You can contact mr. obscure via his good friend
Stuart Jones at stuart.jones40@ntlworld.com

I had an impromptu gathering around our flat the other week...lots of "whooping" was had!

Among my chums was a 'tech' guy who managed to link your Tremolo Men tracks so they played one after the other... juke box style...he then went on to do it with your other sites! A brilliant night, and thanks for the music soundtrack to a great evening! Discovering your web pages through this time has been amazing. Thanks again for everything. I discovered your stuff by pure chance when not being able to sleep, and it's just been great.


Yet more gems on your fantastic sites!

You have made a fabulous contribution to our family (and my ever patient young lady) with the discovery of your sites during a bad time. So, a massive-sized "Brotherly Love" hand on your back and accept our eternal love and gratitude for you giving up your time and supplying the best damn music collection online. Life without your sites...well... it would be too awful! Thank you for the only reason I can find to be connected to the internet.

I stumbled on to your page (through a link from a blog) and feel that your tone and choice of music posting separate you from most of the other sites of the same genre. It's cool to see what people listen to and have the ability to write about.


Just a short note to let you know I'm absolutely amazed by your novel, 'The World Upstairs.' I desperately want to know what will happen! Thanks so much for writing and recording the book, you must find a publisher for this, I am sure a lot of people will like it.


I wanted to tell you that I followed some links and happened to find the ‘Audio Emporium’ page and for the last couple of hours Journey's End has been playing as I've been messing around on my laptop ... and hearing your collection of music in the background has been fantastic! Anyway, as I've quite appreciated the fruits of your labour so to speak, I thought it only right to let you know.

Just wanted to say I thought your audio book was entertaining, and good luck with any publishing opportunities. I downloaded a dozen or so tracks today, thanks for making them available.


Thanks again for great tracks available this month. I’m still to check several pages out, learning to pace myself throughout the month, so that I can be surprised right to the end of the month, until the next batch! Thanks for all your hard work, and for what you're doing on all the brilliant web pages you run.


First of all a big thank you for all the great music you are sharing again and again. It is always a pleasure to visit your sites. From now on the first day of every month isn't just the day I get paid, it's mr. obscure Day!

Again thanks very, very much and best wishes from Germany.

Can't thank you enough for all this great music. I don't know where you find the time to get all this stuff done. I love the graphics too - really funny and original. By the way, the latest Peel sessions are brilliant. As it happens I'm a musician of sorts myself and spend most of my time recording my modest musical experiments in my home studio.

My greatest hope is that one or more of my songs will qualify for inclusion on some of your web pages in the coming decades! I would be much honoured to be featured on your amazing sites. I think it's truly marvellous what you do, it makes the internet worthwhile, in fact it's exactly the sort of site I've always wanted to create myself. Just to keep alive and bring to music lovers the whole world over these timeless treasures ...you deserve a medal. Keep on telling us how it (really) was.


As always..a mind blowing mix bag of tunes!

Brilliant!

This is why we love you... need I state the already known ...Obscure by name...Sir Lord Obscure by those who love ya!

Hello there, I stumbled on your webpage doing a search for Mr Magnetism Himself by Bill Nelson and saw your list of reviews. Then I backed up to the main page and saw you had The Zones listed - then I found the downloads. I just have to say thank you very much for going to this effort and please know that they were appreciated. When I played Vision On (my favourite track), I got goosebumps hearing it again. I used to listen to that ages ago in Tacoma, Washington, USA where I grew up. I need to spend more hours scouring your archives! Your pages are indeed a treat, and the once-a-month pace of new material is the perfect time to enjoy the latest mp3's, and look forward to the next batch.


Your choices are always interesting, and invite further investigation of the artists. For instance, I'm really digging the Zones...a great band that deserve a second look. Thanks for turning me onto them. Your web pages are an inviting labour of love, and that shines through to us visitors! You are to be much congratulated.

Damn. I just discovered your whole treasure trove of web pages and am extremely happy. What's not to like? Powerpop, mod, punk, all the good stuff. Thanks for the shares. I'm listening right now to Gruppo Sportivo, which is fucking excellent. It goes very well with a dry martini.

