Norwegian band Savoy are most likely to be relatively unknown to most people in the UK, but one of their members is far from obscure: Paul Waaktaar-Savoy is the man responsible for young women fainting en masse in the late 80s and early 90s.

He’s a member of the global super-hit Scandinavian band a-ha and penned some of their biggest hits including: “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.”, “Hunting High And Low” and “Take On Me”.

The Norwegian born songwriter’s band Savoy are made up of his wife; American filmmaker Lauren Savoy (guitar and vocals), Frode Unneland (drums) and Paul himself who leads the band on vocals and guitar as well as composing the songs with his wife.

Savoy has always only been able to be a side project for Paul as the demands of recording and touring with a band like a-ha were always very restrictive. In fact Savoy have never actually been out on tour as they don’t have the time.

Despite this, the band enjoyed considerable success in their home country selling more than 300,000 records with a career that spans more than a decade.

This new release, ‘Savoy Songbook Vol. 1′ is a collection of their best songs reworked, plus some new ones.

Savoy will be playing the Royal Albert Hall on May 24th, 2008 alongside a-ha band members Magne F and Morten Harket who will also play solo slots that night.

‘Savoy Songbook Vol. 1′ comes out through Genepool Records on May 5th, 2008.

Savoy on Myspace

Just before the release of their new studio LP ‘Accelerate’, REM announced they will play Apple Store on London’s Regent Street for a selection of lucky competition winners on Wednesday March 26th, 2008. This will follow what is sure to be one of the events of the year - REM’s highly anticipated headline performance at The Royal Albert Hall on Monday March 24th.

The ICA have put together a stellar day of REM related events in tribute to the band and their electrifying new album ‘Acclerate’. The day will consist of a pre-release playback of the new material, an exclusive screening of Vincent Moon’s R.E.M film Six Days, plus a Q&A with Vincent and Michael Stipe.

Monday March 24th, 2008
ICA REM DAY - beginning 11AM

Royal Albert Hall with Foals, The Duke Spirit, Robyn Hitchcock and John Paul Jones

Wednesday March 26th
Apple store, Regent Street

This UK visit follows a magnificent show at SXSW in Texas, where the band stole the show playing tracks from the new album ‘Accelerate’, as well as favourites from their back catalogue.

New album ‘Accelerate’ out March 31st, 2008 on Warners; 1st single “Supernatural Superserious” out now!

R.E.M Official Website

Just before the release of their eagerly anticipated new studio LP ‘Accelerate’, R.E.M. have announced four outdoor summer stadium shows for August 2008. Tickets go on sale Friday February 29th, 2008 at 9am.

One of the most successful and influential bands of all time, R.E.M. look set to make 2008 their year. These must see shows will be one of the events of the summer.

R.E.M. August 2008 UK tour dates:

24th MANCHESTER, Lancashire Country Cricket Club
25th CARDIFF, Millennium Stadium
27th SOUTHAMPTON, Rosebowl
30th TWICKENHAM, Twickenham Stadium

Tickets go on sale Friday February 29th at 9am and are priced at £45 (may be subject to booking fee)

Cardiff, Southampton and Twickenham tickets available from Live Nation, and by telephone from 0844 576 5483 (cc 24 hrs)

Manchester tickets are available from GigsAndTours / TicketMaster - 24hr cc hotline 0871 2200 260

R.E.M - Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills will play their first ever show at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall on March 24th, 2008 featuring special guests Robyn Hitchcock, Foals, Duke Spirit. The sold out event comes before R.E.M’s UK festival appearances at Oxygen in Dublin (12th July) and T In The Park (13th July).

R.E.M will tour the US from May 23 to June 21 before embarking on a European tour starting July 2nd in Amsterdam.

‘Accelerate’ is released in the UK on March 31st on Warner Brothers. The first single “Supernatural Superserious” is available now digitally. Physical release to follow.

