After yesterday’s declaration of adventure versus just another day in paradise, I decided that the spectacular might only be found by unravelling the past. So, today in 2018 twelve camels were disqualified from the King Abdulaziz camel beauty contest in Saudi Arabia after their owners used botox on their lips. Absurdities notwithstanding, David Bowie released Station To Station today in 1976 and Cream released their last album Goodbye in 1969. In 1962 Truffaut’s Jules And Jim was released. A million political and sporting events took place and legends were born and legends retired but ultimately nothing else happened except for the fascinating everyday rituals of ordinary people living their lives all over the world. Living in completely different circumstances but stripped down, the needs are the same and it’s frightening to think that in conflict, opposite sides choose to fight each other rather than recognising each other’s humanity and need for peace. The reason the aliens don’t come is that they’ve seen what the humans do and they’ve decided not to get involved – too much trouble.

Seshes at opposite ends of the day today, Tony at 10 AM and Craig at 11 PM, both productive with their projects making good progress. In between Liverpool beat the Palace 1-3 and Chelsea beat Spurs 2-0. I started to fiddle around with the studio but dinner was imminent so Olivia and I watched Episode Three of David Attenborough’s The Green Planet (three more to come). Amazing what happens in nature and the filming is spectacular, Attenborough is a gem. So, after that my plan was to continue fiddling with the studio but I dropped off for an hour and a half after an early morning and then it was Craig time. Some days, time just holds you in a deadlock and other days you make rich progress. It shows that everything is about mood, will, inspiration, stimulation, desire. You can be easily tricked into thinking there’s no time but in fact, there’s no time for thinking that way.

I’m uncertain as to whether to keep on putting more bulbs in the lava lamp because I don’t know if it’s the lamp or the bulbs themselves. Other technical issues in the house include two weeks without a kitchen sink or the dishwasher and the terrifying issue of the iPod dock and the high-pitched whistle. The problem is that Olivia being younger can hear something that me being older can’t. I wonder how much range I have lost after a lifetime of music, being on stage in front of amps and drummers, small rehearsal rooms and noisy concerts as a fan. I know there’s damage because when an ambulance goes by I have to hold my hands over my ears. Certain sounds are too much for my ears to take and that spells out damage. At night I fall asleep to my phone playing a loop of rain. I’m not sure if it’s because the silence is imposing or because the silence is noisy.

Today is birthday day for Django Reinhardt (died 1953, aged 43), Anita Pointer (born 1948), Rutger Hauer (died 2019, aged 75) and possibly one of your friends.

Music today has been David Bowie’s Station To Station in honour of its 46th anniversary. Bowie died in January 2016, four months later drummer Dennis Davis who played with Bowie on this album also died. Ten albums with Bowie and not really remembered, I don’t remember hearing about his death. The huge contributions of sidemen are often disregarded but can you imagine ten albums, what a contribution. The album features the hit single Golden Years, a US No.10, a UK No.8. It also features one of the great cover versions, Wild Is the Wind, inspired by Nina Simone, although the original was recorded by Johnny Mathis for the film of the same name. The song is written by Dimitri Tiomkin with lyrics by Ned Washington. On the album, it’s Davis on drums (playing that great drum roll), George Murray on bass, Carlos Alomar OR Earl Slick on guitar. The usual suspects on Bowie’s records of the day. In the video it’s Mel Gaynor on drums (Simple Minds) who now has a new band, Mel Gaynor’s Risk, Tony Visconti on double bass, Andy Hamilton on sax and Coco Schwab on guitars, she was Bowie’s longtime assistant, friend, everything.

Music Of The Daze