As Christmas fast approaches, and with it the realisation that another year has almost passed by, I always find it hard to focus on the present. Which reminds me, I still haven't done any Christmas shopping...
I'm a very date-obsesed individual (a bit like Noel Edmonds) and I'm always stimulated by the thought of a new year, fresh start etc... It has been known for me to get more done in January than the rest of the year put together, some years I book in too much and spend the rest of the year recovering (like last year). I keep saying I'll learn from my mistake there and not try and cram too much in, but I've never been very good at learning from my mistakes....
So, at the moment, it looks as though January will revolve around playing as many gigs as possible (I'm working out the schedule right now), releasing and promoting the EP, finishing the second album, rehearsing the new band, and commencing work on another studio album. February and March will be set aside for Vernal depression and a nervous breakdown. Still, soon be Christmas.
To explain a little further, the EP 'Get The Drinks In' is pretty much finished. The front cover is designed and ready, only the last few details need to be completed. Most artists would want something released before Christmas, but it really makes more sense for me to hold it back until January. Firstly, it's already a little late, secondlt, I've still got 'Lost In Love Town' just getting its momentum. Incidentally, don't forget the latter is still available for just $12.97 with a 30% discount if you get more than one.
January should give me a better chance at promoting it, especially live. I don't think it will be available on cdbaby, but may well appear on other sites, especially as a download. If you are especially curious, you can listen to two of the tracks already. 'Old Wishing Well' has been number one on the mixposure soft rock chart and is getting some brilliant reviews. Thanks for those! 'Drinking My Way Down' has likewise made a strong impression on 'the mix', and can also be downloaded here.
Album #2:
Work has been progressing with Jon Strong on the 2nd album, which is gaining momentum now. I think the final result will be very pleasing. The other studio album I mentioned, is going to contain more songs from around the same batch. I guess it will be album #3 but I suppose could be considered #2B. I have that many songs!
Live this week:
Just the one show again this week, a very pleasing set at Dr Wu's. I played 5 songs on a fairly quiet night, but felt the intamacy probably enabled the set to go down much better. So all in all a really good evening. Songs played were 'These Eyes Of Mine', 'Your Shadow', 'Gods And Angels', 'Old Wishing Well' and 'Rocket Man'. Numbers 2 and 4 there were live debutants. The former went especially well and is a track I think we'll be hearing more about very soon. It's on the new album whilst 'Old Wishing Well' is of course from the EP. And, oh yes, you notice one of those is not a cover, but a song I get requested in certain venues.... it was Gallo's fault this time!!
Live next week: I'm definetly going to be at The Grove on Wednesday the 13th and possibly Wu's on Tuesday the 12th. Can't wait to be back at the former, where a unique atmosphere is guaranteed!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
I finally made it to The Primrose!!
Thursday this week took me to a new (for me) Leeds venue, The Primrose. It's a far cry from the city centre when you get to Meanwood, but despite this I had a really good time. The pub itself is straight out of the pub-rock world. It's small, basic but with an atmosphere. It's quite a contrast to the folk who run the night, who are very polite and well-to-do, a bit out of context really! But I'm not complaining about that.
I played 3 songs, 'These Eyes Of Mine', 'Whiskey Coloured World' and 'Life'. There is a strong chance of returning to play a 30 minute support slot there in January, if the promoter's reaction is anything to go by. So not a bad night, and another venue to add to the list. Strangely enough, almost 6 years ago exactly, my old band Dolly were due to play there. It unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the small problem of the band splitting up. So I finally made it 6 years later, amazing progress!
This week, I'm going to be at Dr Wu's on Tuesday (the 5th), with some more previously unheard songs.
The EP looks like becoming the christmas release, with one more track to mix, and of course the album is still available on cdbaby.
On a final note, why won't the Official International Queen fan club accept requests from bands on myspace? Music for the people I suppose...
I played 3 songs, 'These Eyes Of Mine', 'Whiskey Coloured World' and 'Life'. There is a strong chance of returning to play a 30 minute support slot there in January, if the promoter's reaction is anything to go by. So not a bad night, and another venue to add to the list. Strangely enough, almost 6 years ago exactly, my old band Dolly were due to play there. It unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the small problem of the band splitting up. So I finally made it 6 years later, amazing progress!
