Podcasts about rhodesian

fWotD Episode 3152: Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 21 December 2025, is Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces.The Rhodesian government actively recruited white personnel from other countries from the mid-1970s until 1980 to address manpower shortages in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. It is estimated that between 800 and 2,000 foreign volunteers enlisted. The issue attracted a degree of controversy as Rhodesia was the subject of international sanctions that banned military assistance due to its illegal declaration of independence and the control which the small white minority exerted over the country. The volunteers were often labelled as mercenaries by opponents of the Rhodesian regime, though the Rhodesian government did not regard or pay them as such.The volunteers had a range of motivations for enlisting. These included opposition to governments led by black people, anti-communism, a desire for adventure, racism, and economic hardship. The volunteers generally joined the Rhodesian Security Forces after seeing advertisements or being contacted by recruiters. Many were from the United Kingdom and United States, some being combat veterans. They generally served alongside Rhodesian personnel, though a separate unit made up of Frenchmen was formed. The Rhodesian government regarded the volunteers as unreliable, and they often received a hostile response from members of the units to which they were posted. This contributed to high desertion rates. The remaining volunteers were dismissed from the security forces in 1980 following the end of the war and Rhodesia's transition to Zimbabwe.It was illegal for the citizens of many countries to serve with the Rhodesian Security Forces due to the international sanctions that had been imposed on Rhodesia following its illegal declaration of independence, or broader prohibitions against mercenary activity. The governments of the United Kingdom, United States and several other countries were unable to prevent their citizens fighting for Rhodesia owing to difficulties enforcing their relevant laws. The African nationalist groups who opposed the Rhodesian government believed the presence of volunteers indicated that Western governments supported the regime. Historians have published little on the volunteers, coverage largely forming part of works on broader issues. The volunteers are celebrated by some modern far-right and white supremacist groups that admire Rhodesia.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:03 UTC on Sunday, 21 December 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Joanna.

The end of the warFollow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fall of Mozambique. Medal of Honor: Archie van WinkleFollow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How commies helped split Rhodesia wide open.Follow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rebellion before the warFollow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a hunting trip to a mining expedition.Follow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's show Lian is joined by Hugh Newton. Hugh's life began in the midst of a war in Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia). Growing up in such harsh conditions meant that he had to work hard to overcome his complex childhood trauma. Hugh began his self-development journey 30 years ago, and has been passionate about both supporting men to step into the fullest versions of themselves, and strengthening and uplifting the African continent that he loves so much. Hugh works as the lead male facilitator at Celebration of Being, and was a certified leader at A Band of Brothers for 7 years. He's also a trained shadow work facilitator and coach. His body of work supports men to show up as their best selves in the world, overcome their wounding, and build rich, nourishing lives for themselves and those they love. In this episode, Lian and Hugh explore men, trauma, and the long road back to wholeness. They touch Hugh's childhood on a remote Rhodesian farm under civil war, the day a nine-year-old was trained and armed to protect his mother and sister, the years of numbness that followed, and the moment he named the predator within and chose to meet it. They turn to what creates healing: men's work that faces danger with love, simple daily honesty instead of performance, and steady boundaries that make intimacy possible. Listen if you are or love a man who can't feel, wondered why good men go numb, or wanted to understand how even the deepest wounds in men can become strength. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How men's childhood survival strategies become adult numbness, and the concrete steps that begin to thaw it without collapsing into chaos and overwhelm Why naming the predator within changes behaviour, desire, and trust in relationship, and the practices that keep it in the heart rather than the shadows What happens when women respond to men's early, imperfect vulnerability with steadiness and praise… and how that accelerates genuine masculine healing Resources and stuff spoken about: The Sovereign's Journey - May 2026 edition Hugh's book on Amazon Regular online workshops for men Join Hugh on instagram Join Hugh on Facebook Join UNIO, The Community for Wild Sovereign Souls: This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Kathleen and Peter discuss the phenomenon of the transfer of consciousness from donor to recipient as has been documented in many organ transplants. We also talk about Remembrance Day on November 11th Kathleen's Deep Dive When organs are transplanted, memories, personalities, preferences, and skills have been repeatedly observed to transfer from the donor to the recipient suggesting transference of consciousness from the donor to the recipient. Remembrance Day, Kathleen shows a photo of her partner's great-grandfather wearing a tin helmet in WWI and the actual helmet from the photo. She talks about Canadian veterans. Peter talks about his parent's service in WWII, and his own service in the Rhodesian army during the terrorist war. Links to the articles are in this week's newsletter and blog post.   Health Declassified is brought to you by Peter Wright & Kathleen Beauvais contact us to be a guest on our show. https://HealthDeclassified.com  peter@healthdeclassified.com    kathleen@healthdeclassified.com  Get our weekly newsletter for links to articles mentioned on the show, holistic health tips and news of future guests. Subscribe here   Our Affiliate Suppliers   Science Driven Supplements - Circuguard & OxyBoost https://bit.ly/3VPzsV8 MyWayCBD https://bit.ly/4jFzmd0 BAM Metrics Exercise Equipment https://bit.ly/3SMnZom B3 Sciences BFR bands https://yakking.b3bands.me/ Touchstone Essentials https://healthdeclassified.thegoodinside.com/   Follow us on social media Spotify                        https://open.spotify.com/show/1N3yM4lUuBYGMByhwuUDVy Facebook Group        https://www.facebook.com/groups/480434235068451 FaceBook Page                https://www.facebook.com/HealthDeclassified Twitter        X                https://x.com/HealthDeclass Instagram                https://www.instagram.com/healthdeclassified/ Telegram                https://t.me/healthdeclassifed   Here are some of the tools we use to produce this podcast. Kit for sending emails and caring for subscribers Hostgator for website hosting. Podbean for podcast hosting Airtable for organizing our guest bookings and automations.   Clicking on some links on this site will let you buy products and services which may result in us receiving a commission, however, it will not affect the price you pay.          

Intro -Sam Welcome back to another episode of Let's Go Hunt, the hunting podcast best consumed cold, tonight we have: Vince H, basking in the glow of his life choices Dave Packard, who is a day away from woodland activities Mike Gonçalves who's got buck fever And I'm, Sam Alexander - Around the Campfire Tonight: It's getting cooler, but I think it's false fall and I hate it Warheads on Foreheads with Mike https://www.ksl.com/article/51394785/idaho-hunter-shoots-grizzly-bear-in-self-defense-near-island-park-idaho Dave's thing In the early 1800s, grizzly bears were one of the biggest threats to cattle. While the Anglo-American style was to use heavy artillery to control threatening bears, the vaqueros preferred to rope them from the back of a well-trained horse. This method of bear control required a great deal of skill and was a dying vaquero art. What can we learn from this? Eventual Ad Slot Personal Gear Chat and Updates: Mike A decision has been made about the defense sidearm.   Let's talk about this weekend!   Real talk…bring cooler and game bags or do my family's way?  But if I do, how do I get it home Dave NASTY coyote   Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands fuckery? C:/Users/dapac/Downloads/CCNG_DraftAssessment_202500703_Final508_RevisedMaps_.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/planning/forest-plan/grasslands-plan-revision-library   Hunt camp menu? Must store well in cooler Will have big griddle and grill to cook on Sam   Five Star Alterations poncho, brief update and material comparison. Vince Youth Rifle Season recap   Rhodesian Poncho report   Flagstaff Greyboe Rifle Stock has got me MOIST News and World Events   Initiative 82   https://leg.colorado.gov/content/wildlife-and-ecosystem-conservation-commission-0   Wyoming Corner Crossing going to the Supreme Court?   https://montanafreepress.org/2025/05/22/landowner-looks-to-appeal-loss-in-corner-crossing-case-to-us-supreme-court/   Spotlighting With Dave: What are some other uses for thermals? Subsonic 22LR: so  many ammo options, so what's the difference? What the Rut is going on here? or The Otter Creek Labs Polonium 30. What's it good for? Leave us a review or I will hire a gang of hitmen to come to your house and eat your lunchmeat! Go to lghpodcast.com -> Click on Support the Show -> Leave us a Review! -> Follow the link to your favorite podcast brain beamer and leave us a review! Email contact@lghpodcast.com and get a sticker pack! Outro - Vince Support the sport and take a buddy hunting! If you like that buddy, tell them about our show! If you don't like that buddy, give him your gogurt. Hit us up at lghpodcast.com.  Thanks for listening and Let's Go Hunt! EMAIL: contact@lghpodcast.com Let's Go Hunt Archives - Firearms Radio Network

Robert goes through the colorful life and backstory of future Trump administration official Steven Hatfill, who went from Rhodesian military volunteer to biological weapons expert to (innocent) suspect of a major terrorist attack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send me a messageChris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that bring British History to life.The Shangani Patrol: Major Wilson's Last Stand Against Impossible Odds (1893)Become A PatronMake A DonationOn December 4th, 1893, near the banks of the Shangani River in what is now Zimbabwe, fewer than 30 British soldiers under Major Allan Wilson made their final stand against over 3,000 Matabele warriors. Surrounded, outnumbered, and cut off from reinforcements by a raging river, these men fought until their ammunition ran out. Legend says that as the enemy made their final charge, the survivors stood and sang "God Save the Queen" before meeting their fate.This dramatic last stand became the stuff of British imperial legend, shaping white Rhodesian identity for eight decades. But what brought these men to this desperate moment in the African wilderness?The story begins with Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company's expansion into Mashonaland in 1890. To the west lay the powerful Matabele kingdom under King Lobengula, who continued traditional raids against the Shona people - now living on white settler farms. When Dr. Leander Starr Jameson declared war in October 1893, two columns advanced into Matabele territory, devastating the kingdom's forces with modern rifles and Maxim guns.After capturing the burning capital of Bulawayo, Major Patrick Forbes led a flying column in pursuit of the fleeing king., Lobengula. The force included the ambitious Major Allan Wilson, experienced Boer frontiersman Piet Raaff, and American scout Frederick Burnham. Wilson's led a small patrol across the Shangani river  on December 3rd in pursuit of the king.. During the night, he found himself surrounded by thousands of warriors.The 29 men formed a defensive ring using their  horses as cover and fought for hours against overwhelming odds. Matabele accounts describe Wilson being shot six times but continuing to fight, and wounded men passing ammunition with their teeth.In the end, seven men remained standing. They removed their hats, shook hands, and sang a hymn, legend has it that it was "God Save The Queen"The legend of the Shangani Patrol became embedded in Rhodesian mythology until Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.Support the show

Rhodesia, now called the Republic of Zimbabwe, used to be a self-governing British colony.   In November 1965, the Cabinet of Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence from Britain in an effort to preserve white minority rule.   The Rhodesian Bush War, also known as the Rhodesian Civil War, followed.  It lasted until December 1979.  This protracted guerilla war pitted Rhodesia's globally isolated government against the African nationalist Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union (ZANU) and Zimbabwe African People's Union.  Eventually ZANU prevailed and its leader, Robert Mugabe, was elected Prime Minister in February 1980.   Paul Moorcraft and Peter MacLaughlin tell the story in “The Rhodesian War Fifty Years On”.  

In this powerful episode of SHE MD, hosts Mary Alice Haney and Dr. Thais Aliabadi welcome actress and filmmaker Embeth Davidtz. She shares her experience with breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the importance of comprehensive screening and self-advocacy in women's health. The conversation explores women's health, career reinvention, and the power of pursuing passion projects later in life. Interestingly, Embeth Davidtz is also the director of "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight", a film adaptation of Alexandra Fuller's New York Times bestselling memoir, which is releasing this July 2025. Access more information about the podcast and additional expert health tips by visiting SHE MD Podcast and Ovii. Sponsors: Opill: Opill is birth control in your control, and you can use code SHEMD for twenty five percent off your first month of Opill at Opill.comCymbiotika: Go to Cymbiotikia.com/SHEMD for 20% off your order + free shipping today.Nutrafol: Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com and enter promo code SHEMD.Vionic: Use code SHEMD at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. 1 time use only.Live Conscious: Head to LiveConscious.com and use code SHEMD for 15% off your first purchase. Embeth Davidtz's Key Takeaways:Consider Other Screening Methods: Women with a family history of breast cancer should consider additional screening methods like MRIs, even with normal mammogram results.Develop A Personalized Management Plan For Menopausal Symptoms: Breast cancer survivors like Embeth Davidtz can experience significant menopausal symptoms, requiring careful management and lifestyle adjustments.Engage in Creative Projects: Pursuing creative projects or volunteer work can provide a sense of purpose and improve mental health, especially for women in midlife transitions.Refine Your Leadership Approach: Effective leadership in male-dominated fields often requires women to balance assertiveness with diplomacy.Find Your Purpose, No Matter How Small: Whether it's making a movie or volunteering, doing something meaningful can lift you out of dark times.In This Episode: (00:00) Introduction(05:34) Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment experience(11:17) Importance of breast imaging and advocacy(20:30) How Embeth Davidtz dealt with menopause after breast cancer(22:30) Managing symptoms without hormone replacement(30:00) Embarking on a new creative journey(36:46) Learning to communicate and lead effectively(45:00) Finding purpose and making a differenceRESOURCES:Embeth Davidtz - Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/embethdavidtz/GUEST BIOGRAPHY:Embeth Davidtz is an American-South African director, writer, producer, and actress with an illustrious career spanning decades in film and television. Recently, Davidtz made her directorial and screenwriting debut with DON'T LET'S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT, based on Alexandra Fuller's bestselling memoir of the same name. The film follows Bobo, a young girl growing up on a Rhodesian farm against the backdrop of the Bush War the 1980s. Davidtz draws from her South African upbringing to authentically portray the harsh realities of being raised amid familial strife and apartheid. Following premieres at the Telluride, Toronto and Zurich film festivals last fall, the film received rave reviews. Variety praised Davidtz's debut “a masterclass in storytelling” and The Hollywood Reporter called the film “near perfection.” Shortly after, Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film, which will have its initial release in LA and NY on July 11, 2025.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben is joined by Thomas Laxdal and Tyler Plehwe to discuss the 2006 movie Blood Diamond.- A few technical issues and some of the podcast is missing.- We did a lot of Rhodesian accents.- Why hasn't Djimon Hinsou had a better career?- Blood Diamond or The Departed?- Does Archer need to die?- And much more! 

