Gordon in the morning: Island life

Gordon this morning runs the not altogether surprising story about Tom Jones still liking women despite - gasp - being 70:

SINGER TOM JONES is still tempted by female fans offering him sex - at 70.

The womanising Welshman admits he's "a little weak-minded" when propositioned.

Indeed he is. What's missing from this story, though, is the context in which the remarks were made. Even the Telegraph - no great fan of the BBC - manages to admit that it heard the quote on Desert Island Discs.

It's funny, the team at News International get very cross indeed when their content is lifted without any acknowledgement - as James 'there on his own merits it's just a coincidence that his surname is' Murdoch put it earlier this year:

"We need enforcement mechanisms and we need governments to play ball … There is no difference with going into a store and stealing Pringles or a handbag and taking this stuff. It's a basic condition for investment and economic growth and there should be the same level of property rights whether it's a house or a movie," he said.

"The idea that there's a new consumer class and you have to be consumer-friendly when they're stealing stuff. No. There should be the same level of sanctity as there is around property. Content is no different. They're not crazy kids. No. Punish them."

Of course, sensible people don't mind a bit of sharing and cross-quoting, providing there's an acknowledgment of the original source and it's not being passed off as your own work. But that isn't the case here - there's no concession that Gordon Smart's column is making good use of the licence fee - and, well, NI aren't sensible people. What was the official line from Wapping about websites which just print chunks of other people's journalism?

“News International makes a significant investment in journalism and we believe that it is entirely appropriate for us to ask that our rights are respected. NewsNow has acknowledged that they require our permission to use our content and, in the absence of our permission, has ceased to do so.”‬

Perhaps 79 year-old Rupert Murdoch is just "weak-minded" when quotes about sex are thrown at him.

Eavis: Hostage to fortune

Were I a voter in Mendip District, or, indeed, a councilor, I might take a very dim view indeed of Michael Eavis claiming that there was no way Glastonbury would ever not get a licence:

"The local economy gets £100m a year", he told Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.

"So there's no discussion about not allowing the festival a licence any more. They won't stop it now."

Interesting that Glastonbury has come so far from its roots that Eavis can apparently only conceive that a planning decision would be taken on financial grounds alone. If nothing else, there might be a risk to the festival of local people keen to send a message that their decisions can't simply be bought by a large cheque.

Weller living on an Island

Paul Weller popped up on Desert Island Discs this week, choosing The Small Faces above all else, and - unsurprisingly - going with Absolute Beginners as his book. The Daily Mail has jumped on his claim that he enjoyed every minute of his lost drug years, although more notable is their description of his resurrection:

The iconic lead singer of The Jam and The Style Council had been dropped by his record label in 1990, but his career revived soon after forging close links with notorious Britpop bands Oasis and Blur.

"Notorious"?

For reasons which we've never had convincingly explained to us, despite the annoying inability of the programme to play any track in full, the show is still not even available on Listen Again, much less a podcast, but you can catch it on Radio 4 next Friday. Meanwhile, here's Weller's choices in full:

1. Tin Soldier
Performer The Small Faces
Composer Marriott, Lane
CD Title 1967 THE SOUNDTRACK
Track CD2 trk 25
Label CASTLE MUSIC
Rec No CMEDD707

2. September in the Rain
Performer Dinah Washington
Composer Dubin, Warren
CD Title The Best of Dinah Washington: Mad About the Boy
Track 6
Label MERCURY
Rec No 5122142

3. Better Get Hit in Yo’ Soul
Performer Charles Mingus
Composer Charles Mingus
CD Title Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus Impulse
Track 5
Label MCA
Rec No MCAD 39119

4. Don’t Be a Drop Out
Performer James Brown
Composer Brown, Jones
CD Title Don’t Be a Drop Out/Tell Me That You Love Me
Track Side 1, Trk 1
Label PYE
Rec No 7N 25394

5. Arabesque No 1
Performer Branford Marsalis with the English Chamber Orchestra
Composer Debussy
CD Title Romances for Saxophone: Branford Marsalis
Track 3
Label CBS
Rec No CD42122

6. Galileo (Someone Like You)
Performer Declan O’Rourke
Composer Declan O’Rourke
CD Title Since Kyabram
Track 3
Label V2 MUSIC
Rec No VVR1036392

7. River Man
Performer Nick Drake
Composer Nick Drake
CD Title Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left
Track 2
Label ISLAND
Rec No IMCD8

8. That’s Enough
Performer Roscoe
Composer Wildroot
CD Title That’s Enough/One More time
Track 1
Label Wand
Rec No WN 27

Record: Tin Soldier
Book: Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes
Luxury: A settee to sit on

Secret stripes

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller - former head of MI5 - is on Desert Island Discs. She's just chosen The White Stripes cover of I Don't Know What To Do With Myself, which is perhaps a little surprising. Maybe she liked the Kate Moss poledancing video.