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The Herald Scotland
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Classic Scottish 1984 album is still, decades later, young at heart
A week ago, they played Glastonbury for the very first time, playing the Acoustic Stage in a bill that also featured Nick Lowe and the Hothouse Flowers. Their much-lauded debut album, Sisters, released in 1984, has now been accorded the expanded box-set treatment. In February this year they entertained fans old and new at the Barrowland. And two years ago they released The Bluebells in the 21st Century, their first studio album since the debut. 'The Bluebells are on a really great trajectory at the moment', Hodgens – Bobby Bluebell, as was – told Ellen and Hepworth. 'We've just finished our [next] album. We've had a real kind of Indian Summer, renaissance, in the last few years. I don't know why, to be honest. But all of a sudden, people like Stephen Pastel and [critic] Pete Paphides are all beginning to reassess us'. He brought up Young at Heart, perhaps the Bluebells' best-known song, which hit number one in the UK charts in 1993, seven years after the band's demise, thanks to its exposure in a TV car advertisement. 'When you have a hit like [that], you kind of get put in that Marmalade category" he said, referring to the Scots pop band whose hits included Reflections Of My Life and Radancer. "And now you begin to realise that Marmalade were a fantastic band, with really fantastic songs and great singers, and I think we're getting a little bit of that again now'. To revisit Sisters, that splendid album they released back in 1984 – the year, lest we forget, of such colossal albums as Springsteen's Born in the USA, Prince's Purple Rain soundtrack, and Madonna's Like a Virgin – is to recall just how good a band the Bluebells were. The hits are all there – Cath, Young at Heart, I'm Falling – but there are also some sharply political songs, a reflection of those turbulent times: the Falklands war, the early 1980s recession, the miners' strike, and widespread revulsion at the policies of Margaret Thatcher. The album is now part of a three-CD, one DVD boxset, The Bluebells: Sisters, which blends the original record with bonus tracks, B-sides, single mixes, BBC sessions, live versions, promo videos and footage of the band appearing on Top of the Pops and the Old Grey Whistle Test. (As the band posted on Facebook recently, they played Young at Heart on ToTP on no fewer than seven occasions between 1984 and 1993 - a record beaten only by their fellow Scots, Wet Wet Wet, who performed their single 'Love Is All Around' eight times). In his introductory liner notes to the boxset, the music journalist Will Hodgkinson has this to say: 'Rooted in classic song craft, exuding cheerfulness even when dealing with loneliness, heartbreak and other lachrymose staples, the Bluebells were the very essence of indie — they helped define its jangling, guitar-led sound — while maintaining an accessibility that went to the heart of their working-class roots. 'It was all captured in Sisters, a classic album of upbeat pop that in 1984 delivered the band something contemporaries like Orange Juice and Aztec Camera only ever managed intermittently: actual massive hits. They rang out from the speakers of fairground dodgems, youth club discos and concert halls across the land for one glorious summer of 1984'. He surely speaks for many people who were into the Bluebells at the time when he ventures: 'Returning not just to the album but a wealth of radio sessions, singles versions and live recordings all these years later, what amazed me is how contemporary and relevant they sound. The essence of youth, it seems, changes less than we might imagine'. Read more: The band revolved around Hodgens, a Govan shipyard worker's son in thrall to classic Sixties songwriting, and the McCluskey brothers, Ken and Dave, who had been in a schoolboy punk band, Raw Deal. Hodgens, who had founded a music fanzine, Ten Commandments, in 1980, initially played his own songs in a band called The Oxfam Warriors, who undertook a handful of shows supporting Altered Images. At the last one, at Glasgow School of Art, Alan Horne, of Postcard Records, Orange Juice's Edwyn Collins and a friend named Robert Sharp held up Juke Box Jury-type 'hit' and 'miss' cards. Horne told Hodgens that songs were good, unlike the band, and that if a new group could be put together he would try to put them on Postcard. The Bluebells came together when Hodgens ran into the McCluskey brothers - Ken on vocals, David on drums - and they were joined by Lawrence Donegan, on bass, and Russell Irvine, on guitar. Glasgow had a small and very close-knit music scene then, and the Bluebells received a lot of encouragement, while Collins himself 'was something of a mentor' for Hodgens at the outset. The new band made rapid progress. 