In 2000, David Bowie got an odd idea for an album. And when I say odd, I mean strangely mundane: he'd re-record several of his earliest songs, many from before he recorded his first album in 1967, but with one track that got left off Ziggy Stardust, and make them into a new album. Maybe he'd even create some new songs as filler. It was a simple enough idea; he finished it, and … [Read more...] about David Bowie’s lost album Toy to be given an official release
British Music
The Only Footage of Sex Pistols’ 1976 Manchester Gig Sells for £15,000
On 4 June 1976, Sex Pistols performed one of the most momentous gigs in the history of British music at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall, and even though the auditorium was filled to a bit more than a tenth of the capacity, it was awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWm30kLeamo It wasn't that they recorded one of the greatest live albums ever made that night, and it … [Read more...] about The Only Footage of Sex Pistols’ 1976 Manchester Gig Sells for £15,000
Queen to open a Carnaby Street Pop-Up Store.
Carnaby Street is one of the most iconic fashion centers in the world and, in the 1960s, was probably the most famous street in Britain to not be directly name-dropped in any Beatles songs or album titles. And, starting later this month, Queen will celebrate their 50th anniversary by setting up a pop-up store there. The shop, called Queen, The Greatest, will open on 28 … [Read more...] about Queen to open a Carnaby Street Pop-Up Store.
Faces have already recorded 14 songs since reuniting
A month and a half ago, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, and Kenney Jones announced that Faces were not only getting back together, they were going to record their first album since 1973's Ooh La La. And it turns out that they've been remarkably productive. In an interview with BANG Showbiz, drummer Kenney Jones has revealed: "We've done about 14 songs, it's a mixture of stuff we never … [Read more...] about Faces have already recorded 14 songs since reuniting
Ten Interesting Facts About The Who
Throughout the better part of the 1960s and 1970s, The Who were one of the biggest rock bands in the world and continues to have an influence today. Made up of lead singer Roger Daltrey, lead guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon, the band spent much of their time together defining exactly how big you could go. It didn’t matter whether it … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts About The Who
Charlie Watts: 1941-2021
For the first time in about 58 years, Charlie Watts admitted his timing was off. The plan was for the Rolling Stones to resume their No Filter tour, originally planned to resume sometime last year before the world ended, and then, just as things looked ready to return, Watts was in the midst of recovering from a medical procedure. The choices were either to let the show go on … [Read more...] about Charlie Watts: 1941-2021
Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts dies at 80, was the steady force that kept the Rolling Stones in time
Often at odds with his flamboyant band, The Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts was the quiet, considered, and skillful force that kept his group in time. The drummer, who has died aged 80, was known for his sophisticated and inventive playing on classic tracks, including Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Women, and Brown Sugar. However, he was also known for his deadpan wit, … [Read more...] about Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts dies at 80, was the steady force that kept the Rolling Stones in time
Ed Sheeran announces his new album =
And now, the moment we've all been waiting for, Ed Sheeran has announced his next album. Ed Sheeran's album titles have had an odd pattern. The first album, released in 2011, was called +; three years later, the follow-up was called x; and the next one was called ÷. So the obvious candidate for the next album was "-," the one major operation of arithmetic left unused. So, … [Read more...] about Ed Sheeran announces his new album =
A Brief History of Top of the Pops
There weren’t any official music charts until the BBC and Record Retailer commissioned the first in 1969, but the history of Top of the Pops predates the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart by a full five years. At the time, various music sales charts were found in different periodicals, especially New Musical Express that began in 1952 with a Top 12 that was expanded … [Read more...] about A Brief History of Top of the Pops
The Beatles: Aphrodite statue in groundbreaking Beatles performance goes on sale
A classical statue which featured in a historic performance by the Beatles is for sale. The 5ft fiberglass version of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, was viewed by up to 700 million TV viewers worldwide as the Fab Four took part in Our World, the first live global satellite broadcast on June 25, 1967. The Beatles were chosen to represent the UK as John Lennon wrote All … [Read more...] about The Beatles: Aphrodite statue in groundbreaking Beatles performance goes on sale
The £750 million insurance plan to help save Britain’s live music
It's been almost a year and a half since Britain went on lockdown, thus throwing a spanner in the works of, among other sectors, Britain's live music. And, with the introduction of COVID vaccines, things have slowly been getting back to normal. Emphasis here on slowly, especially when it comes to live music. In May, it turned out that the Association of Independent Festivals … [Read more...] about The £750 million insurance plan to help save Britain’s live music
Rare Beatles setlists to be auctioned
In their careers, from the early fetes in 1957 Liverpool to their famous Rooftop concert on 30 January 1969, the Beatles performed over a thousand concerts. And, surprisingly, only a few setlists of those concerts are known to exist. Reportedly, only eight are even known to exist, and two of them were taped to Paul McCartney's Hofner bass and John Lennon's Rickenbacker guitar. … [Read more...] about Rare Beatles setlists to be auctioned
Brian May’s Recently Discovered photo of Victorian family Stonehenge trip to feature in exhibition
The oldest family photograph taken at Stonehenge has been found in the collection of Queen guitarist Brian May, English Heritage has said. The 3D stereoview image was taken by photographer Henry Brooks during the 1860s and shows his family enjoying a day out at the historic landmark, the heritage organization said. The image will be seen in a new exhibition at … [Read more...] about Brian May’s Recently Discovered photo of Victorian family Stonehenge trip to feature in exhibition
Paul McCartney and Beck release new video for “Find My Way.”
