The film, “The Odd Couple”, from 1969, which stars Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau, is on television this evening.
The car transporting the Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser is pelted with tomatoes when he visits the industrial city of Newcastle, to the north of Sydney.
“Royal Force”, a pacer from Western Australia, narrowly defeats, “Paleface Adios”, to win the prestigious Miracle Mile, held at Sydney’s Harold Park Paceway, this evening. “Royal Force” started at the odds of 7/1.
“Paleface Adios” is nicknamed The Temora Tornado in honour of the town, in central southern New South Wales, where he was bred. He is also trained in Temora.
A single red rose cost me fifty cents.
My sister and brother-in-law are renting a furnished home unit in the suburb of South Yarra, in Melbourne, at a cost of just thirty-five dollars per week. South Yarra is juxtaposed to the exclusive suburb of Toorak.
I walked to Caringbah and stopped to witness a slow beginning by Sutherland in its first grade match against Western Suburbs. It was not until the left-hand batsman, G. Marston, came to the wicket and hit forty-five, in as many minutes, that the runs’ tally began to move along in earnest. Andrew Hilditch, who batted with him, was to progress further and score 103 not out, in Sutherland’s score of 7-216 declared.
Tiki and I returned later and witnessed Peter Toohey’s dismissal, when his score was on thirty-nine. Former Australian captain and opener, Bobby Simpson, compiled some of his sixty-one runs while we were there. However, it was somewhat cold and the play rather slow, hence we departed at five o’clock. Western Suburbs was to hang on to be 9-199, at stumps, which meant that the match ended in a draw.
At six, after “Countdown”, on Channel Two, I watched “Match Of The Day” which featured a replay of the first match of the season, in rugby league’s premiership. Manly-Warringah defeated South Sydney by twenty-two points to four after the latter had led by two points to nil at half-time. The diminutive, yet highly elusive, John Gibbs made a substantial difference when he was called upon, as a replacement, during the half-time break.
From half past seven, on Channel Nine, we watched an edition of the series, “Baa Baa Black Sheep”. It is set in the Pacific during the Second World War and stars the short Robert “Hawaiian Eye”/”The Wild, Wild West” Conrad as ‘Pappy’ Boyington, who is the leader of a squadron of fighter planes.
The film, “Operation Thunderbolt”, about the Israeli raid to free the passengers being held hostage aboard an airliner at Entebbe, in Uganda, is being screened in town.
“Rhalif”, a galloper from Queensland, who is visiting Sydney, won the Manion Cup, this afternoon, and paid three dollars for each twenty-five cents invested on the win tote of the N.S.W. T.A.B.
We selected five of the thirteen ‘score draws’, the most we have predicted on “The Pools”.
On a gloriously sunny, mild morning we paid fifty cents each to enter Elizabeth Bay House, at Elizabeth Bay, and eighty cents each to enter Vaucluse House, in the expensive suburb of Vaucluse. The latter, with its turrets resembling those on a castle, was once the home of the early explorer, William Charles Wentworth. The party of Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth was the first to find a way across the Blue Mountains, in 1813. They chose to keep to the ridges whereas previous attempts had not. Wentworth was also a barrister, author, landowner and statesman.
At the inviting cafe-restaurant, Father’s Moustache, in Rose Bay, we shared a nice slice of pavlova ($1.10), a slice of cheesecake ($1.00) and had a cappuccino, at a cost of fifty cents each.
The ‘N Betweens formed in 1966, and managed to earn a living by performing live. It was not until the group met Chas Chandler, a producer of records, that it was advised to change its name and write its own material.
From 1969 until 1991, Slade, England’s most successful glam-rock band of the 1970s, was comprised of vocalist, Noddy Holder; leading guitarist, Dave Hill; drummer, Don Powell and bass guitarist, Jim Lea. Noddy and Jim were the band’s principal songwriters and it was they who penned all six of Slade’s singles that were to top the British charts.
These singles were: “Coz I Luv You” (in 1971), “Take Me Bak ‘Ome” (1972), “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” (1972), “Cum On Feel The Noize” (1973), “Skweeze Me Pleeze Me” (1973) and “Merry Xmas Everybody” (1973). Teachers, and the BBC, were highly displeased by the style of spelling employed by the group in the naming of its songs.
http://youtu.be/-Dpp8vIgjnI
http://youtu.be/0gPulu85q04
In addition to these six singles, Slade posted ten Top 10 hits between 1972 and 1984. These were: “Look Wot You Dun” (1972), “Gudbuy T’Jane” (1972), “My Friend Stan” (1973), “Everyday” (1974), “Bangin’ Man” (1974), “Far Far Away” (1974), “Thanks For The Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)” (1975), “We’ll Bring The House Down” (1981), “My Oh My” (1983) and “Run Run Away” (1984).
http://youtu.be/1A5pWg2rtNc
Releases from Slade entered the charts thirty-nine times, in total. Twenty-three of these entered the Top Thirty.
Although Slade failed to really impact upon the American charts — “Run Run Away” did peak at No.20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 — its style of music and its performance when on stage did influence a number of American bands, most notably Kiss.
In the mid-1980s the American outfit, Quiet Riot, had hits when it released covers of “Cum On Feel The Noize” and “Mama Weer All Crazee Now”. In 1996, Oasis also covered “Cum On Feel The Noize”.
Carlos Pace, a Brazilian racing driver in Formula One, was killed at the weekend, in the crash of a light plane. The crash occurred near Sao Paulo. Carlos was thirty-two years of age.
A lady, at my place of work, told me about her friend who mistook ‘Ajax’ cleaning powder for flour and used it to make rissoles and a birthday cake.
