Amazing response to our Madness competition. What Madness competition you ask? Well, if you didn’t see Suggs and the boys on their November and December tour you have only yourself to blame. The tour programme, compiled by Family of Rock star Gavin Martin, offered the opportunity to win a signed, limited edition Madness tree. And not just any tree, but number 1 in the series of 100.

And the winner is …. Jade Cawte from Cardiff. Many congratulations to Jade, and, as one always says on occasions like this, commiserations to all our other unlucky entrants. Our thanks to you all for taking part, and we hope you get some decent Xmas presents to make up for the cruel disappointment we have inflicted on everyone except Jade.

Sometimes it can be worth pulling out a CD from an old cardboard box just to see what’s on it. In this case the surprising FabricLive.27 mixed by DJ Format, with this astonishingly brilliant version of the Isaac Hayes track ‘Toe Hold’, recorded live in 1972. The FabricLive mix cuts it off after a couple of minutes. It does I suppose, get a bit repetitive (but if that was a reason for cutting the tracks you find on the other Fabric mix CDs there wouldn’t be much left). Anyway have a listen.

Several of the other tracks on the album “Out From the Skies” are also worth a few minutes of your precious time, such as a hyperactive Ode to Billy Joe, a really funky version of the Jack Bruce number ‘Never Tell Your Mother She’s Out of Tune’, and a great gospel Further Along.

Up From The Skies: The Polydor Years – Ellen McIlwaine

The FabricLive mixes don’t seem to be available for download, but the CDs are still around from Amazon, if you’re so inclined. Take a look at the track listing: some really unexpected stuff there.

Boy this track brought me out in chills.

Your Mind and We Belong Together (Tracking Sessions Highlights Version) – Forever Changes: Expanded and Remastered

It reminded me why I never crossed the divide between enthusiastic pub rocker to recording artist. Being told by a bad-tempered oaf, with beer gut, dodgy beard and ironic t-shirt, that I was out of time, yet again, did it for me. Luckily for us, Bryan MacLean and Johnny Echols, guitarists with Arthur Lee’s Love, were more resilient.

To get the full effect you need to listen to all 8 mins 17 secs of it. Especially the last 17. The iTunes snippet gives only a hint. (The track appears on the later expanded version of the album, not the original.)

Well, you ought to be. Fabulous exhibition, all finished now. But wait!! The Elgin have asked us to keep the Trees and Photos up for a couple of weeks. This means it is still possible to arrange a personal viewing for those who are kicking themselves for missing out. Let us know and we will see what we can do. Jo at familyofrock.com

To coincide with our exhibition, opening today at the Elgin in Ladbroke Grove (details here) we now have more than 100 Rock Family Trees available both as signed limited edition prints, and posters. Take a look at the details here. We’ll be adding more and more information in the coming days, but if anything takes your fancy get in touch (jo at familyofrock.com). If you order before the end of November, we’ll make sure they arrive before December 25th, just in case that might be important to you.

In the meantime, we leave you a reminder of the great BBC series based on the trees:

The Pete Frame Rock Family Trees, and Peter Anderson Rock Photo, Exhibition at the Elgin Ladbroke Grove starts next Saturday. The prints and the photos are up on the walls, just waiting for you to visit. This is what Mick thought of it, on his way out.

If you want to see if you enjoy it just as much, the address is 96 Ladbroke Grove and the opening hours are:
Saturday 13th November, 2.00-5.00, 8.00 – 9.00
Sunday 14th November, 3-8.00
Tuesday 16th November 5-8.00
Thursday 18th November 5-8.00

To make dinner reservations and to see who is playing, visit the Elgin’s website.

And, at the time of writing, it might just be possible to squeeze a handful more of people into the private view, Saturday 13th, 6.00-8.00. For ladies and gentleman of the press, whether print or electronic, there is press preview too. Email jo at familyofrock.com for an invitation to the private view or for details of the press preview.

While waiting for the days to pass until our Pete Frame/Peter Anderson exhibition, what is there to do but surf the web? And this is what we found. So fabulous we have to keep going back again and again.

But if its Ozzy you’re interested in, rather than any old rocker, this is how the huge Sabbath Bloody Sabbath tree looks in the study of a very elegant Finnish house.

View the tree in detail here.

The event you’ve been waiting for. We’ve joined up with fantastic rock photographer Peter Anderson and the legendary pub and music venue The Elgin, in London’s Ladbroke Grove to create an exhibition of Pete Frame’s Rock Family Trees fine art prints and posters and Peter Anderson’s rock photographs. If you’ve been wondering what they look like in real life, or what to put on your Xmas list, come and take a look. You won’t be disappointed, we’re sure of it.

The exhibition opens on the afternoon of Saturday 13th November at 3.00 pm, with a private view and drinks, from 6.00-8.00, upstairs at the Elgin, 96 Ladbroke Grove. Places are limited for the private view: if you’d like an invite, get in touch before the places all go.. You can also book a table for dinner downstairs, where from 8.30 onwards there will be music from John Moore, Grace Banks, Marianne Hyatt and Will Nott.

The exhibition continues in the afternoon of Sunday 14th and is open again on Tuesday 16th and Thursday 18th. Put it in your diary now. More details soon.

If you haven’t been to one of Gavin Martin’s Talking Musical Revolutions events before, now’s your big chance. October 14th, upstairs at the Charterhouse, 38 Charterhouse Street, Smithfield, London EC1. Not only that, but how often do you get the opportunity to strut around in your cuban heels? Here’s the deal:

Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera will talk about his new album Corroncho and play a little on his Cuban 58 acoustic guitar.

A night of Latin Music, Talks, Big Screen Videos and A Little Live Music

John Armstrong on Orishas – the interchange between Africa and Latin Music

Sue Steward on Celia Cruz The Queen of Salsa.

James Maycock on the life – and death – of The Boogaloo, New York Latin.

Will Hodgkinson on Tropicalia, the Brazilian Psychedelia that sparked a revolution.

Stuart Kirham Djs
Gavin Martin Hosts
Event 7.30-11.30pm, bar and music until late
Free Entry.

And if you want to remind yourself of what Phil Manzenera was up to in the 1970s, let Pete remind you here.

Saw Tom Jones last week at the beautiful Union Chapel in Islington. He played the Praise and Blame album, the whole Praise and Blame album, and nothing but the Praise and Blame album. Superb, and it sounded better, to me at least, swirling and echoing in the chapel, than the album. An odd gig, though. The man who could sell out the O2 playing to a few hundred in a folk music venue. No T-shirts, no mugs, no posters, and not even the CD on sale. Supported by an interesting young band fronted by someone who mumbled so much (speak up, son) I had to ask the staff who they were. (Tinashe – well worth a listen).

But back to Tom. Never seen him before. Well, the closest I’ve been to Vegas is Wendover, Nevada (much recommended if you are in the area.) But, there he was, channelling the deep, dark, troubled soul of Johnny Cash, albeit with a mischievous glint in his eye. Fabulous voice still, every note sung like he meant it. It was a privilege to be there and I’ll remember it for a long, long time.