There’s been a historical tendency to forget that Fawlty Towers is a proper co-write between Connie Booth and John Cleese.

Partly, that’s misogyny, sure.

Partly, that’s because she chooses to downplay Polly, and so you don’t necessarily make the connection between the co-writer’s name at the beginning, and the actress who plays the art waitress.

But, mostly, to be fair, it’s because they created a character like Basil Fawlty for an actor like John Cleese to go insane in, and when that is working, you kind of have to get out of the way.

I feel like Connie’s big contributions are probably to the plot structure itself, and certainly to the authenticity of the female characters and their reactions. Those have been notoriously hard for the Python boys to nail, and yet Fawlty T has both spades.

God save Connie Booth, and Polly’s delightful shoes (keep your eye on them throughout the series, extra layer of enjoyment)!

Elaine May movies, as depicted by Josh Abraham of TheJoshShop on etsy.

”The Very Strange Mummy,” art by George Roussos, writer Al Feldstein. The Haunt Of Fear #8, July 1951.

“I think I do feel better. Y’know, death and misery can really be uplifting.” - Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman ep 46 (March 8, 1976)

It’s not a perfect album like Liberty Belle or 10 Lovers Lane, but I think about Tallulah more. Maybe it’s the cover. Amanda’s elf shoes, Other Robert’s cowboy hat, Lindy cool as you please in a Bowie-worthy suit, Main Robert trying so hard not to be eclipsed by Grant that he’s dyed his hair and got giant 80s specs. Grant appears to be quietly writing “Bye Bye Pride.”

“Dictionary II: The Return Of The Killer Dictioanary?” 

"All I wanted to do is come to London and sell a dead Nazi's head. But no. It's got to be brought back to life first. Nothing's ever straightforward, is it?"

Excited to have such a nice copy of this on #vinyl finally, it was a cornerstone of my college life experience. Cannonball Adderly steals the show, PS. #vinyl #MilesDavis #BillEvans #JohnColtrane #CannonballAdderly #PaulChambers #JamesCobb

I might have to make a t-shirt out of this.

John, I'd like you to meet my father, it's the next installment of Bafflegabs!, my musicky podcasty thing! This week we immerse ourselves in fuzzy guitars & ragged glory with classics from Superchunk, Enon, Velocity Girl & The Feelies and new tracks from Eleanor Friedberger, The Wet Secrets, Kitten Forever and Holy Wave, plus a salty salute to Guided By Voices' Alien Lanes on its 21st birthday! Some say there's no such thing as rock 'n' roll, well, this episode begs to differ! Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/Bafflegabs/bafflegabs-episode-9-fangs-fur/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bafflegabsound/bafflegabs-episode-9-fangs-fur

Episode 7 of my musicky podcasty thing, Bafflegabs!, is up now on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. This week it's all about hot pink music & new wave visions, with a focus on dancey beats & sparkly synths, chorused guitars and late night infomercials. That’s right, it’s Powder Pink, new from Bafflegabs! Now with improved balance!

Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/Bafflegabs/bafflegabs-episode-7-powder-pink/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bafflegabsound/bafflegabs-episode-7-powder-pink

This week’s playlist:

Bafflegabs! Episode 7 - Powder Pink

Intro

Benji Hughes - Peacockin’ Party (Songs In The Key Of Animals, Merge Records)

Peter Bjorn & John - What You Talking About? (single, PBJ Musik AB)

El Perro Del Mar - Breadandbutter (single, Ging Ging Records)

Oh, Hi

Gwenno - Fratolish Hiang Perpeshki [Cavern Of Anti-Matter remix]

Amber Arcades - Right Now (single, Heavenly Recordings)

Wild Firth - Corduroy (self-titled, No Problem Records)

Lonely? Tired Of Life

Virginia Wing - Rhonda (single, Fire Records)

Maria Minerva - Beautiful Stranger (single, Self-released)

KING - The Greatest (We are KING, KING CREATIVE LLC)

Womyyn - Only For You (single, self-released)

Testimonials

Neon Neon - I Lust You (Stainless Style, Lex Records)

NZCA Lines - Do It Better (Infinite Summer, Memphis Industries)

Jane Weaver - I Need A Connection (The Amber Light, Bird Records)

Doomsquad - Pyramids On Mars (Total Time, Bella Union)

Semi-Deranged Michael’s Suburban Stereo Barn

Devata Daun & Isa Sponslier - Weakening (self-released)

Home Body - Fire (In Real Life, Feeding Tube Records)

Tooth Ache - Horizon (Flash & Yearn, Feeding Tube Records)

Heather Woods Broderick - Mama Shelter (Glider, Western Vinyl)

