The story of Two Tribes

“Just think of it. War breaks out and nobody turns up”

It took the music world a little by surprise and when it was all at its peak, you were imagining that there’d been nothing so euphoric or hysterical since The Beatles. For the best part of 1984, Frankie were everywhere you were or went, on vinyl, on the radio, on posters, on t-shirts and most of all, in your head.

I had a few of the t-shirts (bought from Our Price) and the three 12″ singles, Annihilation, Carnage and Hibakusha.

Having already courted controversy with their single ‘Relax,’ Frankie Goes To Hollywood sealed their place in history by writing and redording this eloquent summary of the political landscape at the beginning of the ’80s. The Cold War was back in the headlines; American nuclear missiles sat on English soil in Greenham Common and old emnities between East and West had resurfaced.

Two Tribes appeared in the form of six mixes, including “Annihilation”, “Carnage”, “Hibakusha”, “Cowboys and Indians”, “We Don’t Want to Die” and “For The Victims Of Ravishment”.

Recorded by ’80s producer, Trevor Horn, the song was very much of its time, which may explain why so few artists have covered it. However in terms of the song’s ability to capture the paranoia and futility of the last days of the Cold War, it remains peerless.

The first 12-inch mix (“Annihilation”) started with an air-raid siren, and included advice from Allen about how to tag and dispose of family members should they die in the fallout shelter (taken from the public information film Casualties). This version appeared on CD editions of the album. “Annihilation” was the basis for the “Hibakusha” mix, which was originally released in a limited edition, and appears on the Japanese-only 1985 album Bang!.

“For The Victims Of Ravishment” appeared on the LP and cassette editions of the album Welcome To The Pleasuredome. It is the shortest version, at 3:27 minutes. This mix derived from the “Carnage” mix, which prominently featured strings as well as vocal samples from Allen and the group’s B-side interview.

With membership of CND (the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) at its all-time highest, popular opinion amongst the young was very much against old imperialist thinking. Recognising this, Frankie released ‘Two Tribes’ with its introduction taken directly from the UK Government’s ‘Protect and Survive’ public service broadcast: meant to be shown in the event of imminent nuclear attack. And if that wasn’t provocative enough, the song came accompanied by a video (directed by ex-10CC stars, Godley & Creme) which showed lookalikes of US president Ronald Reagan and USSR president Konstantin Chernenko duking it out in a bare-knuckle arena.

“Today, America apologised for being late for World War 1 and World War 2, but promised to be really punctual for the next one.”

“My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”

These jokes from the satirical show Not The Nine O’clock News and President Ronald Reagan capture the atmosphere of the world in the early eighties. The Cold War was in its fourth decade. Although we didn’t know it at the time, the Soviet Union was in its death throes. It was a great tine to be Kremlinologist as Soviet leaders were dropping like flies. In the space of two years they had had three leaders Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko. The last one didn’t last long either.

He would be replaced by Gorbachev after just over a year in the job. At the same time we saw the rise of two Western leaders who did not want to coexist peacefully with the USSR. Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were Cold Warriors. Conflict seemed inevitable. And remember, we were still living in the age of MAD, the doctrine of mutually assured destruction; you destroy us – we will destroy you. Each side had the capability to destroy the planet many times over. How did we ever get up every morning?

The fear of nuclear annihilation was reflected in popular culture. In 1982 When the Wind Blows, a graphic novel, by British artist Raymond Briggs, shows a nuclear attack on Britain by the Soviet Union. The novel’s protagonists, a retired couple, Jim and Hilda Bloggs, face the aftermath of a nuclear conflict with a WWII mentality. Briggs offers a searing critique of the government’s civil defence plans. In 1993 the film War Games, a young teenager, played by Mathew Broderick, hacks into the Pentagon nuclear defence system thinking he is in a computer game, and almost starts Armageddon.

Red Dawn a 1984 movie had World War III start with a surprise Soviet and Cuban invasion of the United States. Fortunately a heroic band of teenagers including Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen were able to fight off the commie invaders. It would have been even easier if Sheen hadn’t drunk all the Molotov Cocktails. Curiously, this masterpiece was remade in 2012. The baddies were going to be the Chinese, but this would have hit receipts at the Chinese box office, so it was the North Koreans who invaded.

