Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty

We had hazy sunshine all day, but that didn't stop me getting out there to complete a few more tasks in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers - more big salvias repotted into fresh compost, some primulas that have gone over tidied-up in preparation for their summer hiatus, and I split one of our indoor peace lilies that was looking very sorry for itself and needed a bit of TLC, among other pottering jobs...

Meanwhile... The bastard gnomes at Google/Blogger have been playing silly buggers again. I published a post at around 6 o'clock yesterday. It remained in Limbo, as far as the Blogger Reading List is concerned. Suddenly at 1 o'clock in the morning - boom! There it was...

WTF leads these creatures to think that a five-hour delay is acceptable is beyond me! Yet another blogging annoyance... Sigh.

Never mind, eh? Here's something soothing from our "house band" to ease our troubled souls...

Postmodern Jukebox ft. Katerina Lomis - Thank You For The Music [ABBA Old-Time Jazz cover]

Ah, that's better...

Just a part of modern times

We're well overdue methinks, dear reader, another little selection of some of the "newer" choons that have caught my ear of late - before everything turns to shit with the coming tsunami of Xmas cash-ins...

A fitting way to start is with something that couldn't be more diametrically opposed to tinsel, sleigh-bells, faux-jollity and mawkish sentimentality if it tried! Who would ever have thought that a legendary member of that most decadent of bands Velvet Underground and a contemporary pop-princess would ever have collaborated on something as utterly breath-taking, gothic and sinister as this?

Charli xcx ft John Cale - House

Phew. I think we should break the mood, at least a little bit, with a poignant one - the Soft Cell cover of an old Giorgio Moroder choon, that turned out to be the very last single released before Dave Ball's premature death:

Soft Cell - First Hand Experience in Second Hand Love

Speaking of 80s/90s troupers, this:

Andy Bell and Tim Rice-Oxley [Keane] - The Chance Won't Come Again

Now for something completely different! [This album's actually on my Amazon wish-list] Abba as you never heard them before:

Lautten Compagney feat. Asya Fateyeva - Mamma Mia (arr. for Baroque Ensemble and Saxophone by Bo Wiget) [from Dancing Queen - Rameau meets ABBA]

The wonderful Mr Bill McClintock does it again!

Peter Gabriel vs Sly & the Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Your Sledgehammer) [McClintock mash-up]

And, saving the best till last - I LOVE THIS!

MIKA - Modern Times

As ever, dear reader, let me know your thoughts...

Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?

RIP, the lovely Richard Chamberlain (31st March 1934 - 29th March 2025)

We may have lost an hour in bed today - but British Summer Time is here! Yay!

I have made the most of the beautiful, warm sunshine today, and tackled another couple of huge pots - a phlox and a geranium [yes, we do have a lot of each], split up and repotted, all the while accompanied by the chilled-out sounds of Radio 2 - and trying to drown out the demon children next door who, to add insult to injury, now have a small, yappy dog to keep them hyped-up and screaming. I am going to thank their parents profusely next time I see them...

Speaking of "chilled-out", how about another faboo choon from our "house band" Postmodern Jukebox? That'll do nicely for "Sunday Music"!

Postmodern Jukebox ft. Lauren De Marco - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) [ABBA Peggy Lee style cover]

Wonderful, as ever.

We're So Lovely

To alleviate the slings and arrows of what has been a bit of a gruelling week so far - what with the untypical 35-40C temperatures that swept over London on Monday and, particularly, Tuesday, and work, which has been a bastard - it is an opportune moment, methinks, for a little exploration of some of the "newer" musical discoveries that have caught my ear of late...

...and now that Auntie Beeb has unceremoniously dispensed with fave radio shows such as Ana Matronic's, I have even had to resort to discovering a lot of these all by myself! Such as......

...a camp little Pride number (albeit a tad late for our own London celebrations):

Osvaldo Supino - Gold

A rather catchy (and very welcome) return to form from a "house fave" band:

Hot Chip - Down

A couple of "classical" numbers that might be more familiar than one might expect:

Caroline Shaw with Sō Percussion - Lay All Your Love on Me

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (The Anarchy Arias) - Pretty Vacant

And now for something completely different. As the video's blurb says - "What if Gypsy Woman was released five years earlier, in 1987...in Italy?".It's brilliantly done:

Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (Italo Disco Live Remix)

Now, saving the best to last...

Can a dance choon and video get any gayer?!

Daddy Squad feat Hard Ton - We’re So Lovely

...and then there's this - the very, very welcome return of those honorary members of the homosexualist Royal Family, French and Saunders Keren and Sarah!

