The cool spot

You don't have to tell me that I have neglected this page for quite some time.  I make no apologies for that and hold the pop princesses and boy/girl bands which have dominated the charts over the past few years wholly responsible - their hyped-up little lives and unoriginal recordings have left me lacking in inspiration.  This has caused my enthusiasm to wane to such a degree that I have not had the will to lift a finger, or several fingers, in order to type something to be posted here.  But all that is about to change.  I am pleased to announce that there are still some artists out there which are capable of getting my writing juices flowing again.   I am indebted to the talented singer/songwriter, Maria Daines and her partner, musician/songwriter, Paul Killington, who have been able to stir me from my slumber.  

I know I'm always running on about the Spice Girls, but I suppose it's because they don't let me down when it comes to providing plenty of material to talk about. Personally I'm quite fond of Brooklyn as a plausible name for baby Beckham/Posh Spice. I mean, the couple had to come up with a unique name because they knew that whatever they called the little darling, the name would be spread all over the papers before they could say Fifi Trixiebell.

On the releases front, Stephen Duffy and The Lilac Time fans may be interested to know that Stephen's new album "I Love My Friends" was finally released in the UK on 20.04.98 (following troubles finding a record company to release it) - click here for a review of the album - and there are also plans to release a further Lilac Time album - which is being recorded during September and is scheduled for release in January 1999.

What do you think will become of The Spice Girls now that two of them are pregnant? I thought when Geri (Ginger Spice) left there would be plans to disband immediately, but the girls proved me wrong. Still, with two of the four remaining girls being in "the family way", I cannot see the Spice Girls lasting until 1999, let alone seeing the Millennium in.

It seems George Michael has been caught in the act of a "lewd act" - a bit more serious than a careless whisper. What lifestyle he chooses to lead is of course for him to decide, as long as he doesn't harm others in the process. The fact that he is a popstar should make no difference but being in the spotlight, his actions are bound to come to the attention of the general public compared with what Fred Bloggs gets up to.

If you want to read about the funnyside of trying to achieve popstardom status get your hands on a copy of Giles Smith's Lost in Music (Picador, first published in 1995).

Surfers from England may have seen the Adam & Joe Show, on Channel 4 on Friday nights. One part of it which is worth watching is the bit called "Vinyl Justice", when Adam and Joe descend upon some poor, unsuspecting popstar whereupon the popstar's record collection comes under very close scrutiny, and he or she is required to justify the purchase of certain items. You may be amazed at what surfaces.