#british independent record labels

[justforbooks]

Over the course of a long career, the American singer Marlena Shaw moved from jazz to soul and back again, searching for settings that would best enhance her fine voice. In later decades she commanded the allegiance of the British fans of the rare-groove movement, who rediscovered and particularly cherished her version, released in 1969, of a much recorded song called California Soul.

Shaw, who has died aged 81, made her first stage appearance at the Apollo theatre in Harlem, New York, when she was 10 years old. Billie Holiday was still alive and Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington were other inescapable influences on a jazz-inclined teenage singer seemingly destined to work with big bands in dancehalls and smaller groups in nightclubs. In her later years she became familiar with the sound of hip-hop artists basing their hits on samples from her singles and album tracks.

Shaw’s recording of California Soul, a song written by Valerie Simpson and Nickolas Ashford, popped up in Gang Starr’s Check the Technique and Stereo MCs’ Sofisticated. It was also used in American TV commercials for Dockers shoes, KFC fast food and Dodge trucks, and in 2022 it was awarded an official gold record by the British Phonographic Industry.

Born Marlina Burgess in New Rochelle, New York, she showed musical talent from an early age and was given her first opportunity to take the stage in 1952 by her uncle, Jimmy Burgess, a trumpeter and bandleader who was performing at the Apollo. It was through his tuition that she acquired her understanding of jazz phrasing, while her mother encouraged her to study music at New York State Teachers’ College in Potsdam, a small town close to the Canadian border.

But she failed to complete the course, marrying young and bringing up five children before picking up the threads of a performing career that had barely begun. There were more false starts. In 1963 she missed an appearance at the Newport jazz festival with the trumpeter Howard McGhee after an argument with the musicians, and an attack of nerves ruined an audition with the great talent scout John Hammond, who had signed Holiday and Bob Dylan, among many others.

But in 1966, while singing at the Playboy Club in Chicago, she was signed up by the locally based Chess label, the home of many popular soul and R&B performers. Her first single was a vocal version of Joe Zawinul’s gospel-style tune Mercy Mercy Mercy, which had been an instrumental hit for Cannonball Adderley.

In 1968 Shaw toured Europe with Count Basie’s orchestra, involving the bandleader in an amusing routine as she improvised new words to Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey? It was while appearing with Basie at the Sands hotel in Las Vegas that she decided to make the gambling capital her home, moving there in 1970.

A contract with the Blue Note label led to a series of albums in a smooth soul-jazz style, including one recorded live at the Montreux jazz festival. The title and content of another album, Who Is This Bitch, Anyway?, indicated a desire to challenge the then-current popularity of the sexually explicit singer Millie Jackson.

A move to the Columbia label in 1977 saw her transforming Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s Go Away Little Girl, originally recorded by Bobby Vee, from a lovelorn ballad into a statement of female independence introduced by a lengthy rap directed at a feckless, workshy lover: “I figure if I’ve got to get up and go to work every day, then every able-bodied in the household is supposed to get up and go … If for some reason you feel that you can no longer be the man you were at the beginning of our relationship, then I’ve got this one thing to lay on you, my sweet. Go away, little boy …” But eventually the attitude softens, and after a seduction scene the song fades out on a note of surrender: “You think you can get a job by Thursday? You promise? Then you might as well stay … Don’t go away … ”

It became one of her most popular songs in live performance, the prefatory rap acquiring extra twists, turns, and layers of sardonic saltiness. At the New Morning club in Paris in 2010, the man in the song had become someone who had picked her up at an airport giftshop, its final scene acted out with elaborately dramatised hand gestures, smiles, laughter and a winning command of her audience.

An elegant presence on the concert stage, she sang with a symphony orchestra in New Zealand and toured for four years with Sammy Davis Jr. There were further recordings for the Verve, Concord and South Bay labels, and in 1989 a duet with Joe Williams, another former Basie singer, on an update of the old Louis Jordan song Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby earned her a Grammy nomination.

Shaw ceased all professional activity in 2016, retiring to her home in Las Vegas. Her survivors include her daughters April and Marla, a son, Robert, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

🔔 Marlena Shaw (Marlina Burgess), singer, born 22 September 1942; died 19 January 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #marlena shaw #in memoriam

[lonely-soul-02]

Do you think Liam switched to the same record company that Noel is with because they may have made up?

No. The most logical reason for the switch is because Liam's contract with Warner was up and he was shopping around for a better deal, which Parlophone offered, bearing in mind that Parlophone is owned by Warner anyway but might offer Liam a bit more autonomy, especially when it comes to the tour schedule and choice of producers, plus it is a bit more focused on British artists.

Noel isn't contracted to any label. He has his own independent label. Parlophone is Noel's distributor, or one of them.

As an aside, I wonder if Liam is looking ahead a bit - might he also want to form his own label eventually and have Parlophone as distributor? There are pros and cons to being contracted to a major label and one of the cons is they do milk you for all you're worth and then some, and will put you on a demanding album release and tour schedule. It could be that Liam wants to slow the pace down somewhat.

#gallagher ask

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Sir Joshua Reynolds (English, 1723 - 1792) Lady Elizabeth Keppel, 1761

Full length, decorating Term of Hymen; in bridesmaids dress of flowered satin; a Black attendant holds flower wreath; at foot of column is a burning censer; curtain draped over tree. 2nd state of 5: on upper step of pedestal 4 Latin lines.

Reynolds’s “sitter-book” records eight appointments with Lady Keppel (1739–1768). The woman who accompanies her had two independent morning sittings in December 1761 (both after Keppel had been painted). We do not know her name, in place of which Reynolds entered a single word—“negro”—in his notebook. This terse archival trace confirms that she, like Lady Keppel, was painted from life. She is shown handing Keppel a garland of flowers with which to deck a statue of Hymen, the god of marriage. This detail alludes to Keppel’s recent role as a bridesmaid at the wedding of George III and Queen Charlotte. The dress worn by the servant may either be of glazed cotton, British silk, or possibly painted Chinese silk. If the woman was indeed Keppel’s servant, her dress may be a hand-me-down from her mistress, as was common in this period. The portrait (now at Woburn Abbey, UK) was exhibited at the Society of Artists as Whole length of a lady, one of her majesty’s bride maids. It was paid for by Lady Keppel’s brother, the third Earl of Albemarle (1724–1772). In 1762, shortly after the painting was finished, he would command British forces at the Battle of Havana, which resulted in Spain’s surrender of Cuba. This key victory of the Seven Years’ War reshaped the balance of power in the Atlantic. Gallery label for Figures of Empire: Slavery and Portraiture in Eighteenth-Century Atlantic Britain (Yale Center for British Art, 2014-10-02 - 2014-12-14).

