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Ticket from my first ever Be Bop Deluxe gig. Can you remember yours?...

During a public lecture at Cornell University in 1994, Carl Sagan presented the image to the audience and shared his reflections on the deeper meaning behind the idea of the Pale Blue Dot: "We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam. The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity – in all this vastness – there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us. It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known". Masterminded by Carl Sagan, the final photograph of Earth, the 'Pale Blue Dot', taken by Voyager 1, some 3.7 billion miles away from our planet...the very concept is mind blowing...After it nearly didn't happen at all (the photograph), what a wonderful idea and achievement of Sagan's, to convince NASA to turn Voyager's camera around to take this one last photograph of Earth...a truly amazing image.

Enjoy tonight ,good folks. You are in the presence of a master of his craft. Wish I could be there.

The Griffiths - Part 1 of 2 The Griffiths story starts with Bill’s 4x great grandfather Job Griffiths who in the 1841 census lives in Chorlton upon Medlock, a suburb of Manchester close to the city centre, now largely part of the campus of the University. The address is Tebbutt’s Court, Booth Street which is just off what is now Oxford Road. His occupation is shown as ‘Gardener’ and at the same address are his son Enoch Griffiths and two female servants called Ann Green and Ann Griffiths. We also learn that Job wasn’t born in the county of Lancashire. Unfortunately the 1851 census for the area was water damaged and is largely unreadable so depriving us of a valuable source of information. He died before the 1861 census. Internet sourced family trees link Job Griffiths to the town of Oswestry in Shropshire and a marriage to a Sarah Powell in the town in 1811. They also credit the couple with six children in total. Jane b.1811 in Treflach near Oswestry, John b.1813 in Treflach near Oswestry, the remaining children born in Manchester are Jemima b.1815, Mary b.1818, Enoch b.1824 and Kezzia b.1829. If this is correct it would mean the family made the move to Manchester around the year 1814. Jane Griffiths married Joseph Leatherbarrow in 1828. Jemima Griffiths married Thomas Craven in 1835 but died of ‘Consumption’ (Tuberculosis) in 1836. Kezzia Griffiths died of ‘Fever in the Brain’ in 1833 aged 4. Other records for Job Griffiths suggest he may have lived in Salford and Hulme before living in Chorlton. Rate books of the time show him renting houses in Jenkinson St. , Ormond St. and Booth St. between 1825 and 1858, all in a small area near ‘The Grapes’ public house. There are also two entries in local trade directories, the first from 1841 gives just his name and an address of 12 Tebbutts Court, Chorlton, but the second from 1850 describes him as a ‘Well Sinker’ of 6 Tebbutt’s Row, Jenkinson St. Chorlton. Job Griffiths died from ‘Dropsy (Edema - a build up of body fluid) and Consumption’ and was buried in a communal grave in Chorlton on 3rd July 1858 aged 72. There is a possible cemetery record for his wife Sarah Griffiths (nee Powell) from 1837, who also died from ‘consumption’ aged 52, which would explain her absence from the 1841 census and the 2 servants. Bills 3x great grandfather Enoch Griffiths 20, a ‘Gardener’ married Elizabeth Oates 26 in Manchester in 1844. Elizabeth Oates was born in Hensall Yorkshire in 1818 and baptised at Kellington. In the 1841 census she’s living in nearby Whitley with her mother Esther (nee Atkinson) and her mother’s second husband John Richardson an Agricultural Labourer, her father Thomas Oates (also a labourer) having died in 1829. On the marriage record she’s living in Cornbrook, Hulme next door to Chorlton. Unfortunately the marriage only lasted 3 years as Enoch Griffiths died of ‘Decline’ (a gradual sinking and wasting away of the physical faculties) in Chorlton and was buried on 17th January 1847 aged 24. The marriage produced two children Edwin Arthur Griffiths b.1845 in Chorlton and Sarah Griffiths b.1847 in Wakefield. There is a crossed out Wakefield baptism record for an Edwin Griffiths born in Manchester from 1845 which perhaps indicates that they initially made the move over the Pennines just after Edwin’s birth and then returned to Manchester when Enoch became ill. In the 1851 census Bill’s now widowed 3x great grandmother Elizabeth Griffiths (nee Oates) 33, a ‘Washerwoman’ , is living in Thornes Wakefield with son Edwin Arthur Griffiths 6 and daughter Sarah Griffiths 4. Next door to the Griffiths live Edward Cannon a ‘Gardener‘, his wife Harriet and their 6 children. Edward Cannon was born in the village of Dent near Kendal, Cumbria. In December 1854 Elizabeth Griffiths (nee Oates) 36 marries now widower (his wife died 6 months earlier) Edward Cannon 40, at St. John’s church in Wakefield. The marriage doesn’t seem to have succeeded as by the 1861 census they are living at separate addresses and remained so in subsequent censuses. In the 1861 census Elizabeth Griffiths (now Cannon) 43 lives on Ossett Road, Wakefield, occupation ‘Laundress’ with son Edwin Arthur Griffiths 15 and daughter Sarah Griffiths 14 both employed as ‘Worsted Factory Hands‘. Husband Edward Cannon, an ‘Agricultural Labourer’, lives in Thornes Village with 4 of his sons from his previous marriage. In 1865 Sarah Griffiths dies aged 18 and is buried on the 22nd of March at St. Paul’s Church, Alverthorpe. In the 1871 census Elizabeth Griffiths (now Cannon) 53 lives alone on Ossett Road, Wakefield, (near to the Victoria Hotel), occupation ‘Laundress‘. Husband Edward Cannon 57, a ‘Captain of a Vessel’, lives in Thornes Common with a housekeeper and 2 of his sons. In the 1881 census Elizabeth Griffiths (now Cannon) 63 lives alone on Ossett Road, Wakefield, occupation ‘Laundress‘. Husband Edward Cannon a ‘Labourer in a Soap Works’ lives alone at Thornes Common. In the 1891 census Elizabeth Griffiths (now Cannon) 72 now widowed (second husband Edward Cannon died in 1890), lives with another widow at no. 8 Marsland’s Almshouses, Primrose Hill, Wakefield, she has no occupation. In the 1901 census Elizabeth Griffiths (now Cannon) 82 lives alone at no. 8 Paddock Almshouses, Primrose Hill, Wakefield, ‘on charity‘. She died in the Wakefield Workhouse Infirmary in 1906 aged 87 and is buried at Sugar Lane cemetery.

