna, even with the windows wide open.

Feel free to leave a comment or indeed a request or two.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 28 June 2009

Here are the tracks from last night's show, which I recorded in advance because it clashed with my daughter dancing at the Carnegie Hall. Sadly it was the one in Dunfermline.

Simon Dupree & The Big Sound - Kites (EMI 1967)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Wishful Thinking - VIP (Decca 1966)
Glenda Collins - Something I Got To Tell You (Pye 1966)
The Left Banke - She May Call You Up Tonight (Smash 1967)
Ella Washington - He Called Me Baby (Sound Stage 1968)
The Isley Brothers - Behind A Painted Smile (Motown 1969)
Tony Jackson Group - Fortune Teller (Pye 1965)
Mike Berry & The Outlaws - Tribute To Buddy Holly (HMV 1961) (Connect 3)
Dorothy Berry - You're So Fine (Challenge 1963) (Connect 3)
Dave Berry - Picture Me Gone (Decca 1966) (Connect 3)
The Poets - Baby Don't You Do It (Immediate 1966)
The Spectres - (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet (Piccadilly 1967)
Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly (Birthday: 28/6/45 David Knights, bass player)
The Actions - Shadows and Reflections (BBC 1967)
Norma Tracy & The Cinderella Kids - Skateboard Song (Label and year unknown)
The Searchers - C'est de Notre Age (Vogue 1965) (Foreign Language)
Patsy Ann Noble - Sour Grapes (Columbia 1963)
Jimmy Nicol & The Shubdubs - Night Train (Pye 1964) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Madeline Bell - You Don't Love Me No More (Columbia 1964)
The Stories - Love Is In Motion (Kama Sutra 1973)
Bobby Fuller Four - Let Her Dance (Mustang 1965)
The Velvelettes - Lonely, Lonely Girl Am I (VIP 1965)
Beat Boys - That's My Plan (Decca 1963)
The Bootiques - Did You Get Your Fun (Date 1966)
The Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour (Beggars Banquet 1983) (Under The Influence)
Nico - I'm Not Saying (Immediate 1965)
Gene Chandler - Nothing Can Stop Me (Constellation 1965)
The Beach Boys - I Can Hear Music (Capitol 1969)
The Searchers - Love Potion Number Nine (stereo) (Pye 1963) (Connect 3)
The 2 of Clubs - Heart (Fraternity 1966) (Connect 3)
Bella and Me - Whatever Happened To The 7 Day Week (Columbia 1967) (Connect 3)
Jackie Lee - Anything You Want (Any Way You Want) (Unreleased)
Jackie Lee - Love Is A Gamble (Pye 1969)
Walker Brothers - Love Her (Smash 1965) (Two of a Kind)
Walker Brothers - My Ship Is Coming In (Philips 1965) (Two of a Kind)
Emitt Rhodes - Fresh As A Daisy (ABC/Dunhill 1970)
West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Transparent Day (Reprise 1967)
Lucas and the Mike Cotton Sound - Step Out of Line (Pye 1967)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

This show was a bit of a cop-out because almost all of these tracks had been aired on my show at some point during this year but I didn't have a lot of time to put it together so it's a virtual "greatest hits" of "Where The Action Is" in 2009. Normal service will be resumed next weekend. In fact, the next two shows are already finished.

Feel free to leave a comment or indeed a request or two.

The Cat
=^..^=

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 21 Jun 2009

Here are the tracks from last night's Goffin and King special (all tracks marked with an asterisk* are G and K tracks):

Helen Shapiro - It Might As Well Rain Until September (EMI 1964)*
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Action - Just Once In My Life (Unreleased)*
Lee Starr & The Astrals - Walkin' With My Angel (Unreleased)*
The Chiffons - The First and Last (BT Puppy 1970)*
Truly Smith - The Boy From Chelsea (Decca 1967)*
Bobby Vee - The Idol (Liberty 1962)*
Gene McDaniels - The Point of No Return (Liberty 1962)*
Donna Loren - Just A Little Girl (Capitol 1964)* (Connect 3)
Bobby Vee - Go Away Little Girl (Liberty 1963)* (Connect 3)
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Atlantic 1967)* (Connect 3)
Carole King - He's A Bad Boy (Dimension 1963)*
Richard "Popcorn" Wylie - Brand New Man (Epic 1963)*
The Kinks - God's Children (Pye 1971) (Birthday: 21/6/44 Ray Davies)
Barbara Ruskin - Halfway To Paradise (Piccadilly 1965)*
Jackie DeShannon - Heaven Is Being With You (Liberty 1961)*
Lulu - Wenn Du Da Bist (Decca 1964) (Foreign Language)
Lulu - Can't Hear You No More (Decca 1964)
The Kinks - Lola (Pye 1971) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Satisfactions - I Didn't Have Any Summer Romance (Unreleased 1966)*
Barry St. John - Hey Boy (Decca 1965)*
Billie Davis - Wasn't It You? (Decca 1967)*
Herman's Hermits - Show Me Girl (Columbia 1965)*
Cher - Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Imperial 1966)*
Bertell Dache - Not Just Tomorrow, But Always (United Artists 1961)*
The Thanes - You Shouldn't Be Sad (Rev-ola 2004) (Under The Influence)
The Honey Bees - Some of Your Lovin' (Fontana 1965)*
Connie Stevens - They're Jealous of Me (Warner Bros 1964)*
Marianne Faithfull - Is This What I Get For Loving You Baby (Decca 1967)
The Turtles - So Goes Love (White Whale 1967)* (Connect 3)
Jill Jackson - I'll Love You For A While (Reprise 1965)* (Connect 3)
Arlene Smith - He Knows I Love Him Too Much (Big Top 1961)* (Connect 3)
The Everly Brothers - You're Just What I Was Looking For Today (Unreleased 1967)*
The Hollies - Honey and Wine (Parlophone 1965)*
The Monkees - Take A Giant Step (Colgems 1966)* (Two of a Kind)
The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday (Colgems 1967) (Two of a Kind)
The Animals - Don't Bring Me Down (MGM 1966)*
Little Eva - Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (Dimension 1962)*
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Most of the tracks from last night's show came from the two CDs pictured, which I purchased with some birthday vouchers. Money well spent.

