Friends.
I’m 50 so the cards say. I don’t remember getting numerical cards before. It’s the only odd thing I’ve noticed about being 50. I haven’t recognised myself in the mirror for sometime. The waif was replaced by beer o’clock Jim Morrison a few years ago. I used to be vain, perhaps I still am, I just don’t recognise the big guy with the beard. I used to worry about going bald, I still have a lot of hair, so that was a waste of time. I used to worry about everything. I worried about money whilst working in a business drowning in cash. All you had to do was cup your hands and catch some as it cascaded down. I don’t worry so much anymore. Obviously the medication is working Doctor.
No news about the book. About books in general here’s Garrison Keillor:
“… if you want to write, you just write and publish yourself. No need to ask permission, just open a Web site. And if you want to write a book, you just write it, send it to Lulu.com or BookSurge at Amazon or PubIt or ExLibris and you’ve got yourself an e-book. No problem. And that is the future of publishing: 18 million authors in America, each with an average of 14 readers, eight of whom are blood relatives. Average annual earnings: $1.75. “
The whole piece is worth reading http://bit.ly/bTvsip
What else? It’s Allen Ginsbergs birthday. His long time partner Peter Orlovsky died on my birthday. He and Allen were such inspiring people. They lived a beat life, I would’ve died after a week. Clean Asshole Poems & Smiling Vegetable Songs indeed.
Dennis Hopper died too while I was away. I’m glad he voted Democrat at the last election. I’m sorry he didn’t live to see the release of The Last Movie on dvd and the major reappraisal, the inevitable reversal of the commonly held opinion that it was a disaster. It is a very beautiful film. It’s not self indulgent or pretentious. It’s a western, I love it.
No news about the records. I wrote some songs when I was away. The studio isn’t ready here so I may have to make another record in the spare room. You seemed to like the last one I made like that; Astronauts. A record no one owns up to owning the rights to. I want to get it re-released but can’t find the owner. Do you know Mr McGee? It’s already been expanded as Astronauts + when it was released on Sony Legacy & Jazz back when. But it will be + squared by the time I’ve finished with it. I’ve found more stuff from that era and live versions. If you own the copryight to this album please get in touch.
I think if I carry on making things eventually I’ll find a suitible form of distribution. The sheer weight of stuff will insist on being released. The day before I left for the Continent I had a meeting. I decided I’d better have a meeting before there was nobody left to meet. As I came out of the lift everyone was folk dancing to some acoustic groove. Sony Music was never like that before. I liked it.
Astrology update: the original Duran line up are all Geminis. May 30th myself, Nick on on June 8th and John on June 20th. If I’d realised I was the oldest everything would have been different. How can we be 50 and how can we still have hair? (I know, Nicholas is only 48).
No, I don’t think there is any real news. Sapphire Stylus by Nick Duffy and the Lilac Time is still available here but soon will be on iTunes and Spotify courtesy of AWAL.
Thank you for your best wishes and gifts. I know how blessed I am to have been able to make music and records with such lovely people and to have you lovely people enjoy it too.