The group was Frankie Goes to Hollywood (FGTH). Their frontman Holly Johnson (vocals) was accompanied by Paul Rutherford (vocals, keyboards), Peter Gill (drums, percussion), Mark O’Toole (bass guitar), and Brian Nash (guitar). According to Johnson they got their name from a page in The New Yorker magazine, featuring the headline “Frankie Goes to Hollywood, with an accompanying picture of Frank Sinatra.

Although it was on its way down, Relax was still in the charts when FGTH released their new single in May 1984. Two Tribes had first been performed as a John Peel session in 1982. But it would be some two years before it would actually be released. The song’s title derives from the line “when two great warrior tribes go to war“, from the film Mad Max 2. The song featured the distinctive voice of Patrick Allen, the voice of the Protect and Survive public service films, which had been released a couple of years before:

“If any member of the family should die whilst in the shelter from contamination, Put them outside, but remember to tag them first for identification purposes.”

This was not satire; reflected real government advice. They also used the voice of Chris Barrie as Ronald Reagan:

“You may pronounce us guilty a thousand times over, but the goddess of the eternal court of history will smile and tear to tatters the verdict of this court – for she acquits us.”

This was an allusion to Adolf Hitler’s concluding speech when he was tried for the Beer Hall Putsch in 1924.

Two Tribes went straight into the UK charts at Number One and stayed there for nine weeks. This was a considerable success in its own right, but what made it more impressive was the continuing success of Relax. With the release of Two Tribes its sales had begun to increase again, to the extent that FGTH held the top two spots in the UK charts during July 1984, a feat that had not been achieved since the 1960s. The album Welcome to the Pleasuredome was also a number-one hit. However, Frankiemania was over almost as soon as it had begun. By the time their second album, Liverpool, came out in 1986, the band’s audience had virtually disappeared.

The band’s stay was a short one but Two Tribes has been around now for 35 years and remains an iconic pop song and like nothing we will never hear again.

August 1, 2019

Animated Album Covers: A short-term effect?

When these began appearing I wondered if it would be a fad that would ride the waves for a while and then ultimately, the novelty would wear off, You could I suppose, loosely contrast it with the de riguer of late seventies / early eighties coloured vinyl though, with vinyl very much back in vogue, repressings have seen a new devotion to colour.

The thing I found about animated album covers was that using a variety of forums, as good as they looked, if you posted one or two to show them off, a lot of people found them just annoying, some heading to their profiles to disable moving images!

And the Nevermind one – well, the cover was controversial to begin with but I do like the animation.

Like most things, some of these are very smart and clever and some really quite tacky. In this post, I aim to give a brief history into the topic and post a few of my favourites.

So on May 8th, 2010, a single topic blog on Tumblr called Animated Albums created and posted three endless GIF loops of popular albums, including David Bowie’s Low, Blondie’s Parallel Lines, and Grace Jones’ Nightclubbing. Of the three, the Blondie received the most notes, with 750. Animated Albums continued to publish animated cover GIFs through 2013.

The meme went mainstream in October 2011, when the practice was adopted by the band R.E.M. as part of the promotional push for their “greatest hits” album, Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011.

jbetcom’s music, another single topic blog devoted to animating album covers, began publishing in October of 2013, around the same time as Animated Albums ended. Several articles have collected instances of the meme^[4]^[5]^[6], and a subreddit devoted to fans of the meme was founded in 2013 and has over 100 members.

Animated album covers have proven hugely popular though whether this fad will continue to be popular will of course remain to be seen.

July 31, 2019

“As nature intended” – naturism isn’t for wimps!

I asked some friends recently at a popular naturist / clothes optional beach whether they conceded that naturism has an element of exhibitionism. Having been raised by my parents in the naturist way, I get the freedom bit. But there surely has to be some exhibitionist or, in reverse, voyeuristic value to baring all in public.

Your average naturist will be in denial, for sure, but why else would the population at such a venue be around 80% male, a large proportion of who like to strut their stuff up and down the shore and beyond.

Don’t read me wrong here; I’m hardly likely to knock the concept or the freedom naturism brings. And nor am I writing to sell it. But nudity and unity combined are a fantastic couple and the beach is such a cool place to… er… hang out.

