Now Vault 1982

Now it has warmed up a little  we'll resume on a series of entries from 2024.

In June 2024 Now launched a sub series VAULTS, which aims to cover minor hits of the sort that tended to pad out our Ronco and K Tel sets as much as we may of preferred some of them to the big hits back in the day and also American Hits which unless someone did a American Hit compilation you didn't get so I'd buy the 45's where available.

Issued Friday 16 January, it follows the broad theme of things that for all the music industry talk didn't trouble the top 30 and american hits that weren't in the UK (and should of been I'd add).

Opening the set on disc 1 we have the era-defining style with ‘The Hanging Garden’ from The Cure, taken from their album ‘Pornography’, and Bauhaus with ‘Spirit’ ahead of the collaboration ‘Bamboo Houses’ from David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto. 

A single in the U.S., ‘Secret Journey’ from The Police comes ahead of ‘Athena’ from The Who, and ‘Valerie’ from Steve Winwood – which would be a bigger hit when remixed five years later and closing the first side a beautiful song – ‘Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)’ from Elton John.

Flipping to side two we have a run of new wave and post-punk gems including from Elvis Costello, The Clash, Theatre Of Hate and Gang Of Four. Melancholic pop from The Teardrop Explodes leads to disc 1's  closers from Mike Oldfield, and a classic ‘Tug Of War’ by Paul McCartney from the album of the same name.

Disc 2 kicks off with a run of pure pop: Culture Club’s ‘I’m Afraid Of Me’ was the single before their #1 breakthrough, and is joined by Spandau Ballet, Level 42, Bananarama and Toyah with a re-recording of her 1980 anthem ‘Ieya’. 

A trio of synth-pop essentials closes the side: Visage with ‘Pleasure Boys’ their third single in 1982, Blancmange with ‘Feel Me’ – their second single, (the next would be their Top 10 breakthrough) and ‘Flowers’ by singer-songwriter Zaine Griff – produced by Hans Zimmer and featuring unmistakable backing vocals by Kate Bush. 

Flipping over the side sees the fusions of Electronic Music with hip hop and disco celebrated, opening with three huge tracks: ‘Planet Rock’ from Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force, the floor-filling ‘Loopzilla’ from George Clinton and ‘Let It Whip’ a Top 5 U.S. smash from the Dazz Band – ’82 R&B from Aretha Franklin leads into retro-influenced pop from Mari Wilson and a jazz-influenced club classic from Blue Rondo A La Turk. The LP finishes with Imagination who created one of 1982’s essential albums with ‘In The Heat Of The Night’, from which this title track was taken as a single.

The concluding disc celebrates what was happening in the U.S. in 1982 on its first side. ‘Atlantic City’ from Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’ leads, ahead of huge stars Billy Joel and John Mellencamp. 

1982 would be the year that Daryl Hall & John Oates broke through in the UK with two Top 10 hits – but here featuring their U.S. Top 10 ‘Did It In A Minute’, plus, Michael McDonald who hit the Top 5 in the States with his debut solo single ‘I Keep Forgettin’ while Quarterflash leads into Asia, who had the year’s biggest selling album in America, and Journey with their biggest hit, the massive ballad ‘Open Arms’ from their Escape album.

The final side opens with an instrumental theme to a TV series U.S. Police drama ’Hill Street Blues’ ran for six years and peaked in popularity in 1982 – with its theme by Mike Post featuring  Larry Carlton spending over five months on the chart, hitting the Top 10 in the U.S. and #25 in the UK. Fun Boy Three hit with their cover of ‘Summertime’, which comes ahead of Grace Jones and Men At Work. 

This is followed by U.S. new wave from The Go-Go’s, The Waitresses, and The B-52s and closing the collection Siouxsie And The Banshees’ stunning interpretation of the traditional French carol, ‘Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant’.

This set just fits nicely between my original Ronco, K Tel and Telstar compilations and the rather good Now Yearbook 1982 set, rounding out that years great colourful sounds.

Be the doll!

A few well-being issues today, scratch that, since the weekend so it's gonna be short and sweet.

I like playing although there are times when other events do rather take over that you can do little about, they may be craft kits, lego, which in it's original form was only limited by your own imagination rather than the vast amounts of movie and tv tie-in sets they've issued over the last fifteen or so years.

There are those things we hug and involve in stories we act out such as our teddy bears, hello kitties and dolls.

Dolls do matter for gurls, as it's often our springboard to seeing what who looks may be like and where we might wear them as soft pastel outfits wouldn't do for fetching the coal in or doing a bit of gardening as much as we might feel like a million dollars dressed like that.

We may experiment with hair fashions too and a vast array of accessories but you know where it ends up for many of us?

Before you know it, we work on becoming the doll and didn't we just want that from our drab pasts, a total change so let's make 2026, the hear of being the dolly we love, upping our femming!

nn

cc

The classics restored

Another bitter sub zero winters day so why not get this post written so I can chill a bit later on as after that rotten migraine I need the rest.

Anyway as several of you know I have had a long liking for what is termed Classical music  stemming from actual childhood having had my own meagre record collection from around the age of 8 of my favourite pieces.

Over the years I've added recordings to them, changed formats  as the years have seen the availability of and advent of recordings new media has changed and I've written a bit in the past on the blog about them.

The start point for a good many of the restored Classical recordings on sd card was a series I bought in early 2015 and here are some comments on them.

The music of Ravel was one of the first composers I encountered and recently this recording by the distinguished American conductor  Leonard Slatkin, whose career I've followed over the years. The playing by the French orchestra is superb and I can see this and  it's second volume that I also purchased gaining a few awards at the years end.

