Come as you are.

A singular teaser for next week's post-Memorial Day photostream of my youthful 45 collecting: good, bad, and ugly. The Emotions, a girl group founded in Chicago 1968, hit #1 with this gem for 5 weeks the summer punk broke—1977. They were seen as proteges of Earth, Wind, and Fire's Maurice White. The finished the year #3 In the Billboard Hot 100 behind Rod Stewart, "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" and Andy Gibb, "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and ahead of Barbara Streisand, "Love Theme From 'A Star Is Born'." The biggest selling single of the 1970s in the Uk was Wings Nov 1977 charttopper "Mull of Kintyre/Girls' School." As to the most significant singles in the UK in 1977 . . . well I think I might start here with an "official" #2 [this space left blank] but always #1 in our hearts, minds, and phlegm globs and then move onto The Clash, "Complete Control".

It never rains in southern california.

Kudos to Matt Cox and the SAAC for another happening CDAF with a little assist from Aeolus! The boys from Backstage braved the elements and brought the noise.

First sign of the festival at 9:30 Am was this tent in front of St. Joseph.



Light of light + glass fame. Heard a funny new version of the great Dr. Wagner Dü "heist" as told by Gorjus a truly mendacious Southran Esq. a la Foote, who after all "tells better jokes." Also chatted with glass but forgot to take a picture. :^(



It was a tad greyish but as Auntie Beeb would say "Brightening later with patchy bits to the West." Turned off University Ave onto Maxwell and there was Stacie hot from the kiln.




Backtracked towards the other main street but detoured into the JA Children's Art & Play Village.



Every kid (Big or Small) loves a train set!



Dr. Damm got a mean drum circle going, the second best percussion gig in the "Ville, trailing only after Nexxus' amazing performance of Steve Reich's "Drumming" at Lee Hall.




If only our MSU drumline were this good!



Paging Susan Boyle, Susan Boyle? Anyone anyone? Bueller? Bueller?



Oxford fell and has the Cranberry Wasabi sauce to prove it. Yum Yum!



There was, of course, dancing . . .



And crazy white people, AKA The Celtic Fringe.



JB performed GC.



Finally The J-Heads owned the TVA.







The fans seemed to like it.




The Kids Are All Right. Then it was time for a lunch break. Part duex forthcoming.

The party's over.

After 42 years on the air, the Beeb is shutting down The Top of the Pops, sending it to the musical tv graveyard which also includes The Old Grey Whistle Test, Friday Night Videos, Don Kirschner's Rock Concert, Hullabaloo, and, of course, The Ed Sullivan Show.

I imagine Simon will have something to say about this.

For me it ended the summer of Hanson (1998), when "MMMBop" ruled BBC 1's airwaves and the three lads from Tulsa flew across the pond weekly to lipsynch their hit "live" at show's end. Isn't that like pouring a lot of pounds down the drain for no apparent reason?!!? Why was this the only time I've stayed in England recently that I had regular access to a telly? The Horror The Horror! At least the Cricket and F1 coverage were good.

Where's Dandy Don when we need him most? or at least Sid doing "My Way".

The revolution will not be televised.

It will come to you via your radio. BBC Radio One has made a final and quite reasonable decision about the John Peel Show slot:

John Peel's week night show will be succeeded by OneMusic, three shows hosted by three DJs, dedicated to championing a diverse, unpredictable and non-commercial mix of new music.

It is widely accepted that John Peel can never be replaced. The challenge for the new show therefore is to keep his legacy alive. OneMusic will do this through its support for new artists both signed and unsigned with an emphasis on UK talent.

I'm particulalry pleased that Rob Da Bank, who did such a creditable job filling in the last month, is part of this solution. For the entire press release click here.

Give me back the key to my heart.

Well it's official: BBC Radio 1 has unceremoniously killed any on-going version of the John Peel show despite the very creditable job Rob Da Bank did the last month. Sigh, I guess nothing lasts forever. In its place you have "One World", "dedicated to the best underground music around the world," which I guess is a fitting tribute to Peel. Just no more shambolic noisy guitars.

UPDATE: JANUARY 6TH
'The Peel site announces that a final decision about what will air from 11 pm -1am on BBC 1 is not final yet.

Hush.

Please don't bother me between 1:00 pm and 5:30 pm CST as I will be listening to the first two segments of BBC Radio One's John Peel Night on Real Player.

Keep it Peel.