Zokko

 

For quite a while now my brain has been telling me that when I was very very young there was a program on Saturday lunch times called Zokko.
I have the occasional memory flashes of watching this program but could never be 100% sure or if I had just imagined the whole thing. After much searching (typed Zokko into Google) I have found a few bits and images relating to it. Zokko did exist and was a kids tv series that ran from 1968 to 1970. Strangely the first series used to be repeated on Wednesday afternoons, but the 2nd series never was. It was devised by children's TV producer Molly Cox and Paul Ciani. It featured animations, music hall jokes, narrated comic strips fast zany humour, variety acts and a sic-fi serial called Skayn. This was all linked up by a Pinball machine who served as the programs presenter.
By the 2nd series The pinball machine was gone and replaced by bubbling tubes of liquid, but the voice remained the same. The Zokko Pinball machine was designed by Mike Ellis (Father of Blue Peter Present Janet Ellis) the voice of the Pinball was created by the Radiophonic Workshop’s Brian Hodgson. It would seem that only two episodes from  the 2nd series are all that remains of Zokko (BFI Archive) For a lot more in depth info on Zokko go to The Curious British Telly site.

New series All for fun! Fun for all! Tar-rah! Zokko! is back - your own, your very own electronic comic! The old favourites return with some new ones as well... There's Skayn, the space-hero, in an exciting serial; plenty of jokes; a weekly Walt Disney choice; and a brand-new music machine, the like of which has never been seen before. Featured this week on the flying trapeze The Sisters Inaros; Skayn and the Moon People: with the voices of Sheelagh McGrath, Gordon Clude, Anthony Jackson, and pictures by Leslie Caswell. Zokko! music by Brian Fahey. Animation by Ted Lewis. Devised and produced by Paul Ciani and Molly Cox. (BBC recording)

Syncing Not Swimming 17th Feb 2024

Syncing Not Swimming 3.0
An evening of live electronic music with
Keith Seatman, Kieran Mahon, Simon Heartfield
and The Burning Trestle.

Have not played live for about 8 years.
Maybe its right to be nervous now, with still 4 months to go. 

Tickets from here

 

Some new tunes on Soundcloud

Over the Summer I completed 3 new tunes. These new tunes now on Soundcloud.
No plans at present to release (if at all/ever)
For the Causeway Turn

Keith Seatman · For The Causeway Turn

Jessica Being Silly

Keith Seatman · Jessica Being Silly

 Lady Dunford's Impersonator

Keith Seatman · Lady Dunford’s Impersonator

Test Transmission Archive Reel 53

 

Hi All. Its been quite some time since my last Test Transmission mix and a lot has gone on since then. My new EP Disjointed Oddities Vol 2 has been released and I have a new album on Castles in Space due for release in 2024. Have put together a Mix for Kate B over at Dark Train and have a live session for Zadagan Keep on Tak Tent Radio. So here we are with a new mix and what do I have for you all this time round? For your audio delight we have
Godley and Creme - Jack Harris (Butcher)
Crass - Sentiment
Warrington Runcorn - Rocksavage
Alex Harvey Band - Faith Healer
Andy Partridge - 10 Power (Rogue)
The Twelve Hour Foundation - Mole Cricket
Keith Mansfield - Teenage Villain
Bonzo Dog Doo Da Band - The Intro and The Outro
Flying Lizards - Summertime Blues
REVBJELDE -  REGRESS
Alien Sex Fiend - Ignore the Machine
Howlround - Paper Phantom
Lo Five - The Performance of Adulthood
Sandra Kerr & John Faulkner - The Old Woman Tossed Up In A Basket
The Shangri-las - Out In The Streets
Klara Lewis - Sell Art
John Baker - Man Alive UFO
Belbury Poly - Pixie-Led
Perrey and Kingsley - Winchester Cathedrel
Mount Vernon Arts Lab - Flames
Oloron - Shadow Pass and Air Move
Having less and less time to put these mixes together so really not sure when the next mix will be, so until then (who knows if and when) tata.

Some mentions over at The Haunted Generation

 Over the last few years I have been interviewed and have chatted with Bob Fischer a number of times for Electronic Sound Magazine and Bob's superb Haunted Generation site. Bob is a wonderful chap and I always really enjoy chatting with him. So with all that in mind here are some links to Bob's Haunted Generation site and some of the chats and bits and bobs and mentions about myself and my past.

