But I knew her well enough by now to see inside her head.....

I am not a lover of pop music and I know very little about it. (Says the woman who frequently types to the accompaniment of Spanish music.....)

Anyway. I went through the usual teenage phase of adulation for a couple of bands, but didn't buy a lot of LPs. I bought a few singles of records that I particularly liked to excess, and would play them endlessly. By that I mean I would play the same record again and again for hours.

As I grew older I did buy classical music. So I have far more Beethoven, Mahler, Rachmaninov, than I do Beatles, Moody Blues, Rolling Stones.

My collection of singles is pretty eclectic though. One of the ones I bought was by Albert Hammond. The Free Electric Band.



I never really listen to the lyrics of songs because 1) I buy the records because I like the music and 2) I usually can't distinguish the words.

Oddly enough I could actually work out all the words on The Free Electric Band. I thought he sang quite clearly for an American. He had to be American because he sang about Berkeley. But when we bought our flat in Gib, I was more than surprised to find out Albert Hammond is from there. (See, there is a connection with this blog).

OK, technically speaking, he was born in London. His family comes from Gibraltar and like many families, women and children were evacuated during the Second World War, and Albert was born during this evacuation period in 1944. A few months later the family moved back to Gib, so it seems pretty fair to me to say that he is a Gib boy.

I forgot about this until we were sitting chatting in a bar one day. There was the manager and her husband, plus a young lad who plays in a band in Gib. I've not heard him sing, but Partner has and tells me he is very good. So the conversation turned to music.

"Who's that pop star who comes from Gib?" we said. "The one with the one-hit wonder," we added for confirmation. And expected the young Gibraltarian musician to answer.

"Albert Hammond," said the manager's husband.

"But he's no one-hit wonder. Do you know how many songs he has written and for who?"

He had this sort-of "you-really-don't-know-what-you-are-talking-about-do-you" look on his face. But politely didn't say it.

Er, no. Nor did I know Albert Hammond had a hit with It never rains in Southern California. Hell, if it had California in the title it had to be the Beach Boys. Told you I knew nothing about pop. But thanks, Fred. You were right. I blame Top of the Pops 2 for saying Albert Hammond was a one-hit wonder with The Free Electric Band (I'm sure they said it). I guess it depends how you define one-hit wonders, and which country you are looking at it from.

So I had a little lookie on the good old Tinties. Not only has this guy had a huge career in the English-singing world - he has done it in Spanish too. Well, he would do, wouldn't he, coming from Gib. Sorry Albert, didn't intend to minimise your achievements. They are mega. Still at least, hopefully, I've contributed a few pennies to your royalties. Not only did I buy The Free Electric Band, I also bought The Fortunes singing Freedom Come, Freedom Go, which he wrote.

Back to blogs and the title of this. Now that we've cleared up a bit of info about Albert Hammond, I do like the lyrics of The Free Electric Band. And I think this line is appropriate to blogging.

"But I knew her well enough by now to see inside her head...."

We all give out a lot of information when we blog. Some people write a lot more personally in public than I can. To be honest I can't even write much personal stuff on my private blog. I struggle to do it. So I do admire people who can write about their feelings, opinions and emotions in public. I can't.

So, why, why, why, would I invite someone onto my private blog who seriously enjoys taking the piss out of me? About whom I know very little, apart from what I have gleaned on a forum. OK, You can find out a fair bit about people from a forum, but it's hardly open stuff like a blog.

And to the person who asked very politely for an invitation to my secret blog - it's on hold. Why do you want to see inside my head? I don't get anywhere near yours. You need to give a bit more out - and I know you won't.

Source: The official Albert Hammond website