Afterhours - Salt On The Wound (Sleepwalker, Not Not Fun)

Video Dating

Margaret Glaspy - Somebody To Anybody (single, ATO Records LLC)

Flock Of Dimes - Apparition (single, Merge Records)

Dome - Cruel When Complete (Dome 1, Mute Records)

The Go-Betweens - Dusty In Here (Before Hollywood, Rough Trade Records)

Changing Channels

The Cure - The Caterpillar (The Top, Fiction)

Richard Hawley - Hotel Room (Cole’s Corner, Parlophone)

The Chills - When The Poor Can Reach The Moon (Silver Bullets, Fire Records)

Outro

Purple Pilgrims - Thru Every Cell (Eternal Delight, Not Not Fun)

Watching my new Criterion version of The Fisher King tonight. I just love this movie so much. So much.

Doing all of the dishes today, listening to the new 8th Doctor boxset from Big Finish. The second story, Scenes From Her Life by John Dorney, is amazing, one of the best DW in a while. On with story 3!

Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 26] - The Beatles (Dec 15th, 1966)

The Beatles, after a 5 month break from the studio, convened at EMI Studio 2 on November 24th, 1966, where John introduced the song to the others. They ended up making the first proper take, which appears in somewhat “touched up” form on The Beatles Anthology 2. They picked up with the song again on November 28th and 29th where verses were rearranged, additional instrumentation was added and the key was lowered from C to A. The take 7 we also hear on The Beatles Anthology 2was recorded on November 29th and, as pointed out by Patrick , was used as the first minute of the master.

At some point after this, The Beatles got into an even more experimental mindset for “Strawberry Fields Forever.” John asked their producer George Martin to write a brass and string score for the song and on December 8th a rhythm track was recorded for it that was adjusted to a faster tempo and filled with layers of discordant noise to fill the tape. Ringo Starr’s drums included backwards cymbals and there were others playing tambourines, tympani, maracas, scrapers, bongos, finger cymbals and more. John can be heard telling Ringo to calm down at the kit and also singing “cranberry sauce” into the microphone. A portion of this track can also be heard appended with a cross-fade to the end of take 7 on The Beatles Anthology 2.

By the time of take 25, recorded on December 15th, George Martin had added the brass and strings score and the song was back in the key of C. It was a two track recording with the rhythm on track 1 and guitar, swinging flutes (played on Mellotron) and piano on track 2. To make take 26, John added a third track with his lead vocal. Sometime between December 15th and December 21st, John approached George Martin about combining the slower take 7 with the faster brass-laden version of the song. In an interview, George Martin gives a recollection of this conversation, where he explains to John that the two versions are in different keys and therefore cannot be combined. John says to George, “Well, I’m sure you can fix it.”

On December 21st, 1966, The Beatles went into the studio for the final time in 1966. John was not happy with the lead vocal he made for “Strawberry Fields Forever” on the 15th and rerecorded a new vocal, but this time he doesn’t bother to sing most of the first verse. He has already decided that it will be replaced by the first verse from the earlier take 7. The speeds of both takes were actually manipulated starting with speeding up take 7 from A to B-flat and slowing take 26 down to match it. For the first 60 seconds of the master, we hear the intro, chorus and opening verse from take 7 and the switch to take 26 occurs immediately after John sings “Let me take you down, ’cause I’m….” From John singing “going to…” throughout the rest of the track, we are hearing take 26. As requested, here is the complete take 26 before it was speed corrected and touched up to create the finalized version.

- The Beatles Rarity

In case you needed a reminder of how brilliant George Martin was, just listen to these brass and string arrangement on this complete take of what was to become the second half of the released version.

Also a reminder that Martin had to work in a painstaking stroke of genius to get these two takes, recorded weeks apart, to make one complete song that redefined what a pop single could be. 

R.I.P. G.M.