Yesterday it happened again. I simply couldn't stop reading your second book, 'Minotaur,' and by 10 o'clock in the evening I was on page 160. After having finished, I sat on my couch for a while with all the impressions I got while reading. It seemed like a film was going on in my head and I would love to see the story in a film. At first I still had 'The World Upstairs' in my mind, but that changed with every sentence I read. The story is perfectly structured with all the different plotlines coming together at the end. You are truly a fantastic writer.

So many different sites you operate; I don’t know how you keep up with it all. But I have to say you are doing a grand job. They are very appealing to the eye and full of wit and wisdom. I keep meaning to say thank you also for the ZONES page. Never heard them before, although I did know OF them, so I downloaded this when you first put it up, out of curiosity due to your keenness - and was pleasantly surprised. ‘Sign of the Times’ on the Peel session was superb, great vocals and a powerful guitar sound. Cheers for this.



I still check your pages and snag many of the great mp3's you offer. You're still the most interesting and rewarding music-giver on the entire internet. You can find standard albums on any old blog, but you offer the stuff that we collectors have to search the haystacks for, or in many cases were not even aware of! Thanks for your incredible work, research and generosity.

Just wanted to let you know that I have just listened to the audio recordings of your book, The World Upstairs... I got to admit when I read a book in English (I'm German) I sometimes had to stop and read some sentences several times, but here, where there was no second chance, I may have missed some colour in your text. I think you are a very good writer, you have in my opinion a natural flow and I think that's very important, not just a stunning story.

Your Rawlinson End page is an amazing piece of work! And although it might be an understatement (I don't think so), I am VERY happy to have discovered it!

As a massive fan of Mr. Stanshall I must thank you for sharing your Rawlinson End Audio Archives with us all. I had never heard the Peel sessions until now, and I did not see the TV show until catching it on your site. I am loving it. Top man!

I stumbled across your website today while trying to fill-in gaps in my collection of Rawlinson End sessions. Brilliant to find them on your site... AND the Peel sessions too - what a resource! I too was one of those keen fans of the programme, hovering over the record button during my late teens to thirties, having discovered the programme around 1978. I've still got bags of carefully labelled cassettes of the programme, but obviously nowhere near what you appear to possess! So, just had to write to say thanks for putting your very interesting and informative pages together. I will definitely be looking out for the new sessions at the beginning of each month, passing the word on and checking out other mr obscure delights.

I just had to mail you to say that your web pages are truly amazing - especially the Peel Sessions. It's like being a child let loose in a toyshop! I agree with you, the postpunk period was the best ever in music. Keep up the good work.


Hey, what a fantastic site, thank you so much for all your hard work making this stuff available. I came here by accident, and you have so much great stuff! Thanks again, its so heartening to find sites such as yours which treat artists and fans with love and respect.


I’ve been downloading a few more tracks from your pages today including Killing Joke, John Renbourn (recalling those BBC Schools Programme intervals that featured his folky classical stylings that were spoofed on the "Look Around You Series" a few years back) and Magic Fly. Yep, I'm hooked. We listened to "Christmas at Rawlinson End" on Christmas Day, noting Viv's slurring tipsyness.

Your Rawlinson End site is great to browse. Nice big buttons the size of a man’s hand, can't miss 'em. It's just so easy on the eyes and tidily laid out. Sterling work!


I had to write to you to say a big thank you for uploading the mp3's by The Zones. I was sitting at home the other day, bored, and decided to update my i-pod, so I started to think back to all the old vinyl I used to own and see if I could track some of it down. I don't know what made me think of The Zones but something just clicked that I used to own the Mourning Star single. And to tell you the truth I was amazed to come across your site and even happier when I found out I could download the tracks. It's astonishing to think that after 30 years you can still find this sort of stuff on the internet. I just can't thank you enough and it was great to listen to the tracks once again. Keep up the good work.

Many (many!) thanks for your terrific work with all the absolutely killer websites you run. I look at them all quite frequently and you have taught me a great deal.

Love your places, friend.

So much awesome stuff and you help fill my iPod. I cruise all your pages! Love the seventies section, the Twang section is wonderful and the instrumentals too.



Rawlinson End played a big part of my youth listening to it on Peel and Viv was and is a minor deity in my book! I love your mr. obscure page as it throws up some awesome tunes. If things like this webpage had existed back in the punk days they would have been classed as excellent anarchy and these days are the reason the internet is fab! The pleasure and education you are providing in these dark days is priceless, good sir! I flit back at the start of each month with glee to download a new batch of top notch gems.