#art #world history #art history #england #spain #cuba #africa #fine arts #classical art #female portrait #lady elizabeth keppel #fine art #oil painting #european art #powdered wig #pomaded hair #powdered hair #european history #western civilization #sir joshua reynolds #public domain #joshua reynolds #best quality online so far #decorating term of hymen

[pazzesco]

🎙️ Debbie Harry 🎶

NME - New Music Express

Martyn Goddard - Debbie Harry (Blondie) on Roof of The Record Plant studio with Nikon Camera - 1978

Martyn Goddard - Debbie Harry/Blondie - 'Parallel Lines' and 'Picture This' Cover Photoshoot - 1978

Adrian Boot - Debbie Harry at The Roundhouse, London Contact Sheet - 1978

Chalkie Davies - Debbie Harry In An Easy Chair - 1976

"Debbie's very first visit to London…The middle shot really captures her beauty. Put together they portray a bit of humour too. My photographs of Debbie appeared in the NME quite small, but within a very short period of time she was the world's music cover girl." - Chalkie Davies

Blondie: A promotional poster for the 'Blondie' album/single, 1977

Blondie were initially signed to a small independent record label Private Stock Records, who believed it best to market the band by using this type of image of Debbie Harry.

The band, who were unhappy with their promotion, bought back their contract with Private Stock and signed with Chrysalis in 1977. The British press for example were initially unsure if Blondie was a band or solo artist.

Blondie in 1977 (l–r): Gary Valentine, Clem Burke, Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri

Blondie: A Chrysalis Promo Poster For The 12in Single, Sunday Girl/Sunday Girl (French Version)/I Know But I Don't Know - 1979

Chalkie Davies - Debbie Harry, Black Stockings - 1977

"…Debbie Harry virtually defines the word photogenic and I knew that no matter how little experience I had in the studio we would produce great photos together. As a person who is very easy to photograph the session lasted only about fifteen minutes, wearing a Rudolph Valentino T-Shirt and a short denim skirt Debbie sat on the stool and we went thru a variety of poses. Once we did the photo seen here we knew we had what we wanted…and this photo appeared on the cover of the NME the following week." - Chalkie Davies

A Mick Rock - photograph of Debbie Harry - Color cibachrome print, titled "Blue Debbie Harry"

by Andy Warhol

#debbie harry #blondie #photography #andy warhol #Mick Rock #New Music Express #Chalkie Davies #Chris Stein #Adrian Boot #Jimmy Destri #Clem Burke #Gary Valentine #martyn goddard

[waspfanclub]

Happy Birthday to Rod Smallwood (74)

Roderick Charles Smallwood (born 17 February 1950) is an English music manager, best known as the co-manager of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden and US metal band W.A.S.P. with his business partner, Andy Taylor, whom he met while studying at Trinity College, Cambridge, he founded the Sanctuary Records Group in 1979, which became the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world until its closure in 2007. Prior to managing Iron Maiden, Smallwood managed Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel.

#ChrisHolmes #RodSmallwood #FrankieBanali #BlackieLawless

#wasp

#chrisholmes #RodSmallwood #frankiebanali #blackielawless #blackie #wasp

[rockislandadultreads]

Read-Alike Recommendations: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Show Tunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane’s mother says. In a respectable house.

The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, IMPEACHMENT: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane’s mother to know, which she does not): The doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in.

Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she’s going to be.

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

The year is 1969, and the Bayleen Island Folk Fest is abuzz with one name: Jesse Reid. Tall and soft-spoken, with eyes blue as stone-washed denim, Jesse Reid's intricate guitar riffs and supple baritone are poised to tip from fame to legend with this one headlining performance. That is, until his motorcycle crashes on the way to the show.

Jane Quinn is a Bayleen Island local whose music flows as naturally as her long blond hair. When she and her bandmates are asked to play in Jesse Reid's place at the festival, it almost doesn't seem real. But Jane plants her bare feet on the Main Stage and delivers the performance of a lifetime, stopping Jesse's disappointed fans in their tracks: A star is born.

Jesse stays on the island to recover from his near-fatal accident and he strikes up a friendship with Jane, coaching her through the production of her first record. As Jane contends with the music industry's sexism, Jesse becomes her advocate, and what starts as a shared calling soon becomes a passionate love affair. On tour with Jesse, Jane is so captivated by the giant stadiums, the late nights, the wild parties, and the media attention, that she is blind-sided when she stumbles on the dark secret beneath Jesse's music. With nowhere to turn, Jane must reckon with the shadows of her own past; what follows is the birth of one of most iconic albums of all time.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.

In early seventies New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially black women, who dare to speak their truth.

Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo’s most politicized chapter. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything.

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker 

In the male-dominated field of animation, Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses are a dynamic duo, the friction of their differences driving them: Sharon, quietly ambitious but self-doubting; Mel, brash and unapologetic, always the life of the party. Best friends and artistic partners since the first week of college, where they bonded over their working-class roots and obvious talent, they spent their twenties ensconced in a gritty Brooklyn studio. Working, drinking, laughing. Drawing: Mel, to understand her tumultuous past, and Sharon, to lose herself altogether.

Now, after a decade of striving, the two are finally celebrating the release of their first full-length feature, which transforms Mel’s difficult childhood into a provocative and visually daring work of art. The toast of the indie film scene, they stand at the cusp of making it big. But with their success come doubt and destruction, cracks in their relationship threatening the delicate balance of their partnership. Sharon begins to feel expendable, suspecting that the ever-more raucous Mel is the real artist. During a trip to Sharon’s home state of Kentucky, the only other partner she has ever truly known—her troubled, charismatic childhood best friend, Teddy—reenters her life, and long-buried resentments rise to the surface, hastening a reckoning no one sees coming.

#fiction #music #coming of age stories #readalikes #Library Books #reading recommendations #Reading Recs #book recommendations #Book recs #TBR pile #tbr #to read #Want To Read #Booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog

[thetoxicvault]

GIRLSCHOOL

The School Report 1978-2008 (2023)

HNE Recordings Ltd - HNEBOX161

Great Brittain / London / U.K. 🇬🇧

If you was lucky enough to have pre-ordered early you may have got a autographed card (sadly enough, i was not).

• In-depth box set, delving right back to the band’s pub rock roots right up until the present.

• A celebration of Girlschool’s 40 plus years of rocking the globe, kicking off with their independently released 45 ‘Take It All Away’ b/w ‘It Could Be Better’.

Formed at school in the mid-70s, when friends Kim McAuliffe on guitar and bassist Enid Williams joined forces as Painted Lady, Girlschool formed in 1978, swept up as part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement that also gave us Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon, recruiting lead guitarist Kelly Johnson and drummer Denise Dufort in April 1978.

