Nicks` Cabinet of Curios

                                                  Francis Lederer in the Return of Dracula The Return of Dracula - 1958 Not everybody`s kind of thing but I enjoyed this film.  The story involves Count Dracula (played by Francis Lederer) finding his way to the United States and setting up home in 1950s small-town America, lodging with a family who believe him to be a distant relative (in fact he`s murdered the real relative and taken his identity). When it first became apparent that this was the plot I had grave reservations but in fact the film won me over. The contrast between the wholesome host family and the their far-from-wholesome lodger makes for an effective film.  It`s true that some aspects of the plot are fudged - Dracula divides his time between the home of the family he lodges with and a disused mine but it is un...

Bill Gentles - Ever Since I Met You/I Want to Be Loved/I Saw You - Echo - Undated 12" Single This is the latest addition to my music collection and I have to say I`m very, very happy with it.  The late Bill Gentles is a personal favourite of mine, though it`s difficult to explain quite what sets him apart.  For sure he was a capable singer and songwriter and it`s also true that the musicians on these tracks were more than capable*.  Somehow, these deceptively simple songs seem to be more than the sum of their parts and I think that`s the key to his appeal. I bought this disc from an excellent seller named Stu who trades on E-Bay with the user name silvaback18, and who was kind enough to let me use his pictures of the label to illustrate this review. Thanks, Stu.  *I assume these are the same versions of these songs that appeared on BG`s LP Love and Experience, which is unfortunately ruinously expensive now. The musicians on that album include D...

Mike Holgate - The Secret of the Babbacombe Murder ; the Mysterious Case of John Lee, the Man They Could Not Hang - Peninsula Press - 1995 I don`t write full reviews of books unless they`re very fresh in my mind and unfortunately some weeks have passed since I finished reading this.   I can tell you that I enjoyed it and would recommend it. The looks at various accounts of the case of John Lee (sometimes referred to as Babbacombe Lee) , who escaped death by hanging in 1885 after three successive attempts to carry out his sentence were unsuccesful.  As I recall, the author seems happiest comparing different accounts without intruding his own views too much, but it is fair to say some of the myths surrounding the case are addressed and, to my mind, disproved.

Today we remember legendary songwriter Renford Cogle on the first anniversary of his death. I will share a few of his tunes today, but first here are a few discs from my own collection featuring songs he either wrote himself or collaborated on. The issue of `who wrote what` is potentially vexed and with the three major protagonists now dead I would think we will never know the full story. We can certainly say that Renford Cogle was a very talented songwriter whose songs, whether written alone or in collaboration with others,  touched many lives.  Long may his legacy continue !