Rhino Records is pleased to announce their latest signing, The Soldiers – Sergeant Major Gary Chilton, Sergeant Richie Maddocks and Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi.

The real life soldiers are recording their debut album ‘Coming Home’, due for release on 26th October 2009.

Buy Music:

The Soldiers on amazon.co.uk

The Soldiers and Rhino Records are proud to support the charities Army Benevolent Fund, Help For Heroes, and The Royal British Legion through this album.

MD of Rhino Records UK & International, Dan Chalmers said, “Gary, Richie and Ryan are three very talented vocalists who have a real gift for connecting with people through their music. Their love of singing shines through in every performance and their enthusiasm for each of these songs is inspirational. I have no doubt ‘Coming Home’ will resonate with people across the country.”

Although serving as soldiers is their day job, music has always been an integral part of the male vocal group’s lives and these real life heroes are set to win over the public’s affections with their uplifting interpretations of powerful anthems.

Youngest and most recognisable member, 24 year old Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi appeared on X Factor and made it through to the Boot Camp stage of the show after singing “Lean On Me”. From Caerphilly, South Wales, Idzi has already served in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the 20th Armoured Brigade. Described by Danni Minogue as ‘gorgeous’, Ryan’s good looks are sure to melt the hearts of millions. Ryan is now stationed in Senneger, Germany.

Born in Hampshire, Gulf War veteran Sergeant Major Gary Chilton joined the Royal Armoured Corps in 1984 straight from school. He has performed around the world including a special show with Jools Holland at Twickenham. Gary has fought in the Gulf War and was presented with The Gulf Medal by HRH The Prince of Wales upon return. Gary is currently based at The Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band in Catterick, North Yorkshire since 2006 and is married with 2 children, Aaron (10) and Megan (7).

One of seven brothers and sisters, Sergeant Richie Maddocks from Oldham, Greater Manchester enlisted into the British Army at the age of 16 and has travelled throughout Europe, Canada, Cyprus, Finland and The Falkland Islands. In 1991, Maddocks was deployed as a medical assistant and awarded The Gulf Medal. He is now currently serving with The Minden Band of The Queens Division in Cambridge and is married to Nicci. The couple own 2 Jack Russell Terriers, Dilly and Duggy.

Producer Nick Patrick (who has worked with Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins, and who has helped sell over 40 million albums and collectively win 7 Classical Brit awards) said, “Having worked with some of the UK’s biggest classical recording artists, Gary, Richie and Ryan’s voices are some of the most genuine and heartfelt voices I’ve heard in a long time. We’re having a great time in the studio recording their material.”

Taking time out of their day jobs to record this special album, Ryan says, “It’s absolutely incredible to be given an opportunity to record an album of songs which are close to our hearts. We hope to raise as much money as possible from this album to support our colleagues past and present.”

Each member of The Soldiers has their own unique story to tell and this album is a heartfelt tribute and dedication to their comrades, family and friends, and to those who have fallen in battle.

‘Coming Home’ track listing*
(*Not final running order):

Coming Home
In the Air tonight
Stand by Me
Freedom 90
Lean on Me
He Aint Heavy
With a little help from my Friends
Bridge over troubled Water
Tears in Heaven
You’ve got a Friend
I’ll Stand By You
Against all Odds
Sailing
Bring Him Home
Sacrifice
A Soldier’s Christmas Letter.
The Last Post

‘Coming Home’ is due out 26th October 2009

Buy Music:

The Soldiers on amazon.co.uk

For more information please visit:

The Soldiers Official Website

Army Benevolent Fund
The Royal British Legion
Help For Heroes

Bat For Lashes

Florence & The Machine

Friendly Fires

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show is being held next Tuesday evening, 8 September in London and will feature live performances from all 12 shortlisted artists for the first time.

The evening will culminate with the live announcement of the overall winner of the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for Album of the Year.

Many of the bands and artists will be flying into the UK especially for the prestigious event, which will be broadcast on BBC Two, Radio 1 and 6 Music throughout next week.

