Memory Mixtape #31: The 15 Fame-Filled Minutes Of The Fanzine Writer

The Boomtown Rats - Fanzine Hero

Continued from yesterday's post... when I was about 16 or 17, I was invited to join an APA. I had no idea what an APA was and the internet wasn't around to explain like it is nowadays.

You Am I - Bitter Young Man Of The Franzine Press

Iffypedia tells us...

"An amateur press association is a group of people who produce individual pages or zines that are sent to a Central Mailer for collation and distribution to all members of the group."

Initially I was just writing individual pages for a zine called Comic Critics Cavalcade, in which letter-hacks from all over the world could share their thoughts on new or old comics or the changing face of the industry. 

Emma Pollock - Letters To Strangers

After a year or two doing that, I was allowed into the inner circle: Inertron, an APA in which a small group of British comic fans made their own zines every couple of months, photocopied a batch, and sent them off to a central mailer for distribution to the rest of the group.

Fanzines are cheap, I know

Shape your mind

The Replacements - Sixteen Blue [Outtake - Alternate Vocal]

A week or so later, we'd receive a huge parcel containing every else's zines which we then read and commented on. Some of those zines were huge (for anyone who thinks writing this blog must be a time-consuming affair, it's nothing to the amount of time involved in being part of an APA). Yet it was also a lot of geeky fun... otherwise else why did we spend so much time on it? 

Aztec Camera - We Could Send Letters

Not everyone involved was a teenager like me - some of the other contributors were in their 20s, 30s or even older... but nobody thought there was anything odd about that. We were united by our shared love of comics... but also, films, music, TV shows, and life as we knew it. Nobody agreed on everything, but nobody violently disagreed either. We were interested, rather than angry, when someone liked different things to us. Being a part of that group was a natural precursor to the blogosphere - or this comfortable little corner of the blogosphere anyway. 

Kings Of Convenience - The Weight Of My Words

I recently found all my old APAs up in my mum's attic, and I'm in the process of scanning them to digital files for posterity. Below is the cover to the first issue of my zine Rock n Roll, named after the sign off line I used for all my fan letters. At the top of the post is a cover from a later edition. Even though this was an APA for comics fans, we could write about whatever we wanted in our own zines, so music was a big part of my witterings even back then. 

Wilco - Box Full Of Letters

Until I found that dusty old box up in mum's attic, I hadn't thought about my time in the APA group for maybe a quarter of a century. I'm not sure why it stopped, but I suspect it was partly that the internet took over. I did find myself quite active in online comics groups from the mid-late 90s, and I suspect quite a few of my fellow APA-ers made a similar leap. I was also spending more and more time producing my own comics by then (not to mention completing my English degree and working in radio) so something had to give. I miss the creativity and community of it all, but other things came along to fill that hole... like writing this blog. I guess I've always felt the need to put my thoughts down and have them read by others, all that's changed is the medium.

In the Cheese Pavilion and the only noise I hear

Is the sound of someone stacking chairs

And mopping up spilt beer

And someone asking questions and basking in the light

Of the fifteen fame filled minutes of the fanzine writer

Neverending Top Ten #6.9: Magazine Star

Big In Japan - Match Of The Day

Sam had his picture printed in Match of the Day magazine last week. It's the third photo he's sent them for inclusion on their Reader's Page, and this is the first time he's been successful. 

Brian Copsey & The Commotions - Send Me Your Picture

Despite trying so hard to get in there, he felt a little strange when he saw his own face staring out at him from the magazine, an odd kind of embarrassment which isn't like him. There's often a disconnect between how we imagine something will be and the reality of it actually happening.

