In The Best Sellers, I’m reviewing the best selling albums in the United States from every year since 1956. With this column, I’ll be examining the music that Americans have made popular over the years analyzing the musical and societal trends that influence what people want to listen to.
1978: Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Soundtrack)
In Saturday Night Fever, our lead character Tony Manero is a teenager living a stagnant life in the gritty streets of ‘70s Brooklyn working a dead-end job at a paint store while living with a family that doesn’t respect him. He only finds real fun and enjoyment when he goes out with his friends to the local disco on Saturday nights where his dancing makes him the king of the disco. Throughout the film, we see his already bleak life fall apart around him to the point where even dancing isn’t an escape anymore. There’s a gang fight, racism, his family disowning his brother for quitting his job as a priest, his friend Bobby C falling to his death from the Verrazano Bridge, his friends raping a woman they know Annette while Tony himself attempts rape on his dance partner Stephanie. All in all, it’s a pretty dark movie.
But in our popular culture, Saturday Night Fever has mostly been remembered by the image of John Travolta in a three-piece suit on the disco floor pointing his finger to the sky and the opening scene of him strutting down the sidewalk. For me and many others, the film has acted as a major cultural signifier of the ‘70s and a lot of that has to do with the music that soundtracked these moments.
Saturday Night Fever, the movie, did big numbers at the box office when released before Christmas 1977. It grossed over $237 million at the box office over a $3.5 million budget quickly becoming the fourth highest-grossing movie of 1977 behind Star Wars, Smokey and the Bandit, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But the soundtrack arguably had a bigger impact on pop culture. From January to July 1978, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was the #1 album in America for 24 straight weeks. It had four singles that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a new record for #1 hits off an album building on and topping the blockbuster singles success seen by Rumours, the previous year’s best-selling album. When you combine it with three previous #1 songs on the album, you have seven #1 songs. Fever quickly became the new best-selling album of all time, a title it kept for a few years until Michael Jackson’s Thriller overlook it. It was also the best-selling soundtrack album until the Whitney Houston-led Bodyguard soundtrack supplanted it. Current estimates put sales of Fever at over 16 million copies in the US alone. In 1978, you could not ignore it.
This blockbuster success helped catapult everyone involved to superstar status. Travolta graduated from a teen idol TV actor on Welcome Back, Kotter to immediate A-list actor soon capitalizing on his Fever success with the silly retro ‘50s musical adaptation of Grease which became 1978’s biggest film and its soundtrack finished right behind Fever as the #2 album of the year and even had some hits himself from singing in Grease including the #1 “You’re The One That I Want.” For the Bee Gees, the act that wrote the new songs for the movie that would become the big hits, the soundtrack brought them to a level of fame that only the Beatles had previously experienced. It also blew disco, the music genre prominently features on the movie and the soundtrack, wide open into the mainstream becoming the dominant form of pop music in the late ‘70s before it would come crashing down.
By this point, the Bee Gees had been in the midst of a major comeback. After the brothers of Robin, Maurice, and Barry Gibb broke out in the late ‘60s with lush psychedelic pop hits, the Bee Gees hit #1 in America with the somber reflective acoustic ballad “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” in 1971. But after that, they struggle almost getting dropped from their label. By the suggestion of Eric Clapton, the brothers moved to Miami and started hooking up with legendary producer Arif Mardin helping them adapt to an American R&B sound. Mardin’s assistance proved to help big time as their 1975 album Main Course spawned their second #1 hit, the driving R&B groove of “Jive Talkin’.” The follow-up “Nights On Broadway” proved to be more important to the group as it unlocked a crucial weapon for success which was Barry Gibb’s distinctive falsetto. Their 1976 album Children of the World was also a success with another classic #1, the disco jam “You Should Be Dancing.” The Bee Gees were already doing well for themselves and working on another album in 1977 when they were approached to submit songs for their boss’ low-budget disco movie.
The group’s manager Robert Stigwood bought the film rights to a New York magazine article called Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night which was a profile on the rising disco scene in Brooklyn. (Writer Nik Cohn would later admit to making up much of the story.) During post-production, Stigwood had an idea for some new Bee Gees songs to include in his film. Recording at France’s Château d’Hérouville for their new album, the Bee Gees began coming up with songs for Stigwood’s film despite having little idea about what it was about aside from a rough script presented to them. Through one weekend, the brothers wrote “If I Can’t Have You,” “Night Fever,” “More Than A Woman,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and “How Deep Is Your Love.” (That might just be the single greatest creative burst ever in music.) Stigwood loved the songs but wanted them to write a song called “Saturday Night” after the initial film title but refused feeling it was an overused title and with “Night Fever,” Stigwood combined it with Saturday and got his new film title as well as giving “If I Can’t Have You” to Jesus Christ Superstar actress and Eric Clapton backup singer Yvonne Elliman.
In marketing for the film, Stigwood placed a big emphasis on the music releasing the first single “How Deep Is Your Love” in September 1977 with the soundtrack being released in November. At the time this was an unusual move. It’s not that pop music and film hadn’t worked together before. A decade earlier, Simon & Garfunkel’s music in The Graduate led the film and its soundtrack to major hit status and showed how filmmakers could use current pop music to increase a film’s popularity. But Stigwood released the first single and album well before Saturday Night Fever, the movie, was in theaters. The week after Saturday Night Fever hit theaters, “How Deep Is Your Love” went to #1 with the soundtrack hitting the top a few weeks later. This meant that people were getting invested in the music before they even saw the film. They were enjoying the music on its own merits rather than because of seeing it in the movie. In the decades since, this tactic of releasing soundtracks and singles from a movie before its release to build up hype has become commonplace thanks to what Saturday Night Fever proved.
Listening to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack today, it still remains, like the movie itself, a fun time capsule of an album giving us a collage of the biggest acts of disco, funk, and R&B music. The filmmakers use a lot of songs and artists that you would’ve plausibly heard at a disco in the late ‘70s from the aforementioned Bee Gees, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool & The Gang, “A Fifth of Beethoven,” “Disco Inferno,” etc. Despite being cut from the film, “Jive Talkin’” is included on the soundtrack probably as a reminder that it kickstarted The Bee Gees’ comeback but I’m not complaining. A lot of these songs still hold up today as certifiable bangers. Even the songs I don’t care for that much are still a fun time.
Even though the Bee Gees didn’t know much about Saturday Night Fever when writing their songs, their hits do touch on the basic themes that the movie tries to convey. “Stayin’ Alive” is about keeping yourself alive in a world that’s been pushing you around since you were born. “Night Fever” touches on how a night on the dancefloor can be a magical experience. “How Deep Is Your Love” is someone questioning a partner’s devotion to them in a world that seems to tear them apart. It’s all vague but to me, it helps in these song’s timelessness beyond the movie and the disco craze. We all know that these songs are from Saturday Night Fever and can picture the scenes in our head that used one of the songs but they’re also good enough to stand on their own as good music.
The film makes great use of these songs for the most part. The opening shot of John Travolta walking down the sidewalk wouldn’t be as legendary if it wasn’t for “Stayin’ Alive” and its urban style strut soundtracking it all. “Night Fever” perfectly captures the excitement of a night out playing in two parts the first being Travolta in his bedroom getting his clothes on for the disco and the other scene being at the disco showing dancers joining close together in a group hustle. “More Than A Woman” is beautifully used during Tony and Stephanie’s dance contest performance. But my favorite use of music in the movie would have to be “You Should Be Dancing” playing as Travolta’s character takes over the dancefloor and gives a crazy energetic performance set to a very energetic song. You can’t help but keep your eyes on him the whole scene.
One of the weirdest uses of music is in the ending when Tony takes the subway to Manhattan after Bobby C has jumped off the Verrazano Bridge to see Stephanie, the night after he tried to rape her. After talking, the both of them agree to be friends as Tony starts a new life with the film ending on the shot of them holding one another. During that ending, we get “How Deep Is Your Love” playing over it which I won’t say is ill-fitting but strikes me as odd. You have what’s basically a love song playing over a scene where two people agree to be friends after one of them attempted rape on the other. Still doesn’t take away from another great song from the movie but it’s a weird fit.