Last week, the physical edition of McCartney III: Imagined dropped. It's a remix album featuring mostly remixes of the songs on last year's McCartney III with contributions from artists like (and these are just the ones whose names I recognised) Beck, St. Vincent, Ed O'Brien, Damon Albarn, Josh Homme, Anderson .Paak, Robert Del Naja, and Idris Elba. The first track on the album … [Read more...] about Paul McCartney and Beck release new video for “Find My Way.”
Faces to record their first album in 46 years
A brief history of Faces: In 1965, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, Steve Marriott, and Jimmy Winston met and decided to form a band. Due to their small stature and hopes to be somebody special, they named themselves Small Faces. After Winston was replaced by Ian MacLagen, the band hit it fairly big, and turned to the R&B to Psychedelia pipeline common among bands of the era, and … [Read more...] about Faces to record their first album in 46 years
A recent survey showcases how music helped Britain through lockdown.
By the time you read this, live music will likely have returned to Britain. And, on the off chance that you need to be convinced as to how important music is and has been to Brits, especially since the lockdown, Public First has released this survey about how important it was. Highlights: When asked what hobbies they enjoyed the most out of a list of a dozen (with a … [Read more...] about A recent survey showcases how music helped Britain through lockdown.
Ed Sheeran returns with “Bad Habits”
Somehow, I missed that Ed Sheeran's come back with a new single, with the promise of a new album. I'm not sure how I missed the release of "Bad Habits." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orJSJGHjBLI It's a pretty solid song, although, to be honest, the content of the song seems to be more than a little overshadowed by the video. What else is there to say? That Ed Sheeran's … [Read more...] about Ed Sheeran returns with “Bad Habits”
The results of the First Dance(s): The COVID pilot events
Hello, Good Evening, and I Honestly Don't Bloody Know Whether It's Safe To Go Outdoors Or Not. As I write this, it's been two months since Liverpool decided to create a set of pilot gigs to see how safe it was to hold events at capacities that are actually profitable. And they finally released the results. And they're shockingly inconclusive. The initial results were good: Of … [Read more...] about The results of the First Dance(s): The COVID pilot events
Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary to be a three-part Disney+ series
It looks like if you want to see the newest iteration of Peter Jackson's recut of the Get Back sessions, you'll have to get Disney+. The film, which was cut from 55 hours of unseen footage from the original sessions and 140 hours of previously unheard audio from the sessions, will premiere on November 25-7 on the streaming service. And, yes, the premiere will happen over three … [Read more...] about Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary to be a three-part Disney+ series
Wildflower meadow on White Cliffs of Dover named in honour of Dame Vera Lynn
A meadow on the famous White Cliffs of Dover has been renamed in memory of beloved singer Dame Vera Lynn to mark the anniversary of her death. The picturesque stretch of land by the sea is alive with wildflowers and songbirds and will serve as a lasting tribute to the adored wartime figure. A lighthouse standing atop the cliffs was to be lit on Thursday in honour of Dame … [Read more...] about Wildflower meadow on White Cliffs of Dover named in honour of Dame Vera Lynn
Liverpool to host the “world’s first” David Bowie convention
As the world slowly reopens (perhaps a bit more slowly than many people would like, I freely admit), people are starting to wonder when they can get back to doing things that they used to do in the Before Times. And one of those things? Conventions. Once seen as the best way to meet up with other fans of a given pop culture franchise (or maybe a genre), then something nobody … [Read more...] about Liverpool to host the “world’s first” David Bowie convention
All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition to be released
George Harrison's All Things Must Pass is probably the most acclaimed solo album by any of the Beatles. And if not that, almost certainly the best-selling, although the fact that it was originally released as a triple-disc album (now a double-disc with the advent of the CD) might have skewed the RIAA's scales a bit. And it's going to be getting a new re-release to commemorate … [Read more...] about All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition to be released
Roger Waters unveils disputed liner notes for “Animals” remaster
There was a point in time where, of all Pink Floyd's albums, the one I listened to the most was Animals. Perhaps part of it was because it's easily their most underrated albums, a hidden gem in between three masterpieces of albums (at least among the normies who content themselves with Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and maybe The Wall, since it's easily one of the … [Read more...] about Roger Waters unveils disputed liner notes for “Animals” remaster
The BBC to broadcast sections from “Live at Worthy Farm” after live stream failtures
I did not watch the Live at Worthy Farm live streams. On the one hand, I missed several great performances: Wolf Alice, HAIM, and Damon Albarn (performing a career-spanning set) at the Stone Circle Michael Kiwanuka performing highlights from his new album from a tent George Ezra performing for 10 minutes next to a bonfire. IDLES performing from inside a … [Read more...] about The BBC to broadcast sections from “Live at Worthy Farm” after live stream failtures
The Reopening of Britain’s Entertainment Venues
As I write this, it looks like we're finally seeing the light at the end of the COVID tunnel. People are getting vaccinated, and your friend and humble columnist is a few days away from his second dose of Moderna, and is seriously considering going back to his old Flesh World job for the first time since last March. And something that'll help for this column: Britain is finally … [Read more...] about The Reopening of Britain’s Entertainment Venues
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