It was also Ray Davies' birthday so there were three Kinks tracks, including The Thanes' excellent cover.

Next week's show has already been recorded so I'll post that tracklist next Sunday.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287AM - Sunday 7 June 2009

Another afternoon/early evening spent in the studios of Victoria Radio Network as everyone else enjoys the good weather and loads of live sport on the telly:

The Foundations - Baby Now That I've Found You (Pye 1967)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Felder's Orioles - Backstreet (Piccadilly 1966)
Barbara Pennington - 24 Hours A Day (Label Unknown 1976)
Maxine Darren - How Can I Hide It From My Heart (Pye 1965)
The Searchers - Second Hand Dealer (Pye 1967)
Mel Wynn & The Rhythm Aces - Stop Sign (Label Unknown 1868)
The Alan Bown Set - Headline News (Pye 1966)
The Byrds - So You Wanna Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (Columbia 1967) (Connect 3)
Herman's Hermits - Here Comes The Star (Columbia 1969) (Connect 3)
Don Charles - Lucky Star (Decca 1963) (Connect 3)
Billie Davis - No Other Baby (Piccadilly 1965)
Tony Jordan - The Wind Calls (Pye 1967)
Billy Butler & The Enchanters - The Right Track (Okeh 1966) (Birthday: 7/6/45 Billy Butler)
The Four Vandals - The Wrong Side of Town (Label Unknown 1999)
Eddie Cave & The Fyx - Fresh Out of Tears (Pye 1966)
Les Roche Martin - Les Mains dans Les Roches (EMI 1967) (Foreign Language)
Sarah Jane - Listen People (Pye 1966)
The Tornados - The Ice Cream Man (Decca 1968) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Ivy League - That's Why I'm Crying (Piccadilly 1965)
Kim D - Come On Baby (Pye 1965)
Father's Angels - Bok To Bach (Label Unknown 1967)
Julie Grant - Come To Me (Pye 1964)
Petula Clark - Don't Sleep On The Subway (Pye 1967)
Neo Maya - I Won't Hurt You (Pye 1967)
Secret Affair - My World (US Remix) (I-Spy 1979) (Under The Influence)
The Exotics - I Don't Want Nobody (To Lean Me On) (Pye 1970)
Lavern Baker - Wrapped, Tied and Tangled (Label Unknown 1967)
Tammy St. John - Dark Shadows and Empty Hallways (Pye 1964)
Just Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes (Lupine 1965) (Connect 3)
The Sweetcorn - Sunshine Follows The Rain (Pye 1970) (Connect 3)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - The Onion Song (Tamla Motown 1969) (Connect 3)
The Loving Kind - Ain't That Peculiar (Pye 1966)
Lorraine Silver - Happy Faces (Pye 1966)
Jackie Wilson - I've Lost You (Brunswick 1967) (Two of a Kind)
Jackie Wilson - The Who Who Song (Brunswick 1967) (Two of a Kind)
Anita Harris - Something Must Be Done (Pye 1966)
Jack Montgomery - Dearly Beloved (Label Unknown 1966)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

The Cat's "Where The Action Is" on Kirkcaldy VRN 1287AM - Sunday 31 May 209

Missing all the sunshine to bring the patients and listeners of VRN 1287AM the following great tunes:

