The Olympic Brand

Let's not even pretend to think any other way about it: the London 2012 Olympics were a massive success.

To have been in London during that time was remarkable, where an atmosphere of positivity, a buzz of energy and an arm of friendliness seemed always at hand.  All of the pre-game fears of transport chaos and terrorist attacks thankfully did not come to pass, and the same could even be said for the (now necessary) corporate sponsorships.  There were many, they were plentiful, but they weren't as in your face as expected.

The Games even avoided any mass guerilla marketing attacks that had plagued the 2010 World Cup.  Perhaps there's more soul to the Olympics as compared to the money-saturated 'Beautiful Game' we know and love?!

Nike have certainly had a good go at undermining Adidas' stranglehold however, clawing back some attention to their brand using some very hastily put together OOH ads featuring Paula Radcliff and (an implied) Mo Farrah.  The speed was impressive.

But if you're a major sponsor of The Games you're not going to take this lying down, and Adidas responded with this magnificent video that sees Team GB stars and medalists including Sir Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton and Louis Smith lip-syncing to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now'. 

Checkmate, I think. #stagetaken

The Big Show

Olympic fever is fully upon us here in London. You couldn't miss it if you tried, and why would you want to. It is there on every street, in every shop and it's buzzing in the air.

It's there in every sound too, crackling in conversations, in transport announcements and in music.  The music of the Olympics brings with it pomp and fanfare, national anthems played for every podium and sung boisterously by the supporting masses. In these modern times we have bands such as Elbow and Muse writing new tracks purely for the Games, and let us not forget also the obligatory slow-mo BBC montages set to mood defining music to help the audience deal with every victory and defeat.

Even the athletes and competitors play their part.  Arriving for a race, multiple medal winner Michael Phelps looks more like a regular from a hip-hop video with his hoodie pulled up and his Dr Dre Beats headphones than he does a champion swimmer.

It's for the opening ceremony however that I think these Olympic Games will be remembered for the music.  Danny Boyle's incredibly well-designed and orchestrated vision of Britain had, amongst all the historical references and theatre, an intertwining of musical forms that highlighted just how prevalent and important music has been within the development of British life.

The highlight of this, for me, was the inclusion of David Bowie's 'Heroes' as the Team GB competitors entered the stadium to a tumultuous roar from the home fans.  To have watched that moment was to feel hope and pride.  To have experienced it as a competitor would no doubt be indescribable.  I'd expect the song and the moment to live long in the memories for our Olympians, as it will for the millions of us cheering from the stands and from our sofas.

Ne Pas Lost In Translacioun!

He's my favourite.
He's an icon.
He's the original.
And now....it seems he's also in French.

Jimi Hendrix, as reimagined by the Gallic minds of The Haunted:

The Unknown Beauty

It was my birthday week just gone, and one of the best presents I received was an email from a friend in the US that contained a link to a song on YouTube. Over a week later and I still can't get the song out of my head.

It's that good it has to be shared. And so I give to you 'Didn't I' by Darando, a relatively unknown soul singer from San Francisco who, according to some comments, may or may not have also been a pimp, but who most definitely sounds like a cross between Al Green and Ronald Isley.

Whoever plans the music for the TV show 'Breaking Bad' obviously really knows their stuff, as it recently featured over the end credits to an episode.  It's presumably not a bad way to gain mass exposure for an obscure artist and we're all the better for it.

Enjoy

The Lord of the Keys

It was sad news indeed to hear of the passing yesterday of Jon Lord, keybordist and founder member of Deep Purple.

Deep Purple played a big role in the soundtrack of my youth. At a time when schoolmates were jumping around to Dr Alban and Haddaway, I was discovering 'Deep Purple In Rock' and jumping to the defence of guitars and long hair. Lord's keybord and organ playing were a driving force behind the Purple 'sound', and he was one of a small group of people who can be said to have turned the piano (and it's electric children) in to a heavy rock instrument.

Always looking to push different musical styles, Lord's 'Concerto for Group and Orchestra' is piece that I definitely recommend searching out, demonstrating that he also had symphonic ideas in his head as well is some severe ivory-bashing.

I have a special commemorative edition 'Black Night' single on 12-inch purple vinyl, a brilliant reminder to more carefree days and the joys of discovering great bands.

A Well Spent Minit

Finding new and obscure music is one of my favourite things in life.

For the uncostly sum of only £1 in a dusty record bin in a Brighton record store I picked up a compilation of blues and soul from the Minit label in New Orleans. Acts such as Jimmy Holiday, Clydie King and even more reknowned names like Bobby Womack and Irma Thomas released through the label, which ran from 1961 and 1970.

Rarely again am I likely to find such high quality:value ratio.

I probably won't stop looking however

Techno-phobia

Well I guess the new question is whether I can write a blog on an iPhone? It's been a long time comin' but I know, I know, I've finally joined the Modern Age. Maybe this is what The Strokes were talking about 10 years ago. Visionaries, them boys.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. It may take some time.
In the meantime, news of the day is that White Denim are back on tour and will be doing a 4 show run in the UK at the end of March (Bristol, London, Manchester and Leeds I think). GET YOUR TICKETS BOOKED! They were my band of 2011 I think.

Check out www.whitedenimmusic.com for details