R.E.M. 2008 European Tour / Festival dates:

Dates could be added or changed! Go to R.E.M.’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information

2nd July AMSTERDAM Westerpark
3rd July BELGIUM Werchter Festival
5th July SPAIN Bilbao Live ‘08 Festival
6th July SPAIN Doctor Loft 05.00 Festival, North Barcelona
8th July FRANCE Les Nuits de Fourviere Festival, Leon
9th July FRANCE Theatre de Verdure, Nice
12th July IRELAND Oxygen, Dublin
13th July UK T In The Park, Glasgow
15th July GERMANY Elbufer, Dresden
16th July GERMANY Waldbuhne, Berlin
18th July SWITZERLAND Locarno City Square, Moon & Stars
20th July ITALY Parco Santa Giuliana, Perugia
21st July ITALY Arena Verona
23rd July ITALY Mostra D’oltremare, Naples
24th July ITALY Villa Manin, Udine
26th July ITALY Arena, Milan
14th AUGUST AUSTRIA Frequency Festival, Salzburg
16th August HUNGARY Sziget Festival, Budapest
17th August CZECH Slavia Stadium, Prague
19th August GERMANY Ehrenhof, Stuttgart
20th August GERMANY Loreley, Rhine Area, Freilichtbuhme
22nd August GERMANY Wurzburg, Marienfest
24th August UK Manchester, LCCC
25th August UK Cardiff, Millennium Stadium
27th August UK Southampton, The Rose bowl
30th August UK Twickenham, Stadium
3rd September NORWAY Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo
4th September NORWAY Koengen Stadium, Bergen
6th September DENMARK Parken Stadium, Copenhagen
7th September SWEDEN Stockholm Stadium
9th September FINLAND Finnair Stadium, Helsinki

R.E.M. - Accelerate: Special Edition on amazon.co.uk

R.E.M. Official Website
Supernatural Superserious Website

The show takes place March 24th, 2008 and is scheduled to include special guests Robyn Hitchcock, Foals and Duke Spirit.

Tickets go on sale Friday February 15th, 2008 at 9am and are priced at 55 GBP/45 GBP/40 GBP/25 GBP (may be subject to booking fee).

Available from Live Nation and by telephone from 0844 576 5483 (cc 24 hrs).

Royal Albert Hall ticket phone line 0207 589 8212 (Limited tickets). Royal Albert Hall Official Website.

All profits will go to the ICA, a non-profit arts institute and registered charity. ICA Official Website.

Produced by Jacknife Lee and R.E.M., ‘Accelerate’ is released March 31st, 2008 on Warner Brothers.

The first single “Supernatural Superserious” is released February 11th digitally with a physical release to follow.

R.E.M. are also set to tour the US from May 23, 2008 to June 21 before embarking on a European tour starting July 2nd in Amsterdam.

UK dates will be announced shortly.

An official countdown for the album has already begun on Nighty Nights, which launched January 1st.

R.E.M. on Myspace
R.E.M. Official Website

Jools Holland shows what friends are for as he releases his twelfth studio album in as many years on 15 October, 2007 on Rhino. Entitled ‘Best Of Friends’ this album is a personal collection of some of Jools Holland’s best loved and most memorable tracks from his collaborations over his last six albums.

Featuring world class artists from across the musical spectrum, ‘Best Of Friends’ sees Jools join forces with legends and luminaries of the music industry, including giants such as Bono (“If You Wear That Velvet Dress”), Sting (“Seventh Son”), Tom Jones (“Think”), Chrissie Hynde (“Out Of This World”) and a cover of “I Put a Spell on You” with Mica Paris and David Gilmour, whose distinctive guitar style gives the song an entirely different tangent.

The album also features a brand new remix of the track “Horse To The Water” with vocals provided by the great George Harrison. Co-written with his son Dhani this is one of the last songs George ever wrote. Jools described the experience by saying: “George Harrison is one of the true giants of popular music. This was probably the orchestra’s greatest honour of all, to back George on a brand new song that he had written”.

Contemporary collaborations featured on the album include Norah Jones (“In The Dark”), The Stereophonics (“First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”), India Arie singing of her home state with “Georgia On My Mind” and KT Tunstall, who lends her rich vocals to “Darkness on the Face of the Earth.”

In addition to previously released material, the album contains two brand new recordings with soul songstress Ruby Turner (“To Love A Child”) and the ever delightful Lulu on “Where Have All The Good Guys Gone?”, both of whom will appear with Jools on the forthcoming Autumn tour.

Other highlights of the album include tracks such as “Snowflake Boogie” with the late Edwin Starr, “Oranges And Lemons Again” with Madness lead singer Suggs, and “Mabel” with soul and country music pioneer Solomon Burke and guest appearance by guitar maestro Eric Clapton.

