Tune of the day - Temptations - on the naughty steps

The Tempts L-R: Dennis Edwards (lead Tenor/baritone), Paul Williams (lead Tenor/Baritone), Otis Williams (Baritone), Melvin Franklin (Basso Profundo), Eddie Kendrick (lead Tenor Falsetto).

Perhaps the most talented vocal act to ever emerge from the giant Mowtown roster was 'The Temptations'. As far as I know, this is the last public performance from the 'Mighty Tempts' to feature Eddie Kendricks, doing his trademark gossamer high tenor/falsetto on the #1 "Just My Imagination", performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in early 1971.

He had long planned to 'jump' from the group, and was already organizing a solo career, which ended up being periodically successful (he even made it to 'Live Aid' years later, with discarded iconic Temp David Ruffin and Hall & Oates);

The saddest thing on this is the prophetic body language... The guys are sitting on separate steps, like a string of broken couples waiting in their divorce lawyer's office. The 'world's greatest vocal group' was in a state of open warfare around this time, with Kendricks constantly butting heads with the Otis Williams/Melvin Franklin axis, which had bounced former co-lead singer David Ruffin from the group a couple of years before.

The regular peacekeeper in the group - and Kendrick's best ally and closest friend since childhood - Paul Williams (bottom, middle step in the video) had become really ill by this time and presents a rather sorry figure as he sings the 7 words of the baritone counter-lead vocal part and looks almost like he is about to collapse. After the departure of Kendricks. Paul Williams deteriorated rapidly and was moved to a backstage role. A great singer in his own right, he, tragically, took his own life about 2 years later.

The Tempts were in the middle of their 'Psychedelic soul' period at this time, and had one more huge hit after this (without Kendricks) - the epic 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone'.

Otis Williams, to this day, still runs, and tours with, a 'cabaret-type' version of the Temptations but this performance pretty much marked the end of their 'Classic Five'-era lineup (or Six, if you include late-comer Dennis Edwards, who also has his own Temps tribute act these days, and had come back in the 80's performing on the club classic "Don't look any further" - covered in the 90's by M-People). Edwards had replaced the bespectacled, free-spirited, egomaniac Ruffin.

David Ruffin - Lick my ermine fur, baby - you know you want to!
At least the memories remain...
Anyhoo, following this show, things were never quite the same again for the 'Emperors of Soul'...

Get them to the church on time

One thing I always found strange in Irish society is the obsession with weddings.

I have to admit, I've never accepted an invitation to wedding (or reception) in all my adult years - just don't get the attraction - especially if it comes from people you scarcely know and have no real empathy with. Of course, one consequence of this is missing out on the hours of free champagne and the possibilty of a good punch-up happening at any moment...

A pre-wedding, firm 'good-luck' handshake with the prospective groom or 'peck on the cheek' with the prospective bride is all I can usually manage...

Worse still is the dreaded moment when the honeymoon is over, the couple returns to earth and you get deluged with the wedding photos (especially in this digital age).

I find it difficult not to be irreverent and ask the wife questions like:-
'How did you manage to fit into that dress?'
'Wow - you've really let yourself go since the wedding'

or to the husband:
'Jayzus - I bet you're regretting this now! - I'd give it 3 months maximum...'

Anyhoo, Here are some classy photos from a typical Irish wedding. Roll your mouse over the pictures to view comments. They obviously got their styling advice from Michelle at Brown Cow:-





The groom's sister cops a sly feel as she trys to figure out if the bride's bazookas are real.

Just wait till I get you into the back of my Hiace.

Late night TV in Ireland (Part 2) - Magic Moments

A follow-up to a previous post, regarding the ongoing PlayTV scam:



Feck it, can't sleep, so just flicked on the TV. Guess what? TV3 are at it again. Their stellar PlayTV production is still running the same competition that they had on 2.5 hours ago. It is a grid of 50 ladybird icons - 3 of them have 4 legs on the right hand side. All of the rest have 3 legs.

It's a 'Spot the difference' game - the prize money has gone up to 2,500 EUR (if you can find the open line?). A partially-sighted person could spot these differences - I know I did 2 hours earlier... but the shameless shit who is presenting the show is still exhorting callers to 'foind that open loine...', even though it is obvious that nobody has found the 'open line' and got through to the studio.


