The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur open thread for Tuesday, June 28

good morning everyone. here’s a smiling skipp to start your day.

Okay, so in my pre-ramble for Monday’s hoddle I suggested that Tuesday’s hoddle (that’s today) would make sense as to why I decided to only have Patti Smith tracks this week. As the day progressed, I found it more ridiculous to make that commitment. But it is one I will honour anyways.

So, on with today’s hoddle.

Some hoddle ago I typed my thoughts on a Patti Smith bootleg while it was spinning on my turntable. There was no cover art, song list or anything, so it was a fun project.

And during another hoddle I talked about books. I talked about one I recently finished on mushrooms, and one I started on Patti Smith.

As I continue PORING through the Patti Smith book, I’m stunned at the list of artists, musicians and poets she came across in New York City. A dizzying number.

One of those artists was Janis Joplin. They knew each other well, apparently.

Janis Joplin had a bad night one August - the man she was attracted to went home with someone else.

“‘This always happens to me man. This always happens to me,’” Smith recalled Joplin saying.

Patti Smith took Janis Joplin back to Hotel Chelsea to keep an eye on her (both were residents there). And it was at the hotel that Smith told Joplin she wrote a song about her.

I played my bootleg a little later that night and towards the end of Side 2 I recognise some of the words that Smith is singing. I flipped through my book and read along the poem as the words matched exactly what Smith was singing.

A theatre that is full

But oh baby

When the crowd goes home

And I turn in and realize I’m all alone

I can’t believe

I had to sacrifice you

Smith wrote those lines before she performed her first poetry reading, let alone concert. It has to be one of the earliest songs she’s ever written.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Lullaby, by Patti Smith

And now for your links:

LAFC announce signing of Gareth Bale

Jack Pitt-Brooke ($$): One of footballs best game-changers coming to Los Angeles

Peter Cech latest figure to leave Chelsea

Iceland midfielder talks about being a mother and professional footballer