So I thought I’d ask Uncle Internet what he thought about the subject – this post brings together a few muses and opinions from a couple of articles found. And… oh it would be – the first ‘review’ is about a nudist beach near to Swanage!

We’re at Knoll Beach in Studland Bay – one of the most prominent nudist beaches in the country, and situated (like the bulk of them) along the south coast, presumably because it’s warmer. Studland may be renowned for its naturist area, but that’s what it is – an area. The entire beach is two and a half miles long, but the nudist bit takes up less than half of that. Still, at 900m, it’s pretty hefty. You also have to walk to it – the car park is some distance from the naturist section, which is clearly marked by signs.

At first it simply feels weird – as if you forgot to do something, like get dressed. And you wonder if anyone is staring.

You keep imagining a police officer suddenly appearing out of nowhere, covering you up with his truncheon (oo-er), followed by a public indecency prosecution. What’s more, you find yourself glancing up at the people walking past, who are deliberately trying to avoid eye contact. The British Naturist Beach Code (yes, really, it’s a thing) tells you to ‘avoid confronting or approaching textiles’ – the naturist equivalent of Muggles. But soon you realise that no one is looking at you, just as you are not looking at them. The dog-walkers and strolling couples have eyes for the ocean, or each other. They’ve seen the warning signs promising Naturists Beyond This Point, and they’re still here – so they can’t care that much.

That’s one of the old signs I think – they read different now. I used to think it was odd and that the word ‘may’ should have read ‘will’. After all, at the height of the summer season, thousands flock there to enjoy (hopefully) warm sunshine and a refreshing balmy sea,

But what they were saying. the thing is, if you start early, you bypass all those worries. And nobody bats an eyelid when you turn up at a beach and disrobe – why would they? Everyone else is naked – or ought to be.

Some things I don’t get, like textiles (the word for those of the clothed persuasion) that turn up at a naturist gathering and subject their children to all manner of the naked form (and I’m talking piercings and worse here) – and there’d be an almighty hoo-hah if we went and stripped off on ‘their’ beaches.

It wouldn’t be illegal however unless the intent was that you were aiming to cause distress or could be proven – it would be quite difficult I would imagine for it to stand up in court.

Needless to say, such cases are rare because naturists tend to frequent official venues so, when in Rome and all that.

I’ll tell you something else that’s great about naturists too. When you are at the beach, nudity is such a great leveller. You could be rich, poor, fat, thin, whatever AND here’s the thing, the people are so much more friendlier. You imagine a day at the coast when you’rr crammed like sardines near to strangers – bottom dollar they won’t talk to you.

Then there’s this weird concensus from people who’ve never tried it, they say… so you’re fully nude in close proximity to friends or people you don’t know and… you don’t think about S-E-X???

That to me is where it kind of falls down. The misunderstanding. Oh and the fact that naturism doesn’t really fit with Britain, a country (and one of very few left) that still changes itself under a towel. It’s no wonder the rest of Europe laughs at us Brits. Go into Europe and most beaches are clothes-optional.

The Carry On movies and the saucy seaside postcards neatly sum up our general attitude towards nudity and that other thing.

See, I was raised on Whizzer & Chips and Health & Efficiency and neither did me any harm. Plus I know I was one of those children who’d happily strip off at the beach. It was natural – you don’t get taught that.

Because most of my nascent was away from the seaside and I grew through the awkward years, I didn’t return to naturism until my early twenties and even then found it a little awkward, a bit like being out of practice. But when I returned to my birth county I went back to the aforementioned venue and I’ve been there ever since.

This article I found interesting, from The Independent, is about a naturist cruise for… yes, 2,000 people! Here’s a potted excerpt…

“We are safely away and you can now enjoy a…” There was a pause, as if the cruise director was having trouble choosing what, exactly, he should call what was about to happen. Finally he said, “…a carefree environment.”

The announcement was still reverberating through the ship when the scrotum airing began in earnest; shorts and shirts dropped to the ground and penises dangled in the south Florida sun. Permission had been granted. Now buttocks could swing from side to side with no restrictions, and breasts – finally released from the prison of blouse and brassiere – burst into the open, to be caressed by soft tropical breezes. We were on a boat. One thousand, eight hundred and sixty-six nudists living the “anti-textile” dream.