Debut LP ‘Demolition’ made it into the UK Top 30 in 1980, and the girls even found time while recording their follow up album ‘Hit And Run’ (1981) with producer Vic Maile, to record the ‘St Valentines Day Massacre’ EP with label mates Motörhead as HeadGirl.1982’s ‘Wildlife’ EP would be Enid’s last outing with Girlschool for a while, as she was replaced on bass by Gil Weston for ‘Screaming Blue Murder’ (1982).

Their fourth album, ‘Play Dirty’ (1983), was issued in the States on Mercury Records, who also picked up the option to release their fifth, ‘Running Wild’ (1985). The first album to be released without Kelly Johnson, it saw founder members Kim McAulliffe and Denise Dufort joined by Gil Weston, Jackie Bodimead (lead vocals, keyboards) and Cris Bonacci (guitar).

A new deal with GWR saw albums ‘Nightmare At Maple Cross’ (1986) and ‘Take A Bite’ (1988), by which time the bass slot had been filled by former Rock Goddess Tracey Lamb. Their eighth studio album, the self-titled ‘Girlschool’ came out in 1992 and 2002’s ‘21st Anniversary – Not That Innocent’ marked the beginning of a more prolific time for the band, as they would follow it up with ‘Believe’ (2004), ‘Legacy’ (2008).

CD 4 features many rare B-Sides and non-album cuts, as well as demos dating from 1978 up to 2002 and CD5 boasts an ultra rare live recording from the pre-Girlschool Painted Lady.

This five disc set comes with an extended essay from NWOBHM expert John Tucker, and features plenty of pages of rare photos and sought after memorabilia.

Box Set Credits

Release Coordination : Hugh Gilmour & Steve Hammonds

with special thanks to Giles Lavery

Liner Notes & Compilation : John Tucker

Mastering Andy Pearce & Matt Wortham at Wired Masters

Design & Artwork Gilmour Design, London

Demolition Girls (1979-1983)

1-1 Take It All Away (A-side)

1-2 It Could Be Better (B-side)

1-3 Emergency

1-4 Nothing To Lose

1-5 Demolition Boys

1-6 Not For Sale

1-7 Take It All Away

1-8 Breakdown

1-9 Race With The Devil

1-10 Yeah Right

1-11 Please Don’t Touch (with Motörhead)

1-12 Hit And Run

1-13 The Hunter

1-14 (I’m Your) Victim

1-15 Watch Your Step

1-16 C’mon Let’s Go

1-17 Tush

1-18 Don’t Call It Love (Wildlife EP)

1-19 Screaming Blue Murder

1-20 It Turns Your Head Around

1-23 You Got Me

1-22 Take It From Me

1-23 1-2-3-4 Rock And Roll

Playing Dirty (1983-1988)

2-1 20th Century Boy

2-2 Play Dirty

2-3 Running For Cover

2-4 High & Dry

2-5 Going Under

2-6 Burning In The Heat

2-7 Nowhere To Run

2-8 Are You Ready?

2-9 Let Me Go

2-10 Running Wild

2-11 Love Is A Lie

2-12 Nasty Nasty

2-13 Back For More

2-14 All Day All Night

2-15 You’ve Got Me (Under Your Spell)

2-16 Let’s Go Crazy

2-17 Play With Fire

2-18 Head Over Heels

2-19 Action

2-20 Love At First Bite

2-21 Too Hot To Handle

Still Not That Innocent (1992-2015)

3-1 My Ambition

3-2 Can’t Say No

3-3 Can’t Do That

3-4 Take Me I’m Yours

3-5 Innocent

3-6 Knife

3-7 Coming Your Way

3-8 Mad Mad Sister

3-9 Let’s Get Hard

3-10 Secret

3-11 You Say

3-12 Passion

3-13 Other Side

3-14 I Spy (Dio/Iommi Mix)

3-15 Legend

3-16 Metropolis

I Told You So – Singles, B-Sides (1980-1983)

4-1 Furniture Fire (B-side)

4-2 Nothing To Lose (7″ edit)

4-3 Bomber (St Valentine’s Day)

4-4 Emergency (St Valentine’s Day)

4-5 Tonight (B-side)

4-6 Demolition Boys (Live B-side)

4-7 Tonight (Live B-side)

4-8 Wildlife

4-9 Don’t Stop

4-10 Tush

4-11 Don’t Call It Love

4-12 1-2-3-4 Rock And Roll (ext ver)

4-13 Like It Like That (B-side)

Demos (1978-2002)

4-14 Let’s Spend The Night Together

4-15 Just Don’t Care

4-16 Nothing To Lose

4-17 Baby Doll

4-18 Not For Sale

4-19 Running Wild

4-20 Love Is A Lie

4-21 I Told You So

4-22 Have A Nice Day

4-23 London

The Pre-School Years – Painted Lady Live (1978)

5-1 I Wanted To Boogie

5-2 Be My Lover

5-3 Smoke On The Water

5-4 King of The Blues

5-5 Sometime World

5-6 Rub It In

5-7 I Saw You Standing There

5-8 All Along The Watchtower

5-9 Paper Plane

5-10 Johnny B. Goode

5-11 Shoot Shoot

5-12 How Can I Tell You

5-13 Can’t Get Enough

5-14 All Right Now

5-15 Knocking On Heaven’s Door

5-16 Gimme Some Loving

5-17 Honky Tonk Women

5-18 Change’s Coming

5-19 Hey Joe

5-20 You Keep Me Hanging On

Credits

Bass Guitar – Bernice Cartwright, Jackie Carrera

Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals – Gil Weston, Tracey Lamb

Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals – Enid Williams

Drums – Denise Dufort, Tina Gayle, Val Lloyd

Keyboards, Lead Vocals – Jackie Bodimead

Lead Guitar – Cris Bonacci, Deirdre Cartwright, Kathy Valentine

Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals – Jackie Chambers

Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals – Kelly Johnson

Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals – Kim McAuliffe

#Girlschool #The School Report 1978-2008 #5CD #Boxset #2023 #HNE Recordings Ltd #HNEBOX161 #Great Brittain #London #U.K. #🇬🇧 #Classic Rock #Hard Rock #Heavy Metal #NWOBHM #YouTube

[louisupdates]

COSMOPOLITAN

BY FRANCESCA SCRIMIZZI (28.11)

(translated into English)

Looking over the stairs of a building in Corso Matteotti in Milan, two steps are enough for me to appreciate a confused and amused echo of fresh voices thundering in my direction. It approaches like a round hum that follows the structure of the stairs. It presses on regardless of my presence, whizzing fast next to me while I remain motionless on a quay. I realize, only later, that these are fans of Tomlinson, with autographs of their favorite singer in hand, obtained after who knows how many dreams and waits. Time stretching back to 2010, the year in which Doncaster's promising footballer presented himself to X-Factor UK, [Louis] did not pass the auditions but rather than be accompanied to the door, he was invited by Nicole Scherzinger, guest judge of that edition, to take part in a group in the company of other boys from different corners of the UK whose names will be destined to resonate. As it ironically turned out, One Direction did not win the reality show, but will eventually be confirmed to be the flagship product of the talent show by far, as were Måneskin, the great second place winner of the eleventh edition of XF Italia and now on the podium of the world. Within a short time: 50 million albums sold, titles such as Top New Artist according to Billboard, four BAFTAs, and in 2014, according to a list drawn up by The Sunday Times, One D would be the richest boy band in the history of British music, with a fortune of about £14 million each, receipts from both music and the sale of highly demanded merch.