Darrell Banks - Our Love (Is In The Pocket) (Revilot 1966)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Barbara Ruskin - Song Without End (Pye 1966)
Sandie Shaw - Nothing Comes Easy (Pye 1966)
Nita Rossi - Every Little Day Now (Pye 1965)
Al Wilson - The Snake (Soul City 1968)
The Uglys - End of the Season (Pye 1966)
Simone Jackson - Tell Me What To Do (Pye 1963)
The Kinks - Picture Book (Pye 1968) (Connect 3)
Madeline Bell - Picture Me Gone (Philips 1967) (Connect 3)
Margo Guryan - Take A Picture (Bell 1968) (Connect 3)
John L Watson & The Hummleflugs - Lookin' For Love (Pye 1964)
Bob Relf - Blowin' My Mind To Pieces (Trans-American 1968)
Jan Panter - Put Yourself In My Place (Pye 1966)
Marmalade - Lovin' Things (CBS 1968) (Birthday: 31/5/47 Junior Campbell)
The Rockin' Berries - Barterers and their Wives (Unreleased)
Annie Philippe - Baby Love (Baby Love Groove Mix) (Riviera 1964) (Foreign Language)
The Small Faces - Here Comes The Nice (Immediate 1967)
The Checkmates - Tornado (Pye 1961) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Wayne Gibson - Under My Thumb (Columbia 1966)
Keith Powell & Billie Davis - When You Move You Lose (Piccadilly 1966)
Glenda Collins - It's Hard To Believe It (Pye 1966)
The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man (Columbia 1965)
Fred Hughes - Baby Boy (Brunswick 1969)
The Settlers - Till Winter Follows Spring (Pye 1966)
The Primary V - Lost and Confused (Neon Tetra 2008) (Under The Influence)
The Blue Chips - Tell Her (Pye 1966)
Polly Brown - So Much In Love (Pye 1973)
The Paper Dolls - Something Here In My Heart (Keeps A Tellin' Me No) (Pye 1968)
Starbreaker - Sounds of Summer (Label Unknown 1977) (Connect 3)
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound Authority - Reservations (Parlophone 1967) (Connect 3)
Sight and Sound - Jackie (Pye 1970) (Connect 3)
Evelyn Thomas - Weak Spot (29th Century 1975)
Stella Star - Say It (Pye 1967)
Kathy Kirby - Dance On (1963 Decca) (Two of a Kind)
Kathy Kirby - Miss Dynamite (1963 Decca) (Two of a Kind)
Barbara Acklin - Just Ain't No Love (Brunswick 1968)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

I had improvise tonight as two CDs decided to start skipping!! Until next time, good night and good health.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 24 May 2009

Here are this week's offerings for the patients and listeners of VRN 1287AM:

Dobie Gray - Out On The Floor (Charger 1966)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Breakaways - That's How It Goes (Pye 1964)
Lucas and the Mike Cotton Sound - Step Out of Line (Pye 1967)
The Knack - (The Man From The) Marriage Guidance and Advice Bureau (Piccadilly 1967)
West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Transparent Day (Reprise 1967)
Erma Franklin - (I Get The) Sweetest Feeling (Brunswick 1970)
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band - If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely) (HMV 1961)
John Leyton - Thunder and Lightning (HMV 1961) (Connect 3)
Manfred Mann - Smokestack Lightning (Capitol 1964) (Connect 3)
Little Johnny Taylor - Zig Zag Lightning (Galaxy 1966) (Connect 3)
Sandra Barry - We Were Lovers (When The Party Began) (Pye 1965)
Charlie Rich - Love Is After Me (Hi 1966)
Patti Labelle & The Bluebells - All Or Nothing (Atlantic 1965) (Birthday: 24/5/44 Patti Labelle)
The Kytes - Frosted Panes (Pye 1966)
Timebox - I'll Always Love You (Piccadilly 1967)
Jacqueline Taieb - Qu'est-ce Qu'on Se Marre a la Fac (La Fac de Lettres) (Fontana 1968) (Foreign Language)
The Zombies - Time of the Season (Date 1968)
The Outlaws - Swinging Low (HMV 1961) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Capreez - How To Make A Sad Man Glad (Sound 1968)
Antoinette - There He Goes (The Boy I Love) (Pye 1964)
The Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law (El Paso version) (Norton 1996)
Jimmy James - Ain't No Big Thing (Pye 1967)
Peter Nelson - Don't Make Promises (You Can't Keep) (Piccadilly 1966)
Glo Macari - He Knows I Love Him Too Much (Pye 1965)
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos (Bella Union 2009) (Under The Influence)
The Pretty Things - SF Sorrow Is Born (Columbia 1968)
The Cooperettes - Shing-A-Ling (Brunswick 1967)
Ways and Means - Make The Radio A Little Louder (Pye 1967)
Helen Shapiro - Look Over Your Shoulder (Columbia 1964) (Connect 3)
The Beach Boys - Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulders) (Capitol 1966) (Connect 3)
Brenda Holloway - You Can Cry On My Shoulders (Tamla 1965) (Connect 3)
Edwin Starr - Twenty Five Miles (Gordy 1969) (Two of a Kind)
Edwin Starr - Stop Her On Sight (SOS) (Ric-Tac 1966) (Two of a Kind)
Lorraine Chandler - Love You Baby (Ashford 1968)
Sandie Shaw - As Long As You're Happy (Pye 1964)
Youngblood - Green Light (Pye 1968)
Jimmy Radcliffe - Long After Tonight Is All Over (Musicor 1964)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

An enjoyable show tonight although I had a bit of difficulty saying "baroque pop folk" - you try it!

