Pussy no more

RIP, Miss Honor Blackman. You were our favourite "Bond Girl" by far.

Such style, such elegance - and what a voice! She knew how to make an entrance...

The Avengers: Enter Cathy Gale

Goldfinger: Pussy Galore

And then, there is this - our favourite moment from her oft-overlooked musical career [as first featured here way back in 2009]...

Honor Blackman - The Star Who Fell From Grace

Honor Blackman (22nd August 1925 – 5th April 2020)

Read my previous tribute to the great lady

I am but a fool

Another week in lock-down begins - albeit without the "work" bit for me as I am on leave till after Easter - with the cheerful discovery of a new wannabee-"Diva".

Señorita María Isabel Llaudes Santiago (for it is she), under her stage name Karina, was the darling of the "ye-ye" years in Spain. Indeed, so popular was she that she was asked to represent her country at the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest with the song En un mundo nuevo, where she came second.

Her biggest hit, however, was with an American song. Eminently suitable for a Tacky Music Monday is this clip with its mind-blowingly bizarre juxtaposition of dancers on amphetamines with the lady herself seated in what looks remarkably like Jon Pertwee-era Doctor Who's car "Bessie"...

...I very much doubt Mr Neil Sedaka envisioned his teen classic to ever be interpreted like this!

Karina - Oh Carol

Have a good week, dear reader, as best you can in these peculiar times.

When I wake up in the morning, love, and the sunlight hurts my eyes

Beautiful Anemone blanda brightening up a shady corner in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers.

Even odder than the experience of being "at work" while actually "at home" is perhaps the concept of taking holiday during the current lockdown, with nowhere to go and practically bugger all to do. Thank heavens we have a garden; I cannot even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be told to stay indoors all day, every day, without one.

It's forecast to hit 19C/66F this afternoon, which is even more of a joy. To be outside pottering might help keep us sane (or as sane as is humanly possible) as well as topping-up the tan...

...and what better to play than, by way of a tribute to one of my personal favourite soul singers who crooned his way off this mortal coil last week, this apposite and enduring classic?

Bill Withers - Lovely Day

When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind

Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
... lovely day, lovely day, lovely day ...

When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way

Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day...

Perfect "Sunday Music", methinks.

RIP, William Harrison Withers Jr. (4th July 1938 – 30th March 2020)

Motivational

We Brits have the perfect answer to how we deal with this bally virus-thingy!

What do we do...?

Fuck All

Indeed.

[Thanks, Crog, for this one]

If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing

Oh, dear, Another one.

The loss of the lovely Cristina, darling of early 80s New York's artistic post-punk, post-Studio 54 scene; collaborator with August Darnell (of Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Machine fame), Don Was, Jean Paul Goude, Robert Palmer and even John Cale is a great one - for it has brought fond memories flooding back from when I first encountered the lady; with her sardonic and slightly twisted cover of this Peggy Lee classic:

Cristina - Is That All There Is?

However, this is also the end of another week working in our living-room during lockdown - and I have greater cause for a celebration that even that fact, for as of 4.30 today I will be officially on leave (albeit in similar environs) until after Easter!

Yay!

Thus, we need to lift our spirits and pretend we have a party to plan. And what better way than with another of the lady's faboo numbers - here with admirable support from (an uncredited) Kevin Kline - and Thank Disco It's Friday!!

RIP, Miss Cristina Monet Zilkha (née Monet-Palaci, 2nd January 1959 – 1st April 2020)

"I heard that!"

Glorious tulips in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers

Sharing a birthday with another mismatched ensemble of notable names such as Marvin Gaye, Serge Gainsbourg, Émile Zola, Camille Paglia, Linford Christie (who is - gulp - 60 years old; as was the gorgeous Michael Praed yesterday!), Ken Tynan, Emmylou Harris, Casanova, Sir Alec Guinness, Paul Gambaccini, Buddy Ebsen, Sue Townsend, Hans Christian Andersen, Michael Fassbender and Keren Woodward of Bananarama, our eternal house favourite Dame Penelope Keith blows out 80 candles on her cake today!



In these troubled times, we need as much uplift as we can possibly get, so let's wallow in just a few clips from the great lady's classic comedy moments - as the indomitable Margo Leadbetter...

The Good Life: "The Wind-break War"

The Good Life: Margo's Muddy Moment

The Good Life: Tom and Barbara's home-brewed wine

Many happy returns, Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith, DBE, DL (née Hatfield; born 2nd April 1940).

We love you.

Your quarantine theme song

A bizarre "meme-y" thing has apparently taken off out there in the interwebs, and as it's quite fun, I thought I'd share. Just enter your twelfth birthday into the Official Charts Company archive, and what ever is Number 1 in the charts on that date is allegedly your "quarantine theme song"! [The Yanks presumably should use the Billboard Chart search engine?]

Being greedy, I thought - why stop at one song when you could have two, and both in the company of the lovely and talented Pan's People?

At #2, last week's #1, an enduring novelty song classic:

Pan's People - Typically Tropical - Barbados

...and the chart-topper:

Pan's People - Stylistics - I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)

August 1975 was indeed another world.

So, dear reader - WHAT'S YOURS?