MY BEST NEW ZEALAND MUSIC SINGLE 2023
STAN WALKER-I AM
Video
MY TOP RATED TV VIEWING 2023
To say that TV series, particularly drama are a passion is a gross understatement.
Having completed viewing over 270 TV series in 2023 and starting, but not completing another 70, the shows on this list were rated 5 stars by me. Hard to choose a number 1 from such a high standard of shows, but on looking back the ones that stay in my mind and therefore made a greater lasting impact were:
A Small Light USA Disney+
Little Bird Canada
The Lovers USA
Succession S4
Heartstopper UK Netflix
After The Party NZ TVNZ
Delighted to have a New Zealand drama, AFTER THE PARTY in my top rated. Thought it brilliant with wonderful acting, direction, script and cinematography. Best NZ drama since NOTHING TRIVIAL and 800
MY TOP RATED SERIES FOR 2023
https://youtu.be/vESnQesCdKc?si=_jpXBLv1q6bt8YvA
After The Party NZ TVNZ
Platform 7 UK
Slow Horses S3 UK Apple TV+
The Buccaneers USA Apple TV+
Faraway Downs Australia
Lessons In Chemistry USA Apple TV+
The Winter King UK
RFDS S2 Australia
Harlan Coben’s Shelter UK Prime
The Lovers USA
Top Boy S5 UK Netflix
Special Ops:Lioness USA
The Woman In The Wall UK
Bonn - Alte Freunde, neue Feinde GERMANY
PMTA/Red Lines Israel-actually a 2018 show
Heartstopper S1 and S2 UK Netflix
Domina S2 UK/Italy
Sanditon S3 UK
Little Bird Canada
Top Dog S2 and S3 Sweden/Germany
Made in Heaven S2 India
Hijack USA Apple TV+
Champion UK
Riding in Darkness/Nattryttarna Sweden
A Small Light USA Disney+
Succession S4 USA
The Diplomat UK/USA NETFLIX
The Last King of The Cross Australia
The Good Mothers Italy/UK Disney+
Alaska Daily USA/Canada
Departure S3 Canada/UK/US/Germany
Ku’Damm 56 Germany
Happy Valley S3 UK
Vikings Valhalla S2 USA Netflix
The Sandhamn Murders S9 Sweden
THE WHEEL OF TIME.
Continuing and enjoying Barbra Streisand’s autobiography I was reminded of a disappointment I had early in my music days. In 1965 I was the Promotions Mananager for Philips Records here in NZ. We represented CBS and distributed their records. CBS gave us the rights for free for the 5 times EMMY AWARD WINNING TV SPECIAL, My Name Is Barbra.
TVNZ was the only TV network in NZ in those days and I enthusiastically offered the show to their TV buyer for free. He declined, saying it was not suitable for broadcast here, despite the fact that Barbra’s recordings were selling in big numbers and it was a multiple EMMY winner. I really disliked that man and what I considered his poor judgment.
Ironically 26 years later I became DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES at TVNZ and that man’s boss……but that’s another story.
GET BACK, the best TV series of the year-maybe any year.
I found every second of this 3 part doco compelling and came away at the end with a new admiration and respect for the individual and collective talents of The Beatles. Peter Jackson has produced a masterpiece.
As a young lad I was obsessed with pop music. I had a huge shortwave radio in my room, through which I tracked down the latest pop music from around the world. At aged 15, Elvis entered my pop music spectrum and the 50’s rock’n roll followed to shape my music tastes. It was no surprise then that on leaving school I joined Philips Records as a junior and began a 50 year working life in music and entertainment.
The most striking and emotional part of GET BACK, for me, was to see the group, between takes of their new songs, break into a rock’n roll classic and to share their joy of that musical genre.
It was a privilege to see The Beatles creative process, the groups’ dynamics and the sheer hard and repetitive work that goes in to make a record album of this quality.
Whilst an avid fan of The Beatles I have never warmed to Paul McCartney. GET BACK has changed that. Among the great talent on view, including the virtuoso Billy Preston, Paul stands out as a creator and leader whose love of music shines through it all. Apparent too is the musical chemistry between John Lennon and Paul McCartney as they bounce musical ideas off each other and instinctively know where the other is heading.
Throughout the series we also get to see The Beatles families and friends interact with each other and those around. Since viewing the series my internal juxebox is playing the songs from the show on repeat. That’s a good thing.
If you love pop music, GET BACK is “don’t miss-must watch” documentary TV
DECCA RECORDS UK 1975-MORRIS ALBERT-FEELINGS
In 1975 I was Marketing Manager for Decca Records UK and basically I was running the popular music division under MD and record man extraordinaire Ken East. My responsibilities included A&R and Marketing.
One day our International Manager Marcel Stellman came to me and said “I think you should hear this record which is getting massive success in Latin America”. Marcel played me a record by a Brazilian artist Morris Albert. The English translation of the song title was FEELINGS. I loved it.
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Marcel said there was an English language version about to be produced and he thought we should negotiate to get the rights for the UK and those countries we had our own companies or distribution deals with. I immediately agreed and Marcel set out to obtain those rights for us.
Marcel succeeded, probably because he was earlier than most to see the record’s world wide potential.
We released Feelings and had immediate success in the UK selling 250,000 copies and capitalised on that success with a Morris Albert album release of the title FEELINGS.
The record went on to be a hit for us in many major countries and was an important part of the revival of DECCA RECORDS in 1975 from a struggling company to once again become a “major”.
In mid-1975, "Feelings" peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States.[3] In 1986, French songwriter Louis Gasté successfully sued Albert for plagiarism on the grounds that the tune was taken from Gasté's 1957 song "Pour Toi"; Gasté is now credited as the song's co-author.
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 5 |
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[5] | 3 |
Canada RPM Top Singles[6] | > 18* |
New Zealand (Listener)[7] | 4 |
South Africa (Springbok)[8] | 5 |
UK [9] | 4 |
6 | |
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 2 |
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[11] | 10 |
In 1982 I had moved on to be MD of CBS RECORDS AUSTRALIA. One of our major stars was Julio Iglesias. When Julio toured Australia and played before predominantly female audiences, many of whom charged the stage wanting to just touch their idol, the standout song of his shows was FEELINGS, which of course stirred fond memories in me of the songs beginnings and move to International success.