The Generic RIP thread

[Santa C]

The England and Wales Cricket Board is saddened to learn of the death of former Kent and England bowler Derek Underwood MBE, aged 78. A famed left-arm spinner, Underwood's accuracy and pace were his two stand-out attributes – attributes that helped him become England Men's most prolific spin bowler in Test cricket






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[Lord Rother]

Damn.

I met him at Lord's in 1974 at the Gillette Cup Final. I was wearing a red rose which he had a chuckle at.

Nice guy, terrific bowler, crap batsman but (in the days before helmets) was as brave as they come.

[Santa C]

Former Labour minister and crossbench peer Frank Field has died aged 81, his family has announced

“He will be mourned by admirers across politics but above all he will be greatly missed by those lucky enough to have enjoyed his laughter and friendship," a statement said.

Lord Field spent 40 years as MP for Birkenhead and was a leading voice on welfare reform for much of his career.

He was a minister under Tony Blair and joined the House of Lords in 2020.




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[mudshark]

almost obituary:
The SNP ain't dead, but it sure smells funny.

[copehead]

Duane Eddy and Richard Tandy of ELO today

Keep 'em coming

[copehead]

almost obituary:
The SNP ain't dead, but it sure smells funny.

Deader than the English Nationalist Party nee the Conservative and Unionist Party or the Starmer "Labour" Party?

Perhaps it is our whole political class who is dead

[Santa C]

Actor Bernard Hill, best known for roles in Titanic and Lord of the Rings, has died aged 79.

He played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film and King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings.

His breakout role was in BBC TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff, where he portrayed Yosser Hughes, a character who struggled - and often failed - to cope with unemployment in Liverpool

RIP Yosser






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[mudshark]

Luis Cesar Menotti (86), who managed the Argentinian soccer team which so undeservedly beat the Dutch, way back when in 1978.

[Santa C]

RIP Roy Cross aged 100

Roy was the graphic designer who drew all the designs for the boxes that Airfix models came in. The drawing on the box was Roy Cross – and it was always the picture that drew you in wasn’t it? He must be responsible for virtually every kit ever sold





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[Deebank]

Steve Albini!

I will never forget the first time I heard Surfer Rosa - it sounded like nothing else, completely ‘dry’. It totally blew my mind.

He said and did some daft things but even his later apologies were uncompromising.

RIP Steve - a unique talent.

[copehead]

Steve Albini!

I will never forget the first time I heard Surfer Rosa - it sounded like nothing else, completely ‘dry’. It totally blew my mind.

He said and did some daft things but even his later apologies were uncompromising.

RIP Steve - a unique talent.

Songs About Knitting TM J. Peel is a great album but it is his engineering ( not production ) work that will be his legacy.

Probably a bit like John Cale in that way, their work creating great albums with other people overshadows their own work

[Santa C]

Twenty-five years after bursting on to the scene, it appears rapper Eminem's provocative alter ego Slim Shady may finally be silenced.
The antagonistic Slim Shady, with his peroxide-blond hair and everyman blue jeans, stemmed from Eminem's self-described "white trash" upbringing.
In a surprise April announcement teased as a mock murder news report, external, Eminem revealed that his new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), will be released this summer.

I can’t wait




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[Fonz]

Ed Mann.
Mallets.

RIP

[mudshark]

Sad to hear. Zappa alumni who kept the flame burning in The Band From Utopia, a.o.
Saw him live in action, in 78-80 period. Almost as good as Ruth.

[Santa C]

Prince William and Kevin Sinfield are among those to have paid tribute to rugby league legend Rob Burrow following his death aged 41.

Burrow's former club Leeds Rhinos announced his death on Sunday, describing him as "a true inspiration throughout his life".

He had lived with motor neurone disease (MND) for nearly five years after being diagnosed in late 2019.




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[Santa C]

Colin Gibb, who had huge success as a core member of novelty pop band Black Lace, has died aged 70.

They recorded a version of Chicken Dance, AKA The Birdie Song, in 1981, followed by their first chart hit in 1983, Superman. The next year brought their biggest hit, Agadoo – a cover version of an earlier Europop hit – which reached No 2 in the UK and spent 35 weeks on the charts, and found success across Europe. They returned to the UK Top 10 with their next single Do the Conga, and later had minor hits with cover versions of children’s songs such as I Am the Music Man and Hokey Cokey, as well as the Sweet’s glam classic Wig-Wam Bam.




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[Tom Waits For No One]

Tony Bramwell RIP

Someone posted 20 fabulous facts about him to fill you in.



He was best friends with George Harrison as a child and they used to see Paul McCartney at weekends.

He was there when Paul first met John Lennon and when they played together for the first time.

