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The luckiest man in rock and roll?

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    #51
    Originally posted by Jah Womble View Post
    'Lucky' for a few people at the Magnet stable, then. Shelley as 'Alvin Stardust' would likely have stiffed within weeks.

    As it was, Bernard Jewry looked far more the part, cleaned up with a fair few hits over a ten-year period and Shelley also bagged himself a couple of Top Five singles with gentler songs.
    Pop's supersub, of course. Didn't Bernard have his first hitmaking career a decade earlier as 'Shane Fenton' owing to being friends with the real Shane, and after the latter's demise in a car crash being asked by his mother to take on her son's mantle and go out and perform those songs? Then comes the '70s, and he's in the right place at the right time all over again to become 'Alvin'.

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      #52
      Originally posted by The Awesome Berbaslug!!! View Post
      I would like to add Mikey Graham to this list. Mikey was the one in Boyzone who looked like a plumber.
      I was thinking along these very lines a couple of weeks ago, when I caught (on the BBC red button channel) some of their recent performance in Hyde Park as part of Radio 2's annual 'Festival In A Day'. Say what you like about Ronan's choice of material in his career, he has both the voice and the pop-star looks. Shane and Keith are both still good-looking fellas as well and seem to be competent singers. Mikey... well, he's there too.

      Still, he's doing better (though not necessarily luckier, I'd venture) than at least three members of Westlife, none of whose names I can remember nor could I identify them vocally or visually. Yet they managed, what, 14 UK number one singles? I'm sure they're all too busy wallowing around in their swimming pools full of money to be worried about whether anyone can recall who they are or tell them apart.

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        #53
        Originally posted by Hot Pepsi View Post
        I think I recall from the VH1 Behind the Music on Wham! that although GM was a lot more talented than Ridgely (perhaps a lot, lot, lot, more talented), that it was originally Ridgeley that was really pushing to make Wham! happen and was, at least originally, a lot more motivated, so it wasn't entirely blind luck.

        He is, to a large extent, Hugh Grant's character in Music & Lyrics except I don't think Ridgeley had that same level of resentment toward George Michael and I never heard that George Michael resented having to share the embarrassingly large royalties with him.
        Did Alex Fletcher (Grant’s character in ‘Music and Lyrics’) actually resent Colin from Pop! at all? I love that film and don’t recall that being the case.

        Someone should cover ‘Way Back In To Love’ from the soundtrack one day, it would be a huge hit.

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          #54
          Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
          Still, he's doing better (though not necessarily luckier, I'd venture) than at least three members of Westlife, none of whose names I can remember nor could I identify them vocally or visually. Yet they managed, what, 14 UK number one singles? I'm sure they're all too busy wallowing around in their swimming pools full of money to be worried about whether anyone can recall who they are or tell them apart.
          Shane Filan - the most prominent Westbloke - declared bankruptcy in 2012, and his wife also did so this year.
          Investments in a property firm gone awry, it seems. Hence the forthcoming reunion.

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            #55
            We had that Brian McFadden on NMTB when Westlife were on their second or third number one - he conceded that he had 'no talent whatsoever' and 'just mimed', before telling us that he'd 'make whatever he could and get out'. None of this comes as much of a revelation but at least the guy was honest. He was all right, actually.

            Originally posted by WOM View Post
            Now where did you look that up, etc
            Three guesses.

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              #56
              Any more books in the offing? Or has it passed the point of 'too much work / too little reward'?

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                #57
                The original 'reward' was very gratifying and the series has continued to remunerate. There seem to be issues, however, with one or two personnel changes at the upper end with the publishers.

                A TV pilot based on the project is being developed, however, so there's that at the moment. Just need one or two people to pull their fingers out, but that's no huge surprise in the world of media.

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                  #58
                  Originally posted by Jah Womble View Post
                  There seem to be issues, however, with one or two personnel changes at the upper end with the publishers
                  Is it just me or, given its subject area, did that phrase sound rather sinister...??

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                    #59
                    Originally posted by Jah Womble View Post
                    The original 'reward' was very gratifying and the series has continued to remunerate. There seem to be issues, however, with one or two personnel changes at the upper end with the publishers.

                    A TV pilot based on the project is being developed, however, so there's that at the moment. Just need one or two people to pull their fingers out, but that's no huge surprise in the world of media.
                    Oh, well that's all good news. Do let us know if it's going to go ahead. I suspect it would be interesting.

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                      #60
                      All the men who have never served time for their sex crimes, i.e. everyone who got a free pass because it was "different back then." This is not to say that every rock star was a Paul Gadd - but there were almost certainly a few Bill Wymans and Jimmy Pages, or just not bothering to ask for confirmation of age.

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                        #61
                        R Kelly is still somehow a free man, I believe.

                        Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
                        Is it just me or, given its subject area, did that phrase sound rather sinister...??
                        Oh, I've not had anyone bumped off, don't worry - unless he/she had cut a record, it wouldn't be of much use to me anyway. It's that predictable scenario of 'new broom sweeping clean' - the recent recruits seem considerably less interested in my delightful output, but what can you do? ('Take it elsewhere', is the obvious answer to that one.)

                        Thanks for your wishes!

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                          #62
                          M
                          Originally posted by Jah Womble View Post
                          We had that Brian McFadden on NMTB when Westlife were on their second or third number one - he conceded that he had 'no talent whatsoever' and 'just mimed', before telling us that he'd 'make whatever he could and get out'. None of this comes as much of a revelation but at least the guy was honest. He was all right, actually.


                          Three guesses.
                          Maybe the debts are cleared now. Over the last few years they have been encamped on the Aussie cabaret circuit and have a devoted blue-rinse following.

