Am I the first to notice the similarities between the opening basslines of “Travelin’ Man” (1976) by Stanley Cowell and “Seven Nation Army” (2003) by The White Stripes?
Monthly Archives: February 2020
RIP Andy ‘gang of four’ Gill (1956 – 2020)
Andy Gill was a British musician famous for his work with Gang of Four.
Compositions of note are “I Love A Man In A Uniform” (1982) featured on the compilation Various – 80’s Underground Clubbing and “Damaged Goods” (1978) featured on the compilation How to Kill the DJ part 2.
Needless to say, these compilations are more interesting than the full albums of Gang of Four.
Trivia: the opening sequence of the track “What We All Want” (1981) is reminiscent of “Play That Funky Music (1976).”
“My poor Jane died a virgin”
Yesterday, as I was reading up on the recently deceased Monique van Vooren, I searched for Fearless Frank (1967) on YouTube and stumbled upon Fearless Frank, or Tit-bits from the Life of an Adventurer (1978). This is a BBC television film directed by Colin Bucksey, an adaptation of Frank Harris’s autobiography My Life and Loves (1922-27) starring Leonard Rossiter as Frank.
There is an amusing scene at 56:29 at the Cafe Royal with Ernest Dowson, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Lord Alfred Douglas and Whistler which gives an idea of the boasting of Harris.
And at 35:20 one hears Carlyle say to Frank:
“I did not consummate my marriage Frank … my poor Jane died a virgin.”
A quick search finds that the phrase “Jane Welsh Carlyle died a virgin” is featured in David Markson’s ‘novel’ The Last Novel.
Part of the fun of the writings of Frank Harris is not only the sex bits, but the self-aggrandizing demeanor of Frank.
This is a very enjoyable play, I imagine it to be the best quick introduction to the person and writings of Frank Harris.