I don't believe in an afterlife and so I don't believe the phrase "rest in peace" is necessary, but I would like to take the opportunity to remember the late Pip Pyle (1950 - 2006), a great drummer and awesome songwriter from bands such as Gong, Hatfield and the North, National Health and his own project called Bash!.
Here's Hatfield and the North's song Fitter Stoke has a Bath which was written by Pip Pyle. Fitter Stoke was the name of his daughter's imaginary friend and the woman called Pamela in the song is his wife.
You don't suspect my life's a mess,
you prob'ly think it's groovy
Meeting people everyday,
see some place abroad...
And I admit that when the time is right,
it can be quite a laugh
But you know, that's not often
Eventually, I think that you will agree,
I'm only putting lines out
and shifting gears, missing years disappear
And as for you, I couldn't bear to think of it -
they said you were Swedish
You asked me for a chocolate bar,
then you went and spoiled it all by eating it
What a pain, what a nause!
You can imagine my delight
was like some R. Crumb magazine come to life
Thank you ladies you had us all
I hope you both enjoyed it
But just the same
I'm happy just to sit around at home
With Pamela looking elegant and writing prose
If anyone's in need of me
I'm drowning in the bathroom
Bing billy bong - silly song's going wrong
Ping pong ping, clong cling dong
Tie me up, turn me on
Bing billy bang, desperate dan, frying pan
Cling clong cling, bong bing bang, Michael Miles, bogey man
Ahh, bliss
May his memory and music live on!