'We played with Orange Juice and Aztec Camera', Hodgens told Scots music historian Brian Hogg in 1993, 'and because of this Postcard connection we were in Sounds [magazine] straightaway. There was even a picture of us in New Musical Express after our second concert. Nick Heyward saw it and because he liked my guitar he phoned up and gave us a support slot with Haircut 100'. In 1981 Radio One presenter Kid Jensen invited the band to record the first of a number of sessions for his show, which gave them invaluable exposure. In July 1982 Smash Hits said of the Bluebells that they were 'vendors of sturdy guitar-driven pop music with a distinctive ringing tone which, once heard, isn't easily forgotten'. Melody Maker went even further: 'Bobby Bluebell doesn't look like a pop star. He's tall, gangling, wears glasses and should be advertising Charles Atlas bodybuilding courses – as the seven-stone weakling. By the end of this year, Bobby Bluebell will probably be a pop star and the heart-throb of millions. That's where the smart money is'. It was all happening for the Bluebells. They graced the cover of Melody Maker, and shortly afterwards came a live appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test in October 1982, when they were as yet unsigned. The gig brought them to the attention of a wide audience. Elvis Costello had already reached out to them, and offered to produce some of their material. Their Costello-produced debut single, Everybody's Somebody's Fool, which had been tentatively been lined up by Postcard, came out, instead, on London Records, the band's eventual home. Two singles, Cath and Sugar Bridge, had made it to the lower reaches of the Top 100 in 1983. The following year, I'm Falling reached number 11; then Young at Heart peaked at number eight. The cheerful promo video (included in the box set) featured Stratford Johns, the actor best-known for his tough-cop roles in Z-Cars and Softly, Softly, as the owner of a greasy-spoon cafe, as well as Molly Kelly and Clare Grogan. The album, Sisters, had numerous highlights, aside from the hit singles: the poignant, string-laden Will She Always Be Waiting, on which they had originally worked with Costello; Aim in Life, written by Ken McCluskey at the age of 15 and 'about a lonely reclusive lady that I delivered newspapers to'; and a moving love song, H.O.L.L.A.N.D., There was a cover of Dominic Behan's most famous song, The Patriot Game. Behan was a friend of the McCluskey brothers' parents, and the brothers knew him well. 'When we started performing as The Bluebells we asked Dominic to update some of the verses so that it could become more of a universal message for young folk and the futility of war', Ken told the Record Store Day UK website recently. The brothers also worked with Behan on South Atlantic Way, a clear-eyed look at the Falklands War. It begins: 'I was a raw recruit fresh out of school/and we set sail South Atlantic Way', it begins. Later: 'Well, I've got shrapnel running through my mind/I've glory in my head/Love of country has made me blind/to the living and the dead…' Among those who reviewed Sisters favourably was Sounds magazine, which said that it contained 'more beauty and fear than most albums you'll hear this year'. Read more On the Record: "We were in a really fantastic location called Highland Studios up near Culloden in the north of Scotland", Hodgens recalled last month when asked by Classic Pop magazine about the making of Sisters. "It was a kind of residential studio and we just had the best time doing the album. "I'd say there's no greater experience being in a band than recording your first album in a residential analogue studio playing live together, concentrating, the whole buzz. The whole tingle down your spine thing when you hear it all back through the mixing desk on those giant speakers for the first time. It's something that we're trying to recreate with our new album, which we're currently recording in a very similar way up in here Scotland at the moment". Asked about the political content on some of the songs, he said: "I think in The Bluebells, without sounding too clichéd, most of our parents had been brought up really influenced by their working-class roots. My father worked in a shipyard. Ken and David's father was very affiliated with Dominic Behan and people like that. "So we were very up in our politics, and very aware of what was going on. I'd just moved down to London and there was a bombing campaign going on there, so it was quite a tense situation. The Falklands War came, and obviously we weren't afraid to bring it up. We would write about anything in the songs, but we didn't really ever do it deliberately, or as a policy. It just came out in a lot of the songs". Four decades after its release, Sisters fully deserves its remastered and expanded second life. It remains a compelling listen, and one that has no dated in the slightest. * The Bluebells: Sisters boxset is released by London Records.