At 7.30 p.m., on Channel Seven, the “Dick Emery Show”, and at 8.00, on ABC-TV’s Channel Two, tonight’s edition of Bill Peach’s “Holiday” series looks at Cape York, Hong Kong, and a guest house at Wyong, as possible destinations for one’s holiday.
“Mannix”, a series which stars Mike “Tightrope” Connors as the private investigator after whom the series is named, is screened between 3.00 and 4.00 p.m., on Channel Seven.
At half past seven, on Channel Nine, we watched a ‘Special’ on Abba and Silver Convention. The latter is comprised of Romana Wulff, Penny McLean and Lynda G. Thompson. From half past eight, “Barbarella”, a film that bears the copyright of 1968 and which stars Jane Fonda in the title role, is being screened.
A woman I met told me that she and her husband are having to replace most of the wooden framework in their old house with steel because the problem with white ants beside the Woronora River is such a significant one.
Thirty years after it had firstly entered the charts, Jackie Wilson’s “Reet Petite” was brought to the listening pleasure of a new generation, in countries such as Great Britain and Australia, in 1986. As it was, indeed, a posthumous hit, the video clip featured rubbery figures ‘singing’ to Jackie’s original recording.
Jack Leroy Wilson was born, in Detroit, in June of 1934. His father, an alcoholic, introduced him to alcohol when he was still a boy. “Jackie” was to spend two periods in juvenile detention and it was during his second stint that he was introduced to the sport of boxing.
Nonetheless, his first love was singing. Jackie, although he was not particularly religious, began attending church for it gave him the opportunity to sing gospel. He became a member in a succession of groups before, in 1953, Billy Ward sought to recruit him into The Dominoes. This group had already spent fourteen weeks atop the rhythm and blues charts, in 1951, with what was to prove to be by far its largest and most controversial success, “Sixty Minute Man”, and so Jackie viewed the opportunity to join it with relish.
http://youtu.be/OpQuNY3XFI0
This vacancy had been created because Clyde McPhatter was leaving the group to form his own: The Drifters. Prior to his departure, Clyde schooled Jackie on becoming the vocalist that Billy wanted him to be.
Jackie Wilson was blessed with one of the most versatile voices in popular music and, therefore, it came as no surprise when, in 1957, he embarked upon a career as a solo performer. It is almost unbelievable that this same person is singing “Reet Petite” and “Lonely Teardrops”, as is also singing “Night”. “Night”, is a quasi-operatic ballad based upon a classical piece by the French composer and pianist, Saint-Saens.
His dynamism and athleticism on stage endeared his performances to many of those who were fortunate enough to witness them and it was little wonder when these led him to be dubbed ‘Mr. Excitement’. Jackie enjoyed a long association with Brunswick Records and was equally at home singing a wide variety of material, at varying tempos.
http://youtu.be/KLcmy6fsbiM
In 1959, he appeared in the film, ‘Go Johnny, Go’. Jackie was cast alongside a plethora of musical stars of rock and roll. These included Chuck Berry, Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, Jimmy Clanton, and The Cadillacs.
http://youtu.be/l92oMUNhgng
During 1966, Jackie moved from New York to record in Chicago. It was here that he became exposed to some refreshingly different songwriters. Pop hits, such as “Whispers (Gettin’ Louder)”, “I Get The Sweetest Feeling” and “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher”, emanated from this move.
In September of 1975, Jackie suffered a heart attack whilst performing on stage in Camden, New Jersey. As he collapsed, he struck his head so severely that he was to remain in a virtual coma until his by then merciful death, at the age of just forty-nine, in January of 1984.
In 1977, Rita Coolidge released a cover, titled “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher” and although it recorded sales in excess of Jackie’s original, music by then had mellowed and , to me, it lacks the vitality expected from one describing the ecstasy of another’s love. Therefore, it is Jackie’s original that is named in the list of my favourite recordings, located in the suggested playlists.
Australian rocker, Jimmy Barnes, also revived “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher”. It is contained on his album, ‘Soul Deep’, which was released in 1991.
Welsh rocker, Shakin’ Stevens, a performer who built a career upon his revival of hits, took “I’ll Be Satisfied” into the British Top Ten, in 1982.
By 8.30 a.m. the temperature was already an extremely warm twenty-six degrees; the equivalent of yesterday’s maximum. This meant that the thermometer was to climb into the thirties.
On tonight’s edition of the current affairs programme, “Willesee”, the Australian actress, Jacki Weaver, interviews the famed American actor, Burt Lancaster.
The temperature is still twenty-five degrees Celsius at 9.00 p.m.
A large jar of mayonnaise, ‘Praise’, cost $1.17, a large container of the pills, ‘Ford’, $1.24 and a copy of ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ newspaper, twelve cents.
The old Pacific Hotel, which faces the ocean at Manly, is being demolished. Only about three floors remain. We walked the length of the promenade to Queenscliff and sat on “our” green “engagement” seat, in front of the modern block of units across the road, where I had gotten down on my knees — one knee was deemed to be insufficient, after I had lost so much money on the punt — and successfully proposed to Tiki, on the 4th of November in 1975, the day of the Melbourne Cup. I had to also solemnly swear to never place another bet.
Just as we had done on the evening of our engagement, we dined at K’s Snapper Inn on South Steyne: calamari entree cost $2.50 each; sand crab (two) $6.60, a whole lobster mornay $8.00; wine trifle $1.00, banana fritters with ice-cream, cream caramel sauce and crushed nuts $1.00; cappuccino fifty cents each.
Later, we walked around the shops and Strata Centre, at Cremorne, and stopped for a cup of coffee, at a cost of thirty cents each, at McDonald’s, in San Souci, during the drive home. Sydney’s maximum temperature was twenty-nine degrees Celsius.