Today's episode is the second and final part of our conversation with Allan Savory, founder of the Savory Institute and one of the most influential voices in holistic management. In Part 1, we covered Allan's military background, his early ecological work in Africa, and the institutional resistance he faced when challenging deeply held beliefs in both science and policy. Today, we pick up with the practical side of his life's work—how livestock, when properly managed, can regenerate land, restore biodiversity, and stabilize food systems. As Allan said in our conversation: “If your toolbox is empty, what are you going to do? There is nothing else in the human toolbox to reverse desertification other than properly managed livestock.” We'll talk about what holistic management really means, why rewilding isn't enough, and how large-scale land restoration is not only possible—it's happening. You'll also hear Allan's thoughts on how military veterans can play a pivotal role in this movement, and why institutions—military, academic, and environmental—need to be radically restructured to meet today's ecological challenges. Let's get back into it—Part 2 with Allan Savory starts now.

Today's episode is the first in a special two-part series with a guest whose work has shaped the way millions think about land, livestock, and leadership. Allan Savory is a legend in the regenerative agriculture world—founder of the Savory Institute, developer of the holistic management framework, and a lifelong challenger of convention. From growing up in war-torn Rhodesia to commanding combat tracking units, and later reshaping global agricultural theory, Allan's story is as unconventional as it is urgent. As Allan says in today's episode: "Without agriculture, you cannot have a choir. You cannot have a church. You cannot have a university. You cannot have an economy. You cannot have a government. You cannot have an army. You cannot have anything. It is the very foundation of civilization." In Part 1, we cover his early military service, his time as a young wildlife ecologist tasked with protecting massive swaths of African rangeland, and the origin of holistic management—how it was born not from theory, but from a lifetime of ecological and military observation under fire. We also dive deep into how institutional ego, flawed beliefs, and academic dogma continue to stand in the way of solving global desertification and food insecurity. This isn't your typical ag conversation—and it's not meant to be. It's bold, unfiltered, and driven by a mission that started decades before most of us ever heard the word “regenerative.” Enjoy Part 1 with Allan Savory.

Join us this week as the guys sit down and talk about kit setups? Do you need a Rhodesian rig? Will the back pockets on your jeans work well enough? They will cover a variety of considerations on picking what gear you actually might need for a variety of things from competition to combat courses. […] The post AR-15 Podcast 473 – What kit is right for you? appeared first on Firearms Radio Network.

Join us this week as the guys sit down and talk about kit setups? Do you need a Rhodesian rig? Will the back pockets on your jeans work well enough? They will cover a variety of considerations on picking what gear you actually might need for a variety of things from competition to combat courses. Our Sponsors: Patriot Patch Co – https://patriotpatch.co/ VZ Grips – https://vzgrips.com/ code: AR15PODCAST Klecker Tactical Use code AR15PODCAST for 10% off at kleckertactical.com https://www.stickerphantom.com/?ref=a... Use code ARPODCAST for 10% off custom stickers Shop Our Merch: https://ar-15-podcast.creator-spring.... Help the show by clicking through our affiliate links below. Hard Head Veterans https://www.hardheadveterans.com?sca_ref=5012278.DI7TlTgbkA Faxon Firearms https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?t... – Faxon Firearms affiliate link Palmetto State Armory https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?t... – Palmetto State Armory affiliate link My Medic https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?t... Trigger Interactive https://triggerinteractive.com/?aff=7 Valiant Dynamics https://www.valiant-dynamics.com/ Code: AR15 Contact us! AR15podcast2.0@gmail.com Intagram: @ar15podcast2.0 Facebook: / ar15podcast

Vi eftersöker de bästa och värsta hundhistorierna! Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Ett nyfiket och underhållande aktualitetsprogram med lyssnaren i fokus.Det bjuds på hundiga historier från bland annat Thomas vars hund älskade att bada bastu, Lena som blev räddad av sin Rhodesian ridgeback och en direktrapport från Jenny som alldeles precis hämtat sin nya valp.I extramaterialet får vi höra om varför det alltid luktar illa i Trelleborg (spoiler: tång), hundar och Hannas sju mil långa plogbilskaravan.

In this Blood Diamond (2006) Movie Review, we explore Edward Zwick's gripping drama that shines a stark light on the human cost of the diamond trade. Set against the backdrop of Sierra Leone's brutal civil war, the film weaves an intense story of survival, greed, and redemption through the intertwined lives of a smuggler, a fisherman, and a journalist. With unforgettable performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Jennifer Connelly, Blood Diamond is a heart-pounding thriller that forces audiences to confront the dark truths behind luxury and the price of humanity.The Story: A Conflict Fueled by GreedSet in the 1999 civil war in Sierra Leone, the film follows three characters whose lives intersect around a rare pink diamond. Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) is a fisherman torn from his family and enslaved by rebel forces to mine diamonds. When he discovers the priceless gem, it becomes his hope for reuniting with his family and escaping the horrors of war.Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a jaded mercenary and diamond smuggler looking to use the gem as a ticket out of Africa. His motivations are driven by greed, but his journey alongside Solomon forces him to confront his moral compass. Meanwhile, journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) seeks to expose the corruption and human suffering perpetuated by the diamond trade, risking her own safety to uncover the truth.The trio's quest takes them across the perilous terrain of Sierra Leone, navigating rebel ambushes, government corruption, and personal demons. Their intertwining stories paint a vivid picture of survival, humanity, and the pursuit of justice in the face of unimaginable violence.Leonardo DiCaprio: A Career-Defining PerformanceDiCaprio delivers one of the most compelling performances of his career as Danny Archer, a man grappling with his fractured sense of morality. Sporting a convincing Rhodesian accent, DiCaprio brings depth to the character, transforming Archer from a cold-hearted opportunist to a man seeking redemption. His chemistry with both Hounsou and Connelly is electric, driving the film's emotional core.Djimon Hounsou: The Heart of the FilmAs Solomon Vandy, Djimon Hounsou delivers a powerhouse performance, embodying a father's desperate fight to save his family. His portrayal of anguish, resilience, and determination is deeply moving, earning him a well-deserved Oscar nomination. Solomon's journey serves as the film's emotional anchor, reminding viewers of the human cost of conflict diamonds.Jennifer Connelly: The Voice of ConscienceJennifer Connelly's Maddy Bowen is a fierce and fearless journalist, providing a counterbalance to Archer's cynicism and Solomon's despair. Her character not only brings a journalistic perspective to the story but also challenges Archer to examine his role in perpetuating the cycle of exploitation. Connelly's nuanced performance highlights the sacrifices and risks involved in pursuing truth.Unflinching Realism: The Brutality of Conflict DiamondsOne of the film's greatest strengths is its unapologetic portrayal of the diamond trade's devastating impact on human lives. Through scenes of child soldiers, forced labour, and rebel atrocities, Blood Diamond immerses viewers in the horrors of Sierra Leone's civil war. The film doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truths, shedding light on the greed and corruption that fuel the conflict.Director Edward Zwick's meticulous attention to detail ensures that every frame feels authentic, from the bustling markets to the desolate landscapes scarred by violence. Eduardo Serra's cinematography captures Africa's stark beauty while juxtaposing it against the brutal realities of war.Themes of Redemption and HopeAt its heart, Blood Diamond is a story of redemption and the enduring power of hope. Each character transforms: Archer finds his humanity, Solomon clings to hope despite unimaginable suffering, and Maddy's idealism pushes her to fight for justice. The pink diamond, initially a symbol of greed, becomes a beacon of hope for Solomon's family and a catalyst for change in Archer's life.A Thought-Provoking Call to ActionBeyond its thrilling action and emotional storytelling, Blood Diamond serves as a powerful critique of consumer culture and the ethical dilemmas surrounding luxury goods. The film challenges audiences to consider the true cost of the items they covet, making it both an entertaining and thought-provoking experience.The tagline “It will cost you everything” resonates not only with the characters' sacrifices but also with the message that our choices have far-reaching consequences. By the film's end, viewers are left questioning the morality of industries built on exploitation and whether change is truly possible.Critical Acclaim and LegacyUpon its release, Blood Diamond was praised for its intense performances, gripping narrative, and unflinching exploration of a sensitive subject. It received five Academy Award nominations, including nods for DiCaprio and Hounsou's performances, and earned widespread acclaim for its ability to balance action with social commentary.The film also sparked conversations about ethical diamond sourcing, increasing awareness of initiatives like the Kimberley Process. While it's not a perfect system, the movie's impact on public consciousness helped push the issue into the global spotlight.Flaws Worth MentioningWhile Blood Diamond is undeniably powerful, it's not without its flaws. Some critics have pointed out the occasional reliance on action-movie tropes, which can detract from the story's realism. Additionally, while well-acted, Maddy Bowen's character sometimes feels underutilised compared to the arcs of Archer and Solomon.Despite these minor shortcomings, the film's emotional weight and powerful performances more than compensate, making it a must-watch for anyone seeking both entertainment and a deeper understanding of the world's complexities.Final VerdictBlood Diamond (2006) is a riveting thriller that transcends the action-drama genre to deliver a poignant critique of greed, exploitation, and redemption. Powered by stellar performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Jennifer Connelly, the film balances edge-of-your-seat tension with deeply emotional storytelling. Its unflinching portrayal of the human cost of conflict diamonds is both haunting and unforgettable.Join us in this week's Born to Watch episode as we delve into the enduring legacy of Blood Diamond. We'll explore its impact on audiences, the ethical dilemmas it raises, and why this 2006 masterpiece remains as relevant today as it was nearly two decades ago. If you haven't seen it, prepare for a cinematic journey that will leave you questioning, moved, and inspired.Please follow the Podcast and join our community at https://linktr.ee/borntowatchpodcasthttps://www.borntowatch.com.au/

Peter Wright is  a man whose life story reads like a gripping historical novel. Born in London, Peter's journey took him from the United Kingdom to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and eventually to South Africa then Canada. His tale is one of resilience, determination, and the power of choice in the face of adversity. Peter recalls an idyllic childhood in Rhodesia where his father, a British Foreign Office employee, was stationed. The family fell in love with the country, and became Rhodesian citizens. The political landscape in Rhodesia unfortunately was unstable and led  to a terrorist war that conscripted Peter when he was 18.  The war intensified, and by 1978, Peter made the difficult decision to move to South Africa, seeking a safer future for his children. He navigated the complexities of emigration, starting anew with limited resources. Throughout the episode, Peter emphasizes the significance of choice, determination, and gratitude. He shares harrowing experiences, including near-death encounters and personal losses, yet his outlook remains positive. His personal story provides an insight into the reality of war and its impact on people and families caught up in its path. Tune in to  gain a deeper understanding of how resilience and determination can shape your life. This story is a powerful reminder that it's not what happens to you in life, but what you do about it that truly counts. You can read more about Peter's life in his book, 5 Steps to Thriving on Adversity.     What they're saying:   “This is a beautiful book about life, its imperfections, its challenges, and its joys. It is a book of hope and wisdom for all of us facing a bump in the road.” –Pragito Dove   “Pat has woven together beautiful stories of life setbacks that have been transformed into spiritual growth. This book is a gift and a must-read for souls experiencing pain and yearning for growth.”   –Gary Hensel   Learn more at   Follow Bump on: ➡️  ➡️  ➡️  ➡️  ➡️ 

It's fitting that the melodic lyric connecting Liverpool Football Club fans is "You'll Never Walk Alone," when chatting with Football Veteran (and Army Veteran) Goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who joined the Rhodesian Army in 1975, speaking about bonded brotherhood during bloody conflict – While in an ambush, Bruce yelled to a buddy, “When we get out of here, I'd like to play football for Liverpool.” Fast forward to 1980, and the great LFC Coach Bob Paisley spotted Bruce warming up in the rain under an umbrella, and from that moment on, that figherfight banter 5 years earlier became a reality. Over 14 years, Bruce and LFC won 6 Premier League championship and many other major trophies. As an Army Veteran of the current Zimbabwe who experienced trauma on both battlefield and the pitch during 2 horrific stadium tragedies, Bruce's own life was saved by football, owing much to the fans who support him and his iconic team. _________Many thanks to Bruce Grobbelaar for sitting with me in the great city of Liverpool and teaching us about brotherhood, the religion of football, and even getting to sing together from South African sounds of Paul Simon to his adopted homeland sound of The Beatles. Bruce has an autobiography you can check out in 2019 called: Life in a Jungle: My Autobiography. And for a good read about Bruce, football and the Rhodesian War, I recommend an article from that same year in The Guardian. A very special thank you to Rob Glover – our friend from Boston and Liverpool for all you do in helping and connecting with others, who graciously connected us with Bruce. And of course, thank you to our Chief Development Officer at Home Base for the great work you and team do with LFC Foundation partners, Karianne Kraus.To learn more about the Run to Anfield and find out about next year's event, you can go to: https://www.liverpoolfc.com/foundationAnd we didn't forget to find the Anfield Rap with Goalkeeper, Jungle-Man, Bruce Grobbelaar to take us out!MUSIC:You'll Never Walk Alone - Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1945 / Gerry and The Pacemakers, 1963_________Home Base Nation is the official podcast for Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families – Our team sees veterans, servicemembers and their families addressing the invisible wounds of war at no cost. This is all made possible thanks to a grateful nation – And if you want to learn more on how you can help, visit us at www.homebase.org, or if you or anyone you know would like to connect to care, you can also reach us at 617-724-5202.Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInThe Home Base Nation Team is Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.Producer and Host: Dr. Ron HirschbergAssistant Producer, Editor: Chuck CloughChairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter SmythThe views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

