Shadows 1975 to 1978 Thames TV

 

Shadows was a Thames TV supernatural/mystery series that ran for 3 series from 1975 to 1978. All the stories were supernatural/Ghost/Fantasy/Mystery based. Shadows featured a superb array of actors including John Nettleton, Jenny Agutter, Jacqueline Pearce, Gareth Thomas, Brian Glover, June Brown, Russell Hunter (as Mr Stabs this character was also in Ace of Wands) George A Cooper (Caretaker Grange Hill) Brian Wilde (Mr Barraclough, Porridge) Norman Rossington, Gwyneth Strong and Joan Greenwood.
Writers for the series included Fay Weldon, J.B.Priestley, Susan Cooper, Joan Aiken.
What is also rather wonderful about Shadows was the exceptionally good intros to the series. A total of 3 different intros were used. My Personal favorite was the intro to the 2nd series with the animated bird flying, high contrast tower blocks and the creepy girl standing still whilst her shadow skips on a pale blue landscape. Always thought the intro to the 3rd series had a Box of Delights feel to it.
Some of the stories are perhaps a bit obvious/cliched and samey (After School & Waiting Room) some are fun (Dutch Schlitz's Shoes, The Man Who Hated Children) The Inheritance is a personal Favorite and definitely has a Folk Horror edge to it. A very fine and often over looked series.  If you do get the chance all intros are here on YouTube

The Horn Dance from The Inheritance

Test Transmission Archive Reel 57. Northern Soul, Funk & Soul Mix

 

Its been a very long while since my last Test Transmission Mix and I have been putting this one together for quite some time. So for your listening pleasure I have put together a Northern Soul, Funk and Soul Mix. This mix is simply a collection of Northern Soul, Funk and Soul tunes that I personally like and are guaranteed to get my feet and hopefully yours tapping . There is a lot here
The Checkerboard Squares - Double Cookin'
Shirley Ellis - Soul Time
Sly and the Family Stone - Runnin' Away
Vel-Vets - I Gotta Find Me Somebody
Dorothy Ashby - Afro-Harping
Dereck & Ray - Interplay
Darrow - Flecture - What Good Am I Without You?
Curtis Mayfield - Superfly
Prime Mates - Hot Tamales
Nolan Porter - Keep on Keeping On
Yvonne Baker - You Didn't Say A Word
Dust Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes
Living Color - Plastic People
Luther Ingram Orchestra - Exus Trek
Evie Sands - I Can't Let Go
The `Soulful Strings - Listen Here
R Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House
Ike and Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits
Sandi Sheldon - You're Gonna Make Me Love You
Pat Lewis - Warning
Shirlene King - Super Stuff
Cyril Neville - Right Place, Wrong Time
Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove
Isaac Hayes - Shaft
Gil Scott-Heron - Lady Day And John Coltrane
Gloria Jones - Tainted Love
Rita and the Tiaras - Gone with the Wind Is My Love
Marlena Shaw - Woman Of The Ghetto
Linda Jones - I Just Can't Live My Life (Without You Babe)
Diana Ross and The Supremes - Reflections
Eddie Kendricks - Keep On Truckin'
Larry and Tommy - Here Come The Judge
Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman
The Flirtations - Nothing but a Heartache
Edwin Starr - War
The Precisions - If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely)
Sly and the Family Stone - I Want To Take You Higher
Velvelettes - He Was Really Sayin' Somethin
Lee Dorsey - Four Corners [Part 2]
Commodores - Machine Gun

 So until next time (and there will be a next time I bid you all farewell for now.

Counting To Ten Then Back Again (OUT NOW)

 OUT NOW and available from Bandcamp and numerous online music stores. (Norman, Piccadilly records, HMV.com, Juno, Record Plant, Music Magpie, Rough Trade and many others)
Its been 4 years since my last Castles in Space LP Sad Old Tatty Bunting and a Counting to Ten and Tatty Bunting Bundle is also available from Castles in Space Bandcamp.
So a massive Thankyou to Colin and all at Castles in Space for making this happen.
https://keithseatman-cis.bandcamp.com/album/counting-to-ten-then-back-again

Electronic Sound 134 Interview

 With it getting very close to the new album release date (27th Feb) I was interviewed by Bob Fischer for Electronic Sound Magazine. This interview plus album review are in this months edition (Issue 134) just think of all the fun you can have reading my daft ramblings and explanations for track titles. Here is the front cover, review and excerpt of interview.
https://electronicsound.squarespace.com/shop/p/issue-134

Clip Clop To The Shop (Video by Simon Heartfield)

 Here is a new promo vid for the track Clip Clop to the Shop from the forthcoming new album
Counting to Ten Then Back Again. The Video was made by Simon Heartfield.
Release Date Friday 27th Feb 2026 on Castles in Space.

