“Telstar”, a movie about the famous 60-s music producer Joe Meek (with a Purple connection), began filming in London this month. Both Meek’s studio and Mrs. Shenton’s shop were recreated further along Holloway Road, complete with the neighbouring bank. The movie is directed by Nick Moran with Con O’Neill (who reportedly was very impressive in the stage version) playing Joe Meek.
The cast also includes:
Kevin Spacey plays Major Banks
Jon Stewart plays Dennis
Pam Ferris plays Mrs. Violet Shenton
JJ Feild plays Heinz Burt
Sid Mitchell plays Patrick Pink
Rita Tushingham appears as “Essex Medium”
Martine McCutcheon appears as “Lady Victim”
Nigel Harman plays Jess Conrad
Tom Burke plays Geoff Goddard
Ralf Little plays Chas Hodges (The Outlaws’ bassist)
Joan Hodges (wife of Chas) plays Biddy Meek (Joe’s mother)
Callum Dixon (who played Leyton and Lord Sutch in the play) plays John Leyton
James Corden plays Clem Cattini (The Tornados’ drummer)
Tom Harper plays Alan Caddy (The Tornados’ guitarist)
Craig Vye plays Mitch Mitchell (the drummer)
Des Hamilton plays Lionel Bart
Shaun Evans plays Billy Kuy (The Outlaws’ original lead guitarist)
David Hayler plays John Peel
Other members of the cast:
Chas Hodges has a cameo role in the film as Mr. Brolin
Jess Conrad plays Larry Parnes
Carl Barat (The Libertines) plays Gene Vincent
Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) plays Screaming Lord Sutch
Jon Lee (S Club 7) plays Billy Fury (The Tornados were his backing band)
Robbie Duke (aka Patrick Pink), who was at 304 Holloway Road when the fatal shootings happened (over 40 years ago now), is amongst the extras.
No mention yet of who (if anyone) is playing Ritchie Blackmore, and IMDB’s Telstar page does not list Ritchie as a credited part. David Hayler played him (with just two or three lines) in the stage version.
The two act play (based in Meek’s studio) was largely comedic for the first act but with the second act being Meek’s dark descent into paranoia and pills.
Many thanks to Nigel Young who provided all this information.
Steve Morse has just made his “Power Lines” instructional video available on DVD via the Alfred Publishing company. The 60-minute disc’s description reads as follows:
Learn Steve’s warm-up exercises, how to add chromatic ideas to your playing, 3-note-per-string scales, sequences and arpeggios. Steve also reveals his unique method for playing polyphonic scales and melody lines. Up-close shots and graphics enable you to learn note-for-note some of Steve’s favorite licks.
Glenn Hughes in a message to the fans left on his Myspace page, mentions his new album:
To all of you in Bulgaria, France, Spain, Norway, Italia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Greece, I look 4ward to Funkin’ it up with you as well.
It’s been an amazin’ year, full of new adventures. It has given me the “juice” to write, what I consider a turning point album……these songs have been a real blessing to write, you could call it a roots record……don’t wanna keep you guessin’, but I can say that this will be the Funkiest, Rock N’ Soul album so far…..
Glenn’s touring schedule has been revamped: September 6 show in Pristina has been canceled due to instability in Kosovo. September 7 show in Sofia, Bulgaria has been postponed, tentatively to the 28th. On September 7 he will perform instead in another Bulgarian city, Kavarna, where mayor is a good friend of Glenn. This show will consist of Deep Purple Mk3/Mk4 classics. Another three shows have been scheduled in Greece in November, with Athens yet to be confirmed.
Blackmore’s Night will be featured in a two part broadcast on German radio station Radio T. The show will air on September 13th and 20th at 20:00. Interview is conducted by Manja Kolb. Radio T is on the air in Chemnitz at 102.7 MHz and on cable at 98.25 MHz and 103.7 MHz. See www.peters-kramladen.de for further information.
A mimed playback of St. Theresa done on a morning TV show on August 16. Blackmore barely pretends he’s actually playing guitar ;). Backing singers are from the support band Gothien, as the Sisters of the Moon have been given the Spanish Archer following the last show of the German tour. Continue Reading »
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David Coverdale will be interviewed in the new episode of BBC Radio 2s Masters of Rock series devoted to classic, contemporary and obscure hard rock and metal. The show, which is hosted by Bruce Dickinson, will include a chat with Coverdale about his colourful career. The program is scheduled to air on August 23 at 10:00 p.m. (GMT).
In other Coverdale related news, Whitesnake has set “Good to be Bad” as the title of its new studio album, tentatively due early next year.
Steve Morse will appear on an upcoming album by a fellow Dixie Dreg T Lavitz. The album is called ‘School of the Arts’ and will also feature Dave Weckl (drums), Frank Gambale (guitar), Jerry Goodman (also a Dixie Dregs member, violin) and John Patitucci (bass). It will be released on October 9th.
During Deep Purple show on August 12 in Costa Mesa, California, Edgar Winter joined the band on stage to play saxophone on Smoke on the Water. The next day in Ventura Michael Bradford jumped on stage unannounced for the Highway Star and stayed for Smoke on the Water. Steve Morse gestured to Michael to take the solo during Smoke mere seconds before it was to start, catching him a bit off guard (and, reportedly, the FoH sound engineer too). Michael tore it up with a blazing solo.
Ian Paice will do a drum clinic and a gig in Italy on September 7. He will perform a “Deep Purple Night” with The Perfect Strangers Band at piazza Roma in Castelli (Teramo). Show starts at 21:00 and it’s free entrance. For further information please call 0861979142 or +393385451753. Further updates (if any) will be posted on out tour dates page.
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