Callum returns to Hearts of Oak to discuss his recent travels in Zimbabwe, specifically exploring what he terms "The Ruins of Rhodesia." He reflects on his previous adventures in Afghanistan and Ukraine, characterizing Zimbabwe as a unique yet complicated experience, marked by a sense of danger stemming from uncertainty regarding political expression. Unlike clearly defined lines in countries like Afghanistan and Russia, where one might be aware of the topics to avoid, Zimbabwe creates an atmosphere of anxiety regarding what is permissible to say, a situation exacerbated by the fear of arbitrary punishment for dissent. This nuance in the social landscape leads to a broader discussion on censorship and the anxieties that stem from a lack of clear boundaries in free expression, drawing parallels to rising concerns in the UK. Callum emphasizes the need for context, particularly historical context, to understand modern Zimbabwe. He introduces a historical segment at the start of the interview explaining the complex narrative of Zimbabwe, particularly the Rhodesian era and its consequences. Many viewers lack knowledge about Zimbabwe's past, so he simplifies this history for clarity while ensuring accuracy. Callum examines the migration of the Matabele, tracing their history back to the 1800s, and offers insights into the intricate ethnic dynamics at play, which challenge oversimplified narratives about race and colonization. He illustrates that racial delineations are insufficient and argues for recognizing the underlying complexities of Zimbabwe's colonial history. As he recounts his personal experiences traveling through Zimbabwe, Callum reflects on the realities of life for both black and white people since the end of colonial rule. He notes that while some narratives portray extreme animosity between racial groups, his interactions suggest a more complicated relationship characterized by mutual respect juxtaposed with lingering power dynamics from the colonial past. He recounts a surprising level of historical nostalgia where some younger Zimbabweans express a longing for governance styles reminiscent of Ian Smith's regime, revealing a stark contrast between the past and the current political situation. Transportation and logistics in Zimbabwe provide another layer to his narrative. Callum talks about the surprisingly easy travel to Victoria Falls and the challenges faced navigating through the country, detailing the state of the roads and public transport. In Harare, he contrasts the monumental urban development against rural struggles, noting that access to basic amenities can vary greatly within the same country. He draws attention to the stark divide between wealth and poverty in urban settings, where modernity exists alongside profound struggles, likening some areas to Victorian-era slums. On the topic of the economy, Callum finds that entrepreneurship thrives out of necessity rather than opportunity, with an estimated 95% of the populace operating outside formal employment structures. This observation leads to a deeper examination of economic resilience amidst scarcity, observing that people often engage in multiple trades to survive. As he discusses the state of agriculture, mining, and informal markets, he highlights the disparity between the potential within the country and the suffering caused by systemic mismanagement and corruption. Throughout the conversation, Callum underscores the contrasting ideas of colonial legacy, current governance, and potential futures for Zimbabwe, demonstrating a deep empathy for the Zimbabwean people, whose lives reflect resilience amid adversity. His thoughts culminate in a hopeful outlook for the nation, despite its challenges, as he expresses a desire to return to witness further developments. The interview underscores the importance of understanding historical context in grasping contemporary issues, culminating in a nuanced portrayal of Zimbabwe beyond mere headlines. In closing, Callum outlines logistical details for potential travellers to Zimbabwe, encouraging exploration while emphasizing mindful awareness of the nuanced social and political landscape. To support his journeys and future work, he invites listeners to connect with him through his subscription platform, calling for continued engagement in discussing and exploring the complexities of cultures and histories around the globe.  Connect with Callum...

Support the show!! - https://www.patreon.com/chasedavisThe American Tribune - https://theamericantribune.com/Follow Will Tanner - https://x.com/Will_Tanner_1Thread - https://x.com/Will_Tanner_1/status/1815768314905280844Thread - https://x.com/Will_Tanner_1/status/1817210644011106381Thread - https://x.com/Will_Tanner_1/status/1817304684450689293SummaryIn this episode of Full Proof Theology, host Chase Davis interviews Will Tanner, co-founder of the American Tribune, about Rhodesia. They discuss the background of Rhodesia, its declaration of independence, and the Bush War that followed. They also touch on the international response to Rhodesia, the role of the Rhodesian military, and the impact of the war on the country. The conversation highlights the unique political and social dynamics of Rhodesia and challenges the mainstream narrative surrounding the country. The conversation explores the fall of Rhodesia and the lessons that can be learned from it. The main themes include the challenges faced by Rhodesia in maintaining its national sovereignty and borders, the impact of geography on the war, the difficulties in defending the border, the tactics used by the rebels, and the reasons for Rhodesia's ultimate downfall. The conversation also touches on the role of private military contractors, the importance of political arrangements and religion, and the lessons that can be drawn from the Rhodesian conflict.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background of Guest08:59 Rhodesia: Declaration of Independence and Early Governance13:09 The Bush War: Precipitating Events and Nature of the Conflict16:59 International Response to Rhodesia19:42 The Role of the Rhodesian Military21:47 Innovative Tactics: Fire Force Missions25:35 The Impact of the War on Rhodesia27:53 The Challenges of Maintaining National Sovereignty and Borders37:04 The Impact of Geography on the War40:25 The Difficulties in Defending the Border43:12 Tactics Used by the Rebels41:37 The Role of Private Military Contractors45:14 The Importance of Political Arrangements and Religion52:53 Lessons from the Rhodesian ConflictSupport the Show.Sign up for the Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/chasedavisFollow Full Proof Theology on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fullprooftheology/Follow Full Proof Theology on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fullprooftheology/

Send us a Text Message.Join us as Rhodesian war veteran and Psychologist Barry Zworestine shares his gripping journey from university corridors to the unforgiving battlefields of the Rhodesian Bush War. He recounts his rigorous physical and psychological training, the unexpected injuries that altered his career path, and the complex emotions stirred by the dual nature of combat. Through his vivid storytelling, we get a rare glimpse into the life of a medic in this tumultuous period, including a mysterious UFO sighting that left an indelible mark.  Our conversation paints a nuanced picture of the moral dichotomies soldiers face, illustrated by tales of camaraderie and the haunting confessions of a soldier who misses the hunt. We explore the deep psychological impact of reconciling the capacity for violence with being a loving father and responsible individual. This episode offers a profound exploration of the duality of human nature shaped by warfare, shedding light on the long-lasting emotional and psychological scars that veterans carry.  As we navigate the emotional terrain of post-service life, our guest opens up about the sense of inadequacy, identity struggles, and grief that many veterans experience. He shares his reflections on aging and the disciplined practices that help manage stress and maintain a sense of purpose. Highlighting the importance of supportive networks and advocacy, we emphasize the need for understanding trauma and the powerful role of shared experiences in promoting healing and preventing suicide among veterans. Tune in for a heartfelt tribute to the resilience of those who've served and a call to acknowledge their ongoing journey toward healing. Instagram: @securityhaltX: @SecurityHaltTik Tok: @security.halt.podLinkedIn: Deny Caballero Follow and connect with Barry and be sure to pick up his book by clicking the link below.LinkedIn: Barry ZworestineBook: Which way is your warrior facingSupport the Show.Produced by Security Halt Media

Hake's friend stops in. Calls: Republicans aren't serious! Cut JD some slack! Happy birthday, Hake! Homeless black knife-wielder shot! Unions vs Amber Rose. The Hake Report, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 AD TIME STAMPS * (0:00:00) Start * (0:05:20) Hey, guys! * (0:06:13) Hake's strong Rhodesian friend, Nick, hair * (0:12:43) ALEX, CA: Reaction, Trump, Dems both ways * (0:15:58) ALEX: Repubs not serious enough; Joe * (0:20:32) ALEX: real Christians? * (0:24:07) WILLIAM, CA: Wasting time hating * (0:28:46) Reading chat: JD Vance * (0:30:48) Coffees: Happy b-day, Emoji Day * (0:34:57) Coffee: JD Vance, wife, Vivek, Indian culture * (0:40:04) NOAH, NY, 1st, women, ex-wife, kids * (0:45:52) YES GUNNER, Chicago: Weak RNC * (0:50:15) YES GUNNER: Hard economy, Libs in power, Be a light * (0:58:07) YES GUNNER: JD, Trump * (0:59:01) JD Vance comes from a different world. Politician? Lawyer?  * (1:01:10) Homeless man with knives shot in Milwaukee, RNC * (1:07:16) RNC: Peter Navarro out * (1:12:51) LUKE, Vietnam, 1st, anti-Satanism cult * (1:19:02) LUKE: Am I doing it right? * (1:24:32) BRIAN, NC: Hillary was mildly attractive * (1:26:47) JOE, AZ: Hate, Nazis demonizing, Dishonesty * (1:37:27) CRISHAUN the Don, FL: Happy b-day, * (1:41:45) JIMMY, MN, Jaime: Union Sean O'Brien vs Amber Rose * (1:50:41) Closing, "Thin as a Needle" - Starflyer 59, The Last Laurel EP LINKS BLOG  https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2024/7/17/the-hake-report-wed-7-17-24 PODCAST / Substack  HAKE NEWS from JLP  https://www.thehakereport.com/jlp-news/2024/7/17/hake-news-wed-7-17-24 Hake is live M-F 9-11a PT (11-1CT/12-2ET) Call-in 1-888-775-3773 https://www.thehakereport.com/show VIDEO  YouTube  -  Rumble*  -  Facebook  -  X  -  BitChute  -  Odysee*  PODCAST  Substack  -  Apple  -  Spotify  -  Castbox  -  Podcast Addict  *SUPER CHAT on platforms* above or  BuyMeACoffee, etc.  SHOP  Spring  -  Cameo  |  All My Links  JLP Network:  JLP  -  Church  -  TFS  -  Nick  -  Joel  Get full access to HAKE at thehakereport.substack.com/subscribe

Zvenyika Eckson Mugari's book Press Silence in Postcolonial Zimbabwe: News Whiteouts, Journalism and Power (Routledge, 2020) focuses on news silence in Zimbabwe, taking as a point of departure the (in)famous blank spaces (whiteouts) which newspapers published to protest official censorship policy imposed by the Rhodesian government from the mid-1960s to the end of that decade. Based on archived news content, the author investigates the cause(s) of the disappearance of blank spaces in Zimbabwe's newspapers and establishes whether and how the blank spaces may have been continued by stealth and proposes a model of doing journalism where news is inclusive, just and less productive of blank spaces. The author explores the broader ramifications of news silences, tacit or covert on society's sense of the world and their place in it. It questions whether and how news media continued with the practice of epistemic deletions and continue to draw on the colonial archive for conceptual maps with which to define and interpret contemporary postcolonial realities and challenges in Zimbabwe. This book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and academics researching the press in contemporary Africa, critical media analysis, media and society studies, and news as discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

After going undercover at the Conscious Life Expo, Julian examines the weird synchronicities between himself and his mirror-world doppelganger, the eccentric Rhodesian conspiritualist, Sacha Stone. Close in age and born in the same African country, both white men got involved in New Age spirituality as aspiring rock musicians in their twenties. How then did their paths diverge so radically, even as they converged in Los Angeles? Stone invokes a fantastical millenia-long cosmic holy war, claims the pyramids were charging stations for UFOs, and praises Vladamir Putin. Julian gives a brief real world history of the British Empire, South African Apartheid, and the legendary Zulu and Ndbele nations—and wonders, how much of Sacha's macabre preoccupations are just white guilt? Stay tuned for a cameo from Julian's Dad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For February's edition of the AK KORNER, presented by Pioneer Arms Corp USA, we get in to a very detailed discussion on the camouflages used during WWII to present day (we touch on some pre WWII camos as well). Designs, philosophies of use, effectiveness and history. Joining Lefty is Historian, decorated Soviet Solder and Author, Marco Vorobiev; Military Historian, Fireforce Ventures consultant and Rhodesian camo expert "Hank"; and highly decorated USA Soldier and VP of Pioneer Arms Corp USA, CJ Johnson. Listener questions are fielded and a very special limited edition giveaway for this episode is announced by CJ. Also, we give the instructions for how to enter next month's firearm giveaway which will be a special edition PAC AKM chambered in 5.56 NATO This episode is also powered by: Mission First Tactical (code "leadhead" 20% Off) SEAL 1 (code "leadhead" for 25% Off) & Fireforce Ventures (code: "LEADHEAD" 15% Off)

Our featured interview tonight is with Truett Smith. Truett is the Pipe Manager for SmokingPipes.com, which includes buying pipes from large-scale manufacturers and individual artisans. He has been with SmokingPipes.com for five and a half years. He started in copywriting, then merchandising, and became the pipe manager / buyer in June 2023. Prior to working for SmokingPipes.com, he smoked pipes for several years, and was one of their customers. He's been smoking pipes for 12-years now. He also plays guitar, and enjoys a good game of chess. At the top of the show we will have a Pipes 101 segment discussing the differences between the Bulldog and Rhodesian shapes, and their variances.

Our featured interview tonight is with Truett Smith. Truett is the Pipe Manager for SmokingPipes.com, which includes buying pipes from large-scale manufacturers and individual artisans. He has been with SmokingPipes.com for five and a half years. He started in copywriting, then merchandising, and became the pipe manager / buyer in June 2023. Prior to working for SmokingPipes.com, he smoked pipes for several years, and was one of their customers. He's been smoking pipes for 12-years now. He also plays guitar, and enjoys a good game of chess. At the top of the show we will have a Pipes 101 segment discussing the differences between the Bulldog and Rhodesian shapes, and their variances.