Until next time, good night and good health.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 17 May 2009

After the fun and frolics of Eurovision it's back to my usual mix of mod, soul and alternative 60s pop.

Betty Everett - Getting Mighty Crowded (Vee Jay 1964)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Lovin' Spoonful - She Is Still A Mystery (Kama Sutra 1967)
The Jades - Surface World (Fenton 1967)
The Chordettes - Pink Showlaces (Cadence 1959)
The Yardbirds - Over Under Sideways Down (Columbia 1966)
Reparata and the delrons - Look In My Diary (Unreleased)
Shelley Fabares - Lost Summer Love (Vee Jay 1964)
Billie Davis - Bedtime Stories (Columbia 1963) (Connect 3)
Brenda Holloway - Tell Me Your Story (Unreleased 1965) (Connect 3)
The Stories - Love Is In Motion (Kama Sutra 1973) (Connect 3)
The Monks - Monk Time (Polydor 1965)
Gene Chandler - Nothing Can Stop Me (Constellation 1965)
Baby Jane & The Rockabyes - How Much Is That Doggie In The Window (Birthday: 17/5/21 Bob Merrill, songwriter)
Arthur Alexander - You're The Reason (Dot 1962)
Viscount V - She Doesn't Know (Lavette 1966)
Francoise Hardy - Ce Petite Coeur (Pye 1965) (Foreign Language)
The Supremes - Your Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart (Motown 1966)
The Tornados - Dragonfly (Decca 1963) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Irma Thomas - Break-A-Way (Imperial 1964)
The Beach Boys - I Can Hear Music (Capitol 1969)
Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller (Minit 1962)
PJ Proby - Just Like Him (Liberty 1964)
Joey Heatherton - Live and Learn (Decca 1966)
The Shangri-las - Out In The Street (Red Bird 1965)
Camera Obscura - Honey In The Sun (4AD 2009) (Under The Influence)
The Action - Something Has Hit Me (Parlophone 1967)
Noreen Corcoran - Love Kitten (Vee Jay 1963)
Helen Shapiro w/The Jordanaires - Woe Is Me (Columbia 1963)
The Flowerpot Men - A Walk In The Sky (Deram 1967) (Connect 3)
Paradox - There's A Flower Shop (Flujac 1968) (Connect 3)
The Searchers - Where Have All The Flowers Gone (Mono) (Pye 1963) (Connect 3)
Carolyn Carter - I'm Thru (Jamie 1965)
Barbara Acklin - Am I The Same Girl (Brunswick 1969)
The Marvelettes - Destination Anywhere (Tamla 1968) (Two of a Kind)
The Marvelettes - Too Many Fish In The Sea (Tamla 1964) (Two of a Kind)
The Butterflys - Good Night Baby (Red Bird 1964)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Until next time, good night and good health.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 10 May 2009

Here is the list for last weekend's Eurovision special, during which I counted down my Top 10 Eurovision tracks of all time.

10 Gina G - Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit (UK 1996)
Marc Antoine Charpentier - Eurovision Theme (show theme)
Birgitte - Open Your Heart (Iceland 2003)
Sakis Rouvas - Shake It (Greece 2004)
9 The New Seekers - Beg, Steal or Borrow (UK 1972)
Friends - Listen To Your Heartbeat (Sweden 2001)
Charlotte Nilsson - Take Me To Your Heaven (Sweden 1999)
8 Secret Garden - Nocturne (Norway 1995)
Baccara - Parlez Vous Francais (Luxembourg 1978) (Connect 3)
Vicky Leandros - Apres Toi (Luxembourg 1972) (Connect 3)
Corrine Hermes - Si La Vie Est Cadeau (Luxembourg 1983) (Connect 3)
7 Teach-Inn - Ding-A-Dong (Holland 1975)
Marta Roure - Jugarem A Estimar-Nos (Andorra 2004)
Jade Ewen - It's My Time (2009 UK Entry)
6 Beth - Dime (Spain 2003)
Anne Marie David - Tu Tu Recoinnoitras (Luxembourg 1973)
Sandie Shaw - Un Tout Petit Pantin (Puppet On A String) (UK 1967) (Foreign Language)
Bardo - One Step Further (UK 1982)
Sertab Erener - Everyway That I Can (Turkey 2003)
5 Dana International - Diva (Hebrew Radio version) (Israel 1998)
Belle and the Devotions - Love Games (UK 1984)
Rollo and King - Never Ever Let You Go (Denmark 2001)
4 Severine - Un Banc Un Arbor Une Rue (Monaco 1971)
t.A.T.u - Ne Ver' Ne Bojsia (Russia 2003)
Lisa Andreas - Stronger Every Minute (Cyprus 2004)
3 F.L.Y. - Hello from Mars (Latvia 2003)
Natasha St-Pier - Je N-ai Que Mon Ame (France 2001)
Massiel - He Gives Me Love (La La La) (Spain 1968)
Sahlene - Runaway (Estonia 2002) (Connect 3)
Jessica Garlick - Come Back (UK 2002) (Connect 3)
Prime Minister - Northern Girl (Russia 2002) (Connect 3)
2 Brainstorm - My Star (Latvia 2000)
Chiara - Angel (Malta 2005) (Two of a Kind)
Chiara - The One That I Love (Malta 1998) (Two of a Kind)
1 France Gall - Poupee De Cire, Poupee de Son (Luxembourg 1965)

Mrs Cat was a very special studio guest for this show.