Just a quick work to say how much I enjoyed your book, ‘The World Upstairs.’ It has helped me face the M6, to-ing and fro-ing with more of a lift. What a refreshing change from the usual insipid dross that seems to fill the book shops. There is a real lack of originality in literature at the moment, I really have to dig deep to find a good hearty meal of a book rather than a poorly made snack. Thanks for a wonderful tale, well written and narrated. Also well timed: I always seemed to reach a sexy bit when somebody was next to me.


I have to say you have a lovely voice: I could listen to you for hours. I can tell you have acting experience. The way you write really is unique. You manage to come across as friendly, intelligent, incredibly well-mannered and yet unbelievably sexy and erotic. Your use of the English language and the context you use it in is very different and really exciting to read and listen to.


The World Upstairs is fabulous, I'm enjoying it so much. Thank you! I love your humour and your soul. I adore the sound of your voice. I would like to see the work in print. And, if you have any more, I want to see that as well. As literature, it's wonderfully complex. Stunningly so. (God, if I had written that I would live happily in the knowledge that I could die completely sated with life, my talents wisely used, tremendously proud of myself). It has awoken the lit student in me. I'm completely engrossed in it! A lot of the language in the novel sticks deep inside me and reverberates throughout the day.

I listened to the sainted Peel back in 1977 and so stumbled across Viv and Sir Henry much as you did. What a joy to hear the original broadcasts again; even more magnificently technicolour peculiar than I remember. And on to your other sites; lovely stuff, many old friends re-visited. Your Directory is a very tempting well of goodies; it is taking some restraint to keep it as an occasional reward for a decent morning's work rather than plundering it all at once; you've got to spin these pleasures out. I've already frittered away enough of the day slipping these nuggets into playlists for myself, friends and the kids.
You are an absolute hero.

Roger Buys a Fridge is one of my all time favourite albums! I've had it on vinyl for years, of course... but as a jazz fan whose supreme musical taste is not fully appreciated by his wife, I rarely get to sit down and listen to anything that needs a turntable. Consequently most of my listening is done on a jam-packed iPod, whether around the house, or in the car on a long commute.I have searched in vain for a CD of this sublime album for many years. I once tried to digitise it, but with very poor and muddy results, so I would be really interested to know how you achieved this fine copy. It's spacious and clean and really good dynamics. One last return to the Bowles Brothers: there's an extra track! Where did Nagasaki come from? That's not on my pressing. Thanks again!

You're really productive, another novel! I've downloaded the audiobook files of ‘Minotaur’ and I will load it onto my iPod and let you take me to your worlds...Congratulations on completing another work.

I wanted to thank you yet again for your outstanding contribution to the reversal of universal cultural disintegration, and also for those wonderful old radio stories you put up on your Fiction factory webpage.
At the beginning of the year I was bed-ridden with the flu and many a sleepless night was made bearable by such stirring stuff! How I enjoyed all those thrilling Paul Temple tales...After that I was hooked, and listened to almost everything on the page. Then I turned my attention to the fascinating and intriguing 'World Upstairs.' I had to pace myself and not listen to too much at a time, athough I admit staying up far too late on several occasions.(I managed to make it last a couple of weeks.) I loved it - the characterization was excellent. What a talented fellow! (Do you know the author by any chance?)

My wife and I are enjoying the audio version of your intriguing novel 'Minotaur'. We love the way you entwine the characters and the story together, keeping us guessing. It's unnerving and dark at times, but you counterbalance that beautifully with atmospheric descriptions and a poetic style for painting each scene, person, place, and element. Through your empathy and observations for your characters (with a fine eye for detail and imagination) they really come to life. Graham Green's 'Brighton Rock' seeps through the pages, in an updated, contemporary, and unique way to you.We are gripped!

Dear Mr Jones, or is it really Mr Obscure?

I've really enjoyed all your shows on Radio Obscure, sometimes I've let them play repeatedly.
The music selection is so interesting, music from artists I know, but not the tracks, and favourites I know but haven't heard for many years and all with informed and heartfelt comment - the influence of John Peel?
And your humorous interludes provide a refreshing alternative to the advertisement-focused streaming of many an independent station. I look forward to the next batch of shows.
Best regards from a truly appreciative listener.

