"You'll Love It"

So you do know that Teenage Fanclub hit the road again quite soon? 

Ticket links here.

I never saw Private Schulz back in the day but I took the notion to give it a go. Pressing play on these old BBC productions is a delicious wee taste of time travel. 

I'll say it again: I do wish the BBC would release their production of The Little World Of Don Camillo on DVD. Maybe it's been lost forever. *weeps* Anyone know a way of finding out?

I'm also dipping back into The League Of Gentlemen. (This was regular evening viewing when Teenage Fanclub were recording the Man-Made album in Chicago.) Geoff Tipps remains one of many highlights....

"In the jungle?!?"

I've got at least three books on the go at the one time. Not a good habit. I'm savouring the almost-finished John Cacavas biog...

My TV music has popped up in a few places recently:

• Inside Culture (BBC TWO)
• Amol Rajan Interviews (BBC TWO)
• Extraordinary Escapes With Sandi Toksvig (Channel4)

And Beechgrove (BBC Scotland, BBC TWO) is coming back. Hooray. I am working on more TV/film music stuff. More anon.

Still sketching for fun...

Apologies:

Christopher Lee, James Bolam, Tony Hart, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Capaldi, Michael Elphick, Johnny Ball, Pete & Dud, Russell Harty, Nigel Hawthorne (no really), Sita, Marilyn Monroe and (Scotland's own Marilyn Monroe)... Dee Hepburn (my first crush).

Toad

 As I type it's 16th March. Here's today's offering from my A Poem For Every Night Of The Year book.

You know Teenage Fanclub tour/UK/Europe soon - right?

Ticket links here - www.teenagefanclub.com/live

More sketchy drawings. They're fun for me at least...

Sorry: John Hurt, Ronnie Barker, Rik, Molly Weir, Julian Barratt, Marilyn Monroe's alcoholic auntie, Sita, Burt, Pat Phoenix, Noddy, Penelope Keith, Beaker, Elvis (jeez), Victor Spinetti, Joe Pesci, Sita again, Clint 'Travolta" Eastwood, Joe Lo Truglio, Bryan Ferry and Noel Fielding.

I'm off to write some music for TV... x

Only Absorb Information

I was glad to be musically involved with this, by Harry Pye and Gordon Beswick...

Here's John Cacavas on Telly Savalas on the psychological power of keeping your own counsel:

Currently reading Dante's Hell, as translated by Alasdair Gray.

"Worst grief...is happiness recalled in misery".

I enjoyed this from Armando Iannucci on Bach and how making films might parallel composing music.

I am working on music for a couple of things I can't mention for now. *he typed enigmatically*

And...the hits just keep on coming. I continue to sketch for fun and relaxation, posting them on Instagram because some folk seem to like them...

The usual apologies to:

Dick Van Dyke, Kenneth Williams, Bob Mortimer, John Noakes, James Gandolfini, Yul Brynner, Telly Savalas, Dennis Franz, Chet Baker, Maria Callas's granny looking unconvinced about something, Natalie Wood, Jim McLean, Archie Macpherson, Terry Wogan, John Cale, George 'Rasputin' Harrison, James Garner and Sita The Romanian Rescue Pup.

Farewell, Jan. I liked Meg & Mog when I was wee. And I loved Haunted House.