Chapter 14 - Wakeling

Chapter 14 - Wakeling. Any restaurant.






First album I ever bought was from Ray's old music shop in the nearest town. I'd got some birthday money burning a big hole in me pocket, this was before I started the paper round. I had a whole fiver and was dying to spend it, real money back then. I owned a pop album already, me mum had bought me tenpole tudor for christmas after I'd enjoyed their singles. But now I was ready to hit the record store and purchase a long-player with me own dosh for the very first time, too fecking exciting.




So which one to buy? I had some stuff on tape, a cool mate had sorted me out with the first couple of madness albums and other assorted stuff before I started higher education the specials, the jam, all that stuff really appealed to me plus it was current and you could see some of the acts on top of the pops on our black and white telly. 3 channels back then kids, and there was always summat good on.




I was a big smash hits reader at the time, loved the way they printed the lyrics of current chart hits in the magazine, knowing all the words to a song has always been my thing. And in my bi-weekly music rag I saw an advert for The Beat's latest album, you know how it says including so-and-so, the skaboys had released 4 singles off the album and I liked them all. Knew straight away that this was the album for me, silly title or no and I duly made it to the shop for the seminal event. And the record had all the lyrics printed on the inner sleeve, glory days indeed.




It was the way Dave's voice blended with Roger's that really made it for me, over the guitars with Morton steady as a rock. Best of all they had a saxa player who was so old he'd played on some of the original ska stuff, this is too cool. Not sure the band has ever achieved appropriate acclaim for their original blend, go listen to the first album I dare you not to dance.




But this blog isn't about the band it's about the frontman, whom I can now admit to totally fancying 40 years ago although I never knew it at the time and I'm still not gay. I thought I just liked him but no I fancied him come on denialboy face it you're a massive bender and always have been. Now we've sorted that one out, I gotta say I fancied girls and still do, but 20 years ago I realised I fancied them even more when they're not really girls.




I called him the frontman but he wasn't really, it was always a total band effort but as the lead singer he was at the front. I remember him singing dancing and playing his guitar all at the same time, perhaps I didn't reckon his dance moves were all that cool but there could be no doubting his energy and enthusiasm. Can you sing dance and play guitar at the same time? Wish I could, I can do one of the above and to no lofty standard. He always played that white vox guitar, only realised he was kakhanded fairly recently, I never miss anything




And so versatile with the vocals, you remember how everyone thought elvis and rick astley were black at first because of the way their voices sounded? Well Dave sounded black to me sometimes, he had proper soul and I'm not getting his voice mixed up with Roger's. Best ignore this bit if you're one of the wokerjokers, or maybe you could just get offended quietly in the corner. Some of the lyrics were bolloks fair enough, although they did some good social commentary and political stuff, and that's coming from a thatcher fan.




With Dave it wasn't just the music, his look definately grabbed me in a way that could possibly be described as a bit gay, although I was unconscious of it at the time. He had the blonde hair earring and tight pants and he'd worked on a building site sure, but what I really loved was his voice, I thought it was so smooth. He could sing, later on the the third album he turned into a bit of a soul boy but to be honest the magic of the music had pretty much gone by then.




I read a few years back he declared as bi back in the eighties, sounds brave to me. At that time we were ripping the pss out of anyone who did anything slightly gay, not that we were macho it was just so taboo with us back in them days. Not even freddy and george were gay back then, just john inman. Fancying other blokes was about as acceptable as eating your granny.




No sex or dressing up in womens clothes this time booo, this is my story and it comes out like this. Dave I thought you were cool as fuk and thanks for helping with the gay thing.






Love, Stella X

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