I hope you don't mind me contacting you but I wanted to express my appreciation for your gifts to the world at Mr. Obscure.

It has reawaked my love of the post punk era, and the discovery of some old Peel sessions is bloody fantastic. I have also been introduced to some great records that I had never heard before, such as Cluster, who I now love. I also loved listening to 'Minotaur', it made a long journey fly by, and I'm looking forward to your next novel.

Is with great pleasure that I find your webpage after 30 years of the Bowles Brothers album.

I expected to see this on CD but, no luck.

I have religiously kept the vinyl LP in a trunk in my attic of memories and thought that one day I would be able to convert it to digital: it seems that you have done this job (brilliantly) and so this email is to thank you for your availability and altruism ...

A big thank you from distant Portugal.

Thank you for creating the Zones related web page.
I have had the album for ages, think I only bought it in the 90s at a record fair.
It made no impact on me at all.
Fast forward to summer 2011, I decide to transfer loads of old vinyl, having done about 150 albums, I can't stop playing it in preference to everything else. So I can't wait to hear the non album tracks and other versions on my hi fi.
Just a brilliant feelgood album, a great way to start any day.
Thanks again for your efforts


Wow - I spent the last three days listening to your marathon audio book, The World Upstairs. I like a lot of radio plays and currently think TV is generally crap. Your novel had me gripped, and what a brilliant ending. I must now listen to your other work.
Thanks for the thought provoking ride.

Thanks for the excellent page on Viv Stanshall and Rawlinson End. I really enjoyed the video of Vivian; I would have never known such a film existed, it exactly matches what my impression of the man was.

Also, your mr. obscure site is miraculous!
I can see there is much that I may enjoy ... now I will end up glued to the bloody computer again.


I've been enjoying your Radio Obscure podcasts enormously! You are so damn brilliant in everything you do, it just doesn't make sense that you're not represented by some sort of management. If I worked for a talent agency I would snatch you up.


I'm close to the end of podcast 2 (file 4.) The music you've selected is fantastic - rare and wonderful. I like the way you've arranged the playlists to cover such a broad spectrum that flows so gracefully; each song, while delightfully unexpected, seems to make sense coming after what preceded it. As always, I love your little mixes - you do such excellent things with sound. I admire the music, the characters and the humour and I hope it goes viral so it meets a large audience that must be out there, thirsty for just such a thing.

A good novel makes one want to know what happened next and your novel 'The World Upstairs' is doing that so far.

One scene in particular was very disturbing. I'm still trying to cast the image out of my mind. At least it shows what a horrible experience it was, though; like a bad dream being lived out – repulsive, in fact, which no doubt was your intention.

It’s interesting what reading a well-written novel can tell us about our own fears: maybe that's another sign of a good book.

The story is building up slowly in a way that helps the reader/listener to become familiar with the characters and to want to hear more about them. Now, this isn’t something I'm in the habit of saying to other men, but you have a lovely speaking voice.


Well, I've now finished listening to 'The World Upstairs.'
I thought you were going to end on a certain Shakesperian cliché but you wisely chose to avoid that. I must say it held
my attention from start to finish – top marks to you!
Of course, it was read beautifully.


I have now listened to 22 chapters of Minotaur and am definitely hooked on it. Have you tried selling it to a company that makes talking books for the blind? Not only have you written it but your oratory skills are remarkably listenable. They wouldn’t need to record it, as you have already done so most admirably. How about selling it to Kindle?
Both of your books are really good - and that’s the opinion of someone who enjoys reading fiction. Thank you for the pleasure I am receiving from your novels.

I had to email you about your brilliant Radio Obscure Podcasts, thanks for taking the time to put them together.
I also love your comedy segments in the shows.

What great company these are for my mega clear-out of 17 years' clutter in my large loft.

Your recollection of Marc Bolan's death really resonated with me, I seem to remember it was a Friday morning when my dad woke me up for school to give me the devastating news.

I really like the theme music to these great Podcasts, too...
Thanks again for providing so much listening pleasure.
Now I must finally listen to Minotaur, hopefully it will be as brilliant as your other audiobook.


I've been a regular visitor to your Peel Sessions page for a couple of years, so now seems as good a time as any to offer my thanks for all your hard work - you've helped me
plug many a nagging gap in my own collection, and your efforts are very much appreciated, sir!
Please keep these quality sessions coming.

