Blast From the Past - NME September 1958

A piece I wrote for a programme for one of Bip's gigs at the Core.

The NME September 26th 1958. 

Here's a quiz question to get you all thinking; what was the number one record on September 26th 1958? Now alright you would need to be a genius or a mastermind on pop music to answer this, but it was in fact, Stupid Cupid by Connie Francis. 

It was quite coincidental that looking through a pile of old newspapers I’ve hoarded, there is a New Musical Express issue 611 from this very day 56 years ago. Costing sixpence, the front cover displays photographs of Connie Francis, Tommy Steele, Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis and a group photograph of the Mudlarks and the Kalin Twins backstage at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London. Connie has just reached number one in the charts with Stupid Cupid /Carolina Moon. The elevation obviously helped by my mother buying the single from Curtis Balin's Electrical shop on Studfall Avenue. (Where the new Tesco is for those trying to figure that one out). Elvis was apparently; 'On the high seas in the U.S transport ship 'General Randall' en route to Germany and on course for a career as an 'all round entertainer' in a series of films which would send his street cred plummeting. Let's be honest, they might have been not bad at the time but they haven't dated very well.

Advertised at the bottom of the page was The Cossor Automatic Record Player boasting a 4 speed change and able to load ten records for the princely sum of 21 guineas. For the less affluent, The Fidelity Record Player was 'sensational value at only 10 guineas'. Maybe it was but when you could only play one record at a time it was probably fair to say it was a pain in the backside!

This week's Top Ten had Volare by Dean Martin trailing Connie in second place. The Kalin Twins with When at number three. At 4 was Dean Martin with Return to Me. 5 was Peggy Lee and Fever. 6 saw Ricky Nelson and Poor Little Fool consolidating its place from the week before. Climbing from 11 to 7 was Bernard Bresslaw's Mad Passionate Love, no doubt helped by the actor starring in BBC television's Army Game. Bird Dog by the Everly Brothers was at 8 followed by another comedian, Charlie Drake and Splish Splash at 9. Making up the ten was Marty Wilde and Endless Sleep.

The Letters Page was always good reading and this week's issue included a disgruntled John Waterfield from Devon complaining about our own local hero Jim Dale who was compering the BBC Saturday Night 6. 5. Special Show.

'What has happened to Jim Dale? This business of forgetting artist’s names is a badly used gimmick. Or is it that Jim Dale really has a bad memory and as compere can't remember the names? The first programme in the new series left a lot to be desired. I mean, its all very well giving us new faces, but I wonder how many of these artists have had any real stage experience?'

Jack Reid of Ayrshire writes 'I read with disgust that Elvis is recording an album of hymns in memory of his mother. Why doesn't he leave hymns to people who can sing them? I have heard his Peace in the Valley EP and if ever a record showed how not to sing religious songs, then this is it.'

Of course it s all a matter of opinions and if I had been around I would have argued the case on that one. Peace in the Valley showed everyone that Elvis could turn his hand to any kind of genre, religious included. The album he was referring to was His Hand in Mine, a remarkable collection of gospel songs if ever there was one. In my opinion.

What else was happening at this time? Well it was announced that 87 Corby men were unemployed. They obviously didn't fancy shift work at the steelworks and with very little alternative decided they would have a break. Or they were just bone idle!

A Hula Hoop craze was sweeping the nation which brought an early indication as to the way this country was heading down the path to a nanny state. Following reports from Japan that that the Hoop was 'bad for your health' and a German chap keeling over mid swivel with a heart attack, authorities were moved to pass warnings about the danger, particularly to the neck. Nonetheless down every street there would be a crowd swiveling themselves away, hips swaying, head bobbing, not caring if they didn't have an aspirin in the house.

There was a shortage of 'single shillings' - believe it or not. Banks were running out of bobs. Now that wouldn't make much sense to many nowadays, but the bob was an intricate part of our lives back then. You needed one to put in the electric meter! If the bob ran out, you were up the creek unless you had one in your pocket.

