Well I thought perhaps it was time for a bit of an update, although the reality is we are still in kinda the same position. No moves forward, no moves back.
Two of the four FAS 'Highway' issues (#155 & #156) are printed, and while it was hoped we could get one of the magazines out during January, then the second in February, that sadly hasn't been the case as the 'finishers' aren't working - which in the current lockdown is fair enough. So while the magazine is actually 90% done, we have to wait until it can be folded, stapled and cropped. Yes, it's all a bit tiresome but the truth is it's better to wait until it's safe for people to work than to have someone become ill, and possibly die. There is enough of that going on, I don't see any reason to encourage it! Frustrating, yes - but it's not the end of the world by any means. As quickly as they can be done, they will be. As soon as I have them they'll go out immediately, and they'll be a post here on the FAS blog to say they are on their way.
The secondary part here would then would be delivery. The mail has been truncated like everything else. Basically right now, even within the UK, some things take a couple of days to arrive, and some take a couple of weeks. Once the magazines go out be patient, especially if you live overseas. The mail is S.L.O.W. to some places.
The third issue (#157) is ready to print, and the final (BIG) issue, #158, running in at 72 pages, just needs the introduction writing. Always the last piece of the jigsaw. I'm holding back on this a bit as anything can happen these days, but once things progress I'll get that done too. I'm not dealing so much with current news in the magazine at the moment. It's the anniversaries that matter to me at this point, and getting as much to do with that out as I can, but even so, I'll wait a bit longer before I commit to complete that preface.
The brilliant plan for 2021 had been to mail out one magazine a month, taking us up into April. So much for that then. These were in fact due to start in December 2020 but what can you do? Depending when we can get things on the move again there may be a couple of magazines coming out very quickly in some attempt to catch up a bit. It's tricky because I really don't want to start on the next issues (#159 forwards) until these are out of the way. Having them piling up is a bit... weird. I have begun basic compiling of the records from my collection regards the next phase, 'My Brother Jake' and 'Free Live!', but I've not sat and written anything yet. However, this is just an interruption rather than anything more terminal.
So, in the meantime lets have a little entertainment. First let's have a little bit of 'Mr. Big' from Gov't Mule, with Simon Kirke kicking it along handsomely. This is from the Beacon Theater in New York City, and was recorded on December 30th, 2014 and filmed by sgibson818. Nice version, everyone in great form - especially Simon!
Finally here room for something quite a bit different, and not included in the magazines; Sylvia McNeil covering 'Be My Friend'. This was issued as a single in the UK by RCA Records (2058) on Friday March 5th, 1971. Somewhat over-produced by Tony Hall. Was this a hit... No... of course not, and it's not that difficult to see why. It's certainly different! Notice the 'Rogers' spelling on the label. From vinyl here, as I've never seen this on CD, and am unlikely to do so I would have thought. What I really should point out is that Paul Kossoff had a copy of this in his record collection. Whether he liked it or not I have no idea! The B-side was 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale'. Blimey!
