Memories | Sparkle in my life

This Is Not A Love Song!

Posted on06. Feb, 2010 by Mike.

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As it´s Valentine’s Day soon I thought I´d reminisce about the time I put together a collection of love songs for my then partner (no it didn’t last).
I wish there had been online dating back in the day.
We all must have done this at some point, whether it’s for Valentine’s Day or just because we’re [...]

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My Favourite Singles of the last Decade

Posted on30. Dec, 2009 by Mike.

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These are the singles that I remember sticking in my mind and loving over the last ten years; some you will remember others maybe not. I found this so hard to pick my favourites and I´m sure many of you have your own. Drop me a line; I´d like to hear what your favourite songs [...]

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Christmas Singles

Posted on12. Dec, 2009 by Mike.

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I don’t know about you but I think Christmas is not a great time for music, all new releases tend to be artists best of/greatest hits albums the X-Factor winners inevitable No 1 single and the dreaded Christmas single.

When I was growing up in the seventies there was a boom in fun Christmas singles; Slade, Mud, Wizzard and the Wombles and these seem to be re-released every year always making the charts [...]

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Iconic Album Art

Posted on01. Dec, 2009 by Mike.

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I have always loved the visual side to buying an album or single; holding it, reading all the information – and I have often bought an album purely because of the album art.

The cover of a record is not only a marketing tool which helps sell the music and gives us information about the artists, it is also an art form. I have in the past displayed some of my favorites proudly on my walls at home [...]

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“Got your mother in a whirl, not sure if you’re a boy or a girl” Gender Bender pop stars Part 2

Posted on20. Nov, 2009 by Mike.

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The first gender-bender pop star to receive mainstream acceptance was Boy George in the early 80´s with his band Culture Club. Their first appearance on TV singing “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” produced cries of “is it a man or a woman?” and it turned George into a celebrity overnight.

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“Oh You Pretty Things” The story of Gender Bender pop stars. Part 1

Posted on12. Nov, 2009 by Mike.

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Who were the first pop stars to challenge the general publics view on what we now call “Gender Benders” by cross dressing in feminine/ masculine clothes?

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The history of music videos

Posted on22. Oct, 2009 by Mike.

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The music Video has been around since the swinging sixties and was initially called the “promo film” and was used to promote bands who could not be in every country when they had a single released. The Beatles were one of the first bands (and best known) to use video for tracks like “Help” and [...]

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Women in Rock – part 1

Posted on21. Oct, 2009 by Mike.

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There are many women in rock who have made a lasting impact on the music scene – Siouxsie Sioux, Marianne Faithfull, Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Nico, Annie Lennox to name but a few. But the four ladies who have created the most impact on me are Deborah Harry, Lene Lovich , Kate Bush – and [...]

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Halloween songs

Posted on21. Oct, 2009 by Mike.

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Maybe some of you out there are going to a Halloween party and need some music while you get ready putting on you costumes.
So to put you in the mood here is my treat to you .
Bobby (Boris) Picket) “The Monster Mash” 1962

Michael Jackson “Thriller” 1984
Alice Cooper “Welcome to my Nightmare” 1975

Warren Zevon “Werewolves of [...]

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Women in Rock – part 2

Posted on19. Oct, 2009 by Mike.

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Kate Bush was famously discovered while still at school by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and has an expressive 3-octave voice.
She first came into the public eye in 1978 with the single “Wuthering Heights” which was inspired by Emily Bronte’s novel of the same name and was a surprise UK number one hit. The album “Kick [...]