Parva - Put Me On The Cover Of Your Magazine

To help him feel not quite so weird, I told him about all the letters I wrote to Marvel and DC comics back when I was kid. I was a regular feature of the letters pages in the late 80s and early 90s, and I made quite a few friends as a result. Back then, they'd print your full home address along with your letter, so regular letterhacks would often write to each other as well as to the comics themselves. Nobody thought there was anything strange or worrying about this, and I'm still in touch with quite a few of the comic fans I met through letter writing. Back in the pre-internet days, this was the only way to talk to people who shared your interests, and it was through writing those letters that I became a part of the larger comics community,  

Heart - Magazine

The phone rang one night when I was about 16 or 17 and my mum told me that there was a man called Malcolm on the line. "He said he wants to talk to you about comics." I still remember standing there (the phone was still on the wall back then) talking to a man I'd never met before whose name I was only familiar with because he was in even more letters pages than I was. He'd got my number through directory enquiries and he wanted to know if I was interested in joining his APA. I had no idea what an APA was. But I'll talk about that more tomorrow...

HAIM - Man From The Magazine

The thing is, all these other comic fans I wrote to - and in some cases ended up meeting in person - were real, genuine people who shared my love of the medium. None of my school or university friends were into comics, so the only way to connect with other fans was through writing letters. In the internet age, that seems pretty archaic... but also pretty dangerous. Back then though, nobody worried about aging predators using the letters pages to groom young victims, and there weren't any letters page trolls ready to tear you apart for liking different comics than they did. I'm glad MOTD magazine only printed Sam's first name and no address - if there'd been a possibility of them printing more, I probably wouldn't have let him send that picture in at all. Old man shakes his fist at the sky...

Self-Help For Cynics #31: Pandora's Box

Ryan Adams - To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)

Last week we looked at how our addiction to digital media, in particular but not limited to social media, can have serious negative effects on our mental health. This is particularly affecting teenagers and young people, but us oldies can't really be smug or complacent about it as it's just as easy for us to fall into a similar trap.

Nikki & The Corvettes - Young & Crazy

Working in a mental health hospital, it's clear to see a drastic increase in mental health problems among teenagers - hardly surprising if up to 50% of them are addicted to their mobile phones. In recent years, the medical profession has had to respond to a serious growth in self-harm, eating disorders and suicidal ideation, and one of the many reasons for this is constant unfiltered online conversation about these subjects. Young people are no longer exposed solely to the opinions and experiences of their immediate peer group: the whole world is out there waiting to talk to them. And a lot of the world is not very nice at all...

The Specials - Too Much Too Young

Lockdown often gets blamed for many of the mental health problems people are facing this decade, and I'm sure our experiences during covid had some effect... but arguably the worst thing to come out of the pandemic was the way that so much of our lives was forced online. As a teacher, I'd never taught an online lesson prior to Lockdown. I had to learn how to do so very quickly, but I really thought things would go back to normal once schools and colleges opened up again. And yet, there's been a noticeable push in certain fields of education (particularly universities) to keep at least part of the curriculum online, for reasons that have nothing to do with education and far more to do with saving money. And this has been echoed in a lot of businesses too - how many meetings do people now attend via Teams rather than by sitting around a table with a coffee and looking each other in the eye? Once Pandora opened that box, the lid was never going back on.

Utopia - Rape of the Young

And so our addiction and reliance on the internet in every aspect of our lives has grown stronger. Meaning more screen time for everyone. And nobody's feeling happy about this... except the tech companies. The most recent World Happiness Report suggests that under 25s, traditionally among the happiest section of the population, are now just as stressed and miserable as their middle-aged parents. (In fact, the only generation who still manage to smile are those who've reached retirement age.) 

London Grammar - Wasting My Young Years

Why are young people so miserable? Why are they having a mid-life crisis in their 20s? (They're calling that The Quarter Life Crisis, in case you think I'm making it up.) The cost of living, shrinking job market (thanks, in part, to our new AI Overlords) and slim chance of getting onto the overpriced property ladder must take some of the blame... but I don't think we can underestimate the culpability of the internet. 

Radiohead - We Suck Young Blood

Young people today live their lives online. Many are spending between 7 and 10 hours a day on social media. And by doing so, they are rewiring their brains. Shorter attention spans, a constant craving for dopamine highs, the inability to concentrate on anything longer than a 280 word tweet or a 30 second TikTok video. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Their whole life is affected and controlled by the internet - relationships, education, career, self-worth... 

