Welcome to the RPM Record Club, week ending Friday 30th September 2022. I know you've all been waiting with baited breath, but my prize marrow, mentioned last week, was passed over at the Horticultural and Produce Show.....however, my fruit scones were judged top notch and were awarded first prize!! Now here's this week's prize winning tunes, over to.....

Kevin -

"Apologies for no tunes last week; Sarah and I had a week away in Northumberland. Lovely beaches, not bad weather but the highlight was seeing seals.

Anyway, I heard some tunes over the week, so they have to be the ones I fire over for this week."

"Look after yerselves RPMers."

Alan -

"As promised last week, here's three from the (generally) excellent Beat Club, broadcast on Bremen's EDF TV channel from 1965 to 1972. The show was much more diverse than Top of the Pops and Thank your lucky stars and, in musical terms, probably as adventurous as Ready Steady Go. Among the list of artists who appeared were King Crimson, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones as well as a host of 'home' groups including Amon Duul II, Can, Popol Vuh (from the 'Kraut Rock' era) and my opening artists..."

Lords- 'I'm a hook (sic) for you baby' (studio version on 'Lords 2 Shakin' all over' LP released mid 1966. German release on Columbia label) - "Gloriously irreverent, or hopelessly out of time, the Lords ruled (ooops....) between 1965 and 1969, placing a dozen singles in the Top 40 and hitting the album charts on many occasions too. They have sold over seven million records (the largest sales for any German rock band) and still tour as part of the nostalgia circuit. They could never have exported their 'style' to the UK or USA, featuring as it did, a live show and image which incorporated the humour of, say, the Freddie and the Dreamers stage act coupled with the 'dandy' clothes of The Snobs and all topped off with Pretty Things/Yardbirds hair styles. In addition to touring with The Who and The Kinks they were the first Western European group to headline a concert behind the Iron Curtain when they appeared at the Legia Stadium in Warsaw in 1967 in front of 25,000 fans. The late sixties saw the band embrace a more psychedelic output which, in the early seventies, morphed into music influenced by the Krautrock era but, by 1976, they had turned into a proto-Slade/ rock and roll band, an image which they still present at their current live gigs. Today's selection is (presumably) mis-titled on the video as vocalist Ulli Gunther certainly pronounces the title correctly (despite rumours that he had little or no command of English) and mention of Freddie and Co reminds me to reach out their version of '...Hog...' for a future week's goodies!!!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-cIWlLU4Fk

Sharon Tandy (+ Fluer de Lys)- 'Hold on' (7" single b-side to 'Stay with me' released October 1968. Atlantic label) - "I'm owning up to a cheat here. I only have the (splendid) original version of this by Fluer de Lys but, searching for a version of that recording I chanced on this fantastic clip of Sharon (possibly miming) on Beat Club and couldn't resist including it. Copies of this single are currently changing hands for over £200 so it's a pity Acid Jazz didn't include it on the EP they released a few years ago! I mentioned the Box Tops as a psych/soul crossover last week and here's one of the finest of that genre (if there be such an animal?) with Bryn Haworth supplying a blistering solo and it's just a shame that FdL are not featured more clearly in the clip as there is so little video available of them as a band. They had recorded the original version in June 1967 as the b-side to 'Reflections of Charles Brown', a single enforced on the group by their label which FdL only agreed to release under the guise of Ruperts People. The single was a pretty blatant attempt to cash in on Procol Harums 'Whiter shade...' hit using a very similar organ sound and 'based' on a quasi-classical melody which, as a result, stood very little chance of breaking through. Sharon, who regularly recorded with FdL, and with Tony Head as a duo, heard 'Hold on' and liked it so much she insisted on rerecording the number with the group but, despite the excellence of both sides it followed the rest of her singles into obscurity. There's more on Sharon on Week 8/22 SDS by the way."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4O-gKNiDXA

Yardbirds- 'Shapes of things' (7" single released 25th February 1966. Columbia label)