But like any story, whether it's of love or professional intent it matters not, the breaking point came: in 2015 Malik left the band, and in March 2016 the rumors of the alleged dissolution of the band found confirmation, with the members announcing that they are taking a break until a date to-be-determined. From here the solo careers blossom, with Tomlinson founding the independent record label Triple Strings - (from which he was released in 2020) - with Steve Aoki - the single "Just Hold On". From here on, several tracks followed, such as the singles "Just like You" and "Miss You", and two albums, Walls and Faith In Future, released in November 2022. Meanwhile, Louis’ private life also was percolating, with the birth of a son to American fashion designer Briana Jungwirth, and two major losses, of his mother, who was struggling for months with leukemia, and sister Félicité, who died from a cardiac arrest at age 18. I spent an important time interviewing the 30-year-old boy whose eyes shine and who now comes straight at me, welcoming, melancholic, happy. This is Louis Tomlinson, an artist with a never-never-forgotten past and a bright future that is told through some titles from his new album.

Faith in the Future. An eloquent name. Where did it come from?

'I already had the title of the album in mind before anything else. So it dictated the mood to what I wanted to say, create. You usually write a few songs before thinking about the title of the album, but it was a nice way to do it, different, compelling. It gave me a very clear path of what I wanted to say, in terms of the intentions of the album. I was then trying to create something that would be nice to hear live since fans’ reaction to the past shows were incredible, surprisingly welcoming. Now I want to match these feelings, this enthusiasm, I would like to double that extraordinary feeling.'

Bigger Than Me. At the moment, what’s bigger than you and what do you want to overcome?

'During the lockdown I stopped to think and reflected on my career as a whole, thinking about the shows, songs and the meaning they can have for other people. And for a long time it was not easy to realize the impact this has had on people's lives. There were moments when I was on stage and it all looked bigger than me. In those moments a lot of things go through my mind. I think about trying to do everything right and being a perfectionist and everything. But when I get off the stage every night, I have the feeling that, thankfully, most of the people present had a nice evening. So, despite whatever crosses my mind, it's very easy to be too analytical as an artist and performer. And actually all of this is much bigger than what happens in my head.'

What would you recommend to a person who, like you, stops too much to think? Where and how can this virtuous circle be interrupted?

'I would say try to take every day as it comes, trying to live the moment a little. Because it's very easy to get caught up in the anxiety of the unknown. But if you have even a shred of faith in that future, everything will be fine.'

Chicago. What are the cities that make you feel at home?

'No place is like Doncaster, where I grew up. I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles. My son lives there, so of course there is that feeling of home due to having an important person in a very specific place. A place I always go back to, then, for whatever reason, is Barcelona. I had some good experiences there, good times. I think it's a fantastic city. I've never lived there, but I go through it often and will continue to do so.’

The Greatest. What's the song of your life, the one you always come back to?

‘Instinctively I would tell you ‘Super Sonic’ by Oasis.’

What about your biggest fear?

‘Some time ago I would have told you the fear of getting old. Now that I'm more mature, I would say it's that I can't make more music. It's all I have, everything I can do.’

And the greatest hope for the future?

‘To continue to do live music shows, meet my fans, engage in tours around the world.’

The greatest advice you can give to those who would like to become an artist, tomorrow.

‘I think when you start working as an artist it can be difficult to understand who you are specifically. This is a process, but it is much easier to work backwards starting from who you are not. And it's something I've always found very powerful: working backwards in this way. It gives you a clearer image of who you are as an individual and as an artist.'

And you, what are you not?

‘An asshole. I think. I hope!’

#louis tomlinson #cosmopolitan italia #28 november 2022 #faith in the future: promo #faith in the future: italy

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Virgin's 21st Anniversary Sampler 1993 New Wave / Alternative Rock / Progressive Rock / Alternative Dance

Pretty essential listening here if you want a quick and dirty rundown of one of the most important independent record labels in the history of contemporary and popular music. Chronologically woven, this one-CD, UK-released 21st Anniversary Sampler from Virgin Records tracks the label's growth and evolution in 18 songs, beginning in 1973 with Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells"—which also served as the theme music for The Exorcist—and closes out in 1991, with an offering from the phenomenal and innovative electronic-new wave-synthpop group Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark. Can't say I'm too fond of the track that was chosen to specifically represent them, though.

Truth be told, billionaire business magnate Richard Branson may be a tax-evading ass who's like a baby boomer version of Elon Musk—although a lot less abhorrent in many ways—and his seemingly heartfelt desire to help rid the world of its existential crises seems to often be at odds with his own practice of hyper-capitalist entrepreneurialism, as well as his extravagant lifestyle. But still, like him or not, before there was Virgin Airways, Virgin Megastores, Virgin Mobile, and all of his other many, many ventures, the guy definitely had an ear for good music. And Virgin Records ended up marking the highly successful start of his quite absurd and sprawling business empire.

So, with this release, you definitely will not be getting a full representation of Virgin in its first 21 years, as it's missing contributions from quite a lot of people, including the Krautrock bands that fueled a lot of the label's initial success, like Can, Tangerine Dream, and Faust, and essential new wave and synthpop groups like The Human League and Culture Club too. But be that as it may, when taking on the nearly impossible task of boiling down this label to just 18 songs, this CD still definitely goes, and it really shows just how large Virgin managed to get and how impactful their roster was on music in general.

Virgin had originally started out as a relatively small enterprise, but after being able to nab such a controversial act as The Sex Pistols in '77, things only proceeded to grow from there, and they then ended up becoming quite a force for British alternative, prog, and new wave, with bands like Genesis, Madness, Simple Minds, and XTC leading the way. Following the dissipation of that era in the late 80s and early 90s, they then landed acts like Soul II Soul, Lenny Kravitz, and Enigma too, whose own early successes of "Back to Life," "Let Love Rule," and "Sadeness," respectively, showed that Branson had developed a label that had clearly been built to last and could adapt to popular music's changing and expanding landscape, all while managing to maintain a certain air of alternative coolness—despite the cringeworthy "21 year-old virgin" joke that comes along with this album itself 😒.

