The Idle Race

The Idle Race were a British rock group from Birmingham in the late 1960s and early 1970s who had a cult following but never enjoyed mass commercial success. In addition to being the springboard for Jeff Lynne, the band holds a place of significance in British Midlands' pop-rock history as a link between The Move, the Electric Light Orchestra, Steve Gibbons Band and Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders.

Band history

The core of the group, rhythm guitarist Dave Pritchard, bass guitarist Greg Masters and drummer Roger Spencer, was relatively unchanged from 1959 until February 1972. The band went through several incarnations, names, lead guitarists and lead singers: first Billy King and later, more successfully, with Mike Sheridan, with whom they first rose to prominence and, in 1964, to a record deal with EMI.

While Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders failed to crack the charts, the band's lineup during this period included a young lead guitarist and composer named Roy Wood, whose first commercial song "Make Them Understand," appeared on one of the band's B-sides in 1965.

Jeff Lynne

Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer who gained fame in the 1970s as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra. In 1988, under the pseudonyms Otis Wilbury and Clayton Wilbury, he co-founded the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.

After ELO's original disbandment in 1986, Lynne released two solo albums: Armchair Theatre (1990) and Long Wave (2012). In addition, he began producing various artists, with his songwriting and production collaborations with ex-Beatles leading him to co-produce their mid 1990s reunion singles "Free as a Bird" (1995) and "Real Love" (1996).

Musical career

Early life and career

Lynne grew up in the Shard End area of Birmingham, Warwickshire, where he attended Alderlea Boys' Secondary School. His first guitar, an acoustic instrument, was bought for him by his father, for £2. He was still playing it in 2012. In 1963 he formed a group with Robert Reader and David Walsh using little more than Spanish guitars and cheap electrical instruments to produce music. They were originally named "the Rockin' Hellcats" before changing to "the Handicaps" and finally to "the Andicaps". They practiced at Shard End Community Centre and performed weekly. However, in 1964, Robert Reader and David Walsh left the band and Lynne brought in replacements. At the end of 1964, Lynne decided to leave the band to replace Mick Adkins of the local band "the Chads".

Race

Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:

Classifications

Competitions

Art, entertainment, and media

Fictional characters

Film

Sad Songs (Say So Much)

"Sad Songs (Say So Much)" is a song by Elton John and is the closing track on the 1984 album Breaking Hearts. It reached the No 5 on the U.S. chart. The lyrics describe how it sometimes helps for someone who is feeling sad, or who has lost a partner, to listen to old radio blues classics. In the years since its issue, radio airplay has been modest compared with some of John's other 1980s singles.

The music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy and shot on a street in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, featured John without his familiar trademark glasses in some scenes. The single sleeve likewise featured John with no glasses.

John performed the song on One Night Only: The Greatest Hits Live at Madison Square Garden with Canadian rock star Bryan Adams. In 2013, John was joined by Rod Stewart in a special performance of the song at the London Palladium after being presented with first Brits Icon award in recognition of his "lasting impact" on UK culture.

The song and the music video were both utilized in an early '80s TV advertisement for Sasson Designer Jeans, altering the lyrics of the song to "Sasson says so much."

A Better Life

A Better Life is a 2011 American drama film directed by Chris Weitz. The screenplay, originally known as The Gardener, was written by Eric Eason based on a story by Roger L. Simon. Demián Bichir was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Plot

Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir) works as a gardener with Blasco Martinez (Joaquín Cosio) in Los Angeles, California. Blasco wants to return to Mexico and continually tries to persuade Carlos to purchase his business from him, which includes the work truck and gardening tools. Carlos's son Luis (José Julián) is in high school and is dating Ruthie Valdez (Chelsea Rendon), the niece of a local gang leader. Luis regularly goes to her house after school where gang members congregate. Luis is embarrassed by his father and, although he does not wish to follow in his footsteps, has a hard time committing himself to his education. However, his relationship with Ruthie and his friendship with Facundo (Bobby Soto) pushes him toward becoming a gang member.