Aside from the Bee Gees and John Travolta, the other major beneficiary of the Saturday Night Fever blockbuster was the entire genre of disco music. At the start of the ‘70s, disco had started out underground in Black and gay clubs in places like New York where they’d dance to a lot of the soul music coming out at the time especially from Motown and Philadelphia which provided the early framework for this music with its heavy orchestrations, steady four-four rhythm, chicken-scratch guitars, and busy bass lines. European producers like Giorgio Moroder took disco and mechanized it while also doing a lot of cool shit with it. Eventually, artists began to make music with this crowd club in mind which eventually started crossing over to the wider pop mainstream which is how we wind up with Saturday Night Fever, the moment when you could no longer ignore disco and its impact.
The success and exposure Saturday Night Fever brought to disco made many who were involved with the music uncomfortable with the fact that this style was now being appropriated for mainstream white audiences. Disco is a genre pioneered by minorities yet its biggest cultural phenomenon was a movie centering on a white Italian American at a largely white disco with its big hits being performed by a white act that had been struggling before attaching themselves to the new sound and in the process being seen as the top group in the genre. I get this feeling and yet it’s hard to get all worked up listening to the soundtrack. The Bee Gees knew what they were doing and were so good at it. Really who wants to be angry at Saturday Night Fever.
With the success of Saturday Night Fever, The Bee Gees found themselves not just dominating the charts with their classic hits but also dominating with songs they wrote for other artists whether it was their baby brother solo star Andy Gibb who rode their wave of success to three instant #1 hits including the top song of 1978 with “Shadow Dancing,” Yvonne Elliman with “If I Can’t Have You,” or Frankie Valli with the title theme from Grease. Songs written by The Bee Gees were at #1 for more than half of 1978 and at one point held the top two songs in America on the Hot 100, something that hadn’t happen since the Beatles at their 1964 Beatlemania peak. The soundtrack also wound up winning Album of the Year at the 1979 Grammys, the first soundtrack to be awarded the big prize.
You couldn’t repeat that type of success but to the Bee Gees’ credit they pulled off the hard act of following up a blockbuster better than most other artists. They released Spirits Having Flown, their first proper studio album since 1976’s Children of the World, in February 1979 and it was another major seller finishing as 1979’s #2 album and its first three tracks, “Too Much Heaven,” “Tragedy,” and “Love You Inside Out” were instant #1 hits tying them with the Beatles for the most consecutive #1 hits at six which Whitney Houston would eventually best a decade later. They organized the Music for UNICEF all-star charity concert at the United Nations and spent much of 1979 on tour to sold-out crowds. The Bee Gees were so untouchable in the late ‘70s that they could star in the notorious disaster that was the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie and easily bounce back from it. That wouldn’t last much longer.
With The Bee Gees and disco music, in general, becoming hugely inescapable and overplayed on the charts and in the larger pop culture, a backlash was bound to happen. A backlash came to a head in July 1979 when Chicago radio DJ Steve Dahl organized his listeners to bring disco records to a Chicago White Sox doubleheader game for them to be publicly burned as part of a promotional stunt. The records were burned before shit got out of hands and attendees stormed the field causing a riot. While what would become known as Disco Demolition Night didn’t immediately kill disco, it has served as the public image of the backlash leading to lots of discussion over the undercurrents of bigotry that influenced an event of largely white guys publicly denouncing a genre driven by racial and sexual minorities.
In any case, disco soon suffered a dramatic drop in popularity with the entire genre essentially being blacklisted from the industry and “Disco Sucks” becoming a popular catchphrase. As the group associated with the biggest blockbuster of disco, The Bee Gees were hit especially hard with radio stations refusing to play their music and their subsequent albums and singles bricking hard. They wouldn’t get another Top 10 hit until “One” a decade later in 1989. But that wasn’t the end of The Bee Gees’ story. The brothers used their talents as songwriters to transform themselves as behind the scene songwriters making hits for other artists including Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, and Dionne Warwick and got themselves more hits because of it. Even though the public was sick of Bee Gees songs, they were fine with soundalike songs coming from other artists.
Right now, Barry is the only Bee Gee and only Gibb brother left standing after Andy died first in 1988 from years of drug use before Maurice died in 2003 from a heart attack and Robin died in 2012 from liver cancer. In recent years, Barry has been actively carrying on the music that made him and his brothers super-famous right as the public began to re-appreciate The Bee Gees’ music. There’s been a solo tour, a Grammy tribute celebration, performances at the Glastonbury Festival, an extremely entertaining documentary that I wrote about, and this year an album where Barry reimagines his Bee Gees songs as country collaborating with many country artists.
Also benefitting from a cultural re-appreciation is disco music. After a period of time when people acted embarrassed by disco, it became cool again in recent times to like the music with people also understanding its long cultural impact. The truth is that disco has always been around even when Americans started acting too cool for it. It just lingered around and influenced the dance music that came after. Recently, disco has flared up in the pop mainstream with Daft Punk’s final and biggest album Random Access Memories basically being one long love letter to the genre and recent artists like Dua Lipa scoring unabashedly disco-flavored hits. Those idiots in Chicago tried but in the long run, disco won out staying very much alive all these years later.
Honorable mention: Steely Dan’s Aja, 1978’s #5 best-seller, is essentially an adult album about adult things yet even for my young self I can admit this is a perfectly made album with its slick and jazzy inspired production making Aja a good listen and helping to form what we now know as yacht rock where you can just imagine the kinds of rich guy ventures it would soundtrack.
Next time: Billy Joel follows up his pop breakthrough by showcasing a jazzier side of himself on 52nd Street
6 thoughts on “1978: Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Soundtrack)”
I have never seen Saturday Night Fever, but I like the soundtrack (the singles that were released from it anyway…) In the UK it was #1 for 18 weeks, and then Grease came along for another 13! On the singles chart, though, the Bee Gees couldn’t recreate their US form: only Night Fever got a couple of weeks at #1 (it’s the next but one song on my countdown) Meanwhile two monster-hits from Grease would dominate top spot for weeks on end during the summer/autumn of 1978, in contrast to their sole week on top in the US.
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Speaking of, I much prefer Travolta in Grease than SNF.
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It’s definitely worth a watch. For me, being a New Yorker and with my parents growing up and coming of age in ‘70s New York even going to the Brooklyn disco the movie was set in at the time, I like how it captures how the city were at the time. The clothing in the film is so on point from what I see in old photos of my parents from that time. And even though it’s a dark movie, it comes alive when the music plays. For me, I’d always know about Saturday Night Fever through the songs like “Stayin’ Alive” which is one of those songs that’ll never die here to the point where reading what the movie’s about takes you back a bit considering what the music and promotion would have you believe.
You forgot about the Grease title theme from Frankie Valli which spent two weeks at #1 over here but still for a film and soundtrack that’s been heavily remembered it doesn’t feel as represented US chart wise as it is in the UK.
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That’s true. I knew that the theme had been a #1 in the US, but I never count it as part of the soundtrack (as a kid I’d fast-forward the VHS past it, I always thought it went on too long…)
I will try to check out Saturday Night Fever. It’s long overdue
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Rina Frank was born in Wadi Salib, the poorest neighborhood in Haifa. She worked as a technical architect, marketing director, and television producer with Israel's Channel 2 before founding her own production company, Matan TV Production. Every House Needs a Balcony is her first novel. She lives in Tel Aviv.
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The Killer Across the Table: Inside the Minds of Psychopaths and Predators
‘John Douglas is the FBI’s pioneer and master of investigative profiling’ Patricia Cornwell
GET INSIDE THE MINDS OF PSYCHOPATHS WITH THE GODFATHER OF CRIMINAL PROFILING
In The Killer Across the Table, legendary FBI criminal profiler and number one bestselling author John Douglas delves deep into the lives and crimes of four complex predatory killers, offering never-before-revealed details about his profiling process and divulging the strategies used to crack some of his most challenging cases.
In this riveting work of true crime, Douglas spotlights four very different criminals he’s confronted over the course of his career, and explains how they helped him to put together the puzzle of how psychopaths and predators think.
Taking us inside the interrogation room and demonstrating the unique techniques he uses to understand the workings of the most terrifying and incomprehensible minds, The Killer Across the Table is an unputdownable journey into the darkest reaches of criminal profiling and behavioural science from a man who knows serial killers better than anyone else.
As Douglas says:
‘If you want to understand the artist, look at his art.’
If you want to understand what makes a murderer, start here.
”'John Douglas is the FBI's pioneer and master of investigative profiling, and one of the most exciting figures in law enforcement I've had the privilege of knowing” - Patricia Cornwell
”'John Douglas knows more about serial killers than anybody in the world” - Jonathan Demme, Director of The Silence of the Lambs
”'Douglas was instrumental in expanding our understanding of murderous psychopathy. He even coined the term 'serial killer'” - Telegraph


