MarksBlog

dodgy mince

reunion gig..........its a long story ...this is the short version ...i bought my first guitar ..a columbus SG copy(alex harvey band guitarist zal had one)...i learnt a couple of chords ..i bought a real gibson SG junior(thats the cheapest SG!)..and put an advert in melody maker .....danny(bass) was in a band looking for a second guitarist ...he arrived at my parents house in nunhead(peckham) one sunny saturday morning in the 70s..i was still in bed nursing a hangover..anyway we had a chat..and i was invited to meet the rest of the band....danny sean paul and john ...dodgy mince was born..........we rehearsed in a workshop on the walworth road..all day saturday(only stopping for pie n mash).......the music; mostly covers ...alright now,the hunter,..keep on running,long train running and a couple of original songs ....sean played all the difficult bits on the guitar .. danny taught us all the solos.... we had fun ...and we played one gig in wembley ....john left to join a punk band and we parted ways etc ....i got back with danny to write some original material and we joined a number of bands with singers and guitarists and finally ..ralph hall joined on drums.....(thats another story..but some of you oppos fans may have noticed johns name on oppos album covers ....)...ANYWAY. to keep this short ..jump forward to 2006 ..i get a phone call from john ..theres a couple of birthdays coming up and its been suggested we get dodgy mince back together for a re union gig ...PANIC....i havnt played electric guitar for a number of years,i havnt played a gig since?,...i couldnt play cover versions then...etc etc etc ..and then this voice.....so on sunday danny came over and we had a chat about songs etc ...more PANIC..i still cant play covers ...i remember!...thats why i started writing songs in the first place...so danny will have to sit and teach me the parts all over again ................(have a listen to danny singing on some storyville stuff on the rightback records juke box).......next up.....mark re introduced to his electric guitar....yes the old tele.

testing

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testing 1-2-3

derek is testing the new server...

a new year

more to follow..er ive not been away its er ..ive had a lot to do ..storyvile and the lost album and my daughter and theres the garden and the house and trying to write some new songs and life!....but i will try ...

hello again

..............phew ....lets rock..so much going on ..what with dougs album ...and the opposition lost album ..recorded 1980 ...double phew!...and the storyville album ..and the rightback records shop ...today ive been putting together the bonus 6 track cd ...its a collection of demos from 1979 ...im not sure who i was trying to be ..have a listen and let me know ....theres a hint of ...phil and a bit of elvis c ...and ...dereks putting together the dvd ...as well as the art work for all the rightback records albums ....and dougs got a gig next week ..and im going on holiday in august for a month ..so this all needs to be sorted before i go ...and finally im sorry i havnt been keeping my blog up ...but i have answered some,not all the emails ...but i will ..bye

monday 28th feb

last minute questions for kenny jones

..a very quick quickie........we are filming an interview with kenny jones (oppos producer,creative sound man etc ..)..this wednesday .........and i was wondering if there are any questions you would like me to ask him ??...i know its all a bit last minute and stuff ..but .........its for the oppos DVD...just email them to me at rightback records or just type iin your question in ..comments ...sorry its all last minute ..typical oppos ..nothing for 5 years then 3 come along ..(er !..sorry .......).........

20 feb

yes im still here..............dots and all!

phew ....lots been going on .........but first ...im sorry ...i will reply to ALL emails ...really ...........so on friday ..myself ,ralph and derek began ...what we hope ,will be the basis of the oppos /so/...(whatever the name is ..)....DVD.....the dvd will have all the usual stuff...video clips,tv clips..live bootlegs and home movie stuff....interviews etc etc ...but on friday ..we started filming the "road movie" bit ....which was meand ralph in the front of ralphs flashy car ...and derek in the back,with camera ....filming and recording a drive around oppos history ....the first reh space,...........,the studio we recorded breaking the silence and intimacy,..............another reh space ..............,the basement ,..............etcetc....with ralph giving us some rather interesting storys about life on the road with the oppos!!!!!!!!!! ...........we are sorting out interviews with kenny jones and john wilkinson and pete golding ........etc etc etc ...........so it should all come together in say the year ...3535..........well it does take the oppos about 5 years between albums ..........talking about albums ...you will have noticed that doug hodges album ,cowley road and the storyville album ..are almost ready to go ..................very exciting times ..........i will talk about dougs album and the storyville albums in more detail on the albums web pages ..........but it has certainly got me thinking ....live music ,next album ...it was a great "lift" working with doug on cowley road,perhaps a little reminder about the fun of making a record...........lots of ideas,lots of good songs and not enough time to record or mix ...........(i think that should be a rule..).....i think the biggest compliment i could give doug is ..i rushed home and wrote 5 songs ...big thanks doug ..........ANYWAY..enough of this .....but before i go ...big thanks to derek ..who now has to put up with me and doug throwing ideas at him ............TA!

happy new year

keep hold of those dreams .......................x

thursday 9 dec

chat rooms........

so we have a opposition chat room ..well i say we,actually rients has put together a chat room on the official opposition web site ..www.opposition.nl ...ive never been to a chat room (gasp..i hear you say ..which century are you in mark!..)...yeah yeah ..anyway i thought id drop in ...so i did the bit pasword etc etc ..and well nothing really... i think i was alone ...............so we have decided that myself and ralph and derek (right back records person....) will "drop in " in the week before xmas....so at least this time i will not be on my own .............over the last few weeks ive been working with doug hodge.dougs putting together an album for right back records ...which has meant doug writing enough songs for an album and me sitting listening ....making comments and giving advice ...its very exciting and its all coming together very quickly....unlike the blinder album !.............doug hopes to record and mix the album in 5 days ..so we have put together a blog for him ,so you can read about our progress in the studio ..hopefully the blog will be up by next week ...i think ive answered all your emails,thanks again ..some very interesting questions...and a BIG thank you to all of you who have bought the mark long album and the opppos live..rients at red sun has SOLD OUT of both albums ..so he has re ordered from right back records ... and thanks for all your comments about this months juke box...i really enjoyed listening to them myself....im not sure if we ever did play FAITH HEALER more than once ...i cant remember ...bye

Timing ...

Just the perfect time for a new record company??
Music biz documentary

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