This is the most boring brush with greatness you WILL EVER READ!!!
It came to mind because I was watching the Judee Sill youtube clip “The Kiss” and it came off an English BBC program from the 70s called “The Old Gray Whistle Test”. Old Gray was to hip music what “Top Of The Pops” was to chart watchers. The presenter was “Whispering” Bob Harris -a tall, laconic, quiet presense: bery father was a habadasher, graduate from cambridge, sorta bloke.
“Old Grey” ruled TV rock till Tony Wilson came out with the hip young “Revolver” on Granada-TV.
Wilson was the guy behind Factory records (Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays) and I met him several times because my cousin Ramsey knew everybody in Manchester and got us into the members only pub “The Film Exchange” near Granada studios (we met Marc Bolan there as well, it was the only way to get a drink btw 3p and 5p in Greater Manchester) -that was around 76, 77.
About that time I was on a plane to Nice in the South Of France and discovered Whisperin’ Bob in the seat next to me. He had been invited to join Jethro Tull who were recording a new album and we got trashed on gin and tonics. Bob was extremely nice and much to my disappointment did not have a bad word to say about anybody!!!
And that’s my boring Bob Harris Story and given Harris’ calm aura it is only fitting nothing much happens in it. Plus, check this out Nessing, one degree of seperation from Judee Sill!!! Next up: I am in the same elevator with Katie Holmes for four floors…
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