28 July 2011

Amy Winehouse Interview Part One


Morning everyone :), Today I have been reading a tribute  on Amy Winehouse that was released by OK! Magazine. The interview shows a new side to Amy but it was a very long piece so I have had to cut it down to two posts. The second part will be up before the end of the day ...Here is the first , Hope you enjoy it...

Ok! Magazine
The official Tribute Issue
Amy Winehouse September 14th 1983-July 23rd 2011.
Interview and words all by Andrew Fraser
Interviewing Amy Winehouse in the spring of 2008 was an honour, a delight and a task akin to herding cats. At the time, Amy was possibly the most famous woman in the world, as much for her terrifying public meltdowns as for the awe- inspiring talent showcased on the incredible back to black album. Across the Atlantic her sister in distress Britney Spears was transfixing the Los Angeles paparazzi with her very own tale of addiction, distress and disarray- and as the stories unfolded day to day, it seemed just a matter of time until one of these beautiful pop icons wound up dead.

While there was never a morning when an Amy story wasn’t in the news, the Rehab star didn’t give interviews and as it turned out , OK!’s chat was the only one that year. Invited down to Amy’s Camden stamping ground to talk about the god daughter she adored, Dionne Bromfield, after six hours of partying, pool playing and punch ups, she finally returned from the bar clutching a pair of Banana Daiquiris , and beckoned us to the ladies loo, where I conducted one of the most bizarre interview of my career.
After discussing Dionne, what Amy really wanted to talk about was her husband Blake Fielder-Civil , the husband, the fellow drug addict who was locked up in prison, and who she still is still said to love. Her words are even more sad and poignant now, than they were then, as this woman’s whose life had become a byword for chaos, talked about how she yearned for ordinary, quiet life, cooking and cleaning for her man and imaginary brood of five kids.

Sadly Amy was never destined to live an ordinary, quiet life – her talent made sure of that. Like those other drug addicted 27 year olds before her – Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, who also died before their time- a legend will grow up around Amy Winehouse and a caricature will emerge. For my part I will remember the night I was lucky enough to meet a girl who was, on the one hand an absolutely typical cheeky, ballsy, mouthy north London working class girl, and on the other hand someone quite extraordinary. Even amid craziness, I knew I was in the presence of greatness. Sweet, shy , beautiful, stubborn, funny and kind – with a taste for danger and a heart bursting with love, Amy was a back combed, big haired, gum chewing, high heel tottering superstar. May she rest in peace. Here’s the day in full....
A strange thing happens when Amy Winehouse totters through the doors of unglamorous boozer the Dublin Castle, one late Saturday afternoon. Within about five minutes of her arrival, a three quarters empty pub has filled to the rafters with Camden trendies, sporting jaunty hats, skinny jeans and artfully unkempt hair.

Amy’s friends groan quietly and look on nervously as the various ‘promoters’, fashion types and celebrity offspring vie for the star’s attention. Amy is meant to be under strict supervision. I’ve been told I can’t give her flowers in case anything dodgy is hidden inside and Amy has even had her mobile phone confiscated . The trouble is once she leaves the house and the watchful eye of dad Mitch, all bets are off.

Everyone, it seems, wants a post- pub invite back to Amy’s place. Some apparently arrive and stay for days on end. Her genuine friends worry about the influence of the ‘hangers-on’- but there’s little they can do.
The plan is to get Amy out of the Dublin Castle and away from the swelling melee as quickly as possible. As she waits near the bar for her jukebox tracks (1960s classics, naturally) to air. I see her beehive arc sideways at 90s degrees. There has been a mild kerfuffle. Amy returns to the table fits clenched and jaw tight. A random punter has grabbed her bottom, she says, and Amy retaliates by giving the punter a swift slap in the chops. The episode takes approximately ten seconds to unfold yet makes the front pages of the following Monday’s tabloid’s, where its reported that Amy ‘went wild’ and launched a ‘unprovoked attack’ on an innocent man. She ‘looked out of it’, claims the man. ‘It was as if she had voices in her head’.

In truth, though she is by no means sober, Amy is ‘far from out of it’ tonight. She’s undoubtedly skinny, but in the flesh looks more robust and prettier than you might expect. She’s alert and articulate, though her butterfly mind seems to have trouble concentrating on one thing. While she chats, she repeatedly shuffles, deals and gathers a deck of cards, croupier stylee. Later , as we meander through Camden, from pub to bar to pub, Amy is accosted by fans, declaring their adoration and concern, pretty much every five minutes. Without fail, Amy is gracious, patient and kind, holding out their mobile phones so they can take a picture, signing their beer mats and even chattering to foreign devotees in an array of languages. Amy, tonight, is a long way from the dishevelled, deranged, decaying , fan baiting, pop wreck I’ve read about....
Second part of this post,click on this.LINK

6 July 2011

Play with fire...


‘In the year 2000 you’re going to have a problem...Leisure time will be a problem in the year 2000...I just want you to realise ...I want to make sure that you know of it now..’ Edie Quote

Finally! After nearly a year since lending my book out to a friend, I have finally got it back!... I bought this book way back in 2006 . From then on I have been an Edie geek, totally obsessed (in a good way) with everything Edie Sedgwick. Now I have my book back, I find myself carrying it everywhere with me, just like I did used to . I must of read and looked at this book about a million times! The other day when I was roaming aimlessly around in Bethnal Green and I found myself looking at an old tattered fur coat and saying to myself, ‘this is so Edie!’ I bought the coat straight away and have been wearing it everywhere. Here in London we have been having some warm weather but it hasn’t stopped me from putting the coat on, why would it!? :) I have been wearing black tights again with ballerina pumps, long eyelashes and tiny sequins slips of dresses.. I think, I have to admit that the Edie influence is back in my wardrobe with some force!

Here are some snaps I took from one of my Edie books called Girl on Fire by Melissa Painter and David Weisman, I think it was around £30 pounds when I bought in 2006 . In the back of the book there is a CD with clips of Edie herself taking about her life. ( Recorded in 1970 Santa Barbara, California, named The Ciao! Manhattan Tapes) Enjoy :)
X 

A letter from Edie to Andy Warhol

A page on Edie's art work and sculpture

For more Edie images click on the links

3 July 2011

You and I

Reflecting on a year of blogging


Hello everyone!! :)... I’ve just got back from a holiday and in such a great mood! Hope ya all had a great summer so far2! so happy to be back and currently sitting in bed with some hot chocolate ,catching up on all my favourite blogs, plus reading new ones :)...

This post also marks a year of blogging! Time flies when ya having fun ... this time last year ,July 2010, I had just bought my first (and my families) first computer, I had saved for over a year so to buy a computer and try to slowly catch up with the computer mad world we live in.

I was inspired to start a blog after I stumbled across a fantastic!!! blog called Dolly Rocker Girl by  beautiful Alexis. Before I even thought of doing a post I worshiped DRG and I still do! :D Along the way I have found lots more blogs that I also adore for many reasons, but overall they all made me realise that there are lots of people my age out there that I have things in common with! This is the main reason I am so glad that I started a blog, to talk to other girls and boys (of all ages) who enjoy the same things I do! :)

Would like to thank anyone who has ever read S.B <3 ..Also love to say a massive thank youuu, to the fabulous 50! Thank you for following and supporting the blog it means a lot to me that you wanted to put Summerbaby on your list :) <3 !!!! Xxx