Thom Hickey one of the blessed 50s baby boomer generation, was born in London into an Irish family and formally educated at catholic schools and Cambridge University. More importantly he was informally educated by the BBC, The Observer, The New Statesman and The New Yorker. His music professors were radio giants Charlie Gillett, John Peel and Emperor Rosko. The print columns of Richard Williams, Ian MacDonald and Tony Russell were religiously read and annotated.
Further intensive study was conducted at the Hammersmith Odeon, the Hope and Anchor, the 100 Club, Ronnie Scott’s and the Rainbow. Many investment portfolios were foresworn in favour of sourcing recorded treasures from the hallowed halls of HMV, Colletts, Tower and Virgin Records and mail order outfits galore.
He has a continuing belief that you can never watch too many Westerns or Ken Burns documentaries, read enough biographies about Samuel Beckett or Buster Keaton and that there is always just one more Bob Dylan bootleg he needs.
To finance his obsessions he has worked in financial recruitment, as a charity campaigner and been a senior investigator into complaints about the NHS. He now lives deep in the Surrey woods with his beautiful wife, graceful daughter and inspirational son.
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Thanks for the follow. My husband’s from England. He is not a Dylan fan but he is a Man. Utd. fan.
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Thanks. Well you can’t have everything! Regards Thom.
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Thanks for your Follow , Thom – much appreciated, especially from someone writing such an excellent blog. And always nice to encounter another fellow Dylan nut! Your ‘thing’ with the jukebox has a particular resonance for me. The sounds such valve-based equipment dispensed were intoxicating, but so too were the smells! Best of all were the big Marshall and Vox amps. Deployed by groups in small ‘ village hall’ type venues, the got very hot, emitting dangerous seeming odours, as well as brain jarring noise; (I couldn’t hear a thing for a couple of days after standing right by one at a Pretty Things gig in something like ‘64/’65). Just as vinyl still sounds better, current digital media cannot generate this extra dimension of musical enjoyment, but the memory of it lingers, 50 years on.
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Great to hear from you David and with such an evocative comment. totally agree with you about the value of physicality in appreciating music. Hope you will be a regular patron of the Jukebox. Regards Thom
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Wow! An anorak and musicologist all in one. How refreshingly stimulating to find someone who writes with such enthusiasm and passion about their love of musical culture. All of which seems to have passed me by; so I’m ready to be inticed and liberated from my ignorance…..
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Thanks a lot. Hope you will be a jukebox regular regards Thom
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