"Here's the 'Birds with their still relevant anti war/pro environmental opus 'Shapes of things' featuring Jimmy Page on a wonderfully out of tune solo. There were criticisms of Relfs vocals back in the day but it should be remembered that he suffered from asthma and emphysema from childhood which must have affected the power of his vocals. Here he turns in one of the better performances I've seen, and be sure to look out for Jim McCarty's discarded drumstick being thrown back by an (unseen) audience member at around 1'50!! This is one of a clutch of bands I wish I had seen back in the mid sixties (over to you Piers!!)."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1jiH5PS4KY

"Hmmmm: I've tried not to comment on politics for a while but...... here's some hopefully interesting points:

Rishi Sunak: Ex Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ex Investment analyst for Goldman Sachs, ex partner of the hedge fund management firm the Children's Investment Fund Management, joined new hedge fund firm, Theleme Partners, which launched in October 2010 with $700 million funds. In April 2022, it was reported that Mr Sunak and his wife had moved out of 11 Downing Street to a newly refurbished luxury West London home. The Sunday Times Rich List 2022 named the couple the 222nd wealthiest people in the UK, with an estimated combined wealth of £730 million, making Sunak the first frontline politician to join the rich list. Held United States' permanent resident status until 2021, including for 18 months after he was promoted to Chancellor.

Sajid Javid: Ex Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ex Vice President of Chase Manhattan Bank. ex managing director at Deutsche Bank and later global head of Emerging Markets Structuring, ex head of Deutsche Bank Asia credit trading, equity convertibles, commodities and private equity businesses, later appointed a board member of Deutsche Bank International Limited. Estimated net wealth £8.5 million. Held non-domicile status for six years.

Jacob Rees Mogg: current Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: ex J Rothschild Investment Management and Lloyd George Management in Hong Kong, set up fund management firm Somerset Capital Management with the aid of hedge fund manager Crispin Odey (see Kwasi Kwarteng below), still continues to receive income in his capacity as a partner. Somerset Capital still has multi million pound shareholdings in Russia's Yandax internet provider which Alexi Navalni has described as ' the main propagandist for the 'special operation' in Ukraine' and still retains shares in the Russian recruitment company Headhunters. The Company also owns shares in Yum China which operates 12000 restaurants in China, including many under licence for KFC and Pizza Hut. Yum China's chairman is the Communist Party senior policy advisor Fred Hu. As Business Secretary Rees Mogg is shortly expected to rule on the sale of semiconductor manufacturer Newport Wafers to a Chinese company, thus potentially leaving its operations open to a national security threat. In addition to listings on the stock markets of China, Hong Kong, India, Saudi Arabia and South America, the Company also holds a £90 million shareholding in Infosys, the company founded by Rishi Sunak's father in law. In 2018 Somerset Capital opened an investment fund in Dublin in order to be legally able to continue to have European retail investments after Brexit. SCM is rumoured to be up for sale which could lead to a £100,000,000 ''windfall' for Mr Rees Mogg. Estimated joint wealth with his wife in excess of £100 million.

Kwasi Kwarteng: current Chancellor of the Exchequer: Formerly a journalist for the Daily Telegraph (as was/is Boris the Johnson), before working as a financial analyst at JPMorgan, Chase, WestLB and the hedge fund Odey Asset Management (see above, J R-M). Odey Asset Management manages £4 billion pounds in assets and, among other transactions, the firm made £220 million pounds speculating on a fall in the pound following the Brexit referendum. This was followed a year later when they successfully speculated on the pound at the time of the 2017 election which resulted in a hung Parliament. It's reported that Mr Kwartengs former employer, and business partner of Jacob Rees Mogg, Crispin Odey will also have invested heavily on 'short selling' the pound before last Friday's debacle which saw the pound reach its lowest level against the dollar since it was first issued on July 6th 1785. Amongst his many 'achievements' are:

1. In 2013 he criticised the Help to Buy housing scheme as inflationary.

2. Also in 2013, he voted twice against allowing same-sex couples to marry, and has subsequently abstained from votes relating to same-sex marriage issues.