Ad for Technics by Panasonic, November 1977.

Mr . Nelson has not posted a journal entry in almost 2 years. I really enjoyed reading his posts. I understand Mr. Nelson has had vision issues, so would it be possible for him to do an audio posting?

I'm now contemplating what next year's new release should be. I've got such a wealth of recorded material to bring to you, but can't decide, at this point, which of the many albums in the pipeline should be first in the queue. This thread will spotlight flyers for all of them. I'd be interested to see your reactions and thoughts about which one should come next. (But of course, I may not take any notice of that at all!) 😄 😉 But here are some of the choices, starting with 'STUPID SERIOUS.'

Joy Division Unknown Pleasures 40th Anniversary (vinyl pre-order) A limited 40th anniversary edition of Unknown Pleasures on 180g ruby red vinyl with an alternative white sleeve resembling the original design idea. A celebration of one of the most important debut albums of all time as well as a landmark in music/design crossover history. Pre-order for 14th June release.

Is your 'other half' wondering what to get you for Christmas? Keep your eyes peeled for pre-order details of this brand new album.

If you haven't seen the announcement... There is now a new Merchandise Store, run by a company called Dizzyjam, who are selling official T-Shirts, Hoodies, Mugs and Tote Bags. Hope you will give them a try, tell your friends and let us know your thoughts on their service! Check out this link to see what's on offer - loads more designs in the pipeline too!!! Dreamsville Merchandise Store.

I've embarked on a new album recording session, working title 'Old Haunts.' One track completed so far titled 'Random Encounters' and another one just getting under way. Will this be an album, mini-album, or EP? We'll have to see how things develop, how the 'theme' might continue to grab my imagination. And what sort of concept does the album have? Well, the two flyers below might give a flavour of the mood I'm hoping to achieve...think ruined buildings, places half-remembered, half- dreamt. Meetings with people who exist in a twilight realm between real and unreal, love lost and love found, a beautiful kind of decay, patina, distress, exhaustion, abandonment, nostalgia and romance... .

Just read Brian Eno’s Twitter feed saying Harold has passed. Sad sad day. RIP Harold.