This week, I'm going to be at Dr Wu's on Tuesday (the 5th), with some more previously unheard songs.
The EP looks like becoming the christmas release, with one more track to mix, and of course the album is still available on cdbaby.
On a final note, why won't the Official International Queen fan club accept requests from bands on myspace? Music for the people I suppose...
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
3 gigs and other stuff
An extremely busy week again with the 3 live shows, plus 2 further with the function bands and a whole host of other stuff. In no particular order:
GIGS:
First up was visit number 4 (only counting the recent upsurge!) to Dr Wu's. There were no loonies this week, other than the regular harmless ones(!) and I took the opportunity again to play some new material. The set was 'It Will Pass', 'The Prisoner', 'Gods and Angels' and 'Cold Cold Day'. The first 3 songs are all fairly downbeat-as is most singer-songwriter material-and that's something I'm watching out for. I don't want to depress an audience too much! Anyway, all went well there, which moves us on to Wednesday:
The Grove Open Mic night is much more communal than Wu's. It has an intimacy and character and this it has to be said leads to better results for me. Even if the piano needs to go to the elephant's graveyard! I did 2 of Cath's songs this time, 'I Don't Need' and 'Life'. The former is something of a forgotten track which I'm aiming to release some time in the future. I still love that one, it perhaps does my voice the most justice of any song. I did a quick plug for the late Tim Rose in the latter song, as it was in Leeds where I saw him perform just 6 months before his death in 2002.
On Saturday afternoon I performed something of a more structured gig, with a 30 mins support slot at Dr Wu's supporting Gary Stewart (just him and not his band as advertised!!). Gary sounded superb to me, a little like Cat Stevens, very strong songs.
I learnt a few things from my set: Firstly, I discovered my phone has bluetooth (thanks for the video Vicky!), and secondly that I need to learn the words a bit better! However the sound was superb and it was great to be performing original material for a longer set, long may it continue. The setlist was: 'These Eyes Of Mine', 'Even', 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'The Prisoner', 'Gods And Angels', 'I'm Coming Out', 'Cold Cold Day' and of course the obligatory cover of 'Rocket Man'.
This week will be slightly quieter, I'm missing Wu's this week but doing a new venue on Thursday: The Primrose, again in Leeds. Tune in next week to see how it all went.
2ND ALBUM: In between all this excitement, I met up with Jon Strong on Thursday 23rd to do some more work on the 2nd album. Things are starting to move forward on that front more rapidly now, so it hopefully won't be long before the results are realised. It sounds great.
WEB HITS UP AND CDBABY: My web 'hits' are well up this month, certainly the best month I've had so far since I lurked into cyberspace in late March. I seem to be getting hit upon from the search engines more often, which must be good. Even if they were searching for something entirely different in the first place! Just in case they fall off a bit: SEX PORN MP3 EBAY
My album is available at CD Baby of course, so please feel free to have a look there. It's worth it almost for the customer care alone. British companies take note...
And finally, I also went to see Shawn Colvin on Sunday night in Manchester. A great night's music, and also interesting to hear another acoustic cover of 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkeley. Perhaps I should have a go!
GIGS:
First up was visit number 4 (only counting the recent upsurge!) to Dr Wu's. There were no loonies this week, other than the regular harmless ones(!) and I took the opportunity again to play some new material. The set was 'It Will Pass', 'The Prisoner', 'Gods and Angels' and 'Cold Cold Day'. The first 3 songs are all fairly downbeat-as is most singer-songwriter material-and that's something I'm watching out for. I don't want to depress an audience too much! Anyway, all went well there, which moves us on to Wednesday:
The Grove Open Mic night is much more communal than Wu's. It has an intimacy and character and this it has to be said leads to better results for me. Even if the piano needs to go to the elephant's graveyard! I did 2 of Cath's songs this time, 'I Don't Need' and 'Life'. The former is something of a forgotten track which I'm aiming to release some time in the future. I still love that one, it perhaps does my voice the most justice of any song. I did a quick plug for the late Tim Rose in the latter song, as it was in Leeds where I saw him perform just 6 months before his death in 2002.