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2023/04/28/the-dark-room-thunderbirds-are-not-go-by-keith-seatman/

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2022/05/16/keith-seatman-the-gnome-zone-and-sad-old-tatty-bunting/

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2021/10/08/the-dark-room-1978-bedroom-floor-by-keith-seatman/

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2020/03/12/keith-seatman-doctor-who-and-time-to-dream-but-never-seen/

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2020/11/26/castles-in-space-colin-morrison-and-the-loch-ness-monster/

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2020/08/25/electronic-sound-reviews-issue-62/

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2020/04/25/the-haunted-generation-in-the-fortean-times-issue-391/ 

Telly Savalas looks at UK Cities

 

In 1981 the British Film Producer Harold Baim made 3 documentry films about British Cities (Birmingham, Aberdeen and Portsmouth) all narrated by the actor Telly (Kojak) Savalas. Originally there were supposed to have been 11 of these short films, but only 3 were ever made. When asked why Telly Savalas?? Baim replied "its a marketing ploy" Baim's short films known as Quota Quickies were originally made for distribution with United Artists films/ features which enabled UA to meet the legal requirements for the minimum number of UK-made productions shown at the cinema. Being as I come from Portsmouth I do find this film quite intriguing and entertainingly quirky.  As Telly says "a time capsule of life in Toooder England" "So long Portsmouth..here's looking at you" he also said "here's looking at you" at the end of Aberdeen and Birmingham so I suspect another Telly catch phrase was in the making there. Old Telly had lots of catch phrases thanks to his character in Kojak "Who loves ya, baby?" and "Cootchie-coo!" "here's looking at you".

Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham
https://youtu.be/EoHVO1eSMFc
Telly Savalas Looks at Aberdeen
https://youtu.be/WhIyj64TQPg

Released Today. Disjointed Oddities and Other Such Things Vol:2 CD and Digi

 

A track from Disjointed Oddities Vol:2 was recently played
on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone on 6 Music and has had a 4 star review in Shindig magazine 141

Track 5 is a Remix of the 2022 album track The Grand Alchemists Parade.
This new remix is by Portsmouth musician and DJ Simon Heartfield. The original version can be heard on the 2022 Castles in Space Album Sad Old Tatty Bunting CiS093.

Out now and available from Bandcamp.
Keith Seatman Bandcamp

Test Transmission Archive Reel 52

 

Its been quite a while since my last Test Transmission. You might notice that a lot of my previous Test Transmission mixes are no longer here. Have had to Archive them as I am only on the freebee mixcloud. This time round for your springtime audio delight we have
Spike Milligan - The Q5 Piano Tune
Diane and the Javlins - Who's the Girl
Arther Browns Kingdom Come - Time Captives
Yello - The Evening's Young
Quimper - Happy Borders
Yuri Morozov - Machine Dancing
Kid Moxie - No Island
ATV -  The Radio Story
Focus Group - The Elektrik Karousell
Gaslight Troubadours Ft fey Pink - Psychedelic Freakshow (Featuring Fey Pink)
BMH - Sea Pipes & Shanties
The Unthanks - The Scarecrow Knows
Sonic Youth - Providence
Frogman - Out in the fields yesterday
Bebe and Louis Barron - Main_Titles Overture
Sam Spence - Wie ein blitz
de-Sylva & Paddy Kingsland - Gollum
Terry Riley & John Cale - Church of Anthrax
Play School - Play on
Don't seem to have the time these days to do as many of these as I would like. So until the next one its a big old goodbye from me. All be good now.

Disjointed Oddities and Other Such Things EP. Vol:2. July 10th 2023

Due for release July 10th 2023. Disjointed Oddities and Other Such Things Vol: 2 follows on from Keith’s 2018 EP Disjointed Oddities and Other Such Things. This is the 3rd EP by Keith Seatman and his 1st non-Castles in Space release since 2018. Castles in Space will be releasing a new LP from Keith at a later date. However in the meantime this EP is a collection of 5 tunes by Keith featuring more of his Clunky Odd Electronics, Psych, Radiophonics, Drone and quirky melodies. Track 5 is a Remix of the 2022 album track The Grand Alchemists Parade, This new remix is by Portsmouth musician and DJ Simon Heartfield. The original version can be heard on the 2022 Castles in Space Album Sad Old Tatty Bunting CiS093.

