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Many years ago, way back in the mists of time... or when Radio 1 was still a good station, anyway... there was a DJ called Marky Goodier. Actually there still is, though he doesn't tend to get called Marky half so often anymore. And he has the good sense to not work for Radio 1 anymore, too. But anyway. He seemed to fancy the idea of having some comic interludes on his radio shows, and brought in Andrew Collins and Stuart Maconie, music journalists who had managed to find themselves doing stand up of sorts, as a double act. I always did wonder quite how that came about. Now, having read the story, I'm none the wiser. Seems that they're just as much in the dark. Ah well. For those who fancy a career in music journalism, and/or radio comedy, though, the answer seems to be to a: be in the right place at the right time (tricky one, that); or b: ask. I'm less fond of that second one myself, but it does appear to work. Or it does if you're an artist from Northampton whose career has got more twists and turns in it than a drunken corkscrew.
So anyway - several years ago, Andrew Collins came out with Where Did It All Go Right?, a book about his early life. It was billed as the antidote to all those tragic life stories that line the bookshelves in supermarkets these days, and it turned out to be a really good book. Funny, warm, infinitely readable, and definitely recommended if you fancy a nice autobiography to add to your reading list. A couple of years later came the sequel, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, about university mostly. Again, it was funny, warm and flowed really nicely off the page. Recognisable, too. There's about ten years and a month between me and Andrew Collins, but that doesn't stop me recognising a whole lot of the scenes from his life. Sometimes that causes a smile, and sometimes a wince of embarrassment. At any rate, good books, the pair of them. Personally, though, it was always book three that I was looking forward to. I loved listening to Collins and Maconie on the Marky Goodier show, and later on their own show, Collins And Maconie's Hit Parade. That was terrific fun, with comedy interludes from David Quantick, and much giggling in the background from Mark(y). When I was at university they had their own film review show, Collins And Maconie's Movie Club, which was a great watch late at night. Very late at night, quite frequently. Then there were all those Brit Award shows, and the Mercury Music Prize shows... suffice to say that Collins, Maconie and Goodier were a big part of my radio listening back in the nineties. And the Movie Club on TV of course. Been looking forward for ages to reading the book about those years, and it doesn't disappoint.
I have criticisms. At times the non-linear narrative is a little annoying. It jumps around a lot to begin with, leaping from year to year and then back again. That's not really a major gripe, though, and it settles down after a while, mostly. The only other real complaint is what is missed out, though the book clocks in at more than three hundred pages as it is, so I guess I can understand why some bits didn't make the final story. A shame, though, that they would have been so interesting to hear about! Those Brit Award broadcasts get a mention, but that's all; just a throwaway comment here and there. A great shame, I think. They were legendary at the time, at least amongst students - increasingly drunken presenters, increasingly drunken pop stars, and much silliness backstage. Of course, maybe that's precisely why they were missed out?! It's probably easy to stray into lawsuit territory when you start writing about stuff like that. At any rate, most of the rest is still there. The NME, Empire (three issues!), The Hit Parade, The Movie Club (watched almost exclusively by students and cabbies). There weren't many of us, Andrew, but for what it's worth, we really did love the show. Then later 6Music, EastEnders (yuck), and onwards and upwards to an award-winning BBC sitcom, Not Going Out, which I missed again this week. Ah well. Not really been in the mood for comedy lately. Had to laugh at all the Doctor Who geekery. And all those infernal clip shows! Still, it's a living. And I'd rather Andrew was doing them than some of those useless people they get in, who don't seem to know a damned thing about what they're reviewing.
And speaking of reviewing. The book. Sorry - got distracted. Every bit as entertaining as the two previous instalments. Funny, very honest, very interesting, and at times nicely nostalgic. I'd love to hear some of those old Hit Parades again. The BBC ought to make some of their old radio shows available to listen to online. I know that not all of them survive by a long shot, but some do. Be interesting to hear some of those bands, and see who's still around, and who has fallen by the wayside. Of course the music rights whatsits would probably be hell to clear.