On Saturday afternoon I performed something of a more structured gig, with a 30 mins support slot at Dr Wu's supporting Gary Stewart (just him and not his band as advertised!!). Gary sounded superb to me, a little like Cat Stevens, very strong songs.
I learnt a few things from my set: Firstly, I discovered my phone has bluetooth (thanks for the video Vicky!), and secondly that I need to learn the words a bit better! However the sound was superb and it was great to be performing original material for a longer set, long may it continue. The setlist was: 'These Eyes Of Mine', 'Even', 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'The Prisoner', 'Gods And Angels', 'I'm Coming Out', 'Cold Cold Day' and of course the obligatory cover of 'Rocket Man'.
This week will be slightly quieter, I'm missing Wu's this week but doing a new venue on Thursday: The Primrose, again in Leeds. Tune in next week to see how it all went.
2ND ALBUM: In between all this excitement, I met up with Jon Strong on Thursday 23rd to do some more work on the 2nd album. Things are starting to move forward on that front more rapidly now, so it hopefully won't be long before the results are realised. It sounds great.
WEB HITS UP AND CDBABY: My web 'hits' are well up this month, certainly the best month I've had so far since I lurked into cyberspace in late March. I seem to be getting hit upon from the search engines more often, which must be good. Even if they were searching for something entirely different in the first place! Just in case they fall off a bit: SEX PORN MP3 EBAY
My album is available at CD Baby of course, so please feel free to have a look there. It's worth it almost for the customer care alone. British companies take note...
And finally, I also went to see Shawn Colvin on Sunday night in Manchester. A great night's music, and also interesting to hear another acoustic cover of 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkeley. Perhaps I should have a go!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Be My cdbaby
Well blows me down, as Popeye would say, it's been a hectic week. Yes, week 3 has seen quite a bit of action....read on for action.....
ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE
Yes, it's taken me a long time but finally I have my album 'Lost In Love Town' signed up on cdbaby
This means that anyone anywhere can now purchase the album, and it's cheaper too! Many of you will have received an email about it this week, but to sumarise it's just $12.97 plus a bit for p&p and there's a 30% discount for buying 2 or more copies.
As well as hoping to sell a few copies, I'm also immediately struck by the increase in traffic on this site and on my soundclick page. A big thank you to Chris Breen for re-jigging the website front page to accomodate the new happenings.
All that now remains is to wait for the digital distribution companies (napster, msn, itunes etc..) to get their downloadable copies online. This is being handled by cdbaby too, so anyone who prefers the comfort of their mp3 player can then purchase the tunes too.
It's early days yet, but it's been such a thrill so far to get a response from people, all those who have been in touch-some I know some I now know! Thank you, and I really do appreciate it so much if anyone is willing to buy the album.
LIVE STUFF:
The live side of things is of course the other major way I'm promoting things. This week saw 2 shows, Dr Wu's as usual on Tuesday, and the aforementioned fully unplugged show at The Grove. Both are Leeds venues.
Dr Wu's on Tuesday saw the live debut of 2 new songs: 'Even' and 'Gods And Angels' are both going to be on the new album. The set was bookended with 'Whiskey Coloured World' and 'Cold Cold Day'.
There was a rather good band on before my set too. They were Go Cadenza who were extremely talented, and even seem to have mastered the art of promoting themselves on the channel 4 website! They also had a couple of loonies to deal with in the audience, who were luckily evicted by the bouncers before I came on. I have deep-seated fear of loonies, which comes from playing to almost exclusive loony audiences in my Working Men's Club days. By the way please don't run away with the idea that Dr Wu's is rough. Firstly because it isn't and secondly becasue I need you to support me when I play there!
The second show was on Wednesday night. The Grove is something of a cult venue in Leeds, as it's an old real ale pub surrounded by ultra-modern buildings. It's bang in the city centre but might as well be in the middle of nowhere, such is the initimate atmosphere generated by the small concert room!