Bananarama - Masquerade

As ever, dear reader - let me know your thoughts...

---

STOP PRESS:

I forgot to include this one...

Parralox feat Marcella Detroit - Paradise (Eric Kupper Remix)

So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me

Our "Mad Abba-fan" friend John-John would never forgive me if I didn't acknowledge the fact that the creative eminence that is Benny Andersson blows out seventy-five candles on his cake today!

From one master of the musical arts to another pair of geniuses - a tribute by our eternal faves here at Dolores Delargo Towers, Erasure:

Erasure - S.O.S.

Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find

I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind

Whatever happened to our love?

I wish I understood

It used to be so nice, it used to be so good

So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me

S. O. S.

The love you gave me, nothing else can save me

S. O. S.

When you're gone

How can I even try to go on?

When you're gone

Though I try how can I carry on?

You seem so far away though you are standing near

You made me feel alive, but something died I fear

I really tried to make it out

I wish I understood

What happened to our love, it used to be so good

So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me

S. O. S.

The love you gave me, nothing else can save me

S. O. S.

When you're gone

How can I even try to go on?

When you're gone

Though I try how can I carry on?

Mitha Maze Dar

HOW OLD???!!

It's our friend John-John's birthday today!

Our "gang" is gathering once more, as we do, for another all-day session at the Wetherspoons in High Holborn - which should be fun and games as always.

John-John's fanaticism about all things Abba is well-documented - so here, for his (and our) listening pleasure, is a selection of their classic hits...

...IN HINDI!

Salma and Sabina Agha - Mitha Maze Dar (Dancing Queen)

Salma and Sabina Agha - Hum Rahi (Fernando)

Salma and Sabina Agha - Ho Jayegi Badnami (Money Money Money)

Salma and Sabina Agha - Toba Toba (Mamma Mia)

Salma and Sabina Agha - Pehli Pehli Preet (Super Trooper)

Inevitably, we do have this album in our collection here at Dolores Delargo Towers [and I have, of course, featured the marvellous Agha sisters here before]...

Happy birthday, John-John!

How could I ever refuse; I feel like I win when I lose

For a change, I am "not bovvered" that it's Monday again, as I am off for another week! Unfortunately, it's getting a bit nippy out there - just the other day I was in the garden with my top off; now, despite some glorious sunshine I think a comfy fleece may be in order.

Hey ho.

Last Friday, the lovely Miss Keren Woodward of Bananarama turned - gulp! - 60 years old! Today it's Miss Agnetha Fältskog's birthday - so, on this Tacky Music Monday, let's have a little combined celebration/wake-up call, as one beloved diva pays homage to the other...

Bananarama - Waterloo

Have a good week, dear reader.

Autumn winds blowin' outside the window

On this day in 1899 the Siege of Ladysmith began in the Boer War, in 1917 the Balfour Declaration (of support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine) was agreed, in 1938 Orson Welles broadcast his radio play of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds and caused a mass panic across the USA, and in 1973 the Bosphorus Bridge in Turkey (connecting the continents of Europe and Asia) was completed; a raft of assorted "names" were also born today, including Sir Christopher Wren, Grace Slick, Ruth Gordon, Charles Atlas, Stefan Dennis, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Mario Testino, Henry Winkler, Diego Maradona, Michael Winner, Ruth Hussey, Gavin Rossdale, Ezra Pound, Harry Hamlin, Anna Wing, Juliet Stevenson and (ahem) Ivanka Trump...

...and our friend John-John!

Since it is also the end of another uninspiring week of work and no parties to go to, I reckon we can combine the birthday boy's ABBA obsession with something a bit more "dancy", courtesy of some tarts, a boat and a pool - and Thank Disco Electro House It's Friday!

Benny Benassi and Shana Vanguarde - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

Happy birthday, dear.

Have a great weekend, dear reader!

If you give it a chance, it can make you dance

The fuchsias, dahlia, ipomoea, asarina and salvias are in their element in autumn, despite the weather.

It's been a bit of a bleak and stormy weekend here at Dolores Delargo Towers, and the sun has only just peeped out under the gloom (in time to set again)...

To top it all, today is the Autumnal Equinox, and the balance between day and night tips over from here on in. Darkness is looming.

Regardless, ever the forward-planning gardener, I've been busy ripping out tattered and distinctly "spent" annuals from their pots and potting-up violas and bulbs for Spring in their place.

And, to add to the uplifting mood... some new videos by treasured artists.