A forgotten battle deep in the Rhodesian Bush…   A handful of Mounted Police battling over a thousand Shona rebels in a running battle.    Its an epic fight that deserves to be remembered.    Today we are talking about the Mazoe Patrol in what is now known as Zimbabwe.    A special thanks to Cam Simpson who researched and wrote this episode. His books on military history are excellent and can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/3QEWtX9    If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject: https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/   If you are very generous, you can also buy me a coffee and help support the channel via https://ko-fi.com/redcoathistory  

Robert Spangle is a Marine-turned-fashion-photographer who joined the Corps at 17 years old and, after training, joined the 2nd Force Recon Co. He shares the importance of camouflage during his deployments and how observing local style opened him up to his future career as a photographer and bespoke tailor.   He sees style as a cultural aspect of conflict. There is an emotional story behind uniforms like Robert's chance encounter with a gentleman who recognized his Rhodesian camo, reminding him of his time in the bush 40 years ago, and the Ukrainians fielding their DPM shorts today as they liberate their country.    Follow Robert and get his book Afghan Style: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thousandyardstyle/ Book: https://www.observercollection.com/collection/afghan-style/ Website: https://www.thousandyardstyle.com/   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-clubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Ed Frawley shares a question from the Ask Cindy database. Today's question is about a three year old Rhodesian Ridgeback that is very reactive to most dogs on leash. The Rhodesian has been like this since she was 8 weeks old. The owner wants to know what she can do to stop her from doing this. | Links mentioned: How To Measure Your Dog For A Muzzle - Online Course: https://university.leerburg.com/Catalog/viewCourse/cid/153 | Conditioning Your Dog to a Muzzle (Free with purchase of any muzzle from Leerburg): https://university.leerburg.com/Catalog/viewCourse/cid/150 | Dominant Dog Collar: https://leerburg.com/746.htm | Leash Reactivity with Michael Ellis: https://university.leerburg.com/Catalog/viewCourse/cid/165 | Leash Reactivity with Tyler Muto: https://university.leerburg.com/Catalog/viewCourse/cid/15

Not so much of Rhodesia, but about future possibilities of violence, and of the potential rise of armed patronage networks as a societal organizing device. The written version of this review can be found here. We strongly encourage, in these days of censorship and deplatforming, all readers to bookmark our main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads. Other than at the main site, you can follow Charles here: https://twitter.com/TheWorthyHouse https://gab.com/TheWorthyHouse