Lowgold - Beauty Dies Young

Maybe this is just evolution. Maybe their brains need to be rewired to survive in the future. I can't say. Because older generations have been prophesying doom for wreckless youth for decades, if not longer. And I'm just another doomsayer. I wouldn't mind so much if they were happy though. Only they're just as miserable as the rest of us now... and surely that's not what being young is all about?

(Not been a lot of Self Help this week, has there? I'll try to redress the balance next time.)

Namesakes #83: The Castaways

While researching last week's post on Cast, I came across a number of bands called The Castaways, many of whom seemed slightly more interesting than the various Casts I ended up listening to. 

Time to get cast away then... with, hopefully, no Tom Hanks in sight. Frankly, if I was stranded on a desert island with that smug git, I'd start swimming...

THE CASTAWAYS #1

Let's start in 1954, with a superb slice of doo wop on Excello Records. I can't find his name, but the lead singer has an excellent voice.

The Castaways - I Wish 

THE CASTAWAYS #2

Next, a slightly discordant surf instrumental, originally released in 1959 as Beatnik by the Royal Jokers... then reissued one year later as this...

The Castaways - The Twitch

THE CASTAWAYS #3

In 1961, Henry Thome and Loy Clingman were the Castaways. Loy, also known as Bolliver Boswell, set up his own record label and enjoyed a reasonably successful solo career (well, he put out a lot of singles under his own name... but I guess he was the boss, so he could do that).

This is the B Side, which I prefer to the A because of its title...

The Castaways - Feeling Mighty Low

THE CASTAWAYS #4

With lead singer Bill Trader, these country castaways jumped on board the cultural appropriation caravan (they also had a song called Caravan, which I wanted to find for CC, but couldn't) back in 1962.

Bill Trader & The Castaways - Cherokee Call

THE CASTAWAYS #5

Led by one Tony Rivers, no relation to Joan, this lot hailed from That London in 1963, but seemed to stick around doing their beat thing for most of the swinging decade. Here is their debut single...

Tony Rivers & The Castaways - Shake Shake Shake 

THE CASTAWAYS #6

Also from 1963, The LA Castaways have written a song about Tarzan. Extra marks for that, especially when they start doing the "Awwwwooooowwwwoooowwww!" Tarzan cry.

The Castaways - Tarzan

THE KASTAWAYS #7

Originally spelled with a C, this lot changed to a K when the group below hit the "big time". Also known as the Sigma Five, they hailed from Indiana... but did Indiana want them?

The Kastaways - You Never Say

THE CASTAWAYS #8

"Welcome to the Home of the Nationally Famous Band in Minnesota USA!" says the website for these Castaways. As an English teacher, I'm not sure about the grammar in that sentence, but I think you get the gist. This lot had a Top Ten US hit back in 1965 which sold a million copies and presumably kept them in Mai Tais for at least a week. Lead singer and songwriter Jim Donna is still in the Castaways, who now appear to be available to hire as a wedding band, should you be planning on tying the knot in the Minnesota area. 

Their big hit (included in the soundtrack to Good Morning Vietnam) benefits from a video, which is the most quaintly 1960s thing you will see all week...

The Castaways - Liar Liar

THE CASTAWAYS #9

One year later, and another bunch of liars took the name Castaways. These guys were from Lake Charles, Louisiana, a town later immortalised by Lucinda Williams. They would soon change their name to The Sound Rebellion. 

The Castaways - You Were Telling Lies

THE CASTAWAYS #10

It's 1967 now, and that's all I can tell you... other than that this lot were also known as The Beepers.

The Castaways - Comin' Back For More

That was their only release, so clearly nobody came back for more.

THE CASTAWAYS #11

Here we find the Kiwi Castaways in 1968. They'd been recording since the early 60s with original frontman, Peter Nelson, until he was lured away by Cilla Black's husband, Bobby Willis, who promised to make him a solo star. The Castaways continued, drafting in new singer Frankie Stevens, who's clearly taken some lessons from Tom Jones...