Through the Rainbow Books 68/80

 Through The Rainbow books, one from  1968 and the other from 1980 both the same, well sort of. Only 12 years separates these books. And yet the images from 1968 might as well be from the 1950s. Sadly I do remember having a 1950s style teacher who did look very much like the woman in these pictures from 1968. The reason I say sadly is because I remember her with fear.........not a day went passed without a large wooden chalk board erasure or heavy book being hurled at a member of the class by her. Another particular fav was if it was raining she would make you stand outside without a coat because "if you are lucky it will wash your naughtiness away" another specialty of hers was to creep up behind you and punch (and I mean punch not slap) you on the back of your head if you were talking. I lived not far from this teacher, and everyday would see her on the way to School, where she would always smile and say good morning, and all the parents thought she was a lovely and wonderful person, but us kids in our tatty snorkel parka's knew better. On the plus side a few years later there was a rather nice chap/teacher who wore a dark green crushed velvet jacket which had leather pads on the elbows. He also had big hair a centre parting and round Lennon glasses. He would start the day by asking everyone how they were? and on a Friday morning the question would always be "who watched Top of the Pops last night?" So not all bad as it turned out. But I digress...........Through the Rainbow, a lovely series of books from a time when things where maybe not so Rainbow (apart from the TV series of course)

 1968

  1980

 

1968

 

1980

 

1968

1980

 

1968

1980

27th January 2023, 12inch Extended and Instrumental Burial at Bevill's Leam

 

Burial at Bevill’s Leam

Extended and Instrumental Versions
of Seatman and Powell track from
CiS093 - 'Sad Old Tatty Bunting’

Format: 12” Red Vinyl / Download
Released: 27th January, 2023
Catalogue Number CiS137
Available From
https://castlesinspace.bandcamp.com/music
Distributor: state51

When recording the album “Sad Old Tatty Bunting”, I decided it needed a spoken word track. I wanted to mix this in the style of The Velvet Underground track, 'The Gift', with the vocals hard panned to the left and music to the right. I approached singer/songwriter Douglas E Powell and asked him if he would be interested in writing a short story for this purpose. Doug came back to me sometime later with a 13/14 minute tale about ancient giant crabs and a burial at a place called 'Bevill’s Leam'.

I loved the story, however it was too long, way too long. There was only about 7 minutes spare for the last track on the album. So Doug went back to work on it and presented me with a shortened version. The voice was recorded and mixed, hard panning left and right.

“Sad Old Tatty Bunting” was released on Castles in Space in Feb 2022.

In the Spring of 2022 I started thinking about the full version of 'Bevill’s Leam', and started to think that we should revisit the track in order to record and release the long version using Doug’s full text as originally planned.

I told my label, Castles in Space that I wanted to do the 12” in the style of a DIY white label. We agreed on no cover artwork and only a white sleeve with an A5 paper insert. Taking inspiration from Public Image’s “Metal Box” a red typewriter font was chosen for all the text. Morrison at CiS proposed a red vinyl pressing because he’s like that.

So, with all the label details worked out, the last remaining problem we had was that Doug no longer had the original full story! So in double quick time he set to work and re-wrote and re-recorded the whole thing. It turned out Longer, darker and better.

Myself and long time friend and producer Jack Packer set to work remixing the new version of 'Bevill’s Leam'. Some new tracks were laid down with additional sounds and effects and then Doug’s new extended vocal (sounding amazing) was sewn into the mix.

This new version of the track is very different from the album version, having a fuller sound and sharper clarity. Doug’s vocal was perfect, and the new musical additions created a more balanced and atmospheric feel. The B side instrumental version was slightly extended, and again some new sounds and effects added.

So there you have it…the full story of Burial at Bevill’s Leam in glorious hand numbered, red 12" 45rpm format.