During a recent bout of illness I decided to cheer myself up by listening to the audio files of your new work of fiction,
'The Frozen Years.'

I have now listened to (and thoroughly enjoyed) almost all of it. I'm really impressed, and have sent a link to The Frozen Years website to 24 of my email friends. I must say that you’ve created some truly formidable female characters!

I can’t believe how fast the audiobook is going. I’ll admit to being flabbergasted when I first saw how many chapters there were, but my enjoyment of the story soon removed those feelings. I'm saving the final three chapters as a special treat for tomorrow morning...I really wish there were at least a dozen more - it's so addictive!

It's extremely annoying that none of the big publishers has given you the break you so richly deserve. Your work is consistently admirable, to the point where the reader (or listener) wants to squeeze in an extra chapter before switching off for the night.

I can't find words that are adequate enough to praise 'The Frozen Years,' thanks again for giving me the opportunity to listen to it.

also - BBC Radio 4 here in the uk would be well advised to employ you as a reader ... and that's not empty flattery - I mean it.


****


I’ve been a fan of Vivian Stanshall for years, From the Bonzos to Sir Henry and all his cosy characters, So i was overjoyed to discover your excellent websites (The Rawlinson End Audio Archive and Solo Stanshall) devoted to Viv and his Rawlinson saga. I must thank you for all the hard work, research and editing of the BBC's (I thought lost forever) Rawlinson End tapes.


It’s brought back so many happy memories. I did buy the Rawlinson End LP vinyl LP in the 1978, But I only had a few clips recorded on audio cassettes; some lost, some mouldy and some riddled with unmentionables...

Many, many thanks once again.

I had to email you to tell you that I'm enjoying the audio version of 'The Frozen Years' immensely.
I burned the first five chapters to CD and have been listening in my car (a better method than my iPod).
You have such enormous depth and grace in how you construct characters and scenes. I love it. I wish I had a good solid chunk of time to listen to the whole thing straight through.

I'm really pleased about the success you've had with the radio podcasts and your writing.
Getting 'The Frozen Years' recorded and online is a major accomplishment.


* * * *


Thank you for the treasures that are your websites dedicated to Sir Henry Rawlinson and Vivian Stanshall.

I had the great pleasure of being introduced to this body of work some 20 years ago. Sadly, the copies that I had have been lost after years of moving things about.

So I was squealing with delight at the good fortune to listen again to this sublime humour, and have the opportunity to introduce others (who share my appreciation) to these works.

Again, my profound and grateful thanks.

****

I wanted to email you and tell you that I'm loving July's Obscure pick of the pops...Having real problems sleeping,
so your Radio Obscure podcasts have become essential.

I'm going to settle myself down with the latest Obscure Audio Novel, 'The Frozen years,' tomorrow night...

also, your Peel sessions site has always been my guide to everything BBC radio, and still is!

I've been having problems sleeping lately, so your Radio Obscure podcasts have become essential, a life saver for an insomniac such as myself. I'm also planning to settle down with the latest Obscure Audio Novel in the next few days. Meanwhile, the mr. obscure webpage is still a fantastic joy each and every month.

****


Just a quick email to thank you for the zones stuff you posted, i`ve been looking for years for anything by the zones, i bought Mourning Star when it was released but couldn`t get hold of anything else by them. sadly, while moving house in the 80`s my record collection went missing (thousands of singles and albums) i was gutted. the zones was one of those i had yet to replace but thanks to you i now not only have Mourning star etc to listen to but a load of stuff of theirs i didn`t even know existed! i can`t thank you enough


I wanted to tell you that I'm loving your audiobook, 'Minotaur.' Such rich characters...and so wonderfully narrated. Thank you so much for making my nights (or I should say insomnia hell-zones) bloody brilliant.I find myself totally lost in the story - although I have to keep going back to bits I've missed when my brain does something normal and sends me to sleep...anyway, once again your rich vocal tones are taking me deep into the world you've created. Wonderful!


Whilst tracking down old John Peel radio shows, Google brought me to your Audio Emporium and I must say I'm really enjoying your audio collages. I've been accessing a lot of your webpages and I'll certainly check out the audiobooks of your fiction!