It’s Roy Wood’s birthday. Let’s celebrate the great man. youtu.be/yshTE20E_4Y?...

Angela Scoular was born on this day 80 years ago. I always like to remember her on her birthday. She was the Cathy in the TV adaptation of Wuthering Heights that inspired Kate Bush. She was magical in everything that I saw her in, even in the briefest of roles.

It’s the late Minnie Riperton’s birthday today. She made some incredible music. This is one of my favourites. It should be better known. youtu.be/DYRsfZax3Jc?...

Today I have been listening to sublime sounds from Waltel Branco. youtu.be/aGLDMesF3lo?...

Very few tickets for this excellent event left. @shiiineon.bsky.social We are playing. Get your tickets here: www.shiiineon.com/weekender/

2026 will be the 20th anniversary of my personal favourite BMX Bandits album My Chain. Here is the opening track in its chain of songs, A Missing Front Tooth. And 2026 will also be the 40th anniversary of our first single E102. youtu.be/KtigPVp4X4w?...

Happy birthday to @coseyfannitutti.bsky.social who has been a hero of mine since I was in my troubled teens.

Diana in the Autumn Wind by The National Gallery. One of my favourite Autumn songs. All the songs on the album that comes from are musical interpretations of paintings by Paul Klee. youtu.be/qpTJuw8dWP8?...

We love you Calvin Johnson. Happy birthday. youtu.be/f6XVvk54X3Q?...

Late night spooky Halloween viewing for you. 🎃 Master of TV Horror Lawrence Gordon Clark’s 1979 version of M.R. James’ Casting the Runes. I love the 1957 classic movie adaptation, Night of the Demon, but I love this equally. youtu.be/gtz9l0gEH0A?...

There’s a ghost in my house. youtu.be/m6sGAycOGfM?...

Happy Halloween 🎃 Magic and Ecstasy by Ennio Morricone. Sensationally scary music. youtu.be/gge3WXm54Mg?...

Halloween is coming. 🎃 Wow, what a beautiful clip of Vince Guaraldi and group performing The Great Pumpkin Waltz. youtube.com/shorts/eSda3...

Musical twins Paul and Barry Ryan were born on this day in 1948. Paul wrote this song and Barry sang it. It’s a bold and brilliant slice of gothic pop. The accompanying film is rather excellent too. youtu.be/-D24yIYiVBc?...

Sorry to hear that Dave Ball has died. I was a member of the Soft Cell Fanclub Cell Mates. For @hifisean.bsky.social , Frances McKee, Norman Blake & me, our mutual love for their music and aesthetic helped solidify our friendship and inspire us as young dreamers. share.google/fDxo8xjGB4xY...

Today would have been the 85th birthday of one of pop’s greatest songwriters, Ellie Greenwich. She co-wrote River Deep Mountain High, I Can Hear Music. Be My Baby and many more. Here‘s her own dreamy version of Be My Baby. youtu.be/V-Rj4dP2d10?...

True Love Will Find You in the End by Daniel Johnston. ❤️ youtu.be/R-LMgGZUdGQ?...

Some of the greatest singing you are ever likely to hear. There are so many moments here that are truly incredible for me. They are great on so many levels. youtu.be/R7gcHNy5dRU?...

It’s the 83rd birthday of the songwriter John Carter, he wrote/co-wrote a lot of top tunes including this one, originally released the year I was born by The McKinleys. BMX Bandits recorded a version for our album BMX Bandits Forever. youtu.be/4f3Q6J2Qruk?...

Happy birthday to my Bellshill brother in Rock, Norman Blake.

I’m still treating this as Thursday night and so I want to shout out my love for Angela Lansbury, 100 years after she was born. Here is something magical that I wish I could have been in the room to witness. youtu.be/yeR38fkOPQg?...

It was Cliff’s 85th birthday earlier this week and my pal Stevie Jackson reminded me of this baroque pop masterpiece, written by Cliff. Pop fans were’t ready for this single or the album it came from back in 1974, and they both flopped completely. A shame. youtu.be/vQjzb3LoBUY?...

We Are Love - @thecharlatans brand new album. Out on October 31st. Order yourself a copy right here thecharlatans.lnk.to/wearelovealbum

Happy birthday YeonGene. Such happy and treasured memories of making music with you. youtu.be/b85KrOg5Fok?...