Metro
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
BBC addresses fury after legendary band's final gig wasn't filmed at Glastonbury
The BBC has responded to upset fans of The Searchers after at-home Glastonbury viewers were unable to stream their final ever gig. The Liverpool-based rock group, which grew to fame in the 60s with hits like their cover of Sweets for My Sweet and Goodbye My Love, wrapped up a successful seven-decade-long career at this year's Worthy Farm festival. Formed by Mike Pender and John McNally, the music group is known as the 'longest running band in pop history'. The band – also made up of Frank Allen, Spencer James, and Richie Burns – performed on the Acoustic Stage on June 27 with a packed audience, including Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney. However, for longtime fans unable to make it to the five-day music event, many expressed their anger over the set not being available to livestream or catch up on via the BBC. 'Yesterday musical history was made at Glastonbury when the legendary Searchers played their final ever gig. They are pop aristocracy. Yet the BBC didn't record, show or stream it,' Gerry Hassan wrote on X. 'I spent 7 hrs scrolling through Glasto footage searching for the Searchers. Not shown after all the publicity,' pembox17 added. 'The Searchers were great but BBC didn't show them,' roy clough echoed. 'Gutted BBC couldn't be bothered to record or broadcast the Searchers at Glastonbury. They were top of my to see list!' Christine Monk said. 'BBC, so many fans are gutted we didn't get to see The Searchers' final ever performance at Glastonbury. Please air the Acoustic Stage set or let us know why it wasn't shown. A legendary farewell like this deserves to be seen,' Richard Brown added. A BBC spokesperson shared a statement explaining the absence of the highly-anticpated gig on iPlayer. 'We've celebrated The Searchers on the BBC with interviews with the band but unfortunately, the Acoustic Stage is an area we haven't been able to have cameras in throughout the years.' Ahead of their Glastonbury debut which also doubled as their farewell gig, McNally wrote: 'A Glastonbury debut at 83, can anyone top that? I don't think life gets any better, does it? 'There will be a few nerves, but in a good way, and we'll be nicely warmed up from our shows in June. We can't wait to see our fans again for this incredible final farewell.' Meanwhile, bassist and singer Allen added: 'I have played shows across the world with The Searchers for over 60 years; Glastonbury has always been an ambition that has eluded us – until now. 'The Searchers are finally performing at the greatest music festival of them all. "We're saying goodbye to each other at the end, not just the crowd."The Searchers bassist and singer Frank Allen speaks to @katierazz ahead of their Glastonbury debut, which will end nearly 70 years of touring by the band.#BBCPM — BBC Radio 4 PM (@BBCPM) June 24, 2025 'What a way to round off a tour and a career. I can't wait to get up on stage and give our fans one final blast.' In an interview with BBC's Katie Razzall, Allen explained why the group had decided to finally retire. 'We've tried to stop four times so far… we tried to stop in 2019 basically because the fun had gone out of the whole thing and we all needed a rest, certainly from each other. 'We thought that was it but then after four years we'd all settled down and calmed ourselves and we were talking into doing a thank you tour which turned out to be one of the most joyous things we've ever done,' he explained. After being convinced to carry on touring for a while longer, they got ready to lay the mics down once more when an offer they couldn't refuse came in – playing Glastonbury. Reflecting on the 'emotional' end to their 68-year-long career, Allen added: 'We're saying goodbye to each other at the end, not just the crowd.' This year's BBC Glastonbury coverage has been under scrutiny for more than one reason. More Trending Earlier this week, the national broadcaster released a statement after it failed to pull the livestream for group Bob Vylan who ended their set with a series of chants including 'free Palestine' and 'death to the IDF'. The duo's performance was just ahead of Irish rap group Kneecap whose set was pre-emptively pulled from the BBC livestream but an edited version is available to watch on catch-up. Both performances are now under UK police investigation. Glastonbury 2025 performances are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: 80s music icon almost cancelled long-overdue Glastonbury debut over hearing fears MORE: BBC Play School presenter Donald Macdonald dies aged 86 MORE: Women's Euro 2025 TV channel schedule: How to watch every game in the UK
