Early October 2007
Congratulations to our Beach Boys Concert Quiz winner Ian McInnes. The correct answer was Brian Wilson..the boy genius composer/producer/bassplayer and vocalist for the legendary group out of California.
Brian had a well documented misadventure with LSD apparently, during a hectic time where he was in a mind battle with John & Paul of the Beatles to come up with the next great record.
The Beatles sent shockwaves around the music world with Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beach Boys didn't really recover.
Brian's brilliant "Good Vibrations" gave the BBs a huge boost as a single (still one of my all time favourites) but the follow up album was a disappointment in the market. Brian stopped touring, the Beach Boys carried on ,as they still do with Mike Love still on lead vocals, Carl and Dennis Wilson have since passed on sadly and Cousin Al Jardine had a bustup with the band and is doing his own thing.
Interestingly enough for me, a man with what I call the best falsetto voice in the Biz, Jeffrey Foskett- filled in for Brian for years on his vocal parts and guitar and their unique sound was retained. Jeff's no longer with them though…he was instrumental in getting Brian back on the road regularly three years back but part of the deal is that JF is onstage with the Maestro to cover for him on difficult vocals and lead the backing band.
I saw their show in Auckland’s Aotea centre a couple of years back…and it was great…JF introduced me to Brian (who's tall enough to play basketball) onstage during rehearsals which was a buzz for me.
So that's why Brian is not going to be at the Vector Arena Concert on November 18….he works solo and the Beach Boys still do their thing without him though, importantly his great songs live on in the Band's show along with those of his brothers and Mike Love.
So Ian well done, Leesa Tilley from Andrew McManus Presents (the promoters) are sending two complimentary tickets out to you direct. Enjoy the show and the Vector Arena.
EECP
EECP well my sessions of Enhanced External Counter Pulsation at the Heart Clinic, 524 Parnell Road, have had amazing results!
My blood pressure has over the last five days averaged 128 over 77 and my Heart rate at 62…Shaquille O'Neal look out! (all I need now is a stretch machine to get my height up a bit!)
No, really I'm delighted and even more so with my wife Linda's results.
Remember I took her straight to the Clinic from her Air NZ/UA flight ex Newark NJ…altogether 32 hours of travel/waiting et al.She has wrestled with ME(Chronic Fatigue) since 1993 and although improved a lot, it always lingers around.
Well she's half-way through her course and the results are amazing, she has energy….. even running up stairs! Jetlag? Virtually zero. Her blood pressure and heart rate is similar to mine (it was 'like a sparrow's'…when she checked in.)
So now The Primary Hear Care Clinic Executive Director Will Hinchcliff has agreed to offer a Free Heart Checkup to the first person who emails me at GrownUps with the correct answer to this question:
What does EECP stand for?
Well it's the eve of the crucial quarter final at the Rugby World Cup…. All Blacks Vs The French…at Cardiff…and what's the latest wrangle? Jerseys!
Remember the halcyon days of black & white TV…you could hardly see the jerseys for the mud…and blue looked a lighter shade of black right?
But TV broadcasts the game. Now the Mr.Murdoch's SKY people have a problem like with the Scottish/ABs game where one could hardly tell the difference…and it was a messy game.
Get a life…The All Blacks are called that, because they wear an All Black Strip…The French used to be the Tricolours yes? Blue Jerseys with a little white and Red Sox! What happened to that? Is that why 'Crazy Bernie' their Coach only wants to call our boys 'New Zealand' and not 'All Blacks'…he wants to get them out of those legendary jerseys?..and hopes the legend and their greatness will go out the window with them!!! not a chance…I'm having French Vanilla on my oatmeal this weak with some Bubbles on the side…..Go The All Blacks!.
OK I've seen the game and I have to eat crow now ..without the bubbles.
The French got the strip they wanted ..and we got the silver number…more importantly they got the Referee…you can call it sour grapes.
I don't care…First a year or so ago the IRB apparently had a meeting in the northern hemisphere..!! natch!!….it went something like this ''ooright maties we've gotta change some rules so vat the games more even for us Brits and you Frogs roight???….'oui!
Messieur…zose All Blacks have zee best scrum in zee world..and zee best backs…'ow do we ensure that they don't get any ball??'…. the result?…..the pathetic, ponsy, 'pause,touch,engage routine' ….before every scrum.
Then during the game this morning the French's 16 man…the Ref.'s sinbinning of McAllister (when an identical backplay late in the game was allowed for the French) topped off by the try-saving continuous offside play in defence only metres from their line…on the blindside…not to mention the obvious forward pass that led to the try that broke the game for us.
But hey! The French defended with great passion and took the chances the ref. gave them.
Sadly NZ Tourism's assault on Paris with the Giant Rugby Ball under the Eiffel Tower opened officially by The PM Helen is really all for nothing now…Once again an entire nation held its breath for the All Blacks to win this World Cup..and I was one of them…but let's face it the game…the way it's played in Europe is a drag.
The English beat Australia..I know I haven't seen it yet…more of the same.
So I guess it looks like a South Africa/France final….! The Republic must be out of their minds with unexpected bonuses all 'round.
Strong rumour that Barbra Streisand will play the Vector Arena sometime soon. She wants to come to NZ NOT Australia..because the press gave her a hard time last tour!
Isn't it great that we now have a giant indoor concert venue to compete with Oz and give Stars like Babs a choice!! She's still got the pipes, is born in the Year Of The Horse(me too!)…and although she doesn't seem to make movies anymore one wonders why…every flick she made was a gem.
As soon as the Date/s are confirmed I'll bring it to you.
APRA SILVER SCROLL AWARDS…congrats to Brooke Fraser on winning the 2007 Silver Scroll for her beautiful song "Albertine"…ex All Black Bernie must be a proud Dad.
Jordan Luck was inducted as the First New Zealand Music HALL OF FAME Award member.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer or more talented guy. Jordan has written so many anthems (my fave being "Victoria") like Air NZ's TV Commercial "Why Does Love Do This To Me"…just go to any NZ Sports Event and you'll hear them. Fifties Star and Rock 'n Roll Trailblazer Johnny Devlin will be the second inductee at the Tuis Music Awards on October 18th…and well deserved. Johnny's still Rockin' as he proved on The Best Of The Best Tour of NZ last year.