New arrivals of the week, from U.K.

New arrivals of the week, from U.K., just added in my collection! 

1- "SANCTUARY", third and last album by the english post-punk band from Shepherd's Bush (London) "The Passions";

Original '82 UK Polydor release.

 

 


 

Other two "Passions" albums, "Michael & Miranda" from 1980 and "Thirty Thousand Feet Over China" from 1981 are in my collection. "Thirty Thousand Feet" is my favourite album and the first I've bought.


= = Anecdote: = =

During a night of August 2020, "YouTube's algorithm" proposed me 1981 hit, and probably most famous "Passions" track:
"I'm In Love With A German Film Star"; the image of the cover impressed me, so I started the video and discovered a great sound, lyric apart...




2- "DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE", II album by a band that not need presentation:

The DEVO!!!

Here we (I!) have a wonderful near mint US release from 1979; not only an US release, but a "Los Angeles Pressing":

pressed by the Capitol Records Pressing Plant in L.A.!

Unfortunately, inner sleeve with lyrics, credits etc... is missing, so I'm not really satisfied by this last purchase because of this lack!!!
I can accept a missing inner sleeve in other bands albums, but not in "DEVO" albums!!!!!!

Never mind...

See you on Sunday,
obviously sorry for my english and

GOD BLESS YOU!

-Chris-

Letter from a disgusted guy...

I'm a "Sex Pistols" fan and I have various records of this band in my Ikea's "KALLAX", in the punk/dark wave square.

This evening I want to report you a detail on the cover of a 7" that I own:
a "Warner Bros Records" Made in U.S.A. 1977 release, with "Pretty Vacant" in A side and "Sub Mission" in B side.
On the back side of the cover there's a long letter from a VERY disgusted guy; disgusted about "Sex Pistols" and punks in general, disgusted about lyrics extc... and worried about a supposed decline of the music world...................

Here's the delirium:

To the guy who signed these punks:
Some people would do anything for a buck. Are these punks to be multi millionaires too like all the rest. Of course the poor young kids of today don't have an inkling of what music is all about. We just lost a fine gentleman, a good individual, a good family man and least but not last-- A FINE PROFESSIONAL
SINGER OF GOOD MUSIC. There won't be any teenagers crying over him, there won't be any shrines built for his memory. HE WOULDN'T WANT IT THAT WAY. I'm talking about Bing Crosby. These punks you just signed are going to make a lot of our  kids emulate their disgusting tactics. I hope your kids, if you have any don't turn out bad. You and your ilk have made millions, perhaps billions from such super XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Stars (???) ad Bob Dylan who can't sing for shit, Jimmy Hendricks, Janis Joplin, even your Frampton can't sing for shit. NONE OF YOUR SO CALLED STARS CA. The call themselves writers (?) singers (?) and composers (?) What a laugh!! Mick Jaggers and all the rest. But what the hell do you guys care, you make your bundle. What ever happened to our music, the Crosby, Andy Williams type Our Jerry Vales, Sergi Franchi, Even Shecky Green with his Impossible Dream is much easier on the ears than all those millionaire punks. They take the poor kids to the cleaners. Some wait in line all night for a ticket. The ones with the "bread" come up with hundred bucks for a pair of tickets for  certain perform ances AND FOR CHRIST SAKE, DON'T CALL THEM CONCERTS. Those junkies, queers and bums have so much money they don't know what to do with it. Many of our better hotels around won't even rent to them for all the money in the world for the

simple reason that THEY ARE PUNKS AND NOTHING ELSE. No, I'm not a long hair, I've been around and know the score. You take these UNTALENTED punks, give them a big build up, arrange their tours and you too shovel in the BUCKS. It's a damn shame that the youth of our country know only this kind of trash music (?) BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR ILK PROMOTE THEM. ELTON JOHN, another over rated millionaire. Do these punks ever contribute anything to humanity? Ed Sullivan was the first one in TV who prostituted himself and gave these punks public exposure, the rest followed.

The kids ate it up because they had nothing else. Johnny Rotten, what a name to pick! SICK-SICK-SICK. The times Robert Hilburn music (???)  editor helps build the punks up too, the way you do. I wonder whether you know THE REAL MEANING OF PUNK

Well, punks they are, what else? I don't think that there is one probably, perhaps NONE who can really sing. The lyrics? UGH, makes no sense at all. But you don't care, the bucks are important to you. YOU DON'T CONTRIBUTE A DAMN THING TO HUMANITY. Oh, you throw a few bucks around for charity once in a while-big deal

Well, good luck with your Sex Pistols. Pretty soon when they get a few bucks ahead and don't know what to do with themselves-you'll have to bail one out for junk or something. Russ Meyer, where did I hear that name before? Oh yeah, that's another character who makes his bucks from sick people. God damn it, it really pisses you off when ROTTENESS, FILTH AND NON TALENT CAN BECOME MILLIONAIRES.