The Sun
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Glastonbury fans FUMING as legendary band's final ever festival performance isn't filmed by BBC
GLASTONBURY fans have been left bitterly disappointed as the BBC failed to film one major performance. Iconic band The Searchers performed their final ever gig over the weekend after 70 years of touring across the globe. 3 3 It was a momentous occasion for the band and fans were left over-the-moon that they would get to perform at the country's biggest festival in order to bring their touring career to a close. However, many viewers were left stunned to discover that the Friday night set would not be broadcast by the BBC. The band were due to perform on the Acoustic Stage between 8pm and 9pm. But fans hoping to catch it live streamed on the BBC iPlayer were left fuming when they discovered that there was no dedicated stream for performances on the Acoustic Stage. Reacting in disbelief, one unhappy fan said online: "Surely The Searchers should be on one of the feeds live, last ever show." Before another questioned: "Will the BBC show The Searchers set??" The BBC went on to clarify why they would not be broadcasting the group's final ever gig in a statement. A BBC spokesperson said: "We've celebrated The Searchers on the BBC with interviews with the band but unfortunately the Acoustic Stage is an area we haven't been able to have cameras in throughout the years." Sir Paul McCartney was one of the revellers who was spotted in the crowd for the band's final gig. The Searchers had long been associated with popular Liverpool music venue The Cavern Club - the same club which gave The Beatles their start in the music industry. Rod Stewart surprises Glastonbury fans with THREE huge guests during hit-packed legends slot Ahead of the gig, one of the band's members, Frank Allen, spoke out to share his excitement at appearing at the festival for the very first time in order to close out their momentous career. He said: "I have played shows across the world with The Searchers for over 60 years; Glastonbury has always been an ambition that has eluded us – until now. "The Searchers are finally performing at the greatest music festival of them all. "What a way to round off a tour and a career. I can't wait to get up on stage and give our fans one final blast." Glastonbury 2025 - confirmed acts so far TICKETS to the 2025 festival sold out in just minutes before some of the acts were even confirmed. Here is who has been confirmed so far. Confirmed headliners: The 1975 will take to the Pyramid Stage on Friday. Neil Young will headline the festival for the second time after his last set in 2009 on Saturday after RAYE makes her return. Charli xcx will headline the Other Stage on Saturday night. On Sunday, Olivia Rodrigo is due to belt out her hits for her first appearance while Rod Stewart will perform in the legends slot. More acts to appear on the Other Stage include Loyle Carner and The Prodigy. Doechii will make her Glastonbury debut on the West Holts Stage on Saturday night. Other names confirmed include Noah Kahan, Alanis Morissette, Gracie Abrams, Busta Rhymes, Lola Young, Brandi Carlile, Myles Smith, En Vogue, Amaarae, Cymande, Shaboozey, Osees and Gary Numan. 3
Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Glastonbury viewers fume as The Searchers' final gig 'snubbed' by BBC
The Searchers ended nearly 70 years of touring with their debut at Glastonbury Festival on Friday - but their final performance was not shown on BBC iPlayer BBC fans were left feeling let down as The Searchers' live performance failed to reach TV screens. The Liverpool legends wrapped up an astonishing 70 years of touring with a landmark debut at Glastonbury Festival today. Kicking off on Wednesday, June 25, the Worthy Farm festival will thrill music lovers until Sunday, June 29, boasting performances from a glittering array of musical talent. The top-billed superstars gracing this year's stages include The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, and Neil Young, alongside other big names such as Charli XCX, Grammy-award victor Doechii, Rod Stewart, and The Prodigy. Spotted in the company of John McNally and Frank Allen from The Searchers was none other than Sir Paul McCartney, all ahead of the band's final bow. Fans had their hopes dashed when they tuned in on Friday