Bovey Traces

  When I was cataloguing my CD collection during the COVID lockdown, I came across several that my parents had bought. One that I found in the “various artists” section, Sixties Mix Two , reminded me of a late ‘80s musical trend that is little celebrated now – digital megamixes of rock-and-roll-era tracks, which peaked (or reached a nadir) with a short-lived phenomenon involving a cartoon rabbit... The 1988 compilation  Sixties Mix Two boasts on the sleeve 60 “original recordings”, implying that this wasn’t something to be taken for granted. This was probably due to the glut of cheap '50s/'60s compilations at the time featuring re-recordings of the original tracks by the original artists, but it also points to the predecessors of these types of megamixes. The early '80s saw several disco-style medleys hit the charts. The most famous of these were the Stars On 45 releases by Star Sound (which launched a wave of pastiches by contemporary acts such as Squeeze, Captain Sensi...

This was a commissioned article for the theatre programme of Phoenix Theatre's production of Bend It Like Beckham (2015). As well as his skills on the football pitch, David Beckham is world-renowned as a style icon. Whether on the ball or at the ball, Becks has given us some bold (and bald) fashion choices over the years. Curtains For England After becoming a crucial part of the Manchester United and England teams in 1996–1997,   with his bendy free kicks, pinpoint crosses and goals from the halfway line. It was all beginning to gel for Becks – including his heavily gelled ‘curtains’ hairstyle. By the time the 1998 World Cup in France arrived, his barnet was blonde; but he saw a different colour – red – when he got sent off in England’s match against Argentina. Going For A Sarong When Becks flew to France, his new fiancée, Victoria Adams (aka ‘Posh Spice’), travelled along with him. The Spice Girl supported Becks at all of England’s matches, and the couple were spotted at ...

This was my TV review of the sitcom The IT Crowd, first published on a now-retired blog on 7 February 2006.   The IT Crowd Channel 4 – 9.00 P.M. Even with a pedigree like Graham Linehan’s ( The Day Today , Father Ted , and Black Books ), Channel 4’s decision to show the first two episodes of his new sitcom The IT Crowd  back-to-back is unclear. Perhaps they felt, as with Father Ted , it needed a couple of episodes to get to know the characters. So the first episode was spent mostly setting up the situation of Jen (Katherine Parkinson) disrupting the geeky world of computer nerds Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and Maurice (Richard Ayoade). Despite the inevitable IT clichés early on (technophobe Jen forgetting to plug her computer in) the show had got into gear by the second episode. Chris Morris was reminiscent of Reggie Perrin’s C.J. as the overbearing boss Denholm, and there was evidence of the surreal, knowing plot-telegraphing that Linehan excels at (involving a barefoot Jen and a Japa...

This was a c ommissioned article for the touring theatre programme of Theatre Royal Bath and Rose Theatre Productions' production of Stones in His Pockets (March–July 2019). From its breathtaking countryside and colossal cliffs to its quaint villages and bustling capital city, Ireland has provided film-makers over the years with a ready-made set. Hollywood in particular has been a regular visitor, with everything from Technicolor romances to intergalactic epics filmed on location in the Emerald Isle. The first Hollywood film to be shot in Ireland (and indeed outside the USA) was Sidney Olcott’s A Lad From Old Ireland (1910), marketed by the Kalem Film Company of New York as a “great trans-Atlantic drama”. A Canadian American of Irish descent, Olcott drew on his own experience as an emigrant to play the part of a poor Irish farmer who dreams of a better life in the USA. The film’s authenticity came not only from the eschewing of typical Irish stereotypes (the labourer and the dom...

This was a co mmissioned article for the theatre programme of the 2012 tour of John Chapman's play Dry Rot . The Big Three Cheltenham Gold Cup Held annually around St Patrick’s Day, the Cheltenham Festival is Britain’s most prestigious national hunt race meeting. The Gold Cup championship race was established in 1924 and is second only to the Grand National in terms of prize money. Bookies' favourite: Arkle (winner 1964–1966). Photo finish: Arab Boy, the horse that saved The Belles of St Trinian’s (1954) . Ascot Gold Cup Held annually in June, Royal Ascot is the social event of the horseracing calendar. Introduced in 1807, the Gold Cup is held traditionally on the third day, known as ‘Ladies' Day’, and as much focus is on the female attendees' flamboyant hats as on the flat racing. Bookies' favourite: Yeats (winner 2006–2009). Photo finish: Dover, the horse given ‘colourful’ encouragement by Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (1964). The Grand National Held annuall...