April 4-5, 2025 at Kansas City Community College The 2025 Electronic Music Midwest Festival will be held April 4th & 5th at Kansas City Community College. All concerts are free. The concert schedule is posted here: https://www.emmfestival.org/concerts.php

I've been working intensely on the creation of tracks for the 'Guitars Of Tomorrow' series of albums. These will be issued in individual volumes, each with its own title but with 'Guitars Of Tomorrow' as a subtitle, thus linking the volumes together. At this point in time I have the following tracks completed and mixed but, as yet, not sorted into album running orders. Choosing what goes where will be a daunting task, one which I've been putting off for quite some time but now must be dealt with to get the first volume ready for mastering. So here is the list of tracks I will be choosing from. Hope the titles spark your interest! ‘NEWS OF THE WEIRD.’ ‘MR WIZARD TAKES A TRIP.’ ‘WHEN I WAS DAN AND YOU WRE DIGBY.’ ‘CRYSTAL CITY CRUISER.’ ‘MAGIC SPELL.’ ‘WONDERSTRUCK ONE.’ ‘MIRROR CIRCUIT.’ ‘THE AMAZING MR MYSTERY.’ ‘MY PARANORMAL PARTY TRICK.’ ‘BUBBLE AND FIZZ.’ ‘DREAMS OF THE SPARKLE MAN.’ ‘NEW STRANGE POWERS.’ ‘MY FAVOURITE RADIO GALAXY.’ ‘NYSTERYLAND.’ ‘THIS ROOM HAS A GLORIOUS VIEW.’ ‘GHOSTS OF OLD GUITARS.’ ‘THE SKY GARDEN.’ ‘IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.’ ‘GUITARS OF TOMORROW.’ ‘TUNING IN TO ANGEL RADIO.’ ‘BETWEEN MEMORY AND A DREAM.’ ‘ALL HAIL KING ECHO.’ ‘DREAMS OF THE SONAMBULIST.’ ‘MAGIC SPELL.’ ‘FRANKENSTEIN FUNK.’ ‘A SLIGHT ELECTRICAL DISTURBANCE.’ ‘THREE BELLS AND ALL’S WELL.’ ‘PECULIAR CONTROLS.’ ‘PICNIC IN THE FIELDS.’ ‘THE LONLINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE DREAMER.’ ‘HOW TO WIND AN ATOMIC CLOCK.’ ‘BUSY BEES.’ ‘GODS OF THE GOLDEN AGE.’ ‘WONDEROUS THUNDERINGS.’ ‘EVERYWHERE AND NOWHERE.’ ‘THE OLD ROAD TO DREAMLAND.’ ‘JUMP LEADS.’ ‘ASTROLUXE CADET.’ ‘CHURCH OF THE CELESTIAL RADIATOR.’ ‘ROTATIONS OF LIGHT.’ ‘WHY SO MYSTERIOUS?’ ‘RUSTY SATELLITES.’ ‘OLD MEMORY REPLAYED.’ ‘DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE.’ ‘SUPERETTE.’ ‘LOST SATELLITE.’ ‘RUSTY LITTLE ROBOT.’ ‘GOD’S ALWAYS GOOFING AROUND.’ ‘THE GRAND ILLUSION.’ ‘ROCKET HORSE COWBOY.’ ‘FAR YONDER.’ ‘HYPERACTIVE.’ ‘EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE MAN.’ ‘SPACE ACE GETS HIS GIRL.’ ‘MAGICAL THINKING.’ ‘THE CUCKOO IN THE CLOCK.’ ‘RADIO BOY.’ ‘LUMILUXE.’ ‘ROCKET BAROQUE.’ ‘THE UNIVERSE IN MY GUITAR CASE.’ ‘FUZZY ESCALATOR.’ ‘BACKYARD SPARKLERS.’ ‘ULTRABULBS BURN BRIGHTER.’ ‘TYPEWRITER TALES.’ ‘THE INFINITE IMAGINARIUM.’ ‘FAST TRAFFIC. ‘STRANGE CITY OF DREANMS.’ ‘ADRIFT.’

Let's get this new forum started off right. I know Bill would love to hear your thoughts on his new album set...

Just to let you all know that today all the tracks for the 'ELECTRA' album have been transferred to Fairview's computer and are ready to be mastered. It was good to hear them on Fairview's big monitoring system. I haven't heard the whole album since it was recorded in, (I think,) 2016. It's a completely instrumental affair, mainly guitar, but leans in an 'avant garde' direction with loose, free improvisations over loops and webs of distressed sound. There are a couple of more 'composed' tracks which provide some contrast but it's mostly made up of exploratory textures, drifting chord clusters and first take overdubs. A spontaneous collage of light and dark moods. I'm guessing this won't be an album for those looking for straight rock songs but will appeal to those of you with a taste for the slightly more experimental, abstract approach. It would lend itself to video accompaniment of the strangest kind. An album to take your time with, a slow burner...😉