As mentioned it was purely acoustic. That means NO PA, NO KEYBOARD and NO MICS! I played the rather out-of-tune piano and sung loudly over the top of it. It's such an intimate show that everyone does listen. There were literally people sat next to me, including a girl in a short skirt, which inspired concentration...her boyfriend bought a cd though, so I'm not complaining. I played 'Gods+Angels' and 'Cold Cold Day', and the former took on a rather spooky quality with it's emotive lyrics set to a honky tonk piano. To be honest, if they tune the piano it will be the best venue for me. The people listen to what you are doing, and appreciate the quirkiness and genuinity of acts such as mine. They appreciate good music, I hope, and this was reflected in the number of Cds sold, not bad for just a 2 song blast! There's also a definite 'vibe' there, and this is conducive to networking with other artisitic types-both fans and performers.
EP:
In the midst of all this I'm still finishing the EP. Only one song remains to be mixed, the finished tracks are wonferful. They sound so much fresher than the first album and I can't wait to get them released.
WHO IS THE MYSTERY GIRL SINGER???
I have already promoed one of the tracks on mixposure and soundclick. You can listen to and read reviews of 'Drinking My Way Down' here.
Many people are wondering who the singer is, one person even went so far as to accuse me of rudeness for not naming her! Well when the EP is finished I will be naming everyone who has been involved. The song is getting great reviews so far.
THIS WEEK:
I could go on, but I'll wrap things up by promoting this week's shows:
Tues 21st November:Dr Wu's-9pm
Wed 22nd November:The Grove-9pm
and, more importantly, Sat AFTERNOON 3pm: Dr Wu's, I will be supporting the GARY STEWART BAND with a 30 minute set. This is part of the venue's Acoustic Revolution shows. This will be featuring original material with copies of the album available. Note the unusual start-time: A chance to do some Christmas shopping and see some live music! Speaking of Christmas shopping, my album would make a wonderful present!
Time for the pub.
ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE
Yes, it's taken me a long time but finally I have my album 'Lost In Love Town' signed up on cdbaby
This means that anyone anywhere can now purchase the album, and it's cheaper too! Many of you will have received an email about it this week, but to sumarise it's just $12.97 plus a bit for p&p and there's a 30% discount for buying 2 or more copies.
As well as hoping to sell a few copies, I'm also immediately struck by the increase in traffic on this site and on my soundclick page. A big thank you to Chris Breen for re-jigging the website front page to accomodate the new happenings.
All that now remains is to wait for the digital distribution companies (napster, msn, itunes etc..) to get their downloadable copies online. This is being handled by cdbaby too, so anyone who prefers the comfort of their mp3 player can then purchase the tunes too.
It's early days yet, but it's been such a thrill so far to get a response from people, all those who have been in touch-some I know some I now know! Thank you, and I really do appreciate it so much if anyone is willing to buy the album.
LIVE STUFF:
The live side of things is of course the other major way I'm promoting things. This week saw 2 shows, Dr Wu's as usual on Tuesday, and the aforementioned fully unplugged show at The Grove. Both are Leeds venues.
Dr Wu's on Tuesday saw the live debut of 2 new songs: 'Even' and 'Gods And Angels' are both going to be on the new album. The set was bookended with 'Whiskey Coloured World' and 'Cold Cold Day'.
There was a rather good band on before my set too. They were Go Cadenza who were extremely talented, and even seem to have mastered the art of promoting themselves on the channel 4 website! They also had a couple of loonies to deal with in the audience, who were luckily evicted by the bouncers before I came on. I have deep-seated fear of loonies, which comes from playing to almost exclusive loony audiences in my Working Men's Club days. By the way please don't run away with the idea that Dr Wu's is rough. Firstly because it isn't and secondly becasue I need you to support me when I play there!
The second show was on Wednesday night. The Grove is something of a cult venue in Leeds, as it's an old real ale pub surrounded by ultra-modern buildings. It's bang in the city centre but might as well be in the middle of nowhere, such is the initimate atmosphere generated by the small concert room!
As mentioned it was purely acoustic. That means NO PA, NO KEYBOARD and NO MICS! I played the rather out-of-tune piano and sung loudly over the top of it. It's such an intimate show that everyone does listen. There were literally people sat next to me, including a girl in a short skirt, which inspired concentration...her boyfriend bought a cd though, so I'm not complaining. I played 'Gods+Angels' and 'Cold Cold Day', and the former took on a rather spooky quality with it's emotive lyrics set to a honky tonk piano. To be honest, if they tune the piano it will be the best venue for me. The people listen to what you are doing, and appreciate the quirkiness and genuinity of acts such as mine. They appreciate good music, I hope, and this was reflected in the number of Cds sold, not bad for just a 2 song blast! There's also a definite 'vibe' there, and this is conducive to networking with other artisitic types-both fans and performers.
