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Post by dem on Mar 7, 2016 20:06:30 GMT
Wizard news for fans of girls' supernatural story papers of the '70's! Several issues of D. C. Thomson's Spellbound (69 issues, September 1976 - January 1978), the direct forerunner to IPC's Misty, have been made available to download/ read on-line via UK Print Archives. Having sampled content from a nice round thirteen issues, am left with the impression (sweeping generalisation alert) that If Misty was for girls with something of the night about them, Spellbound catered for those of slightly more timid disposition. The début includes the first instalments of several ten-part serials, including When The Mummy Walks, (Sept. 25 - Nov. 27 1976). Jenny Hunt has just began work as assistant curator at the Granville museum when the prize Egyptian exhibit - the Mummy of the Golden Priestess of Manatonis - goes walking abroad in Victorian London. The Priestess, whose terrible reputation precedes her, cannot be held responsible for her actions on this occasion - she is under the control of evil Miss Brisson, jewel thief! Decidedly minor thrills and chills ensue, but When The Mummy Walks is still a corker on account of Norman Lee's magnificent artwork. Other strips featured include Spectre From The Flame ("a chilling tale of mystery from Damian Darke"), The Secret Of Silver Star (The mystery of the racehorse that died - to live!), Supercats Meet The Sun God ("Four Space Travellers on a special mission into danger and mystery!" Our galaxy-hopping heroines are captured by "Egyptian looking women" and readied for sacrifice!) The Haunting Of Laura Lee ("Girl in the grip of fear!" Not to be confused with Dennis Wheatley's reputedly abysmal The Strange Story Of Linda Lee), I Don't Want To Be A Witch ("An orphan schoolgirl with strange powers") and, set "in the days of the Highwaymen," Lonely Lucy ("The heartbreak begins!"). Perhaps of especial interest to our readers, the uncredited short fiction, invariably a page in length, and served up as either a 'Goodnight Ghost Story' or 'Scary tale of the week.' Sample titles are fair indication of Spellbound's relatively low scare factor: 'When Snow Falls At Midnight', 'My Guardian Angel', 'The White House,' 'No Morning Tea, Thank You,'etc. Will come back to these in next thrilling post. Finally for time being, the ace card - a regular haunted popstar feature with contributions from, among others, the one and only Mr. Alvin Stardust, Noel 'housewives choice' Edmonds, Rick Driscoll (lead singer with Kenny of Do the Bump infamy), Alan Twigg out of Stevenson's Rocket (who can forget .... whatever their hit single was?), Paul Varley (The Arrows), Alan Williams (The Rubettes), Chris Norman (bloody Smokie), Dave Smith (The Real Thing), and him out of Flintlock, at least some of whom, sadly, are now on an even more intimate acquaintance with the other side. By way of illustration, here's Rob Davis, the mighty Mud's big earringed guitar slinger, whose later co-writing credits, let us not forget, include Kylie's fiendish "Can't Get You Out Of My Head," so clearly a man who knows what he's talking about.  By Horror Haunted: Rob Davis out of The Mud. Spellbound #10, 27 Nov. 1976)
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Post by dem on Mar 8, 2016 7:35:51 GMT
As threatened, some inkling of what's in store should you investigated the short stories. My Guardian Angel ( Spellbound #23, 26 Feb. 1977). Carole died young of the same disease that killed their father. Each evening after work, Carole would meet her sister Stella at the station. This night her ghost prevents Stella from boarding the 6.05. What can she be playing at? Illustration [below] provides a subtle clue. The Mystery Of Mandrake's Cabinet: ( Spellbound #3, 9 Oct. 1976). Egged on by nuisance brother, unnamed narrator answers Mystical Mandrake's request for a volunteer from the audience. "I put you in the cabinet, and hey presto! You are gone!" I know, I Know! Some Grand Finale. But give the guy a break, his glamorous assistant was killed in a road accident last week ... "No Morning Tea, Thank You": Spellbound #7, 6 Nov. 1976). "She had a long sallow face that was about as cheerful as a bloodhound's." Having left it too late to book their usual chalet at the Sunnybanks Holiday Camp, Carol's parents disconsolately settle for rooms at the Friend-Lee Guest House, Sandburg. The landlady-in-black is pretty grim, but if you had a daughter like hers you'd not be too cheerful. 'Scary Tale Of The Week.' Nightmare: Spellbound #1, 25 Sept. 1976). "And then came the sharp patter of shoes on the lino, the rattle of a chain, the heavy breathing of an animal ..." In Angie's recurring nightmare she is climbing the stairs of a lonely rural mansion-house when it intercepts her. Today, Dad interrupts their visit to the beach to show Mum and Angie their beautiful new family home ... decent built up scuppered by twist ending from hell. The Scratching On The Pane - Your Halloween Ghost Story ( Spellbound #6, 30 Oct. 1976). Jean's birthday falls on October 31st so what better way to celebrate than throw a Halloween party? Sally has to travel from Combersham and, as the last bus back leaves so early, Jean's mum let's her stay overnight. All is terrific until she settles down to bed for the night. Phantom claws scrape at the window ... |
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Post by ripper on Mar 8, 2016 9:02:50 GMT
Punk was probably at its height of popularity during Spellbound's run, but it doesn't sound like the kind of publication that would go anywhere near it in its pop pages.
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Post by dem on Mar 8, 2016 9:24:54 GMT
Punk was probably at its height of popularity during Spellbound's run, but it doesn't sound like the kind of publication that would go anywhere near it in its pop pages. As far as I can tell, it didn't! At a guess Action was the first comic to pick up on punk? For the rest, it didn't exist, at least not until it had all been sanitised as 'new wave.' |
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Post by ripper on Mar 8, 2016 11:12:09 GMT
Ah, yes, Flintlock. I seem to remember them turning up regularly on those kids' comedies that Pauline Quirke made in the mid-70s. Might also have appeared on Lift off with Ayshea but not sure--possibly too early for that. Mike Holloway was in The Tomorrow People for a while--he, I think, was the one who made the teeny-boppers swoon.
Dem, is it fair to say that the content of Spellbound in terms of scares is on a level with most of the Armada Ghost Stories anthos?
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Post by dem on Mar 13, 2016 8:11:35 GMT
Ah, yes, Flintlock. I seem to remember them turning up regularly on those kids' comedies that Pauline Quirke made in the mid-70s. Might also have appeared on Lift off with Ayshea but not sure--possibly too early for that. Mike Holloway was in The Tomorrow People for a while--he, I think, was the one who made the teeny-boppers swoon. Yeah, Mike Holoway was the haunted Flintlock star, although "haunted" is perhaps overstating the matter. His bed collapsed during a thunderstorm. It seems ghosts spent much of the 'seventies tormenting our favourite pin-ups. A mate of Chris Norman out of Smokie ran over a Blue Lady on a bridge, but when he got out of the car she'd disappeared! Also, Rick Driscoll out of Kenny once nearly saw some spectral severed heads. Dem, is it fair to say that the content of Spellbound in terms of scares is on a level with most of the Armada Ghost Stories anthos? On the strength of those read, possibly even less so, though the stories are likeable enough. I'd love to know the identity of the anonymous hack who wrote them. |
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Post by ripper on Mar 14, 2016 8:54:00 GMT
Flintlock, Smokie and Kenny...all mostly forgotten nowadays. It's curious how many children's music shows there were back in the 70s. Lift-Off with Ayesha, Shang-a-Lang, Get it Together and probably more that I have forgotten, all of which would feature bands of the time of the stature of those named above. Now, I suppose in a way programmes like X-Factor have partly filled the gap, even though they aren't directly aimed at children, and the rub is that in 40 years time all those X-Factor winners will be just as forgotten as bands like Smokie are today. In fact, today's X-Factor winners will probably have a shorter time in the limelight than Flintlock etc had in the 70s.
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Post by mcannon on Mar 14, 2016 9:56:54 GMT
Flintlock, Smokie and Kenny...all mostly forgotten nowadays. It's curious how many children's music shows there were back in the 70s. Lift-Off with Ayesha, Shang-a-Lang, Get it Together and probably more that I have forgotten, all of which would feature bands of the time of the stature of those named above. Now, I suppose in a way programmes like X-Factor have partly filled the gap, even though they aren't directly aimed at children, and the rub is that in 40 years time all those X-Factor winners will be just as forgotten as bands like Smokie are today. In fact, today's X-Factor winners will probably have a shorter time in the limelight than Flintlock etc had in the 70s. About this time last year I was in the Czech Republic. The bus I was on made a rest-stop in a small town about an hour outside Prague, and I happened to glance at a nearby wall covered with various "coming attractions" posters. One was for Smokie! So some version of the band is / was presumably still chugging around. That wasn't quite as scary as seeing posters in Vienna advertising a concert by early 80s American group Toto, though...... Mark |
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Post by pulphack on Mar 14, 2016 19:11:56 GMT
Smokie, alas, without the original singer who, if I remember, died in a road accident on yet another interminable German tour. Which also, I think, happened to the original singer in Black Lace. Or am I getting them confused? Is someone killing off gravelly singers of MOR pop acts to stop them touring the EU forever??
Oddly, Toto now have some kudos as an AOR come Prog act, and have the original singer back with them (he'd better watch those autobahns, then). They could play, and had some interesting sessions credits, but even I think it's a stretch to laud them as some kind of amazingly innovative progressive rock act. And I LIKE that shit...
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Mar 14, 2016 21:04:00 GMT
Smokie, alas, without the original singer who, if I remember, died in a road accident on yet another interminable German tour. Which also, I think, happened to the original singer in Black Lace. Or am I getting them confused? Is someone killing off gravelly singers of MOR pop acts to stop them touring the EU forever?? Oddly, Toto now have some kudos as an AOR come Prog act, and have the original singer back with them (he'd better watch those autobahns, then). They could play, and had some interesting sessions credits, but even I think it's a stretch to laud them as some kind of amazingly innovative progressive rock act. And I LIKE that shit... The absolute highlight of my career. Dance show 'Celtic Life' touring Germany before 2000, 3000 crowds. I'm the singer. One gig in Eastern Germany I see our poster on the door of the venue. On one side of our poster, Smokie, on the other a punch and Judy puppet show. Spinal Tap here we come. i had a photo but lost it  |
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Post by ripper on Mar 15, 2016 8:47:36 GMT
Some great comments by Mark, PulpHack and Craig. I suppose that for bands from the 70s and 80s some change to composition is almost inevitable, but it's nice to see them continuing to entertain audiences in the 2010s, even if they don't have the high profile they used to have.
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Post by pulphack on Mar 15, 2016 10:26:54 GMT
Craig - nice to hear from you, old son. Did you get a chance to do a Celtic Jazz Odyssey??
Rip - much as I like to scoff at old pop acts, you're right: they're keeping people happy, and they still don't have to do day jobs. That's a result in my book!
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Post by dem on Mar 16, 2016 10:04:03 GMT
Craig - nice to hear from you, old son. Did you get a chance to do a Celtic Jazz Odyssey?? Rip - much as I like to scoff at old pop acts, you're right: they're keeping people happy, and they still don't have to do day jobs. That's a result in my book! Amen to that. Was hoping some female stars would contribute their own ghostly encounters and lo and behold, here's Gail out of Coronation Street with an account of her brush with Dick Turpin ( Spellbound #16, Jan 8 1977). In fairness, ever since William Harrison Ainsworth introduced Black Bess to the story, pubs as far afield as Hampstead and the Yorkshire Moors have boasted ghostly Dick as a regular punter - if memory serves, the late Lynsey de Paul once claimed to have met him in The Spaniards Inn? Anyway, forget the superstars. As the regular 'Spooky Spot' attests, the readers were way better than any celeb at this ghost-hunting lark. |
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Post by dem on Mar 17, 2016 12:32:33 GMT
Dear Diary, I've transcribed two sample stories from Spellbound, The Face At The Window and The Tunnel. The Face At The Window: ( Spellbound#16, January 8th 1977). Scarlet fever comes to the Orphanage. Twenties setting, bleaker than the usual Spellbound fare, but nothing to trouble Dorothy K. Haynes The Tunnel: ( Spellbound[/i] #5, 23 Oct. 1976). A wannabe pirate makes a nuisance of himself at fair. Anne, irked by his taunts, agrees to pay for a ride the Ghost Train. Let's hope she gets her money's worth! Attachments:Spellbound Sampler.pdf (93.24 KB)
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Post by ripper on Mar 25, 2016 8:19:44 GMT
Many thanks for the Spellbound sampler, Dem. I have downloaded it and am saving it for today's evening reading.
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