First up, the Grattan catalogue-inspired vid for Cher's almighty Abba tribute:

Cher – SOS

The ever-wonderful Miss Murphy gets down and dirty at the discotheque:

Róisín Murphy – Plaything

And finally, the lovely Rick's latest is a regular fixture on the playlist at Radio 2. And also, in my head...

Rick Astley – Beautiful Life

Enjoy!

Something old, something new

We had a lovely time at the Glamour of the Gods/Glamour Factory event last night - the National Portrait Gallery was packed to the brim with fabulously stylish people (the theme was Hollywood and "black and white", and people really took to it with a vengeance). The glamour makeovers were all fully booked and the individual talks and the cocktail bar were chock-a-block, but the Peppermint Candy DJs (pictured above) were fab (all 30s and 40s music), and the atmosphere was marvellous!

Over at Dolores Delargo Towers Museum of Camp, I will be featuring selections from the magnificent Glamour of the Gods photo exhibition throughout the week...

Enough of the vintage - let's have another of my regular swishes through the newer music that has caught my attention recently. I open today's selection with a really controversial choon - well, I say controversial only because the newly re-formed Steps have decided to release as their new single a cover version of Abba's Dancing Queen, and that is likely to set some hackles rising among the pop purists...

Steps - Dancing Queen

Speaking of Swedes, thanks once again the the lovely Henry over at the fantabulosa Barbarella's Galaxy for flagging up the new (excellent) single from musical genius Alexander Bard and his latest pet project Gravitonas - enjoy Lucky Star!

Gravitonas - Lucky Star

Described as "an upcoming act from Brighton’s hub of musical talent" [how I hate that word "hub"], here's the Special Ks with their catchy new single Crystal Fields - which reminds me of something else, but I am damned if I can put my finger on it...

The Special Ks - Crystal Fields

Now, here's a difficult one. I love minimalist electro music, and the rather striking-looking Matthew Duffy does that particular genre of music very well. However, I am in two minds about his cover of Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks' timeless classic Homosapien...

Matthew Duffy - Homosapien

On the one hand, Mr Duffy's is an atmospheric and rather good stand-alone track. On the other, it cannot compare with the original. What do you reckon, dear reader?

Pete Shelley - Homosapien

Much, much better is this excellent new single from a dramatic young lady calling herself Queen of Hearts, Shoot the Bullet. Produced by Swedish electro-meisters (and house favourites here at Dolores Delargo Towers) The Sound Of Arrows, it's rather reminiscent of Robyn or Hercules and Love Affair I reckon - which is definitely no bad thing in my book!

Queen of Hearts - Shoot the Bullet

And finally, it is after all a Saturday, so we should really finish on a party note - and who better to provide that than the almighty Miss Gloria Estefan with her new anthem Wepa!

Gloria Estefan - Wepa

Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy!

Hum Rahi

Thirty-five years ago this week the long hot summer of 1976 was beginning, and Abba had just broken the seemingly eternal reign of Brotherhood of Man's Save Your Kisses For Me at the top of the UK charts with their classic Fernando.

Rather than play the original, which no doubt everyone knows off by heart by now, I thought I'd revisit a house favourite duo - the ever-lovely Salma and Sabina Agha! I think the song is even better in Hindi...

Salma and Sabina Agha - Hum Rahi (Fernando)

At Dolores Delargo Towers, we love Salma and Sabina!

Easter eggs

Opening our celebration of new(er) music that I have stumbled across this week is the magnificent Amanda Lear, who returns to our waiting arms with a brand new single Chinese Walk!

Amanda Lear - Chinese Walk

And now onto some cover versions of familiar songs - a concept which has always intrigued me (which is why I am such an avid fan of such twisted-covers specialists as Nouvelle Vague, Señor Coconut, Richard Cheese and the like). First up, courtesy of our friend John-John it's some delightfully weird young lady Maria Minerva tackling Abba's Honey Honey head-on... Quite unusual!

Maria Minerva - Honey Honey

Then there's the new "tribute" album from the Canadian label Paper Bag Records (free to download from their website), celebrating the silver anniversary of Madge's seminal True Blue album (a discovery to which I was alerted by my "sister under the skin" the lovely Henry over at Barbarella's Galaxy - again). It's a sadly somewhat "dated-sounding" collection - there's a band trying to be U2, another slightly reminiscent of Siouxsie, a neo-Mari Wilson, a would-be-Altered Images, and so it goes on. I recall discovering a very similar-sounding covers album called Hybrid Kids (with versions of songs such as Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, Save Your Kisses For Me and All the Young Dudes on it) way back in 1979!