Counting to ten then back again Feb 27th 2026

 My new album Counting To Ten Then Back Again is due for
Release on Castles in Space,
Feb 27th 2026.
Audio Excerpts for the Album can be heard here
The superb Artwork is yet again by the wonderful Nick Taylor

BLAST-OFF

Into Space with Waddington’s BLAST-OFF!  Described as “The Game of Modern Space Exploration and Technology for 1 to 4 Players. It also states in the introduction “It is not necessary to understand the rules for all three stages at the start” A friend of mine gave me Blast - Off for Christmas some years back and I have been trying to fathom out how to play it ever since then. Blast Off comes with some rather superb dials to measure Fuel, Orbit and planets visited. The playing pieces are various coloured Space Capsules and Satellite docking stations. You first have to get your Satellite docking stations into orbit then have to get the Capsule docked into your Satellite. Next step is to land on the moon and then head off around the solar system ending up at Pluto. First to make it there is the winner. Along the way you could run out of fuel and have to return to earth or even the moon to re-fuel.
Blast - Off was released at a time of the Apollo 11 moon landing and the late 60s were a peak time for Space related toys and games (Major Matt Mason, Project Sword, Triangs SpaceX, Zeriods and even Action Man who had a Mercury Capsule) I was lucky enough to have Zeroids (here is my last one) and The Action Man Astronaut and Capsule, both long gone. Clarks shoes even got in on the space thing by creating their Wayfinder Moonshot Shoes (The Sole was a silver liner surface, that did not stay silver for long) also supplied for your space age fun with the shoes was a cardboard space/moon background that came with transfers and space capsule which with the aid of a magnet you could move around on your space background. At the time I thought it was all fantastic……I still do.

A very young me looking slightly confused at my Action Man Mercury Space Capsule.
(Think the shoes had seen better days) BTW I still have that slightly confused look, normally when I am trying to write some music.

November 22nd Pattern Recognition Barnstable

 Saturday November 22nd I will actually be playing live.
Have not played live since Feb 2024, so very much looking forward to it.
Also on playing live are Bell Prover (Doug E Powell) Burning Trestle and SHIN.
I will be playing a few old tunes and some new ones from the forthcoming release Counting to Ten Then Back Again. Out Feb 2026 on Castles in Space.
if you live out West, do pop along. Doors open at 7pm.
Pattern Recognition
The Plough Arts Centre Barnstable Nov 22nd

https://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/event/pattern-recognition-presents-keith-seatman-bellprover-shin-and-burning-trestle

Ghost Signs

I have been randomly taking photos of Ghost signs for some years now, Ghost signs are historic, faded and outdated tatty advertising images that were painted on the outside of buildings. Ghost signs are a significant component of the historic fabric of our Roads, streets and Avenues.Over the years where ever I go I tend to always be looking up, hoping to see some faded old advertising on the side of a building or residence.
I have gathered a lot of these images onto Flickr which can be viewed here

Live November 2025

 In November I will actually be playing live twice. Have not played live since
Feb 2024,
Pattern Recognition
The Plough Arts Centre Barnstable Nov 22nd

https://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/event/pattern-recognition-presents-keith-seatman-bellprover-shin-and-burning-trestle

Psylons 1st Single BBC Sessions

 In 2024 myself Jack Packer and Warren Grech decided it was time to put the 1st Psylons single and both BBC sessions onto YouTube. After many many months of tinkering for your pleasure we have finally uploaded them. Unfortunatly Mr Edwards is no longer with us, but we are 100% sure he would approve.

Shadows was a Thames TV supernatural/mystery series that ran for 3 series from 1975 to 1978. All the stories were supernatural/Ghost/Fantasy/Mystery based. Shadows featured a superb array of actors including John Nettleton, Jenny Agutter, Jacqueline Pearce, Gareth Thomas, Brian Glover, June Brown, Russell Hunter (as Mr Stabs this character was also in Ace of Wands) George A Cooper (Caretaker Grange Hill) Brian Wilde (Mr Barraclough, Porridge) Norman Rossington, Gwyneth Strong and Joan Greenwood.
Writers for the series included Fay Weldon, J.B.Priestley, Susan Cooper, Joan Aiken.
What is also rather wonderful about Shadows was the exceptionally good intros to the series. A total of 3 different intros were used across all three series. My Personal favorite was the intro to the 2nd series with the animated bird flying, high contrast tower blocks and the creepy girl standing still whilst her shadow skips on a pale blue landscape.
Some of the stories are perhaps a bit obvious/cliched and samey (After School & Waiting Room) some are fun (Dutch Schlitz's Shoes, The Man Who Hated Children) The Inheritance is a personal Favorite and definitely has a Folk Horror edge to it. A very fine and often over looked series.  If you do get the chance check out all three intros here.

The Horn Dance from The Inheritance