So, you ask, what is the Good Old Major's Hole and why should you explore it?
Well,
the name of this blog comes from lyrics in the title track of an album
by the excellent UK prog band It Bites, called "Once Around the World".
The hole in question is a hideaway, a retreat, a bolt hole
where the Major welcomes you with a glass or two of champagne. It's a
place to get away from the hurly
burly of the world in general, and at least one person found love there...
However, I hope this blog is just a
place where people will come to relax, chat and share all manner of
things - music, books, stories and experiences.
So, welcome to the Major's Hole!
The
song in question is a behemoth of a track running at just a hair under
15 minutes, but seamlessly divided into sections so that there's always
something new coming along. Furthermore, there's no aimless guitar
soloing, just great ensemble playing from the 4 piece band.
The
lyrics describe one day in a life - getting up, having breakfast,
reading the paper, walking the dog, driving on the motorway, going to
the Major's hole - where a heart was lost - for a glass of champers and then on to the horse races,
before going home. Yes, it's sometimes a bit twee, but it's quite an
English sounding track and the subject matter seems to fit well.
At
this time, the band had Francis "Frank" Dunnery as their lead singer
and guitarist and he handles both jobs superbly, as well as being the
writer of this particular track. OATW was a departure for Dunnery and
the band, whose previous debut album was very poppy. Even on their
second album, there's a pop sensibility which gives the title track a
melodic quality that makes the 15 minutes flash by.
Now this is where
things go a bit awry. Does Dunnery actually sing, "The good old Major's
hole" - or is it "home"? For years and years I've thought he sang
"hole", but some lyrics sites have "home". I'm going to stick with
"hole" as a) it seems to fit the idea of the Major having a little
hidey hole and b) I'd have to change the blog title and it wouldn't be so
intriguing.
Listen to the track here and tell me what you think - "hole" or "home"?
To win a handcrafted digital copy of the album this track is from, just describe how you start your day.
May I be the first to congratulate you, Steve, I will be back later, well done, sir.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nobby!
ReplyDeleteExcellent, with 1 post a week & some help from contributors, it should be doable. Never heard of It Bites before, but I usually start my day cycling 10-20 km [if no rain].
ReplyDeleteGood to see you here! I'm exhausted just reading about you cycling.
DeleteMrDave present and accounted for. Thanks for carrying the tiki torch Steve!
ReplyDeleteForgot to answer the question: I walk my sweet doggy, shower, check email, and then try to get caught up on the blogs I follow with coffee before starting my work day at home.
DeleteCurrently on hols, so its a quick bike ride up to the boulangerie for une baguette et deux croissants, followed by a quick swim in the lake and then two mugs of Ringtons tea and muesli with greek yoghurt.
DeleteIf there's a cat - one, two or all three - clamouring for food then they get sorted first. If not, it's boil the kettle for coffee, then sit down with a cup, newspapers on the iPad and a vape. No breakfast, unless I'm somewhere that a full English is available, which is nowhere at the moment.
DeleteWhereabouts are you in France, Nobby?
Great to see you here, Mr Dave!
DeleteHope everything goes great. Been doing my blog for i5 years & still think of music I want to share with blog frenz. It is hard work, frustrating at times, but a labor of love. The interaction with folks from around the globe makes it more than worthwhile
DeleteAs per starting my day, well "I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints, & then I smoke two more"
Steve, I'm currently down at Lac Ste Croix at the end of the Verdon Gorge but heading back up north very soon.
DeleteWay dahn sarf!
DeleteNever been so far east in the south of France. I'm more familiar with the area around Montpellier.
Many thanks for the kind wishes, NØ.
DeleteI admire your breakfast regime!
Haven't been over to the Montpelier region for a while now, but about twenty years ago we rented a gite near Clermont L' Herault. There was a reggae festival in the town square of near by Gignac, headlined by The Skatalites with The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari and The Gladiators, which was good fun , and quite a surprise to come across it by chance in the middle of the countryside.
DeleteAlso enjoyed Les Petit Pâté de Pézenas, which are sweet mince pies made of mutton and shaped like a bobbin, a speciality of the local town of Pezenas. Brought over by Clive of India in the 18th century when he was convalescing there. A ceremony is held each year where they parade through the town wearing the pies in a string around their necks. They are a link back to the origins of our modern Christmas mince pies whuch were originally made of meat although still sweet.
