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James 🇭🇰 🇳🇿 🐜🐜

@dramgoodspin

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Whisky🥃. Vinyl🔘. Guitar🎸. Live music 🎶
My fav drams? I have a dog called Islay 🐾
Advocator of healthy drinking 🩺
Cat pics therapy at @dramgoodcats 🐈😻

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Paul McCartney's Pipes Of Peace was released this day 31st October in 1983, 43 years ago. Two songs were written together with Michael Jackson who had just released 'Thriller' in 1982, and 'Say Say Say' became a massive hit.

Port Ellen from 1979

"It was Christmas time. Somebody rang me up, and this high voice I didn't recognise said 'Hi, Paul'. I thought, 'This is a girl fan, and how the hell did she get my number?'. I was quite annoyed. Then the voice said, 'It's Michael,' and suddenly it dawned on me. It wasn't a girl; it was Michael Jackson, and he basically said, 'Do you want to make some hits?'. And I said, 'Well, yeah, sure. Come over here." - Paul McCartney.

I still remember this song being on regular airplay during the summer holidays in New Zealand in the early 80s. Good times. I was lucky to have seen Paul McCartney on his New World Tour at Western Springs Auckland in 1993.

@paulmccartney
@portellendistillery
@gordonandmacphail

#paulmccartney #1980s #vinyl #nowspinning anniversaryalbum

This is the Port Ellen 1979 Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky, bottled in 1994 by Gordon & MacPhail under their classic Connoisseurs Choice (brown/map label) series, at 40% ABV.

Nose: Soft peat smoke, sea brine, and sweet vanilla and citrus fruits.
Palate: Gentle bonfire ash, lemon zest, and light pepper.
Finish: Warming oak spice, coastal salt, and lingering smoke.

Sláinte 🥃

#portellen #islay #whisky #gordonmacphail #dram by @dramgoodspin

Rory Gallagher's Calling Card, his 8th solo album, was released this day on 24th October in 1976, and celebrates the big 50 today. The album was co-produced by Rory and Roger Glover (Deep Purple). This album contains the most varied and best collection of songs of his career, consolidating Rory as both an exceptional guitarist and a remarkable songwriter.

Bowmore Distillery Manager's Selection 1997

Rory Gallagher – vocals, guitar and harmonica
Gerry McAvoy – bass guitar
Lou Martin – keyboards
Rod de'Ath – drums

I love listening to albums from this era, with the warm analog vibe and sound of the 70s. Back tben I was too young to know anything about music, and blues and rock music were not accessible in our household. This album would have been around for most of my childhood and teenage years, and yet I only discovered it much later (like most pre-80's albums).

Music is not only the best time machine, it conveys a form of immortality. Rory was gone too soon as a result of septic complications after a life-saving liver transplant. But he lives on through his music.

@rorygallagherofficial
@bowmore

#rorygallagher #1970s #blues #bluesrock #anniversaryalbum

This is the Bowmore 1997 Distillery Manager's Selection Single Malt Scotch Whisky, a limited-edition release of 3000 bottles selected by then distillery manager David Turner. Distilled in 6th February 1997, the whisky has been matured for 21 years in 12 first-fill Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads (Casks 653–658 and 660–665), and bottled at 51.7% ABV.

Nose: Thick Oloroso sherry, dark fruits, and subtle smoke.
Palate: Rich dark chocolate, sweet raisins, and oily peat.
Finish: Long, warming, sweet plums, and lingering dry oak.

You know it's going to be stunning from that colour, and knowing it's Islay peat aged for decades in a 1st fill oloroso cask. Sláinte 🥃.

#bowmore #islay #peat #whisky #scotch by @dramgoodspin

This debut album from Cyndi Lauper, She's So Unusual, was released this day 13th October in 1983. This was a big part of music in the early 80s, when Girls Just Wanna Have Fun held the number 1 spot in the New Zealand charts for weeks in 1984. The song rotated almost every hour on the only radio station (AM) available back then in Hawera (NZ), 2ZH on 1557 kHz.

Port Ellen 30 years old.

She's So Unusual was one of the first few cassettes we got as kids (I believe @xxdxx_nz got this one). One can listen to the intro of Girls from a Roland Juno 60 synthesizer panned aggressively from left to right in full stereo glory (remember AM stations were mono, and we had no FM stations then).

