Archive for ‘Music’

September 5, 2016

Crazy little thing called Love

Freddie Mercury- today he would have been seventy, impossible to fathom; forever seen as that exuberant performer who stole the worlds attention at Wembley in ’85 for LiveAid. I remember when this video would come on Top of the Pops and the big motorcycle playing a pivotal role in his leathered persona was impressive to an eight year old.

I gotta be cool, relax, get hip

And get on my track’s

Take a back seat, hitch-hike

And take a long ride on my motorbike

Until I’m ready (Ready Freddie)

Crazy little thing called love

August 29, 2016

Toot


Blow your own Trumpet – an illustrators version of some internal combustion instrument. Taking the exhaust via sissy-bar piping to a flute-like horn. Kiwi artist is Kelvin Mann who creates a kind of Heath Robinson quirk.

August 23, 2016

Lake Shore Drive


LSD – There’s a road I’d like to tell you about, lives in my home town

Lake Shore Drive the road is called and it’ll take you up or down

From rags on up to riches fifteen minutes you can fly

Pretty blue lights along the way, help you right on by

And the blue lights shining with a heavenly grace, help you right on by
And there ain’t no road just like it

Anywhere I found

Running south on Lake Shore Drive heading into town

Just slippin’ on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound
And it starts up north from Hollywood, water on the driving side

Concrete mountains rearing up, throwing shadows just about five

Sometimes you can smell the green if your mind is feeling fine

There ain’t no finer place to be, than running Lake Shore Drive

And there’s no peace of mind, or place you see, than riding on Lake Shore Drive
And there ain’t no road just like it

Anywhere I found

Running south on Lake Shore drive heading into town

Just slicking on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound
And it’s Friday night and you’re looking clean

Too early to start the rounds

A ten minute ride from the Gold Coast back make sure you’re pleasure bound

And it’s four o’clock in the morning and all of the people have gone away

Just you and your mind and Lake Shore Drive, tomorrow is another day

And the sunshine’s fine in the morning time, tomorrow is another day
And there ain’t no road just like it

Anywhere I found

Running south on Lake Shore drive heading into town

Just snaking on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound.

Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah 1971

July 19, 2016

Red Special

The Fireplace – Brian May’s guitar, was made by him and his father Harold back in the sixties. It has created, with the magical touches of a musical maestro, some of the greatest sounds of the late Twentieth Century.


The Old Lady – her secrets were revealed during a full nut & bolt restoration. The tremolo arm is sprung by a pair of motorcycle valve springs from a 1928 Panther. 


Happy Birthday Brian! 69 today!

June 22, 2016

Highway Song


Boots made for Riding – record producer Mickie Most takes singer Nancy Sinatra on his BSA Shooting Star. Aptly named single the registration on the number plate signifies a’69 or ’70 model. She was in London to record The Highway Song. 

June 1, 2016

Foo


Former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl thrashes a mean beat and growls a roaring vocal. Grunge fashion takes on white Johnson Motors t-shirt with a hint of Triumph. Good driving music. Can’t believe the seminal Nevermind album is 25. Sheesh where’d the time go?

May 21, 2016

The Wild Angels


Taking their name after the cult classic Roger Corman 1966 B-Movie starring Peter Fonda this rocker group use the cafe racer as the equivalent to US Hells Angels choppers. This photo line-up has a bevy of BSA’s, Nortons and Triumphs. Clip-ons, quiffs, leathers and attitude. The middle Moto with ape hangers is …?

May 15, 2016

Two slightly distorted electric guitars


Multi instrumentalist Mike Oldfield is 63 today. Haunting music that stretches from windswept hills along the edge of Wales, to airy flights by birds unknown, and a growing ensemble of guitars and percussion climaxing in Tubular Bells. 

“Bikes have been one of my greatest inspirations in music”. Though now residing full time and isolation in the Bahamas, his previous English residences always allowed for countryside rides to free his creative spirit.

May 10, 2016

Sunshine Superman


60’s hippy folkster Donovan is 70 today. The original Mellow Yellow. To celebrate here is a nonagrid of Meriden machines. 

April 10, 2016

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

  
Strider- that’s Robert Plants hound sitting across the tank of this old motorcycle at the bands welsh retreat in rural Gwynedd. 

“There ain’t no companion like a blue-eyed Merle,” 

February 21, 2016

Where the Streets Have No Name

  
Joshua Tree National Monument- quite a lovely road through the desert surrounded by Henry Moore-like rock formations and the sentinel Yucca that give the park its name.

February 13, 2016

We don’t need no education…

  
Pink Floyd’s immortal words: another brick in a wall. Before the pasted billboards advertisements were directly painted onto the brickwork of buildings. Spalling chips add to a weatherbeaten appearance, a powerful message scripted across the running bond.

P.S.

It has been pointed out that this is a 2-Stroke such as a Jawa.  Or it could be the German TWN Triumph… So kids; if you’re asked to paint an advertising mural, get your imagery correct! 

 

February 10, 2016

Later….

…with Kirsty MacColl. 

 
A screenshot of the 100th episode of Jools Holland’s inexhaustible show “Later..”. Here sittin’ at the piano with the irreplaceable Kirsty. Her writing,singing and musical attitude were a wonderful thing. From “Fairy Tale of New York”, to “Looking for a New England”, and a heartfelt “They don’t know”. Such a loss. Jools is sporting an Ace Cafe Tshirt; and the world can’t have enough motorcycle themed t-shirts in it!

February 4, 2016

Drummer Boy

  
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham is considered to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll percussionist of all time. Where Page gave color to their music and Plant texture; Bonzo was the heartbeat. Pulsating longship oarsmen rhythm in The Immigrant Song or the progressive Kashmir, they all were founded on the granite of his skills on his Ludwigs. Here he is in a suburban garden on his Triumph Chopper a la Captain America.

January 29, 2016

Happy Days

 Leather Tuscadero played by Suzi Quatro, was the younger punk sister of Fonzies on again off again gal Punkie.  Suzi was also a pioneering woman rocker in the seventies helped with her growling vocals, big bass slapping and one piece race leather outfits. In her mid sixties she’s still belting out her hits.
Can the Can? You be she can!