This week on Next Page, Laura and Todd sit down with the truly incredible Robin Aisha Landsong, a multiple Near-Death Survivor, Transformational Speaker, Medicine Singer, Visionary Artist, Author and Craniosacral Therapist. Robin experienced the unimaginable. At the age of 8, she was living in an abusive and neglectful home when she was abducted and taken to Rhodesia, Africa (Zimbabwe) at the height of the Rhodesian war. There she was beaten, passed off, and left for dead in the African bush. Not long after she had her first Near-Death Experience (NDE) from exposure, spent the night in a tree and eventually found her way to a village, where she was miraculously accepted by the Women and Children of the village as one of their own, despite being white. It was in that village where she was shown true love and peace for the first time. Unfortunately, that peace was short-lived. After only 4 weeks, she was shot by an African soldier, her village was attacked and most of her newly found family was murdered. Robin went on to experience two more NDE'S and after being smuggled into South Africa, she was returned to her abusive household. After many years of suffering Robin eventually found healing and realized her experiences and intuition could help others heal from their own trauma. She now now helps others heal from their own trauma through speaking, therapy, artistry and medicine singing. In this episode, the group discuss her harrowing story, as well as the neurobiology of trauma, how forgiveness shouldn't be rushed, the power of medicine songs, being receptive to healing and the impacts of inter-generational trauma. We cannot emphasize enough how powerful Robin's story is and the incredible journey she has been on; all while maintaining a positive attitude and continuing to help others. This episode is truly NOT one to miss! So please enjoy Episode 29 with Robin Aisha Landsong! Robin's WebsiteRobin's FacebookRobin's InstagramRobin's YouTubeFree 60 minute class on Nurturing Your Nervous System Receive Intuitive Reading, Drawing, and Singing Medicine 5 Person GroupUpcoming classes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 160 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Flowers in the Rain" by the Move, their transition into ELO, and the career of Roy Wood. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a twenty-minute bonus episode available, on "The Chipmunk Song" by Canned Heat. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Note I say "And on its first broadcast, as George Martin's theme tune for the new station faded, Tony Blackburn reached for a record." -- I should point out that after Martin's theme fades, Blackburn talks over a brief snatch of a piece by Johnny Dankworth. Resources As so many of the episodes recently have had no Mixcloud due to the number of songs by one artist, I've decided to start splitting the mixes of the recordings excerpted in the podcasts into two parts. Here's part one . I had problems uploading part two, but will attempt to get that up shortly. There are not many books about Roy Wood, and I referred to both of the two that seem to exist -- this biography by John van der Kiste, and this album guide by James R Turner.  I also referred to this biography of Jeff Lynne by van der Kiste, The Electric Light Orchestra Story by Bev Bevan, and Mr Big by Don Arden with Mick Wall.  Most of the more comprehensive compilations of the Move's material are out of print, but this single-CD-plus-DVD anthology is the best compilation that's in print. This is the one collection of Wood's solo and Wizzard hits that seems currently in print, and for those who want to investigate further, this cheap box set has the last Move album, the first ELO album, the first Wizzard album, Wood's solo Boulders, and a later Wood solo album, for the price of a single CD. Transcript Before I start, a brief note. This episode deals with organised crime, and so contains some mild descriptions of violence, and also has some mention of mental illness and drug use, though not much of any of those things. And it's probably also important to warn people that towards the end there's some Christmas music, including excerpts of a song that is inescapable at this time of year in the UK, so those who work in retail environments and the like may want to listen to this later, at a point when they're not totally sick of hearing Christmas records. Most of the time, the identity of the party in government doesn't make that much of a difference to people's everyday lives.  At least in Britain, there tends to be a consensus ideology within the limits of which governments of both main parties tend to work. They will make a difference at the margins, and be more or less competent, and more or less conservative or left-wing, more or less liberal or authoritarian, but life will, broadly speaking, continue along much as before for most people. Some will be a little better or worse off, but in general steering the ship of state is a matter of a lot of tiny incremental changes, not of sudden u-turns. But there have been a handful of governments that have made big, noticeable, changes to the structure of society, reforms that for better or worse affect the lives of every person in the country. Since the end of the Second World War there have been two UK governments that made economic changes of this nature. The Labour government under Clement Atlee which came into power in 1945, and which dramatically expanded the welfare state, introduced the National Health Service, and nationalised huge swathes of major industries, created the post-war social democratic consensus which would be kept to with only minor changes by successive governments of both major parties for decades. The next government to make changes to the economy of such a radical nature was the Conservative government which came to power under Margaret Thatcher in 1979, which started the process of unravelling that social democratic consensus and replacing it with a far more hypercapitalist economic paradigm, which would last for the next several decades. It's entirely possible that the current Conservative government, in leaving the EU, has made a similarly huge change, but we won't know that until we have enough distance from the event to know what long-term changes it's caused. Those are economic changes. Arguably at least as impactful was the Labour government led by Harold Wilson that came to power in 1964, which did not do much to alter the economic consensus, but revolutionised the social order at least as much. Largely because of the influence of Roy Jenkins, the Home Secretary for much of that time, between 1964 and the end of the sixties, Britain abolished the death penalty for murder, decriminalised some sex acts between men in private, abolished corporal punishment in prisons, legalised abortion in certain circumstances, and got rid of censorship in the theatre. They also vastly increased spending on education, and made many other changes. By the end of their term, Britain had gone from being a country with laws reflecting a largely conservative, authoritarian, worldview to one whose laws were some of the most liberal in Europe, and society had started changing to match. There were exceptions, though, and that government did make some changes that were illiberal. They brought in increased restrictions on immigration, starting a worrying trend that continues to this day of governments getting ever crueler to immigrants, and they added LSD to the list of illegal drugs. And they brought in the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act, banning the pirate stations. We've mentioned pirate radio stations very briefly, but never properly explained them. In Britain, at this point, there was a legal monopoly on broadcasting. Only the BBC could run a radio station in the UK, and thanks to agreements with the Musicians' Union, the BBC could only play a very small amount of recorded music, with everything else having to be live performances or spoken word. And because it had a legal obligation to provide something for everyone, that meant the tiny amount of recorded music that was played on the radio had to cover all genres, meaning that even while Britain was going through the most important changes in its musical history, pop records were limited to an hour or two a week on British radio. Obviously, that wasn't going to last while there was money to be made, and the record companies in particular wanted to have somewhere to showcase their latest releases. At the start of the sixties, Radio Luxembourg had become popular, broadcasting from continental Europe but largely playing shows that had been pre-recorded in London. But of course, that was far enough away that it made listening to the transmissions difficult. But a solution presented itself: [Excerpt: The Fortunes, "Caroline"] Radio Caroline still continues to this day, largely as an Internet-based radio station, but in the mid-sixties it was something rather different. It was one of a handful of radio stations -- the pirate stations -- that broadcast from ships in international waters. The ships would stay three miles off the coast of Britain, close enough for their broadcasts to be clearly heard in much of the country, but outside Britain's territorial waters. They soon became hugely popular, with Radio Caroline and Radio London the two most popular, and introduced DJs like Tony Blackburn, Dave Lee Travis, Kenny Everett, and John Peel to the airwaves of Britain. The stations ran on bribery and advertising, and if you wanted a record to get into the charts one of the things you had to do was bribe one of the big pirate stations to playlist it, and with this corruption came violence, which came to a head when as we heard in the episode on “Here Comes the Night”, in 1966 Major Oliver Smedley, a failed right-wing politician and one of the directors of Radio Caroline, got a gang of people to board an abandoned sea fort from which a rival station was broadcasting and retrieve some equipment he claimed belonged to him. The next day, Reginald Calvert, the owner of the rival station, went to Smedley's home to confront him, and Smedley shot him dead, claiming self-defence. The jury in Smedley's subsequent trial took only a minute to find him not guilty and award him two hundred and fifty guineas to cover his costs. This was the last straw for the government, which was already concerned that the pirates' transmitters were interfering with emergency services transmissions, and that proper royalties weren't being paid for the music broadcast (though since much of the music was only on there because of payola, this seems a little bit of a moot point).  They introduced legislation which banned anyone in the UK from supplying the pirate ships with records or other supplies, or advertising on the stations. They couldn't do anything about the ships themselves, because they were outside British jurisdiction, but they could make sure that nobody could associate with them while remaining in the UK. The BBC was to regain its monopoly (though in later years some commercial radio stations were allowed to operate). But as well as the stick, they needed the carrot. The pirate stations *had* been filling a real need, and the biggest of them were getting millions of listeners every day. So the arrangements with the Musicians' Union and the record labels were changed, and certain BBC stations were now allowed to play a lot more recorded music per day. I haven't been able to find accurate figures anywhere -- a lot of these things were confidential agreements -- but it seems to have been that the so-called "needle time" rules were substantially relaxed, allowing the BBC to separate what had previously been the Light Programme -- a single radio station that played all kinds of popular music, much of it live performances -- into two radio stations that were each allowed to play as much as twelve hours of recorded music per day, which along with live performances and between-track commentary from DJs was enough to allow a full broadcast schedule. One of these stations, Radio 2, was aimed at older listeners, and to start with mostly had programmes of what we would now refer to as Muzak, mixed in with the pop music of an older generation -- crooners and performers like Englebert Humperdinck. But another, Radio 1, was aimed at a younger audience and explicitly modelled on the pirate stations, and featured many of the DJs who had made their names on those stations. And on its first broadcast, as George Martin's theme tune for the new station faded, Tony Blackburn reached for a record. At different times Blackburn has said either that he was just desperately reaching for whatever record came to hand or that he made a deliberate choice because the record he chose had such a striking opening that it would be the perfect way to start a new station: [Excerpt: Tony Blackburn first radio show into "Flowers in the Rain" by the Move] You may remember me talking in the episode on "Here Comes the Night" about how in 1964 Dick Rowe of Decca, the manager Larry Page, and the publicist and co-owner of Radio Caroline Phil Solomon were all trying to promote something called Brumbeat as the answer to Merseybeat – Brummies, for those who don't know, are people from Birmingham. Brumbeat never took off the way Merseybeat did, but several bands did get a chance to make records, among them Gerry Levene and the Avengers: [Excerpt: Gerry Levene and the Avengers, "Dr. Feelgood"] That was the only single the Avengers made, and the B-side wasn't even them playing, but a bunch of session musicians under the direction of Bert Berns, and the group split up soon afterwards, but several of the members would go on to have rather important careers. According to some sources, one of their early drummers was John Bohnam, who you can be pretty sure will be turning up later in the story, while the drummer on that track was Graeme Edge, who would later go on to co-found the Moody Blues.  But today it's the guitarist we'll be looking at. Roy Wood had started playing music when he was very young -- he'd had drum lessons when he was five years old, the only formal musical tuition he ever had, and he'd played harmonica around working men's clubs as a kid. And as a small child he'd loved classical music, particularly Tchaikovsky and Elgar. But it wasn't until he was twelve that he decided that he wanted to be a guitarist. He went to see the Shadows play live, and was inspired by the sound of Hank Marvin's guitar, which he later described as sounding "like it had been dipped in Dettol or something": [Excerpt: The Shadows, "Apache"] He started begging his parents for a guitar, and got one for his thirteenth birthday -- and by the time he was fourteen he was already in a band, the Falcons, whose members were otherwise eighteen to twenty years old, but who needed a lead guitarist who could play like Marvin. Wood had picked up the guitar almost preternaturally quickly, as he would later pick up every instrument he turned his hand to, and he'd also got the equipment. His friend Jeff Lynne later said "I first saw Roy playing in a church hall in Birmingham and I think his group was called the Falcons. And I could tell he was dead posh because he had a Fender Stratocaster and a Vox AC30 amplifier. The business at the time. I mean, if you've got those, that's it, you're made." It was in the Falcons that Wood had first started trying to write songs, at first instrumentals in the style of the Shadows, but then after the Beatles hit the charts he realised it was possible for band members to write their own material, and started hesitantly trying to write a few actual songs. Wood had moved on from the Falcons to Gerry Levene's band, one of the biggest local bands in Birmingham, when he was sixteen, which is also when he left formal education, dropping out from art school -- he's later said that he wasn't expelled as such, but that he and the school came to a mutual agreement that he wouldn't go back there. And when Gerry Levene and the Avengers fell apart after their one chance at success hadn't worked out, he moved on again to an even bigger band. Mike Sheridan and the Night Riders had had two singles out already, both produced by Cliff Richard's producer Norrie Paramor, and while they hadn't charted they were clearly going places. They needed a new guitarist, and Wood was by far the best of the dozen or so people who auditioned, even though Sheridan was very hesitant at first -- the Night Riders were playing cabaret, and all dressed smartly at all times, and this sixteen-year-old guitarist had turned up wearing clothes made by his sister and ludicrous pointy shoes. He was the odd man out, but he was so good that none of the other players could hold a candle to him, and he was in the Night Riders by the time of their third single, "What a Sweet Thing That Was": [Excerpt: Mike Sheridan and the Night Riders, "What a Sweet Thing That Was"] Sheridan later said "Roy was and still is, in my opinion, an unbelievable talent. As stubborn as a mule and a complete extrovert. Roy changed the group by getting us into harmonies and made us realize there was better material around with more than three chords to play. This was our turning point and we became a group's group and a bigger name." -- though there are few other people who would describe Wood as extroverted, most people describing him as painfully shy off-stage. "What a  Sweet Thing That Was" didn't have any success, and nor did its follow-up, "Here I Stand", which came out in January 1965. But by that point, Wood had got enough of a reputation that he was already starting to guest on records by other bands on the Birmingham scene, like "Pretty Things" by Danny King and the Mayfair Set: [Excerpt: Danny King and the Mayfair Set, "Pretty Things"] After their fourth single was a flop, Mike Sheridan and the Night Riders changed their name to Mike Sheridan's Lot, and the B-side of their first single under the new name was a Roy Wood song, the first time one of his songs was recorded. Unfortunately the song, modelled on "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones, didn't come off very well, and Sheridan blamed himself for what everyone was agreed was a lousy sounding record: [Excerpt: Mike Sheridan's Lot, "Make Them Understand"] Mike Sheridan's Lot put out one final single, but the writing was on the wall for the group. Wood left, and soon after so did Sheridan himself. The remaining members regrouped under the name The Idle Race, with Wood's friend Jeff Lynne as their new singer and guitarist. But Wood wouldn't remain without a band for long. He'd recently started hanging out with another band, Carl Wayne and the Vikings, who had also released a couple of singles, on Pye: [Excerpt: Carl Wayne and the Vikings, "What's the Matter Baby"] But like almost every band from Birmingham up to this point, the Vikings' records had done very little, and their drummer had quit, and been replaced by Bev Bevan, who had been in yet another band that had gone nowhere, Denny Laine and the Diplomats, who had released one single under the name of their lead singer Nicky James, featuring the Breakaways, the girl group who would later sing on "Hey Joe", on backing vocals: [Excerpt: Nicky James, "My Colour is Blue"] Bevan had joined Carl Wayne's group, and they'd recorded one track together, a cover version of "My Girl", which was only released in the US, and which sank without a trace: [Excerpt: Carl Wayne and the Vikings, "My Girl"] It was around this time that Wood started hanging around with the Vikings, and they would all complain about how if you were playing the Birmingham circuit you were stuck just playing cover versions, and couldn't do anything more interesting.  They were also becoming more acutely aware of how successful they *could* have been, because one of the Brumbeat bands had become really big. The Moody Blues, a supergroup of players from the best bands in Birmingham who featured Bev Bevan's old bandmate Denny Laine and Wood's old colleague Graeme Edge, had just hit number one with their version of "Go Now": [Excerpt: The Moody Blues, "Go Now"] So they knew the potential for success was there, but they were all feeling trapped. But then Ace Kefford, the bass player for the Vikings, went to see Davy Jones and the Lower Third playing a gig: [Excerpt: Davy Jones and the Lower Third, "You've Got a Habit of Leaving"] Also at the gig was Trevor Burton, the guitarist for Danny King and the Mayfair Set. The two of them got chatting to Davy Jones after the gig, and eventually the future David Bowie told them that the two of them should form their own band if they were feeling constricted in their current groups. They decided to do just that, and they persuaded Carl Wayne from Kefford's band to join them, and got in Wood.  Now they just needed a drummer. Their first choice was John Bonham, the former drummer for Gerry Levene and the Avengers who was now drumming in a band with Kefford's uncle and Nicky James from the Diplomats. But Bonham and Wayne didn't get on, and so Bonham decided to remain in the group he was in, and instead they turned to Bev Bevan, the Vikings' new drummer.  (Of the other two members of the Vikings, one went on to join Mike Sheridan's Lot in place of Wood, before leaving at the same time as Sheridan and being replaced by Lynne, while the other went on to join Mike Sheridan's New Lot, the group Sheridan formed after leaving his old group. The Birmingham beat group scene seems to have only had about as many people as there were bands, with everyone ending up a member of twenty different groups). The new group called themselves the Move, because they were all moving on from other groups, and it was a big move for all of them. Many people advised them not to get together, saying they were better off where they were, or taking on offers they'd got from more successful groups -- Carl Wayne had had an offer from a group called the Spectres, who would later become famous as Status Quo, while Wood had been tempted by Tony Rivers and the Castaways, a group who at the time were signed to Immediate Records, and who did Beach Boys soundalikes and covers: [Excerpt: Tony Rivers and the Castaways, "Girl Don't Tell Me"] Wood was a huge fan of the Beach Boys and would have fit in with Rivers, but decided he'd rather try something truly new. After their first gig, most of the people who had warned against the group changed their minds. Bevan's best friend, Bobby Davis, told Bevan that while he'd disliked all the other groups Bevan had played in, he liked this one. (Davis would later become a famous comedian, and have a top five single himself in the seventies, produced by Jeff Lynne and with Bevan on the drums, under his stage name Jasper Carrott): [Excerpt: Jasper Carrott, "Funky Moped"] Most of their early sets were cover versions, usually of soul and Motown songs, but reworked in the group's unique style. All five of the band could sing, four of them well enough to be lead vocalists in their own right (Bevan would add occasional harmonies or sing novelty numbers) and so they became known for their harmonies -- Wood talked at the time about how he wanted the band to have Beach Boys harmonies but over instruments that sounded like the Who. And while they were mostly doing cover versions live, Wood was busily writing songs. Their first recording session was for local radio, and at that session they did cover versions of songs by Brenda Lee, the Isley Brothers, the Orlons, the Marvelettes, and Betty Everett, but they also performed four songs written by Wood, with each member of the front line taking a lead vocal, like this one with Kefford singing: [Excerpt: The Move, "You're the One I Need"] The group were soon signed by Tony Secunda, the manager of the Moody Blues, who set about trying to get the group as much publicity as possible. While Carl Wayne, as the only member who didn't play an instrument, ended up the lead singer on most of the group's early records, Secunda started promoting Kefford, who was younger and more conventionally attractive than Wayne, and who had originally put the group together, as the face of the group, while Wood was doing most of the heavy lifting with the music. Wood quickly came to dislike performing live, and to wish he could take the same option as Brian Wilson and stay home and write songs and make records while the other four went out and performed, so Kefford and Wayne taking the spotlight from him didn't bother him at the time, but it set the group up for constant conflicts about who was actually the leader of the group. Wood was also uncomfortable with the image that Secunda set up for the group. Secunda decided that the group needed to be promoted as "bad boys", and so he got them to dress up as 1930s gangsters, and got them to do things like smash busts of Hitler, or the Rhodesian dictator Ian Smith, on stage. He got them to smash TVs on stage too, and in one publicity stunt he got them to smash up a car, while strippers took their clothes off nearby -- claiming that this was to show that people were more interested in violence than in sex. Wood, who was a very quiet, unassuming, introvert, didn't like this sort of thing, but went along with it. Secunda got the group a regular slot at the Marquee club, which lasted several months until, in one of Secunda's ideas for publicity, Carl Wayne let off smoke bombs on stage which set fire to the stage. The manager came up to try to stop the fire, and Wayne tossed the manager's wig into the flames, and the group were banned from the club (though the ban was later lifted). In another publicity stunt, at the time of the 1966 General Election, the group were photographed with "Vote Tory" posters, and issued an invitation to Edward Heath, the leader of the Conservative Party and a keen amateur musician, to join them on stage on keyboards. Sir Edward didn't respond to the invitation. All this publicity led to record company interest. Joe Boyd tried to sign the group to Elektra Records, but much as with The Pink Floyd around the same time, Jac Holzman wasn't interested. Instead they signed with a new production company set up by Denny Cordell, the producer of the Moody Blues' hits. The contract they signed was written on the back of a nude model, as yet another of Secunda's publicity schemes. The group's first single, "Night of Fear" was written by Wood and an early sign of his interest in incorporating classical music into rock: [Excerpt: The Move, "Night of Fear"] Secunda claimed in the publicity that that song was inspired by taking bad acid and having a bad trip, but in truth Wood was more inspired by brown ale than by brown acid -- he and Bev Bevan would never do any drugs other than alcohol. Wayne did take acid once, but didn't like it, though Burton and Kefford would become regular users of most drugs that were going. In truth, the song was not about anything more than being woken up in the middle of the night by an unexpected sound and then being unable to get back to sleep because you're scared of what might be out there. The track reached number two on the charts in the UK, being kept off the top by "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees, and was soon followed up by another song which again led to assumptions of drug use. "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" wasn't about grass the substance, but was inspired by a letter to Health and Efficiency, a magazine which claimed to be about the nudist lifestyle as an excuse for printing photos of naked people at a time before pornography laws were liberalised. The letter was from a reader saying that he listened to pop music on the radio because "where I live it's so quiet I can hear the grass grow!" Wood took that line and turned it into the group's next single, which reached number five: [Excerpt: The Move, "I Can Hear the Grass Grow"] Shortly after that, the group played two big gigs at Alexandra Palace. The first was the Fourteen-Hour Technicolor Dream, which we talked about in the Pink Floyd episode. There Wood had one of the biggest thrills of his life when he walked past John Lennon, who saluted him and then turned to a friend and said "He's brilliant!" -- in the seventies Lennon would talk about how Wood was one of his two favourite British songwriters, and would call the Move "the Hollies with balls". The other gig they played at Alexandra Palace was a "Free the Pirates" benefit show, sponsored by Radio Caroline, to protest the imposition of the Marine Broadcasting (Offences) Act.  Despite that, it was, of course, the group's next single that was the first one to be played on Radio One. And that single was also the one which kickstarted Roy Wood's musical ambitions.  The catalyst for this was Tony Visconti. Visconti was a twenty-three-year-old American who had been in the music business since he was sixteen, working the typical kind of jobs that working musicians do, like being for a time a member of a latter-day incarnation of the Crew-Cuts, the white vocal group who had had hits in the fifties with covers of "Sh'Boom" and “Earth Angel”. He'd also recorded two singles as a duo with his wife Siegrid, which had gone nowhere: [Excerpt: Tony and Siegrid, "Up Here"] Visconti had been working for the Richmond Organisation as a staff songwriter when he'd met the Move's producer Denny Cordell. Cordell was in the US to promote a new single he had released with a group called Procol Harum, "A Whiter Shade of Pale", and Visconti became the first American to hear the record, which of course soon became a massive hit: [Excerpt: Procol Harum, "A Whiter Shade of Pale"] While he was in New York, Cordell also wanted to record a backing track for one of his other hit acts, Georgie Fame. He told Visconti that he'd booked several of the best session players around, like the jazz trumpet legend Clark Terry, and thought it would be a fun session. Visconti asked to look at the charts for the song, out of professional interest, and Cordell was confused -- what charts? The musicians would just make up an arrangement, wouldn't they? Visconti asked what he was talking about, and Cordell talked about how you made records -- you just got the musicians to come into the studio, hung around while they smoked a few joints and worked out what they were going to play, and then got on with it. It wouldn't take more than about twelve hours to get a single recorded that way. Visconti was horrified, and explained that that might be how they did things in London, but if Cordell tried to make a record that way in New York, with an eight-piece group of session musicians who charged union scale, and would charge double scale for arranging work on top, then he'd bankrupt himself. Cordell went pale and said that the session was in an hour, what was he going to do? Luckily, Cordell had a copy of the demo with him, and Visconti, who unlike Cordell was a trained musician, quickly sat down and wrote an arrangement for him, sketching out parts for guitar, bass, drums, piano, sax, and trumpets. The resulting arrangement wasn't perfect -- Visconti had to write the whole thing in less than an hour with no piano to hand -- but it was good enough that Cordell's production assistant on the track, Harvey Brooks of the group Electric Flag, who also played bass on the track, could tweak it in the studio, and the track was recorded quickly, saving Cordell a fortune: [Excerpt: Georgie Fame, "Because I Love You"] One of the other reasons Cordell had been in the US was that he was looking for a production assistant to work with him in the UK to help translate his ideas into language the musicians could understand. According to Visconti he said that he was going to try asking Phil Spector to be his assistant, and Artie Butler if Spector said no.  Astonishingly, assuming he did ask them, neither Phil Spector nor Artie Butler (who was the arranger for records like "Leader of the Pack" and "I'm a Believer" among many, many, others, and who around this time was the one who suggested to Louis Armstrong that he should record "What a Wonderful World") wanted to fly over to the UK to work as Denny Cordell's assistant, and so Cordell turned back to Visconti and invited him to come over to the UK. The main reason Cordell needed an assistant was that he had too much work on his hands -- he was currently in the middle of recording albums for three major hit groups -- Procol Harum, The Move, and Manfred Mann -- and he physically couldn't be in multiple studios at once. Visconti's first work for him was on a Manfred Mann session, where they were recording the Randy Newman song "So Long Dad" for their next single. Cordell produced the rhythm track then left for a Procol Harum session, leaving Visconti to guide the group through the overdubs, including all the vocal parts and the lead instruments: [Excerpt: Manfred Mann, "So Long Dad"] The next Move single, "Flowers in the Rain", was the first one to benefit from Visconti's arrangement ideas. The band had recorded the track, and Cordell had been unhappy with both the song and performance, thinking it was very weak compared to their earlier singles -- not the first time that Cordell would have a difference of opinion with the band, who he thought of as a mediocre pop group, while they thought of themselves as a heavy rock band who were being neutered in the studio by their producer.  In particular, Cordell didn't like that the band fell slightly out of time in the middle eight of the track. He decided to scrap it, and get the band to record something else. Visconti, though, thought the track could be saved. He told Cordell that what they needed to do was to beat the Beatles, by using a combination of instruments they hadn't thought of. He scored for a quartet of wind instruments -- oboe, flute, clarinet, and French horn, in imitation of Mendelssohn: [Excerpt: The Move, "Flowers in the Rain"] And then, to cover up the slight sloppiness on the middle eight, Visconti had the wind instruments on that section recorded at half speed, so when played back at normal speed they'd sound like pixies and distract from the rhythm section: [Excerpt: The Move, "Flowers in the Rain"] Visconti's instincts were right. The single went to number two, kept off the top spot by Englebert Humperdinck, who spent 1967 keeping pretty much every major British band off number one, and thanks in part to it being the first track played on Radio 1, but also because it was one of the biggest hits of 1967, it's been the single of the Move's that's had the most airplay over the years. Unfortunately, none of the band ever saw a penny in royalties from it. It was because of another of Tony Secunda's bright ideas. Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister at the time, was very close to his advisor Marcia Williams, who started out as his secretary, rose to be his main political advisor, and ended up being elevated to the peerage as Baroness Falkender. There were many, many rumours that Williams was corrupt -- rumours that were squashed by both Wilson and Williams frequently issuing libel writs against newspapers that mentioned them -- though it later turned out that at least some of these were the work of Britain's security services, who believed Wilson to be working for the KGB (and indeed Williams had first met Wilson at a dinner with Khrushchev, though Wilson was very much not a Communist) and were trying to destabilise his government as a result. Their personal closeness also led to persistent rumours that Wilson and Williams were having an affair. And Tony Secunda decided that the best way to promote "Flowers in the Rain" was to print a postcard with a cartoon of Wilson and Williams on it, and send it out. Including sticking a copy through the door of ten Downing St, the Prime Minister's official residence. This backfired *spectacularly*. Wilson sued the Move for libel, even though none of them had known of their manager's plans, and as a result of the settlement it became illegal for any publication to print the offending image (though it can easily be found on the Internet now of course), everyone involved with the record was placed under a permanent legal injunction to never discuss the details of the case, and every penny in performance or songwriting royalties the track earned would go to charities of Harold Wilson's choice. In the 1990s newspaper reports said that the group had up to that point lost out on two hundred thousand pounds in royalties as a result of Secunda's stunt, and given the track's status as a perennial favourite, it's likely they've missed out on a similar amount in the decades since. Incidentally, while every member of the band was banned from ever describing the postcard, I'm not, and since Wilson and Williams are now both dead it's unlikely they'll ever sue me. The postcard is a cartoon in the style of Aubrey Beardsley, and shows Wilson as a grotesque naked homunculus sat on a bed, with Williams naked save for a diaphonous nightgown through which can clearly be seen her breasts and genitals, wearing a Marie Antoinette style wig and eyemask and holding a fan coquettishly, while Wilson's wife peers at them through a gap in the curtains. The text reads "Disgusting Depraved Despicable, though Harold maybe is the only way to describe "Flowers in the Rain" The Move, released Aug 23" The stunt caused huge animosity between the group and Secunda, not only because of the money they lost but also because despite Secunda's attempts to associate them with the Conservative party the previous year, Ace Kefford was upset at an attack on the Labour leader -- his grandfather was a lifelong member of the Labour party and Kefford didn't like the idea of upsetting him. The record also had a knock-on effect on another band. Wood had given the song "Here We Go Round the Lemon Tree" to his friends in The Idle Race, the band that had previously been Mike Sheridan and the Night Riders, and they'd planned to use their version as their first single: [Excerpt: The Idle Race, "Here We Go Round the Lemon Tree"] But the Move had also used the song as the B-side for their own single, and "Flowers in the Rain" was so popular that the B-side also got a lot of airplay. The Idle Race didn't want to be thought of as a covers act, and so "Lemon Tree" was pulled at the last minute and replaced by "Impostors of Life's Magazine", by the group's guitarist Jeff Lynne: [Excerpt: The Idle Race, "Impostors of Life's Magazine"] Before the problems arose, the Move had been working on another single. The A-side, "Cherry Blossom Clinic", was a song about being in a psychiatric hospital, and again had an arrangement by Visconti, who this time conducted a twelve-piece string section: [Excerpt: The Move, "Cherry Blossom Clinic"] The B-side, meanwhile, was a rocker about politics: [Excerpt: The Move, "Vote For Me"] Given the amount of controversy they'd caused, the idea of a song about mental illness backed with one about politics seemed a bad idea, and so "Cherry Blossom Clinic" was kept back as an album track while "Vote For Me" was left unreleased until future compilations. The first Wood knew about "Cherry Blossom Clinic" not being released was when after a gig in London someone -- different sources have it as Carl Wayne or Tony Secunda -- told him that they had a recording session the next morning for their next single and asked what song he planned on recording. When he said he didn't have one, he was sent up to his hotel room with a bottle of Scotch and told not to come down until he had a new song. He had one by 8:30 the next morning, and was so drunk and tired that he had to be held upright by his bandmates in the studio while singing his lead vocal on the track. The song was inspired by "Somethin' Else", a track by Eddie Cochran, one of Wood's idols: [Excerpt: Eddie Cochran, "Somethin' Else"] Wood took the bass riff from that and used it as the basis for what was the Move's most straight-ahead rock track to date. As 1967 was turning into 1968, almost universally every band was going back to basics, recording stripped down rock and roll tracks, and the Move were no exception. Early takes of "Fire Brigade" featured Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum on piano, but the final version featured just guitar, bass, drums and vocals, plus a few sound effects: [Excerpt: The Move, "Fire Brigade"] While Carl Wayne had sung lead or co-lead on all the Move's previous singles, he was slowly being relegated into the background, and for this one Wood takes the lead vocal on everything except the brief bridge, which Wayne sings: [Excerpt: The Move, "Fire Brigade"] The track went to number three, and while it's not as well-remembered as a couple of other Move singles, it was one of the most influential. Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols has often said that the riff for "God Save the Queen" is inspired by "Fire Brigade": [Excerpt: The Sex Pistols, "God Save the Queen"] The reversion to a heavier style of rock on "Fire Brigade" was largely inspired by the group's new friend Jimi Hendrix. The group had gone on a package tour with The Pink Floyd (who were at the bottom of the bill), Amen Corner, The Nice, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and had become good friends with Hendrix, often jamming with him backstage. Burton and Kefford had become so enamoured of Hendrix that they'd both permed their hair in imitation of his Afro, though Burton regretted it -- his hair started falling out in huge chunks as a result of the perm, and it took him a full two years to grow it out and back into a more natural style. Burton had started sharing a flat with Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Burton and Wood had also sung backing vocals with Graham Nash of the Hollies on Hendrix's "You Got Me Floatin'", from his Axis: Bold as Love album: [Excerpt: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "You Got Me Floatin'"] In early 1968, the group's first album came out. In retrospect it's arguably their best, but at the time it felt a little dated -- it was a compilation of tracks recorded between late 1966 and late 1967, and by early 1968 that might as well have been the nineteenth century. The album included their two most recent singles, a few more songs arranged by Visconti, and three cover versions -- versions of Eddie Cochran's "Weekend", Moby Grape's "Hey Grandma", and the old standard "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", done copying the Coasters' arrangement with Bev Bevan taking a rare lead vocal. By this time there was a lot of dissatisfaction among the group. Most vocal -- or least vocal, because by this point he was no longer speaking to any of the other members, had been Ace Kefford. Kefford felt he was being sidelined in a band he'd formed and where he was the designated face of the group. He'd tried writing songs, but the only one he'd brought to the group, "William Chalker's Time Machine", had been rejected, and was eventually recorded by a group called The Lemon Tree, whose recording of it was co-produced by Burton and Andy Fairweather-Low of Amen Corner: [Excerpt: The Lemon Tree, "William Chalker's Time Machine"] He was also, though the rest of the group didn't realise it at the time, in the middle of a mental breakdown, which he later attributed to his overuse of acid. By the time the album, titled Move, came out, he'd quit the group. He formed a new group, The Ace Kefford Stand, with Cozy Powell on drums, and they released one single, a cover version of the Yardbirds' "For Your Love", which didn't chart: [Excerpt: The Ace Kefford Stand, "For Your Love"] Kefford recorded a solo album in 1968, but it wasn't released until an archival release in 2003, and he spent most of the next few decades dealing with mental health problems. The group continued on as a four-piece, with Burton moving over to bass. While they thought about what to do -- they were unhappy with Secunda's management, and with the sound that Cordell was getting from their recordings, which they considered far wimpier than their live sound -- they released a live EP of cover versions, recorded at the Marquee. The choice of songs for the EP showed their range of musical influences at the time, going from fifties rockabilly to the burgeoning progressive rock scene, with versions of Cochran's "Somethin' Else", Jerry Lee Lewis' "It'll Be Me", "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star" by the Byrds, "Sunshine Help Me" by Spooky Tooth, and "Stephanie Knows Who" by Love: [Excerpt: The Move, "Stephanie Knows Who"] Incidentally, later that year they headlined a gig at the Royal Albert Hall with the Byrds as the support act, and Gram Parsons, who by that time was playing guitar for the Byrds, said that the Move did "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star" better than the Byrds did. The EP, titled "Something Else From the Move", didn't do well commercially, but it did do something that the band thought important -- Trevor Burton in particular had been complaining that Denny Cordell's productions "took the toughness out" of the band's sound, and was worried that the group were being perceived as a pop band, not as a rock group like his friends in the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Cream. There was an increasing tension between Burton, who wanted to be a heavy rocker, and the older Wayne, who thought there was nothing at all wrong with being a pop band. The next single, "Wild Tiger Woman", was much more in the direction that Burton wanted their music to go. It was ostensibly produced by Cordell, but for the most part he left it to the band, and as a result it ended up as a much heavier track than normal. Roy Wood had only intended the song as an album track, and Bevan and Wayne were hesitant about it being a single, but Burton was insistent -- "Wild Tiger Woman" was going to be the group's first number one record: [Excerpt: The Move, "Wild Tiger Woman"] In fact, it turned out to be the group's first single not to chart at all, after four top ten singles in a row.  