Highlights:

Mike Oldfield - "Tubular Bells (excerpt)" Roxy Music - "Love Is the Drug" Sex Pistols - "Pretty Vacant" XTC - "Making Plans for Nigel" Phil Collins - "In the Air Tonight" Madness - "Our House" Genesis - "Mama" Simple Minds - "Waterfront" Public Image Ltd. - "Rise" Peter Gabriel - "Sledgehammer" Soul II Soul - "Back to Life" Lenny Kravitz - "Let Love Rule" Enigma - "Sadeness"

#new wave #alternative rock #progressive rock #prog #prog rock #alternative dance #dance #dance music #electronic #electronic music #music #rock #classic rock #70s #70s music #70's #70's music #80s #80s music #80's #80's music #90s #90s music #90's #90's music

[burlveneer-music]

Hidden Orchestra - To Dream is to Forget - back when I used Pandora, "Hidden Orchestra" was one of my favorite artist prompts to use

Since its inception, producer and composer Joe Acheson has carefully developed Hidden Orchestra from a simple initial project concept of ‘an imagined orchestra’ into something that has flourished into a widespan musical universe of its own, that is truly unlike anything else. After multiple albums with respected independent label Tru Thoughts, continued support from the likes of The Guardian, BBC6Music, FIP, JazzFM, several awards for innovative soundtrack work intertwined with AI and consistent global touring of an energetic and intriguing live show featuring two duelling drummers, their reach and influence has swollen to make them one of the highest regarded names in independent music today and has even led to collaborations beyond the world of music, with The British Library, Kew Gardens and National Trust all enlisting Acheson for unique installation projects. Yet regardless of the current brief in front of him, the initial mission statement to ‘create electronic music with acoustic means’ remains. While new album ‘To Dream is to Forget’ certainly maintains this mission statement, it does also bring about a sea change for the project on a few fronts. Released via Acheson’s own newly formed Lone Figures imprint, the musical direction for the record involved a concerted effort to condense musical themes and ideas into more immediate arrangements, with less utilisation of field recordings than previously released material. Predominantly sticking to this ethos has indeed meant an average track length reduction throughout, however there is still the same high level of musicality and no shortage of ideas within this rich collection of 10 original tracks. Written, recorded and produced by Joe Acheson. Featuring performances and improvisation from: Joe Acheson – piano (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9), bass guitar (1,2,5,6,7,9), double bass (2,5,9), zithers (5,7,9), analog synth (1,2,3,5,6,7), hammered dulcimer (1,9), HAPI drum (2,5), glockenchimes (3,7), egg-slicer harp (7), field recordings (3,4,7,9,10), cymbals (1,3,5), bassoon (2) Rebecca Knight – cello (1,6,7,8,9,10) Jack McNeill – clarinet (7,9), bass clarinet (1,3,7,9) Tim Lane – drums (3,4,5,7,9), bullroarer (7), trombone (2,5) Jamie Graham – drums (1,2,3,4,6,7,10) Poppy Ackroyd – violin (7) George Gillespie – fujara (5) Phil Cardwell – trumpet (2,10) Tomáš Dvořák – clarinet (2,3) Yvo Ackroyd Acheson – percussion (4,5) Su-a Lee – cello (1,9) Ali Tocher – sound effects (2,3,5) Artwork: Inishbofin Sound (detail) by Norman Ackroyd Design and Layout by Ruth Keating

#Hidden Orchestra #joe acheson #electronic #uk #modern classical #2023 #Bandcamp

[bespokeredmayne]

Double the pleasure

The details are out on the Feb. 17 release of the Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club original cast recording on vinyl — TWO vinyl LPs to accommodate the music (+ a bit of dialog + audience reaction) in the 1 hour 17-minutes of the seven-Olivier Award winning production. Several UK outlets are offering pre-orders, to be delivered on release day, and you can sign up worldwide here for notifications from the label, Decca Records (scroll to the bottom of webpage for vinyl).

The highly-anticipated, original cast recording of one of the most successful shows of all time: the newly-revived hit musical CABARET, brought to you from the KIT KAT CLUB in London’s West End.

Recorded during a live performance, with the exceptional in-house band at the KIT KAT CLUB, the award-winning original cast stars Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Tony and Olivier award winner Eddie Redmayne as ‘The Emcee’ and British Independent Film award winner, BAFTA and 2022 Mercury Prize nominee Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’. Here, the atmosphere and energy of the show is captured perfectly, for the very first time.

This 2LP is released on Friday 17th February.

Tracklisting -

1. Willkommen (Eddie Redmayne as ‘The Emcee’)

2. So What (Liza Sadovy as ‘Fraulein Schneider’)

3. Don't Tell Mama (Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’)

4. Mein Herr (Jessie Buckley)

5. Perfectly Marvellous (Jessie Buckley, Omari Douglas as ‘Cliff Bradshaw’)

6. Two Ladies (Eddie Redmayne, Sally Frith as ‘Frenchie’, Sophie Maria Wojna as ‘Rosie’)

7. It Couldn't Please Me More (Liza Sadovy, Elliot Levey as ‘Herr Schultz’)

8. Tomorrow Belongs To Me (Eddie Redmayne)

9. Maybe This Time (Jessie Buckley)

10. Money (Eddie Redmayne)

11. Married (Elliot Levey, Liza Sadovy, Anna Jane Casey as ‘Fraulein Kost’)

12. Tomorrow Belongs To Me – Reprise (Anna Jane Casey, Stewart Clarke as ‘Ernst Ludwig’)

13. Kickline

14. If You Could See Her (Eddie Redmayne)

15. What Would You Do? (Liza Sadovy)

16. I Don't Care Much (Eddie Redmayne)

17. Cabaret (Jessie Buckley)

18. Finale (Omari Douglas, Eddie Redmayne)

#eddie redmayne #cabaret at the Kit Kat club #vinyl original cast recording #jessie buckley #decca records #liza sadovy #elliot levey #omari douglas #anna jane casey

[justforbooks]

The American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, who has died aged 87, enjoyed considerable crossover success. For almost 60 years Lewis was one of the world’s most popular jazz musicians: a knack for interpreting pop songs as jazz instrumentals won him youthful audiences and helped make Lewis’s records part of the soundtrack to British club culture. His ability to adapt and develop his sound as modern music changed ensured he retained his appeal to different generations of jazz and funk fans.

By the time Lewis experienced his breakthrough US hit with The In Crowd in 1965 he already had a decade’s experience as a bandleader alongside working with the celebrated musicians Max Roach, Sonny Stitt and Clark Terry. Whereas they pursued a modern jazz aesthetic that emphasised rigorous experimentation, Lewis chose to make less confrontational music and, in doing so, won a large international audience.

Lewis’s mid-1960s US breakthrough was not replicated in the UK. There he would only enter the Top 40 once, in 1972, with Wade in the Water, an instrumental retooling of a gospel standard, reaching No 31 in September 1972 (some six years after it was a No 19 US Pop charts hit).