BBC Two will be broadcasting live coverage of the event from 10pm on the night presented by Lauren Laverne and Jools Holland.

BBC Two will also be broadcasting a 70 minute special on Friday 11 September at 11.40pm.

The 2009 Albums of the Year are:

Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
Florence & The Machine – Lungs
Friendly Fires – Fires
Glasvegas – Glasvegas
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
La Roux – La Roux La Roux
Led Bib – Sensible Shoes
Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men
The Horrors – Primary Colours
The Invisible – The Invisible

Shop:

Music on amazon.co.uk

BBC Two Official Website

Barclaycard Unwind Official Website

Mercury Prize Official Website

“This has been a rich and creative year for British and Irish music,” says Simon Frith, Chair of Judges. “There are seven fine debut albums on the list and five outstanding records from more established acts, all marking out new ground. What most impresses is the imaginative verve with which British and Irish musicians continue to explore musical possibilities, push musical boundaries and refuse to be pinned down by genre”.

The 2009 Albums of the Year are:

Bat for Lashes Two Suns
Florence & The Machine Lungs
Friendly Fires Friendly Fires
Glasvegas Glasvegas
Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
La Roux La Roux
Led Bib Sensible Shoes
Lisa Hannigan Sea Sew
Speech Debelle Speech Therapy
Sweet Billy Pilgrim Twice Born Men
The Horrors Primary Colours
The Invisible The Invisible

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize celebrates the year in music. The shortlist, chosen from an entry of over 260 albums by UK and Irish artists, was announced by Lauren Laverne.

The event was hosted by The Hospital Club in Covent Garden, the club for creative industries.

The winner of this year’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize will be announced live on BBC Two on Tuesday 8 September 2009 as part of the BBC’s coverage of the Awards Show.

A second programme on BBC Two will be broadcast on Friday 11 September.

The programmes will be presented by Lauren Laverne, with the Awards Show itself hosted by Jools Holland.

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize for ‘Albums of the Year’ is open to all genres of music from the UK and Ireland. It is judged solely through consideration of the music on the albums – it does not have categories, nor does it take into account sales, media exposure or live performances.

The Prize also celebrates the best live music in the UK through monthly ‘Barclaycard Mercury Prize Sessions’ with the Hospital Club - a stand alone, new initiative, which is not linked to the ‘Albums of the Year’ competition.

Barclaycard is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. They have recently launched a new music site for their customers

Shop:

Music on amazon.co.uk

Barclaycard Official Website

Mercury Prize Official Website

Carla Bruni performed for the first time on UK TV September 16th, 2008 on Later Live…with Jools Holland.

We have a clip of her appearance on the show, which includes an interview with Jools Holland where she discusses her songwriting, her husband French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s participation, and a performance of her song “Tu Es Ma Came” from her album, ‘Comme Si De Rien N’était (As if Nothing Had Happened)’ on Downtown Records.

Watch video – Carla Bruni interview + “Tu Es Ma Came”:

According to the Guardian UK, nearly 1 million viewers tuned into the program.

On the program, she also performs Bessie Smith’s “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” with Jools Holland and her song “L’amoureuse” also from her album ‘Comme Si De Rien N’était (As if Nothing Had Happened)’, which Jools mentions will be aired later.

Metallica, Kings of Leon, VV Brown, Sway and Nicole Atkins also performed on the show.

About Carla Bruni

Born in 1967 in Turin, Italy to a concert pianist (mother) and an industrialist and opera composer, Carla Bruni moved with her family to France at the age of five to flee the Red Brigades terrorist group.

She learned to play the piano and guitar at a young age, inheriting her family’s love of music, which surrounded her from her earliest childhood. Also passionate about literature and writing, she composed songs in her spare time.

After studying architecture, Bruni embarked on a modelling career in 1985, attaining super model status and becoming the symbol for top fashion houses until 1997.