One thing I look forward to at this time of year is sharing this, the beautiful original pre-War of the Worlds version of Forever Autumn by Vigrass & Osborne. I love this arrangement so much more and it deserves to be way better known. youtu.be/SSw-NWC0JQ4?...

hana by Asa Chang and Junray. A track that was a bit of an obsession for me from the first decade of the 21st Century. Before this morning I reckon I hadn’t listened to it for around a decade. So glad to be reunited with it now. youtu.be/3VNzZ_FBIB0?...

Goodnight Diane Keaton.

Tonight’s movie Lucio Fulci’s Sette Notte in Nero (1977). When I first saw this film I felt underwhelmed by it but then it kept coming back into my thoughts. I watched it again and again and it became one of my top Giallo films. Plus it has a sensational theme. youtu.be/5BJ88ZoR_xM?...

Save the date… Sunday Jan 11th The Merch Market Four venues in London All events FREE entry all day More info here t.co/D1vmbeNwJD

#amplaying #nowplaying So affecting, beautiful sunshine pop/baroque pop/chamber pop from @bmxbanditsduglas.bsky.social

It’s the late France Gall’s birthday today. Here is a very excellent clip of her. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. youtu.be/93bJOkP180U?...

I‘m so proud of this track by YeonGene of her singing, with Norman Blake, a beautiful Bacharach & David song. David Scott & I were invited to produce a Bacharach songbook album performed by YeonGene. Making that record was one of my happiest times ever. youtu.be/_-sgK5scuq4?...

Happy Birthday Jody Stephens. youtu.be/LBLZuSoINg0?...

Selfish & Lazy & Greedy by Mozart Estate. Lawrence first released this song 25 years ago, on his first Go-Kart Mozart album. My love for it then was immediate. It should’ve reached a lot more ears back in the year 2000 here’s hoping this time round it will. youtu.be/sreJZVcKn9U?...

I’m not generally a fan of music promo videos, Even with the good ones I mostly prefer to listen to music without accompanying visuals. This is not an officially endorsed video however the combination of sound and vision here, for me, is sublime. youtu.be/unmeYME1vpo?...

October Love Song by Chris & Cosey. youtu.be/2jJ0P06zx78?...

I don’t know how many times I have watched Nic Roeg’s Don’t Look Now but it’s certainly more than 100. There’s so much in there to get obsessed by. My friend Nick shared this great piece on the making of the film in photos with me. Thank you Nick. www.theguardian.com/film/gallery...

Last night’s movie La Piscine (1969). Rather unusually it was shot both in French and English. Alain Delon, Romy Schneider and Jane Birkin star, plus great score by Michel Legrand. Remade as A Bigger Splash in 2015, which I hated.

What a fab evening at The Hangar, one of Sushil & Radhika’s events in Paisley. I got to sing a couple of songs with one of oldest and dearest friends, and sit next to him watching a film that we used to watch obsessively together in our teens/20s, Endless Night. Old photo of us alert.

It’s Virginia Astley’s birthday. Here is one of my all time favourite singles, it’s by Virginia. youtu.be/7a5v-IPsc_A?...

The Cords debut album is out today, let’s celebrate. youtu.be/MWI88BplgKU?...

It’s Bryan Ferry’s birthday today. Bill Wells turned me onto Bryan’s album Jazz Age and if you don’t know it it’s worth a listen. Here’s Do The Strand from Jazz Age by Bryan Ferry. youtu.be/0pZ9hl--NPU?...

And coincidentally I reckon my favourite TFC song by Gerry was also a B side. This beauty feels appropriate for these Autumnal days. youtu.be/oGPjxwgA9GA?...

Going to see Norman in Paisley tonight. Here’s one of my top TFC tracks written by Norman. It was a B side and I don’t think it’s on those streaming platforms. It’s a beauty with a message. youtu.be/un6nWUEPP3A?...

Sad to hear the news of Claudia Cardinale leaving this world. Here’s a choice image of her along with an extract from her sensational 1977 single Do It Claudia.

Goodnight Claudia Cardinale. youtu.be/eIHrAErHYc0?...

Remembering Anna Karina on her birthday. youtu.be/BF1fKeNfjis?...

Since it’s the late Margo Guryan’s birthday I wanted to share what I think might be my favourite cover version of one of her songs. Margo told me that she also liked this one. Great haunting arrangement from Hyle King. youtu.be/cVlAi0SXF3w?...

Margo Guryan was born on this day 88 years ago. She is greatly missed. Her music soothed my soul and over the phone she gave me grammar tips and love counselling (I needed all of these things). Thank you Margo. youtu.be/4e6mc9AaNeA?...

Happy 85th birthday to one of my greatest songwriting heroes, Paul Williams. youtu.be/9vLTWU8--v8?...