Yet his popularity in Britain went far beyond the charts: from The In Crowd onwards Lewis’s music found an appreciative audience – initially, the 60s found mods dancing to him as they embraced US jazz/R&B instrumentals, while the rhythm and blues star Graham Bond would perform Lewis numbers with his jazz-rock band. By the late 70s, Britfunk groups such as Light of the World were adding elements of Lewis’s more contemporary jazz-funk into their sound.

In the 80s, a new generation of British club DJs began picking apart Lewis’s 70s recordings, and album tracks such as Slick and Brazilica – both from the album Salongo (1976) – became mainstays in what would end up labelled “acid jazz”.

Jazz FM took on Lewis’s weekly syndicated Legends of Jazz With Ramsey Lewis show, broadcasting it for several years in the 90s – the London-based station was once pleasantly surprised to find a vacationing Lewis dropping by to say “hello”. By then, rap and dance producers were regularly sampling Lewis’s recordings, so bringing his music to a new generation of listeners.

Lewis released more than 80 albums, received five US gold records and won three Grammy awards. In 2007 the National Endowment for the Arts named him a Jazz Master, the highest US honour for a jazz musician. He continued to perform until 2019 when he announced his retirement – even then he kept on recording, leaving albums to be released and a memoir – co-written with the Chicago journalist Aaron Cohen – due to be published next year.

Lewis was born in Chicago, one of three children of Pauline and Ramsey Lewis. His father worked as a maintenance man and the family lived in the Cabrini-Green Homes, a new public housing complex.

His mother encouraged him to learn the piano from the age of four and, with his family, he attended Zion Hill baptist church – the gospel music he experienced there would, Lewis later noted, never leave him. His father was the choir director and encouraged his son to accompany the singers.

Lewis graduated from Edward Jenner elementary school in 1948 and enrolled at Chicago music college with the idea of becoming a concert pianist, soon leaving to marry Geraldine Taylor, taking a job in a record shop and joining the Clefs, a seven-piece dance band. In 1956 he formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio with the Clefs’ rhythm section bassist Eldee Young and the drummer Isaac “Redd” Holt.

The trio signed to Argo – a subsidiary of Chess Records, Chicago’s foremost independent label. That year saw the release of their debut album, Ramsey Lewis and His Gentle-men of Swing. In it, Lewis largely interpreted standards with a jazz flavour. He continued this formula – at least one album a year (including live, bossa nova and Christman albums) – into the 60s, attracting solid sales if little recognition.

The In Crowd album was the trio’s 17th LP and third live album. Its title track, when issued as a single, was picked up by US radio, soaring to No 1 in the R&B charts and No 5 in Pop while the album reached No 2 in the US charts. The band’s dynamic performance, recreating effectively the excitement and joy Lewis recalled from church, connected with listeners and Lewis found himself famous. Later that same year they released another live album, Hang on Ramsey!, providing another hit single with their interpretation of the 60s pop hit Hang on Sloopy.

Tensions between Lewis and his rhythm section saw Young and Holt leaving to form Redd Holt Unlimited. The 1966 album Wade in the Water gave Lewis his third US hit single and was his first recording to feature the Memphis native Maurice White on drums. White left Lewis in 1969 to lead the hugely popular Earth, Wind & Fire.

In 1974, White produced his former employer’s Sun Goddess, giving Lewis his most successful album and ensuring his sound was suitably keyed into a contemporary jazz-funk aesthetic.

Lewis continued to tour and to record regularly – including sessions with Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder and Nancy Wilson – alongside appearing on the rapper Guru’s Jazzmatazz Vol 2 album.

Everyone from Mariah Carey to the Geto Boys would sample Lewis’s recordings. He reunited his original trio for one album in 1983, joined the all-star jazz fusion group Urban Knights for eight albums between 1995 and 2019, hosted the Legends of Jazz TV series and, during the Covid-19 pandemic, produced a monthly Saturday Salon livestream series.

“Ramsey radiated class, character, and substance,” wrote Maurice White in his autobiography.

He is survived by his second wife, Janet (nee Tamillow), two daughters and three sons. Two sons and his first wife predeceased him.

🔔 Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, musician, born 27 May 1935; died 12 September 2022

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

#JUST FOR BOOKS #Ramsey Lewis #in memoriam

[daggerzine]

Space Kelly- Come To My World: A Tribute to Sarah (El Muto Records/Lounge Records)

I’m glad there’s been a lot of love for the much vaunted Sarah Records label these past few years. The little label that could, known for mostly British bands with jangly guitars and sensitive vocals really made its mark in the independent music world (it just took a little while). Michael White’s book from a few years ago (Popkiss) was terrific and there’s another book coming out this summer. There’s been a few other tribute albums and plenty of covers over the years, but this new one by German band Space Kelly is among the best.

Space Kelly leader Ken Steen was a big fan of the label for years beginning in 1991 when he would play along to a Brighter record in his bedroom. He then went to Japan for a visit, where they have a special love for the label, and that cemented his obsession with the label.

Fast forward to 2023 and Steen and his band cover 11 different songs from the label. Starting with the Sea Urchin’s “Pristine Christine’  and on to Another Sunny Day’s “You Should All Be Murdered” and on to the Springfields “Are We Gonna Be Alright?”

That’s the first three songs. There’s also covers of the Field Mice, Sugargliders, The Orchids, Brighter, and plenty more. The band went all in with strings and horns on some cuts  and the whole things sounds like a real labor of love, which it is. These covers don’t take the road less travelled as most of these are pretty faithful to the originals (which i don’t mind at all). 

If you have even a passing interest in this label then you’ll definitely want to hear this (again and again)

www.spacekelly.bandcamp.com

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: March 4, 1991

Lyrics:

This is Radio Freedom

KLF, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

KLF is gonna rock ya (are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu) A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

(Here we go, ancients of Mu Mu)

KLF is gonna rock ya (are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu) KLF, KLF is gonna rock ya

KLF (are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu)

Eternal

KLF is gonna rock ya 'cause you have to

Move to the flow of the P.D. Blaster

Bass ballistics, I'm gonna kick this hard

And you can catch it

Down with the crew-crew, talking 'bout the Mu Mu

Justified Ancient Liberation Zulu

Got to teach and everything you learn

Will point to the fact that time is eternal

It's 3 A.M., 3 A.M.

It's 3 A.M. Eternal (eternal)

KLF is gonna rock ya

(Are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu) A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

Eternal (here we go)

(Ancients of Mu Mu)

KLF (are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu) A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

Eternal

Sample city through Trancentral

Basic face kick elemental

Swings brings new technology

The 'K' the 'L' the 'F' and the ology

Da Force coming down with mayhem

Looking at my watch time 3 A.M.

Got to see that everywhere I turn

Will point to the fact that time is eternal

It's 3 A.M., 3 A.M.