The CD also comes with a bonus DVD that contains real gems for established and new fans alike with footage taken from the recording sessions across the Jools & Friends albums. This includes an exceptional, previously unreleased, 49-minute long documentary, which features an extensive interview with Jools, cut with exclusive footage documenting the creation of songs on “Best Of…Friends”, with stars from the album such as Sting, Bono, KT Tunstall, Solomon Burke, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Lulu and Edwin Starr, not to mention people like Shane MacGowan, Ronnie Wood, Sugababes and Robert Plant also making an appearance. The bonus DVD also contains a selection of music videos and an interview with former Squeeze drummer and long time Jools collaborator, Gilson Lavis.

This spectacular collection of Jools’ best loved collaborations will follow his first ever autobiography which is released through Penguin Books on 4th October. ‘Bare Faced Lies And Boogie Woogie Boasts’ is a marvellously witty memoir by Britain’s most popular pianist and bandleader.

Jools Holland has had a fascinating life. From playing on bombsites as a boy in south-east London, to skiving off school and then rocketing to international success with Squeeze, the first twenty years of his life were eventful, chaotic and colourful.

From playing pubs in the East End docks as a teenage greaser, presenting The Tube and Later With Jools Holland, to leading his rhythm & blues orchestra and selling millions of records this century, it is his passion for music that has made Jools Holland into a doyen of the music scene and it is passion which suffuses the pages of this fascinating and delightful autobiography.

Watch video footage from Jools Holland’s new CD/DVD:

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Coinciding with the release of ‘Best Of Friends’ Jools will embark on a 32-date UK tour. Kicking off on the 26th October, Jools Holland, performing with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, will tour the UK with special guest Lulu and will play two dates at London’s Royal Albert Hall. See below for full list of dates.

Jools Holland - ‘Best Of Friends’ Tracklisting:

CD 1

1) Tuxedo Junction
2) Where Have All The Good Guys Gone? with Lulu
3) Out Of This World with Chrissie Hynde
4) Snowflake Boogie (2007 remix) with Edwin Starr
5) In The Dark with Norah Jones
6) Horse To The Water (2007 remix) with George Harrison
7) To Love A Child with Ruby Turner
8) Enjoy Yourself with Prince Buster
9) First Time Ever I Saw Your Face with Stereophonics
10) Seventh Son with Sting
11) Just To Be Home With You with Shane MacGowan
12) Darkness On The Face Of The Earth with KT Tunstall
13) The Return Of The Blues Cowboy with Joe Strummer
14) I Put A Spell On You with Mica Paris & David Gilmour
15) Rock Me with The Blind Boys Of Alabama
16) Georgia On My Mind with India Arie
17) Think with Tom Jones
18) Valentine Moon with Sam Brown
19) Oranges And Lemons Again with Suggs
20) Mabel with Solomon Burke & Eric Clapton
21) If You Wear That Velvet Dress with Bono

CD2 - Bonus DVD

1) Best Of Friends - The Story
2) Gilson Lavis - Interview
3) I’m In The Mood For Love - with Jamiroquai (video)
4) Oranges And Lemons Again - with Suggs (video)
5) It’ll Be Me - with Tom Jones (video)

Jools Holland Autumn Tour Dates 2007:

Dates could change! Go to Jools Holland’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

October

Friday 26 Norwich UEA
Saturday 27 Bradford St Georges Hall
Sunday 28 Ipswich Regent Theatre

November

Thursday 1 Nottingham Royal Centre
Friday 2 Nottingham Royal Centre
Saturday 3 Cambridge Corn Exchange
Sunday 4 Oxford New Theatre
Thursday 8 Brentwood Centre
Saturday 10 Harrogate International Centre
Sunday 11 Harrogate International Centre
Thursday 15 Leicester De Montfort Hall
Friday 16 Leicester De Montfort Hall
Saturday 17 Manchester Apollo
Wednesday 21 Reading Hexagon
Thursday 22 Bristol Colston Hall
Friday 23 Cheltenham Centaur
Saturday 24 Portsmouth Guildhall
Wednesday 28 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Thursday 29 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Friday 30 London Royal Albert Hall