In the late 1990s, Bruni changed direction when she decided to launch a music career, first as a songwriter for Julien Clerc, for whom she wrote several songs for his album Si j’étais elle (If I Were Her), then as a singer-songwriter-composer for her first album, Quelqu’un m’a dit (Someone Told Me), released in 2002.

Composed with the help of Louis Bertignac, who also produced the album, Quelqu’un m’a dit was an instant hit. Acclaimed by critics, the album sold two million copies.

In 2003, Bruni won the Prix Raoul Breton, awarded by SACEM (French association of songwriters and composers) to recognize and encourage an up-and-coming songwriter or composer. She was awarded the Victoire de la Musique for Best Female Artist the same year.

On January 15, 2007, Bruni released her second album, ‘No Promises’, which sets English poems to music. Among the poets she selected were Yeats, Auden, Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Walter de la Mare and Dorothy Parker. This second work, which sold more than 400,000 copies worldwide, shot to the top of the charts in both France and Europe.

On July 11, 2008, Carla released her third album entitled ‘Comme si de rien n’était (As If Nothing Happened)’, the title of a photographic work by her brother Virginio Bruni Tedeschi that appears in the album’s packaging.

Produced by Dominique Blanc-Francard, the album comprises 14 titles, most of which were written and composed by Bruni with the exception of “La Possibilité d’une Ile,” a poem by French author Michel Houellebecq and set to music by Bruni; “Déranger les Pierres,” with lyrics by Bruni set to music by Julien Clerc; and two previously performed pieces, “You Belong To Me,” a title popularized by Bob Dylan and featured in the original film score of Natural Born Killers, and “Il Vecchio e Il Bambino,” written by Italian anarchist Francesco Guccini.

Comme si de rien n’était (As If Nothing Happened) Musicians:

Denis Benarrosh: drums, percussion
Dominique Blanc-Francard: electric and acoustic guitar, tambourine, organ, vibraphone, pedal steel guitar, bass guitar, 6-string bass
Laurent Vernerey: basse électrique / bass guitar, double bass
Freddy Koella: acoustic and electric guitar, baryton, Dobro guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin
Michel Amsellem: Rhodes piano, piano, keyboards
Charles Pasi: harmonica
Benjamin Biolay: string arrangements
Thierry Farrugia: flute, soprano saxophone, clarinet
String quartet
Christophe Morin: cello
Elsa Benabdallah: 2nd violin
Florent Bremond: alto
Karen Brunon: 1st violin
Recorded by Bénédicte Schmitt at labomatic studios, Paris
Produced, mixed and mastered by Dominique Blanc-Francard at Labomatic Studios, Paris
p& © 2008 TEOREMA exclusively licensed to naïve
cover photo : JB Mondino
Inside photo : JB Mondino
Photo “comme si de rien n’était” : © Virginio Bruni Tedeschi
Drawings: Florence Deygas
Artwork: Add a dog, Paris

Comme si de rien n’était on amazon.co.uk

Carla Bruni Official Website

Last night I was excited to see that Nicole Atkins was scheduled to play on Later Live…with Jools Holland.

A few months ago I was lucky to have had the opportunity to interview Nicole Atkins over the phone – and then the next day to watch her play an intimate show at the Soho Review Bar in London. I was able to see first hand what a talent she was and knew then that she had the ‘full package’ to reach out to many, many more people – with her excellent songs, charming stage presence and determination.

Originally from Neptune, New Jersey and having toured across the US, making appearances on shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien and David Letterman, Nicole is probably more known in the States than here in England, however, after her strong performance last night on Jools Holland (her British television debut), I’m sure she’s gained even more fans from across the pond.

Other acts included:

Kings of Leon (”Sex On Fire”); when VV Brown came on, at first I wasn’t quite sure what to think, but then as the song went on (”Crying Blood”), her quirky soulful/punk grew on me and now I’ll be interested to hear more about her; Sway featuring Lemar (”Saturday Night Hustle”); and the First Lady of France Carla Bruni was interviewed by a flirtatious Jools Holland and then later was on with her “Tu Es Ma Came” single. It’s strange seeing a President’s wife hanging out with musicians and then singing live with a band…a first for me anyway. Has this ever happened before? With any other country’s First Lady?!