Sorry caller - it is a great, great guess, but MINGE is not the correct answer. However, please do try again...

Oh, wait - there is a countdown now of 10 'moments' and the presenter J.G. is getting really agitated and spewing bullshit like there is no tomorrow -

• "Only 7 MOMENTS' remain for you to get through"....
  "Where is that money going?"
• " You know what - I should have ended this game - but I'm going to stretch it for this 3 moments"
• "Capitalise on your last 2 moments"
• Surprise - We are at 'quite literally' the last moment. No callers yet... The 'Moment' clock has been at zero for the last five minutes. JG remains silent, as if he's at a funeral.
• Oh - he's come back now - "do I hold on? or do I start another game, with less proize money?", he admonishes the viewers.
• He relents, but decides that we (the viewers) need to realise that this is 'literally' the very last 'moment' and he has 'got to have a winner now', since his 'winner is overdue'.
• Trouble now - "only 45 seconds remain - it's your choice".
• "Why isn't the phone ringing - what else can I do? That one person is struggling to foind the open loine"
• There only are a few moments left... It's a necessity to foind my winner... This saga is at the penultimate stage..."
• Another '10 MOMENT' countdown. J.G. has pledged not to leave the studio until he has a winner (provided that they call within the next '8 moments'). "'Quite Literally' , the game has to end RIGHT NOW!"
• 5 minutes later - "One solitary viewer is all I want - what's it going to be? Very last moment... Dying breath of the show..."
• 'Moment' clock is at zero again - J.G. notes that there are just a few dying 'moments' left now, but he can't stress enough that it is the end of the show, but he just wants a winner.
• J.G. 'knows you have the answer'. 'You will deserve every penny'. He believes that 'somebody will win before this show is over'. If so, it will be a 'huge weight off his shoulders'.
• 20 minutes later - J.G. believes that 'somebody is going to call, but is worried because he hasn't had the answer'.
• Another 5 minutes pass - Yet another 60-second countdown has expired. J.G. 'doesn't know what else he can do?' This is becoming surreal... I'm going to bed. Not sure how J.G. can sleep at night though...
• Shit - yet another 10 'moment' countdown... This is when J.G.'s 'winner will be dee-soided' we are told.... He is 'literally holding his breath'.
• Wait a second - Wahoo! - Stephen from Galway has just won the money. Don't think that J.G. was too pleased when Stephen from Galway pointed out that he had wasted 30 EUR over the past half-hour trying to get through to the non-existent open line?

Anyway - all is well that ends well - the Production staff can now go home and the cleaners can move in.

Hallelujah!!

Tune of the day - Seu Jorge - "Life on Mars"

This was from the soundtrack of the inexplicably bad mess of a Bill Murray movie 'The Life Aquatic' from a couple of years back. For the movie, Brazilian music star 'Seu Jorge' did his effortless versions of most (or all of) the tunes on David Bowies 'Ziggy Stardust' album. He also acted in the movie. His music, in my stupid opinion, is the only redeeming quality from that train-wreck production, which is unwatchable from about 10 minutes in.

Here is the man, interpreting 'Life on Mars', in Brasilian Portuguese.


I was lucky enough to see Jorge live in 2008 at the regular summer cultural festival in Dun Laoghaire and got to meet him, and some of the band afterwards (you can probably guess - in the smoking area of the venue...). Struck me as a really laid-back, amiable person. I kept calling him 'Mr. George', as I couldn't pronounce his name correctly, even with the advice of Brazilian acquaintences. Pissed off now that I didn't think to get a photo but still have the autographed ticket...

Was a bit miffed at the time though, when a skanger-dealer mistook me for the band's 'mule', asking me if I was Fernando' and if I 'had the cash' to pay for the weed stash the band/promoters had obviously pre-ordered... All ended well when the real Fernando appeared, and no - I did not inhale...

Hurry on down to Belmullet Town

They seem to have great bargains on fellatio in Belmullet, Mayo at the moment (only for July) - Any 2 for 1 Euro:-

http://www.holymoly.com/sites/default/files/images/Mayoadvertiser.jpg

Bring your own bell (and mullet...)