Category: Music

Pet ‘n’ Chips

A release date has finally been announced for the DVD of Petula Clark’s 1969 film, Goodbye, Mr. Chips. It’s January 27, as noted on Pet Net and the Petula Blog.

I’ve posted a few clips of Chips, but it’s been — yow! — over a year since the last one. Here’s another sneak peek at the movie. You’ll see Sir Michael Redgrave, father of Vanessa and her sister, Pet’s friend Lynn.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/OCT/MrChips4.flv 448 252]

The scene with the tension created by the presence of a brash, younger woman in the midst of a boarding school, reminds me of the real-life story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman, as told by Brian Sibley in his book Shadowlands.

 

The missing piece vis Prudence Bury

I’ve used this photo of Prudence Bury-Fuchs before, but I’m so taken with it I’m posting it again.

Prudence Bury-Fuchs
Prudence Bury-Fuchs

On August 13, 1994, I posed a question on Usenet. “Who was girl with Patty [sic] Boyd?”

Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
From: (Astrid)
Date: 19 Aug 1994 19:53:08 GMT
Local: Fri, Aug 19 1994 3:53 pm
Subject: Re: Who was girl with Patty Boyd?

(Douglas Pratt) writes:
>For obvious reasons, Patty Boyd has always been a part of the Beatles
>story. But I’ve always wanted to know who the brunette girl is who’s
>sitting across from her in the train in A HARD DAY’S NIGHT. She’s one of
>the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Does anybody have any info on
>her?
>- Doug Pratt

Here was the first clue.

Astrid
Aug 19 1994, 5:02 pm
I didn’t post this earlier because I couldn’t remember where it was, but
I finally found it last night. In the Hunter Davies book, (p. 201 in my
1985 paperback version; It’s toward the beginning of Ch. 24: Britain and
Back to the U.S.A.) Pattie is quoted as saying that George “came into our
carriage later and talked to Pru and me. She was the other schoolgirl in
the film.” Well, there were really several other schoolgirls in the film,
but I would assume that she was talking about the one in that scene with her.
It’s not much, but at least it’s a name.
—
Leigh Meydrech

“Pru” was her name. Then on the 26th, there was the rest of the answer.

Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
From: Katherine Hardy
Date: 26 Aug 1994 00:36:00 GMT
Subject: Girl with Patty Boyd

The girl with Patty Boyd in A Hard Day’s Night was Pru Hooper. Her husband
was the good looking baccarat dealer in the casino scene.

This is why, when I asked about lovely Prue back in May, I said I believed her name is Hooper. Here’s a short explanation from Terry Hooper.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/OCT/TerryHooper.flv 440 330]

“I had a wife” he says???? Excuse me??? He sounds as though he’s saying “I had a cat!” Frankly, I’m quite taken aback by his tone. No wonder Prue didn’t stay with him. But at least Hooper confirms what I was originally told.

For 14 years that was all I knew about Prudence Hooper, until Janis appeared this past August 4 with the missing piece of information — Pru’s present last name. Thank you again, Janis (Lia Pamina’s old Net handle).

Prudence has a LinkedIn listing. Who among ye is brave enough to contact her? If Prue and Pattie ever appear together in America, I’m sure they could name their price.

K3 10 Jaar Show

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/OCT/K3Show2008.flv 448 252]

Why the “K3 onslaught,” as Eric calls it? Because this month is their 10th anniversary, and they’re celebrating with a series of shows.

K3 10 Jaar show 2008

So what I’m doing is jumping on the bandwagon. And here’s the bandwagon.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/OCT/KusjesparadeRotterdam21oct07.flv 440 330]

How do I keep up with with K3’s concert schedule? I use the RSS feed you’ll find by clicking here. Then click the picture below to enlarge it, and keep in mind that the ladies have been at this for ten years, and they’re busier than ever.

Kathleen Aerts and Karen Damen

I’d like to think this was taken after a show, but it looks to me as though they’re just setting up for a rehearsal. Poor Kathleen! She’s the youngest member in the band, and if she looks this beat, I assume Karen and Kristel must sometimes feel the same way. How much longer can they keep up what is obviously a very grueling schedule? Even Petula Clark had to take some time off every so often in her younger years to attend to family and personal matters.

Another side of K3

If you go through the conveniently categorized K3 posts, it’s obvious there are two different acts — one primarily for kids, and another for their parents. Here’s an example of the latter. According to Google, “Een Rustige Ouwe Dag” translates into “A Quiet Old Day.” A while ago I linked to another take of this video on YouTube, but the audio cuts out in places. This copy is OK. Does it sound to you as though they’re singing “Tom Hanks”?

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/OCT/K3EenRustigeOudeDag.flv 440 330]

This is how the studio version sounds. Very nice.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/OCT/K3EenRustigeOudeDag.mp3]

I’ve always been fascinated by what works and doesn’t work in popular music, but somewhere along the way, after getting out of the radio business, I stopped keeping up with much of anything new. A few bands caught my attention, including REM and Green Day (Eric can’t stand Green Day!), but for the most part I continued to enjoy the old stuff. Carol got me listening to Steve Earle and Lucina Williams, along with a local singer-songwriter here in Massachusetts named Lori McKenna, who’s had some national success.

Not that I feel the need to justify my appreciation of K3, but as a popular music act, I think they have it. The fact that I don’t understand Flemish is inconsequential.

Catchy songs and production values, with cute costumes and dances, aren’t enough. Thirty seconds of Wir3 performing a K3 song is proof of that. Karen Damen, Kathleen Aerts and Kristel Verbeke are why K3 has been successful for ten years, and seem to be more popular than ever.