text: Hi, welcome and thanks for stopping by! This space is where I share my love of lettering and designs of lovely words that inspire happiness, love and laughter. Each time I think of what I want to design, I think of every meaningful word I have read, all my friends and family who are woven into large and small stories, and every era in my life to date: from childhood to adulthood. My designs can be used as wall art, tumblers, gift tags, labels, and more. This digital art can be used in creative ways such as vinyl decals and sublimation designs. My goal is to offer a convenient place to go for those who like to either make their own printed materials or for those who would like to purchase unique ready made items.

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and Noam Lemish
are among a wave of jazz musicians that has emerged from Israel in the last ten years. The success of bassist Avishai Cohen
and his sister, clarinetist Anat Cohen
and guitarist Gilad Heckselman has caught the attention of jazz fans around the world.
Hoffman, now a resident of Columbia, South Carolina and Lemish, who hails from Toronto, Canada, have joined forces to not only display their considerable talents, but to run the music of the Middle East through the jazz ringer. They combine the better elements of both into a fairly comfortable stew. Hoffman's use of the oudan instrument common in Eastern music, but virtually unknown to jazzadds to the flavor, as does the clarinet stylings of Jacob Gorzhaltsan on "Aji Tu, Yorma Aji" and Pedram Khavarzamini on tombak (a percussion instrument common in Iran) on three songs.
Both Hoffman and Lemish are highly talented melodic improvisers, and this album may represent their best recorded effort to date. Hoffman had a couple impressive outings with Avishai Cohen, but this is an opportunity to hear him as a featured artist and it is a welcome addition to his resume.
The purpose of the group is to introduce listeners to the compositions of Jewish composers from around the world. There are ten selections, all lasting between two and a half minutes to six minutes. While the listener doesn't get a deep dive into the music, the artists comfortably fit the Eastern melodies into a jazz framework and manage to shake loose from the kind of rhythmic and harmonic limitations of the songs. There is a definite minor key mournfulness in many of the tunes, but Hoffman and Lemish explore them sufficiently to leave the listener wanting more and knowing they can probably go a lot further if they allowed themselves to stretch out more.
The co-leaders are the main focus of the album, but bassist Justin Gray
and percussionist Derek Gray
offer solid and reliable support. Many of the rhythms are somewhat angular and keeping things swinging is no small accomplishment.
Hoffman is an agile performer, although his technical brilliance is often hidden here in deference to the melodies. However, "Harbi Meir" gives a taste of his virtuosity as does the hard swinging "Tchol Hamitpachat." Lemish appears to be an admirer of Chick Corea
, and his melodic playfulness comes out in all his solos. He doesn't stray far from the melodies and his expositions are very listenable. "At Telchi Basade" best highlights his delightfully light hearted swinging.
Jazz has pretty much ignored music from the Middle East, but it obviously has a rich tradition just waiting to be embraced by jazz musicians. This album does a good job of demonstrating that and hopefully will also bring much deserved attention to Hoffman and Lemish.
Adon Haslichot; At Telchi Basade; Dror Yikra; Eshal Elohay; Dalale Dalale; Äji Tü Yormä Äji; Harbi Meir; Argaman; Tchol
Hamitpachat; Ets Harimon.
Amos Hoffman: guitar & oud; Noam Lemish: piano; Justin Gray: bass; Derek Gray: drums & percussion; Pedram Khavarzamini:
tombak; Jacob Gorzhaltsan: clarinet.


text:
We found 1 provider named 'Mohammed Numan' nationally.
Dr. Mohammed Numan is a pediatric cardiologist. Areas of expertise for Dr. Numan include electrophysiological (EP) study. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, UT Physicians, and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. He accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Amerigroup Star, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold, in addition to other insurance carriers. He graduated from King Faisal University College of Medicine and then he performed his residency at Sacred Heart Hospital, Pensacola, a hospital affiliated with SUNY, University at Buffalo, and a hospital affiliated with the University of Florida Health Science Center.
Clinical interests: Electrophysiological Study

domain: medical


text:
Dark velvet sky strewn with ice crystal stars and washed with cool white moonlight.
From Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”

domain: artistic


text:
Friday, October 12, 2007
It's been a good week - We went to see Rufus Wainwright on Tuesday night in Belfast. I don't think my description of the evening will do it justice. What a fantastic night! He had a seven piece band and his voice is just absolutely perfect. He played lots of grand piano, guitar and also just sang - he's got very cool moves, some of which are just a little bit Las Vegas (in a good way.) The planned support act didn't happen so the lovely Rufus played for two and a half hours with just a little break. Wonderful! Concert outfits included a white glittery leisure suit and after the break he emerged in lederhosen (pictured above.) For the encore he came out wearing black stilletos etc and his band joined him as backup dancers. I can't describe it without making it sound weird, but believe me, it was cool . . . .


Calvin Harris’ new hit single Thinking About You Feat. Ayah Marar is burning up the European and American Dance charts, but it is the video that sizzles sex and sensuality. This video is the perfect song for the end of summer. Check it out below and let us know what you think!
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Korean red ginseng (KRG), the steamed root of Panax ginseng Meyer, has a variety of biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer effects. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)… (More)
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News and features about industry-related trends.
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11/28/2016 - Nuts taking on bigger role in Americans' diets.
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11/23/2016 - Average turkey price down 2c a lb from 2015, A.F.B.F. says.

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A lovely mix of hydrangea, roses, stock and other interesting floral accents, in a rustic modern galvanized tin vessel. Your arrangement will be inspired by the featured design. Flower types and colors may vary due to seasonal availability. Where substitutions are made, blooms of similar or higher quality will be used.
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Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School sixth grade student Jacob Petucci loves being in the school’s esports club. He says it’s not only fun, but he enjoys the social aspect of it.
Esports – or electronic organized gaming – has grown exponentially in schools and universities across the country. About 50 students in grades 6-12 participate in the club at Herkimer. The sixth grade club meets one day a week, as does the club for students in grades 7-12.
This year, the students have been playing “Rocket League,” a vehicular soccer video game where they compete against each other in teams of three.
Advisor Amanda Turnbull says while the students are having fun, they’re also reinforcing and building teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills.
“The teamwork aspect is a really big part of this,” she said. “The students have to assist each other during the games. They love this, and it’s been a big hit.”
In fact, esports involves many components of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) including learning about technological proficiency and scientific methodology. According to the North American Scholastic Esports Federation, video games are a product of STEM.
A typical club meeting involves lots of smiles and students asking questions and talking to each other during the game. And of course small celebrations when they win.
Sixth grade student Amelia Hansen says she looks forward to it every week.
“It’s really a nice thing for kids to do things they wouldn’t normally get to do at home,” she said.

domain: sociology


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Take pleasure in an unrivalled linen music experience for iPad—sheet music audience, score library and music store all in one app. There’s even selections for on-ship audio recording that you can also integrate together with MusicSoft library. Support for “The ONE Smart Keyboard” key lights upon iPad and Google android. At School of Rock, our own keyboard instructors teach students how to play the violin with confidence, and encourage them to obtain up onstage plus play within a music group with their friends in front regarding a live audience.
The FP-90 sounds great, but its modeled tones might not be for everyone. Hands with a Cup of coffee and an azure microphone on the wooden table. The keyboard split functionality offers also been enhanced with optional crossfades. Really, what most people want is usually to replicate requirements of a several of their favourite songs, and that will means a regular piano sound.


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Michigan Cosmetic, General & Sedation Dentistry If you are unhappy with several cosmetic aspects of your smile, it may be time to talk to Grand Rapids cosmetic dentist Dr. Jerry Mulder about porcelain veneers. Made of resilient and attractive porcelain, veneers are placed over the surface of teeth where they can address myriad imperfections including:
Michigan Cosmetic, General & Sedation Dentistry White teeth could be said to be the cornerstone of an attractive smile, and with professional tooth whitening solutions that can address even severe staining, a brilliantly white smile can be very easy to achieve. However, if you have sensitive teeth, you may have been warned away from whitening… Read More »
The start of the new year is an appropriate time to consider change. Many people establish resolutions or otherwise set goals for positive, personal improvement. If the beginning of 2014 finds you unhappy with the appearance of your smile, the new year may be the right time to consider cosmetic dentistry treatment. The Grand Rapids… Read More »
The easiest way to look younger? Smile! The muscles we use to smile lift the face and make us appear younger so smiling is the easiest way to bring about a more youthful appearance. (It’s good for your immune system, stress reduction, and mood improvement too!) But beyond flashing a grin, there are a few… Read More »
Question: “If I get veneers, what will my temporaries look like?” That question comes up quite often when discussing cosmetic dental work, and for good reason: it’s much more difficult to picture the temporary phase than the final results! Understanding what your smile will look like in temporaries – between the before and after –… Read More »
Am I a good candidate for porcelain veneers? Veneers usually work well for patients with healthy teeth who just need a little cosmetic change. Dr. Mulder will need to evaluate your current dental health before making a treatment recommendation. Schedule your free smile evaluation today to find out if porcelain veneers are right for you.


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Tesla is working on new battery cell designs, and a way to make their own cells, with R&D teams in a lab near its car plant in Fremont, California.Technologyread more
The Federal Reserve and the market are miles apart on interest rate expectations, and the disparity could cost the stock market a 7%-10% drop, economists say.Economyread more
Underneath the impressive market rally is a trend that doesn't seem quite right, according to J.P. Morgan.Marketsread more
JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon says student lending "is a disgrace and it's hurting America."Economyread more
Bitcoin topped the $13,000 level Wednesday, rallying to its highest price since January 2018.Bitcoinread more
Wayfair drew backlash and calls from some customers for a boycott after employees protested the company's apparent sale of $200,000 of mattresses and bunk beds destined for a...Retailread more
The president raised $6 million alone at a fundraiser he attended at the Trump International Hotel on Tuesday in Washington.Politicsread more
During the foreclosure crisis, investors transformed the single-family home rental market into a formally managed asset class. Now they want new homes.Real Estateread more
The first debates will give most of the contenders their biggest platform yet to present themselves to the American people.Politicsread more
The shutdown of the fire-damaged Philadelphia Energy Solutions refining complex could send gasoline prices higher across the U.S., but particularly in the mid-Atlantic region...Market Insiderread more
President Trump lambastes Twitter, Google and other technology giants for what he claims as their efforts to stifle him.US Economyread more
U.S. Treasury yields rose Wednesday after the Federal Reserve maintained its near-term outlook on interest rate increases and said it would begin reversing in October a massive bond-purchase program begun during the financial crisis.
The U.S. 2-year Treasury yield climbed steadily after the announcement and hit a high of of 1.451 percent, its highest level since Nov. 5, 2008, according to Reuters Tradeweb.
The Fed did not raise its benchmark interest rate, as expected. But policymakers indicated another hike is likely this year, while maintaining its view for three rate hikes in 2018. The Fed did reduce its forecast for the number of rate hikes between now and 2019 by one.
"The biggest news today is the Fed's interest rate forecasts,"Chris Rupkey, managing director, chief financial economist, at MUFG, said in a note. "Net, net, the Fed is keeping with the game plan and neither hurricanes nor low inflation can keep them from raising interest rates a third time this year."
The Fed has $4.5 trillion in assets on its balance sheet as the result of its stimulative bond-purchase program. Reversing current policy of reinvesting the proceeds from maturing bonds, the central bank said Wednesday it will initially allow $10 billion to roll off and increase that by $10 billion every quarter.
"It's just finally sinking in," said Bryce Doty, senior fixed income manager with Sit Investment Associates. "The Fed has a credibility issue, even if you think they were going to follow through on their guidance, part of you didn't believe it."
Now, "more and more people are starting to piece it together," he said. "What will be the impact on yield as money is destroyed and eliminated from the financial system?"
The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 2.289 percent, its highest level since Aug. 8. The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield also briefly rose before trading slightly lower near 2.81 percent. Yields move inversely to price.
In other economic news, existing home sales fell 1.7 percent in August.
Oil prices hit multi-month highs as refinery activity remained subdued after the destruction of Hurricane Harvey. Earlier, the Iraqi oil minister suggested OPEC and its partners were debating whether to extend or deepen supply cuts in order to reduce global oversupply.
The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrial average rose mildly to hit record highs.
— CNBC's Patti Domm and Jeff Cox contributed to this report.


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Have you ever wondered what your rights are as an artist? There’s no clear-cut textbook to consult—but we’re here to help. Katarina Feder, a vice president at Artists Rights Society, is answering questions of all sorts about what kind of control artists have—and don’t have—over their work.
Do you have a query of your own? Email [email protected] and it may get answered in an upcoming article.
I read that the Uffizi is suing Jean Paul Gaultier over the fashion house’s use of Botticelli works on some t-shirts. I always thought that long dead artists like Botticelli were in the public domain. How is this lawsuit even able to happen?
I love a reader who knows her intellectual property. It allows me to go a little deeper from the jump. This one is for all the real IP heads out there!
When I speak about copyright expiration, I always try to be clear that I’m talking about the United States, where copyright lasts for 70 years past the death of the creator. But there are all kinds of exceptions within that—what about pseudonymous/anonymous works?—and when you start extending your focus internationally, well, we’d be here forever.
So now you have a French fashion house being sued by an Italian museum for appropriating the work of a long-deceased Italian artist. You can see extensive photography in Artnet’s write-up of the lawsuit. The “Le Musée” capsule collection bases its designs on The Birth of Venus, The Three Graces by Peter Paul Rubens, and Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.
Italian copyright law actually takes a page from America’s book and expires after 70 years, but the problem here is Italy’s Cultural Heritage Code, which protects its publicly owned artifacts. The Uffizi is a public institution—some say the world’s first, after having been founded by the Medici family in the 16th century. That means borrowing their material without remuneration is the equivalent of robbing the Italian people. The Guardian reports that damages in this case may even exceed €100,000 ($103,000). Stay tuned…
I’ve been rewatching James Cameron’s movies in anticipation of the Avatar sequel and couldn’t help noticing that in the credits for The Terminator it says “Acknowledgement to the works of Harlan Ellison.” As a fan of Ellison’s novels, I thought the connection between them and Terminator was always pretty obvious, so why such a small credit? What’s this about?
While I have seen the Terminator movies, I have not read or seen anything by Harlan Ellison so I can’t speak to the obviousness of the connection, or to its quality. Indeed, doing so might make me feel a little like Frank Sinatra in that famous Gay Talese piece, where he taunts Ellison by saying his movie is bad, despite the fact that it hasn’t come out yet.
But I did a little research. From what I gather, in 1984, someone told Ellison that the Terminator script was similar to an Outer Limits episode called “Soldier,” which Ellison had adapted from his own short story, “Soldier Out of Time.” It was even reported by one of Ellison’s friends, Tracy Torme, that on the set for The Terminator, writer/director James Cameron said, of his research: “Oh, I ripped off a couple of Harlan Ellison stories.”
Likely perturbed by this information, Ellison inquired with the production company about the supposed similarities but did not receive a response. So, after sneaking into a preview of the film—he suspiciously wasn’t invited—he determined that there was enough overlap between The Terminator and his own work to claim that Cameron had committed copyright infringement.
Ellison said: “It was not my desire to find a similarity. I was sitting in there thinking, ‘Please don’t let it be.’ But if you took the first three minutes of my Soldier episode and the first three minutes of The Terminator, they are not only similar but exact. By the time I left the theater, I knew I had a case against someone who plagiarized my work.”
Not only do The Terminator and “Soldier” begin with nearly identical scenes—laser beams flash across a desolate landscape—but they both feature an entity from the future, programmed to kill people, who is sent back in time to the mid-20th century.
In my Harlan Ellison deep dive, I learned that another episode of The Outer Limits written by Ellison, called “Demon with a Glass Hand,” also features a robot from the future, that believes itself to be a man, sent back in time to save humankind. Also, Ellison’s novel I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is about a master computer that becomes sentient and tries to wipe out the human race. All this is to say that I don’t think you need to be a Myles Dyson-level genius to see why Ellison was annoyed, sitting there in his Terminator screening.
Some people nerdier than me have suggested that the similarities alone were not so bad and that Ellison might have granted permission for free and without complaint had Cameron acknowledged his inspiration. Might Cameron have watched and read enough by Ellison that some of the themes and motifs naturally seeped into his unconscious, and unintentionally appeared in his own work? I’m sure many if not all creators are guilty of this on some level.
Perhaps motivated by Cameron’s bragging, Ellison launched a complaint—though an official lawsuit was never filed—and the issue was settled out of court, which resulted in the “acknowledgement” and somewhere between $65,000 and $400,000 in a settlement. Whatever it was, that’s a paltry amount compared to the amount the Terminator franchise has made over time, and Cameron has complained that this was a nuisance suit. He has a point. Plot is not eligible for copyright so the similarities I mentioned, though stark, may not have mattered that much.
It is perhaps appropriate that all this sturm and drang resulted in nothing more than a small fee and a tepid line buried in the credits. Isn’t that the point of the Terminator franchise, which demonstrates in each movie that all the time travel in the universe can’t change your fate?
I own some 35mm slides of important early digital artwork, output in the 1980s directly from the computer. I understand that the copyright is owned by the original artists, but would like to show the work in a gallery. As the items are so small, they are hard to display. I presume I am not allowed to make a large print from the slide without permission, but if I use an old slide projector, is that considered a reproduction, or just a different way of viewing the original?
Good on you for recognizing that the original artist owns the copyright here. But you’re also planning to show another person’s artwork in a gallery, regardless of whether you make a print from the slide or choose to show it via a projector. Maybe the projector route feels a little less icky to you, because there’s no way someone could buy a light projection on the wall. Nostalgic good vibes notwithstanding, this is an artwork you did not make, for which you do not own the copyright.
Now for the good news: There’s nothing in copyright law that says you can’t show work you didn’t make at a gallery show. Museums and galleries, after all, don’t own the copyright for the works they show. They’re only showing the works they own physically, or have asked the owners to borrow (the artist being the “owner” of their new work).
I tried to find an example of an artist suing when their work was shown in a gallery or museum setting without permission. I came up empty, aside from this 2020 Cady Noland lawsuit over the display of some of her work in Germany, but that was more about conservation. The fact is, most artists want their work to be seen—they just tend to like to know about it in advance.
A 2015 report by the Center for Media and Social Impact found that copyright concerns in exhibition planning is a salient issue without a lot of case law. The art world, they found, is a “permissions culture,” where not much proceeds without approaching the artist, either for fear of lawsuits or burning bridges. I suggest you track down the artist or her estate before you display your slides at this show. That way, you may even be able to sell something, should you meet another enthusiast of old-school digital art at your opening. Just make sure you give the creator their fair share.
Hello! I’m an Atlanta-area model and in February 2019, I went to the High Museum of Art and did a photoshoot with a photographer I know based in the city. In November that year, the photographer reached out to let me know that the High Museum was working on an advertising campaign, and was interested in using one of the photos from our shoot. In March 2020, the photo was posted in numerous billboards, newspapers, and magazines all around Atlanta. I did not sign a release form granting them permission to use the photo, although the photographer did. The campaign was to remain up until May 2020. Fast forward to September 2022, and the photo can still be seen all over the city. The more I think about it, the more I believe I should be compensated for the situation, as the photographer claims he received some benefits, but did not want to tell me the details.
Museum marketing can be pretty weird these days. The art tends to take a back seat to attractive and well dressed people hanging out or thoughtfully journaling, scenes that probably don’t accurately represent the museum experience for the majority of people. Where are the screaming children? Where are the selfie sticks? I try to go on weekday afternoons.
I’m very sorry to hear about this frustrating situation, it sounds like it’s been eating at you. Your question concerns that unique element of intellectual property that we call personality rights or right of publicity. Whereas most other areas of IP, like trademark and copyright, concern things that a person makes, right of publicity is about you and the image you put into the world, an outgrowth of your First Amendment rights.
It’s the reason signs are posted when you enter a concert where documentary footage might be filmed, and it can even apply to voices, as Tom Waits and Bette Midler have successfully sued over sound-alikes in commercials.
My favorite right of publicity case involves the actress Kathrine Heigl suing Duane Reade for $6 million when they Tweeted a paparazzi photo of her entering the pharmacy saying that it showed that real New Yorkers loved the store. Don’t get it twisted Duane Reade: we use the store, but we certainly want anyone to see us stumbling out of it with toilet paper. New York actually just beefed up its right of publicity laws to protect images of the dead, so you won’t see a digital Ray Liotta selling motor oil anytime soon. Or not without the consent of his estate, anyway.
I point out this update because, unlike copyright and trademark, right of publicity is not federally guaranteed but enacted state by state. It is of particular interest in states with a lot of celebrities, like New York and California, and so it exists for everyone who lives in those states. In Georgia, it only exists under common law, so I’m not sure how it’s enforced. I’m not a lawyer, but to me it seems that the spirit of the law would reflect that you should have been paid.
Unlike the Duane Reade situation, I would say that your beef here is with the photographer not the museum. If he had proposed shooting something commercial with you—say, an album cover—you would have negotiated a modeling fee and negotiated a proper contract regarding the use of your likeness. That’s not what happened. You embarked together on what sounds like an artistic endeavor, and then, I assume, he posted it on his Instagram and lucked into a payday when the High saw the photo and asked to use it.
I wouldn’t sue him, because it’s not likely that he received that much money and you might be past the statute of limitations for such kind of civil actions in Georgia. But I think you should make a personal appeal, if only for the sake of your peace of mind. Send him this column if you have to. Ask him to make this right. People can surprise you, they often want to do the right thing.

domain: law


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Malú had 2023 marked in red on his agenda. The artist celebrates 25 years since she released her debut song, ‘Apprentice’, and plans to celebrate this important date for her. Although until now she had not given many details about her intentions, she has already revealed that it will be Ana Mena who will accompany her at the beginning of this new adventure.
The only thing that was known so far was that Malú was working on an album of collaborations. Now, it seems evident that this album will bring together the most important songs of her career. The first of them to see the light will be his ‘Diles’, a song that belongs to Malú’s album of the same name. And, accompanying her almost 20 years after she published it, will be Ana Mena.
“It’s about time… Malú, tell them!!!!,” wrote the author of ‘Madrid City’ in an Instagram post. Malú responded instantly: “You are right… Friday 10/20.” The song will be out in just a week, so we’ll barely have to wait to see how both artists sound together.
This collaboration is especially significant for Ana Mena because ‘Diles’ was the first song she performed live on television when they were just a child. Now, she will do it again but with the one she gave life to in 2005.
— Malú Official Fan Club (@FanClubMalu) October 13, 2023
Malú’s new project will see her and other artists re-record part of her discography, a movement that is becoming fashionable in the music industry. A few days ago Melendi published her anthem ‘Con la lunaful’ with the company of Manuel Carrasco, which will be part of her future album ’20 años sin Noticias’, where she will also review her career.
— Malú (@_MaluOficial_) October 13, 2023


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The Cook Islands says there is potential for Spain to begin fishing in Cook Islands waters in the near future.
Delegates from the Cook Islands held bilateral talks with Spanish ambassadors at the Pacific Islands Forum, regarding fishing interests.
The Cook Islands Secretary for Marine Resources, Ben Ponia, says Spanish vessels would like to return to the region and have a more established presence while the Cook Islands would like to generate more income from fisheries.
"Within our own Economic Exclusive Zone we want to develop swordfish stocks that are found there. We also recognise that there's fishing occuring just accross our EEZ. The Spainsh fleet are operating just south of our EEZ. And if we develop our fisheries there may be opportunities for more players such as Spain to join. Alongside our own discussions, if they were fishing in our waters perhaps we could join that with market access to the EU."
Ben Ponia says most fishing takes place in the Cook Islands' northern waters by Asian and Cook Island fishing vessels.
However, there are no established fleets in the southern waters - except for domestic fleets that operate out of Rarotonga.

