Thursday 23rd November 2023

60 years previously, the 23rd November 1962 witnessed two births:

1. A certain time travelling Time Lord.

2. Jools.

So, with the weekend being given over to Dr Who celebrations, Jools was to have something like four celebrations from Wednesday through to Saturday evening.

Thursday, her actual birthday, would see us going out for dinner with her brother and his girlfriend.

And then.

Well.

I would be going, alone, to a concert.

News came about four months ago of Ronnie Laine's old backing band, Slim Chance playing in Deal, so I got just a ticket for myself. Only when I was adding the date to the calendar did I realise the day was Jools's birthday.

In the end, a way round it was sorted, so all was set.

As it was, Jools has no more holiday time, so went to work as normal, though laden with party food for the office, though getting up at half six because of our late night previously.

So, there was work. Nothing changes.

But I got through it.

Jools came back home at half five, we had a brew, and she then got changed, before we drove to Deal near to the Turkish restaurant where we were to meet Mike and Helen.

It was all very nice, and the place has close to 50 tables and just four in use, so we took one and ordered the family special. And before that arrived, we talked about stuff.

The meal was a serving platter or kebabs, seasoned meats, roasted vegetables, flatbreads, rice and couscous, which we made most of disappear.

I left at quarter past eight, just in time to drive round to the Lighthouse to see the support.

And then Slim Chance:

I first heard Ooh La La sitting in the armoury at RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Island in the "spring" of 1998, as Rod Stewart had just released an album of covers and a version of this was the lead off track.

The song had been on The Faces last album, named after the song, but soon after the writer, and guitarist, Ronnie Lane, left the band, before Rod did, apparrently.

I heard Rod didn't like the song, but it seems that the versions of the song were recorded, but the one with Ronnie Wood on vocals was deemed to be the best and released.

After leaving The Faces, Ronnie Lane formed Slim Chance, a sharp contrast to the mod looks of the Small Faces and then the Faces, was Ronnie wearing traveller garb, and deciding to take the band on tour with a circus big tent and arriving each day in a village, setting up to play with little or no advance publicity.

Didn't go well.

Ooh La La was taken by Ronnie into Slim Chance, with some rewording, was rerecorded and released.

Sadly, Ronnie died in 1997, but members of his band, Slim Chance, still record, tour and play gigs.

They appeared in Deal last night, and I went.

I stayed until the end so to hear Ooh La La which was always bound to be the encore, but worth doing so, as it is a wonderful, wonderful song.

As the last note faded, I left and walked along The Strand to the car and drove the ten minutes home, just in time for a bedtime brew.