 Keith Gore, bus driver to Robyn Hitchcock and an Island songwriter |
| Keith
Gore, drives the bus to the Needles battery from Yamouth every Summer
for Southern Vectis and performs Diamond Wight on Vaguely Sunny - Isle of Wight Rock anthology CD, price £10 p&p |
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|
Diamond
Wight
|
|
by
Keith Gore
|
| The Mayor
of Ryde heard the Beatle thing on the radio once in 1965 Ticket to Ride . . . Posted them four return tickets, was still expecting them anyday on the ferry to the Isle of Wight |
| John Lennon
said 'There's no need to go' Some little trio got on with the show There were 2,000 imitation Reg Presley's alone in the Seagull Ballroom who went: 'Wild Thing', 'I Can't Control Myself' |
| 'Telegram
for Mr. Dyelon' Bob Dylan stayed in a Bembridge farm and the postmistress took his mail everyday on her bike, although she'd never heard of him or The Band who stayed inside She said 'It's for that Mr. Dyelon again' he said they hear him writing him Hurricane although she couldn't remember his name seventeen years on she realised he was really a prophet let the cold winds blow |
| And all
the time the thin dividing line gets finer I love this diamond Wight island From the 'See you laters' to the absolutely weird And when I'm sat by the Longstone And I can see Tennyson from here |
| The Bronte
Brothers barbecued their mandolins once down on Gurnard beach and Robyn Hitchcock lived here once and look there's Leapy Lee and out on the cliffs there's me But I know I'm not the King of Gurnard of pop because Mark's outside the Londis shop drinking Tizer, Fanta, half price, out of date |
| And all
the time the thin dividing line gets finer I love this diamond Wight island From the 'See you laters' to the absolutely weird And when I'm sat by the Longstone And I can see Tennyson from here |
| And Hendrix
haunting Afton Hendrix haunting Afton and Brian Hinton at Ryde Brian Hinton at Ryde Turquoise David Icke a turqouise David Icke |
| I know
Scott Walkers at Quarr Scott Walkers at Quarr with all the monks in the Abbey Albert Grossman's at Northwood still in that same old rented house |
| And I'm
expecting Syd Barrett Hello Syd Barrett Probably selling ice creams Strawberry icecreams perhaps down on Totland Pier |
| Well everywhere
you walk Johnny Vincent drapes Johnny's in drapes You'll find proper pop stars and Snowy White as well |
| Just below
the waves lurking in the sea perhaps wearing a snorkel is someone from rock history you think they'll listen to people |
| Pete Townshends
dining in Cowes in a semi-permanent chip shop just put up for the one week 'Hello Pete', 'Hello there' 'Hi there' |
| Just below
the waves below the waves perhaps wearing a snorkel is someone from rock history laaaaaaa la laa laaaaaaaaaaa |
| The songs of Keith Gore alias Mongrel |
| Every dog has its day |
| Every seaside resort should have its Mongrel. Keith Gore is as English as a stroll along Ryde Promenade with John Betjemin. Poetry and song plugged into arcade rock'n'roll. Battered, paint peeled songs rattling the glass of the pinball machine. A songwriter wired into the faded opulence of this once majestic retreat of Emperor's, poets and eccentrics. Music written on greased stained menus rather than table napkins. Warm spam replacing the poached salmon. |
| Mongrel's songs are more Puckpool Park than Seaview Regatta. Keith Gore's musings as murky as seaside cafe tea. Gritty as sand speckled sandwiches. A pile of songs as consistent as holidaymakers with socks poking out of their sandals. The metronomic drum machine imitating the endless pull down, pull up of the slot machine handle. The delivery like a sardonic Tony Hancock by way of Billy Bragg. Keith Gore in the grand tradition of the seaside performing one man band. |
| A Mansfield migrant and regular Summer visitor, Keith Gore's vocals have none of the synthetic cleanliness of tomorrow's pop. A voice engrained somewhere between a gasp on that woodbine and a sup from his pint at the bar. His songs of lost love, launderettes and characters paint graphic pictures of this diamond Wight Island. |
| Keith's song Diamond Wight inspired by some book called Isle of Wight Rock is a particular favourite. It works as a compressed snapshot of four decades of Isle of Wight social history. Perfect for the tour guides one hundred years from today. |
| Keith
Gore, drives the bus to the Needles battery from Yamouth every Summer
for Southern Vectis and performs Diamond Wight on Vaguely Sunny - Isle of Wight Rock anthology CD, price £10 p&p |