The pingelepingelepingelepingelepong you never realised you needed in your life

Yes! A Swarovski clog...

As the countdown nears its close - and we gather our skirts to get the gardens watered, the house in order for the Essex boys' arrival later, and to pack our bags for Amsterdam tomorrow, we need another dose of sing-a-long Dutch music to keep us going.

What better than one of our house favourites here at Dolores Delargo Towers, the fantabulosa Jasperina de Jong?

All together now..!

Jasperina de Jong - De Wandelclub

Wij willen geen nicotine, wij willen de mandoline
Van je pingelepingelepingelepingelepong
Picknicken is zo fijn
Niks pikken voor de lijn
Dat mag voor ons overbodig zijn

Jo met de banjo, en Lien met de mandoline
Kaatje met 'r mondharmonikaatje
Truitje met 'r luitje, je moet dat cluppie zien
Dol op een man, dol op een man
We zijn zo dol op een mandoline

Indeed.

Ga je zingen, ga je dansen of je wil of niet?

Just two days to go...

...and no countdown to our trip to Amsterdam [on Thursday] would be complete without featuring our beloved "Dutch Super-Group" De Toppers! Especially with a medley of our fave Amsterdam songs [that I may have featured here once or twice, or more, previously...]:

De Toppers - Amsterdam/Jordaan Medley [Toppers In Concert 2013]

Tracklist:

• Geef Mij Maar Amsterdam
• Een Pikketanussie
• Aan De Voet Van De Oude Wester
• Oh Johnny
• Zo, Zo, Zo Is De Jordaan
• Bij Ons In De Jordaan

Magnifiek! We love De Toppers.

We love Amsterdam!

I'd like to sup with my baby tonight

Yes, it's Monday. However, for a change, I don't care - because I'm on holiday...

...and it's my birthday!

Let's celebrate [and it is a Tacky Music Monday, after all] with a fantabulosa [and appropriate, given the weather] number from our Patron Saint Prime, and the sexiest ballet dancer after Nureyev:

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Liza Minnelli - Too Darn Hot

Have a good week, dear reader.

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STOP PRESS, 9.40pm:

In their continuing effort to completely piss the blogging community off, the bloody Google gnomes have still failed to fix the ongoing problems with their Reading List. I published a post yesterday at 7pm, and this one today at 9.30am - and neither has yet shown up in the feeds! Bastards.

They all want me, they can't have me, so they all come and dance beside me

I've spent a fruitful several hours out in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers - in the midst of the UK's fifth heatwave this year! - watering, tidying, and generally getting things prepared for us being away for five days from Thursday. Hopefully it may have cooled down again by then, but you never know...

Throughout the day, I have (inevitably) been accompanied by the ever-reliable BBC Radio 2. However, just now I was jolted out of my reverie when I heard this one playing, and realised that I was listening to Pick of the Pops, and the charts from THIRTY YEARS AGO! Fuck.

Los Del Rio - Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)

After that shock to the system, I thought - let's add insult to injury, and revisit a whole selection of hits that are of exactly the same vintage...

Underworld - Born Slippy (Nuxx)

Faithless - Insomnia

Gina G - Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit

Beautiful South - Don't Marry Her (Fuck Me)

Prodigy - Firestarter

Spice Girls - Wannabe

Stretch & Vern presents Maddog - I'm Alive

Babybird - You're Gorgeous

Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's

Three decades?

Sob.

Fascinating rhythm locked me on the groove

Sad news today that the music production genius William Orbit has departed - far too soon, aged just 69 - for the "Ambient Trance Party Lounge" in Fabulon...

His "sound" was unmistakeable - and he gave a boost to the careers of several of our most cherished artists, not least Queen Madge. Here's a selection of faves here at Dolores Delargo Towers, by way of a tribute to his talent!

Bassomatic - Fascinating Rhythm

William Orbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings [Ferry Corsten remix]

All Saints - Pure Shores

Madonna - Frozen

A fantabulosa legacy!

RIP, Mr Orbit.

Tijd voor een feestje

We are in a very celebratory mood here at Dolores Delargo Towers.

It is almost the weekend - as always, that is cause for joy in itself - but this one is particularly special, for come 4pm this afternoon I will not be back in the benighted office for a fortnight!

Once again, my birthday is almost upon us, and next Thursday Madam Arcati, Baby Steve, Houseboy Alex, John-John and I are off to my beloved Amsterdam for five days of high jinks, merriment, eating FEBO and wandering the grachten. Wonderbaar!

By way of a celebration, here's The Netherlands' finest Queen of Disco herself, Miss Anita Meyer:

Anita Meyer - Why Tell Me Why?

[I think the biggest question here is "Why are they dancing in a swimming pool?"]

Dank disco is het vrijdag!

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FOOTNOTE:

I'm still coming down to earth after seeing the brilliant Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the big screen in Leicester Square with John-John last night. Not just one of the very best Marvel superhero films I have seen, but one of the best films I've seen in ages...

Superhero films never win top Oscars, that much is an established tradition (for some reason or other), but amidst the "biff! pow!" action [and there's no shortage of that!], there's some damned good acting here. It makes the characters more human, and judging by the genuine gasps and murmurs amongst last night's audience (as well as my own reaction), carries some genuinely relatable emotional heft.

Do try and see it, dear reader. It's definitely worth it!

Totty of the Day

John-John and I are off this evening to see the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day!

I'm taking some wet-wipes.