The album contains many other songs that was synonymous with the 80s, including Money Changes Everything, Time After Time, She Bop, and All Through The Night. A really killer debut album that defined the early 80s.

I do believe music is the best time machine ⏱️

@cyndilauper
@portellendistillery
@wilson_and_morgan

#cyndilauper #80s #80smusic #hawera #nowspinning

This is the Port Ellen 30 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distilled in 1982 and bottled in 2012 by the independent bottler Wilson & Morgan as part of their Barrel Selection series. Matured in a single butt (Cask No. 2031) and bottled at a cask strength of 57.7% ABV, this release was limited to only 420 bottles.

Nose: Soft creamy honey vanilla green apple and coastal peat.
Palate: Briny sea water sharp citrus oil and balsamic smoke.
Finish: Immensely long warming trailing with citrus and salt.

This whisky was distilled in the early 1980s and complements this album perfectly. Sláinte 🥃.

#portellen #islay #wilsonandmorgan #scotch #whisky by @dramgoodspin

Yngwie Malmsteen's live album Trial By Fire was released this day 12 October, in 1989. I was a big Malmsteen fan at the tail end of my high school year, and this album was definitely on the regular play list. It was also around the time I picked up the guitar learning by ear, and spent countless hours butchering the intro to the live version of Far Beyond The Sun.

Benriach 28 year old single malt single cask whisky

Malmsteen's father was well connected to the Soviet Union as a spy, and Trilogy was selling well as Polygram had sold the rights to a Soviet state-run label Melodiya. Therefore a tour was arranged in January 1989 before the Iron Curtain fell, with 20 shows, nine at Leningrad's SKK Stadium, and eleven at Olympic Stadium in Moscow. All shows were sold out with a total audience of 240,000 people.

These concerts would have been epic, exposing Gorbachev's Soviets to the rare glimpse of Western rock, and of course 1989 was the year the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall eventually fell. A fine example of how music and art can transgress man-made boundaries and walls 🤘

#yngwiemalmsteen #leningrad #neoclassical #shredguitar #vinyl

This is a 28 years old Benriach Speyside Single Malt Whisky - Cask Edition. Distilled on the 18th July 1994, the whisky has been matured in an Oloroso Puncheon (Cask No. 2060),and bottled in 2022 at 52.5% ABV. This is bottle 220 of 665 bottles, signed by Master Blender Rachel Barrie.

Nose: Lemon zest gives way to rich dates, dark chocolate, leather, and heather smoke
Palate: Sweet wood smoke, spices, and dark jam
Finish: Exceptionally long, complex, fruit-forward, and drying

This is a rare moment of non-Islay whisky, although the character is nevertheless smoky. Sláinte 🥃

#benriach #speyside #whisky #singlecask #scotch by @dramgoodspin

Judas Priest - Hell Bent For Leather, their 5th studio album, was released this day 9th October in 1978. The original title 'Killing Machine' was replacedby their US-label because of the ‘murderous' implications 🙄

Bowmore 25 years old.

More significantly, Ian Hill has announced his retirement from the band today 😲. Hill joined the band in 1970, and is the only person to have performed on all 19 of Judas Priest's studio albums, from 1974's Rocka Rolla to 2024's Invincible Shield.

"Hello everyone, for a long time now, when asked "how long can you continue" - I've always answered "until my performances suffer"....

I hate to say it, but that time has come. For some years now, I've been struggling with the onset of the evil arthritis, which is now in an advanced state in my left shoulder and right hand, established in my right shoulder, and present in both knees. I've been fighting this with painkilling pills, gels, and recently with cortisone injections in my shoulder and hand ...

In view of all this, and the fact that I've neglected my family life for fifty seven years, I've decided to retire and spend the remaining years making up for it, and doing things with them before it involves one of ‘em pushing me around in a wheelchair.

The obvious choice for my replacement is Davey [from Uriah Heep]. He's a great bassist, and a genuinely nice bloke who'll fit the job perfectly, and I wish him the very best of luck! There's not a day goes by where I don't give thanks for the incredible journey I've lived through, and it just remains for me to say that I love you all, and thank you for the life you've let me live X." - Ian Hill

@judaspriest
@bowmore
@hillbassgod

#judaspriest #ianhill #nwobhm #70smusic #vinyl

This is the Bowmore 25-Year-Old Vintage 1996 - The Distiller's Anthology 01, honouring the legacy of distillery manager David Turner. Matured in 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Casks and bottled at 50.2% ABV. This is bottle number 739 of 3516.