On the local music scene, skiffle was still the main source of entertainment for the youth not being called up for National Service with The Hepcats and The Size Seven at the forefront providing the music of Lonnie Donegan and the Vipers for punters at the Welfare, Raven and Nellie's Bin. 

Globally, nuclear tests were being carried out throughout the year by the USSR, USA and Great Britain. America's and Britain’s on the Pacific islands of Bikini and Christmas. Which couldn't have been much joy for the locals. The tests stoked up the fires and protesters in Britain marched on to the U.S. Aldermaston Air base to vent their fears and disgust.

Richard Nixon, Vice President to Eisenhower was sorry he left home for a short tour of South America; Tricky Dicky was booed, shoved and spat on in Peru, attacked by rioters in Venezuela. One wonders what he said to old Dwight D. when he returned; 'thanks a million, next time you can bloody go!' Well maybe not but you can visualise it.

Eisenhower also claimed the first radio speech from space with his broadcast over Christmas; 'To all mankind, America's wish is for peace on Earth and Good Will to men everywhere.' What about the women then Ike? What about the poor souls on Bikini Island?

As Tommy Edwards sang on his number one record at the time' It's all In the Game.

The Road to Bangkok.

The Road to Bangkok.

Looking for a more adventurous holiday? Something different to just sitting on your backside on a sun drenched beach with a book and a glass of Sangria? Thailand could be your answer. Programmes on the Sky TV channels might put some off visiting this little corner of the Far East, the drug dens, prostitution, overcrowding. Not an entirely enticing advert but if you look beyond the sleaze one can have a truly memorable holiday, as Clive Smith and his family discovered. 

'Everyone has heard of the infamous Bangkok Hilton but there are far and away more preferable places to stay in. Our destination was the small island of Khoh Samet, situated in the south of Thailand, initiating an overnight stop in Bangkok. The flight from Manchester Ringway with Etihad Airways, voted the world's best airline in 2010 and 2011 took in total a cool 14 hours. Long haul isn't everyone's bag but if you're well prepared, i.e. Ipod, books, magazines, plus the in-flight TV entertainment, the time soon flies by. 

The Ramada Hotel was our abode on the first night, surprisingly quiet, small but quaint with a private garden and swimming pool area. Hard to believe it was right in the middle of the bustling city of Bangkok where just around the corner a railway line cut through the heart of the city with people living in dwellings literally just feet away from the tracks! No fences or barriers. Bangkok can be claustrophobic. Bustling, congested, the population stands at 12 million people and a glance around the back streets away from the hotels reveals a plethora of shanty like dwellings where the local inhabitants live. There’s no fear of being harassed by drug dealers - as is the perception - unless you're looking for some! You get more harassment off the Tuc Tuc Taxi drivers looking for fares. Though it has to be said, the three wheel glorified tricycles are ideal for nipping through the gridlocked City streets.

The Ramada proved to be an ideal respite before a four hour journey by taxi to Khoh Samet. Daunting at the outset the positive side of the taxi ride, a minibus by comparison to the Tuc Tuc, was the opportunity to see more of the country, the outer suburbs of Bangkok, the various villages en route. Somewhat alarmingly, to reach the island, the taxi dropped us off by a marina where a speedboat was hired to finish the trip. Just enough room for six passengers and luggage, the speed boat took around 15 minutes to reach the island and then dispatched all of us into the sea where we had to wade through the surf and onto the beach. Bizarre to say the least. I half expected to see Jeremy Beadle waiting for us! It was patently obvious that the Health and Safety merchants haven't reached this part of Asia yet.

Khoh Samet is a secluded small island with modern luxury holiday chalets and wonderful white sandy beaches. Hospitality was first class, as was the food. A range of Thai Curries and chicken meals cooked in the spicy flavours of the East washed down with wine or the local beer called Chang who are the sponsors for Everton F.C as it happens, satisfied even the most hardened traveller, and my scouser son-law Nick!

Evening meals on the beach with the aromatic smell of barbecued fish or steak wafting around was something else you don't often see back home.

