Kia ora tātou
Ko Taranaki te maunga
Ko Rotorua te awa
Nō Rotorua me Taranaki ahau
Ko Park tōku whānau
Ko Michelle tōku ingoa
When my diction is such a disgrace
When I hear The Proclaimers, I have so many thoughts and memories. They are woven through my life and this blog. Their music, their wonderful concerts, their harmonies.
This song always makes me think of my dear friend Craig Kincaid. I met him in Melbourne in my early days there - maybe even before I’d decided to stay. I remember meeting him at the launch of one of the Harry Potter books that Fox was involved with. We were at Federation Square and he asked me what I did, how I earned a crust. I told him I was independently wealthy. Years later he admitted that he kind of believed me, though he wasn’t sure, but I sure did look the part in my red coat and all the time I had on my hands.
His Scottish accent was gorgeously thick and he used to get so annoyed that people (Fox mostly) couldn’t understand what he was saying most of the time. Until we got used to him, or his accent thinned out, or something.
Anyway, I can’t listen to Craig and Charlie sing “Throw the R Away” and not at least think of our Craig.
Raised by a toothless, bearded hag
I love a good cover. When I find one, I like to share it on a Friday afternoon so you can kick your weekend off on a great note.
This week I was reminded of how much I loved Peter Frampton when I was a teenager. He was being interviewed on Radio New Zealand about his memoir. They talked about Framptom Comes Alive, his phenomenal double album released in 1976. One of the tracks on that album was a cover of the Rolling Stones’ Jumpin Jack Flash. That’s the video I wanted to share with you today.
Unfortunately, good video/audio versions of that track were eluding me. But in my hunt for that cover, I found others - many, many others.
So instead of showing you the cover and linking to the original, I have flipped it. An early version of the Stones singing Jumpin’ Jack Flash from the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, and then a selection of familiar faces bringing it home.
Get loud and get ready for a fantastic weekend!