08 11 09 295 W, 1 I - + 10 - 11 Jackie - the Annual 2010
Jackie - the Annual 2010 [CD Box set] (£11.69)
In the early ‘80s I used to write for ‘Jackie’ and its sister publication ‘Jackie Pop Special’. Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, Jackie was a phenomenon - quite simply the most popular magazine for girls. The magazine finally closed in the early ‘90s but while it’s gone it certainly isn’t forgotten. Riding high on a wave of nostalgia you can now buy Jackie-related books and CDs in time for Christmas.
I’ve been listening to the latest 3-CD set ‘Jackie The Annual 2010’ which lets you relive Jackie’s ‘70s heyday with a great collection of some of the best hits of the decade. As with all such collections the mix of musical styles is sometimes a bit odd - I mean, how many people who are happy to rock along with Slade’s ‘Coz I Luv You’ and Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out’ are going to be equally keen on Gilbert O’Sullivan’s ‘Claire’ or Donny Osmond’s The Twelfth Of Never’, I wonder?
The choice of music is pretty wide ranging in fact: everything from Barry White to David Bowie. While there are certainly plenty of songs that are likely to appeal to men, the ‘Jackie’ angle will no doubt make this a set that is mainly bought by (or for) women - and just to hammer that home, the disk set even features the ultimate ‘70s heartthrob, David Cassidy, on its cover.
Mind you, there were some boys who had a soft spot for David too! Swoon...
Track listing and samples available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jackie-Annual-2010-Various-Artists/dp/B002QXNN30/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1257695335&sr=1-1
Never to Old to Rock and Roll
Surfing the Net I came across a song “Never to Old to Rock and Roll” by an 80’s Band Tokyo Rose. I checked out their website http://www.tokyorose.biz and they seemed mighty proud that they had been battling the music industry for three decades.
Ironically they have accepted the changes and have welcomed the internet with open arms by promoting My Place a song about the dangers of to much internet use. The lyrics “Do you remember how it used to be Life before we had Computer screens we used to make friends face to face now we just stare, stare into space”.
What makes men and women in their fifties want to continue in a young man’s game or is it a young mans game. They say the fifties is the new forties but judging by this band you are never to old to rock and roll. So why stop doing something you love. It seems their journey has certainly not been lucrative but isn’t that what rock and roll is about.
The Music Industry has always been about the Major Record Companies but they are not exactly rock and roll. They play safe and repackage and recycle. I’m pleased we have bands like Tokyo Rose who record original music. The plus side is they have Artistic Control and if they write about current issues. In the 80’s they wrote about the Yorkshire Ripper, in 2010 they are promoting a fantastic Anthem Save Planet Earth. They do what they want, it’s their music and listening to it I’ve enjoyed the diversity and the honesty of the tracks.
Mc Cartney and Jagger are still going so why should the 80’s Band throw in the Towel. Its strange how these bands are labelled 80’s bands yet the Rolling Stones are not labelled 60’s Bands. Tokyo Rose may have changed but they have certainly endorsed the times and this year in 2010 they will be celebrating 30years as friends and as a band. What more could a musician want.
I wonder in ten years time will they still be around I think they will, but I hope they achieve the global success that they deserve. What will the Music Industry be like then; will Simon Cowell and the X Factor still be ruling the air waves? I don’t think it matters to Tokyo Rose, what matters to them is their music. I would recommend this band to everyone they write great Rock Songs.
As in the words of the Song “You’re Never to Old to Rock and Roll”.
It’s strange this year Elvis would have been 75 and he is “Rock and Roll” and I bet if the King was still alive today no man would have stopped him singing.
Long Live Tokyo Rose they may never achieve such heights, but that should never stop anyone writing and recording music.
Tokyo Rose () (URL) - 31 01 10 - 04:13