The most surprising thing about Thailand is how cheap everything appears to be. Ten days on the island and two nights in two of the best hotels in Bangkok cost just £450. Meals and drinks are ridiculously cheap.  

The obligatory day trip was indulged and a trip to a fish farm ensued which was an alarming experience. There are no roads on the island and a 'taxi' which turned out to be a pick-up truck drove six of us over a landscape that would have proved arduous for a lunar module. Bumps and dips all along the three mile trek which took around half an hour was just the start. Dropped off by the side of the road, what was considered a ferry to transfer our party over turned out to be a wooden pallet tied on top of a couple of oil drums! Unbelievable. Hairy as well! A rope attached from the fish farm built on stilts a few hundred yards into the ocean was tied to a tree next to the 'taxi rank' and the ferry driver levered everybody over. To enter the farm meant clambering up a ten foot steel ladder attached to the side. Not as easy as it sounds with the pallet wobbling all over the place as each member climbed off. Second last to leave the pallet, clinging for my life with both hands on the ladder, I nearly came a cropper as the pallet went one way and I the other leaving me literally horizontal and staring down into the murky sea! Not exactly known for my prowess on the breast stroke, well not as regards my swimming anyway, I was faced with a dilemma. Let go with my hands - or my feet. There was no way I was going for a swim so I dragged my feet off the pallet, and my legs crashed into the side of the ladder leaving me with cuts and bruises as a memento. Panic over. The girls' cries and tension exchanged for convulsions of laughter, I shakily climbed the steep ladder to sanctuary and a rest on the wooden floor. To view the various exhibits, turtles, sharks etc planks a foot wide were provided to straddle along in between the tanks. One look at the sharks eyeing you up as the next meal if you fell in was sobering, leaving me pondering 'who's great idea was this?' 

Back on dry land, beach entertainment included a squad of youngsters doing the rounds every night throwing and twirling flaming batons around, catching and eating them whilst you got tucked into your evening meal. Highly entertaining but after three or four nights, tedious. Especially when they came round with the buckets for payment! 

Thai Kick Boxing in a ring assembled on the beach was something else you don't see everyday and reminded one of how far away from home you were. Kids aged as young as eight or nine, kicking and punching lumps out of each other for the amusement of the baying locals as well as the holidaymakers was not to everyone's taste. However if this is their culture who are we to criticise?

For those who enjoy a massage, there is ample opportunity to stretch out on the sun lounger and think of England as a pretty Thai girl tenderises your feet and aching muscles. Very satisfying and what better way to chill out at the end of the day, than under a clear starlit sky, squatting on the rocks with a Bacardi and Coke, listening to the sounds of Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin emanating from the beach bars? Sublime. 

It all added up to a very different type of holiday from that in a resort in the Mediterranean or a week on the balmy North Sea coastline of Ingoldmells. And not a Bingo stall in sight! 

Returning to Bangkok for a day and one final night, spent in the Baiyoke Hotel which boasts to be the tallest building in Thailand was perfect. 84 floors up offers a spectacular panoramic view of the city. For those with a nervous disposition it is weird to be ascending in an elevator and clocking each floor as it rises. Doesn't do to let the imagination run wild. 

The reception area, twelve floors up was less endearing, resembling Piccadilly Tube Station during rush hour. Frenetic and noisy. Chaotic. For golf bores, a driving range is situated on the 23rd floor with a dining area alongside offering a wide variety of bar meals and drink. Very relaxing. 

Bangkok is a city that never goes to sleep, densely overcrowded and at night looking down from our room on the 35th floor you realised why so many people ride and walk around with masks covering their faces. The smog lies over the city like a cloud. 

Whilst in Bangkok a river trip is essential where the views of the ancient palaces, monuments and temples are splendid. Another eye opener is the canoes with local women sidling up alongside the barges to sell their wares of fruit, drink and vegetables. A tourist attraction described as a floating market. You don't get that on the Thames. Unique. 

All in all, Thailand is well recommended for those looking for something just a little bit more offbeat and different!