3. In September 2019, Kwarteng stated "I'm not saying this, but, many people are saying that the judges are biased" after the Court of Session ruled that Boris Johnson's prorogation of parliament was illegal adding "The extent to which lawyers and judges are interfering in politics is something that concerns many people."

4. In March 2021, he was criticised for dissolving the Industrial Strategy Council, the advisory body seeking to regenerate Britain's regions.

5. In the days after the COP26 climate summit, Kwarteng met oil industry bosses to encourage them to continue drilling in the North Sea.

6. In January 2022 he travelled to Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight costing the taxpayer £4430. He also accepted flights and hospitality from Saudi Aramco, the majority state-owned energy firm whilst visiting the Aramco's Shaybah oil field with the Saudi energy minister, although this was not logged in BEIS transparency records.

7. Kwarteng was an outspoken supporter of Owen Paterson, who had been found to have committed "an egregious case of paid advocacy". In reaction to this ruling, he called for the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, to "decide her position".

8. In August 2012 he co-authored a book with four fellow MPs, titled 'Britannia Unchained' which argues for a radical shrinking of the welfare state in order "to return it to the contributory principle envisioned by its founder Sir William Beveridge – that you get benefits in return for contributions".

9. To cap it all off, in 2014, his book 'War and Gold: A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires, Adventures and Debt' was published. It is a history of capital and the enduring ability of money, when combined with speculation, to ruin societies

Mr Kwartengs net worth is estimated to be between £800,000 and £1,500,000 so he may well benefit somewhat from his 5p taxcut, as will the other MP's listed above, always assuming their 'monies' are in the UK of course!!!

I could go on...................."

Piers -

"Posting a bit early this week, I hope you don't mind too much as Jayne and I are away on Thursday and I know that Friday will be hectic.

We are off on a cruise! Well a short one anyway. I know it's not quite round Cape Horn before the Mast, like my granddad, but I'm still pretty excited to be sailing the North sea from Southwold to The Pool of London on 'The Waverley' the very last paddle steamer in operation on the open seas! We are told that Tower Bridge will open to allow us access to the city!

I have spent the last few days playing the concertina, and singing stuff like. “...stand by your stoppers, steer clear your shank-painters, Haul up your clew garnets, let tacks and sheet fly….”

I've just about time to dig out my gansey and sou' wester but, there are mackerel skies and mares tails, so soon it will be time to shorten sails, and light the running lamps! We'll have to string up our hammocks right quick as we'll have to be up before the lark to catch the ship as she departs earl - eye in the morning.....

Best get the cocoa on.... oh and rum mustn't forget the rum!

The concertina site was where I found the first couple of tracks that I have posted and I can often be found lurking on the Sierra Hull's Facebook Page."

Philip -

"Here's a conundrum for you: is it better to have a government led by a lying conniving rogue with no principles or true convictions, or to have one run by someone whose principles and convictions are completely wrong-headed and bear no relationship to real life?

While you're pondering that one, is there any truth in the rumour that The Royal Mail is to rebranded in honour of our new King, as Charles III Post Office (C3PO for short)?

My choices this week are dedicated to our appalling new Government."

"Best wishes to everybody."

Tony -

"Sorry for not making it last week - back in the room again! Here's my random 3 for the week.

I hope everyone is ok - we live in strange (and very worrying) times - did some idiots really nearly obliterate my pension a couple of days ago?...but the music goes on thank goodness."

Jayne -

"Greetings RPM comrades old and new; I hope our little online community continues to flourish. For your delectation this week I present…"

John -

"Hi RPMers, Had a great time at Deepdale Festival last weekend. As promised, here are three tracks from some of the acts I enjoyed..."

Dave -

"Hi RPMers, hope all is good with you all. Here’s my 3 tunes."

Nina -

"Hi folks. Hope you're all well... or as well as we can be, thanks to the endless tsunami of shit from Tory scum. Not waving but drowning...

No more words, thank wotsits for the music...always."

"Have a great weekend folks, keep warm + carry on regardless."

Tim -

"Three faves from this weeks listening."

'Til Next Time....