I agree with Mike, Show You The Way is forgettable (I’d forgotten it), but in a nice way - and it’s a masterpiece when compared to the current number one.

Virginia M was also in one of the “Doctor” films, playing a young doctor, with whom one very unworldly patient (I think it’s Ronnie Stevens) falls in love. She looks absolutely delightful in that.

Nice factoid about “Cobb”.

Incidentally, Duncan Macrae, the great Glasgow comic who appears as the Doctor in Dance Of The Dead, also died a few months after filming, though given his long and intense history of ethanolphilia, no one was particularly surprised.

And “Cobb” is also an acronym for “Chimes Of Big Ben” SEE WHAT THEY DID THERE?

Btw, Virginia Maskell, who played the woman mourner at Cobb’s funeral, tragically committed suicide a matter of months after filming that, an utter tragedy. It’s difficult to tell from that appearance, since she is dressed in frumpy Village garb and spends all her time either looking anxious or crying, but she really was very lovely.

Happy Days!

Rosie # 39 - Yes, I was most certainly a disciple of “The Water Margin”. Lin Chung was a great hero of mine. That boy realy knew how to kick serious botty and that other bloke who used to run and jump used to crack me up every time. Wonderful, magical stuff and you were with the good guys all the way. I’m afraid, however, that you’ve slightly misquoted Bert on the intro. It was, in fact, “Do not despise the snake for having no horns. For who is to say that it will not become a dragon?” And this is followed up with the sublime: “Thus one just man becomes an army”, before Bert begins the prologue.

Marcello - That was a lovely piece about Yoshi, clearly a wit of Wildesque proportions. I must admit that Waldo himself has heard the refrain “I think the guy’s trying to make a funny” once or twice. Although they didn’t say “guy”!

In the interest of completeness; It comes from the TOTP broadcast on May the 19th 1977. Also in the studio that week were; Suzi Quatro, Linda Lewis, Carloe Bayer-Sager, Tony Etoria, Joy Sarney and The Jam, plus Legs & Co’s interpretation of ‘Disco Inferno’.

I’ll buy the “avoiding confusion” explanation, but why “This Place Hotel”? Why not some other title which actually makes sense? Did they ask Yoshi to pick a new title?

I think we should be told!

Anyway this provides an excellent opportunity to reprint a choice excerpt from Danny Baker’s infamous 1981 NME piece on the family. We join him and them at a press conference…

It was pretty bleak until this one poor wretched Japanese looking bloke committed the cardinal sin of any press conference — he tried to crack a joke. Oh, but he did. Y’see there’s a track on their new LP called “Heartbreak Hotel” and this bloke — who had little command of English anyway — thought he had cooked up a real zinger.

The dumb questions resumed but I couldn’t take my eyes from the broken Japanese. Ruined, he never heard another word all afternoon. Today, I suspect he sits in a bathchair in some far off sanatorium, grey haired and twitching, mumbling to anyone who will listen: ‘The words. Playing with words you see…is funny…’

Why was their single “Heartbreak Hotel” later re-titled “This Place Hotel”, sometime after it had been a (small)hit. There’s obviously no copyright on titles, and nobody would be likely to confuse the two songs, so why change?… and why change to such a stupid, nonsensical title?

Any Smarties got the answer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtniGD7ZUHc

Michael Jackson performed ‘Rockin’ Robin’ on the TOTP transmitted on December the 28th 1972. Also in the studio that week were; Gary Glitter, Lieutenant Pigeon, Slade, Chuck Berry (with Rolf Harris!) and Pan’s People (interpreting ‘Without You’). Hosts were Tony Blackburn & Noel Edmunds.

The Jacksons performed ‘Destiny’ on the TOTP transmitted on February the 8th 1979. Hmm, they don’t show that one so often… Also in the studio that week were; Mick Jackson (!), Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Shadows, Dr Feelgood, Darts, Judas Priest and Legs & Co (interpreting ‘Chiquitita’). The host was David Jensen. Sounds like an interesting mix backstage that week.

“Do not despise the snake for not having horns for, who knows, it may become a dlagon!”

Frankly, my dear…

On further reflection, Wings probably had ceased to exist by the time “Coming Up” was released as a single. Although they performed it on their tour in December 1979, I seem to recall they only ever performed again at the Kampuchea benefit gig. So it is highly unlikely, even if Paul was in the studio, that Wings would have been with him (although Linda may have been)