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Ten years older...

WHEN the end of May rolls around, it will mark the tenth anniversary of an eduring phenomena in the world of rock & pop music - The arrival of Hanson (pictured right: Front left, youngest brother Zac, behind Zac is eldest brother Isaac, on the right is middle brother Taylor).

Isaac, Taylor & Zac hailed from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, from where they began singing harmonies in public from a young age and a following grew. Using their initiative, realising they could sing so well, Ike, Tay & Zac decided to become a band: Isaac plays guitar, Taylor plays keyboards, piano & percussion whilst Zac plays the drums. In the period 1995-96, Hanson recorded demos of their songs for record companies that had taken an interest in the band. The demos later appeared on the album '3 Car Garage: The Indie Recordings '95-'96' (558 399-2). The demos worked. Hanson were discovered and signed to Mercury Records, with whom they began working on their album 'Middle Of Nowhere' (534 615-2), which featured new songs alongside the demos which impressed Mercury Records. Three songs migrated from '3 Car Garage...' to 'Middle Of Nowhere', two of which became singles. The first single was the worldwide success 'MMMBop' which was simultaneously Number One in the singles chart in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. That was the final week of May, 1997. In the United Kingdom, Mercury Records kept Hanson fans interested by releasing singles as a 2 CD pairing, for example, 'MMMBop' CD1 (574 499-2) had 4 tracks, CD2 (574 501-2) also had 4 tracks, but one or two tracks would be different and the cover of CD2 would fold out to become a poster.

Hanson's second single was 'Where's the love' (CD1: 574 905-2, CD2: 574 903-2), the video for which was filmed in London, England. Third single would pitch Hanson in the Christmas market: 'I Will Come To You' (CD1: 568 067-2, CD2: 568 133-2) was released along with the album 'Snowed In' (536 717-2), a selection of Christmas songs which Hanson recorded at Sarm Hook End Studios, England, in the summer of 1997.

In the spring of 1998, Hanson released their fourth single taken from 'Middle Of Nowhere' the ballad 'Weird' (CD1: 568 541-2, CD2: 568 625-2) and the fifth single was timed to coincide with their concert at Wembley Arena in June 1998. 'Thinking Of You' (CD1: 568 813-2, CD2: 566 127-2) was followed swiftly by the album 'Live From Albertane' (538 240-2), recorded live in Seattle, USA, July 1998.

Upheaval occured at Mercury when the Universal Music Group was formed. Hanson found themselves transferred from Mercury to Island Def Jam. Already working on their studio album, Ike, Tay & Zac found their creativity stifled. They laboured under Island Def Jam, finally releasing the album 'This Time Around' (542 721-2) in the summer of 2000. The album gave Hanson a Number 15 hit in the UK singles chart with 'If Only' (CD1: 562 751-2, CD2: 562 750-2). Hanson also planned to release the title track of 'This Time Around' as a single, they promoted the song on TV in the UK, but Island Def Jam pulled the release, citing not enough interest for the single. This was the last straw for Hanson with Island Def Jam, Hanson broke away and formed their own record label.

In 2005, through their own record label 3CG Records, Hanson released their album 'Underneath' (COOKCD326) along with a DVD 'Underneath Acoustic Live'. Isaac, Taylor & Zac scored a Number 10 hit in the UK singles chart with 'Penny & Me' (CD1: FRYCD220X, CD2: FRYCD220) and followed with the single 'Lost Without Each Other' (CD1: FRYCD224, CD2: FRYCD224X) Easter 2005.

And so the Hanson story is up to date, marking their 10th anniversary with a new studio album, 'The Walk' and a new single, 'Go', both of which, hopefully, will be a success.

Concluding this post will be the Wallpaper of the week. Keeping with the Hanson thread, the image below is of Taylor Hanson, pictured in concert in the year 2000.

If you have any thoughts or messages, please use the Comments button below or take the opportunity to email me. Until next time, keep on rockin'!

Obituary: Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, performer of 'Monster Mash'

SOURCE: Courier News Online, New Jersey, USA

Link: http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070426/FRONT01/70426019

NEW YORK (AP) … He does the "Mash" no more.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett, whose dead-on Boris Karloff impression propelled the Halloween anthem "Monster Mash" to the top of the charts while cementing his place as one of pop music's most enduring one-hit wonders, has died of leukaemia. He was 69.

Pickett, dubbed "The Guy Lombardo of Halloween" for his impossibly catchy No. 1 song, passed away Wednesday night at the West Los Angeles Veterans Hospital, said his longtime manager, Stuart Hersh. His daughter, Nancy, and his sister, Lynda, were at Pickett's bedside.