The group were now in crisis. They'd lost Ace Kefford, Burton and Wayne were at odds, and they were no longer guaranteed hitmakers. They decided to stop working with Cordell and Secunda, and made a commitment that if the next single was a flop, they would split up. In any case, Roy Wood was already thinking about another project. Even though the group's recent records had gone in a guitar-rock direction, he thought maybe you could do something more interesting. Ever since seeing Tony Visconti conduct orchestral instruments playing his music, he'd been thinking about it. As he later put it "I thought 'Well, wouldn't it be great to get a band together, and rather than advertising for a guitarist how about advertising for a cellist or a French horn player or something? There must be lots of young musicians around who play the... instruments that would like to play in a rock kind of band.' That was the start of it, it really was, and I think after those tracks had been recorded with Tony doing the orchestral arrangement, that's when I started to get bored with the Move, with the band, because I thought 'there's something more to it'". He'd started sketching out plans for an expanded lineup of the group, drawing pictures of what it would look like on stage if Carl Wayne was playing timpani while there were cello and French horn players on stage with them. He'd even come up with a name for the new group -- a multi-layered pun. The group would be a light orchestra, like the BBC Light Orchestra, but they would be playing electrical instruments, and also they would have a light show when they performed live, and so he thought "the Electric Light Orchestra" would be a good name for such a group. The other band members thought this was a daft idea, but Wood kept on plotting. But in the meantime, the group needed some new management. The person they chose was Don Arden. We talked about Arden quite a bit in the last episode, but he's someone who is going to turn up a lot in future episodes, and so it's best if I give a little bit more background about him. Arden was a manager of the old school, and like several of the older people in the music business at the time, like Dick James or Larry Page, he had started out as a performer, doing an Al Jolson tribute act, and he was absolutely steeped in showbusiness -- his wife had been a circus contortionist before they got married, and when he moved from Manchester to London their first home had been owned by Winifred Atwell, a boogie piano player who became the first Black person to have a UK number one -- and who is *still* the only female solo instrumentalist to have a UK number one -- with her 1954 hit "Let's Have Another Party": [Excerpt: WInifred Atwell, "Let's Have Another Party"] That was only Atwell's biggest in a long line of hits, and she'd put all her royalties into buying properties in London, one of which became the Ardens' home. Arden had been considered quite a promising singer, and had made a few records in the early 1950s. His first recordings, of material in Yiddish aimed at the Jewish market, are sadly not findable online, but he also apparently recorded as a session singer for Embassy Records. I can't find a reliable source for what records he sang on for that label, which put out budget rerecordings of hits for sale exclusively through Woolworths, but according to Wikipedia one of them was Embassy's version of "Blue Suede Shoes", put out under the group name "The Canadians", and the lead vocal on that track certainly sounds like it could be him: [Excerpt: The Canadians, "Blue Suede Shoes"] As you can tell, rock and roll didn't really suit Arden's style, and he wisely decided to get out of performance and into behind-the-scenes work, though he would still try on occasion to make records of his own -- an acetate exists from 1967 of him singing "Sunrise, Sunset": [Excerpt: Don Arden, "Sunrise, Sunset"] But he'd moved first into promotion -- he'd been the promoter who had put together tours of the UK for Gene Vincent, Little Richard, Brenda Lee and others which we mentioned in the second year of the podcast -- and then into management. He'd first come into management with the Animals -- apparently acting at that point as the money man for Mike Jeffries, who was the manager the group themselves dealt with. According to Arden -- though his story differs from the version of the story told by others involved -- the group at some point ditched Arden for Allen Klein, and when they did, Arden's assistant Peter Grant, another person we'll be hearing a lot more of, went with them.  Arden, by his own account, flew over to see Klein and threatened to throw him out of the window of his office, which was several stories up. This was a threat he regularly made to people he believed had crossed him -- he made a similar threat to one of the Nashville Teens, the first group he managed after the Animals, after the musician asked what was happening to the group's money. And as we heard last episode, he threatened Robert Stigwood that way when Stigwood tried to get the Small Faces off him. One of the reasons he'd signed the Small Faces was that Steve Marriott had gone to the Italia Conti school, where Arden had sent his own children, Sharon and David, and David had said that Marriott was talented. And David was also a big reason the Move came over to Arden. After the Small Faces had left him, Arden had bought Galaxy Entertaimnent, the booking agency that handled bookings for Amen Corner and the Move, among many other acts. Arden had taken over management of Amen Corner himself, and had put his son David in charge of liaising with Tony Secunda about the Move.  But David Arden was sure that the Move could be an albums act, not just a singles act, and was convinced the group had more potential than they were showing, and when they left Secunda, Don Arden took them on as his clients, at least for the moment. Secunda, according to Arden (who is not the most reliable of witnesses, but is unfortunately the only one we have for a lot of this stuff) tried to hire someone to assassinate Arden, but Arden quickly let Secunda know that if anything happened to Arden, Secunda himself would be dead within the hour. As "Wild Tiger Woman" hadn't been a hit, the group decided to go back to their earlier "Flowers in the Rain" style, with "Blackberry Way": [Excerpt: The Move, "Blackberry Way"] That track was produced by Jimmy Miller, who was producing the Rolling Stones and Traffic around this time, and featured the group's friend Richard Tandy on harpsichord. It's also an example of the maxim "Good artists copy, great artists steal". There are very few more blatant examples of plagiarism in pop music than the middle eight of "Blackberry Way". Compare Harry Nilsson's "Good Old Desk": [Excerpt: Nilsson, "Good Old Desk"] to the middle eight of "Blackberry Way": [Excerpt: The Move, "Blackberry Way"] "Blackberry Way" went to number one, but that was the last straw for Trevor Burton -- it was precisely the kind of thing he *didn't* want to be doing,. He was so sick of playing what he thought of as cheesy pop music that at one show he attacked Bev Bevan on stage with his bass, while Bevan retaliated with his cymbals. He stormed off stage, saying he was "tired of playing this crap". After leaving the group, he almost joined Blind Faith, a new supergroup that members of Cream and Traffic were forming, but instead formed his own supergroup, Balls. Balls had a revolving lineup which at various times included Denny Laine, formerly of the Moody Blues, Jackie Lomax, a singer-songwriter who was an associate of the Beatles, Richard Tandy who had played on "Blackberry Way", and Alan White, who would go on to drum with the band Yes. Balls only released one single, "Fight for My Country", which was later reissued as a Trevor Burton solo single: [Excerpt: Balls, "Fight For My Country"] Balls went through many lineup changes, and eventually seemed to merge with a later lineup of the Idle Race to become the Steve Gibbons Band, who were moderately successful in the seventies and eighties. Richard Tandy covered on bass for a short while, until Rick Price came in as a permanent replacement. Before Price, though, the group tried to get Hank Marvin to join, as the Shadows had then split up, and Wood was willing to move over to bass and let Marvin play lead guitar. Marvin turned down the offer though. But even though "Blackberry Way" had been the group's biggest hit to date, it marked a sharp decline in the group's fortunes.  Its success led Peter Walsh, the manager of Marmalade and the Tremeloes, to poach the group from Arden, and even though Arden took his usual heavy-handed approach -- he describes going and torturing Walsh's associate, Clifford Davis, the manager of Fleetwood Mac, in his autobiography -- he couldn't stop Walsh from taking over. Unfortunately, Walsh put the group on the chicken-in-a-basket cabaret circuit, and in the next year they only released one record, the single "Curly", which nobody was happy with. It was ostensibly produced by Mike Hurst, but Hurst didn't turn up to the final sessions and Wood did most of the production work himself, while in the next studio over Jimmy Miller, who'd produced "Blackberry Way", was producing "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones. The group were getting pigeonholed as a singles group, at a time when album artists were the in thing. In a three-year career they'd only released one album, though they were working on their second. Wood was by this point convinced that the Move was unsalvageable as a band, and told the others that the group was now just going to be a launchpad for his Electric Light Orchestra project. The band would continue working the chicken-in-a-basket circuit and releasing hit singles, but that would be just to fund the new project -- which they could all be involved in if they wanted, of course. Carl Wayne, on the other hand, was very, very, happy playing cabaret, and didn't see the need to be doing anything else. He made a counter-suggestion to Wood -- keep The Move together indefinitely, but let Wood do the Brian Wilson thing and stay home and write songs. Wayne would even try to get Burton and Kefford back into the band. But Wood wasn't interested. Increasingly his songs weren't even going to the Move at all. He was writing songs for people like Cliff Bennett and the Casuals. He wrote "Dance Round the Maypole" for Acid Gallery: [Excerpt: Acid Gallery, "Dance Round the Maypole"] On that, Wood and Jeff Lynne sang backing vocals. Wood and Lynne had been getting closer since Lynne had bought a home tape recorder which could do multi-tracking -- Wood had wanted to buy one of his own after "Flowers in the Rain", but even though he'd written three hit singles at that point his publishing company wouldn't give him an advance to buy one, and so he'd started using Lynne's. The two have often talked about how they'd recorded the demo for "Blackberry Way" at Lynne's parents' house, recording Wood's vocal on the demo with pillows and cushions around his head so that his singing wouldn't wake Lynne's parents. Lynne had been another person that Wood had asked to join the group when Burton left, but Lynne was happy with The Idle Race, where he was the main singer and songwriter, though their records weren't having any success: [Excerpt: The Idle Race, "I Like My Toys"] While Wood was writing material for other people, the only one of those songs to become a hit was "Hello Suzie", written for Amen Corner, which became a top five single on Immediate Records: [Excerpt: Amen Corner, "Hello Suzie"] While the Move were playing venues like Batley Variety Club in Britain, when they went on their first US tour they were able to play for a very different audience. They were unknown in the US, and so were able to do shows for hippie audiences that had no preconceptions about them, and did things like stretch "Cherry Blossom Clinic" into an eight-minute-long extended progressive rock jam that incorporated bits of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", the Nutcracker Suite, and the Sorcerer's Apprentice: [Excerpt: The Move, "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited (live at the Fillmore West)"] All the group were agreed that those shows were the highlight of the group's career. Even Carl Wayne, the band member most comfortable with them playing the cabaret circuit, was so proud of the show at the Fillmore West which that performance is taken from that when the tapes proved unusable he kept hold of them, hoping all his life that technology would progress to the point where they could be released and show what a good live band they'd been, though as things turned out they didn't get released until after his death. But when they got back to the UK it was back to the chicken-in-a-basket circuit, and back to work on their much-delayed second album. That album, Shazam!, was the group's attempt at compromise between their different visions. With the exception of one song, it's all heavy rock music, but Wayne, Wood, and Price all co-produced, and Wayne had the most creative involvement he'd ever had. Side two of the album was all cover versions, chosen by Wayne, and Wayne also went out onto the street and did several vox pops, asking members of the public what they thought of pop music: [Excerpt: Vox Pops from "Don't Make My Baby Blue"] There were only six songs on the album, because they were mostly extended jams. Other than the three cover versions chosen by Wayne, there was a sludge-metal remake of "Hello Suzie", the new arrangement of "Cherry Blossom Clinic" they'd been performing live, retitled "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited", and only one new original, "Beautiful Daughter", which featured a string arrangement by Visconti, who also played bass: [Excerpt: The Move, "Beautiful Daughter"] And Carl Wayne sang lead on five of the six tracks, which given that one of the reasons Wayne was getting unhappy with the band was that Wood was increasingly becoming the lead singer, must have been some comfort. But it wasn't enough. By the time Shazam! came out, with a cover drawn by Mike Sheridan showing the four band members as superheroes, the band was down to three -- Carl Wayne had quit the group, for a solo career. He continued playing the cabaret circuit, and made records, but never had another hit, but he managed to have a very successful career as an all-round entertainer, acting on TV and in the theatre, including a six-year run as the narrator in the musical Blood Brothers, and replacing Alan Clarke as the lead singer of the Hollies. He died in 2004. As soon as Wayne left the group, the three remaining band members quit their management and went back to Arden. And to replace Wayne, Wood once again asked Jeff Lynne to join the group. But this time the proposition was different -- Lynne wouldn't just be joining the Move, but he would be joining the Electric Light Orchestra. They would continue putting out Move records and touring for the moment, and Lynne would be welcome to write songs for the Move so that Wood wouldn't have to be the only writer, but they'd be doing it while they were planning their new group.  Lynne was in, and the first single from the new lineup was a return to the heavy riff rock style of "Wild Tiger Woman", "Brontosaurus": [Excerpt: The Move, "Brontosaurus"] But Wayne leaving the group had put Wood in a difficult position. He was now the frontman, and he hated that responsibility -- he said later "if you look at me in photos of the early days, I'm always the one hanging back with my head down, more the musician than the frontman." So he started wearing makeup, painting his face with triangles and stars, so he would be able to hide his shyness. And it worked -- and "Brontosaurus" returned the group to the top ten. But the next single, "When Alice Comes Back to the Farm", didn't chart at all. The first album for the new Move lineup, Looking On, was to finish their contract with their current record label. Many regard it as the group's "Heavy metal album", and it's often considered the worst of their four albums, with Bev Bevan calling it "plodding", but that's as much to do with Bevan's feeling about the sessions as anything else -- increasingly, after the basic rhythm tracks had been recorded, Wood and Lynne would get to work without the other two members of the band, doing immense amounts of overdubbing.  And that continued after Looking On was finished. The group signed a new contract with EMI's new progressive rock label, Harvest, and the contract stated that they were signing as "the Move performing as The Electric Light Orchestra". They started work on two albums' worth of material, with the idea that anything with orchestral instruments would be put aside for the first Electric Light Orchestra album, while anything with just guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and horns would be for the Move. The first Electric Light Orchestra track, indeed, was intended as a Move B-side. Lynne came in with a song based around a guitar riff, and with lyrics vaguely inspired by the TV show The Prisoner, about someone with a number instead of a name running, trying to escape, and then eventually dying.  But then Wood decided that what the track really needed was cello. But not cello played in the standard orchestral manner, but something closer to what the Beatles had done on "I am the Walrus". He'd bought a cheap cello himself, and started playing Jimi Hendrix riffs on it, and Lynne loved the sound of it, so onto the Move's basic rhythm track they overdubbed fifteen cello tracks by Wood, and also two French horns, also by Wood: [Excerpt: The Electric Light Orchestra, "10538 Overture"] The track was named "10538 Overture", after they saw the serial number 1053 on the console they were using to mix the track, and added the number 8 at the end, making 10538 the number of the character in the song. Wood and Lynne were so enamoured with the sound of their new track that they eventually got told by the other two members of the group that they had to sit in the back when the Move were driving to gigs, so they couldn't reach the tape player, because they'd just keep playing the track over and over again. So they got a portable tape player and took that into the back seat with them to play it there. After finishing some pre-existing touring commitments, the Move and Electric Light Orchestra became a purely studio group, and Rick Price quit the bands -- he needed steady touring work to feed his family, and went off to form another band, Mongrel. Around this time, Wood also took part in another strange project. After Immediate Records collapsed, Andrew Oldham needed some fast money, so he and Don Arden put together a fake group they could sign to EMI for ten thousand pounds.  The photo of the band Grunt Futtock was of some random students, and that was who Arden and Oldham told EMI was on the track, but the actual performers on the single included Roy Wood, Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, and Andy Bown, the former keyboard player of the Herd: [Excerpt: Grunt Futtock, "Rock 'n' Roll Christian"] Nobody knows who wrote the song, although it's credited to Bernard Webb, which is a pseudonym Paul McCartney had previously used -- but everyone knew he'd used the pseudonym, so it could very easily be a nod to that. The last Move album, Message From The Country, didn't chart -- just like the previous two hadn't. But Wood's song "Tonight" made number eleven, the follow-up, "Chinatown", made number twenty-three, and then the final Move single, "California Man", a fifties rock and roll pastiche, made the top ten: [Excerpt: The Move, "California Man"] In the US, that single was flipped, and the B-side, Lynne's song "Do Ya", became the only Move song ever to make the Hot One Hundred, reaching number ninety-nine: [Excerpt: The Move, "Do Ya"] By the time "California Man" was released, the Electric Light Orchestra were well underway. They'd recorded their first album, whose biggest highlights were Lynne's "10538 Overture" and Wood's "Whisper in the Night": [Excerpt: The Electric Light Orchestra, "Whisper in the Night"] And they'd formed a touring lineup, including Richard Tandy on keyboards and several orchestral instrumentalists. Unfortunately, there were problems developing between Wood and Lynne. When the Electric Light Orchestra toured, interviewers only wanted to speak to Wood, thinking of him as the band leader, even though Wood insisted that he and Lynne were the joint leaders. And both men had started arguing a lot, to the extent that at some shows they would refuse to go on stage because of arguments as to which of them should go on first. Wood has since said that he thinks most of the problems between Lynne and himself were actually caused by Don Arden, who realised that if he split the two of them into separate acts he could have two hit groups, not one. If that was the plan, it worked, because by the time "10538 Overture" was released as the Electric Light Orchestra's first single, and made the top ten -- while "California Man" was also still in the charts -- it was announced that Roy Wood was now leaving the Electric Light Orchestra, as were keyboard playe