• Nose: Rich sherry, sweet peat, dark chocolate, fruit cake.
• Palate: Intense smoke, ripe figs, roasted coffee, sea salt.
• Finish: Long warmth, sweet spices, oak, lingering peat smoke.

Bowmore peat in 1st fill sherry c by @dramgoodspin

Eric Clapton - 24 Nights, was released this day 8th October in 1991, 35 years ago. This was one of the few live albums that defined my university years, along with the VHS tape of the shows. The original release was a double CD compiled from 42 concerts performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1990 and 1991.

Ardbeg 24 years old ... a perfect pairing for 24 Nights

Now spinning is the blues album from the definitive 24 nights, which featured guitar giants Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Albert Collins.

Chuck Leavell also featured on keyboards, having just completed the tour with The Rolling Stones. Clapton, on tour in the Far East, phoned Leavell in late Nov 1990, and left a message.

"Hello, this is Eric Clapton calling from Hong Kong for Chuck Leavell to see if he might be interested in doing some shows."

I was at that very show in Hong Kong 29.11.1990, so he was already thinking about the Royal Albert Hall shows for early 1991 (see last photo). That show features the same band that played on 24 Nights

@ericclapton
@ardbeg
@axe_heaven

#ericclapton #royalalberthall #blues #livealbum #vinyl

Ardbeg Vintage Y2K was distilled in 2000 around the time when people were worried about the millennium bug. This was the second release, matured in bourbon casks, with a portion downloaded into amontillado sherry casks to be finished, and bottled at 47.8% ABV.

Nose: Creamy toffee, flowering blackcurrants, leather, and almond nuts.
Palate: Woodsmoke merges with cinnamon spice, linseed oil, eucalyptus.
Finish: Long, lingering aftertaste with menthol, charcoal, and eucalyptus.

Sláinte 🥃

#ardbeg #islay #whisky #peat #scotch

This is a newspaper clipping from the South China Morning Post of the review of the Hong Kong show in 1990, depicting Clapton as an impersonal virtuoso, and the original ticket from that show.

Clapton called Chuck Leavell during his stay in Hong Kong to play on 24 Nights.

This was one of the shows I remember well. @skinzz73 and I landed in Hong Kong the day before, checked out the Tom Lee store in Causeway Bay the next day, and found out Clapton was playing that very night. Only cheap tickets were left and we got tickets behind the sta by @dramgoodspin

Happy Birthday to Keb Mo - BOTD 3rd October in 1951 🎂. My introduction to his music was his debut CD from 1994 playing at Eastern Hi Fi in Newmarket in Auckland back in the 90s with 🐜🐜 That's whats spinning now.

Laphroaig 21 year old from SMWS

I was lucky to see Keb Mo a few times in Auckland. After the show in 1997, we ended up in a small jazz bar called The Temple on Upper Queen St just across the venue and he bought along his Epiphone guitar and went on stage to play for another hour or so. An overbearing Polynesian lady was hitting on him all night, and somehow I manage to fob her off 😅

I drove him back to his hotel afterwards in my humble Toyota, and his CD was playing in the car. He laughed and said "turn that shxt off man" 😂 Then he told me he recorded that track with the guitar that was in the backseat.

Two years later when he returned to NZ for another show he still recalled that night .. "You saved my life brother 🤣".

I wonder if this 5 times Grammy winner still remembers now 😅

@kebmomusic
@laphroaig
@smws_uk
@mofidistribution
@feis.ile

#kebmo #blues #acousticblues #vinyloftheday #audiophile

This is the SMWS 29.211 "Jazzy jousting hastlitude", a 21-year-old single cask Laphroaig bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) in celebration of Fèis Ìle 2017. Matured for 20 years in an ex-bourbon barrel, followed by a 1-year finish in a first-fill Pedro Ximénez (PX) hogshead. Bottled at 51.6% ABV, this is one of 228 bottles.

Nose: Smokey medicinal peat, sweet dark fruits, maritime brine.
Palate: Intense campfire ash, rich sherry spice, oily seaweed.
Finish: Long warming peat smoke, tarry oak, dried plums.