Pickett's multimillion selling single hit the charts three separate times: when it debuted in 1962, again in August 1970, and for a third time in May 1973. The resurrections were appropriate for a song where Pickett gravely intoned the forever-stuck-in-your-head chorus: "He did the monster mash. ... It was a graveyard smash."

The novelty hit's fans included Bob Dylan, who sang Pickett's praises before playing the single on his XM Satellite Radio program last October.

The hit single insured Pickett's place in the pantheon of pop music obscurities, said syndicated radio host Dr. Demento, whose long-running program celebrates offbeat tunes.

Pickett's Karloff impression was forged in Somerville, Mass., where 9-year-old Bobby watched horror films in a theater managed by his father. When Pickett launched a Hollywood nightclub act in 1959, it inevitably featured his Karloff impersonation.

Pickett also did the voice when performing with his band the Cordials, particularly during the spoken part of the '50s hit by the Diamonds, "Little Darling." Bandmate Lenny Capizzi convinced Pickett they needed to do a song featuring his impression of the horror impresario, and "Monster Mash" was born.

The song was recorded in another two hours, featuring a then-unknown piano player named Leon Russell and a backing band christened The Crypt-Kickers. It was rejected by four major labels before Gary Paxton, lead singer on the Hollywood Argyles' hit "Alley Oop," released "Monster Mash" on his own.

from the Courier News website www.c-n.com

Season Finale, 5 May 2007

TODAY, Saturday 5 May 2007, saw the final game of Carlisle United Football Club's League One season, in which, I'm pleased to report, United have finished in eighth position.

Throughout this season, I have recorded the results in this blog and here, I present the final third of the season, February - May 2007 :

February 2007 :

Sat 3rd - Doncaster Rovers 1 - United 2 (Karl Hawley, Jeff Smith).

Sat 10th - United 1 (Joe Garner) - Yeovil Town 4.

Sat 17th - Leyton Orient 1 - United 1 (Garner).

Tue 20th - United 0 - Chesterfield 0 (Johann Smith had goal disallowed, offside).

Sat 24th - Cheltenham Town 0 - United 1 (Garner).

March 2007 :

Sat 3rd - United 1 (Derek Holmes) - Oldham Athletic 1.

Sat 10th - Millwall 2 - United 0.

Sat 17th - United 1 (Garner) - Huddersfield Town 1.

Sat 24th - United 5 (Peter Murphy, Kevin Gall, Luke Joyce, Danny Graham x2) - Gillingham 0.

Fri 30th - Tranmere Rovers 0 - United 2 (Gall, Graham).

April 2007 :

Sat 7th - Port Vale 0 - United 2 (Garner, Graham).

Mon 9th - United 3 (Danny Livesey, Graham, Neale McDermott) - Bournemouth 1.

Sat 14th - Rotherham United 0 - United 1 (Kevin Gray).

Sat 21st - United 1 (Graham) - Bristol City 3.

Sat 28th - United 1 (Johann Smith) - Swansea City 2.

Sat 5th May 2007 : Scunthorpe United 3 - United 0.
Scunthorpe United are League One Champions.

Until next season . . . If you would like to leave a comment, please do so using the link below or take the opportunity to email me by clicking here.

One final point : The play offs are to be completed this summer to decide who will be promoted into the Championship alongside Scunthorpe & Bristol City and who will be promoted into League One from League Two. We do know some big games are ahead next season, against Southend, Luton Town and Leeds United who have all been relegated from the Championship. I hope to post the fixtures for next season here, during the summer, when they become available.
Enjoy the summer, I will bring you more news very soon I hope, until then, take care!

One day late . . .

Happy Birthday Emelie!

( 3 May 2007 )

Egypt or Egremont, the choice is yours

I'M SURE you have heard the story all over the media of Amy Robson, pictured above, the seventeen year old Cumbrian, who, with her family, went on holiday to Egypt sometime ago. The story goes somewhere along the lines of whilst Miss Robson was in Egypt, she met a twenty-something bar owner, they fell for each other. The Robson family returned to Cumbria, though Amy decided to return to her love in Egypt, though without telling the family, or anyone else.

When the penny dropped, the police were called and Amy was traced to Egypt. Amy's family again flew out to Egypt and the papers say Amy was "lured" to the airport by her family, promising her a day out sightseeing in Egypt... The Robsons returned to England where national newspapers were waiting to capture the moment the runaway returned home. Now that really is a slow news day!

Meanwhile, back in Egypt, Amy's love has said, in an interview with a UK daily newspaper, he will wait for her "for ever". Till the next holidaymaker arrives in his bar.

Finally, I'm sure the school (in Wigton) where Amy has been studying higher education will also have enjoyed the recent publicity whilst one of their pupils was missing . . .