Recent necrology, 3 – 10 June 2009

Necrology – a list of notable people who have died recently. Now a regular feature on our blog.

• David Carradine, 1936-2009
  Actor whose career was revived by Quentin Tarantino 20 years after he found fame in the cult series Kung Fu

• Fleur Cowles, 1910-2009
  Editor and socialite who was a supreme global networker, befriending artists, actors and royalty

• Koko Taylor, 1928-2009
  Singer who electrified the Chicago blues scene and scored a hit with Wang Dang Doodle

• Charles Tingwell, 1923-2009
  Actor whose starring role in Emergency – Ward 10 made him a television heart-throb in the 1960s

• Norman Walker, 1921-2009
  Christchurch doctor who combined a varied medical career with extensive outdoors activity and community service

Name that tune – Music in ads

TV music

Music fans always have their ears tuned – for the familiar sound or something new&exciting. Even when the telly is on. The Library has a list of Advert music where you can find out what is that tune tantalising you in the ad break. And if we have it on CD we’ll link you to it.

 Some recent goodies:

• that body painting Air NZ ad (it’s the smooth yet growly voiced Kiwi Gin Wigmore singing  Under my skin)
• the kids performing eyebrow stunts for Cadbury: Don’t Stop the Rock by Freestyle (we don’t have a copy but that’s the tune)The Adidas Originals house party ad features a banging Pilooski re-edit of Beggin by Frankie Valli)
• The music used in the Samsung LED tv ad is the beautifully melodic  Kelly watch the stars by French duo Air

If your educated ears spot the music in any adverts currently showing let us know and we’ll add it to the list

Nights at the circus

A book recommendation for those cold Christchurch winter nights – the Times Literary Supplement calls it “A glorious piece of work… The narrative has a splendid ripe momentum, and each descriptive touch contributes a pang of vividness.”

Don't be fooled by the manky cover! This is a good read!

That is the review given to Angela Carter’s book called Nights at the Circus. Far be it for me to agree with the critics but this 1984 winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize was an entrancing read.

This novel focuses on the life and exploits of its main female character, known as Fevvers. Fevvers is – or so she would have us believe – a Cockney virgin, hatched from an egg laid by unknown parents ready to develop fully fledged wings. The story takes place in 1899 at which point she is a celebrated aerialiste, an outrageous performer who captivates the young journalist Jack Walser during an interview. Walser runs away with the circus to better pursue and understand his fascination with Fevvers but falls into a world that he is ill prepared for.

This novel contains an assortment of weird and wonderful background characters: a sisterhood of prostitutes, a one-eyed madam who dresses as Admiral Nelson, side-show freaks, circus performers, prescient pigs, contract writing chimps, dancing tigers, shamans and escaped female inmates of a Siberian prison, to name but a few.

Read this! Your regrets will be few and your wonder tangible!