This is why 29s are the best SMWS. Sláinte 🥃

#smws #laphroaig #islay #feisile #whisky

That's in 2002 (24 years ago!) ...

#livemusic #meet #2002 #auckland #whenwewereyoung by @dramgoodspin

Shangri-La from Mark Knopfler, his 4th solo studio album, was released this day on 28th September in 2004, 24 years ago.

Bowmore 30 years old

In 2003, Knopfler was involved in a motorcycle accident in London, resulting in the cancellation of tour promoting 'The Ragpicker's Dream'. Spending a lot of time at home recuperating rather than on the road, Knopfler found himself writing a lot of songs for this album, which was recorded in early 2004 at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California.

I was lucky to see Mark Knopfler play in New Plymouth on March 19, 2005, at the Bowl of Brooklands during his Shangri-La Tour. It was worth every minute of the almost 5 hour drive down from Auckland for the show, and then straight back up after. I took many photos of that show, and just added one for this post.

“Shangri-La is a 60s vintage studio in Malibu, Los Angeles, California. People like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and The Band used to hang out a lot there. The owner has done a lot to preserve the place and invited me to record it there. Old California seemed to go with a lot of the stuff I was doing and some of it rubbed off on the recordings.” - Mark Knopfler.

#markknopfler #2004 #shangrila #vinyl #anniversaryalbum

This is the Bowmore 30 Year Old 1990 "The Islay Giants" 2nd Edition, an exclusive single-malt Scotch whisky bottled for Singapore's Quaich Bar. Likely matured in a bourbon cask or refill hogshead, and bottled at 49.0% ABV, this is bottle 31 of 183 total bottles.

Nose: Overripe bananas, peat fires, smoked haddock, cinnamon spice.
Palate: Round, salty and sweet, gentle peat smoke, vanilla.
Finish: Spicy, creamy chocolate, fruity vanilla, waft of peat

I am quite apprehensive about getting old Bowmores around this age as its hitting on that soapy era which I don't really like. Fortunately I tasted this at the Quaich Bar before finally deciding on the bottle. No soapiness and a lovely dram.

Sláinte 🥃

#bowmore #islay #whisky #singlecask #dram

This is Mark Knopfler at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth, New Zealand, in 19th March 2005 on his Shangri-La tour.

#markknopfler #live #concert #livemusic #bowlofbrooklands by @dramgoodspin

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

This is a traditional Chinese celebration held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month with a full moon. Families gather to admire the moon 🌕, eat mooncakes 🥮, and celebrate reunion and gratitude 🤎.

Laphroaig 20 year old single cask whisky

What better to play than Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, from 1973. The iconic album art, depicting a prismatic spectrum, was designed by Storm Thorgerson. The album deals with themes of conflict, greed, the passage of time, death and insanity, all so relevant today. Now spinning is the 30th Anniversary Edition vinyl.

And what better than to pair it with some whisky mooncake, flavoured with single malt Japanese whisky from Shindo Distillery from their Mahjong series. This is definitely a first for me. The lighter colour 🥮 is flavoured with Virgin American Oak whisky, whereas the darker 🥮 has been flavoured with Bourbon Peat whisky. I will not be providing tasting notes for them 😅

#pinkfloyd #midautumnfestival #vinyloftheday #whisky #70smusic

This is a Laphroaig 20-Year-Old (2005/2026) Single Malt Scotch Whisky, bottled by Whiskymiles and Casky under the "Taste of Friendship – Two Side, One Spirit" series.

This whisky has been matured in a sherry cask and bottled at 54.2% ABV

Nose: Soft campfire smoke, honeyed bacon, and elegant dried fruits.
Palate: Peated, toasted nuts, and savory seaweed.
Finish: Long warming peat, roasted meat, and gentle spices.

Happy mid-autumn festival and sláinte 🥮🥃

#laphroaig #islay #mooncake #casky #shindodistillery by @dramgoodspin

Extreme - III Sides To Every Story was released 34 years ago this day in the US in 1992. Most of the album was recorded at New River Studios, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with the orchestral parts recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London. The album is structured as a 3-sided concept album titled"Yours", "Mine" and "The Truth". 'Yours' is hard rock and deals with political topics. 'Mine' is about introspective subjects, and 'The Truth' isna three part opus.