EP:
In the midst of all this I'm still finishing the EP. Only one song remains to be mixed, the finished tracks are wonferful. They sound so much fresher than the first album and I can't wait to get them released.
WHO IS THE MYSTERY GIRL SINGER???
I have already promoed one of the tracks on mixposure and soundclick. You can listen to and read reviews of 'Drinking My Way Down' here.
Many people are wondering who the singer is, one person even went so far as to accuse me of rudeness for not naming her! Well when the EP is finished I will be naming everyone who has been involved. The song is getting great reviews so far.
THIS WEEK:
I could go on, but I'll wrap things up by promoting this week's shows:
Tues 21st November:Dr Wu's-9pm
Wed 22nd November:The Grove-9pm
and, more importantly, Sat AFTERNOON 3pm: Dr Wu's, I will be supporting the GARY STEWART BAND with a 30 minute set. This is part of the venue's Acoustic Revolution shows. This will be featuring original material with copies of the album available. Note the unusual start-time: A chance to do some Christmas shopping and see some live music! Speaking of Christmas shopping, my album would make a wonderful present!
Time for the pub.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Last Dance With Whiskey Coloured Mary Jane
Week 2 of the big push has been pretty busy, which was the general idea although much more like hard work than I thought, much more than a musician should be prepared for anyway...
LIVE IN LEEDS
I was at Dr Wu's again this Tuesday the 7th. For those of you keeping score this week I played 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Cold Cold Day', 'Life' and 'I'm Coming Out'. There was a slightly better turn-out this week, although I'm still waiting for that mythical 'packed' night. Still, it's becoming a regular night for me, a good base for trying out new songs, and now that there's a booked band on later it seems it will continue to gain in popularity.
This week.....
I'll be back at Wu's on Tuesday the 14th and the following night I'll be at The Grove. This is an acoustic night with a difference, in that it is purely acoustic-no P.A., so just piano and voice. Stand by for an intimate performance, I've never done anything like that before and I'm told the audience actually do shut up and listen! I've played at The Grove a few years ago and been to many other gigs there. It's the most unlikely setting, tucked away from the main road even though it's practically in the city centre. The concert room is tiny, lord only knows how we managed to work a 7-piece band in there! I do hope it is as intimate as people say next week, because it's much more the sort of show I'm after.
NEW SONG!
The upcoming EP took another step towards fruition this week with the mixing of one of the tracks finished. It's called 'Drinking My Way Down' and features Beth on vocals. I'm so impressed with the final result that I've posted it on the various sites straight away. You can listen and download it here and here.
I'll tell you a bit more about the background when the EP is ready but for now let's just say I love it-it's very very close to sounding as I wanted it in my head.
Garageband.com reviews Whiskey Coloured World
This is the second track I've had forward for reviews on this site. To read what people had to say please view this link.
At one point the song was scoring 4.1 stars but then dramatically slumped to 3.2! This leaves it a little short of Cold Cold Day, but again most of the reviews have been great. Ok, yes it does sound like 'Last Dance With Mary Jane' but I did say Tom Petty was an influence!
Have fun. Is music fun??
LIVE IN LEEDS
I was at Dr Wu's again this Tuesday the 7th. For those of you keeping score this week I played 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Cold Cold Day', 'Life' and 'I'm Coming Out'. There was a slightly better turn-out this week, although I'm still waiting for that mythical 'packed' night. Still, it's becoming a regular night for me, a good base for trying out new songs, and now that there's a booked band on later it seems it will continue to gain in popularity.
This week.....
I'll be back at Wu's on Tuesday the 14th and the following night I'll be at The Grove. This is an acoustic night with a difference, in that it is purely acoustic-no P.A., so just piano and voice. Stand by for an intimate performance, I've never done anything like that before and I'm told the audience actually do shut up and listen! I've played at The Grove a few years ago and been to many other gigs there. It's the most unlikely setting, tucked away from the main road even though it's practically in the city centre. The concert room is tiny, lord only knows how we managed to work a 7-piece band in there! I do hope it is as intimate as people say next week, because it's much more the sort of show I'm after.
