You are allowed to enjoy this…

I’m not one for remixing and, in my humble and honest opinion, most remixes are superfluous to requirements, but a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, yours truly entered a remix competition. Actually it was late 2002, if my stress-addled memory holds up. Yes, I know it sounds preposterous that I should even dare to remix another’s music but I was swayed by the fact that when I downloaded the music files containing instrument samples etc., I noticed that the original version of the song completed omitted the vocals & lyrics that had been laid down by the singer. I thought that this could be the basis of my remix and I would restore the words, try and turn into a song proper and add a bit of Darren Lock guitar magic. 🙂
I couldn’t find a video of the original track on YouTube so you’ll have to do with this live performance, which captures the same song structure that appears on the album.

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Here’s a lyric to a song I’ve not yet recorded. The first verse came to me in a waking dream, which is unusual for me, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I purloined it subconciously from another song!
The Things I Believe (or “I Can See The Future Coming”)
I can see the future coming
From the corner of my eye
It is mysterious and elusive
Like the stars up in the sky
I can see the path before me
Like the shepherd leading sheep
I know we can get out of here
I’ve just got to believe
CHORUS
I believe we will overcome
The obstacles in our way
I believe what doesn’t kill us
Makes us stronger everyday
I believe that everything that happens
Is a lesson to be learnt
You don’t put your hand in the fire
Knowing it is going to get burnt
I can see the future coming
Like an uninvited guest
A portent of things to come
Another question in the test
I can see the time unravelling
Like the springs inside a watch
Tightly coiled, relentless
A vision of what we could have lost
CHORUS
I believe we will overcome
The obstacles in our way
I believe what doesn’t kill us
Makes us stronger everyday
I believe that everything that happens
Is a lesson to be learnt
You don’t put your hand in the fire
Knowing it is going to get burnt
God pays debts without money
On that I can depend
What comes around goes around
Karma’s going to get you in the end
Justice might be stupid
Justice sometimes might be blind
But I believe that you’ll get what you deserve
It will just take a little time
CHORUS
I believe we will overcome
The obstacles in our way
I believe what doesn’t kill us
Makes us stronger everyday
I believe that everything that happens
Is a lesson to be learnt
You don’t put your hand in the fire
Knowing it is going to get burnt

…you spend the time downloading and installing the Windows 7 Beta on your laptop using Virtual PC…

Whereas most of my thoughts about running a newsagents have written down but not published on this site, here’s an article about our recent troubles that have faced us. It’s a good read and will give the gossips something to talk about! 🙂
Disaster Diary Article
Don’t worry – I am hoping to write a book out of this too.

Woolworths at Lea Bridge Road, Leyton
So the very last Woolworths stores are closing today. My career began in the Woolworths at Bakers Arms in Leyton. Happy times. Due to my charm and dashing good looks (no really), I was put to work behind the record bar dishing out LPs, 45s and 12 inches left, right and centre. It was here that I met the Missus and we worked together for a while before she left for pastures new and then we continued our friendship.
I used to joke how we’d probably have been better off staying at Woolworths and that we’d probably have ended up managing our own store by now. Ooops…got that wrong. It is a shame because I used to go and spend money in that shop on a regular basis but cash-flow is a big fat horrible cow of a beast.
Instead of wasting our money on the war on terror and sending our own soldiers to be blown up in Iraq and Afghanistan, the government could have bailed out these retailers who are going to the wall. It could have prevented the rise of unemployment and honest, hard-working folks losing their livlihoods and eventually their homes.
Oh well. To better, more innocent and exciting times. Working at Woolworths all those years ago was one of the reasons I wanted my own shop because I loved dealing with the customers. But those times have changed and then you realise that Leyton is very different from Norfolk.

My article for the Retail Newsagent appeared in this week’s edition. I’ll PDF a version of it when I have the time. It is a good edit according to The Missus. This pleases me as I rarely ever read anything again that I’ve written (how poncey is that?). The article is entitled “Diary of a Disaster” and explains exactly what we’ve been through, though I have excluded a lot of the shitty, nasty, personal stuff.

Well a new year is upon us and I know it has to be better than the last one? Plans are drawn, the future is pretty much mapped out for the first quarter of the year. For the first time ever, we have a good idea of what we are trying to achieve in the coming year and my new year’s resolution should be easy (and a joy) to keep.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll even get around to recording some more music!!!