State of Play

and, "the voice of an angel!"

Ahead of tomorrow’s release of ‘Track 14’ (in its regular 10am slot), with the concluding part set to follow at the same time on Sunday, I thought I would share a brief update on, “where we’re at,” with ‘Challenge 69’ overall:

• Having just had a quick count up, there are a further nine instalments of the story yet to be released. Presuming we stick with the current ‘twice per month’ schedule, then the whole saga is due to end in mid-August. Neatly (if unplanned) this will be exactly a year since the serialisation started.

• Readership levels remain encouragingly high (for which many thanks!), with subscribers now well into ‘the hundreds’ and the regular ‘opening level’ for ‘C69’ posts staying consistent at around 60%, which I understand is at the top end of Substack expectations.

• Boosted by this experience (and assured that there is ‘an audience’) I am now beginning a fresh, concerted (if possibly final) campaign to take the story back out to agents and publishers, aiming to secure a traditional publisher for the book …

• … but, and I’ll be more direct this time, it would be really helpful to this cause if some of you could PLEASE use the comment button below to leave a few brief words to explain what you enjoy about ‘Challenge 69’. Go on, do it!

‘Track 14’s featured ‘musical maverick’ is Billy Mackenzie, who I have described in the chapter (never being one to shy away from a bit of hyperbole!) as being the possessor of, “pop’s greatest voice.”

I’m conscious however that Billy (and The Associates) may be another one of my more left-field musical ‘thematic’ selections, and therefore not immediately familiar to every ‘Challenge 69’ reader. So, if you fancy a bit of pre-story homework, you can test out my bold claim by taking a look (and listen) to the YouTube clip below; featuring a great live Associates performance from a Burn’s Night TV show back in 1985.

The Associates - 'Breakfast' (live)

And finally, not forgetting my playlist loving readers, here’s a short (twenty minute) compilation I have pulled together collecting six of the best new bands/songs I have discovered so far in 2023.

Five of these are female fronted bands, which, following on from ‘alternative 2022’ largely (IMO) being the year of Wet Leg, Dry Cleaning, The Mysterines, and Porridge Radio, is beginning to make it look like The Spice Girls’ 1996 marketing slogan has turned out to be more prophetic than anybody ever suspected at the time!