evening from 8pm to 9pm for the Acoustic Stage event only to find it absent from BBC iPlayer. Despite the plethora of live content streaming across platforms, including stalwarts like the Pyramid Stage and newcomers such as Woodsies Stage – to name but a few – the omission of the Acoustic Stage did not go unnoticed. Disgruntled viewers took to social media, with one fan posting: "Surely The Searchers should be on one of the feeds live, last ever show." A second supporter queried: "Will the BBC show The Searchers set??" With roots stretching back to the '60s and having started their incredible journey at the iconic Cavern Club amidst peers like The Beatles, Gerry and The Pacemakers, and The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Searchers' farewell performance symbolised a fitting tribute to their remarkable impact on the music world. In a heartfelt sign-off, The Cavern Club bid their "bittersweet farewell" to a legendary group that's been synonymous with Liverpool for over 60 years. They said: "We know they'll take the same energy, warmth, and timeless tunes to the Glastonbury stage as they have to every gig over the years - from the cellar of The Cavern Club to the bright lights of international fame. "While this may be their final show, their legacy will echo on - in their records, in the countless musicians they've influenced, and of course, here at The Cavern Club, where it all began. We'll be cheering them on at Glastonbury - and we know the whole of Liverpool will be too." One of the original band members, John McNally, spoke with a buzz to the BBC about his unprecedented debut: "A Glastonbury debut at 83-can anyone top that? I don't think life gets any better, does it? "There will be a few nerves, but in a good way, and we'll be nicely warmed up from our shows in June. We can't wait to see our fans again for this incredible final farewell." Frank Allen gave a nod to his incredible six-decade stint with the band: "I have played shows across the world with The Searchers for over 60 years; Glastonbury has always been an ambition that has eluded us – until now. "The Searchers are finally performing at the greatest music festival of them all. What a way to round off a tour and a career. I can't wait to get up on stage and give our fans one final blast."
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Memorial Day events across L.A. County to honor fallen soldiers
Communities across Southern California will commemorate Memorial Day with ceremonies, parades, concerts and family events honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Here's a look at the festivities happening across Los Angeles County. Forest Lawn locations throughout Los Angeles County will host Memorial Day events featuring keynote addresses, patriotic music and ceremonial wreath presentations. Events begin at 10 a.m. in Covina Hills, Long Beach, Cypress and Hollywood, with an additional 1 p.m. ceremony at Forest Lawn Glendale. Fiesta Hermosa, Hermosa Beach's annual Memorial Day weekend festival, will hold a remembrance ceremony from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Monday at the Acoustic Stage on Pier Plaza and the Strand. In San Pedro, LA Fleet Week wraps up with a Memorial Day Observance at 5:15 p.m. in front of the USS Battleship Iowa, 250 S. Harbor Blvd. The event will include a presentation of colors and a keynote speaker. Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes will host a 10 a.m. observance with skydivers, a mounted color procession, flyovers and music by the Caber Feidh Pipe Band. Lakewood will hold its annual tribute at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Del Valle Park. This year's keynote speaker is Jim Zenner, an Iraq War veteran and director of the L.A. County Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. Inglewood will host its Memorial Day Service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the South Mall, 1 W. Manchester Ave. Redondo Beach will hold a 1 p.m. ceremony at Veterans Park, 309 Esplanade, with retired Rear Adm. Sandy Adams as the keynote speaker. The 33rd Annual Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade begins with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. parade along Sherman Way from Owensmouth Avenue to Cozycroft Street. This year's theme honors fallen Canoga Park High School graduates. In Burbank, a 10 a.m. ceremony at McCambridge Park War Memorial will include a Condor Squadron flyover and a performance by the Burbank Community Band. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
