David Bryant

Blog update: In August 1988, S'Express returned to the top of the NME Indie Charts with "Superfly Guy". It's been overshadowed by its predecessor since, but - hear me out on this - is it perhaps actually the better single? indienumber1s.blogspot.com/2026/10/121-...

I swear the voice of the checkout machine at the Co-op is Olivia Coleman. “Is… is Sophie taunting me for my shopping choices now?”

For no reason at all: an old Iranian pressing of Abbey Road, spelling mistakes and all.

It's amazing how the modern tech world has made every app and device sound twee, polite and chirpy apart from printers. "Printer maintenance in progress. DO NOT INTERRUPT!" It's like being barked at by Patrick Moore. And why NOW, exactly?

Noel Gallagher seems to be morphing into Frank Doberman. Somebody help the poor man.

This should've been the cover photo of "Tonight," it would have given the buyer fair warning

Block. block. Block. You don’t have to get angry with people on the internet, and you will not improve anything by doing so.

On Saturday afternoon I picked up Nick Heyward’s newly published autobiography and I simply couldn’t put it down until the small hours of the following morning. Here’s why. www.patreon.com/posts/173424...

Just found myself rewatching this. Why do I feel sorry for the long-haired rep? Probably because I suspect absolutely everyone was at it, nudging their records from outside the top 200 towards the threshold of visibility. As is shown, certainly lots of independent stores were complicit.

I haven’t slept a full night in three weeks ahead of the polls opening in Brazil today. I might be shouting into a void here, but if you can spare a few seconds to send good energy towards our elections today and for the largest country in South America to beat fascism, please do so. 🇧🇷

Also covered lower down the charts - two new entries from two wildly different artists: Firstly, Kylie Minogue with "The Locomotion", a track whose global success still causes me bafflement. Then Spacemen 3, a group whose cult following John Peel initially appeared to find baffling.

It honestly really just started as a bit of fun, but I really am proud of Looks Unfamiliar and what it's become, and particularly the absolutely brilliant guests that I've managed to get for it. There's a new one out now so why not catch up here... timworthington.org/looksunfamil...

It's up for sale again for £65! Go on, give the family a Bernie Winters shaped treat. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/90003964...

Also covered lower down the charts - two new entries from two wildly different artists: Firstly, Kylie Minogue with "The Locomotion", a track whose global success still causes me bafflement. Then Spacemen 3, a group whose cult following John Peel initially appeared to find baffling.

I know it was last week's Big Bluesky Post and it's too late now, but I've remembered an historical inaccuracy in an otherwise fine film that annoys me: John Peel interviewing Joe Meek in "Telstar". The timelines do not work, though if anyone knows differently, I will obviously bow to their wisdom.

Just remembered that my wife and dog woke me up in the middle of the night in panic because one of the dog's squeaky toys "went off by itself". Turns out the dog had her toy in her bed and rolled on to it. Another shivering Scooby Doo styled "Guh-guh-guh-GHOST!" incident solved within seconds.

Really niche question: I just spotted that on the inner sleeve for Squeeze's "Trixies", Jon Homer at 45rpm gets thanked. Is this the same Jon Homer who ran the Beatbox section on Teletext way back in the day?! We need to know.

Happy 54th anniversary of the day Roger Moore recorded this in his Live and Let Die filming diary www.google.co.uk/books/editio...

Happy Smithy's Kaff day to all who celebrate.

First ever UK rap

Demis Roussos always looks as if he's just waking up at the beginning of every song, and barely knows where he is. #totp

FACT - Jimmy James & The Vagabonds also covered "Red Red Wine" in 1968, way before UB40. I used to have a copy of it but I flogged it, because meh, really. #totp

Another social club act flop on Bus Stop Records! The mid-70s were full of this stuff. Michael Hurll was right to tighten up #totp so only hit singles were permitted. Otherwise you just get the producer's idea of what a hit might be in a week or two, and it was amazingly often wrong.

This is very John Shuttleworth, isn't it? "Because you've got to see little boy's dreams, haven't you Ken?" #totp

I seem to remember this Liverpool Express single got a very high spike in Spotify plays the first time this #totp episode was repeated. Of all the things you wouldn't think would attract people's attention in the 21st Century...

Well, this is a rare example of a #totp appearance for an old Left and to the Back blog entry. This rather good Sunfighter single completely flopped despite this appearance. John Harding is, of course, Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud's Dad.

Stock Aitken Waterman with their early evening quiz show brass synth setting again. #totp

The Bee Gees trying to do ZTT-esque New Pop - right down to the black and white promo video which looked as if it cost tuppence but probably cost £500k - is brilliant. I unreservedly love every minute of this slightly creepy, thumping single. #totp

Slightly odd to put a new entry by a major artist at number 10 in the Breakers section. Did George Michael spill his drink over Michael Hurll's shoes that week or something? #totp

I'm utterly unable to listen to "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure since Dinosaur Jr. covered it. That's the definitive version for me these days. Bring on the distortion and the screams. #totp

I see Channel 5 are showing Richard Madeley in Prison tonight. I was envisaging several hours footage of him pacing around anxiously, and occasionally shitting in a bucket. I could sit and enjoy that as a piece of Friday night telly. Sadly, it's a documentary, obviously.