Not that some of them weren’t almost nude before the cruise director gave the all clear. Many were in various states of undress, itching to toss their clothes aside. A skeletal man in his eighties wandered around the ship wearing only a fluorescent thong, his loose skin draped around his bones in cascades that looked like freckled frosting, and a gigantic, barrel-chested man – he looked like he’d eaten an actual barrel – lumbered around the lido deck on an industrial-strength cane, wearing only a loincloth. A few people soaked in Jacuzzis, surreptitiously slipping out of their swimsuits, while the less rebellious sat by the pool, looking somewhat forlorn, waiting for the green light. These were nudists, after all. And they had paid big bucks to frolic in the buff. When the all clear was sounded, they didn’t hesitate.

There are rules for being a nudist. It’s not enough to drop your trousers and waggle your genitals in the sunshine. That might be fun – or, depending where you are, get you arrested – but it’s not nudism. You can take off your clothes and run across a football field, but that’s not nudism, that’s streaking. Jump in a lake and frolic naked with several of your friends? That’s skinny-dipping. Fun, but not nudism. Even bathing in a Japanese onsen isn’t nudism. Yes, you’re naked and with other naked people in a hot spring, but after you’ve cleaned and refreshed in the cold plunge, you get dressed and go out for ramen. A nudist would eat noodles naked, with other naked people.

I had never been on a cruise ship before – I’d never even been interested in being on a cruise ship – but this wasn’t just any cruise, this was the Big Nude Boat, a special charter offered by Bare Necessities, the premier “nakation” (a portmanteau of “naked” and “vacation,” but you probably figured that out) travel agency. Not only that, the cruise was on board the Nieuw Amsterdam, one of the Holland America Line’s more luxurious ships, which meant this was the deluxe version of non-sexual social nude recreation. Meaning nudism. Or naturism. Depending on who you ask. There are several theories floating around about which word means what – historically speaking there are some actual distinctions – but the reality was that I was on a boat with almost 2,000 people who weren’t wearing clothes.

You can read more by clicking below:

What’s it like on a boat with 2,000 people not wearing clothes?

So I think that in Britain we are lucky to have the clubs and beaches and of course, those with secluded gardens can enjoy naturism in the privacy of their own homes. But my original point still bugs me. There’s a conflict there. I like being naked and being in the company of other naked people – it’s just liberating, simple as that. Am I an exhibitionist? In that sense, I am, I guess… but most naturists would disagree. And that’s fine, just like naturism. There is nothing innately wrong or disgusting about the naked human form. If we teach our children that there is then we’re on a slippery path I feel. The children of today would be tomorrow’s naturists but misuse of modern technology means that they will never have the freedom I was given forty years ago and that’s a great pity.

July 26, 2019

My Favourite Sitcom – Early Doors

“Early Doors!”
“Correct. Label?”
“BBC2”
“Spot on. Year!”
“2003-2004”
“Top man!”

So when I say this is far and away my favourite sitcom it’s high accolade and against the grain of the general concensus that would have Only Fools And Horses as the best tv comedy show ever.

But then I always preferred the dark side. The League Of Gentlemen and other alternative comedies appealed to me faar more than a lot of the greats but don’t read me too wrong; I can take as much of George and Mildred or On The Buses as you could throw at me.

Written by Craig Cash (he of The Royle Family) and Phil Mealey, both would star in this fantastically northern comedy about the woes of back street pub landlord Ken Dixon (John Henshaw) and the regular clientele.

Ken Dixon (Landlord)

And it’s that regualar clientele that endeared me most, mainly because in the same way Little Britain made sketches based on people they had actually seen rather than invent these eccentric souls, you’d lay money that in any given pub somewhere, there are people just like Joan and Eddie!

Then there’s the ‘bill’ – a pair of coppers who drop in for freebies and cause mayhem – you couldn’t write it but Phil Mealey did and I thank him eternally.

Just like the classic Fawlty Towers, just two series and a dozen episodes were made and I’ve trimmed my DvD box set into gorgeous snippets for others to watch and enjoy.