 

A Christmas Carol 1971 ~ Animated

 Probably my all time favorite version of A Christmas Carol. Remember watching this scoffing crisps and peanuts on Christmas Eve morning whilst my mum was in the kitchen getting everything ready for the looming family onslaught that evening. Directed by Richard Williams. Featuring the voices of Alistair Sim Michael Redgrave, Michael Hordern, Diana Quick and Joan Sims. Animation by Ken Harris, Abe Levitow. Produced by Chuck Jones. Music by Tristram Cary

January 2023. A: Burial at Bevill's Leam (Extended) 12inch Single CiS 137

 
January 2023
A: Burial at Bevill's Leam (Extended)
B: Burial at Bevill's Leam (Instrumental)
12inch Single Castles in Space CiS 137

Original version of Burial at Bevill’s Leam can be heard on
Keith Seatman’s album Sad Old Tatty Bunting
Castles in Space CiS 093
https://keithseatman-cis.bandcamp.com/

Test Transmission Archive Reel 51 presents Kev Oyston/Soulless Party. A Chidhood

 

Welcome to Archive Reel 51, and this time round our guest mix is by the wonderful Kev Oyston of The Soulless Party. Mr Oyston's mix starts at about 24 mins in. Up to then you will just have to put up with me. So what have we both got for you this time??? We have Funkadelic, Andrew Oldham Orchestra, Kayla Painter, Vernon Elliott, Viv Albertine, Wilfred Pickles, Ken Barrie, Bryan Daly, Bernard Cribbins, Duncan Lamont, Johnny Morris, Denise Gagne and so much much more. Its been great fun doing all of these mixes but really not sure when the next Test Transmission will be? So until then keep safe and look after yourselves. And now after months of planning and tech probs (from my end) I am happy to present Test Transmission Archive Reel 51, Kev Oyston/Soulless Party. A Chidhood. Why not listen and follow along.

Test Transmission Archive Reel 50 with Mr Douglas E Powell

 

So here we are.....Test Transmission Archive Reel 50. When I started doing these a very long time ago (about 11 years) really did not expect to get this far. So to celebrate hitting 50 my guest mix this time round is from my friend singer song writer and occasional musical collaborator, contributor to my clunky old music...the mighty Mr Douglas E Powell who also records as Bellprover https://bellprover.bandcamp.com/.
Doug has supplied a wonderful mix which starts around 24 mins in. So this time round from myself and Mr Powell we have music from The Steve Miller Band, The Residents, Beak, Kool & The Gang, Ladyhawke, The Pop Group, Lalo Schifrin, Roberto Delgado & His Orchestra, Alessanda and the Atomic Crocus, Goldbug and a whole lot more. So until Archive reel 51 and maybe another guest, keep safe wrap up warm its gonna be a long winter.

Oddness and Tinkerings from My Very Distant Past

A very very long time ago (Spring 1979 I think) my friend Craig Wilson who was very much into The Residents put it to me that we should do a cassette only release.

We would call ourselves The Marilyn Monroes. The music was to be very heavily influenced by The Residents Red Crayola Swell Maps and Vibing up the Senile Man era ATV. Craig would be Billy Artaud and I would be Pete Shoes. Now you might notice in the Fanzine interview we are now Pete Shoes, Landing Craft and Byrd??? There was never a 3rd person and as you can see the names got changed, if I remember rightly the changing of names was a brief but ongoing thing. The music for the cassette was to be recorded in my bedroom over the course of 2 evenings but in fact we did it over one evening, and like The Residents no one would ever know who The Marilyn Monroes really were. Of course as time went by we did tell people it was us. Strangely when we did the interview with the Fanzine it said we were practising in Petes Garage???? Never had a Garage it was my bedroom, perhaps we thought garage sounded better than bedroom...or maybe not. The Toy organ I used was a 1960s Sunrise Sunreed. With 25 coloured keys.

I lost my copy of the cassette many years ago. But a chance meeting one evening with Brian (who I had not seen for decades) from legendary bods Renaldo and The Loaf  proved to be very fruitful. Brian informed me that our release had inspired Renaldo and the Loaf to do a cassette release themselves. Brian also revealed that he still had a copy and would burn it to disc for me. So after many many years I finally got to see our mad old Cassette creation again.  I last saw Craig in 2007/08 (I think) He turned up round my house with some mutual friends. We chatted about old and daft times. Sadly Craig Passed away in 2018. Some more thoughts and words on all this here with Bob Fischer.

A Sunrise Sunreed organ. Mine disappeared many years ago.
Image taken from here