Friday 16th March

This was a big and I think the only ever hit for the Easybeats in 1966, the year when everything in Music was accelerating at a pace, and each week saw great songs emerging.  The song and the sentiment capture perfectly the exuberance and excitement of the young as they struggle through the working week in eager anticipation of Friday, the start of the weekend.  Work in those days was seen as a real drag – all the fun, the action, the music, the drink and the sex would be happening on Friday night.  And it still does, for many of us.  Nightclubs and bars and lots of restaurants are busiest on a Friday night, as of course are A. and E. departments, and Police Stations.  For a few years I worked at Islington and after work a few of us would go to the pub next door for a couple of drinks.  The release, the relief of knowing there was no work tomorrow was wonderful; a lightheaded devil-may-care attitude seemed to come over us as soon as we were out of the office and laughing and happy we started the weekend in earnest.

I quite liked the song in the sixties, and became happily re-acquainted with it when Bowie in 1973 recorded it for his album of brilliant covers ‘Pin-Ups’ with the marvelous picture of him and ‘Twigs the wonder kid’ on the cover.  It is this even-better-than-the-original version I have always loved.  It really zings along and is just so infectious you cannot help singing “Monday morning feels so bad, every-one seems to nag me, Coming Tuesday I feel better, even my old man looks good.’

So come on let’s get through the week once more, the drudge of existence at work, the days fall like dominoes ‘cause I’ve got Friday on my mind.