NEW SONG!
The upcoming EP took another step towards fruition this week with the mixing of one of the tracks finished. It's called 'Drinking My Way Down' and features Beth on vocals. I'm so impressed with the final result that I've posted it on the various sites straight away. You can listen and download it here and here.
I'll tell you a bit more about the background when the EP is ready but for now let's just say I love it-it's very very close to sounding as I wanted it in my head.
Garageband.com reviews Whiskey Coloured World
This is the second track I've had forward for reviews on this site. To read what people had to say please view this link.
At one point the song was scoring 4.1 stars but then dramatically slumped to 3.2! This leaves it a little short of Cold Cold Day, but again most of the reviews have been great. Ok, yes it does sound like 'Last Dance With Mary Jane' but I did say Tom Petty was an influence!
Have fun. Is music fun??
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
November is rocket up the a**e time
November is here and Global Warming has finally relinquished for the time being after autumn missed out September and October. Did I mention Green taxes? Of course not.
I decided as we are close to bonfire night that I would take people's advise about which part of my body to stick a rocket to and become more productive. Did that make sense? Probably not.
PLAYING LIVE
First up is the news that there will be more frequent live performances coming up. Last night was my first original material gig for a while. As it was Halloween I decided to scare a few people by going to Dr Wu's in Leeds and playing a few of my songs.
For the archives (or Room 101?), the songs played were: 'These Eyes Of Mine', 'Cold Cold Day', 'I Can't Believe The News' and 'Life'. It was a quieter than average night, but the little set went well and I even managed to sell a copy of the Cold Cold Day single, to a woman as well....
I always seem to appear on the 'quiet night', on numerous occasions I hear people say, 'it was packed last week'. Even my own pub quiz that I run is busier when I'm not there. Perhaps they're trying to tell me something, or perhaps I'm being somehow prepared for a switch to Jazz, where the smaller the audience, the cooler you are.
In case you are wondering, I'll be going again next week (Tues 7th November) and all upcoming shows are posted on my myspace page and on my garageband page.
Read what the public says...
Speaking of garageband, I've just submitted 'Whiskey Coloured World' for a grilling from the mainly musician reviewers. My first track, the single version of 'Cold Cold Day', received some interesting comments, mainly nice, a few not so. A couple of the reviews are pasted below, and the song ended up with a rating of 3.5 out of 5, sadly not enough to push it far up the charts, but not bad. After all, it's 70% which means that if seven out of ten people liked it that's pretty good. Or am I missing the point? Perhaps.
EP nearly there.
I'm beginning to follow the long-established tradition of delaying releases, but the EP 'Get The Drinks In' is almost upon us. All the parts are now down and it's just a case of mixing them. By 2010 I'm hoping to have copies available.
The Big Push.
Finally, I should mention that I'm having a bit of a big push at the moment on moving things forward. This partly involves doing more gigs, as mentioned above, but also in terms of internet presence. It may also involve the jewel in the crown, my personal nemesis, a four-letter word. No, not 'Jazz' (which is a four letter word) but word on the street is that Paul Jeffery may be putting a band together to perform his own songs. These rumours are un-confirmed and may simply be weapons of mass destruction. But a strong pulse was felt on the richter scale and it is feared he may have the vital ingredients almost in place to build the band.
I should be writing for Private Eye. Perhaps not.
I decided as we are close to bonfire night that I would take people's advise about which part of my body to stick a rocket to and become more productive. Did that make sense? Probably not.
PLAYING LIVE
First up is the news that there will be more frequent live performances coming up. Last night was my first original material gig for a while. As it was Halloween I decided to scare a few people by going to Dr Wu's in Leeds and playing a few of my songs.
For the archives (or Room 101?), the songs played were: 'These Eyes Of Mine', 'Cold Cold Day', 'I Can't Believe The News' and 'Life'. It was a quieter than average night, but the little set went well and I even managed to sell a copy of the Cold Cold Day single, to a woman as well....
I always seem to appear on the 'quiet night', on numerous occasions I hear people say, 'it was packed last week'. Even my own pub quiz that I run is busier when I'm not there. Perhaps they're trying to tell me something, or perhaps I'm being somehow prepared for a switch to Jazz, where the smaller the audience, the cooler you are.