Nicole Atkins performed her dreamy pop single, “Maybe Tonight” off of debut album, ‘Neptune City’ and then Metallica closed the 30 minute night of varied music with their single, “The Day That Never Comes”. All members ended up taking solos, which was interesting on live TV, coming dangerously close to running over time. Now that’s Rock ‘n’ Roll…BBC style!

Later with Jools Holland Official Website

By: Jenny May

Goldfrapp and their electronica/pop have subtly and endearingly eased into my musical life. With each single release and TV appearances on shows like Jools Holland (watch video) and Jonathan Ross (watch video), I’ve found myself looking forward to their quirkiness and unpredictability more and more over the last few years.

With their latest single, “Happiness”, Goldfrapp has once again caught my attention, and I’m happy to have it as part of my CD collection. The single is off of the British group’s fourth studio album, ‘Seventh Tree’.

“Happiness” is superbly produced, with excellent instrumentation, vocals and harmonies. Their familiar marching beats are there and singer Alison Goldfrapp’s breathy vocals float around them with ease.

At first it’s easy to assume that with a song called “Happiness”, that it’s simply about being happy. Instead it seems to be about finding happiness – and how the vulnerable can often be lured in and lead astray by certain groups of people in the quest to find happiness. That’s how I’m interpreting the lyrics, anyway – if anyone else has any ideas, please leave a comment!

Alison Goldfrapp looks great on the CD cover. Her outfits are usually quite eccentric – this time she’s wearing a multi-color harlequin jumpsuit and a highway man/pirate hat, standing, bent over in what looks to be the natural lighting of either a sunrise or sunset.

“Road To Somewhere” acoustic version is the second song on the CD. A slower number, it’s good to hear Alison’s voice accompanied by a more stripped down production. Very nice.

Goldfrapp music on amazon.co.uk

Seventh Tree on amazon.co.uk

Goldfrapp Myspace
Goldfrapp

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

Rhino UK is proud to present a fascinating 39 track, 2 CD set of highlights from the groundbreaking BBC 2 TV music show Later…with Jools Holland – the selections drawn from more recent series of the long running show. ‘Later…Live with Jools Holland’ is set for UK release January 28th, 2008.

The 2 CDS reflect Later…with Jools Holland’s mix of established and new acts drawn from every walk of musical life. The full track listing is below but featured artists include Amy Winehouse, Kasabian, Lily Allen, The White Stripes with Jools himself, Muse and Kings Of Leon rubbing shoulders with the more upcoming likes of King Creosote, Adele, Duffy and Seasick Steve.

Later…with Jools Holland has been the most sought after TV outlet for both stellar names and relative unknowns (many of whom have gone on to much bigger things) since it was first broadcast in 1992. 25 of the 39 acts on this CD made their TV debut on Later and 13 of the tracks featured are debut performances anywhere in the world including those by Mika, Adele, Duffy, The Fratellis, Seasick Steve and Kate Nash.

Later…recently completed it’s 30th series and more than a thousand artists have performed well over 2,500 songs during the shows’ first 15 years. Rhino’s 2 CD set is released the week that Later…celebrates its 200th show on Friday February 1st, 2008 with guests including Radiohead, Cat Power and Dionne Warwick.

The program has always presented a unique blend of acts on each show and has a reputation that always brings the best, often presenting the artist in a novel setting – Mika here performing solo, Gnarls Barkley with their string section, Kano and Damon Albarn. This is a remarkable collection of solo artists and bands, reflecting a phenomenal mix of music styles. Where else are you likely to hear James Blunt, The Flaming Lips, Kaiser Chiefs, Jose Gonzales and Green Day under one rafter-rattling roof?