Until next time, good night and good health.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 3 May 2009

Today is my birthday and we're played lots of celebratory tunes. Songs about birthdays, cakes, parties and having a good time.

The Beatles - Birthday (Apple 1968)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Warwick - Let's Get The Party Going (RAK 1973)
Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon - Beach Party (1963)
Fontella Bass - How Glad I Am (Chess 1966)
Bobby Fuller Four - Birthday Cake (Keep Your Hands Off It) (Unreleased)
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Special Occasion (Tamla 1968)
The Clingers - Gonna Have A Good Time Tonight (Columbia 1969)
The Kinks - Pary Line (Pye 1966) (Connect 3)
Glenda Collins - Been Invited To A Party (HMV 1965) (Connect 3)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Two Can Have A Party (Tamla 1967) (Connect 3)
American Spring - Good Times (United Artists 1972)
The Cookies - I Want A Boy for My Birthday (Dimension 1963)
James Brown & The Blue Flames - I Got You (I Feel Good) (Birthday: 3/5/33 James Brown)
Emily Evans - A Cake and A Candle (Jamie 1963)
The Ivy League - We're Having A Party (Piccadilly 1965)
Sandie Shaw - Il a de La Peine (As Long As You're Happy Baby) (Pye 1964) (Foreign Language)
The Zombies - Brief Candles (CBS 1968)
Tony Russell - Happy Larry (On The Buses theme) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Karen Kelly - Party Talk (Sound Stage 7 1964)
Baby Jane & The Rockabyes - Happy Birthday (Wherever You Are) (Unreleased 1963)
Tony Richie - Has Anyone At The Party Seen Jenny (Beacon 1968)
Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over (Columbia 1963)
Petula Clark - Life and Soul of the Party (Pye 1966)
Tami Lynn - At The Party (Atco 1964)
Altered Images - Happy Birthday (Epic 1981) (Under The Influence)
Maxine Brown - Baby Cakes (Wand 1967)
The Pixies Three - The Birthday Party (Mercury 1963)
College Boys - Good Times (Pye 1967)
The Box Tops - Happy Times (Mala 1967) (Connect 3)
Nancy Sinatra - Happy (Reprise 1968) (Connect 3)
Lorraine Silver - Happy Faces (Pye 1968) (Connect 3)
The Victorians - You're Invited To A Party (Liberty 1964)
Pussyfoot - Good Times (Pye 1968)
The Cake - Baby That's Me (Decca 1967) (Two of a Kind)
The Cake - PT 280 (Decca 1968) (Two of a Kind)
Karen Young - Let's Start The Party Again (Pye 1965)
Love Affair - Bringing On Back The Good Times (CBS 1969)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Next week's will be my Eurovision extravaganza. It's already been recorded and Mrs Cat was my very special guest.

The week after that will be a "normal" show, if there is such a thing. I was given some cracking CDs for my birthday so I've no doubt they will permeate into the next few shows.

Until next time, good night and good health.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 26 April 2009

Today's show has a theme of "Names". It's also been pre-recorded due to my attendance at the Camera Obscura/Attic Lights gig in Glasgow tonight:

Shirley Ellis - The Name Game (Congress 1965)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Four Tops - Bernadette (Motown 1967)
Jackie Lee - Rupert (Pye 1971)
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Jimmy Mack (Tamla 1967)
Cryan Shames - Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith and Jones (Columbia 1968)
Love - Hey Joe (Elektra 1967)
The Turtles - Elenore (White Whale 1968)
The Overlanders - Michelle (Pye 1966) (Connect 3)
The Temptations - Hey Jude (Gordy 1969) (Connect 3)
The Beatles - Dear Prudence (Apple 1968) (Connect 3)
The Kinks - Lola (Pye 1970)
Nancy Sinatra - Tony Rome (Reprise 1967)
The Troggs - Hi Hi Hazel (CBS 1967) (Birthday: 26/4/43 Tony Murray, The Troggs)
Petula Clark - Romeo (Pye 1961)
Davie Jones & The King Bees - Liza Jane (Vocation 1964)
France Gall - Bonsoir John John (Philips 1967) (Foreign Language)
Creation - Tom Tom (Polydor 1968)
The Eagles - Johnny's Tune (Pye 1962) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Hollies - Lucille (Parlophone 1964)
Twinkle - Micky (Instant 1969)
The Who - Happy Jack (Reaction 1966)
Billy Fury - Colette (Decca 1959)
Keith West - Sam (Parlophone 1967)
The Aerovons - Bessy Goodheart (Resurrection 1969)
Attic Lights - Paul (Island 2008) (Under The Influence)
Annette Funicello - Tall Paul (Disneyland 1959)
Bobby Fuller Four - Pamela (Unreleased)
Everpresent Fullness - Susie Q (Unreleased)
The Langley Schools Music Project - Help Me Rhonda (1976/77) (Connect 3)
The Survivors - Pamela Jean (Capitol 1964) (Connect 3)
The Regents - Barbara Ann (Gee 1961) (Connect 3)
The Beach Boys - Wendy (Capitol 1964)
Antoinette - Jenny Let Him Go (Decca 1964)
The Monkees - Mary, Mary (RCA/Colgems 1967) (Two of a Kind)
The Monkees - Valleri (RCA/Colgems 1967) (Two of a Kind)
The Jewells - Smokie Joe's (Dimension 1965)
Pamela Blue - My Friend Bobby (Decca 1963)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Next week's show will be live and will have a celebration/party/birthday theme as it's my birthday! I might go and see The Ray Summrs at the Greenside Hotel in Leslie after it but I haven't made my mind up yet.