Bela Bartok's Concerto is a fine example of twentieth century classical music, indeed many have said it has some of the boldness associated with American composers that period so it's fitting this is performed by an an American orchestra and a remarkable female American conductor Marin Alsop who has conducted in many countries including the 2013 Last Night of the Proms in England.

How many of us just loved watching Disney's Fantasia and can remember that series with Mickey Mouse getting in trouble as the Sorcerer's Apprentice?

Well that was written by by France's Dukas and is featured in this excellent modern recording that has plenty of character.

 Finally and fittingly back to violin music and a violinist I first encountered way way back in 1992 in a program of French Sonatas for violin and piano.

I completed before some issues with a computer put things on hiatus a new series including the four symphonies recorded by Sir Edward Gardner and the Bergen Symphony Orchestra by Brahms.

One thing technically all these recordings I purchased have in common is that although they are available on regular cd, I bought these as better than cd quality 'High Definition'  24 bit downloads which can be played on a computer.

I play them using my Fiio x3 digital audio players line output through my hifi system as well as on headphones where the smoothness and lack of the low level artifacts that even the best cds have is noticeable.

Christmas post

In recent years we've had a as it happens Christmas Day post but with events that wasn't going to happen not least as my spoons were on the low side so I needed more rest and less chromebook time.

One thing that's been a staple although much has happened from the over fifty years since I first started having it is the years  Beano Annual, today with newer characters such as Rubi matching our changed world but where they are with those we fondly recall still as old as they were back then.
 

 Providing in someways at least more of a connection with the past has been the Classic Beano and Dandy gift book that features themed reprints from the decades, often in better quality than those early colour editions on newsprint could offer.

We don't have weekly Dandy's anymore - the went at the end of 2012 - but we still get a Summer Special and an Annual and this is more contempary featuring the likes the Dandytown Scouts and other fresh strips reflecting modern britain and childhood.

 

Christmas albums by popular artists to be honest are more of an American thing and tend to be limited because of the specifically christmas nature of the material but this one does reveal much of the Beach Boys harmonies and in a year that saw the loss of Brian Wilson, in many ways the guru of the group, is a fitting tribute to what they contributed.

This lp has the original mono mix he envisioned and isn't otherwise readily available. 

Linking to that theme of past Christmas's Novembers two cd set "Wings", a highly comprehensive summary of Paul McCartney's bands work from 1971 through 1979 but not strictly speaking definitive has many hits singles I loved as a child and appropriately Mull Of Kintyre, the Xmas 1977 mega chart topping  single that is like The Snowman, a CatMas staple here
 

There were Jellybabies, chocolate and money to put towards other things I love in the New Year

Christmas Eve Thoughts

How you might get here can and will vary but one thing is plain: You didn't decide to be a Sissy Gurl, you discovered that in you by one route or another so technically it is true to say You were born Sissy and You'd had a Gurlhood that may of gotten into more "adult things" as you got into your later teen years.

There seems to be evidence "petticoat discipline" actually was a thing although perhaps not on the scale some might think using humiliation and shame of been seen as Boy but dressed in the most girliest of girl attire and to occupy a girls place would bring in most boys.

For a number of us however secretly we'd of loved it and love the idea of being "made to dress in dresses" some which stayed with long enough to take you into the idea of exploring this more by choice.

For me the substance is more what happened  even if you may of wished for the whole scenario rather than a female figure attempting to discover just why you're dressed as a girl even though for many dressing as a Woman would be perplexing enough.

For me the fantasy that I am any way a adult male is just that and deserves to be treated with the contempt it deserves, on the inside lies a Little Sissy and you should have the guts to call me that.

You'd never really pass socially or physically for an Adult Woman, you know you were not a Transexual who just wishes to be the woman she feels but actually not only do you feel a and realize you're a third gender but feel very much child-like with it.

For you transiting means becoming the Little Sissy in real life you are and accepting the rest of society won't see you as a adult but you also know there are some women who just love Little Sissy Gurls.

Perhaps you do want a Auntie who'll press every button for you so you fully come out?

A Little Sissy can be a Princess,she has that in hur heart and soul and that is well worth encouraging in you.

All too often innocence is lost with shoulder shugging talking about being "grown up", well you haven't and really while knowledge is desirable so is innocence too.

It's not one or the other.

How things may go in the new year I don't know but I do know as a sissy I am getting more confident and more broader in my expression of my full self.

Tammy wouldn't go back to being anything other than a Little Sissy.

Christmas is coming!

Around this time I pause the blog simply because I have a good number of things to do like visit family, sort some shopping, write a few cards and all that so I really run out of time to be running blogs and be about on forums like SK or on Tumblr.

Sometimes I might post something a little more mainstream but this year I'm going really with this as believe it or not Sissies don't just happen, they're born and have childhoods often repleat with misunderstandings.

Well this little sissy didn't quite get it, did they?

Anyway up, Tammy wishes you all a very Happy Sissy Christmas and all the best for 2026.

The other side of Little Sissy Gurl

We often post more around more plainer things here part Blogger restrictions, part because this covers more of the younger more Little Sissy Gurl side of things rather than more full on Adult side sometimes it can be more like everyday or retro period outfits or something more "Little Girl" that most modern actual little girls would wear.

But then it can't be denied something uber cute would appeal hugely such as these teddy bear print frilly panties - a more young child print - but with a sissy twist and I really love these hand made ones.

There almost to good to keep under wraps.

jj