The Schotts Miscellany which recorded the Blair years for The Times was my introduction to this admirable mans work. So much must go into boiling down a mass of data so that it is both digestible & revealing
These thoughts prompted by the one on The Beatles in Saturdays Times
The Beatles seem to diffuse the whole of my Sixth Form years. Such excitement
Thing is, Pop Music was for Secondary Modern school children. Grammar school children should be above that, interested in classical. We certainly werent Teddy Boys, into Rock'n'Roll
The few Elvis fans were viewed with alarm. Skiffle was OK. Good, harmless fun. Even Church concerts were enlivened by a skiffle band - washboard, double bass made out of tea chest & broomstick
Trad jazz was also OK. A bit intellectual even. Liked by the younger male teachers. Reminded them of their duffel coated student years
But even prefects liked the Beatles. And it was OK - John & Paul had been to Grammar School!
There was an outbreak of boysspending their lunch hour in the woodwork shop, making guitars under the guidance of a teacher. We had sing songs in the prefects common room. Those who played in the County Youth Orchestra marvelled at the chord progressions
It had not penetrated, until I saw Schotts table, that all this was on the back of just 2 singles