So let’s start at the beginning, for what a very food place to start, with Ken opening up the pub and greeting Tommy, ever the first through the door…

In this second clip we meet Joe and Duffy (Craig Cash and Phil Mealey) in the now famous “This Charming Man” scene where at the end, to get the lads’ attention for the upcoming big boys beano, he says “hang on, let me just turn this shite down!”…

The overview of episode one is that Ken, sets about organising the Big Boys’ Beano, Jean and Winnie try to protect a friend’s reputation and the local police, Phil and Nige attempt to solve the off-license robbery. Melanie’s search for her real father progresses but is Ken really as pleased as he seems?

Meanwhile, temporary traffic lights and the build up of cigarette butts in the urinals cause problems in The Grapes. Introducing the antithesis of “fast” Eddie…

As we meet the characters one by one, this time it’s Ken’s mum Jean who does nowt but sit upstairs all day on her inhaler, scoffing sweets! In this scene there’s also fellow gossiper, Winnie, who’s the regular char. Jean’s read an article in the local rag about some misdemeanour by the son of a friend and only gone and photo-copied it. What kind of callous person would do that?!

July 18, 2019

Flick 2 Kick: A potted history of Subbuteo

It was the perfect timewaster for then pre-teens and tweens. My Dad pasted the green baize cloth onto a large piece of chipboard, around which was the fencing, stands, scoreboard, floodlights. Accessories would arrive in the post via a lot of saving up pocket money. I actually cut my right hand open eagerly opening a package I remember.

A childhood photo here (you can tell it’s the seventies by the shirt!)…

And how many times did your Mum hoover up your star striker or tread on the poor tiny heads, rendering them unfit for the trip to Blackpool? On our estate there were leagues going on in the days before you discovered girls. I grew up in Farnham (Surrey) and so naturally was an Aldershot fan and tried my best to create my home ground as near to the Rec as I could get it. In this photo, someone has three stands side by side at one end to give that big stadium effect…

And this one’s even more impressive… my guess is it’s maybe Malaga?

There were other table-top games back then, namely one called Striker which I think was made by Chad Valley. In that game the plastic figures were far bigger and to kick the ball you had to position it by the player’s foot and press down on his head!

Subbuteo ventured into other sports as well, namely cricket and rugby and I tinkered with both but they were never as big as the Subbuteo football game which fascinated children and grown up children in the seventies, eighties and beyond.

The balls were weird too. I mean, to scale the standard balls were almost the same size as the player and the larger ones were… just way too large! And who couldn’t be excited about ordering a set of new goals – look at these, one in red netting and one in blue – ideal for Shots fans!

Your teams, when you could afford a new one, came in a cardboard presentation box with a plastic insert – here’s the Shakhtar Donetsk team of vintage…

Subbuteo has also touched the music industry with a Subbuteo football figure gracing the picture sleeve of The Undertones 1980 single My Perfect Cousin and referencing the game in the lyrics:

Now I’ve got a cousin called Kevin
He’s sure to go to heaven
Always spotless clean and neat
The smoothest you can get them
He’s got a fur lined sheepskin jacket
My ma said they cost a packet
She won’t even let me explain
That me and Kevin were just not the same

Oh my perfect cousin
What I like to do he doesn’t
He’s his family’s private joy
His mothers little golden boy

He’s gotta a grade in economics
Maths – physics and bionics
He thinks that I’m a cabbage
’cause I hate university challenge
Even at the age of ten
Smart boy Kevin was a smart boy then
He always beat me at Subbuteo
’cause he flicked the kick
And I didn’t know

Oh my perfect cousin ..

His mother bought him a synthesizer
Got the Human League into advise her
Now he’s making lots of noise
Playing along with the art school boys
Girls try to attract his attention
But what a shame it’s in vain total rejection
He will never be left on the shelf
’cause Kevin he’s in love with himself

Amd better still, family favourites Half Man Half Biscuit wished for a Dukla Prague Away kit for Christmas!

The game

Playing Subbuteo is a physical simulation of association football, involving dexterity and skill in flicking the playing figures, which stand on weighted bases, across the tabletop pitch towards the ball.

What makes the game different from most other tabletop sports games are the hundreds of team kits and accessories. While most games feature only two teams (usually “red vs blue” or “white vs black”), Subbuteo has several hundred team designs, almost all representing real teams, with the notable exception of comic book legends Melchester Rovers. While there were many famous teams such as Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid, these were complemented by many unique sides, such as Boston Minutemen, Landskrona, Antwerp, Hartford Bicentennials, Admira Wacker, and even unpainted models. There are also many additional accessories, such as new balls and goals, special figures for free kicks and throw-ins, stands and crowd, linesmen, ball-boys, streakers and policemen, floodlights, TV cameras and even a mini-Her Majesty the Queen to present the FA Cup.