Later…Live with Jools Holland track listing:

CD ONE

Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry On Their Own
Kate Nash – Foundations
Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby
KT Tunstall – Black Horse & Cherry Tree
Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
Mika – Grace Kelly
Adele – Daydreamer
The Fratellis – Henrietta
Hard-Fi – Suburban Knights
Stereophonics – It Means Nothing
Richard Hawley – Valentine
Scott Matthews – Dream Song
Seasick Steve – Doghouse Blues
The Flaming Lips – Yeah Yeah, Yeah Song
CSS – Let’s Make Love
Damien Rice – Coconut Skins
King Creosote – Admiral
Muse – Knights Of Cydonia

CD TWO

The White Stripes & Jools – My Doorbell
Lily Allen – Smile
Razorlight – America
Paolo Nutini – Last Request
Editors – Smokers
Bernard Butler with Duffy – Rockferry
Keane – Crystal Ball
The Strokes – Last Nite
James Morrison – You Give Me Something
Primal Scream – Country Girl
David Gray – The World To Me
Kings Of Leon – Bucket
Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats
Mutya Buena – Just A Little Bit
Estelle – Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)
Ray Lamontagne – Trouble
Green Day – American Idiot
Kano featuring Damon Albarn – Feel Free
James Blunt – Same Mistake
Kasabian – Empire

Later …Live with Jools Holland (2CD) on amazon.co.uk

Later…with Jools Holland on BBC

Duffy is possibly the most exciting prospect for the next year. Her ascent from the Llyn Peninsula to 2008’s pole position continues on February 25th, 2008 when the 23-year old artist releases her rapturous new single “Mercy”. A statuesque soul gem propelled by rich, torch song vocals, it’s the second track to be taken from the eagerly anticipated debut LP ‘Rockferry’, March 3rd, and seals a dynamic arrival.

A masterclass in mature, resonant pop, “Mercy’s” hook-laden bassline hails straight from the Motown canon. Written by Duffy with Steve Booker, who produced the track, it’s a highlight of her recent standout performances on BBC2’s Later with Jools Holland & Radio 2’s Music Club.

Watch Duffy performing “Mercy” on Later with Jools Holland video:

“Mercy” follows the critically acclaimed, Bernard Butler-produced debut single “Rockferry”, which was made Record Of The Week by both Jo Whiley & Edith Bowman at Radio 1.

Following live shows at London’s Royal Festival Hall (as special guest to The Magic Numbers) and Union Chapel, Duffy begins the New Year with a 4-week residency at London’s Pigalle Club – Jan 16th, 23rd, 30th & Feb 6th – before nationwide dates through February and March.

Previewing tracks from her forthcoming ‘Rockferry’ LP, Duffy’s live shows will also feature her impressive band – Toby Oyerinde (guitar), Tom Meadows (drums), Ben Epstein (Bass), Ayo Oyerinde (Keyboards), Jon Green (Guitar) and Josh McKenzie (Percissuion) – tickets available now.

Duffy winter 2008 tour dates

“A star in the making” – The Sun

“Remember Duffy – she will be the sound of 2008″ – Evening Standard

“The new soul-pop genius on the block” – Time Out

Duffy Official Website
Duffy on Myspace

I woke up this morning with Eddie Floyd’s “634-5789″ soul song going around my head. Better than a hangover, that’s for sure. Last night he and a few others performed on Later with Jools Holland for the annual Hootenanny New Year’s Eve show on the BBC.

Rather than go out, which is what we were planning to do, Dave and I stayed in for New Year’s. A very kind and generous friend had given us tickets to go out to see a few bands play at the Carling Academy Oxford and we ungraciously didn’t show up. Very naughty indeed. Hopefully he’s still talking to us.

So, we settled for a couple bottles of bubbly and the TV instead. Later with Jools was pretty good. Of course, the show isn’t filmed live, which is a bit of a let down, but it’s still fun to watch.

