1970's sitcoms had brilliant theme tunes. From the airy folk of "Butterflies", to the proto-lounge Elastica of "Are You Being Served", to "Some Mothers Do Av Em" which is the shows title represented in morse code, to the forced positivity of "It's Ain't Half Hot, Mum" All genius.

I stumbled across a whole genre of fiction at work today. Not entirely sure WHAT to call this, but I am definitely disturbed by it.

Yup. That definitely looks like a perfect venue for "wellness" and not just a rusty warehouse.

Can't wait for today's BIG most important game. Stennie v Alloa

The Guardian 100 novels of all time: "Never has such a list been more needed. Dwindling attention spans, screens, Netflix; whatever we blame, reading for pleasure is a dying pursuit" Well, "Ulysses" and "In Search of Lost Time" in the top 5 aren't going to help solve that.

Research reading #43

As the years have passed I convinced myself that a memory was a dream. In August 1989, I wandered round the back of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin and found a polo match in progress, no walls, no admission price. 1/3

Why even have one? BBC News - World Cup half-time show: Madonna, Shakira and K-pop's BTS to headline - BBC Sport www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

There's a throw-away line in the "Soul Train" feature in the new edition of Mojo which mentions a stage invader during a James Brown performance who matched him for dance moves. But, there's much more to it than that. Settle in for a thread... 1/23

It's quite amazing that the SQA closed down, and the very same day, a completely separate organisation Qualifications Scotland opened up with the same buildings, staff, markers, and exams. But yet no-one's meant to say anything.

I passed the queue for "Clubland" at the Hydro last night. Hundreds of 13-15 year old girls wearing very little. I thought "Good on you, young people, out having a good time" Until I noticed a sizeable amount of the queue was track suit wearing men in their 20's. Bad taste in my mouth.

It's time to disown the Gen X tag in Britain. The name, as we use it, is specifically American. Someone my age in the States had a very different experience of growing up in the 70' and 80's than someone in Britain. VERY different.

The audience at the Paul Simon gig tonight.

Research reading #42

I suppose, if we're REALLY looking for an "upside", is that there's now enough time before the next GE for those Reform-run councils to REALLY fuck it up, thus waking the country to how inept they would be as a government.

Driving along today passed a guy running. His arms were flailing, like Ian Curtis performing "Transmission". "Jog Division" I thought, but there was no-one else in the car to say it to. So, now I've come on here to say it to you. Except, it no longer feels so witty.

My Star Wars fact: Aretha Franklin's second husband was the first choice to play Han Solo, but was dropped because a black hero would not go down well across the mid-west.

Thought I'd have a little search for "guliani" and, oh boy, the Bluesky hive is going in viciously.

The people who make, sell, and install those stickey-out letters for shop and pub names are taking the piss, aren't they? They ALWAYS fall off to reveal another word. ALWAYS. Had a pub round the corner called "The Shore" which at various times was "The Sore" or "The Hore".

Soul albums I'd never heard previously but turned out to be very good #46

Research reading #41

My letter to Santa, aged 5.

Can anyone else HEAR this picture?

Better watch out for the sharks. BBC News - Trainee driver crashes bus into River Seine www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Literature/Reggae mash-ups. More of this please.

A sad day.

Soul albums I'd never heard previously but turned out to be very good #45

"The Shining" - re-cut as a feelgood romantic comedy. youtu.be/k6QgNuZcxTw?...

I like to occasionally remind myself that Scottish schoolgirl songstress Lena Zavaroni was signed to Stax Records.

Sauna time...

I think we're beginning to see why the United States are shit at the Olympic shooting.

Graffiti spotted on the outskirts of Falkirk this morning. It's good that "de yout' of Langlees" still have such strong opinions on the immersive obsessions of Yayoi Kusama, the feminism of Jenny Saville, and the minimalism of Sol LeWitt.

Woody Guthrie is never not relevant. He called out "old man Trump" as a racist in a song back in 1954! youtu.be/uBj57ivPsxQ?...

Research reading #40. Know your enemy.

Soul albums I'd never heard previously but turned out to be very good #44

Gary Kemp has bought Brian Epstein's address book and has written a book about everyone in it. Gary Kemp. From Spandau Ballet.

Research reading #39

This 1991 feature about Blur more or less describes their entire individual future careers.

I've been stuck in a train carriage just outside Peterborough for the last five hours. How's your Friday going?

But then again... anyone who understands these type of headlines will never know the meaning of the phrase "I'm going to retire and claim my state pension"

So.... I now, suddenly, seem to be spending tomorrow catching a train to that London, watching 'Hadestown' in the afternoon, then catching a train back to Edinburgh immediatly afterwards.

Soul albums I'd never heard previously but turned out to be very good #43

Just seen a photograph of Lowell George of Little Feat for the first time, and he can definitely hear Clem Fandango.

It's funny how, in 2014, Scotland were repeatedly told there was not much oil left in the North Sea, certainly not enough for independence... but now the right wing seems to have discovered there's loads. It's almost as if they were telling lies...

I'm at that stage in my research where The Impressions come in. Easy, I think, just read a couple of Curtis Mayfield biographies, listen to all the releases, do some Internet research. A week, maybe ten days. Oh no.... 1/7

Statistically, at least one of the Beatles or Rolling Stones should have ended up fat and bald. Even the early departers didn't look like they were suffering from middle age spread.

I'd never questioned it myself, but now that you mention it... tomrowley.substack.com/p/whats-the-...

Roddy Frame doing a guitar solo on his knees, 1979. Photo by Carolyn Petrie.

Soul albums I'd never heard previously but turned out to be very good #42