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                            #63
                            More generally the advent of auto tune and TV “talent” shows has widened the catchment of this thread substantially.

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                              #64
                              Originally posted by Sits View Post
                              M

                              Maybe the debts are cleared now. Over the last few years they have been encamped on the Aussie cabaret circuit and have a devoted blue-rinse following.
                              That they're now primarily targeted at the blue-rinse market surprises me not one iota: that's where they should've been all along. (We were talking about Neil Reid and his ilk on that other thread t'other week - Westlife are effectively four of him, but slightly older.) Their next songs are apparently to be penned by 'top contemporary songwriter' Ed Sheeran. Which figures.

                              Anyway, why the f*** am I writing about bloody Westlife?

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                                #65
                                Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View Post
                                Gerry and the Pacemakers: three Number 1s with a Beatles reject, a Tin Pan Alley song by numbers and a show tune all polished up by George Martin and hyped by Brian Epstein.
                                They may have been in the right place at the right time for their big hits but Gerry Marsden was a decent songwriter, coming up with "Ferry Cross The Mersey" and "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" (subsequently covered by Ray Charles) among others
                                so definitely not untalented.

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                                  #66
                                  Ringo Starr was/is a very good drummer. Perfect for the Beatles. His admirers included Al Jackson Jr., Keith Moon, Hal Blaine, John Bonham and Earl Palmer. Good enough company.

                                  Rod Stewart may have been lucky but apart from the raddled cad period in the early 2000s he was always capable of good records. Agree with G-Man, early stuff is better. Check out "Come Home Baby" with P.P. Arnold. Wonderful.

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                                    #67
                                    Heartening that something I posted 9 years ago is still being debated.

                                    Crazy trying to imagine that The Beatles wouldn't have still been The Beatles if Best were on the drums. Like Ringo was the magical key that made it all click...

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                                      #68
                                      Originally posted by adams house cat View Post

                                      Rod Stewart may have been lucky but apart from the raddled cad period in the early 2000s he was always capable of good records. Agree with G-Man, early stuff is better. Check out "Come Home Baby" with P.P. Arnold. Wonderful.
                                      I'm not sure how Rod Stewart would count as lucky either. As a teenager He was a fixture on the London blues scene from the early 60s, mainly with Long John Baldry's bands — I saw him with Steampacket and Shotgun Express on several occasions — by that time "featured" as Rod "The Mod" Stewart. He also had a recording contract under his own name back then. I think there are a fair few misconceptions about him, based mainly on the much later spandex and satin "Do ya Think I'm Sexy" period. The first is his early involvement in left-wing politics, he was a member of CND and went on several Aldermaston marches, he was also arrested on three occasions at sit-ins in Trafalgar Square. He's also, IMHO, an underrated songwriter. Not prolific for sure, but some of the numbers he penned include: Every Picture Tells a Story, The Killing of Georgie, Maggie May, Mandolin Wind, Pool Hall Richard, Tonight's the Night, Stay With Me, You Wear it Well.

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                                        #69
                                        True and he could be a masterful interpreter of other people's songs. "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Downtown Train" spring to mind. Mind you, what he did to "This Old Heart Of Mine" should get him a sound thrashing every morning for the rest of his life.

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                                          #70
                                          Originally posted by WOM View Post
                                          Heartening that something I posted 9 years ago is still being debated.

                                          Crazy trying to imagine that The Beatles wouldn't have still been The Beatles if Best were on the drums. Like Ringo was the magical key that made it all click...
                                          They'd have been using a session drummer most of the time.

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                                            #71
                                            Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                            Did Alex Fletcher (Grant’s character in ‘Music and Lyrics’) actually resent Colin from Pop! at all? I love that film and don’t recall that being the case.
                                            I recall that there was a schadenfreude scene at the end where the guy who went on to fame and fortune without him.

                                            Wiki's summary is thus.
                                            "The end of the movie (an homage to VH1's Pop-Up Video) reveals that the song becomes a hit for Cora and Alex, the film version of Sloan's novel flops with critics and moviegoers (ruining his career), PoP! reunites for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after which their lead singer Colin Thompson (who left the band with some of Alex's songs to start a solo career) winds up having his hip replaced after years of dancing, and Alex and Sophie go on to become successful partners, both in songwriting and romance."

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                                              #72
                                              Another advocate for Rod here, even if he should have put the mike away by now.

                                              His Faces stuff and early solo work has a lovely rawness and freshness. And that era’s Rod had a great voice.

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                                                #73
                                                Based on a recent TV performance he still has a decent voice, it's the songs he sings with it that are grim. It's the vocal version of Donald Trump ordering his steak well done and slathering it in ketchup.

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                                                  #74
                                                  Originally posted by Sits View Post
                                                  Another advocate for Rod here, even if he should have put the mike away by now.

                                                  His Faces stuff and early solo work has a lovely rawness and freshness. And that era’s Rod had a great voice.
                                                  Agree - raspy, hard-drinking Rod was where it was at. (I think my favourite vocal moment of his might even be Python Lee Jackson's In a Broken Dream.)

                                                  Was Sailing the moment where he jumped the shark (somewhat appropriately)? I seem to recall that over the next decade or so he released a number of other songs on a near-identical theme.

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                                                    #75
                                                    Rod hasn't seem like he's done himself many favors, legacy wise. I mean, his 'day' was a long time ago, and now it feels like he's just churning out those 'songbook' albums that pretty means your career is over but for moving to Branson, MO. And the public carping about the lack of respect and no knighthood and stuff doesn't look good on anyone.

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