The Beatles and The Dave Clark Fives unprecedented assault on the American 'pop' scene in the early 1960's heralded a new beginning, amid the gloomy back drop of the austere 'cold war' years. Coffee bars, mini skirts, lambaurettas, buoffant hairstyles became the accepted norms, during the exciting era of the swinging 60's. There was also the new up and coming female singers of the time which included the likes of Lulu, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Mariane Faithful and not forgetting in Bulgaria, Lili Ivanova.

Even before the appearance of Elvis, in the days when Dickie Valentine led the UK charts, music language has been outside of the normal vocabulary. Yet the babyboomer generation invented a whole new dictionary and now much of it has been adopted by the Oxford English Dictionary. Why did we invent new words and phrases? How was it triggered? Why should we care about it? Here's the how and why of it.

As a practitioner of the black arts of drumming for some thirty five years it’s now time to rise up and say stop to this facile part of the music biz.

The sight of three overweight fifty year olds dressed as ZZ Top or a Bon Jovi tribute band called Bon Geordie or By Jovi fills me with terror quite apart from the fact that it is an unedifying spectacle. One roadie of my acquaintance mentioned that a mutual friend whose girth has increased over the last few years (as indeed has mine) in his new Glam Rock Garb resembled as he put it nineteen stone of lard in a Charles the second wig. He also told a musical acquaintance when asked for his opinion on his new band (sic) “ you’re miming”. An OBE for him now for honesty.

Well, here we are. Another day another gig for the fifty-somethings comes to a close. This is the moment when one realises that there are various medical conditions associated with age which those at the summit of the music business never have to deal with. I refer of course to such things as the knee cartilage, dodgy since that tackle on the Dog and Duck centre-half (note the terminology. No centre-backs then). The back problem as a result of a fracas with a recalcitrant chaise longue or the incipient prostate condition which results in the last few numbers having a certain urgency to them.

With all the publicity that has been generated recently by the sale of over 4 Billion tickets to this years Glastonbury Festival I was reminded of the first festival that I attended as a callow 16 year old youth back in May 1972.

What is it with 50 year old men who, after years of mild decadence and staying up late still pursue the elusive Rock & Roll dream. Hauling themselves around the bars and village halls of the UK for the price of a set of fancy guitar strings and, if they are lucky - petrol money. An army of middle aged rockers rehearse diligently week in week out for a remuneration that can be earnt by most in the time it takes to deal with the morning's emails. Disposable cash is always useful combined with the blurred distinction between men and boys, and the, thankfully, musical egalitarian age in which we live.

The 1970’s, for me, conjures up images of mini skirts, polyester suits, and platform shoes, long-haired hippies, flower children, and free love.

Anybody who has wondered whether that loved album or single is valuable might be heartened by checking out the facts on the Internet. Several sites are available to find out how much your record is going for. It is simpler to search for a specific record value rather than looking for a table of most valuable but if you want to make some money by buying and selling, you need to know what is in demand.

Here’s a view from one of those working in a top slot at a radio station in the 21st century.

I often wonder what state today’s music industry would be in if we had somehow skipped the 1960s. We owe so much to an era that saw musicians react to what they saw and the youth of the day living out their lyrics.

In April 2006 the beautiful June Pointer died. She was just 52. And if you have to say “Who was she?”, you’re no Babyboomer or you are and your interest in music went no further than the Moody Blues, Yardbirds or ended in the mid 60s. June of the Pointer Sisters first started making music as a young teenager. She started experimenting with drugs at 13 and just a couple of years later was performing with her sisters in clubs and as backing singers to some big names in the USA. Later she duetted with Dionne Warwick (are you sure that the “w” is silent?) on her album “Reservations For Two”. Always lively, she remains one of those characters whom one should have enjoyed a beer with to enjoy the company and hope that omething else developed. The Pointer Sisters had a string of hit singles from 1971 onwards but for me the top song was “Automatic” Planet Records 1984. Find out more at PointerSisters.com.