The rules of Subbuteo table football attempts to correspond as closely as possible with association football. However, the necessary simplifications involved in some ways complicate things further. Players maintain possession as long as the figure they flick makes contact with the ball and the ball does not subsequently hit an opposing figure, although the same figure cannot be used for more than three consecutive flicks. Shots at goal can be taken only once the ball is over the ‘shooting line’, a line parallel to and equidistant between the goal line and half-way line. The goalkeeper figures are attached to, and manoeuvered with, a rod that fits underneath the back of the goal. The offside law is in effect, but only pertaining to figures that are forward of the opposing team’s shooting line (as opposed to the half-way line, as in actual football).

So what of the game’s origins?

The game of Subbuteo was invented by Peter Adolph (1916–1994), who was demobbed from the Royal Air Force after the end of World War II. Searching for a new business opportunity he turned his attention to creating a new table-top football game. He adapted his game from Newfooty, a table football game that had been invented in 1929 by William Lane Keeling of Liverpool. He made numerous improvements, including changing the heavy lead bases under the model players to lighter materials, using for his prototype a button from his mother’s coat and a washer.

The first Subbuteo sets, known as the Assembly Outfits, consisted of goals made of wire with paper nets, a cellulose acetate ball, cardboard playing figures in two basic kits (red shirts with white shorts, and blue shirts with white shorts) and bases made from buttons weighed down with lead washers. The story is that Peter found one of his mother’s coat buttons and used Woolworth buttons for the early set bases. No pitch was provided: instead, the purchaser was given instructions on how to mark out (with chalk, provided) a playing area on to a blanket (an old army blanket was recommended). The first sets were eventually available in March 1947, several months after the original advertisement appeared. The first figures were made of flat cardboard cut out of a long strip. Later these card players came in press-out strips before being replaced with two-dimensional celluloid figures, known to collectors as “flats”.

Early production of Subbuteo was centred in Langton Green, near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Following the advent of the OO scale players the player figures were individually hand painted by local outworkers in their own homes. In its early years, Subbuteo had a fierce rivalry with Newfooty. In the run up to Christmas 1961 Adolph introduced a three-dimensional handpainted plastic figure into the range. After several design modifications, this figure evolved by 1967 into the classic “heavyweight” figure pictured.

Newfooty ceased trading in 1961 after a failed television advertising campaign but its demise is thought to be linked to the launch of the moulded Subbuteo players. There were several further evolutions of figure design. In 1978 the “zombie” figure was introduced to facilitate the machine painting of figures. After much negative feedback, the zombie figure was replaced in 1980 by the “lightweight” figure that continued until the 1990s. The game was very popular until it suddenly stopped production. The brand was initially relaunched by Hasbro, who for a short time produced flat photorealistic card-style figures on bases, rather than three dimensional figures

The 1960’s

In this decade, Subbuteo produced the already-legendary three-dimensional figures.

The first figures were called Earlier. Their bases, which were larger, were divided into two parts, interior and exterior, which created the possibility of giving them different colours. The inside of the base was hollow, with a metal weight to give it some weight.

The figure had a short-sleeve, V-neck shirt, with little detail and a strange posture and a flat appearance. The player was placed atop the top part of the base using a thin rod (copy of the diagrams).

This figure was produced until 1967, when it was replaced by the so-called “heavyweight” figure. The “heavyweight” figure had more detail and wore a long-sleeve shirt with a round neck. The designer of these figures was Charles Stadden and the figures were painted and assembled by housewives in Tunbridge Wells.

This was the era in which Subbuteo could be said to have taken off, since the sets were sold in a very attractive package and could be found in toy shops and sporting goods shops all over the country.

In August 1970, the “First International Table Football Tournament” took place in the Savoy Hotel in London. The prize was the John Waddington World Cup Trophy.

The countries that participated were Belgium, Ireland, Gibraltar, Holland, Israel, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, the USA, Wales, and the champion West Germany. In 1974, the Munich World Series was played, with Holland being the winner.