After Jools Holland arrived to the Land of the Hootenanny via Dr. Who’s Tardis (sounds crazy, I know) “Boogie Woogie Queen” Ruby Turner opened the show with “Jumpin’ at the Jubilee” along with Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Soul legend Eddie Floyd followed with “634-5789″. I used to sing that song in a band called Soul Wagon…crikey…about 15 years ago. The band was only together a couple of months, but that’s another story.

Other guest performers on the show included Kaiser Chiefs, Lulu, Madness, Duffy, Kate Nash, Kylie Minogue, Seasick Steve, Mika and Paul McCartney. Jools also spoke to a few guests in the audience like Lenny Henry, Dawn French, David Tennant, Formula One’s Bernie Ecclestone, Gabby Logan and more.

Duffy performed a superb cover of the Cat Stevens song, “The First Cut Is The Deepest”. I’ve mentioned on several occasions, here on Band Weblogs, how much I like Duffy and that she’s the cat’s meow. Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra accompanied Duffy, for her classy rendition of “The First Cut Is The Deepest”, which could easily be released as a single. Duffy’s been on Later with Jools two times now – sometimes she reminds me of Lulu, who Jools will often perform with, so it’s apropos that he would seem to be enamored with her.

Speaking of Lulu, she sounded great, as always, singing “Where Have All The Good Guys Gone”. It would have been good to see her sing more songs, though.

Kylie Minogue was the star of the night. For her first number, Jools reminded viewers of Kylie’s recent stint on Dr. Who before she vamped it up with “Come On Strong”. She spent the song being sultry, sitting on the piano and singing, whilst Jools played along with the band.

The other “big star of the night” was Paul McCartney. Who would have thought that one day Sir Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue would be introduced together for a duet? That they were, and they sang Paul McCartney’s “Dance Tonight”. Later, Kylie performed “2 Hearts” from her album ‘X’, with Dr. Who’s David Tennant dancing along in the audience. She also sang a jazzed up lounge version of her hit song “I Could Be So Lucky” with Jools Holland on piano.

The Duffy and Eddie Floyd “Bring It On Home To Me” duet was a treat and Mika performed “Grace Kelly”, playing the piano – as I had first heard him play the song for his debut on Later with Jools Holland about a year ago. This time he played along with the Jools Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. It’s too bad the song gets so overplayed on the radio, because I really liked it the first time I heard it. Especially the stripped down piano version.

There were many more performances throughout the night and if you missed the Hootenanny on the BBC, luckily the Later with Jools Holland website has added video footage of the complete show.

For some reason, Ruby Turner doesn’t have a section on the Hootenanny page. Hopefully they’ll add one soon. In the meantime, you can go to Ruby Turner Official Website for more information about her.

Watch Hootenanny videos from Later with Jools Holland

Later with Jools Holland BBC Website

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

Last Friday night, Duffy was a guest on Later…with Jools Holland. It was good to finally watch her on TV after only seeing her YouTube videos! She’s got such a soulful voice, and she sounded great. Surprisingly she didn’t perform her debut single “Rockferry” – not sure why. Either way, it was good to hear her other two singles, “Warwick Avenue” and “Mercy”, which I think will be her next release.

I didn’t know that Duffy was scheduled to be on Jools Holland until that day – but I’m not surprised that she was. Jools (and his people) are very good at spotting quality talent for the show.

Other guests included Manu Chao, James Blunt (a last minute replacement for Babyshambles), Orchestra Baobab (awesome), Kano and Damon Albarn and Dion.

Here are videos of Duffy’s performances. Not quite TV, but at least available to watch.

Watch Duffy – “Warwick Avenue” video from Later with Jools Holland:

Watch “Mercy” video

There’s additional footage of Duffy singing “Rockferry” that wasn’t on the show, an interview with her as well as other guests that performed on the Later with Jools Holland Official Website – episode 4.

Duffy tour dates

Duffy Official Website

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

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:

Small

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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
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

Tinariwen has been a band that I’ve had my eye on since I saw them on the cover of a magazine a couple months ago. Their look alone intrigued me enough to look forward to finding them on the internet as soon as I got home.