domain: economics


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- Isle of Man Railway locomotives
The locomotives of the
Isle of Man Railwaywere provided exclusively by Beyer, Peacock and Companyof Manchester, Englandbetween 1873 and 1926; other locomotives that appear on this list were inherited as part of the take-over of the Manx Northern Railwayand Foxdale Railwaywhich happened in 1905 at which time the railway also purchased two more locomotives from Beyer, Peacock. All the steam locomotives have or had the 2-4-0wheel arrangement, apart from 15 "Caledonia" which is an 0-6-0.
No. 1 "Sutherland"
Status: In store
Built in time for the opening day of the railway on
1 July 1873and allocated works number 1253 by Beyer, Peacock this locomotive is named after the Duke of Sutherlandwho was a director of the railway company in its formative days. She was given the honour of hauling the first official train to Peel and remained in service, albeit as Douglas shunteronly latterly, until 1964 when she was withdrawn and stored. When the Marquess of Ailsatook over the railway in 1967 she was painted spring green and placed on static display at St. John's, a tradition that later came to Douglas when the railway closed at the end of the 1968 season. When the new railway museumwas opened in 1975 she was given pride of place and it seemed that was the end of the line. However, with anniversaries being in the air, she was brought back to Douglas in October 1997 for feasibilitystudies to examine her possible return to service for the Steam 125celebrations the following year. Using the privately-owned boiler from No. 8 "Fenella" she was the star turn in 1998, and even travelled to the Manx Electric Railwayon occasion steaming from Laxeyto Fairy Cottage. She later was repainted to Indian red and withdrawn when the boiler was removed and replaced into the frames of No. 8. No. 1 is now in store at Douglas station, whilst No. 8 remains in service.
No. 2 "Derby"
Status: Scrapped in 1951
Second of the original batch of locomotives delivered to the railway, No. 2 was named after the Earls of Derby who owned the Isle of Man before it was sold to the British monarch and is often seen in early photographs without her back cab sheet (No. 1 also appears in this form on a famous photograph of opening day. No. 2 is the only locomotive on the railway to have been lost to the pages of history, only a
pony trucksurvives today, and it is difficult to surmise if this was originally No. 2's as so many parts were interchanged on the locomotives. She was withdrawn in 1951 and dismantled at the time for use as spare parts for the other smaller class locomotives. The surviving pony truck was for many years at the end of BirkenheadSiding at Port Erinwith "No. 4 Try These" chalked on it, and is currently in store as a final reminder of the only engine to not exist in one form or another.
No. 3 "Pender"
Status: On display
The third of the original trio was to have been named "Viking" originally, but the name was changed to honour the name of a director of the company Sir
John Penderand it wouldn't be until over a century later in 1993 that an Isle Of Man Railway locomotive would carry the name. The last purchase of 1873 from Beyer, Peacock, she was little modified over the years, when compared with her sisters, and was withdrawn from service in the 1950s. In 1925 Pender was involved in an accident at Douglas Station which resulted in the death of the Fireman. The train failed to stop as it arrived at Douglas Station, crashing through the buffers, and coming to rest embedded in the platform. The Fireman was thrown from the footplate and suffered fatal injuries. Interestingly, she is the only locomotive that has ever left Manx metals having left the island in 1977 and now resides as a sectionalised exhibition display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, a stone's throw from her birthplace. It has been mooted that the locomotive should return and be placed in the museum at Port Erin but it is unlikely that this would ever happen, but she does however remain on display as an advert for the island and an explanation of how a steam locomotive operates.
No. 4 "Loch"
Status: In service
Named after lieutenant governor
Henry Brougham Lochand beloved by many as their "favourite" engine on the railway, No. 4 has the strange title of being what must surely be the first locomotive ever to (re)enter service on the day the line closed. Having been earmarked for re-boilering in 1967 by the 1968 season she was ready for service and steam tests were carried out accordingly. Fate intervened however and at the end of September 1968 the Peel and Ramsey lines closed for good. Fortunately, the Port Erin line was retained and No. 4 was familiar to many as the south based engine for many years, right up until her withdrawal from service after the 1995 Christmas services on the railway. She is the only locomotive to carry a "bell-mouth" dome and a non-standard livery of maroon was carried from 1979 to withdrawal. Of course, now she wears the familiar Indian red but is distinguished from her shed-mates by carrying a Legs Of Mann and "4" numeral on her buffer beam. She was used heavily in the marketing campaign for the 1993 "Year Of Railways" when she was the locomotive chosen to haul special services on the Manx Electric Railway. Following the "Un-Loch Your Cash" appeal by the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Associationin 1998-2000, she returned to service in 2002 and is now a regular fleet member once more. On May 20 2008, she collided with a van and badly damaged her buffer beam.
No. 5 "Mona"
Status: Withdrawn 1970
Arriving with No. 4 in 1874 in readiness for the opening of the Port Erin line, the name "Mona" is named from the Latin name for the Isle of Man. No. 5 was a regular on the Peel line later in her career and remained in service right until the 1970 season when she refused to hold a head of steam and was subsequently mothballed. After storage, she was privately purchased from the newly-nationalised railway in 1978 but remained on site, being stored in the carriage shed at Douglas until it was demolished to make way for new bus garage and offices in 1999. Currently in the back of the new carriage shed, No. 5 has had no attention for many years and is a sorry sight, still wearing her 1967 spring green livery, now very faded. It is not known if she will ever return to service but in the near future this seems unlikely. She was one of two (the other being No. 12) to carry a brass fleet numeral on the left-hand tank only.
No. 6 "Peveril"
Status: On display
A one-off purchase in 1875 from Beyer, Peacock & Co. (works number 1524), and of similar design to Nos. 4 and 5, "Peveril" (named after a character in Sir
Walter Scott's novel "Peveril Of The Peak" saw extensive use on Peel Line for many years. She was withdrawn from service, having been station shunter at Douglas for a number of years, in 1960 and was one of the static display locomotives during the Marquess of Ailsayears. Stored for several years together with No. 5 "Mona" in Douglas carriage shed, she was cosmetically restored by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Associationin 1994 and is now resident in the railway museum at Port Erin carrying the Indian red livery of the post-war years. Sometimes considered as a restoration job by the railway, this has yet to be carried out but enthusiasts remain hopeful that this may happen one day.
No. 7 "Tynwald"
Status: In store
Built in 1880 (Beyer, Peacock works number 2038), this locomotive has the dubious honour of being the first locomotive to have been withdrawn from service, as early as 1947 which accounts for the lack of photographs of her. She was stripped down and the frames were on a siding at Douglas station for many years. When nationalision and therefore rationalisation was in the air in the late 1970s, the remaining frames were purchased by a preservationist group and stored in the open air at Santon, later Castletown station. Very little remains of them, other than the main frame, coal bunker, and buffer beams but they have however survived over the course of three centuries and are an integral part of the railway's history. Currently in store, it is planned to return them to a public display area at some point in the future.
No. 8 "Fenella"
Status: In service
Originating from 1894 and named after a character in a novel by Sir Walter Scott, popular at the time, this locomotive was for many years based on the Ramsey Line of the railway and indeed remained in service until the
Marquess of Ailsarevival in 1967. She was purchased by a preservationist group in 1978 with a view to complete restoration and in 1988 the boiler was lifted from the frames and sent to the workshops of the Severn Valley Railwayfor re-construction. This was a long-term project and as relationships between the owners and management soured, the project did not reach fruition. Happily, the owners offered the boiler (now complete) to donor locomotive No. 1 "Sutherland" so that she could return to service for the "Steam 125" celebrations in 1998 and after an agreed three years in No. 1 the boiler was lifted into No. 8 which now operates as part of the active fleet, although as the sole representative of the smaller loco class (No. 4 is extensively re-built) she tends to work on lighter trains or out of peak season.
No. 9 "Douglas"
Status: In store
This was the last locomotive to arrive from the Gorton Foundry in 1896 (Beyer, Peacock works number 3815) and is the primary example of an unmodified
Isle of Man Railwayfleet member. There are several modifications but, most significantly, she is the only locomotive on the line to retain her salter safety valves although No. 14 "Thornhill" retains these but is in private ownership. Withdrawn in 1959 by which time she had been reduced to light duties, she was stored and cosmetically restored for the 1967 season but was ultimately sold in 1978 though fortunately has never left the railway. She was partially repainted in the 1980s into a non-standard brown livery (one which is thought to have been carried by some locomotives based on early colour photos) with black/orange livery. Later she was fully painted, again in a non-standard livery (the colour was previously used on the station building at Port Erin) with black/red lining which is the livery retained today. Her smokebox door went missing at some point and is now replaced with a wooden version. No. 9 is currently in store at Douglas and not directly available to the viewing public.
No. 10 "G. H.Wood"
Status: In Service
The first of two 1905 purchases, No. 10 is named after the railway's one-time company secretary and director George Henry Wood and indeed when new, so proud was the director of his
namesakethat he posed for photographs in front of the locomotive, the photos then being reproduced on his Christmas cards. As the first of the larger class of locomotives on the line, she was a regular performer and rarely out of service, operating mostly on the south line. She worked through the Marquess of Ailsayears to nationalisation but was withdrawn in 1977 with defective boiler. At this time she was stored in Douglas works and it wasn't until 1992 when sister No. 13 was withdrawn that she was reconditioned and launched at Easter1993 as part of the Year of Railwayssporting a darker green livery and black/red lining. She remains in service today, after a spell with a slight colour scheme change to black/yellow lining is now running in the Spring Green livery. She does not carry chimney numerals, and is the only member of the service fleet not to so do. No. 15 "Caledonia" (see separate entry) had her numerals removed in early 2007 but this was owing to an inconsistency in numbering only.
No. 11 "Maitland"
Status: In service
Stalwart of the fleet, rarely out of service, the second of the 1905 locomotives was named after another company director
Dalrymple Maitlandand is fondly remembered by several generations of enthusiasts as the longest-serving fleet member. Having been re-boilered in 1959 this ensured her future well into the final years of company operation, through the Marquess of Ailsayears and into nationalisation. Another boiler was fitted in 1981 (the first under government ownership) when she was re-painted into the current Indian red having previously sported a variation of the spring green livery. In 1989 she was chosen to take part in "The Ginger Tree" being filmed on the railway and was painted into an un-lined matt black livery which she retained for the rest of that season. In 2007 she was again withdrawn, and has not seen service but is expected to be the recipient of the next new boiler and return to active service thereafter.
No. 12 "Hutchinson"
Status: In service
The twelfth locomotive was a one-off order, similar in design to her two sisters purchased in 1905. Built in 1908 (Beyer Peacock works number 5126), she was delivered to the railway with salter safety valves and a deeper tone of
whistlethan had previously been employed. Still in service today, she has always been one of the most active members of the fleet, perhaps only surpassed by No. 11 "Maitland" and appearance-wise has had a chequered career. Today, she is largely in 1950s condition, carrying the Indian red livery of the period but her previous guise was much more contrasting. When the newly nationalisedrailway was in need of infrastructurerefurbishment, No. 12 was the second loco to be fitted with a new Hunsletboiler. At this time she was given larger water tanks and a square "house" or cab supposedly similar to that carried by No. 16 "Mannin". These features, together with a non- prototypicalblue livery gave the loco a somehwat odd appearance when compared with her shed-mates, and the look was not widely liked. She did however remain in this guise until withdrawn from service for rebuild and re-entered traffic in 2001 in traditional form. Also of note is that she was one of only two engines (the other being No. 5) to carry a brass fleet number above the name plate on tank. This was lost prior to the 1981 rebuild and has never been re-instated.
No. 13 "Kissack"
Status: In service
Another one-off order from 1910 (Beyer, Peacock works number 5382), unlucky 13 (latterly referred to as 12a by some of the railway's staff) was one of the backbones of the railway's fleet, having seldom been out of service until withdrawn with defective boiler at