December

Saturday 1 London Royal Albert Hall
Wednesday 5 Sheffield City Hall
Thursday 6 Sheffield City Hall
Friday 7 Glasgow SECC
Saturday 8 Glasgow SECC
Friday 14 Plymouth Pavilions
Saturday 15 Bournemouth Bic
Sunday 16 Birmingham NIA
Wednesday 19 Newcastle City Hall
Thursday 20 Newcastle City Hall
Friday 21 Cardiff CIA
Saturday 22 Brighton Centre

Jools Holland ‘Best Of Friends’ (CD + DVD) at amazon.co.uk

Jools Holland Official Website

Last night, the world premiere for the 2007 production of ABBA The Show took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I was there, and for about two hours, I think I was surrounded by the happiest people on the planet. There have been a few people in my life who are big ABBA fans, but I didn’t realize how hardcore their fan base was until last night at the sold out show.

This was the first time that I had been to the Royal Albert Hall. It’s amazing how intimate and yet large the historical venue is. Beautiful as well. I’ve seen many concerts at the Royal Albert Hall on TV, but I don’t remember seeing an audience quite like the one at the ABBA show. Let me just put it this way - if you’re thinking about buying tickets to one of the shows when they go on tour next year, be prepared for a party atmosphere - and to dance. If you don’t, then you will feel out of place!

The show seemed so authentic, and there were times that I felt like I was in a working wax museum. The costumes, the way that the singers and musicians from Sweden’s Waterloo playing Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida moved, the songs, the audience reaction - it was as if I was transported in time, back to when ABBA was on tour in the 70’s. This seemed even more surreal when original band members including Ulf Andersson (sax) and Lasse Wellander (guitar) came on stage to play.

There was narration by Matthew Freeman, who was also conducting The National Symphony Orchestra of London. In between sets, he would introduce each era of the ABBA phenomenon - through song and music, periods of when they formed, were on tour, divorce and their 1974 Eurovision win with the infamous, “Waterloo”, costumes and all.

Of course all of the popular ABBA songs were there: “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen”, “Money Money Money”, “Knowing Me Knowing You”, “Take A Chance On Me”, “Voulez Vous”, “Chiquitita”, “Fernando”, “SOS” and more.

Camilla Hedren as Agnetha and Katja Nord as Anni-Frid (Frida) looked and sounded great. The band was top notch as were the backup singers. I’m sure it will be their performance that I’ll remember for a long time whenever I hear ABBA’s music.

If you’re an ABBA fan, not to be missed. Highly recommended.

For more information, go to:

Waterloo Official Website
Flying Music
ABBA The Show
ABBA Official Website

By: Jenny May - Band Weblogs

“New Orleans is a city of paradox. Sin, salvation, sex, sanctification, so intertwined yet so separate. The blurred lines from the dark blue of Mardi Gras night to the periwinkle of Ash Wednesday morning” is the way Connick summarizes the gritty and grandiose, soulful and magical Crescent City, where the musical culture is second to none.

“Jazz, gospel, brass band, rhythm and blues, country, funk aren’t all the styles played in New Orleans,” he emphasises. “But they’re the ones I wanted to play around with.”

And “play around with” them he does, to brilliant effect, on ‘My New Orleans’, which SonyBMG is set to release in September/October 2007.

Several of the titles will bring New Orleans instantly to mind, although Harry Connick, Jr. and his associates have inevitably found ways to provide a new perspective on these old favorites. “I put a New Orleans groove on ‘Jambalaya’, instead of a traditional Cajun or Zydeco feeling,” he says of the old Hank Williams hit, “then we move into an entirely new tempo for an entirely new groove - big-band swing.”

“Careless Love,” an even older warhorse, was arranged and performed spontaneously, at the end of the album’s final session, with a trio of Harry Connick, Jr. on vocals and piano, Jonathan Dubose on acoustic guitar and Arthur Latin playing only bass drum and tambourine; while “Working in a Coal Mine” gained new life through Latin’s imaginative overdubbing.

“Arthur worked his magic with all of his percussion toys,” Connick reports, “and each part he played told a different story of each different worker in that mine.” For “Somethin’ You Got,” Connick allowed several of the horn players in his band to take a breather and came up with what he calls “a traditional, old-school arrangement for four horns and a rhythm section.”