Listening to their music for the first time, I remember thinking that this is a band that is perfect for outdoor music festivals. After reading about them, I learned that they were in fact “noticed by the western world” because of their performance at a music festival. The festival was the Festival in the Desert (Festival au Desert) held in Tin-Essako, Mali, a remote region of the Sahara Desert in 2001.

Since then they’ve continued to play festivals around the world with many more scheduled for 2007, including their recent appearance at the Glastonbury Music Festival which I was fortunate to have watched. I also caught their performance last month on Later with Jools Holland, as I pointed at the TV yelling to Dave, “There’s that band I was talking about!” Santana has played with them and they’ll be supporting the Rolling Stones on August 18th 2007 at Slane Castle in Dublin, Ireland.

As I naively romanticize of the Sahara, camels and Tinariwen, the actual reality is that before their music was introduced to the west, members of Tinariwen were soldier-musicians in Libya, living a difficult life, dreaming of the modern world and the freedom that comes along with it. They come from the Sahara desert and although they struggled, they are proud of their identity. Their ancient and contemporary cultures of the nomad and Touareg people are very important to them.

The lyrics in Tinariwen’s songs are French and Tamashek and their sound is guitar based with elements of rock, American blues and the traditional African sounds of the Niger bend.

There is a lot to learn about this band and their music.

Watch Tinariwen Aman Iman: Water is Life documentary video:

Tinariwen 2007 music festivals and tour dates:

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

June 25 2007 Exeter Festival Exeter
June 29 2007 Festival Mediterraneo Loule
June 30 2007 Open Air Festival St. Gallen
July 1 2007 Furia Festival Cergy Pontoise
July 2 2007 Festival Les Nuits de Gignac Gignac
July 4 2007 Festival Les Hauts de Garonne Bassens
July 5 2007 Africa Festival Lisbon
July 6 2007 Evora Festival Evora
July 7 2007 Festival Mar de Musica Cartagena
July 9 2007 Piazza Della Republica Monfalcone
July 10 2007 Villa Arconati Milan
July 11 2007 Fiera Cagliari
July 13 2007 Latitude Festival Southwold
July 14 2007 Nuke Festival St Polten
July 15 2007 Teatro Greco (w/ Robert Plant) Taormina, Sicily
July 16 2007 Festival Sotto Le Stelle Ferrara
July 17 2007 Villa Ada Rome
July 19 2007 Italia Wave Festival Firenze
July 22 2007 Lovebox Festival London
July 23 2007 Festival de Radio France Montpellier
July 24 2007 Festival de Radio France Montpellier
July 25 2007 Festival de Radio France Montpellier
July 26 2007 Festival de Neoule Neoule
July 28 2007 Paleo Festival Nyon
July 29 2007 WOMAD Festival Charlton Park
August 1 2007 Pilldamms Park Malmo
August 2 2007 Savoy Theatre Helsinki
August 3 2007 Berns Stockholm
August 4 2007 Urkult Festival Urkult
August 5 2007 Tragarn Gothenburg
August 7 2007 Voxhall Arhus
August 8 2007 Oya Festival Oslo
August 9 2007 Sziget Festival Budapest
August 10 2007 Festival Les Nuits Secretes Aulnoyes-Aymeries
August 11 2007 Le Festival Du Bout Du Monde Crozon
August 14 2007 Festival Musique De La Rue Luxey
August 18 2007 Slane Castle (supporting Rolling Stones) Dublin
October 12 2007 Shibuya AX Tokyo
December 7 2007 L’Olympia Paris
December 9 2007 The Olympia Dublin
December 12 2007 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London
December 13 2007 Rohstofflager Zurich
December 14 2007 Kesselhaus Berlin
December 15 2007 Gloria Cologne
December 16 2007 WUK Vienna

More information: Official Tinariwen Website
Tinariwen on Myspace

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs