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TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Jan. 07 2008, 08:56 Sorry if this has been spotted before when I haven't been paying attention here but there are a couple of mentions of Mike Oldfield in Michael Palin's Diaries (which if you're a Python fan are a great read by the way) Neither are under a hugely positive light I'm afraid to say.... Friday, February 28th 1975 Michael Palin has been asked to do a short promo film to publicise Mike Oldfield's new single 'Don Alfonso' - " Virgin Records sent me a copy of the disc by taxi and, around six o'clock, one Richard Branson rang. I hadn't heard the record , but said I was too busy. When I did hear it I realised I had made the right decision. Saturday, July 16th 1977 Michael Palin and some friends are visiting  Penrhos Court - " A jolly game -or games - of rounders. Most people play but Richard Boston reclines on some bales of straw and watches and Mike Oldfield , who lives nearby, spends the afternoon taking photographs of his girlfriend. She has dark hair in ringlets and both his behavior and his preoccupation with her seem a little narcissistic..." Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Jan. 07 2008, 12:44 Interesting.Palin is my fav member of Monty Python,I can imagine him doing the video for Don Afonso,that would make a lot of   -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Jan. 07 2008, 13:51 Quote When I did hear it I realised I had made the right decision I don't blame him. I think "Don Alfonso" is atrocious. To be fair, though, I can't judge the music itself since I can't get past the awful singing. Quote spends the afternoon taking photographs of his girlfriend. She has dark hair in ringlets and both his behavior and his preoccupation with her seem a little narcissistic I don't see narcissism as a huge fault in a person but the description of this incident doesn't make sense. It would be narcissistic to have his girlfriend spend the afternoon taking pictures of him. Being preoccupied with someone else is the opposite of narcissism. (PS: In the above post, I used the word "I" five times. I'm such a narcissist.) (PPS: The spellchecker admonished the use of "s" in "realised"   ) -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

The Thin Man Group: Members Posts: 151 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Jan. 07 2008, 14:46 I've been wondering where to post this for some time, but now I have the perfect place! It would seem that the invitation to Michael Palin to star in the video of Don Alfonso must have been made at the same time that he was shooting his Ripping Yarns series. The set for "Crossing the Andes by Frog" is none other than the one used in the Don Alfonso video.  The angles tend to be different, but the clincher is when both our heroes make their escape when things start getting nasty by fleeing up the same flight of stairs! I have some screen shots to prove the point but can't figure out how to show them within this message.  Help anyone? Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Jan. 07 2008, 15:50 Quote (The Thin Man @ Jan. 07 2008, 14:46) It would seem that the invitation to Michael Palin to star in the video of Don Alfonso must have been made at the same time that he was shooting his Ripping Yarns series. The set for "Crossing the Andes by Frog" is none other than the one used in the Don Alfonso video.  The angles tend to be different, but the clincher is when both our heroes make their escape when things start getting nasty by fleeing up the same flight of stairs! You're not wrong. The 'Across the Andes by Frog' set was actually a mock Peruvian village on the Pinewood studios back lot built for a Dirk Bogarde  film called Singer not the Song. The set had sat around for a few years and was in a run down state. It had been used for a quite a few years for various films/TV stuff Don Alfonso included. The development and production of Ripping Yarns actually spans a few years with most of the writing and production work happening 76/77. The Tompkinson's School Days episode (probably the funniest of them) was actually a pilot show made and shown on the BBC long before the rest of the series. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Jan. 07 2008, 16:25 Quote (Sweetpea @ Jan. 07 2008, 18:51) I don't blame him. I think "Don Alfonso" is atrocious. So do I. The atrociousness of Don Alfonso may be the only thing in the whole universe that I'm certain about. Or nearly. I had a meal in a pub with him a few years ago (MP, I mean - not Don Alfonso, who was not discussed as far as I recall). We both chose "Sausage and mash in a giant Yorkshire pudding", and when he'd finished he'd left a medium-sized heap of mash in the centre of the pudding (whereas I'd eaten everything of mine). 'Why did you leave that?' I asked. He poked at the soggy mass (now completely cold), tentatively, with his fork. 'Would you venture in there?' he asked. Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Jan. 07 2008, 18:12 Sorry for the off-topic, and sorry for disagreeing with anyone in here, but I just love "Don Alfonso". I think it's the funniest thing that Mike O. has ever done, "Wrekorder Wrondo" and "Mike's Reel" coming both at a very close second place. Sure, David Bedford doesn't have the most melodious singing voice in the world, but the extremely bad singing is part of the fun. IMHO. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Airborne Group: Members Posts: 192 Joined: Sep. 2006 Posted: Jan. 08 2008, 14:23 Quote (TOBY @ Jan. 07 2008, 13:56) Saturday, July 16th 1977 Michael Palin and some friends are visiting  Penrhos Court - " A jolly game -or games - of rounders. Most people play but Richard Boston reclines on some bales of straw and watches and Mike Oldfield , who lives nearby, spends the afternoon taking photographs of his girlfriend. She has dark hair in ringlets and both his behavior and his preoccupation with her seem a little narcissistic..." This ties in nicely with the "relaunch" of Penrhos Court after reburbishment and also the start of the Penrhos Brewery, which was part owned by Terry Jones. However, by this time Mike's house was many miles away in Througham, Gloucs. He might have been staying at The Beacon though because sister Sally had the place for a while after he moved. Thank you The Thin Man & Toby for the information about the Don Alfonso set. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Jan. 08 2008, 14:49 Quote (Airborne @ Jan. 08 2008, 14:23) This ties in nicely with the "relaunch" of Penrhos Court after reburbishment and also the start of the Penrhos Brewery, which was part owned by Terry Jones. Spot on David. Michael Palin was actually visiting Penrhos Court, together with Terry Jones, for the launch of the Penrhos Brewery. Palin describes Penrhos Court as "basically a fine rundown sixteenth century manor house with outbuildings housing the brewery, restaurant, office and living accommodation. He goes on to say "they provide a very amenable background to serious beer drinking. Sounds like a cool place. Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Jan. 08 2008, 17:57 Quote (Alan D @ Jan. 07 2008, 16:25) I had a meal in a pub with him a few years ago (MP, I mean - not Don Alfonso, who was not discussed as far as I recall). We both chose "Sausage and mash in a giant Yorkshire pudding", and when he'd finished he'd left a medium-sized heap of mash in the centre of the pudding (whereas I'd eaten everything of mine). 'Why did you leave that?' I asked. He poked at the soggy mass (now completely cold), tentatively, with his fork. 'Would you venture in there?' he asked. I like that story, and sympathise with Mr Palin's mistrust of Yorkshire Pudding/mashed potato,but I take issue with his views on Mike Oldfield, and I'm afraid I have removed 'Always look on the Bright Side of Life' from my ipod in a fit of pique. So there. But I should think he's good company with lots of interesting things to talk about? And about Don Alfonso, well it's brilliant. You cannot talk of it in the same breath as Ommadawn but it's so funny, and apart from everything else, the guitar is a-mazing, I think. So I defend it, 100%! -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Jan. 08 2008, 18:28 Quote (bee @ Jan. 08 2008, 17:57) I take issue with his views on Mike Oldfield, and I'm afraid I have removed 'Always look on the Bright Side of Life' from my ipod in a fit of pique. So there. To be fair though Bee all MP did was to describe MO as being narcissistic, and I'm sure a lot of people have come to that conclusion about him already. And anyway as Sweetpea says its not really the biggest fault you could  find with someone, artists tend to be thoroughly self obsessed people and rock stars even more so. Its not much of a revelation really. Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Jan. 08 2008, 18:45 True, but I'm still not putting it back on. He should have said something more pleasant about Mike, especially as (years)later he went on to meet AlanD, a regular poster on this board. Now come on, where's his respect??? But seriously, it's an interesting point about artists being self obsessed kind of people. And I wonder why that could be? Is that why they see the world differently, or more acutley, because they are looking or feeling from a more selfish standpoint? Less distraction? The kind of single vision or perspective enabling them to express whatever it is more directly and with a purity, that it can never be disproved. -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

The Thin Man Group: Members Posts: 151 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Jan. 09 2008, 15:32 "Bright Side of Life" is more of an Eric Idle song so perhaps you ought to exact revenge on "I'm a Lumberjack" or maybe "Every Sperm is Sacred"? Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Jan. 10 2008, 16:33 you're absolutely right, I was definitely feeling grumpy that day, & frustrated, and wondering what on earth I'm doing with my life sort of feelings and so any criticism of something I hold dear ( ie Mike O ) made me react in a negative way. Not good, very silly. Sorry. -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

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