Blog » Bill’s blog – September 1-11, 2009
Saturday 26th September 2009
After spending time metal detecting and working on his nature photography, Bill headed back to London to meet with his wife Suzanne and their daughters who had travelled back from their French holiday.
On Wednesday, Bill was up early and headed over to Sticky Fingers to do a one-hour radio interview with Walter Fischer for Germany in relation to the Louis Armstrong Blues Award and the Lahnsteiner Festival, Nr. Koblenz. Then, after the interview, Bill spend time updating his iPods and working on his projects for the rest of the day.
Thursday and Friday were taken up with Bill working on his projects and catching the odd game of cricket on TV – but Bill found time on Saturday to head out in the afternoon with Suzanne, Katie and Matilda to the Chelsea Physic Garden to attend an afternoon Tom Stoppard event. Bill met with the likes of Nicky Haslam, Twiggy and Leigh Lawson, Terence Stamp, Miranda and Sabrina Guinness, Christopher Sykes, John Hurt (pictured with Bill, above right), Carynthia West, Nick Mason, Tom Stoppard, Jeanne-Marine, Matt Clifford and Simon Schama.
Bill says that Terence Stamp told a great story about him and Cary Grant buying and wearing pink raincoats, and Tom Stoppard stopped by to talk to Bill and John Hurt.
Sunday, September 6, saw Bill up and working on his diary, as well as working on his biography for the new Rhythm Kings programme. Bill also worked on his nature database, and downloaded his digital photos.
On Monday, Bill noted that the new Rhythm Kings album – The Best Of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings – was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by Repertoire Records. Bill was up early and headed off to Abbey Road Studios to cut the track for the Children In Need single All You Need Is Love with Terry Wogan on acoustic guitar and Nick Mason on drums.
Bill says that he was surprised by the vocals from Terry (surprisingly good!), with Bill spending time chatting to Terry afterwards. Bill then did an interview for BBC TV in the garden, making some comments about not being fond on guitar video games (which would have a big media impact the next day).
The next day – Tuesday, September 8 – saw lots of coverage of Bill’s comments, including media coverage in the likes of the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, and the BBC News, which said:
‘Rock Stars Cool Over Video Games’
BBC News Channel (Internet 8.9.09) said: “Former Rolling Stones star Bill Wyman has expressed concern that music games like Rock Band stop young people from practising real musical instruments.
He told the BBC: "It encourages kids not to learn, that's the trouble. It makes less and less people dedicated to really get down and learn an instrument. I think is a pity so I’m not really keen on that kind of stuff."
Wyman was speaking at Abbey Road Studios while recording a charity Beatles song for Children In Need.
His words were echoed by Pink Floyd star Nick Mason who described music games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero as "interesting new developments". But he added: "It irritates me having watched my kids do it - if they spent as much time practising the guitar as learning how to press the buttons they'd be damn good by now."
The rock legends were speaking just ahead of the launch of The Beatles: Rock Band game which features 45 re-mastered songs from the Beatles' back catalogue.
Following the media work, and with the recording session finished, Bill spent the following few days back to planning up-coming events and projects, working on business issues, and watching the England Croatia World Cup qualifier football match.
On Wednesday, Bill was up early and headed over to Sticky Fingers to do a one-hour radio interview with Walter Fischer for Germany in relation to the Louis Armstrong Blues Award and the Lahnsteiner Festival, Nr. Koblenz. Then, after the interview, Bill spend time updating his iPods and working on his projects for the rest of the day.
Thursday and Friday were taken up with Bill working on his projects and catching the odd game of cricket on TV – but Bill found time on Saturday to head out in the afternoon with Suzanne, Katie and Matilda to the Chelsea Physic Garden to attend an afternoon Tom Stoppard event. Bill met with the likes of Nicky Haslam, Twiggy and Leigh Lawson, Terence Stamp, Miranda and Sabrina Guinness, Christopher Sykes, John Hurt (pictured with Bill, above right), Carynthia West, Nick Mason, Tom Stoppard, Jeanne-Marine, Matt Clifford and Simon Schama.
Bill says that Terence Stamp told a great story about him and Cary Grant buying and wearing pink raincoats, and Tom Stoppard stopped by to talk to Bill and John Hurt.
Sunday, September 6, saw Bill up and working on his diary, as well as working on his biography for the new Rhythm Kings programme. Bill also worked on his nature database, and downloaded his digital photos.
On Monday, Bill noted that the new Rhythm Kings album – The Best Of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings – was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by Repertoire Records. Bill was up early and headed off to Abbey Road Studios to cut the track for the Children In Need single All You Need Is Love with Terry Wogan on acoustic guitar and Nick Mason on drums.
Bill says that he was surprised by the vocals from Terry (surprisingly good!), with Bill spending time chatting to Terry afterwards. Bill then did an interview for BBC TV in the garden, making some comments about not being fond on guitar video games (which would have a big media impact the next day).
The next day – Tuesday, September 8 – saw lots of coverage of Bill’s comments, including media coverage in the likes of the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, and the BBC News, which said:
‘Rock Stars Cool Over Video Games’
BBC News Channel (Internet 8.9.09) said: “Former Rolling Stones star Bill Wyman has expressed concern that music games like Rock Band stop young people from practising real musical instruments.
He told the BBC: "It encourages kids not to learn, that's the trouble. It makes less and less people dedicated to really get down and learn an instrument. I think is a pity so I’m not really keen on that kind of stuff."
Wyman was speaking at Abbey Road Studios while recording a charity Beatles song for Children In Need.
His words were echoed by Pink Floyd star Nick Mason who described music games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero as "interesting new developments". But he added: "It irritates me having watched my kids do it - if they spent as much time practising the guitar as learning how to press the buttons they'd be damn good by now."
The rock legends were speaking just ahead of the launch of The Beatles: Rock Band game which features 45 re-mastered songs from the Beatles' back catalogue.
Following the media work, and with the recording session finished, Bill spent the following few days back to planning up-coming events and projects, working on business issues, and watching the England Croatia World Cup qualifier football match.