One of Connick’s original and most powerful compositions is “All These People,” inspired by the suffering Connick witnessed when he visited New Orleans in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina. “The song is all about the people who were left stranded at the Convention Center, with the verses describing what I saw as I was taken through by a kind fellow I had met on the street earlier that day named Darryl.” The track features Connick in duet with the great gospel singer Kim Burrell. “I wanted somehow to represent the voices of the brave people who were abandoned there, and Kim was the perfect choice. She asked me to write an added verse, because she wanted to represent the two dead bodies that Darryl showed me when I first arrived at the Convention Center; and her improvised line ‘Come see about me’ at the end is my favorite part of the performance, because that’s all those folks wanted, someone to come and see about them.”

A portion of Connick’s royalties from the sale of ‘My New Orleans’ will benefit the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village. This project, conceived by Harry Connick, Jr. and his longtime friend and colleague Branford Marsalis, will consist of single-family homes and elder-friendly duplexes as well as the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, named for the modern jazz pioneer and patriarch of the Marsalis clan who counts Harry Connick, Jr. among his legion of successful music students. Connick and Branford Marsalis serve as honorary chairs of Habitat for Humanity’s hurricane relief effort, Operation Home Delivery, which began dedicating completed houses and delivery keys to needy families shortly before ‘My New Orleans’ was recorded.

For all of the work that remains to be done, there is a basic spirit of optimism and celebration that permeates ‘My New Orleans’ and that is best captured in Connick’s version of “Yes We Can.” “Allen Toussaint was prophetic on this one,” he says of the song’s legendary composer. “‘Yes We Can’ perfectly fits the bill of a post-Katrina New Orleans. This should be the theme song of our great city.”

It also summarizes the manner in which Harry Connick, Jr. views life - with positive spirit, a focus on solutions rather than casting blame, and a humanity that knows no boundaries. It is this same spirit that makes ‘My New Orleans’ such an honest and affirmative experience.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of both ‘My New Orleans’ and its companion disc ‘Chanson du Vieux Carre’, an instrumental album by Harry Connick, Jr. and his Big Band released by Marsalis Music in July and will benefit Musicians’ Village.

To learn more about this wonderful community that is being built by thousands of volunteers from all over the world, please visit New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village Official Website - www.NOLAmusiciansvillage.org

Harry Connick, Jr. last played a full, headline European tour in 2000 - seven years ago - and a complete schedule of new live dates will be announced shortly.

The following UK dates are confirmed and on sale:

November 3, 2007: Royal Albert Hall, London
November 16, 2007: Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow
November 17, 2007: Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Harry Connick Jr. - My New Orleans on amazon.com

Harry Connick, Jr. Official Website

Related - New Orleans Jazz Fest 2007 lineup announced

Read: ABBA The Show review!

You’ve seen the rest, now see the best!! There is no doubt that this is the most authentic ABBA show to date, featuring original band members including Ulf Andersson and Lasse Wellander. It’s like ABBA never left.

ABBA still sells around 2 million records a year - this show packs all their greatest hits into a 2-hour musical extravaganza. ABBA - The Show showcases the music of ABBA from their Eurovision beginnings all the way to major chart success. It is performed by Sweden’s Waterloo, a world renowned group who bring Abba to life, together with The National Symphony Orchestra of London conducted by Matthew Freeman.

ABBA - The Show has had phenomenal success around the globe reaching audiences in India, Spain and the USA, climaxing with a sold-out performance at the famous Hollywood Bowl. This new production for 2007 with even more epic lighting, sound and vision, will have its world premiere at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 26th September, 2007.

The show always tours with at least one former original band member of Abba. Since the original production started the following members have guest starred: Ulf Andersson - Saxophone, Lasse Wellander - Guitarist, Mats Ronander - Guitarist, Finn Sjoberg - Guitarist, Rutger Gunnarsson - Bass, Ola Brunkert - Drums and Roger Palm - Drums.

The show kicks off at the tail end of the 60s when Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida meet to play together for the very first time. Throughout the course of the production, the audience is led on a magical journey through the rise and rise of ABBA. Featuring classic songs such as “Waterloo”, “SOS”, “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen”, “Money Money Money”, “Knowing Me Knowing You” and many more, this promises to be the must-see event of 2007.

“Absolutely the best ABBA since ABBA” - Official ABBA Fanclub

September 26th - Royal Albert Hall:
Doors open at 6:30pm, show starts at 7.30pm.
***Standing room only! Sold out Abba the Show has just released 300 standing tickets for just 15 GBP from Flying Music Official Website

Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday 30th March 2007.

For more information go to ABBA - The Show