Christmas1992; the boiler was refurbished and placed in the frames of No. 10 "G.H.Wood" which re-entered service as part of the " Year of Railways" in 1993 but No. 13 was left in dismantled form and stored. In 2001 it was announced that she would be the recipient of a new boiler and by the season of 2006 she was returned to steam. Painted in the now "fleet" livery of Indian red, her previous incarnation had been in and deep Brunswick green, not thought to have been an historic livery of the railway but more a "nice colour" at the time. She carries the deeper whistle that she will be remembered for in the 1980s but the brass safety valve bonnet that originates from this locomotive is now carried by No. 11. No. 13 is a regular performer on the railway and part of the active fleet.
No. 14 "Thornhill"
Status: In store
Built for the
Manx Northern Railwayin 1880, this locomotive was originally numbered 3, becoming 14 upon the merger with the Isle of Man Railway in 1905 but not receiving its number and chimney numeral immediately. She was the only locomotive purchased by the Manx Northern to be built by Beyer Peacock & Co., in their Gorton Foundry in Manchester (works number 2028), and was similar in design to No. 9 "Douglas". Unique among the fleet in still being in the most "original" form, she retained her distinctive Saltersafety valves until withdrawal from service in 1953 and after storage she was repainted and placed on display at St. John's station during the 1967 and 1968 seasons, and later at Douglas station. In 1978 she was sold for private preservation on the island and remains there today, unavailable for public viewing.
No. 15 "Caledonia"
Status: In service
This unique locomotive dates from 1885 and is the only engine on the line to have been built by
Dübs and Company, of Glasgow; purchased to tackle the steep gradients of the Foxdale Railwayshe was ideally suited to the job. After the merger in 1905 she was numbered 15 in the Isle of Man Railway fleet (having previously been Manx Northern's No. 4) and only saw sporadic use, most notably on snow clearing trains. When the Marquess of Ailsatook over operations in 1967 she was repainted into spring green livery and saw service once again but by 1975 she had been painted into Manx Northern colours and placed in the then new museum at Port Erin where she remained until 1993 when she was returned to Douglas by road for steam feasibility tests. By 1995 she was the star of the show, operating on the 1 in 12 gradients of the Snaefell Mountain Railwayas part of the centenary celebrations. This had historical precedent as "Caledonia" had been leased for construction purposes in 1895. She has since been part of the stable of serviceable locomotives, having been painted into a non-prototypical blue livery in 1999 but happily reverted to the intricate original paint scheme in 2007.
No. 16 "Mannin"
Status: Withdrawn 1964
The last locomotive to be supplied to the railway and built in 1926, again by Beyer, Peacock & Co. (works number 6296), No. 16 was by far the most powerful locomotive on the line. She was purchased to haul the heavy Port Erin boat train, a job which had previously taken two locomotives either double-headed or banked. Much larger than her older sisters, she was latterly used as Peel-based engine and appears to have never travelled on the Ramsey line (certainly there is no photographic evidence to support this). She remained in service until 1964 and later was repainted into spring green and placed on static display at St. John's and later Douglas stations until entering the railway museum in 1975 with "Caledonia" and "Sutherland". Never considered to be a candidate for restoration, she has only ventured out of the museum once (when it was being re-built in 1998/1999) and at this time she was treated to "lining out" of paintwork, the previous coat having never been lined. There were in fact two locomotives bearing this name, the other was a mock-up used in the annual Douglas Carnival parade but the fate of this loco appears to be lost in the mists of time.
No. 17 "Viking"
Status: In service
This engine was built by
Schömaof Germanyin 1958 and purchased by the railway in 1992 replacing the time-expired railcars (see below) which after many years of neglect were reaching the end of their useful lives (without receiving serious attention). As part of the Year of Railwayscelebrations in 1993 and following competition in the local press, the locomotive was named "Viking", the name originally to have been allocated to No.. 3 "Pender" back in 1873, and she was outshopped in a dark green livery similar to that carried by No. 10 "G.H.Wood" at the time. Upon delivery she had been in unlined green livery with the fleet number 208 on her cab sheet. Beset in latter years by mechanical problems, No. 17 is now in the spring green livery following comments made by local preservationists that a loco (preferably steam) should appear in this colour scheme. In a typical management decision of the time, they chose the diesel to receive this scheme.
No. 18 "Ailsa"
Status: In service
Built in 1994 and used by the contractors who re-laid the entire line in conjunction with the
IRISproject, this locomotive was bought from the contractors upon completion of the work and named "Ailsa" in honour of Marquess of Ailsawho has done so much to keep the railway alive in the late 1960s. It was stated at the time that the loco would receive a spring green livery (known as "Ailsa Green" as it was standard livery at the time of his ownership) but it remains in plain white livery to date.
Nos. 19 & 20
Status: In store, restoration partly completed. Work halted 1999
County Donegal Railways Joint Committeewas selling surplus assets in the early 1960s, the Isle of Man Railway were looking for a cheap alternative to their ageing steam locomotive fleet and purchased these two railcars. They had already been allocated fleet numbers which were retained by the new owners but it was only when the ex-contractors' engine No. 18 "Ailsa" was officially numbered in 2005 that the fleet had ever been in correct sequence. These railcars have been the subject of much controversy in the late 1990s when their over-budget rebuild was brought to a halt by incoming management and since this time no work has been done on them. The preservationist group Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Associationhave campaigned for their completion, especially in conjunction with the failed commuter trainservices that were laid on by the railway in connection with the T.T. races in 2007 but shifts in management attitude may see their return to service in the future. They remain in store at Douglas station.
The Simplex Locos
There are two Simplex locomotives on the railway, one of which is based at Port Erin for shunting purposes, the other at Douglas for the same reason. The south based version has had a somewhat crude cab fitted to protect the driver from the elements. The machine that is based at Douglas was resident in the old carriage shed (the site of the current railway offices) for several years, before overhaul and entry into service, complete with fluffy dice!
The Wickham railcars
There are also two
Wickham-built four-wheel railcars used by the permanent way gangs, and these are often transferred between the Manx Electric Railwayand the line as required. The railway was also in possession of a steam crane in the 1990s which was modified by owner Stephen Carterof the Laxey Towing Companyto be self-propelled. It has since been sold off-island.
Manx Northern Railway's first two engines were provided by Sharp Stewart & Co. (prior to merger with Dübs & Co. and Neilson Reid & Co. which formed the North British Locomotive Company) for the line's opening in 1879 and were 2-4-0side tank locomotives bearing the names "Ramsey" and "Northern"; whilst there are very few photographs in existence, it is known that they survived the takeover by the Isle of Man Railway in 1905 but were never re-numbered as the other two Manx Northern locomotives were. They saw very little use on the line after takeover(the railway having only just purchased Nos. 10 and 11 at this time) and were scrapped in 1923 and 1912 respectively. Their fate other than these dates is not known and they have become part of the folkloreof the island's railway network, lost in the mists of time.
The original company livery is thought to have been a deep green colour with black lining and either white or vermillon outer lining. This remained the standard livery of the line, although the white lining gave way to orange/red at some point. It wasn't until 1944 that the railway changed the standard livery to "Indian" red which is a rusty, orange colour akin to red lead paint. This remained standard until the 1967 re-opening when Lord Ailsa had service locomotives repainted into a fresh "spring" green livery very similar to
London and North Eastern Railway"apple" green. The story goes that Rev. Teddy Boston, a friend of the Marquesshad a model of an Isle of Man locomotive that he had painted green and said it was effective, the rest is history! Green became standard livery until nationalisation when "historic" liveries were re-introduced. Firstly, in 1981 No. 11 "Maitland" appeared in a variation on the Indian red scheme, followed by the most bizarre incarnation of them all, a royal blue No. 12 "Hutchinson" complete with alleged "Mannin"-Style" square cab. This was never popular with the enthusiasts and was eventually reverted to traditional Beyer, Peacock "house" in 2001. No. 13 "Kissack" also appeared in a darker green, and No. 4 "Loch" in a non-historical but very attractive shade of maroon. Locomotives were different liveries for the period, with No.1 being outshopped in spring green in 1998 for the "Steam 125" event. Upon the arrival of new management in 1999 all locos were painted into Indian red, harking back to the post war years (with the exception of "Caledonia" which was painted dark blue). For a heritage railwayto need such a corporate image (these were buzz words at the time) was a little puzzling but happily since the departure of that particular management regime the historical liveries have began to return, with "G.H. Wood" outshopped in spring green in 2007 marking the 40th anniversary of the takeover by Lord Ailsa, and "Caledonia" reverting to her original Manx Northern livery. It is understood that one further locomotive will be outshopped in the original darker green at some point. The only exception to the liveries above, is No. 11 "Maitland" and she received all unlined matt black livery in 1988 for use in filming the BBCdrama serial "The Ginger Tree" and this livery was retained for the rest of that season.
The railcars from the County Donegal Railway were in a deep red and cream colour scheme when they arrived on the island and when repainted by the railway company they retained broadly similar colours but the style was altered slightly. They remained in this livery until 1981/1982 when they visited the paintshops, one being outshopped in a cheerful blue and white livery for a very short time, but the
Falklands Warhad began and having them in Argentine colours was not deemed appropriate so they were hastily repainted to a red and white scheme (the same as that carried by the island's buses at the time) and they remained like this until withdrawal from service. No.17 "Viking" was a deep green colour upon arrival in 1992 and was repainted (but with black/orange lining added) for the naming ceremony in 1993. In 1999, when a local support group voiced the opinion that one engine on the line should be in the spring green livery, the management chose No. 17 to be so treated; it remains in this colour scheme, albeit slightly more grubby, today. No. 18 "Ailsa" was all over white upon delivery and there has been mention that it would be painted into another colour, spring green being mooted owing to the loco's name, but this has yet to happen. The two Simplex locomotives are painted blue, and yellow, whilst the Wickhamrailcars are also blue with yellow chevrons.
Whilst all from the same manufacturer broadly to the same design, the Beyer, Peacocks all have slight differences; for example, the first trio have their nameplates mounted forward of the injector feed pipe, whereas Nos. 4 and 5 are central, meaning the name plates unusually read "LO CH" and "MO NA", there being a gap where the pipe passes through! For some reason, only Nos. 5 & 12 ever carried a brass numeral above the nameplate, although when No. 12 was refurbished this feature was not returned. All locomotives have, at one time or another, carried brass chimney numerals, although today No. 10 does not carry any, and No. 15 lost hers when her identity was returned to Manx Northern Railway No. 4 in 2007; when originally returned to traffic in 1995 she carried both numbers at once! Over the years, the water tanks of each loco were patched when they leaked, resulting in each one being distinctive by their pattern of patches; this is not noticeable today as the tanks are welded and the rivets are only dummies for aesthetic purposes. No. 6 "Peveril" in the museum does however retain her patched tanks. There are several other differences for the die-hard enthusiast, such as the grab rail on the back of No.5's cab is of a different style to all the others, No. 11 has a brass safety valve bonnet (at one time carried by No. 13), No. 4 features fleet number and three legs of man in brass on the buffer beam, etc., etc.
The stable of Beyer, Peacock locomotives carry standard whistles, these can be broken down simply as high, medium and low. The medium tone of whistle is more commonplace for the simple reason that whenever a new boiler was supplied it came with a whistle. The higher "pea" whistle on the pre-1905 locomotives also has two variants, with 1-6 being higher than 7-9 and it was the distinctive shrill original whistle that No. 4 "Loch" carried in the 1980s and 1990s that will be remembered more recently. The third, much deeper tone of whistle was carried by Nos. 12 and 13 upon delivery but this changed so that by the 1950s they carried the standard one. When No. 13 was rebuilt in 1971 the original whistle was replaced, and events came full circle when No. 12 was extensively overhauled in 2001 she took was fitted with the original deeper whistle. At the present moment, No.4, known for the distinctive high pitch whistle, has been replaced with a medium tone one, as has No. 8 "Fenella" leaving only "Caledonia" with a shrill whistle. It is not known what type of whistles were carried by the Sharp Stewart locomotives. On occasion, such at Thomas Days, Santa Specials and the end of season trains, staff members put their own whistles on locomotives, such as triple-chimes but these were never fitted to the locomotives originally.
Isle of Man Railway stations
Isle of Man Railway rolling stock
Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
* "Manx Peacocks - A profile of Steam on the Isle of Man Railway" by David Lloyd-Jones - published Atlantic Publishers 1998
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domain: history


