August Darnell! Hipster turned popstar! A single I haven't played in 25 years!
Steady me matron, I'm getting a Proustian rush....'Stool Pigeon' at the Radio One roadshow at Torre Abbey Meadows Torquay with your host DJ Mike Read, get there early and get to the front, it's the happy, happy sound, souvenir mug and back to Tall Phil's to hear 'Sandinista'.
This is slower than I remember. Is there another version they play on the radio? I tried cranking it up, but then it goes all Alvin & The Chipmunks.
No hang on, that lilting bass is a bit sexy....Damn it, it sounds good.
'Ona, ona, onomatopoeia, ona, ona, onomatopoeia...'
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - 'Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy' (1982)
For a time in 1980-82, I couldn't get enough of all things Kid Creole which meant the LPs Off the coast of me, Fresh fruit in foreign places and then the "breakthrough" with Tropical Gangsters. It also meant going back to Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band and a lot of Ze Records stuff, including the white vinyl A Christmas Record.
ReplyDeleteSaw them at the old Lyceum in Covent Garden and years later at the Town and Country Club, North London. Doesn't August Darnell live in England now? Near Sheffield or something quite unbelievable like that for the tropical kid?!
Take a listen to Stool Pigeon now and try to erase the memory of Smiley Miley on that roadshow!
Phil
Roadshows: I went to a Diddy David Hamilton one in Eastbourne (when Radio One was still 247 MW) and bumped into him at the crazy golf course(where he'd arrived in a white roller with two dolly birds - that's a WHITE ROLLER and TWO dolly birds - so what's he doing playing crazy golf? Anyway he seemed a old right crosspatch when we asked for autograph - but did perk up when we walked off. Actually I met Cilla Black and Ray Allen that same hol'*rambles on like this for some hours*
ReplyDeleteKid C: I had Stool Pigeon on 12", and may have mentioned how we paraphrased the lyrics to Annie into 'Annie I Love Your..' (well you can guess the rest)
Can't be done Phil - it's a Pavlov's dogs thing. Loving your reminiscences though.
ReplyDeleteDo you think it was a photo opp Mond? Were the girls wearing thigh-length white leather boots?
PS: Distance from Exmouth to Torquay = 12 miles.
ReplyDeleteAlways thought smiley miley must've had the best job in the world. Sensational 70s shagging in his cab in a different seaside town every night. (Bet he forgot to check the speedo loads of times and had to make something up).
ReplyDeleteDid Kid Creole do that song bout being happy for the rest of yer life if you married an ugly bird?
Well, Trade Descriptions are after ye on that one Kiddo. I married a right old munt ... Shit ... gotta go, here comes the Missus.
Cheers everyone
(as cock disappears in lime slicing implement).
I remember seeing Kid and his'nuts at Shepton Mallet showground in deepest Zommerset.
ReplyDeleteSomehow that struck me as... incon, incon, incongruous.
Sorry never could get into Kid Creole or his Coconuts. Sandinista on the other hand,this album has been the cause of many a long argument between myself and one of my mates who sees very little merit in it at all.
ReplyDeleteIt's my favourite.
ReplyDeletePS: Shepton Mallet Showground....*sigh*. Saw The Jam there, equally incon, icon...ickon...er, strange.
ReplyDelete"Ambulance for Van Dyke?"
Of course, they sing onomatopoeia because their records sound like what they are: shit!
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. I would take any Kid Creole LP over any Clash LP any day (and that's not a joke). Mick's in an argumentative mood today and still can't be arsed with his blog.
Never went to a roadshow but saw Fluff Freeman doing the Radio One club from Gillingham Youth Club in the 70s. Not 'arf!
Speaking of onomatopoeia have you heard this? Clever and crap at the same time.
I worry for you Michael, I really do.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about me, Davy boy. One day, if I can be bothered, I'm going to shake off this apathy. I've got loads of ideas and I've promised one of my boys a guest post.
ReplyDeleteLove to DVD. He tried to cajoule a post out of me and almost succeeded.
It was probably those knee lenth hoop-socks - v.trendy then.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mick - rather Kid Coco than the Clash anyday (never rated them)
PS - check this
Roadshow mania
Yikes! We could have had the Hairy Cornflake!
ReplyDeleteThat’s a great link, Mondo. When Fluff came to town he wanted to talk to some locals on air so Pete, who ran the youth club, recommended some colourful characters and mild controversy followed. Fluff asked a local lad who played for the youth club football team if they were any good to which he replied something like “No, we’re bloody crap!” in a broad Dorset accent.
ReplyDeleteRadio Rewind is a great, great site I borrow loads from it - the intro's for my JC mix came from it..
ReplyDeleteWe only had the Radio Luxembourg roadshow come to town in Southend - I won 'Bits and Pieces' and the prize was a crate of Crocodillo (at aged 15)
Magic Mick - our'Pete from the Youth Club' was Andy who looked like an Owl. Do they still do ping pong in church halls?
Sigh, I can't post from work thanks to our firewall, so I miss all this witty banter.
ReplyDeleteLoved Kid Creole. Annie is one of my favourite singles from the early 80s. I might not take it over The Clash, but I would take it over a hell of a lot of other stuff.
And those Coconuts...ooh...
Witty banter?
ReplyDeleteNo mention of Coati Mundi? Aww. A great man. Someone cannily got Wogan to play Annie I'm Not Your Daddy recently on Radio 2 directly after a news bulletin featuring that story about the 14 year old kid who turned out NOT to be a father after 200 stories about him being one in The Sun/Mail etc.
ReplyDelete