Accessories continued to be developed, with rods for changing the goalie, medium-sized balls, specific figures for corner kicks, and a much-anticipated accessory, the grandstand, which was sold with 5 spectators.

The “heavyweight” figure arrives

In 1981, the figure known as “lightweight” was created; it is a more detailed figure, with bent knees (similar to the “heavyweight” figure) but more thinner and with a lighter design. They were machine painted, although during the first two years of production they were also hand painted. These figures’ details allowed for logos, crests, and stripes. This figure was used from 1981 until 1996.

Among the accessories created during this period were crowd barriers and mounted police. In this period there was a change in Subbuteo’s location: the company moved to Leeds as it no longer needed the labour in Kent.

The Waddington years

From 1983 to 1987, Waddington progressively reduced Subbuteo’s product range (by removing its cricket, rugby, and hockey games from the market), and they also reduced the number of teams available (from 298 to 169) and the number of sets (in 1987 there were only two boxes, the Club Edition and the 1986 World Cup Edition).

In 1987, Waddington decided to relaunch its new line of Subbuteo products and to target a new audience. Among the game’s new accessories were a new grandstand, now red and blue, and the grey corner piece, which was complemented in 1991 with the arrival of “Greek pillar” floodlights.

With this new launch, Waddington chose to acquire new licences, starting with those of the 1990 World Cup in Italy and the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Two more licences were added in 1995: the Euro 1996 and an edition that included all of the teams from the Premiership.

The Hasbro years

Hasbro acquired Waddington in the mid 1990s.

It began with a key change to the base of the figures. They were now just one piece and one colour, apparently solid and without the metal weight, with a larger bottom and a thinner curved edge. This increased the figure’s stability and made straight movements much easier. Hasbro acquired the 1996 Euro and 1998 World Cup licences.

The official Manchester United Edition was later released with new accessories and also included the club’s crest on the centre circle of the pitch and on the balls. The new “Club” set even came with a surprise: the pitch was made of a new material – not as good as the baize from the 1970s, but better than nylon. It was a shame it only appeared in this set.

In 2000, Hasbro launched new sets that were a relaunch of the sets with the Premier clubs, an updated version of the Manchester United Edition, and a deluxe set that included the return of the grandstand (this time in red and white) and three teams.

Some of the most popular Premiership teams were launched, like Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, and Tottenham.

In 2003, Edilio Parodi acquired the rights from Hasbro to sell new Subbuteo products on the Italian market and to produce their own range (the return of the Astropitch, a new playing figure, a redesigned base more suitable to the modern game, etc.). The teams were painted in China. Hasbro’s licence to Edilio Parodi lasted until 2005.

At the beginning of that year, Hasbro launched Subbuteo again, this time under the name “Photo-Real.” The figures were made of cardboard and had the faces of real footballers from 8 top European clubs.

After this edition, Subbuteo disappeared from shops, except for certain editions, such as the one that was made in England by Marc & Spancer shops in 2009 and was quite successful.

2012 – A new beginning…

After several years of not being available in shops, a new Subbuteo game reappears with full force in 2012. The packaging is mostly green – any other colour wouldn’t have been fitting… The logo maintains the brand’s classic colours and lettering, but breathes a more modern air that is adapted to the 21st century.

The product follows this idea, respecting Subbuteo’s classic identity while adding new features that improve the game considerably. Some of these features are:

A high-quality cloth playing field. Subbuteo is a game of precision, and the quality of the playing field is an extremely important point.

New base design that improves stability and makes movement easier.

More detailed figures: Teams have players of different races, with long and short hair, blonde/brown/red hair, different-coloured football boots, etc.

Nearly unbreakable figures: The new Subbuteo includes this great new feature. Figures are made with a more flexible and durable material that resists breakage.

The new Subbuteo has been received with great excitement by fans all over the world. It’s been many years of waiting, but Subbuteo has returned… this time to stay?

July 17, 2019

The Reading Festival / Revisited

With Glastonbury still reasonably fresh in the memory, my thoughts turn to the Reading Festival which this year takes place 23, 24 and 25 August.

How many of the acts will I know?

2019 Line-up

Very few to be honest but there is an overwhelming bundle of names to explore;

The two major memories for me are from the nineties in Madder Rose and Solar Race, the latter of which the lead singer tragically took her own life (more later).

