Interests of "The Child"

This week I'm talking about interests and where they led me.

Sports were a big thing in school to the point they were social connectors so any child who wanted to get on like me needed to get engaged with them.

Hand to eye co-ordination was never me strong thing cutting across to varying extents my abilities in playing school sports but the thing was it never stopped me trying or just playing as a purely social thing.

That meant I was prepared to pick up a tennis racket and ball to play with another boy if he felt like a game even though I'm not good at it rather than getting into funk or screaming to anyone who would listen. 

Another interest of mine was music, specifically recorded music.

When I was younger how you listened, the cultivation of a time to listen intently to it, appreciating took hold not that I didn't have music on as a 'background' but I'd find time to do just that and maybe a quiet room to sit in too.

Also I was interested in how that sound was reproduced caring that although I may of been ten years old, I was getting the best I could get from my recordings be they tapes or as was common then stereo  records. 

I was fortunate Dad knew a fair bit about electronics and especially audio engineering so even with our modest income I had at that age my very own stereo record player with a built in radio cos he built it for me from modules and made a case from wood. That was better sounding compared to what my friends had.

As I got more into my teens money permitting I bought magazines about what they called "High Fidelity" which when remove a lot of technical terms and snobbery from it is really more about getting the best sound and they had articles about improving what you heard as well as reviews of equipment.

I was reading them cover to cover from the age of eight!

Around the same time I got from grown up friends handed down equipment that while good wasn't as good as what they could now afford was better than what I had so at one point I had a tubed Rogers Cadet II amplifier with it's control unit, a Panasonic stereo cassette deck for recording and playing cassette tapes on , a Goldring turntable and cartridge and a pair of hand made speakers using units originally fitted to Rolls Royce upmarket cars!

Today I own an all Rotel stereo separate system and a Sony MiniDisc recorder with a portable player for listening while away or on the move.

The Head Girl at the Gables & What Katy Did

Part of this whole adult still  a child side of me involves reading  often things about or even from  my childhood so today I'm looking at some books I read back then.

It's a story about a girl called Lorraine who wasn't thought of being Head Girl material by all her peers at The Gables, their school being rather quiet and withdrawn, scarcely one of the schools personalities.

The Headmistress, Miss Kingsley has altogether different thoughts so she's appointed but from the get go, a hard struggle for Lorraine to win the girls over begins. 

She decides to organize a School Show, finding a new ally in artistically minded Claudia, taking command in a most surprising effective way.

She finds a newly discovered talent for painting as part of her school life which leads to the unmasking of a dangerous spy ring. 

The What Katy Did trilogy  by Susan Coolidge a I originally read but never owned as a child having more of Enid Blyton's novels but a good few years back I bought the 1989 World Distributors editions together with Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

I hope to read more.

Also spach Zarathustra

Like many, my introduction to this work by Richard Strauss was on the back of 2001: A Space  Odyssey where the introduction was used in the 1968 movie directed by Stanley Kubrick.

I heard a number borrowing from the library, did own the 1979 Riccardo Muti recording on lp and also from my older brother which did own this one that I recently bought in its newly remastered form from the 1974 analogue tapes that I'm currently enjoying.

Many put this recording over Herbert von Karajan's later 1984 digital remake with the same orchestra. 

The Feminine Schoolboy

 Most people who have a little side would find it easy to point at one picture and say that is them and from that point a conversation would ensue around pasts, how they like to present as that eternal child now both as more social wear and especially any kind of adult sized school wear.

When you are a Feminine Boy like me, a person who is secure in their sex identity as a boy but has sides that are culturally feminine that also goes into clothing preferences it is always going to be different because our existence defies cultural expectations even amongst littles.

As a person with a Feminine LB age of 12 this is close to how I see myself just perhaps a year or two younger in full school girl uniform right down to pereline socks and T Bar shoes although I do wear tights sometimes as do many contemporary British schoolgirls.

In another way I see myself just in full school boy uniform right down to the short grey short trousers, socks and shoes although I do wear traditional stripped turn over long socks  as do many contemporary British prep school boys.

I actually own an 'over sized' uniform that starts from having a blazer that goes in a mix and match way with dresses, skirts and grey lined short trousers based loosely around what I and my peers did wear but from ranges that fit my size and worn in the same sort of way.

The common factor is it's a biological boy in them all the time whose gender is more neither girl or boy

I'd like everyone to treat me as child within I am.

Old but not forgotten - artists we loved

In response to much talk on the Angels forum site and with inspiration from Linzi, here is a page to place links to those artists who may be 'old' but certainly not forgotten.

Linzi mentioned her recollection of seeing Paper Lace on Top of the Pops in 1974, after I mentioned about owning and playing an 8 track tape of theirs featuring the hits, The Black-eyed boys, Billy, Don't Be A Hero and The Night Chicago Died.

Here's the link to a Paper Lace web site: www.sonsandlovers.co.uk./PAPER%20LACE.htm

Anyone of certain age will recall seeing a leather clad gent with an infamous leather glove who had a string of hits in the mid 70's.

Yes, we are talking about the one and only Alvin Stardust responsible for 'Jealous Guy' and 'My Coo-Coo Choo' amongst others. He also starred in a Green Cross Code public information film shown on british television.
Jealous Guy video: ALVIN STARDUST -jealous mind
The official site: http://www.alvinstardust.com Alvin contributes to it.
A good fan site is http://alexgitlin.com/nnp/as.htm

Mocked by many but loved for the image as well as the music were the Rubettes.

Nobody, repeat nobody around in the summer of '74 forgets 'Sugar Baby Love' quickly - infectious sugar coated pop music with a doo-wop twist. Another staple of Top of the Pops in the 70's.

There is a good CD out 'The Very Best Of The Rubettes' with all the hits and more available.
The have an official website: http://www.rubettes.com but it has shock wave stuff on it so it may take a while - connection permitting - to fully load.

Forgotten by some but keenly remembered by some of us are the Scottish Group Slik which featured a young Midge Ure. They had a number 1 hit with the song Forever And Ever in February 1976 and released an album entitled Slik on Bell Records which featured Dancerama and Requiem, a top twenty single.

Here's some links: http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/slik

For more on Rich Kids who were formed from Slik see http://punkmodpop.free.fr/richkids_pic.htm.

Musically similar to Roxy Music the group Sailor hold a place in the hearts of many of us around in the mid 1970's in the UK. They had smash hit singles with Glass Of Champaign in late 1975 and Girls Girls Girls in early 1976.

Links to the band can be found here http://www.sailor-marinero.com/sailor_main.htm

Although it's Various Artists, the film Flashdance and it's Soundtrack often crops up in conversation about 80's music. 

Certainly it is an excellent soundtrack album with songs by Georgio Moroder and has the hits 'Manic', 'Lady, Lady, Lady' and the title track (by Irene Cara).

A film database listing information and comments on the film is available http://imdb.com/title/tt0085549/
A fans site outling the films impact on popular culture can be found at:
http://angelfire.com/80s/flashdance/

Another artist very sadly missed since her death in 2004 is Laura Branigan. She had six studio albums showcasing her remarkable voice and featuring both original songs and inspired cover versions.

A new compilation Platinum Collection comes out July 24th featuring the hits, such as Gloria and choice album tracks.

There is beautiful site dedicated to her and her spirit see http://www.laurabraniganonline.com/
Do visit it.