He became the Beatles Road Manager by chance after meeting his old pal George Harrison on the Number 61 bus on the way to the Beatles first gig after they came back from Hamburg and offering to carry his guitar in to get in for free. After doing this a few times John Lennon said to him “If you’re carrying George’s you can carry mine too”. “Mine as well” Paul McCartney said. When Brian Epstein became their manager he offered Tony the job as Road Manager full time. Tony almost turned it down as he had a good job at Ford’s as a clerk. Said Tony “I would have retired last year from Ford’s if I had said ‘no’ and got my gold watch – and missed the wild ride I had with The Beatles”.

He got an award from MTV for his pioneer work in the very early days of pop videos. As The Beatles got lots of requests to appear and it was difficult for them to go out anyway, it made sense to make little films with teh songs for distribution. THis was how the pop video began. The first pop videos like Day Tripper and We can Work It Out cost £200 to make and they were told they had overspent. Later on when they spent £700 making the video for Strawberry Fields Forever, they were told they had gone right over the top. What would they be worth now?

Tony was Beatles manager, Brian Epstein’s, talent scout. He discovered James Taylor and tried to sell a young Paul Simon, years before he became famous with Simon and Garfunkel, to Brian Epstein but was told “He’s too small and too Jewish looking (Epstein was Jewish himself). I can’t sell him”. Another one that got rejected after his recommendation, years before they became famous, was Queen.

In later years he discovered Eva Cassidy who sold 7m albums after her death. A film is to be made of her life with Nicole Kidman as Eva Cassidy and Bill Nighe as Tony. Robert Redford will be the Producer and his daughter will be Director.

Tony was the PR guy for The Beatles and every act in Brian Epstein’s stable – so the BeatlesFest on the Lough couldn’t get anyone better.

Brian Epstein bought the Saville Theatre in Piccadilly in London and put Tony in charge of it and getting the musical acts for it. Tony put on Jimi Hendrix’s fist ever UK gig on – before he was famous in either the US or UK. The gig was a huge success and made Hendrix a huge name. His manager Chas Chandler (ex of The Animals) was a good friend of Tony’s. While he was there, Tony, John and Paul took Jimi to the Cromwellian where Cream were playing. When Eric Clapton took a break, Jimi asked for a shot of his guitar. Even though as a left hander he was playing backwards and upside down, Hendrix blew them off the stage.

When the Saville Theatre (which was also used for recording) was being knocked down Tony was passing by and saw a whole load of tapes on a skip. He went inside and asked the workers about them. The workers said they sent the ones they knew to the artists they knew and then threw the rest out. Included there were tapes of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix etc. Tony took them home with him and, as he knew the guys, gave the tapes to them. Many of the tracks have now been used in subsequent CDs and even films. Tony gave the Hendrix tapes to Chas Chandler Hendrix’s manager, who died soon after, so Tony doesn’t know what happened to them. However, he said that there were many tracks that he didn’t recognise – so out there are tapes with mainly unreleased material from Hendrix.

Tony, without realising it, as he only knew her as Christine, went out with the girl at the centre of the Profumo Affair, which brought down the Minister for War, John Profumo, and nearly the Conservative Government at the time. When he discovered who she was he packed her in and went out with the American Miss World of the time.

Tony became joint head of Apple Records, the Beatles record company.

Tony also became head of Apple Films.

When the radio stations went crazy and said that Paul McCartney was dead and said that the album cover of Abbey Road proved it, Tony decided to take matters into his own hands to put an end to the pandemonium at the Apple offices as Paul was in Scotland and wasn’t interested. He sounds very like Paul McCartney over the phone (I can vouch for that) as he comes from the same part of Liverpool. Tony called up a radio station in America and pretended to be Paul saying he was fine and was just having a cup of tea. However, the radio station had the voice analysed against the real voice of Paul McCartney and the word went out that Paul McCartney really was dead and that this proved it, and a double had been covering for him for months.

After The Beatles split up he went on to become head of Polydor Records which had Slade, The Jam and Roxy Music (with Brian Ferry and Brian Eno) in his stable of artists.

Just three days before John Lennon’s death he put a call through to Tony Bramwell. Tony had been in touch with him by post and he thinks the contact may have been for him to get involved with his new album that he was working on. The guy on the desk where Tony lived called Tony and said “there’s a Mr Lennon on the phone for you. Shall I put him through?”. The guy then lost the call and Lennon was never put through. Three days later Tony was woken up at 4am by a DJ in America and asked “What do you think of John Lennon’s death?”

[Charlie O.]

I read Bramwell's book. He was not one to let facts get in the way of a self-serving story.

Nonetheless - R.I.P.

[Tom Waits For No One]

I read his ‘Magical Mystery Tours’ book as well. I was going to type “facts” but hit send before I proof read it.

[Santa C]

Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders, who snapped one of the most famous photographs taken in outer space, has died at the age of 90

Officials say a small plane he was flying crashed into the water north of Seattle, Washington.

Ironic





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