African Reggae

February 26, 2016 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | Modern Music, MUSIC |

Songs in Our Heart # 2 African Reggae (Nina Hagen) (Written by Reinhold Heil, Bernhard Potschka and Nina Hagen; released 1979) [Best pop yodeling ever.]*    

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Molly: The Real Thing

February 22, 2016 | Posted by Lesley Jakobsen | AUSTRALIANIA, Modern Music, MUSIC |

Not dead yet

Channel 7 followed up its two-part drama Molly (reviewed here) with a short, oddly premature obituary-feel documentary about Ian “Molly” Meldrum the following week. Molly’s brother Brian tells us that Molly loved music from day one.  He moved in with Ronnie Burns’ family when his just wouldn’t do, he was a journalist at GO SET magazine, then on the television music shows The go Show, Kommotion (1966). Uptight (1968) and Happening 1971. Again, like Vivienne Westwood, Ian Meldrum was  a young person with nothing but  passion and a lot of nerve who blazed a trail through a wood that no-one…

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Molly (Channel 7 Miniseries)

February 15, 2016 | Posted by Lesley Jakobsen | LIFE, Modern Music, THUMBNAIL REVIEWS |

Photo by Jeanie McKinder

(Channel 7 Mini-Series) Ian “Molly” Meldrum named his house “Luxor”  and hung out with cross-dressers. But Molly was also a brawler and a football fan. While having a genius for television, he could barely string two words together. These contradictions raise questions about this quixotic man, but  there was no question for those of us who grew up in the Countdown days.  Watching Countdown for 25 minutes on the ABC was what you did on Friday, and then Sunday evenings.  Young people today won’t believe it if you tell them that until Countdown, the only tv music shows for the young were occasional all night “Rockathons”* which my…

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Accidents Will Happen

February 13, 2016 | Posted by Lesley Jakobsen | Modern Music, MUSIC |

Songs in Our Heart # 1 (We have sounded off about songs we dislike intensely, and had lots of lovely negative feedback!  But in the interests of restoring harmony, we are starting a series of random tunes we love (or perhaps only one of us does) and we will continue as we think of more. Thanks also to those sporting sharers at YouTube – TVC doesn’t endorse any ads that may pop up!): Accidents Will Happen (Elvis Costello & the Attractions) (Written by Elvis Costello; released May 1979) [The perfect pop song, full of sound and fury, signifying everything.]    

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Terry Wogan

February 2, 2016 | Posted by Lesley Jakobsen | LIFE, Modern Music |

Programme Name: n/a - TX: 20100101 - Episode: n/a (No. n/a) - Embargoed for publication until: n/a - Picture Shows: - (C) BBC - Photographer: Lorenzo Agius

Michael Terence Wogan (3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) The Varnished Culture farewells this mellifluous long-standing caller of the Eurovision Song Contest.  He obviously loved the event, but that didn’t stop the old smoothie from dripping the occasional cup of acid, particularly when hosts gave too much of themselves or acted like ‘eejits’, or when anticipating the voting predilections of each country, which he did with uncanny accuracy (and sardonic smugness).  You’ll be missed Woges.

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