It's 3 A.M. Eternal (eternal)

A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

Eternal

KLF, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

KLF, a-ha, a-ha

KLF is gonna rock ya (are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu) A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

(Here we go, ancients of Mu Mu)

KLF is gonna rock ya (are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu) KLF, KLF is gonna rock ya

A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

Eternal (here we go)

(Ancients of Mu Mu)

KLF (are you ready?)

(Ancients of Mu Mu) A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

Eternal (here we go)

A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha

Eternal (here we go, here we go)

(Ancients of Mu Mu, are you ready? Are you ready?)

Got to see that everywhere I turn

Will point to the fact that time is eternal (ancients of Mu Mu)

Eternal (here we go)

Songwriter:

KLF

Ladies and Gentlemen

The KLF have now left the building

James Francis Cauty / William Ernest Drummond

SongFacts:

"3 a.m. Eternal" is a song by British acid house group the KLF, taken from their fourth and final studio album, The White Room (1991). Numerous versions of the song were released as singles between 1989 and 1992. In January 1991, an acid house pop version of the song became an international top ten hit single, reaching number-one on the UK Singles Chart, number two on the UK Dance Singles Chart and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, and leading to the KLF becoming the internationally biggest-selling singles band of 1991.

The following year, when the KLF accepted an invitation to perform at the 1992 BRIT Awards ceremony, they caused controversy with a succession of anti-establishment gestures that included a duet performance of "3 a.m. Eternal" with the crust punk band Extreme Noise Terror, during which KLF co-founder Bill Drummond fired machine-gun blanks over the audience of music industry luminaries. A studio-produced version of this song was issued as a limited edition mail order 7-inch single, the final release by the KLF and their independent record label, KLF Communications. Q Magazine ranked "3 a.m. Eternal" number 150 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" in 2003.

There are two video versions for the SSL video. The American version includes an opening with a travel through the mythical "Land of Mu Mu" where the KLF are performing inside a pyramid scenery with singers in a stadium. The European version shows the KLF vehicle (the police cruiser used in their Timelords incarnation) voyage around London with rapper Ricardo da Force singing in the backseat and a rave showing in the background. The video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.

#Youtube #Spotify #The Klf #3 a.m. eternal #music #music video #video of the day #hit of the day #youtube video #chaos radi o #good music #pop #house #hip hop #pop rap #electronic #techno #trance #90s #90s charts #90s music #90s style #1991 #lyrics #songfacts #138

[cpurecords]

[natromanxoff]

Record Collector - December, 1996

Credits to Louise Belle and Queencuttings.com

NEWS FOR THE RECORD

COMPILED BY MARK PAYTRESS

MERCURY MULTIMEDIA

THE FREDDIE MERCURY PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION

THE FREDDIE MERCURY PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION

An exhibition featuring over 100 photographs of Freddie Mercury went on show at the Royal Albert Hall last week, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the death of the Queen frontman. The display is drawn from both private and public collections and spans the singer’s life from his infancy in Zanzibar to his final, formal portrait, taken during his battle against Aids. The exhibition is free of charge, and is open until 11th December.

Turn to the feature elsewhere in this issue for more details, plus an exclusive selection of images from the show.

QUEEN GIVE US THE EYE

Queen Multimedia, in conjunction with Electronic Arts, have announced the launch of “The Eye”, an interactive, action-adventure computer game, based on the music and imagery of the band.

The game will be available in March 1997 as a five-CD-ROM set compatible with IBM PCs. Ninety minutes of original and remixed versions of Queen’s best-known songs have been aligned to “motion captured characters and real-time facial animatio”.

“ ‘Queen — The Eye’ will be the first music game of its kind,” claims Tim Massey of Destination Design, who created the package. “This resourceful vision makes the integration of Queen’s timeless appeal with the revolutionary audio and visual gaming technology a ‘must have’ product.”

Expect a flurry of promotional and advertising initiatives to tie in with the release of the game, including a ‘making-of’ TV documentary; a worldwide syndicated radio special; and at least three associated books, to be published by Boxtree. A price for “Queen — The Eye" has yet to be fixed, although the manufacturers estimate it will be in the region of £40.

STATUESQUE MERCURY

On 25th November, five years after the untimely death of Freddie Mercury, a 9ft bronze statue of the late, great singer was unveiled at the waterfront at Lake Geneva, Montreux, Switzerland, near to Mountain Studios where Queen recorded their final album, “Made In Heaven”. The statue was paid for by Freddie’s family and friends, and the patch of land on which it stands was donated by the commune of Montreux, who got to know Freddie during his final years.

The statue is the work of Czech sculptor Irene Sedliek, a fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and a memory of the Society of Portrait Sculptors. The memorial was unveiled by opera star Montserrat Caballe, with whom Freddie recorded his “Barcelona” theme tune to the 1988 Olympic Games.

WIENER WILL ROCK YOU

Following screenings at film festivals in Venice, Cannes and London earlier this year, Queen’s “Made In Heaven: The Films”, is now available on a compilation video, via independent label Wienerworld, priced £10.99. Without Freddie as Queen's focal point, the band bypassed the traditional rock video medium and opted instead to commission eight short films from young directors via the British Film Institute.

“Queen were the pioneers of the promo and have reinvented it on many occasions. The project offered the opportunity to think hard about what has happened to the music promo, and how to invigorate a more dynamic relationship between pictures and sound,” said executive producer and head of the BFI Film Division Ben Gibson. “l think the results, which are films in their own right, vindicate everyone’s belief that the project has crossed new boundaries on short film-making.”

EURO GA GA

“Queen Dance Traxx 1” is a new album featuring sixteen Europop cover versions of songs made famous by pop's most flamboyant foursome. Issued on the Continent in October and in January in the U.K., the CD features dancefloor-orientated reworkings of Queen anthems like “We Will Rock You” (by Interactive), “Under Pressure” (by Culture Beat), “l Was Born To Love You” (by World's Apart) and “The Invisible Man” (by Scatman John).

“The first time I heard ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ I stopped what I was doing and just listened,” reports the Scatman. “As a jazz artist at the time, I knew I was hearing something special. Freddie Mercury’s knowledge of music, coupled with his vision, was clearly understood by the band… and there was a development and execution of that understanding that created music I felt was of genius. With this project, we’re aiming to bring a new life to the music of a past generation with sensitivity, with taste and with creativity.”

LASERS LEAD THE WAY

Two other Queen films, the “Champions Of The World” documentary and “The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert”, have just been issued on Laser Disc, via Pioneer. The Laser Disc is the principal video format in the States, and is growing in Europe. The manufactures of these 12" diameter, double-sided discs claim digital sound and broadcast-quality pictures, plus the added bonus of compact disc-style indexing. On music titles this means you can key into favourite tracks without having to bother with out-moded ideas like fast-forward and rewind.