The week after that will be the Eurovision special, which I've already recorded, with a special guest in the shape of Mrs Cat, who sat knitting in the corner through most of it. She did try to guess the Connect 3s though.

Twatler

I subscribe to Mojo and Web User, which fulfil all my music and geeky needs. My good lady on the other hand prefers Tatler and Vanity Fair.

While "my" magazines invariably end up on the study floor, with salient page corners marked for articles I may or may not get around to looking at, Vanity Fair and Tatler usually live in the upstairs, non en suite bathroom. (I appreciate that to some people the idea of a magazine rack in the smallest room in the house is abhorrent but I feel the same about televisions in bedrooms, so we're all even on that). Invariably during a natural break I'll pick up an issue of Vanity Fair that I didn't manage to finish an article in and make my way through it. However, the pleasure from Vanity is of a more titillating variety. While I enjoy the lengthy articles about people I probably haven't heard of in VF, what entertains me most in Tatler is the stupid names of the people featured.

In a recent issue - it may even be the current one - the list of staff, contributors and all manner of editors tickled my fancy. While both the Parker Bowles had got themselves tidy little jobs as Car and Food editor (let's face only they could afford to eat in the places reviewed or drive the cars fawned over), there's also a Features editor by the name of Ticky Hedley-Dent (sounds like a greyhound running in the 7.40 at Monmore) and Contributing editors by the names of Cressida, Luli and Dorrit, not forgetting one Bryan Adams. Surely not THE..., nah, couldn't be!

My favourite, however, is one of the four, yes count them, four Contributing fashion editors. Ladies and gentleman, I give you, Debonnaire Von Bismarck*. You just couldn't make it up!

The Cat
=^..^=

* Her Facebook page, which I came across after a Google search to see if this was a real person, misses out the "Von". One of her friends is David Furnish.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" on Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 19 April 2009

Today's theme is "Colours":

Booker T and the MGs - Green Onions (Volt 1962)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Sapphires - Slolw Fizz (ABC 1966)
The Blues Council - Baby Don't Look Down (Parlophone 1965)
Dodie Stevens - Pink Shoelaces (Crystalette 1959)
The Colorados - Lips Were Redder On You (alternate take) (Unreleased 1964)
Lorraine Silver - Lost Summer Love (Pye 1965)
The Move - Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree (Regal Zonophone 1967)
Love - Orange Skies (Elektra 1966) (Connect 3)
The Attack - Lady Orange Peel (Decca 1968) (Connect 3)
The End - Shades of Orange (Decca 1968) (Connect 3)
John Leyton - Six White Horses (HMV 1961)
Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou (Monument 1963)*
The Turtles - Outside Chance (White Whale 1966) (Birthday: 19/4/42 Mark Volman)
Buffy Sainte-Marie - Soulful Shade of Blue (Vanguard 1968)
Sam and Dave - Soul Sister Brown Sugar (Atlantic 1969)*
Christie Laume - Rouge-Rouge (Odeon 1967) (Foreign Language)
The Delicates - Black and White Thunderbird (Unart 1959)
The Fabulous Red Hawks - Highland Twist (Globe 1964) (Half-Time Instrumental)
The Kinks - Lavender Hill (Unreleased 1967)
Terry White & The Terriers - Rock Around The Mailbag (Decca 1959)
The Kinsmen - Glass House Green, Splinter Red (Decca 1968)
The Lemon Pipers - Green Tambourine (Buddah 1967)*
Jimmy Ruffin - He Who Picks A Rose (Unreleased 1969)
The Golden Crusaders - I'm In Love With You (Columbia 1964)
Green Peppers (with Justin Currie) - Honest Injun (Neon Tetra 2007) (Under The Influence)
The Hollies - Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (Parlophone 1972)*
Turquoise - Tales of Flossie Fillet (Decca 1968)
Rosetta Hightower - Pretty Red Balloons (Toast 1968)
Pinkerton's Colours - Mum and Dad (Pye 1967) (Connect 3)
Deep Feeling - Pretty Colours (Label Unknown 1966) (Connect 3)
Young Idea - Colour of Darkness (EMI Columbia 1967) (Connect 3)
The Human Instinct - Pink Dawn (Deram 1968)
Andee Silver - Too Young To Go Steady (HMV 1964)
Maxine Brown - Baby Cakes (Wand 1967) (Two of a Kind)
Maxine Brown - Oh No Not My Baby (Wand 1964) (Two of a Kind)
Cilla Black - Something Tells Me (Something Is Gonna Happen Tonight) (EMI 1971)
Chris Farlowe - Paint It Black (Immediate 1968)
Ministry of Sound (aka John Carter) - White Collar Worker (Decca 1966)
The Cameos - Pretty Shade of Blue (Toast 1968)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Finally getting used to the new CD players although I'd give myself 6 out of 10 for today's show. Always feel it's a waste doing a show when the sun's out. Who knew that summer this year would be a Sunday!

