Listen without prejudice

Listen to this track with your eyes closed and picture the singer.... Then open your eyes...




Great voice and a good pop song, from a white Norwegian...

Thanks to Robert Elms on Radio London for the spot.

The BBC seem unable to help themselves

Yesterday afternoon I found myself listening to Robert Elms on BBC Radio London. I only listened to about 15 minutes, here's why...

First in honour of a collector's re-release of Heaven 17's 'Penthouse and Pavement' Robert Elms played 'We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang', here are the lyrics (my emphasis):

"(Everybody move to prove the groove)
Have you heard it on the news
About this fascist groove thang
Evil men with racist views
Spreading all across the land
Don't just sit there on your ass
Unlock that funky chaindance
Brothers, sisters shoot your best
We don't need this fascist groove thang
Chorus:
Brothers, sisters, we don't need this fascist groove thang
History will repeat itself
Crisis point we're near the hour
Counterforce will do no good
Hot you ass I feel your power
Hitler proves that funky stuff
Is not for you and me girl
Europe's an unhappy land
They've had their fascist groove thang
Chorus
Democrats are out of power
Across that great wide ocean
Reagan's president elect
Fascist god in motion
Generals tell him what to do
Stop your good time dancing
Train their guns on me and you
Fascist thang advancing
Chorus
Sisters, brothers lend a hand
Increase our population
Grab that groove thang by the throat
And throw it in the ocean
You're real tonight you move my soul
Let's cruise out of the dance war
Come out your house and dance your dance
Shake that fascist groove thang
(Shake it!)"

Robert's comment as the track finished? "Still sounds great and very very timely as well..." Odd remark; who are the fascists in motion Robert? Islamists across the Middle East and beyond killing homosexuals and adulterers? Or does Robert Elms think its topical with a 'Tory' government back in power in Great Britain?

The next interviewee was Rebecca Taylor of Time Out with her tips on what you can do at lunchtime in London, some interesting ideas that but included this one (from 1:39:20):

"In this week of particular political interest where people are thinking about austerity and possibly the government there's the Marx Memorial Library in Clerkenwell. Clerkenwell which was a hotbed of communism in the 18th and 19th Century... it was also the place where Lenin, when he was in exile, worked when he was in London and there is a room and an office preserved as it was in Lenin's time... amazing collection of pamphlets, badges relating to the Trade Union movement, the early Socialist movement... So if you're feeling particularly political at the moment then that's an interesting one to go to."
Robert Elms: "Get yourself down to the Marx Memorial Library".

Yeah, right on Robert, keep up the fight and if you can influence just a few Londoners to follow the true path, all the better. Of course cuddly Marx's revolutionary ideas resulted in the deaths of many millions but those were just ideas. Lenin however was directly responsible for the deaths of tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of Russians but hey let's have lunch looking at his desk!


You can listen for yourself here - from 1:32:00.


And here's Heaven 17, dodgy political sentiments but a great groove...