“Champions Of The World” is priced £24.99, while the double-disc “The Freddie Mercury Tribute” costs £34.99. Forthcoming Queen Laser Disc releases include “Greatest Hits 1 & 2” and “Wembley”.

FLASH!

THE FREDDIE MERCURY PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION

ANDY DAVIS INTRODUCES A NEW VISUAL CELEBRATION OF QUEEN’S MUCH MISSED FRONTMAN

It’s now five years since the rock music world learned of the tragic death of Freddie Mercury. In that time, the surviving members of the band have paid tribute to him by completing and releasing the final album they recorded together, “Made In Heaven”, and have sanctioned a whole host of projects by which fans can remember Freddie and the group he fronted with such astonishing showmanship for twenty years.

Now, to mark the fifth anniversary of his death, and to celebrate his extraordinary life, an exhibition featuring some of the best photographs of Freddie Mercury has just opened at the Royal Albert Hall. Sponsored by EMI Music, the exhibition was conceived by Queen’s manager Jim Beach, and is being put together under the aegis Of Freddie’s publishing company, Mercury Songs. One of its principal aims is to raise both funds and awareness for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the Aids support charity established in Freddie’s name in the wake of his death. (To date, the Trust has raised around £4 million.)

The choice of venue — the circular corridor which runs around the inside perimeter of the Royal Albert Hall — is both unusual and prestigious, as explained by the exhibition’s curator, Richard Gray, who as Queen’s art director, has been the man behind all the band’s artwork for the last ten years.

“It took a long time to figure that the Royal Albert Hall might be the venue,” he reveals. “Exhibitions like this are usually something they don’t get involved with. But we wanted people to have access to the show without getting the feeling you can get, for example, in some art galleries, where the door has to be unlocked for you before you can even go in. The exhibition is free of charge, but there will be collection boxes on the site, and we hope that people will be generous!”

CUTE

The exhibition features over 100 colour and black-and-white images spanning Freddie’s life, from cute baby photos of the infant Farookh Bulsara just a few months old in Zanzibar to his final, formal portrait, taken by Richard Gray for “Greatest Hits II” in 1991. Each photograph has been enlarged to 20” by 16”, and has been carefully retouched where appropriate, and then finished using the most sophisticated imaging techniques available. In all, the show took over a year to complete.

“The big jump came when we were granted access to Freddie’s parents and his photo albums,” reveals Richard. “Initially, Freddie’s parents weren’t sure whether they wanted to open up their family albums, but once they’d made that decision they were happy for us to continue.” Because ofhis family’s co-operation, fans now have a rare opportunity to glimpse the man, the child even, behind the Mercury persona which Freddie spent much of his life cultivating. But what a persona!

Among the pictures Brian May contributed from his personal collection are a series of stereo photographs of Freddie taken the late 70s and early 80s. “Stereo cameras take two he shots of the same image and turn them into 3-D,” explains Richard. “They’re quite amazing. There are five stereo pictures on show in a special viewer, all of which feature Queen live on stage. Brian would lend his stereo camera to photographers covering the concerts, and there are others by David Burder, an expert in 3-D photography, who also happens to be a friend of Brian’s. He helped me get the shots together.”

Among the other images on show are pictures of Freddie at Ealing Art College in the late 60s, dozens of stills of him in Queen throughout the 70s and 80s, and a handful of Polaroids of the lakefront view at Montreux, which Freddie sent home to his parents. “It’s more the case of telling a story than just a photographic exhibition,” maintains Richard Gray. “There are lots of photos which you'll recognise, but others, probably about 25%, which have never been seen before.”

Another highlight for fans will be the only U.K. showing of the three-foot high plaster model which sculptress Irene Sedliek used for her statue of Freddie, recently erected in Montreux, Switzerland, and which appeared on the cover of “Made In Heaven” album. A smaller version of the statue, measuring about 12” in height, will be included in the exhibition when it travels abroad next year.

After a break for Christmas, the exhibition will move to the National Theatre in Paris for two weeks in January, followed by a season at the Cologne Philharmonie in Germany. Thereafter, it will undertake a two-year world tour, and there are plans for it to return home sometime in the near future, where it will be staged in various provincial British cities. Commemorative tie-in merchandising, including a set of six postcards, a poster, T-shirt, and a 20-page programme, is on sale at the exhibition, all profits from which will go to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

All photographs reproduced by kind permission of Mercury Songs Ltd.

The Freddie Mercury Photographic Exhibition is open from 10.00am to 1.00pm until 11th December 1996 (excepting Thursday 5th December), at the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW72AP. Admission is free but by ticket only. 500 tickets are available in advance for each day of the exhibilion. A further 1,000 tickets are available each day to personal callers.

Telephone bookings/enquiries: Royal Albert Hall Box Office, 0171 589 8212, open 9.00am to 9.00pm every day.

Photo captions:

• Farookh Bulsara pictured at home in Zanzibar in spring 1947, as captured by a local Indian photographer.

• LEFT The young Freddie Mercury, snapped by his father in the family’s back garden in Zanzibar. He’s dressed for a blessing ceremony at a fire-temple, as a birthday celebration.

• ABOVE Freddie and his sister Kashmira, again photographed by their father, in the Indian village of Bulsar, from which the family took its name.

• The Hectics, Freddie’s first rock’n’roll group, at St. Peter’s School, Panchgani, India in the late 50s.

• ABOVE A Little Richard impression from Freddie and the Hectics. That’s the fledgling Mr. Mercury at the piano, of course.

• BELOW Young Freddie Bulsara and his St. Peter’s School classmates in the original “Bicycle Race” from the late Fifties.

• Freddie live on stage in America, during 1980 — playing up to drummer Roger Taylor while his audience watches adoringly.

• ABOVE Backstage during the South American tour, Freddie experiments with an acoustic 12-string.

• RIGHT Queen in the enormous Estadio Municipal at Mar Del Plata, in Argentina, during their 1981 South American tour.

• ABOVE An armed security guard greets Queen as they arrive via helicopter in Argentina in 1981. Within months, the Falklands War had broken out.

• BELOW Freddie and Queen enjoying the company of Argentina’s armed police motorcycle escort!

• LEFT A still from the unforgettable 1984 video for the “Radio Ga Ga” single.

• RIGHT Another video still, as Freddie catches up with the hoovering on the set of “l Want To Break Free”.

• BELOW Freddie in full flight during the band’s 1982 U.S. tour.

• LEFT The 1987 version of Freddie’s peacock suit first seen in “It’s A Hard Life” — an inspiration for Paul Weller’s last single, perhaps?

• ABOVE A candid portrait from Freddie's final years, used to promote Queen’s 1990 album, “Innuendo”.

• BELOW An official portrait for Freddie’s duet with Montserrat Caballe in 1988.

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #montserrat caballe #queen scans #queencuttings.com #record collector december 1996