We spin the reels of the rock and roll fruit machine this week and get the following pay-outs …

… the preposterous present they gave Bobby Charlton when he retired.

... “the leaning man from Alabam”.

… ‘Skinny Minnie Shimmy’ by Lattie Moore And The Emperors and other apparently fictitious rock and roll hits.

… a Radio One DJ who was also an actor, erotic sculptor, travel writer, sheep farmer, flamenco guitarist and ballet dancer. Why has no-one made a film of the life of Mike Raven?

… why Born To Run was “a quantum leap”, the record where Springsteen wanted “to sing like Roy Orbison and write like Bob Dylan on an album that sounded like it was produced by Phil Spector”.

… a leaked 1982 Radio One memo of ground rules for DJs! “Don’t resort to ‘common talk’ in a pathetic attempt at humour.” “You can say Cornflakes but not Shredded Wheat …”

… how rock is adopting the Gilbert & Sullivan business model.  

… Richard Thompson, Steve Cropper, John Fahey, Hubert Sumlin … : who’s the greatest guitarist of all time?

… the story-spinning genius of John Prine.

… the afterlife of the Love Affair.

… Ernest ‘Boom’ Carter’s brief but marvellous moment of glory.

… and birthday guest Giles Fraser wonders at what point a band shouldn’t use their original name.

Rolling Stone’s top 250 guitarists …

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/nile-rodgers-5-1234814197/

The amazing story of Mike Raven …

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Raven

Everybody’s in the Mood by Howlin’ Wolf …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV0gDlzEnYU

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