And I've lost the thread again, haven't I. Oh, whatever. Look, it's a good book, okay?! It's funny, and it's worth reading, and it mentions Marky Goodier and Wise Buddah, which wins it instant cool points. Yes it does. This has been a terrific trilogy of books, and I hope that Andrew writes another book some day. Whether, ten years down the line, he writes a fourth volume; or whether he writes something else altogether, I'm certainly interested. Apparently Stuart Maconie's also got a book out - Pies And Prejudice. I always felt more on the Collins side of the duo than on the Maconie side, somehow, but I might give that a go. I'm not massively moved by the blurb, but you never know. And it's had some good reviews.
Oh heavens above, I do go on. Shutting up now.
So anyway - several years ago, Andrew Collins came out with Where Did It All Go Right?, a book about his early life. It was billed as the antidote to all those tragic life stories that line the bookshelves in supermarkets these days, and it turned out to be a really good book. Funny, warm, infinitely readable, and definitely recommended if you fancy a nice autobiography to add to your reading list. A couple of years later came the sequel, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, about university mostly. Again, it was funny, warm and flowed really nicely off the page. Recognisable, too. There's about ten years and a month between me and Andrew Collins, but that doesn't stop me recognising a whole lot of the scenes from his life. Sometimes that causes a smile, and sometimes a wince of embarrassment. At any rate, good books, the pair of them. Personally, though, it was always book three that I was looking forward to. I loved listening to Collins and Maconie on the Marky Goodier show, and later on their own show, Collins And Maconie's Hit Parade. That was terrific fun, with comedy interludes from David Quantick, and much giggling in the background from Mark(y). When I was at university they had their own film review show, Collins And Maconie's Movie Club, which was a great watch late at night. Very late at night, quite frequently. Then there were all those Brit Award shows, and the Mercury Music Prize shows... suffice to say that Collins, Maconie and Goodier were a big part of my radio listening back in the nineties. And the Movie Club on TV of course. Been looking forward for ages to reading the book about those years, and it doesn't disappoint.
I have criticisms. At times the non-linear narrative is a little annoying. It jumps around a lot to begin with, leaping from year to year and then back again. That's not really a major gripe, though, and it settles down after a while, mostly. The only other real complaint is what is missed out, though the book clocks in at more than three hundred pages as it is, so I guess I can understand why some bits didn't make the final story. A shame, though, that they would have been so interesting to hear about! Those Brit Award broadcasts get a mention, but that's all; just a throwaway comment here and there. A great shame, I think. They were legendary at the time, at least amongst students - increasingly drunken presenters, increasingly drunken pop stars, and much silliness backstage. Of course, maybe that's precisely why they were missed out?! It's probably easy to stray into lawsuit territory when you start writing about stuff like that. At any rate, most of the rest is still there. The NME, Empire (three issues!), The Hit Parade, The Movie Club (watched almost exclusively by students and cabbies). There weren't many of us, Andrew, but for what it's worth, we really did love the show. Then later 6Music, EastEnders (yuck), and onwards and upwards to an award-winning BBC sitcom, Not Going Out, which I missed again this week. Ah well. Not really been in the mood for comedy lately. Had to laugh at all the Doctor Who geekery. And all those infernal clip shows! Still, it's a living. And I'd rather Andrew was doing them than some of those useless people they get in, who don't seem to know a damned thing about what they're reviewing.
And speaking of reviewing. The book. Sorry - got distracted. Every bit as entertaining as the two previous instalments. Funny, very honest, very interesting, and at times nicely nostalgic. I'd love to hear some of those old Hit Parades again. The BBC ought to make some of their old radio shows available to listen to online. I know that not all of them survive by a long shot, but some do. Be interesting to hear some of those bands, and see who's still around, and who has fallen by the wayside. Of course the music rights whatsits would probably be hell to clear.
And I've lost the thread again, haven't I. Oh, whatever. Look, it's a good book, okay?! It's funny, and it's worth reading, and it mentions Marky Goodier and Wise Buddah, which wins it instant cool points. Yes it does. This has been a terrific trilogy of books, and I hope that Andrew writes another book some day. Whether, ten years down the line, he writes a fourth volume; or whether he writes something else altogether, I'm certainly interested. Apparently Stuart Maconie's also got a book out - Pies And Prejudice. I always felt more on the Collins side of the duo than on the Maconie side, somehow, but I might give that a go. I'm not massively moved by the blurb, but you never know. And it's had some good reviews.
Oh heavens above, I do go on. Shutting up now.
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