There is sadly very little footage available online from those years but this was them and this rocked…

However I am thrilled to write that I can bring you “Bring It Down” from the Madder Rose set I saw in ’93…

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So before we take a look at some of this year’s Reading line-up, let’s go back in time to when and where it all began…

While the Reading festival dates back to 1971, its origins can be traced back more than half a century.

The National Jazz Festival was first held at Richmond Athletic Ground in August 1961 but by 1965 the popularity of jazz, was giving way to that of rhythm and blues and it became the National Jazz and Blues Festival.

The following year noise complaints caused it to move to Windsor Racecourse and it led a nomadic existence, moving again to Kempton Park in 1968, Plumpton in 1969 before settling in Reading in 1971.

It had been originated by the National Jazz Federation and London’s Marquee Club which was founded by Harold Pendleton who was the festival’s promoter for many years.

It’s arrival in Reading was much different from today. It was part of the town’s Festival Of Arts at the end of June that year in which many other events were held including a procession of floats through the town centre. The site was further to the east than today, occupying the field which is now home to Rivermead, Toby Carvery and Premier Inn.

A weekend ticket to see the likes of Wishbone Ash (who were to become a festival favourite for more than a decade) Genesis, Lindisfarne, Ralph McTell and Rory Gallagher was £1.50 (for £2 got you camping as well).

The following year Rod Stewart and The Faces, along with Genesis once again, topped the bill. Those names along with the likes of Status Quo, Thin Lizzy, Hawkwind, Judas Priest and Dr Feelgood became synonymous with the festival during that period.

There had long been opposition to the festival from locals who had concerns over noise, drugs, thefts, violence and nude swimming and in 1978 trouble flared when punk band Sham 69 sparked a riot in which 20 fans needed hospital treatment.

After the 1983 festival the council refused to grant the organisers a licence until 1986 when that decision was reversed. However bottles and bonfires were now banned.

The Young Ones in the form of their own band, Bad News performed in 1987 and the following year Iggy Pop were among the few highlights in a festival said to have suffered while Michael Jackson appeared at Donnington Castle the same weekend.

New organisers Mean Fiddler started to vary the music by 1989 and New Order and Billy Bragg were the kinds of headline acts during the new organiser’s early years.

In 1999 Mean Fiddler split the festival in two by running a twin event in Leeds at the same time. The two are now fully linked as one of the major dates on the music calendar.

Festival Republic took over the running in the 2000s and off-stage innovation continued with the first BBC Introducing stage in 2008 and a new footbridge over the Thames to connect the festival with one of its campsites.

Recent years have seen headline performances from Biffy Clyro, Eminem, Green Day, The Cure, Foo Fighters and Guns N’ Roses, and in 2014 Reading Festival continues to be one of the most famous, and best, rock festivals in the world.

As mentioned earlier,…

Lead singer of ‘Madchester’ rock band may have died from overdose after ‘becoming recluse’

THE lead singer of a cult rock band may have died from a drugs overdose after living a reclusive life following the break-up of the band, an inquest has heard.

Eilidh Bradley was part of Solar Race – a grunge trio favoured by Radio One DJ John Peel and tipped at one point to be the “next Nirvana”.

The band was popular on the Manchester music scene in the eighties and nineties – known as the “Madchester” era – and at the height of their success was signed to the same record label as The Stone Roses.

But after the band split in 1998 due to “creative differences” Eilidh barely left her home and became increasingly worried her song lyrics were too “dark” and might have a “ripple effect” on fans.

She also feared she would meet a “terrible end”, the inquest heard last week.

She was found dead aged 48 in her flat – in Irlam, near Salford, Greater Manchester – in May by accident when police searching for a suspect knocked on her door.

It is believed her body had laid undiscovered for almost a month. There were empty packets of paracetamol and prescription medication for depression surrounding her.

All very sad and I loved Solar Race – they could have gone on to brighter things.

So who do we know?

The 1975, The Wombats, Foo Fighters… Twenty One Pilots (were they at Glasto? I’m not quite sure) but what I am sure of is that Reading Festival is alive and well and getting larger by the year.

Let’s end by picking a random act from the Main Stage menu!

July 17, 2019