Lots of strange things happen in rural France!
Yes, we tried those pastries when we holidayed around the Beziers region. Here, the cuisine is quite Breton - seeing as how we're only just over the border - although Loire stuff creeps in. There's no wine here - just cider - but it's close enough to the Loire for the wines to be popular.
DeleteReggae festivals seem to be generally very popular in France.
Pere Magloire Calvados is my favourite tipple, especially the VSOP version.
DeleteFeeding the animals and starting a pot of coffee to wash down my psych meds. Then some doomscrolling through the news and checking my favorite blogs while suppressing the dread of going to work.
DeleteNØ, we don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee, and we don't take our trips on LSD! But we don't mind a bit of Mother's little helper from Big Pharma.
We aren't in Muskogee no more, Dorothy. You can go runnin' for the shelter, but it rots yer teeth & rots yer mind, dontcha know. What a drag it is getting old.
DeleteI start my day with a large latte (or two), some sort of smoothie, and a 4 to 5-mile walk while listening to music.
ReplyDeleteYou made it here! Good to see you, Babs.
DeleteTwo cups of good tea, maybe a lemon green tea as well, before/or during breakfast and checking email/blogs.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Steve, I hope you can make this blog work for you. I look forward to listening to this It Bites album, I've got the one after this, they're a band I've sort of forgotten about. I've not listened to the hole/home track yet so withhold opinion.
Many thanks for the good wishes and also - more importantly - making it over to here from the Io'F!
DeleteJust found the lyric sheet for the album and it's "home" - not "hole".
ReplyDeleteBut I don't care!
Te Good Old Major's Hole sounds much kooler. Thanks for trying this.
DeleteThe HOLE stays. Thanks for the thanks!
DeleteGood for you, Steve: starting a blog and standing proudly by your mondegreen! Sometimes misheard lyrics are better than the real thing.
DeleteWhen I first saw the URL, I thought it was either named after someone from military history (Maj. Shole), or that it was a polite abbreviation for Major Shithole. No offense!
It might easily be pronounced The Good Old Major's Soul. Lots of ways to go from puerile to hide-away to spiritual. Allows for a good range of topics & friends as well.
DeleteHaven't heard the word "mondegreen" for years!
DeleteThe HOLE is what you want it to be - this is a holistic blog!
It Bites - Once Around the World @320.
ReplyDeleteNo stealth link!
https://workupload.com/file/BKntDK9mqQP
Howdy, friend.
ReplyDeleteThe Major's Hole sounds like some obscure sex practice banned in 47 states, but other than that, good to see us having another place to hang out than a +300 comment thread.
The name does have the ring of something forbidden and possibly disgusting, like the Dirty Sanchez. It also makes me think of the Hampton Grease Band. "Do you know about the Major's Hole?!"
Deletehttps://youtu.be/hTPR4xAHiX4
Hi OBG.
ReplyDeleteHanging out is exactly what the Hole is for.
"I shot my mouth off and you showed me what the Major's Hole was for..."
Delete"No, good sir, no! Do what you want with me, but I will never submit to engaging with the Major's Hole. You can tie me up, you can beat me, but never ever will I...waittaminute, are those chains?...whoa...hold up, there...it was just a figure of speech...waittaminute, what...is that a ballgag?...what arghmphh!"
DeleteAnd thus began his dark and strange descent towards the Major's Hole...
Present and accounted for, sir! I'm up to my neck with 4th Grade spelling this week, plus digitizing a Foreigner / Westwood One show that is proving to have a problematic Side 4. So it's all "yeah, "neccessary" could just as easily have been "nesseccary" and it would make as much sense, just memorize it" while dealing with swathes of crunchy vinyl noises. Perhaps someone spilled a drink on this record?
ReplyDeleteWelcome draftervoi.
DeleteSo that's marking? I remember having to do that...
Steve, I've only just listened to the album, I can see why you thought it 'hole'. Anyway it reminded me a bit of another proggy band from similar era, Twelfth Night, who started off sounding very Duran Duranish and then went much more prog, btw that is not a criticism, Duran made great singles and albums.
ReplyDeleteWithout giving too much away, your comment about the Durans is quite pertinent to an upcoming post!
DeleteI'll check Twelfth Night out.