Nothing wrong in making money but the wrong people are making it in your line of businnes-TRASH TRASH TRASH and nothing more. Dean Martin at his age can even belt something out that's easy on the ears. So long. They were run out of England so we take 'em in here---NOT WE---You. I'm waiting for one of your new punks to come out of the closet and declare that he's BI. No, I'm not a Anita Bryant fan.

I'm just angry to see what is palmed off on the American public as music. Bah.

                                     DISGUSTED WITH YOUR NEW FIND

 


LoL !!!!

Olivetti M40 II serie - 1942

Well my dear readers,

this evening I wish talk you about a thing that I'm really proud to own:

an italian (obviously...) typewriter by Olivetti, an "M40 II serie" from 1942.

 

======================================================

Two words about the story of this incredible device:

designed in 1930 by Camillo Olivetti and Gino Levi Martinoli with a target:

create the best typewriter in the world, and they probably did it!
So, Olivetti plant started the production of the "M40s" in 1931 and produced over half a million pieces in about eighteen years, in three versions:

-M40 I serie, from 1931 until 1938;
-M40 II serie, from 1938 until 1946;
-M40 III serie, from 1946 until 1948.

Strenghts of the "M40s" are speed of use and comfort; in fact, other goals of the "M40" designers were to create a typewriter that shouldn't tire typist and don't wear out theyr fingers (!!!);
to create a cheaply price long life device.




As I said, I own a "II serie" from 1942,
from a sad period for the world and for my country in particular.

My "M40 II serie" was restored by Alessio Vescovo between November and December 2024; and here you can see some interesting pics before and after the restoration process, a very fine job that gave a new life to my typewriter!

Before restoration, with rust, jammed mechanism, heavy dust and signs of rain:

 

== The restoration ==

disassembled:



 

parts washing:

ultrasonic wash:

rebuilt rubber rollers:

reassembling and adding new grease:

...end restoration.

A full working "M40 II serie", with appreciable signs of time:

                 

Alessio Vescovo is probably the best typewriter restorer in Italy and probably in Europe, with a deep knowledge about typewriters and other mechanical devices like calculators. His workshop is situated in Padova, Italy.

If your typewriter needs to be refurbished,
Alessio Vescovo is the best answer.

Link: VESCOVO RESTAURI

Thanks for reading and God bless you.

See you next week, if all goes well.

-Chris-

Briefcase Full Of Blues, by Blues Brothers!

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to the Universal Amphitheater. Well, here it is the late 1970's going on 1985. Y'know so much of the music we here today is pre-programmed electronic disco, we never get a chance to hear master blues men practicing their craft anymore. By the year 2006, the music known today as the blues will exist only in the classical records department of your local public library. So tonight, Ladies and Gentlemen, while we still can, let us welcome from Rock Island, Illinois, the blues men of Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues:

The Blues Brothers!" 

"Briefcase Full Of Blues", debut album by Blues Brothers; in my collection I have a 1978 "Atlantic Records" german release.

When I was a child, in the '90s, I saw the "Blues Brothers" movie hundreds and hundreds times; a great movie, with great music and great musicians; spectacular car chases and accidents.
Obviously, I always loved (!) the main characters dress code!

I can find only a sad aspect in this movie:
dozens of Dodge Monacos were destroyed... sigh.

Back on topic:
I have the original soundtrack of the movie in my collection, in compact disc format. This album anyway is a great piece, relaxing and funny (thinking about John Belushi screams!!) at the same time... maybe some people won't appreciate the fact that ALL the tracks are covers from 1950s to 70s blues and soul songs.
Not a problem in my opinion.

"Briefcase Full Of Blues" reaches position number 1 in the "Billboard 200";
sold over two million copies in the US and won double platinum!

Blues Brothers band were:

"Joliet" Jake Blues (John Belushi) – lead vocals

Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) – backing vocals, harmonica, lead vocals on "Rubber Biscuit"

Paul "The Shiv" Shaffer – backing vocals, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, acoustic piano, musical director

Steve "The Colonel" Cropper – guitar

Matt "Guitar" Murphy – guitar

Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar

Steve "Getdwa" Jordan – backing vocals, drums

Lou "Blue Lou" Marini – tenor and alto saxophones, backing vocals

Alan "Mr. Fabulous" Rubin – trumpet, backing vocals

Tom "Triple Scale" Scott – tenor and alto saxophones, backing vocals

Tom "Bones" Malone - tenor and baritone saxophones, trombone, trumpet, backing vocals, horn arrangements

(thanks Wikipedia!)

See you next Sunday!
In the next post I will talk about a weird, very old and fascinating object that I own about a year.

-Chris-