Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Namesakes #210: Player


That's Gary Player.

Was he a bit of a Player?

Who knows.

But he did sing... who knew that?


I'm actually wondering whether George will consider that the best thing he hears today. It's pretty slim pickings... I'd thought there would have been more Players out there...


PLAYER #1


Peter Beckett was from Liverpool. At age 16, he formed a band called The Thoughts and recorded a Ray Davies tune. Then he joined Winston G and the Wicked who soon changed their name to Whip. He auditioned for Badfinger, didn't get the job, so joined a prog band called Paladin. Somehow he ended up in LA where he joined the Skyband, before meeting up with the bunch of scallywags who became Player. 

And the rest is history...



PLAYER #2


Kelly Groucutt was the bassist in ELO from 1974 - 1982. Unhappy with the money he was getting, he decided to sue Jeff Lynne, so while he made a few bob out of that, his days with the Orchestra were over. In 1986 he released a solo album which sounds very, very much like 80s ELO. Somewhere along the way, a track from that album was released as a single under the moniker Player. Or maybe I dreamt it...


 
THE PLAYER #3


Rapper from Michigan, via California, who's been writing his rhymes since he was 8 years old...


There were a few bands called The Players, but under George's Strict Rules, I can't include those. Besides, none of them were a patch on Gary Player.

Any worthy of a spin on your record player?


Monday, 12 October 2026

Sunday, 11 October 2026

Snapshots #469: Songs For People Whose Name Begins With F


F---, me? As each of these people might have said, given that their names all begin with F. The people in the songs, that is, not the singers. 

Not my best introduction. Here are some tunes...


15. Gabriel, Simon, MacGregor.


Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Mary MacGregor.


14. Sounds like a big prize winning ticket.

A Golden Lottery ticket? Too good to be true...

Lotti Golden - Gonna Fay's

13. It's a bit of a squeeze for this guitarist.


He was the guitarist in Orange Juice, and the man who wrote one of their best songs...

James Kirk - Felicity

12. Initially German borders.


DE-lines.


11. Not the kind of bloke you can rely on for a long-term commitment.


Keep away from him, ladies - he's a player.


10. Divers do this.


Swim Deep - Francisco

9. Heard twice in a Flintstone cry.


Yabba dabba doo!


8. Castle approved by the Valley Parent Teacher's Association.


Roy Castle goes to Harper Valley PTA...


7. Welsh hamster puts biscuit in his tea, adverbially.


Comedy TV Rat (and bane of my adolescence) Roland had a Welsh hamster sidekick called Errol. If he dunked with ly...


6. Aja 3rd.


Track 3 on Aja by Steely Dan... t's where they got their name.


5. Epitome, of virtue.

The Paragons - Florence

4. Hang on to this leading man.


Lead singer of the Hold Steady, though he's arguably even better as a solo act...


3. Percy's nun.


Percy Sledge, that is.



Every Friday night when I was a kid, we'd drive to my dad's work and do the cleaning. On the way back, we'd pick up fish and chips and listen to The Grumbleweeds on Radio 2.

1. This here logic game is all screwed up.


"Here logic game" was an anagram.


There's no F in Saturday Snapshots. But there will be next Saturday...

Saturday, 10 October 2026

Saturday Snapshots #469


I've found my thrill, and it's serving up Snapshots on a Saturday morning... can you identify the singing people below and figure out how their songs are connected?


15. Gabriel, Simon, MacGregor.


14. Sounds like a big prize winning ticket.

13. It's a bit of a squeeze for this guitarist.


12. Initially German borders.


11. Not the kind of bloke you can rely on for a long-term commitment.


10. Divers do this.


9. Heard twice in a Flintstone cry.


8. Castle approved by the Valley Parent Teacher's Association.


7. Welsh hamster puts biscuit in his tea, adverbially.


6. Aja 3rd.


5. Epitome, of virtue.

4. Hang on to this leading man.


3. Percy's nun.


2. Moaning marijuanas!


1. This here logic game is all screwed up.


Not got them all? Ain't that a shame! Answers tomorrow morning. (You don't have to wait till Blue Monday.)


Friday, 9 October 2026

Listening Post #57: Dirty River


There's a group called The Sinclairs made up of two men competing for the best rock 'n' roll pseudonym. We're talking Rat Scabies (real name Christopher John Millar), the drummer from The Damned and Billy Shinbone (real name Jesse Budd), who has previous worked with the likes of Flipron and the Neville Staple Band.

Anyway, they have a new single out, and they'd roped the divine Emily Breeze in to do a bit of singing. Quite lovely it is too.



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