Due to a cock-up the following four tracks should have been played but were replaced by the ones marked with an asterisk:
Diane Renay - Navy Blue (20th Century 1964)
Hash Brown & The Cupcakes - I Got My Job Through The New York Times (Philips 1962)
Tracey Dey - Blue Turns To Grey (Amy 1964)
Wilson Pickett - Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You (Atlantic 1971)

Next week's show has been pre-recorded and has a theme of Names. I'm off to see Camera Obscura and Attic Lights in Glasgow that night. The week after that will be my birthday so I'm going for a Birthday/Celebration/Party theme. Then it's my annual homage to Eurovision...

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287AM - Sunday 12 April 2009

I recorded yesterday's show on Friday morning due to an annual family gathering in which we eat, drink and be merry.

The Knickerbockers - Lies (Challenge 1966)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Karen Verros - You Just Gotta Know My Mind (Dot 1965)
Tammy St. John - Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me) (Pye 1966)
Claudine Clark - Party Lights (Unreleased)
The Exciters - Tell Him (United Artists 1962)
Billie Davis - Ev'ry Day (Piccadilly 1966)
The Castaways - Liar Liar (Soma 1965)
The What Four - I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy (Columbia 1964) (Connect 3)
Mark V - Baby What's Wrong (Fontana 1964) (Connect 3)
Two of Each - Colour My World (Pye 1970) (Connect 3)
The Shots - Keep A Hold Of What You Got (Columbia 1965)
The Secrets - The Boy Next Door (Philips 1963)
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild (Dunhill 1968) (Birthday: 12/4/29 John Kay)
The Starlets -You Don't Love Me (Tower 1965)
The Hipster Image - Make Her Mine (Decca 1965)
Francoise Hardy - Le Temps De L'Amour (Vogue 1962) (Foreign Language)
The Leaves - Hey Joe (Mira 1966)
Floyd Cramer - On The Rebound (RCA 1961)(Half-Time Instrumental)
Kriss Anderson - He's My Boyfriend (Old Town 1965)
She Trinity - He Fought The Law (Columbia 1966)
Marcie Blane - Bobby's Girl (Seville 1962)
Raylene & The Blue Angels - Shakin' All Over (Cuca 1966)
The Cryan Shames - Sugar and Spice (Destination 1966)
The Favourite Sons - That Driving Beat (Mercury 1965)
The Bangles - The Real World (Faulty 1982) (Under The Influence)
The Raindrops - The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget (Jubilee 1963)
Beverley Williams - Too Bad He's Bad (Unreleased)
Michael & The Messemgers - (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet (USA 1967)
April Stevens - Teach Me Tiger (Imperial 1959) (Connect 3)
Chris Farlowe - April Was The Month (Immediate 1969) (Connect 3)
April Young - Steady Boyfriend (Columbia 1964) (Connect 3)
The Mojo Men - Sit Down, I Think I Love You (Reprise 1967)
The Debutantes - Shake A Tail Feather (Standout 1967)
Helen Shapiro - Silly Boy (I Love You) (Pye 1969) (Two of a Kind)
Helen Shapiro - Easy Come Easy Go (EMI 1963) (Two of a Kind)
Jackie Trent - Such A Small Love (Pye 1969)
The Shirelles - I Met Him On A Sunday (Ronde-Ronde) (Decca 1958)
The Soul Agents - Let's Make It Pretty Baby (Pye 1964)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Recorded on Friday for broadcast on Easter Sunday this show was a disaster. What can go wrong, will go wrong! New CDs players in the studio, in an unfamiliar position, threw me completely and the show was two hours of bumbling ineptitude (although that's what makes me so special!) 4/10.

Next week's show has a theme of Colours and the week after it'll be Names. The Names one will be pre-recorded this week as I'm off to see Camera Obscura and Attic Lights in Glasgow that night. The week after that will be my birthday so I may go for a Birthday/Celebration theme.

You just know that a film is crap when the TV and media adverts use testimonials from the Daily Star and News of the World. It also seems that “snort-out-loud funny” is the new “laugh-out-loud funny” in these reviews.

I really hate that you-scratch-my-back kind of reviewing – if it’s shit, say so. There are so many films – usually featuring Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Seth Rogen and/or Will Ferrell – that I just think, “how the hell did that get made?” There’s a recession and millions of $$$ is wasted on pish.

Having moved to Dunfermline, the one thing I miss about Edinburgh is the Cameo Cinema. The Cameo Film Club membership was excellent value and you had a much more pleasant surrounding and ambience for film watching. The last film I went to see on the big screen was “Madagascar 2 – Return to Africa”, which was as a result of my parental responsibility (and cheap tickets). What struck me when awaiting the start of this sequel was that all the adverts for “Coming Soon” movies were either about cartoons, animals or cartoon animals. Any right-minded four year old would and should be insulted by the limited imagination of the filmmakers.

I couldn’t actually tell you when I was last within a picture house. It’s certainly not that there hasn’t been films I want to see because there has – Milk, Anvil, Salute, Telstar (delayed until 19 June 09) – I just haven’t got myself organised. The pfaff of trying to get through the current Edinburgh tram-induced traffic nightmare and get parked near the Cameo doesn’t help either.

Sadly the hideously over-priced Odeon in Dunfermline shows lowest common denominator films for the sort of people who go to the pictures but don’t know what they want to see. And don’t even get me started on the behaviour of some of these people. It seems that many of these morons can’t go more than two hours without eating, talking and/or texting. Give me being curled up at the end of my sofa and coffee on tap at home any day, especially as you don’t really have to wait that long now for films to be shown on telly or sold on DVD (other formats are available).

It’s being so cheery that keeps me going.

The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287 AM - Sunday 5 April 2009

Joe Meek would've been 80 today had he lived on. Tonight's show is a celebration of this wonderfully maverick record producer.

The Tornados - Telstar (Decca 1962)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
The Sharades - Boy Trouble (Decca 1964)
Lance Fortune - Be Mine (Pye 1960)
Beat Boys - Third Time Lucky (Decca 1963)
Glenda Collins - I Lost My Heart At The Fairground (HMV 1963)
Wes Sands - There's Lots More Where This Came From (Columbia 1963)
Impac - Too Far Out (CBS 1966)
Pamela Blue - My Friend Bobby (Decca 1963) (Connect 3)
Blue Rondos - Little Baby (Pye 1964) (Connect 3)
Mike Preston - Mr Blue (Decca 1959) (Connect 3)
Iain Gregory - Can You Hear The Beat of a Broken Heart? (Pye 1962)
David John and The Mood - Love To See You Strut (Parlophone 1965)
Joe Meek - Long Tall Jack (demo) (Unreleased) (Birthday: 5/4/29 Joe Meek)
Bobby Cristo & The Rebels - I've Go You Out Of My Mind (Decca 1964)
Michael Cox - Angela Jones (Triumph 1960)
The Honeycombs - Hab'Ich Das Recht (Have I The Right?) (Deutsche Vogue 1964) (Foreign Language)
Kenny Hollywood - Magic Star (Decca 1962)
The Fabulous Flee-Rakkers - Green Jeans (Triumph 1960) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Emile Ford & The Checkmates - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For? (Pye 1959)
Millionaires - Wishing Well (Decca 1966)
Neil Christian & The Crusaders - The Road To Love (Columbia 1962)
Mike Berry & The Outlaws - Tribute To Buddy Holly (HMV 1961)
The Cameos - Powercut (Columbia 1963)
Checkmates - Sticks and Stones (Decca 1964)
Man Or Astroman - Taxidermist Surf (Estrus 1993) (Under The Influence)
Four Matadors - A Man's Gotta Stand Tall (Columbia 1966)
Jenny Moss - Hobbies (Columbia 1963)
Gene Vincent - Temptation Baby (Unreleased 1963)
Johnny Duncan & His Bluegrass Boys - Last Train To San Fernando (Columbia 1957) (Connect 3)
Burr Bailey & The Six Shooters - San Francisco Bay (Decca 1963) (Connect 3)
Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers - Kansas City (Columbia 1963) (Connect 3)
John Leyton - Son This Is She (HMV 1961)
Diane & The Javelins - Heart and Soul (Columbia 1966)
The Tornados - Globetrotter (Decca 1963) (Two of a Kind)
The Tornados - Robot (Decca 1963) (Two of a Kind)
The Ambassadors - Surfin' John Brown (Dot 1963)
The Honeycombs - That's The Way (Pye 1965)
Billie Davis - Don't You Knock On My Door (Unreleased 1962)
Heinz - Come On Let's Go (Unreleased)
Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers - I'm In Love With You (Parlophone 1961)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Good news in that the "Telstar" movie finally has a release date. It goes nationwide on 19th June 2009.

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)