This is an album review that I wrote for the Digital Fix website in 2012. Short-lived Brighton four-piece the Chefs emerged around the same time as fellow post-punk DIY-sters and indiepop touchstones the Television Personalities and Orange Juice. Led by the gastronomically named Helen McCookerybook, the Chefs released a few 45s, did a couple of Peel sessions and then split in 1982, not before renaming themselves Skat and recording a cover of the Velvet Underground and Nico’s ‘Femme Fatale’. Damaged Goods' comprehensive compilation collates most of the band’s recorded output, including all their singles, demos and radio sessions. On the likes of ‘Sweetie’ and ’24 Hours’, you can hear pre-echoes of the C86 movement, sharing much of its unambitious, shambling qualities, which ensured the band’s resolutely cult status. The Chefs may not come from kitchens of distinction then, but Records & Tea manages to rustle up a few tasty morsels.

The first album that I ever bought (or, more accurately, that my dad bought) was actually two albums, and they were both by Stevie Wonder – Talking Book and Hotter Than July . The latter was on cassette while the former was on the relatively new compact disc (CD) format. My dad and I bought them at Woolworths in Coventry city centre in 1988, and we’d actually only planned to buy one album (or, more accurately, one song – ‘Happy Birthday’, the last track on Hotter Than July ). Not knowing at the time that it was a plea by Wonder to commemorate  the life of Martin Luther King Jr with an official US holiday, I wanted the song to play it on my ninth birthday, ideally on CD, as my dad had recently bought a new CD player extension to his Pioneer hi-fi. However, this branch of Woolies only had the song on cassette, and somewhat bizarrely, the lady on the music counter also brought out Talking Book because it was on CD (as if to offer my dad and me a compromise between the song we wanted a...

This was an advertorial I wrote for a free newspaper, the Surrey & Hampshire Guardian, on 5 November 2007. In recent years, the top Christmas toys have been computer consoles or their vast range of accompanying games. There was a time before the advent of Sega and Nintendo, though, when toys had a simpler, hand-made quality. Playmotion owner, Daniel Messer, remembers this time and puts a tremendous amount of love and care into choosing his products. This family-run business offers an impressive range of children’s toys, catering to various age groups and interests. For the early learners, Playmotion has several toys from Brio and the Toyworkshop. Whether it’s a bell rattle, a shape sorter or a first walker, the baby and toddler range will help to entertain and inspire your little one. From Make Your Own Blacklet and Necklace Sets to wooden construction toys, Playmotion allows your children to fulfill their creativity. The Make and Play range includes well-thought-out kits tha...

This was my TV review of the sitcom Pulling, first published on a now-retired blog on 19 May 2009. Last night saw the final 60-minute special of the brilliant  Pulling  on BBC Three, after the channel announced it was, ahem, pulling  the cult sitcom last year. For anyone who’s never seen the show, it follows the dysfunctional relationships of three female housemates, Donna, Karen and Louise. In the previous two series, episodes have mined some pretty dark areas for a sitcom (think  Sex and the City  as conceived by Joe Orton), including suicide attempts, copious drug abuse, stalkers, flashers and feline euthanasia. The final episode continued in the same vein, with themes of obsessive love (Louise returns from abroad several pounds lighter but burdened with an unwanted partner, whom she discovers she prefers comatose to conscious), terminal illness (Karen’s ex Billy reveals he has cancer and wants to go swimming with dolphins before he dies) and domestic abuse...

This was a co mmissioned article for the theatre programme of Manchester Opera House’s production of  & Juliet  (September–October 2019). Since 1999, Max Martin has written or co-written no fewer than 22 American number-one hits and stands only third to John Lennon and Paul McCartney when it comes to topping the US charts. So, how did this unassuming and interview-shy producer and songwriter become the go-to guy for the world’s biggest artists looking for a bombastic banger or brilliant ballad? Born Max Karl Sandberg in Stockholm in 1971, he changed his surname to White and by the 1990s was fronting the rock band It’s Alive. The group landed a record deal with fellow Swede Denniz PoP’s Cheiron record label before they disbanded in 1995. However, PoP had noticed Max’s songwriting nous and became his mentor, rechristening him Max Martin. Max and Denniz were then contacted by label Jive about working with their new American boy band, the Backstreet Boys. Initially finding suc...

This is an article about Dick Turpin that I wrote remotely at the start of lockdown during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It was a commission from John Good Ltd, where I was working at the time, and intended for use as a stock article for any Dick Turpin-based pantomime programmes. In the highwaymen hall of fame, one name stands (and delivers) above the rest – Dick Turpin. Legend cuts a figure dressed elegantly in a tricorn hat, frock coat and riding boots atop his loyal mare, Black Bess; a dashing and daring knight of the road, who held up swooning ladies' stagecoaches with gallantry and defied authority with derring-do. In reality, Dick Turpin was far from being fine and dandy. He was a ruthless and violent criminal, who robbed, killed and tortured innocent people unscrupulously – a stark contrast to the gentleman thief of legend. Richard Turpin was born in Hempstead in Essex in 1705, the fifth of six children born to John Turpin and Mary Elizabeth Parmenter. Little is known about h...