Non BOP MISC.VIDEOS and Links..

[Gilly]

Found this today: taken from yahoo news
The Royal Air Force has got a new target in its sights - a hit album in the charts.

The RAF central band, founded 90 years ago, has signed a recording deal for a special album marking the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The collection, called Reach For The Skies, will feature some of Winston Churchill's most famous WWII speeches, supported by wartime music played by the marching band.

Members of the band signed a record contract on the wing of a Spitfire fighter plane at the RAF Museum in London.

Mark Wilkinson from record label Decca, said he wanted to find the right band to mark the anniversary.

"This is a really important year for the air force, a really important year for the country.

"We wanted to commemorate that in words and music.

"It made an awful lot of sense to go to the very top, to go to the very best, the central band of the Royal Air Force."

Making records is nothing new for this band - in the 1930s they were the first military band to record an LP.

But for those in the current line-up, this new experience has been one to remember.

Senior Aircraftman Neil Chapman, who plays bass drum in

the marching band, says making the record was "really exciting" and an experience he enjoyed.

"I've never worked in a professional music studio before and to be behind the mics playing and also to be in the studio listening back to the recordings, it was really quite an event."

And while other newly signed bands start wanting first class fights and free champagne, Neil says his bandmates aren't that greedy.

He says they're happy with "as much tea and coffee as can be drunk" and "a few bacon sandwiches".

:: Reach For The Skies is out on 27th September


One thing to note is that it's always pleasing to see our journalists get the plane correct.....