BLACK IS MY HEART

 This  morning started with my usual Breakfast of Champions: two Vyvanse, a pickled egg and a cup of coffee. The only thing missing is a high octane energy drink, but that shall surely come. Whatever gets you through the night or day I say.

I didn’t write anything  that day.Thought a lot about it. Curled  up in a ball, lied and bed and confined myself to my thoughts as is my usual fashion. Today breakfast du jour was a Java energy drink, two Vyvanse and a half pack of smokes. I’m going to go on a health kick.

I’m 65 years old now. I came to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada ten years ago as healthy as a horse, still a man reminiscent of the stud of his youth. In 2013 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer which thankfully is in remission as well as diabetes. However, my mobility is impaired and I have a small basketball for a belly with sticks for arms and legs. I reckon I look like a pregnant spider.

Of course this blog is in its infancy and will go through growing pains. I intend to post regularly so as to feed keywords to all the web crawlers and bots out there and get more views. I really get off on seeing the stats from Google on how many views I get and from which country. And as I write I have one follower besides myself, and for this I am grateful.

Twenty years ago when the internet was just becoming a thing, I had www.johnpaulyoung.com and would check my fan mail first thing in the morning and corresponding with those in France, Austria, Japan etcetera. 

But outrageous fortune played a hand in my life and I effectively disappeared for twenty years.

I didn’t tell anyone but I actually felt the compulsion to snuff myself the past few weeks.

But that would never happen rest assured dear readers.

FUCKED UP and I WANT TO BE A YANK

 Canadian punk band Fucked Up covered Cardboard  Brains “I Want To Be A Yank” from the 1977 White EP. A version of their cover is on CBC Music. Here is the original:

A New Day Has Dawned

I like the idea of reinventing oneself. Having lived in the depths of despair and adversity for so long, I need to believe that I can break free of my affliction and bondage and to prosper. There is a flickering light in my very soul that says I can despite my age and infirmities embrace happiness, health and self actualisation.

A New Day Has Dawned. I just like the sound of it.

I feel sick today. I don’t know what it is but there is an uneasiness in my gut. In conjunction my mind was in the turmoil that has haunted me for at least twenty years. Perhaps optimism is a delusion, but I relentlessly pursue happiness. Not to say that I achieve it, but nevertheless I hunger for and pursue it.

Murder Mayhem Madness. An audacious title and I chuckle inside at the reaction it gets, but nevertheless it holds true as an apt title of my tentative memoirs. It’s sensational but true.

Killer Rats is a film that I did in Bulgaria with Ron Perlman.

(2001)

Okay. I worked for International X-ray Company limited from at least 1969 to 2002. And I did a lot of other things. I am best known as lead singer of my band Cardboard Brains and being award winning recording artist of the album “The Life of Ermie Scub”. So lets get into that.

Here’s my discography:

Cardboard Brains “The White EP” 1977 (Brainco Worldwide)

Cardboard Brains “The Last Pogo” 1978 (BOMB records)

Cardboard Brains “The Black EP” 1979 (Guilt Records)

John Paul Young  “The Life of Ermie Scub” 1980 (Canadian Media Development Company) LP 

John Paul Young “Out Time Escapes”/“Fire Incensed As In Rage” 7 inch 1980.

John Paul Young and Cardboard Brains “Live at The Edge” (CMDC)1981 LP

John Paul Young and Cardboard Brains Compilation CD with added track “World Within a Dream” 1998. (MEG Entertainment).

Cardboard Brains “The White EP” fan re-issue ?

Awards:

1982 CASBY Award winner, Most Promising Recording Artist.

 So I continue to blog. So far its been therapeutic. My spirits are up and that’s a good thing. You would be amazed at what I can accomplish when I feel good.

One of the highlights of my career was backing up one of my favourite bands of all time: The Stranglers. It was during the Feline tour. I thought I would be crucified at Barrymore’s in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I had witnessed supporting acts suffer an unruly audience waiting for The Stranglers, and I had heard stories. As lead singer I was always the focal point of aggression and I thought I would be intimidated. But it was great.

And it was just three of us. Vince Carlucci on guitar and synth, Pauline Groen on synth bass and PolyMoog and me out front on vocals. And no drummer just a LinnDrum. We actually received an encore. Or two, I don’t recall.