On today's show we discuss Pelle's upcoming documentary on the Hammarskjöld murder. (Dag Hammarskjöld was the second General Secretary of the UN. Hammarskjöld was killed in an aircraft accident in 1961 but there is evidence he was "accidental" in an intelligence operation. The evidence points to Belgian, British, South African, Rhodesian and US intelligence. Recently the UN Commission investigating the Hammarskjöld murder protested against the unwillingness of the western intelligence services and foreign politician to share the documents and information). GUEST OVERVIEW: Pelle Neroth is a British-Swedish journalist producing a documentary revealing new information about Hammarskjöld and the murder.

Former Rhodesian Hawker Hunter pilot, Steve Murray, shares what it was like like to fly the Hunter with the RRAF, the role of the aircraft, it's strengths and weakness, flying in combat and much more, all accompanied my some great stories!EnjoyThe Joy of Flying  - https://amzn.to/3T1ZwrJhttp://huntythejetfighter.com/Support the show

GOD Provides JESUS Saves Reign in Life GoodShepherdTraining.com

Paul and Jarrad are back from teaching another high elevation Precision Rifle course. There are many lessons that were learned as well as congratulations to be given. Every one of our students set at least one PR, many set several. “He shot my arm off!” So said a felonious scumbag after being shot by a California store owner during a robbery. During our SOTG Homeroom from CrossBreed Holsters we consider that and another recent event where a store owner was forced to defend his life.  Also, during our Brownells Bullet Points, Professor Paul considers the modern AR. Is there such a thing as the perfect, minimum effective dose rifle, one that has all you need and nothing that you don't? Additionally, we will consider the genuine Rhodesian camo during our Duracoat Finished Firearm segment. Thanks for being a part of SOTG! We hope you find value in the message we share. If you've got any questions, here are some options to contact us: Send an Email Send a Text Call Us Enjoy the show! And remember…You're a Beginner Once, a Student For Life! TOPICS COVERED THIS EPISODE Announcement: Washington State SOTG get together! Your host is Nick Miller, contact krusher1569@gmail.com for details. When: Saturday August 20th from 11am until Where: Yelm splash pad www.ci.yelm.wa.us Hamburgers and hotdogs will be supplied. Bring your own beverages (non-alcoholic) [0:05:45] Life Saving Hero Award: Brad from Utah [0:10:40] DuraCoat Finished Firearms - DuraCoat University TOPIC: Official Rhodesian Camo Clothes Huge thanks to our Partners:SDS Imports | Brownells | CrossBreed | Duracoat Firearm Finishes | Hi-Point Firearms [0:27:45] Brownells Bullet Points - Brownells.com TOPIC: What is the Perfect AR? [0:42:00] SOTG Homeroom - CrossbreedHolsters.com TOPIC: “Go Team Moments” Store Owners Defending their Businesses 'He shot my arm off': Elderly store owner opens fire on would-be robber in Norco www.foxla.com Las Vegas smoke shop owner fights back, stabs robber www.fox5vegas.com [0:59:00] High Elevation Precision Rifle After-Action Report Congratulations to Carson Grose from Texas, First Student to hit 1.5mi Target FEATURING: FOX LA, FOX 5 Vegas, Madison Rising, Jarrad Markel, Paul Markel, SOTG University PARTNERS: SDS Imports, Brownells Inc, CrossBreed Holsters, DuraCoat Firearm Finishes, Hi-Point Firearms FIND US ON: Juxxi, Parler, MeWe.com, Gettr, iTunes, Stitcher, AppleTV, Roku, Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, tumblr SOURCES From www.foxla.com: The owner of a store that was targeted by would-be robbers turned the tables on one of the suspects by opening fire on him in Norco. Authorities said that at 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, four male suspects in a black BMW SUV attempted to rob Norco Market & Liquor, located in the 2800 block of Clark Avenue. Surveillance video obtained by FOX 11 shows a male suspect wearing a red and black sweatshirt and a ski mask entering the store before he points a rifle at the store owner who was behind the counter. Noticing that the man entering the store was armed and wearing a mask, the 80-year-old store owner swiftly grabbed a shotgun from underneath the counter and opened fire on the suspect. The suspect is then seen fleeing the store. (Click Here for Full Article)   From www.fox5vegas.com: As his store was being robbed, a Vegas smoke shop owner grabbed a knife and stabbed one of two masked criminals. FOX5 spoke with that shop owner Friday. Smokestrom Smoke Shop is on Sahara near Arville. On Wednesday, during the middle of the day, the store owner found himself in a violent struggle when trouble walked into his store. “The whole time I was a little bit nervous because obviously I was getting robbed,” said Johnny Nguyen. “I was really scared for my life because they were wearing baggy clothes... one of them came in with a bag as if he had a firearm,” Nguyen explained. (Click Here for Full Article)

Fireforce is the compelling, brutal but true account of Chris Cocks' service in 3 Commando, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, during Zimbabwe's bitter civil war of the '70s—a war that came to be known almost innocuously as ‘the bush war'. ‘Fireforce', a tactic of total airborne envelopment, was developed and perfected by the RLI, together with the Selous Scouts and the Rhodesian Air Force. Fireforce became the principal strike weapon of the beleaguered Rhodesian forces in their struggle against the overwhelming tide of the Communist-trained and -equipped ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas.The combat strain on a fighting soldier was almost unbelievable, for the Rhodesians, who were always desperately short of ground troops, were sometimes obliged to parachute the same men into action into as many as three enemy contacts a day. While estimates of enemy casualties vary, there seems little doubt that the RLI accounted for at least 12,000 ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas—but not without cost.Fireforce is not for the squeamish. Although it has been written with unforgettable pathos and humor, it tells of face-to-face combat in the bush and death at point-blank range. It is a book which does nothing to glorify or glamorize war, for as Chris Cocks found at such a young age, war is merely a catalogue of suffering, destruction and death.Fireforce has been described by critics as being to the Rhodesian War what All Quiet On The Western Front was to World War I and Dispatches was to Vietnam. Read it … it will an experience you never forget.Get Chris' books here:https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Cocks/e/B0034P707O/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dskFor all bonus content including:-2 bonus episodes per month -Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests-Ad Free audio feedSubscribe to our Patreon!

WE pick up the seaborne operations story in early 1979, and much of this episode is based on the book Iron Fist from the Sea by ex-Recce Douw Steyn and his navy colleague, Arne Soderlund. By 1979 the writing was on the wall for Rhodesia, if not before. The shock wave that had rattled Salisbury in 1975 as Portugal pulled out of Mozambique weakened the state, after this all it had was South Africa as an ally – and the Nationalist government in Pretoria wanted Ian Smiths' government to negotiate a peaceful solution to the Bush war. This was so that South Africa's détente attempts with the rest of Africa would be given a shot in the arm. The reality was post-colonial African government's wanted nothing to do with Pretoria, except for outliers such as Zambia. It's president Kenneth Kaunda had held secret talks with the apartheid government, with other countries such as Botswana and Tanzania involved. Up to 1975, 80 percent of Rhodesia's foreign trade had been exported and imported via Mozambique, now they had to send and receive all goods via Durban. A leftist Mozambique was a haven for Rhodesian guerillas and a barrier to trade. Needless to say, the upcoming attack on the fuel depot in Beira was very much part of Salisbury's attempt at undermining the FRELIMO government in Maputo. The SADF involvement was a critical balancing act, and was obviously top secret. While Pretoria publicly met and negotiated with some frontline states, behind the scenes they were hard at work blowing up Mozambique's infrastructure.

WE pick up the seaborne operations story in early 1979, and much of this episode is based on the book Iron Fist from the Sea by ex-Recce Douw Steyn and his navy colleague, Arne Soderlund. By 1979 the writing was on the wall for Rhodesia, if not before. The shock wave that had rattled Salisbury in 1975 as Portugal pulled out of Mozambique weakened the state, after this all it had was South Africa as an ally – and the Nationalist government in Pretoria wanted Ian Smiths' government to negotiate a peaceful solution to the Bush war. This was so that South Africa's détente attempts with the rest of Africa would be given a shot in the arm. The reality was post-colonial African government's wanted nothing to do with Pretoria, except for outliers such as Zambia. It's president Kenneth Kaunda had held secret talks with the apartheid government, with other countries such as Botswana and Tanzania involved. Up to 1975, 80 percent of Rhodesia's foreign trade had been exported and imported via Mozambique, now they had to send and receive all goods via Durban. A leftist Mozambique was a haven for Rhodesian guerillas and a barrier to trade. Needless to say, the upcoming attack on the fuel depot in Beira was very much part of Salisbury's attempt at undermining the FRELIMO government in Maputo. The SADF involvement was a critical balancing act, and was obviously top secret. While Pretoria publicly met and negotiated with some frontline states, behind the scenes they were hard at work blowing up Mozambique's infrastructure.

This week's episode, we pop to Africa and gross ourselves out by having to say 'Rhodesia' a lot. In 1975, Herbert Chitepo was assassinated by a car bomb, which was so powerful it also claimed the lives of others. Herbert was the first black barrister in Rhodesia and a prominent figure in the fight for independence and the reclamation of Zimbabwe.However, some thought he was too moderate which means the list of suspects isn't just limited to his political enemies and the Rhodesian administration, but also potentially more militant rivals ostensibly on the same side.So who planted the car bomb?We also get sidetracked about the semantics of a head transplant (still not sure how) and give Timmy Mallett some props. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm spending some time focusing on seaborne operations and the Recces – most of their ops were top secret and some are mind-boggling. Like the attempt at assassinating ZANU leader Robert Mugabe in Maputo for example. For some time the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation or CIO had kept Mugabe under close scrutiny in Maputo. The Rhodesian bush War had become a bitter struggle and civilians were the main targets by 1978. Joint operations involving the South Africans and the Rhodesians were taking place while the political arrangement between the two countries was cool, to put it mildly. Negotiations were taking place for a peaceful solution to the Bush war and at that stage Robert Mugabe was not part of any negotiated settlement. Things changed later although he was always a reluctant participator in any peace talks. As a Marxist, he preferred the bullet to the ballot box. Word filtered out that the Josiah Tongogara the commander of Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union military wing, Zanla, was more moderate – and may be coaxed to peace talks if Mugabe could somehow be removed from the picture. Things did not go according to plan as you'll hear.

I'm spending some time focusing on seaborne operations and the Recces – most of their ops were top secret and some are mind-boggling. Like the attempt at assassinating ZANU leader Robert Mugabe in Maputo for example. For some time the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation or CIO had kept Mugabe under close scrutiny in Maputo. The Rhodesian bush War had become a bitter struggle and civilians were the main targets by 1978. Joint operations involving the South Africans and the Rhodesians were taking place while the political arrangement between the two countries was cool, to put it mildly. Negotiations were taking place for a peaceful solution to the Bush war and at that stage Robert Mugabe was not part of any negotiated settlement. Things changed later although he was always a reluctant participator in any peace talks. As a Marxist, he preferred the bullet to the ballot box. Word filtered out that the Josiah Tongogara the commander of Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union military wing, Zanla, was more moderate – and may be coaxed to peace talks if Mugabe could somehow be removed from the picture. Things did not go according to plan as you'll hear.

John R. Cronin joined the Marines at 19 and went to Vietnam twice with Battalion and Force Recon units from 1967-69, where he was wounded once during each tour. He returned to the States and completed his BA in political science at The Citadel before being commissioned back into the Marines as an infantry officer for three years. Following his discharge in 1976, he went to Rhodesia for four years where he served as an officer on Fire Force with the Rhodesian Light Infantry, an operations officer and as a deployed operational Group second-in-command with the Selous Scouts. He left Rhodesia in 1980 and in 1982 went to Cairo and then Beirut, where, after having survived a kidnapping by Hezbollah, he received an MA in Middle East Studies, and then went on to The School of Oriental and African Studies at The University of London for his PhD in Middle East Politics. He has since held a series of administrative positions in, and taught international politics at, the university level in the Washington area and worked as a contract specialist on educational administrative policies in the Middle East. He currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and their two children. Dr. Cronin is the author of the amazing book “The Bleed” Dr. Cronin's Book "The Bleed" https://www.amazon.com/Bleed-John-R-C... Coffee with Rich Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rhodieus... American Warrior Show: https://americanwarriorshow.com/index... SWAG: https://shop.americanwarriorsociety.com/ American Warrior Society please visit: https://americanwarriorsociety.com/

Africa, Southern Africa, Apatheid South Africa, colonialism, 70s/80s "Bush Wars," Portuguese Empire, Angola, Mozambique, MPLA, UNITA, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, Ian Smith, Salazar, British Empire, Commonwealth, South Africa intervenes in Angola, Afrikaners, National Party, Broederbond, Boer War, concentration camps used by British, BJ Vorster, Bureau of State Security, BOSS, South African Defense Force, SADF, P.W. Botha, Muldergate/Information Scandal, South African Police, SAP, State Security Council, General Magnus Malan, Armscor, arms trafficking, trafficking arms with the People's Republic of China, military-industrial complex, arms trafficking, Israel, Civil Coordination Bureau, CCB, Kreidietbank, KBC, Kreidietbank Luxembourg, KBL, Luxembourg, money laundering, special operations forces, Green Berets, Special Air Services, SAS, Rhodesian SAS, Selous Scouts, South African Special Forces, relationship between Rhodesian & South African special operations forces, composition of Rhodesian/South African special operations forces, "turning," modern coups led by special operations forces in the West, Project Coast, chemical & biological warfare, chemical & biological weapons, CBWs, Project Coast, anthrax, Plumtree, biological warfare attacks gainst African populations, mind control, super soldiers, Manchurian Candidate, MDMA, BZ, drug trafficking, crowd control drugs, Wouter Basson, raced-based bioweapons, possible role of the PRC and Taiwan in Project Coast, Israel in Project Coast, US/UK assistance, "Binnekring," nuerolinguistic programming, NLP, Steven Hatfill, SAIC, 2001 Anthrx letter attacks, South African death squads, information operations run by the CCB, Craig Williamson, Jack Abramoff, "Red Scorpion," private military companies, PMCs, Watchguard International, David Stirling, Le Cercle, KAS, Operation Lock, Executive Outcomes, Eeben Barlow, Sean Clearly, Erinys International, Saracen, Keanie Meanie Services, KMS, Tony Buckingham, Simon Mann, Wagna Coup, Angola, Sierra Leone, Sandline, Tim Spicer, Strategic Concepts, Military Technical Assistance, Nick du Tuit, Fred Marafano, Tai Minnaar, Lafras Luitingh, Erik Prince, Somilia, Ukraine, Westphalian Peace, Bird Island, pedophile rings, South Africa as gangster state, Dawn Koons, Son of Sam links, Western Goals Foundation, White Eagle Underground, Sovereign Order of Saint John, Roy Cohn, 9/11 Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestseller Gregg Hurwitz knows the importance of writing complicated characters. By blurring the lines of good and evil, choosing to write protagonists and antagonists rather than heroes and villains, and incorporating complex moral dilemmas into his plots, he creates characters whose moral vagueness is both interesting and relatable. Gregg is an international bestselling author well known for his Orphan X thriller series and for his role as co-president of International Thriller Writers. To order his latest Orphan X novel, Dark Horse, follow the link below. From Amazon.com: GREGG HURWITZ is the New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of twenty thrillers including OUT OF THE DARK (January 2019). His novels have won numerous literary awards and have been published in thirty languages. Additionally, he's written screenplays and television scripts for many of the major studios and networks. Gregg lives with his two Rhodesian ridgebacks in Los Angeles, where he continues to play soccer, frequently injuring himself. J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned CARRIE on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author. Whether you're traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today's publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins. Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Gregg “trains” to write books How to build subtle pressure How to naturally incorporate exposition How to use a rolling outline Why finding your voice takes time Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/ Gregg Hurwitz - https://gregghurwitz.net/ Dark Horse - https://mybook.to/DarkHorse Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support