The Castaways - Any Little Bit

THE CASTAWAYS #12

Classy soul number from 1968...

The Castaways - If Our Love Is Strong

THE CASTAWAYS #13

And more soulful Castaways from sometime in the 60s, hailing from Augusta, Georgia.

The Castaways - Girl Next Door

THE CASTAWAYS #14

Into the 70s now and an Illinois band who released one single: a cover of Midnight Special on the A Side and this self-penned B Side...

The Castaways - I Guess I Can See The Light 

THE CASTAWAYS #15

Here's a crew of Castaways from Birmingham in 1971. That's Birmingham in the Midlands, not Birmingham, Alabama... though they do sound like they hail from the other side of the pond.

The Castaways - Wild Weekend

THE CASTAWAYS #16

Look at these guys! From 1980, but still dressing like it's the 70s. What a bunch of dudes.

The Castaways - Mr. Dream Merchant

THE CASTAWAYS #17

Retro rock n roll band from... I dunno, sometime, some place... I mean I wouldn't have included them except for the song title, which made my inner 14 year old guffaw.

The Castaways - That Boy Can Shag

THE CASTAWAYS #18

French Castaways from 2016 with a cool, girl-punk sound...

The Castaways - Girls Can Do Anything

THE CASTAWAYS #19

Southern Californian pop punk Castaways from about ten years ago...

The Castaways - Nothing's Set In Stone

THE CASTAWAYS #20

Liverpudlian songwriter David Silcock appears to be one of those artists who made a name for himself during lockdown. And as soon as restrictions were lifted, he blagged his way into Abbey Road...

David Silcock & The Castaways - Call To The Castaways

CASTAWAYS #21

Bang up to date with some Tasmanian hip hop...

Castaways - Broken Mirror

THE CASTAWAYS #22

And finally, some Brazilian alt-rockers who can't make up their minds...

Rather disturbingly, one of the band appears to go off and take a nature dump about half way through the video. I point this out for anyone who doesn't believe I listen to these things all the way through...

Which Castaways would you like to find on your desert island... and which ones would you cast away?

Celebrity Jukebox #126: Marie Prevost

Canadian actress Marie Prevost was one of the original stars of the silent movie era, appearing in dozens of films throughout the 1920s and early 30s, although many of these are now lost to the sands of time (no intact reels remain). Her career went into decline when the talkies arrived, and her subsequent life was marred by the tragic death of her mother, alcoholism and binge eating. She died in 1937, aged just 40, but as she lived alone, her body wasn't found until two days later when her neighbours complained to police about the noise of her barking dog.

Which is where the myth of Marie Prevost begins. Police noted at the time that there were small bite marks on her legs, which the coroner suggested came from her dog nipping its owner to try and wake her up. In his book Hollywood Babylon, controversial writer Kenneth Anger suggested the dog made "mincemeat out of his mistress" in order to survive, though this has since been proved a fabrication. 

All of which brings us to Nick Lowe, and his Anger-influenced retelling (and re-spelling) of Marie Prevost's life, a song which manages to fall somewhere between a touching examination of the fickleness of fame... and a rather sensationalised tabloid joke. I've got a lot of respect for Nick Lowe as a songwriter, but Marie Provost is very much the work of a young songwriter, influenced by the outrage of punk, looking to make his mark. Subtlety only comes with age, I guess...

Marie Provost was a movie queen

Mysterious angel of the silent screen

And run like the wind

The nation's young men steam

When Marie crossed the silent screen

Oh she came out west from New York

But when the talkies came

Mary just couldn't cope

Her public said Mary take a walk

All the way back to New York

As her nights grew long

And her days grew bleak

It's all downhill

Once you've passed your peak

Mary got ready for that last big sleep

The cops came in

And they looked around

Throwing up everywhere over

What they found

The handywork of Marie's little dachshund

That hungry little dachshund