However, there is one quite decent cover that caught my attention... Young Galaxy's version of Open Your Heart:

Young Galaxy - Open Your Heart

Shaking us out of our complacency, the marvellously mad Miss Róisín Murphy is back again with a most shocking video for her latest collaboration with Dutch DJ Mason - Boadicea:

Mason feat. Róisín Murphy - Boadicea

Now breathe...

I think a little more gentle madness is in order after that, so let us celebrate the fact that Thomas Dolby (he of She Blinded Me With Science fame) is back! I don't usually like anything that resembles Country'n'Western (except Dolly Parton, in very small doses) but how can you resist a song called Here Come The Toadlickers with a video featuring drug-addict puppets having sex? I can't...

Thomas Dolby - The Toadlickers

To conclude, an intriguing little number by an intriguingly-named band, Fenech-Soler (which sounds like it should be a brand of chocolate):

Fenech-Soler - Stop and Stare

Have a great Oestrus!

Abba - contagious?

As I am reminded, I committed the heinous crime of missing the 65th birthday of Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) from Abba last month, so I thought I would make amends with this very sweet cover version of one of the uber-group's best-loved songs... Enjoy!

Kinsey Sicks - Gonorrhoea (Mamma Mia) parody

Feliz Compleaños, Señora John!

As it is John-John's birthday, we thought we'd put together a little tribute blog to his all-time favourite band - nay, obsession - Abba!

Teamwork between Madame Acarti and I came up with some most unusual stuff...

Let us first feature a long-time favourite of ours here at Dolores Delargo Towers. It is a cover version of Dancing Queen, and there have been many - but when it is sung in Hindi by the fantabulosa Salma and Sabina Agha, how could we resist (ya)?

Salma & Sabina - Mitha Maze Dar (Dancing Queen)

Sticking rigidly with the queeny favourite, let's have Kylie's triumphant version from the Sydney Olympics closing ceremony in 2000!

Kylie Minogue - Dancing Queen (Sydney Olympics 2000)

Enough of the "dancing queens" - let's try something a little more subtle. How about French icon Mireille Mathieu's tribute to Abba?

Mireille Mathieu sings Abba - The Winner Takes It All

And to close, we have found something absolutely brilliant... There is always time for a bit of Nina Hagen at Dolores Delargo Towers! Yet who knew she covered Abba as well..?

Nina Hagen - Like An Angel Passing Through My Room

Happy birthday, dearest!

Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?

It is (amazingly) thirty years since a landmark song in gay history was hitting the top of the charts across Europe. Abba (for it is they) embraced the dying embers of the Disco era in late 1979 and decided to go for gold.

Finally acknowledging (perhaps with their Swedish tongues in their cheeks) their massive queeny following that had built up, ever since their satin-and-platformed-glitter-boots arrival on the scene on Eurovision five years previously in 1974 and their drag queen classic Dancing Queen two years afterwards in 1976, they released the most "out gay" single of their career - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).

An eternal staple of bizarre gay club nights thenceforth (until and including the arrival of Hi-NRG in the 80s), this is one helluva "Marmite" tune. You either love it or you hate it. But nevertheless, it survives, and many artistes have decided it is worthy of a cover version (notwithstanding the recent Madonna sample). So without further ado here are a few of them:

First up, someone described as a "guitar virtuoso" with a name that looks like an anagram, Yngwie Malmsteen:

Yngwie Malmsteen - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

Of course, Erasure did the song greater justice:

Erasure - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) [live]

Even Benny Benassi gave it a go, with a heavy dance version:

Benny Benassi feat Shana Vanguarde - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

And then there is this loud version by the world famous (in Serbia, possibly?) Doro Pesch and Dirk Bach...

Doro Pesch and Dirk Bach - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

I couldn't let this blog post pass, however, without the original...

Abba - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

Enjoy!

Britannia rule the waves

We had a wonderful time again at the Last Night of the Proms in Hyde Park!

A much better line-up than last year (no Chico!), with the exception of the godawful presenter Aled Jones, whose dreadful jokes and smarmy persona made the first half of the entertainment painful (we would have preferred Dick & Dom, so that's saying something!).

But the acts were all great - Bellowhead, Bjorn Again, Teatro, Sharleen Spiteri, violinist David Garrett, and of course the headliners Leslie Garrett (no relation) and Jose Carreras. Master of Ceremonies for the latter half was good old Terry Wogan, and as always the highlight was the live link to the sing-along finale featuring Bryn Terfel at the Royal Albert Hall...

All together now!

Bryn Terfel - Rule, Britannia!

And for services to the music industry of Hong Kong...

...the award for most hilarious attempt to do an Abba cover, ever, goes to - WING!

Wing sings Mama Mia

More about the lovely Wing on Wikipedia