Episode 5 of Bafflegabs!, my musicky podcasty thing, came to you LIVE from the cafeteria at my work...and walking to the liquor store...and feeding the cat. So many exotic locales it was like a bloody Jim Bond film. Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/Bafflegabs/bafflegabs-episode-5-dontish-sulking/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bafflegabsound/bafflegabs-episode-5-dontish-sulking This week's playlist: Bafflegabs! Episode 5 - Don'tish & Sulking Islands - Back Into It (Should I Remain Here At Sea, Manque Music) Amber Arcades - Turning Light (forthcoming record, Heavenly Recordings) Unloved - When A Women Is Around (forthcoming record, Unloved Records) Cafeteria Orlando & Tomaga - Theme For A Telepathic Amphibian (Play Time: Music For Video Games, self-released) Cavern Of Anti-Matter - Echolalia (Void Beats/Invocation Trex, Duophonic Records) Plone - Top & Low Rent (For Beginner Piano, Warp Records) Cafeteria Gwenno - Astoria Ti Yw Madonna (Ymbelydredd, self-released) Fabrizio Rat - Pinky (La Machina, Optimo Trax) Anna Domino - Rhythm (Self-titled, Crepuscule) Cafeteria Belly - Slow Dog (Star, 4AD) Gary Wilson - Forgotten Lovers (Christophe Lemaire And Now-Again Present: Whare Are You From?, Now Again Records) Dressy Bessy - Get Along (Diamond Ring) Parquet Courts - Stoned & Starving (Light Up Gold & Tally All The Things That You Broke, What's Your Rupture) Walking Mike Krol - This Is The News (Turkey, Merge Records) Big Eyes - It's Not Fair (7" split with Post Teens, No Idea Records) Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band - High Castle Rock (The Rarity of Experience, No Quarter) Mothers - It Hurts Until It Doesn't (When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired, Grand Jury Music) Walking Directions - Untitled 1 (Directions In Music, Thrill Jockey Records) Laddio Bolock - Wallkill Creek Survival (Life And Times Of Laddio Bolocko, No Quarter) Savant - Knowledge & Action (Artificial Dance, RVNG Intl) Tortoise - Jetty (TNT, Thrill Jockey Records) Walking home Mouse On Mars (feat Tortoise) - Shoe Fly (21 Again Collaborations 1, Monkeytown Records) HeCTA - Sympathy For The Auto Industry (The Diet, Merge Records) Joan Of Arc - Sympathy For The Rolling Stones (Live In Chicago 1999, Jade Tree Records) Isotope 217 - La Jetee (The Unstable Molecule, Thrill Jockey Records)

Episode 6 of Bafflegabs!, my musicky podcasty thing, is available now on Mixcloud & Soundcloud (depending on your preference!). Links at the bottom of this post!

This week: Your radio is tuned to WDST, The Dust, playing the dustiest musties this side of the Ol’ Miss. 7200 seconds of deep groves and heavy moves, records so hot they’ve fused to the turntable itself! Pop the clutch, baby.

Bafflegabs! Episode 6 - WDST Vol 1: I Was A Teenage Goo Goo Muck

The Savoys - Slappin’ Rods And Leaky Oil

Air Check

Little Ike - She Can Rock Del-Mars - Snacky Poo Corvettes - Pick Up Ervin Rucker - Done Done The Slop Saucers - Cha Wailey Routa

Air Check

Ronnie Cook And The Gaylads - The Goo Goo Muck Blonde Bomber - Strollie Bun JJ Jackson And The Jackals - Oo Ma Liddi Belltones - Swingin Little Chicky Calvin Cool - El Telecote

Air Check

Jimmy Kelly And The Rock-A-Bouts - Little Chickie Jimmy Heap - Gismo Mad Mike And The Maniacs - The Hunch Count Ferrell - Wizard Of Ahs Youngsters - Zebra Big Syl Barnes - Come On Back

Air Check

Jackie Brenston & Ike Turner’s Kings Of Rhythm - Much Later Willie Wright & His Sparklers - Gibble Gobble Hank Ballard - Broadway Lula Reed - What Makes You So Cold Little Willie John - Don’t Play With Love

Air Check

Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - What’s Your Name Lula Reed - Puddentane The Drivers - Mr Astronaut Big Danny Oliver - Sapphire Billy Lee Riley - Red Hot

Air Check

Rudy Ray Moore - The Buggy Ride El Pauling & Royal Abbit - Jail Bird Shane Kai Ray - Jungle Talk Harvey - Anyway You Wanta Caps - The Red Headed Flea

Air Check

The Drivers - Dry Bones Twist Scott Wood - Chicken Rock Billy Lee Riley - Flying Saucers Rock And Roll Patrice Holloway - Do The Del Viking Roy Orbison - Rockhouse Eddie Cochran - Nervous Breakdown

Air Check

Little Mummy - Where You At Jack Elliott Shavers & His Blazers - Scratch That Itch Little Emmett Sutton - Mom, Won’t You Teach Me To Monkey Carol Ford - Run Baby El Pauling & The Royalton - Solid Rock

Bafflin’ Bobby Gabs (Fakeumentary)

Vels - Mysterious Teenage

Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/Bafflegabs/bafflegabs-episode-6-wdst-vol-1-i-was-a-teenage-goo-goo-muck/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bafflegabsound/bafflegabs-episode-6-wdst-vol-1-i-was-a-teenage-goo-goo-muck

#Bowie