Been lucky enough to have been working on the beautiful game project being run by Billy Franks. The proceeds of this venture will be going to the charity formed by Prince Harry and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso, Sentebale, which cares for orphaned children in Lesotho, Africa. So far I’ve been in the studio and on location and am currently knee deep in edits and footage. These are really exciting times! Check out the link above and while your there the 10 second tease for the project film/ music video - you’ll find ‘the tease’ on the video page.
Last night I stepped back in time and sang and drank in a pub like pubs used to be - warm, welcoming and with a back room! All pubs should have a backroom, a saloon or snug. The Gorringe Park in Tooting has a backroom and last night hosted a ’sessions’ evening for acoustic and comedic acts.
A great little pub and an excellent night - I, a little suprisingly, was headline - not suprised because I was but just suprised that nobody had told me! Anyway after the shock came the music. Dick Philpot and the JBs (Black and Barker) performed 7 songs (and not the facebook reported 8 - fool that I am I counted ’set list’ when totting up without my glasses on). The songs were Confetti (I got the verses in the right order and remembered to name before sail), the demon inside, the goodliest river, arlington, what I need is your love, the red river and sub prime.
I really enjoyed the night and look forward to future evenings at the pub - well done Andy for organising.
Oh what would we do without treasure. A Ronette microphone (various internet entries suggest manufacture between 1945 and 50!!) found at a boot bought home and it works - lovely jubbly.
If I can avoid mic overexcitedness for just a while I must say well done to Hannah White whose live career goes from strength to strength. Well done Hannah great headlining gig at Half Moon.
In late 2008 I completed a collection of songs which I entitled ‘The South london Stroll’. I had originaly intended to call the collection ‘The River Wandle Red’ as a homage to my hero Dennis Wilson’s 1977 masterpiece ‘Pacific Ocean Blue’ But after a photoshoot featuring me mimicing Dennis’ pose on the cliffs of the Big Sur - but in my case me standing on the banks of the Wandle - I bottled out - somehow my fat face and belly just did not cut it - oh what a tart. The cover ‘mockup’ does exist and can be seen at my myspace so if you want a laugh go and have a dig around. Anyway - while the photo shoot may have been a disaster the album was and is not. As far as I am concerned this is my best work - from the bottle neck guitar playing on the title track to the harmonies on the Goodliest River this collection oozes quality - if I say so myself - quality with a big Q as was said by the very drunk woman in the Nelson Arms who complimented an act ‘Quality - thats what that was - Quality’. And so - yes even if I say it myself Quality - I am very proud of this collection. So I must recommened it to you all - go and buy a copy! Yes do it now and raise a cheer to Roy Wood - he played all the instruments on his solo albums just like me and like Dennis Wilson he too is one of my heroes. So beware as you prepare to spend your cash - this album is not for the faint hearted nor the classicaly trained brigade - this album is for those who have stood at the front of the Hammersmith Odeon stage and said to their mate “I can do that” - well I did say that and now I have done it.
Go out and buy - spread the word and let it multiply and as a wise Native American once said “let the smile you send be returned”.
Filed under: Uncategorized — Dick Philpot @ 01:59 pm
Over twenty years ago I met Billy Franks in a pub in Hammersmith. I can’t remember its name - it was up the road from the Riverside Studios. Billy was lead singer with the Faith Brothers and on that night they were perhaps the greatest rock band in the world. Last night in the Troubadour club in Earls Court I played harmonica for Billy on two of his songs and a couple of covers - it was a blast.
Filed under: News & Gigs — Dick Philpot @ 09:27 am
Today my son Danny will enter the video challenge fray. I am a litle concerned about what this 6ft 3 barnstorm of a young man will contribute but I am eager to see - will it be an Ibanez driven mime, heavy metal and distortion pedal, or perhaps a gaffa tape extravaganza like the PC he built and held together with said tape when he was but 13. On the other hand will he just sleep late and then go to the pub?
Who knows what this weird and wonderful challenge will present.
Ever fancied being in a South London Folk pop video?
Last year I managed to get a bit of video in a ‘mash-up’ for the Wendy and Lisa single Salt and Cherries and having just written a cracking new song I fancy doing a bit of mashing myself.
If you’d like be in a video for my new track “treat that girl sweet’ just send me a video clip of yourself and I’ll create the ‘mash’. In line with the lyrics of the song I’d love loads of footage of the girls that we all ought be treating sweet - young girls, old girls and ones in the middle - nothing obscene please - it won’t be used - this is a fun songs and will be family viewing - and if you blokes, guys or fellas also want to be in the video then send me your clip also - I reckon the song will provide plenty of cues and ideas for your footage. Now what I want is just a snippet - a few seconds only. The reason for this is that 1 - its a mash up and 2 neither you or I want email postboxes crashing down under the weight. If you come to my open mic - burn your file to disc - avi, wmv, mp4 etc preferred but I’l have ago with anything. If you can’t burn or send over the wire then use something like a free ftp service and I’ll be able to download it from there. So lets get going. You have until the end of the month to get your footage to me.
On the serious note I must point out that your participation is just for fun both the song and the video will remain my property ! Sorry but there you go - your reward will be in the taking part!
Filed under: Consciousness — Dick Philpot @ 04:11 pm
It would appear that the snow might be upon us again. I look out of my window, I’m sitting at my golden oak 1930’s desk, and I see light snow or sleet blowing in the wind. Is this a bad thing or just a cold and wet thing - its certainly a good thing for my fur hat, in which I look like a cross between Ignatius J Reilly and Chas out of Chas and Dave (the fatter one with cheeky grin), for elsewise it would likely be confined to the cupboard for yet another year only to be rediscovered after the first fall of snow. Some sort of rule must surely apply to things like that - like remembering the party poppers after the party and like remembering the packet of Xmas cards you bought in the January sale after the following Christmas. What should it be called? Sods Law is just to obvious - we must come up with a new law - a too much stuff law, an it sounded like a good idea to buy it at the time law. Don’t get me wrong - I love my fur hat, but I also love my army green square cap, my grey felt fedora, my cowboy hat, my australian funny waxed hat (loved only a little if I’m honest), my Wimbledon FC baseball cap from the 4th Division days, my grey woolen Bruce Springsteen sitting on the New Jersey boardwalk sort of thing, my Brain Wilson Pet Sounds peaked cap, my black Casey Jones/Swat peaked cap. For gawd sake how many hats does a head need. And with that thought I return to my copy of George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier. There’s a sort of irony there!
