As I mentioned last week, Duane Eddy, the man who inspired so many electric guitarists of the 1960s, has died. He conjured a distinctive twang from his instrument.

This 1959 track, Peter Gunn, written by Henry Mancini for a TV series, might have been the inspiration for the theme tunes of all those 1960s spy movies. It certainly suited Eddy’s style.

Duane Eddy: Peter Gunn

DJ Johnnie Walker loved Eddy’s tune Because They’re Young (1960) so much that it became Walker’s signature tune.

Duane Eddy: Because They’re Young

But it is perhaps this track which is most appropriate for this post.

Duane Eddy: Dance (with the Guitar Man)

Duane Eddy: 26/4/1938 – 30/4/2024. So it goes.

Corgi, 1961, 186 p. First published 1955.

This was McIntosh’s first novel. In it human society relies on a system of tests to determine suitability for employment and government posts, grading people as Brown Stars, White Stars etc. Our protagonist Raigmore has no memory of existence beyond a few months ago but is making steady progress through the grades. Early in the book he makes himself known to Alison Hever, a White Star seemingly beyond his reach. He also knows himself to have a mission buried in his mind and has conversations with others with the same task. They are revealed to be aliens (Nwyllans) having taken on human form, an advance guard for an invasion. Raigmore’s elevation to the status of a White Star will be the culmination of their preparations. The fall of the Earth colony on Mars is the final prelude, a warning that resistance is useless. However, Raigmore’s assimilation into Earth culture and his feelings for Alison Hever alter his loyalties.

This has all the hallmarks of its 1950s origins, the only surprising thing as far as that is concerned is that it features a woman (Hever) at the apex of human governance.

It is humans’ “fantastic” love of freedom that is supposed to have turned Raigmore’s allegiance. Despite the Nwyllans’ benign (in their own eyes) intentions and the benefits they would bring – progress, collaboration, the end of war – humans “insisted on their right to make their own heaven or hell.” (This supposed superiority of humans’ unique capacities over other possible entities’ has, of course, never been tested.)

Pedant’s corner:- “‘The less you know that better.’” (The less you know the better,)

It’s been some week, though, rivalling 2016 in that regard.

First Tony Bennett, then Vince Hill and and lately Trevor Francis have all also left us.

I knew that Bennett’s signature song I Left My Heart in San Francisco hadn’t been a big hit in the UK but was still surprised to see it had only reached no 25 and also that he had so few hits here.

Vince Hill of course had a no 2 with Edelweiss, riding on the back of the success of the film of The Sound of Music with a song whose title my young self had no idea how to spell until I finally saw it written down.

Trevor Francis was simply one of the most talented footballers of his generation.

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (Tony Bennett;) 3/8/1926 – 21/7/2023. So it goes.

Vincent (Vince) Hill; 16/4/1934 – 22/7/2023. So it goes.

Trevor John Francis; 19/4/1954 – 24/7/2023. So it goes.

I saw on the TV news on Tuesday that Harry Belafonte had died.

He was one of those performers who were the background to growing up when I did. His was a distinctive sound though. There weren’t many people performing Jamaican influenced music back then.

He later used his profile to advocate for civil rights and became a vocal critic of the second Bush administration. Like many other like-minded people he was disparaged for it.

Still, 86 years is a good innings.

I see from his discography on Wiki that this song wasn’t a hit in Britain. I would have assumed it had been. I’m certainly familiar with it from my youth.

Harry Belafonte: Jamaica Farewell

Harold George Bellanfanti (Harry Belafonte:) 1/3/1927 – April 25/4/2023. So it goes.