Bruichladdich 29 years old (swipe for details)

This is probably my fav Extreme album, especially with Nuno's guitar playing. It was also the last album that featured the band's original line-up: Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger and Paul Geary (who left in 1994).

“We had all this material, there were themes running through the lyrics, so I said, ‘Let’s try and put together a concept album." - Nuno Bettencourt

"If you look at the Extreme catalogue, I think” III Sides” was the pinnacle. We were finding ourselves on the first record, “Pornograffitti” was a continuation of what we did in the clubs for eight years, and we found our stride with that sound. “III Sides” was experimental, I was proud of the indulgence in that record, with the orchestra and the concept, and we grew up on those records. For Extreme to do something like that was something I look back on with pride." - Gary Cherone.

The current pressing is from Music On Vinyl 2016 on green vinyl.

#extreme #extremeband #musiconvinyl #90smusic #rock

This is a Bruichladdich 1991 29-Year-Old "Dracula: Temptation Feast", bottled exclusively by Club Qing as No. 1 in their Scary Tale Series.

The alcohol was distilled when Bruichladdich was owned by Invergordon, during a period of scaled down production where the distillery operated only twice a week. By 1993, Bruichladdich was mothballed.

This whisky was matured in a refill hogshead (cask no. 3037), and bottled at 41.2% ABV with a limited release of 216 bottles. Most notable is the artwork illustration by @kt518.art

I have opened this bottle for a while now, and each time there are always new pleasant surprises.

Nose: Vanilla custard, ripe banana, soft honey, citrus peel.
Palate: Creamy butter, by @dramgoodspin

Thin Lizzy's Vagabonds of the Western World was released today 21st September in 1973 (53 years ago), and is their third studio album.

Lagavulin 20 years old Cask of Distinction

Philip Lynott – vocals, bass guitar
Eric Bell – guitars, vocals
Brian Downey – drums, percussion

The success of the “Whiskey In the Jar” single gave Thin Lizzy a larger recording budget and studio time to record this album in London and was co-produced by Phil Lynott and Nick Tauber.

The album artwork was by Jim Fitzpatrick (whose most famed work was the iconic drawing of Che Guevara), with a kind of cosmic cowboy or space gypsies theme. Lynott wanted a bit of old Ireland, so Fitzgerald added the entrance stone to the Neolithic passage tomb at Newgrange in County Meath. Lynott alao requested a spider, a frog and a mouse painted on, a detail I was not aware of previously and I had to look rather closely to find them!

“They were our nicknames – Phil was spider, and Eric was frog jaws, because he would pull these daft, frog-like faces. I was the dormouse; our manager, Ted Caroll, had a lot of trouble getting me out of bed after gigs.” - Brian Downey.

This is a 2023 2LP release in purple vinyl. The front cover features an alternative artwork whereas the inner gatefold contains the original artwork (as in the photo).

@thinlizzy @lagavulinwhisky

#thinlizzy #anniversaryalbum #vinyloftheday #70s #70smusic

Lagavulin 20 Year Old "Casks of Distinction" Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

This is a vatting of specially chosen 1997 Lagavulin single malts, married together in select American oak cask 0002.Bottled in 2017 at 56.3% ABV, this is bottle 105 of 240 bottles.

This Lagavulin is part of Diageo’s Casks of Distinction programme. Casks of Distinction is the private sale of individual casks of rare and exceptional Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Diageo’s extensive stocks in Scotland. Hand selected by a team of whisky experts under guidance from Master Blender Dr. Craig Wilson, each cask is entirely unique and rare. Each Cask of Distinction is chosen on the basis of their quality, representing the most exceptional and singular expression of the distillery’s character.

Nose: Oily coastal peat, by @dramgoodspin

A nice wander through this lovely shop in Penang Malaysia today which also has a little cafe inside. Great ti escape the heat and have an ice coffee. Very friendly staff, and managed to score a Hanoi Rocks and Queensryche album, and several Chet Atkins albums. A nice mix.

As time goes by it seems I am buying less and less. It may because I may have most of what I want, or I am more particular. If anything, I am thinking of downsizing 🤔

#vinyl #vinyldigging #vinylshop #recordshopping #recordstore by @dramgoodspin