 |
|
Talking
English
Your Passport to Better Language Communication |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Keeping up with the Joneses
Keeping up with the Joneses: to always want to own the same expensive objects and do the same things as your friends or neighbours because you are worried about seeming less important socially than they are.
Jack & Jones, Tom Jones, James Earl Jones, Quincy Jones, Bridget Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Marion Jones - keeping up with the Joneses has never been easy, especially when they take performance enhancing drugs as Marion did.
Personally, I am of the opinion that the most famous Jones is Mick.
Mick Jones the footballer became the first 6-figure player signed by Leeds United when he cost £100,000 in 1967. He was an instant hit, top scoring in the League as Leeds claimed their first English championship in 1968. An integral part of the great Don Revie side of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mick won a second championship medal in 1974. He also won an FA Cup Final winner’s medal in 1972. Famously, in that 1972 Cup Final, Mick’s pinpoint cross from the touch-line was headed home by his strike partner, Allan ‘Sniffer’ Clarke, to secure a 1 – 0 victory.
However, Mick suffered an appalling injury, dislocating his elbow in the last minute of the game. He landed awkwardly after an innocuous and accidental clash with the Arsenal right back. When the final whistle blew Mick, who was receiving treatment from the club’s physiotherapist, was unable to celebrate Leeds' success, as he was in agony. He was in so much pain that he had to be helped - very slowly and gingerly - up to the Royal box to collect his medal, several minutes after his team-mates had done so.
In an astonishing 29-match unbeaten run at the start of the 1974 season, Mick scored 14 goals as Leeds coasted to the title. But he was beginning to have problems with his knees and spent the summer of 1974 having intensive physiotherapy, finally being forced to retire at the tender age of 30. His Leeds career ended with 111 goals from 312 appearances. In retirement, Mick did the traditional footballer thing – he became a publican.
As I did not attend my first football match until 1978 (Tottenham v Leeds) I never got to see Mick play in the flesh. However, I have seen Mick Jones the rock star live three times, most recently on 6 December, Independence Day, at Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki.
Born Michael Leslie Jones, on December 27, 1944 in Horsell, Surrey (just down the road from where I grew up, some twenty plus years later) Mick is a guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the founding member of the rock band Foreigner in 1976. Although Independence Day was Foreigner’s first visit to Finland, their catalogue of car-stereo hits is unrivalled: ‘Feels Like the First Time’, ‘Cold as Ice’, ‘Hot Blooded’, ‘Dirty White Boy’, ‘Waiting for a Girl Like You’, ‘Duke Box Hero’ (my favourite) and ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ (a Number One hit in both the UK and USA) all spring instantly to mind.
For a band having sold in excess of 50,000 records (mostly in America) attendance at the Kulttuuritalo was disappointing compared with the first time I saw Foreigner at the old Wembley Arena in 1985. This time, there was no backing gospel choir, no quartet of saxophonist and no spectacular special effects. Fortunately, the musicianship remained of the highest quality - Foreigner still rock!
After the show Foreigner packed their bags for two gigs in Germany before flying to London to open for Led Zeppelin at the new 02 Arena in London on Monday 10 December. Foreigner have promised to return to Finland in the near future, if not, perhaps I should travel to Yorkshire and have a beer in Mick’s pub?!
Yeah, he’s gotta keep rockin’ He just can’t stop Gotta keep on rockin’ That boy has got to stay on top
And be a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes He’s a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes…….
Mike Bangle is the owner of Talking English language consultancy and can be contacted at mike.bangle(at)phnet.fi
Word List
|
|
|
|