text:
The Obidos Narrow Streets: Blue, Yellow, Red and White
The Obidos Narrow Streets be an Explorer
The village of Obidos has a charm that comes from its people, its castle, the walls, the surrounding landscape but also its narrow streets.
These streets connect to each other through a traditional Portuguese sidewalk, irregular and full of stories, of artisans and their hands shaped by daily toil.
The whitewashed houses open their doors to those who visit the village along the lines of restaurants, bars, pubs, shops, museums and art galleries.
Walking through these streets is an exercise of pure pleasure in discovering new flavors such as cherry liqueur or just another photo
Obidos Main Gate (Porta da Vila)
The main of the four gates on the wall, to the south, the village gate, is an inevitable crossing point for anyone visiting the village.
This door that takes us to Rua Direita, welcomes the visitor with a remarkable display of traditional tiles in honor of the patron saint of the village, Nossa Senhora da Piedade.
The street that runs through the village has preserved its name since the 14th century. Picturesque houses, small shops and restaurants follow the extensive street side by side, inside, we can discover a series of Gothic portals that demonstrate that today's urban configuration does not portray the original.
To appreciate the main street of the village is to walk it with the people and flavors of Obidos. We suggest a calm step, a glass of cherry in hand and a small chat with one of the local artisans.
Enjoy and discover more here about the Castle and the Walls of the town of Obidos or else the other annual events that will delight you! Take a peek here and discover the Chocolate Festival and Vila Natal!

domain: travel