In case you are wondering, I'll be going again next week (Tues 7th November) and all upcoming shows are posted on my myspace page and on my garageband page.
Read what the public says...
Speaking of garageband, I've just submitted 'Whiskey Coloured World' for a grilling from the mainly musician reviewers. My first track, the single version of 'Cold Cold Day', received some interesting comments, mainly nice, a few not so. A couple of the reviews are pasted below, and the song ended up with a rating of 3.5 out of 5, sadly not enough to push it far up the charts, but not bad. After all, it's 70% which means that if seven out of ten people liked it that's pretty good. Or am I missing the point? Perhaps.
EP nearly there.
I'm beginning to follow the long-established tradition of delaying releases, but the EP 'Get The Drinks In' is almost upon us. All the parts are now down and it's just a case of mixing them. By 2010 I'm hoping to have copies available.
The Big Push.
Finally, I should mention that I'm having a bit of a big push at the moment on moving things forward. This partly involves doing more gigs, as mentioned above, but also in terms of internet presence. It may also involve the jewel in the crown, my personal nemesis, a four-letter word. No, not 'Jazz' (which is a four letter word) but word on the street is that Paul Jeffery may be putting a band together to perform his own songs. These rumours are un-confirmed and may simply be weapons of mass destruction. But a strong pulse was felt on the richter scale and it is feared he may have the vital ingredients almost in place to build the band.
I should be writing for Private Eye. Perhaps not.
Monday, October 09, 2006
October News Upadate
It's been a little while since the last update, this is down to the usual laziness plus a little genuine hard work!
About a month ago I was asked to play keyboard for the Rachael Warwick band: New Jack Union. Rachael is a UK country/rock artist, perhaps more rock than country, signed to Impressive Records and with a great album called 'Anglo Americana'. As a result of this offer I can now say I've performed my first overseas gig, in the South of France this weekend just gone. It was at a country festival in Lavardac, which is near Agen. The show went well and was a very useful experience for me. The next show is this coming weekend at Eurodisney in Paris, so going to be a busy week in general.
Computer trouble holds up new EP
The new EP, 'Get The Drinks In, first mentioned in these pages a while ago, has been held up due to computer problems in the studio. This first occured literally as we were about to put the bass parts down, having done the guitars the week before. SInce then it's been no end of a job sorting out what is a simple component failure. The company who designed and manufactured the PC have been utterly useless and unprofessional, and I am now waiting for the local Computer Shop to pull it's finger out. All in all, a month's recording lost and am not too happy about it. Hopefully I can get back on track soon.
2nd Album underway:
.....that's not to say that there hasn't been any recording at all over the past month. I can now officially announce that a well-known local singer/songwriter is producing my 2nd album and that the 1st track is almost complete. And it sounds bloody fantastic. More news to follow soon.
Paul joins the Internet 'Jukebox Jury':
In addition to already joining several music upload sites, I recently stole myself to join the famous garageband website. My page on there is now up and running. Similar to mixposure, the site is review-based. But whereas mixposure invites only voluntary reviews, this site is structured so that you must review tracks in order for the same to happen to yours. More interestingly, the reviews are thrown at you so you don't have a choice of track and are unaware until later who the artist is. It's a bit like walking into a pub and playing to 20 people completely at random. So may like you, some may not.
On Mixposure most reviews are very positive, on garageband this is not necessarily so, and you are getting gut reactions from the 1st or 2nd listen. Please read my reviews for the Cold Cold Day Sing Version here. As you will see, most have been good, one or two not so good! Overall I'm very pleased as the standard of track is extremely high on there, and I've got a current rating of 3.7 out of 5. In future more tracks will be posted for the critics to pick apart!
In case you can't wait, here are a couple of tastey reviews....
And with that I'll be off...
About a month ago I was asked to play keyboard for the Rachael Warwick band: New Jack Union. Rachael is a UK country/rock artist, perhaps more rock than country, signed to Impressive Records and with a great album called 'Anglo Americana'. As a result of this offer I can now say I've performed my first overseas gig, in the South of France this weekend just gone. It was at a country festival in Lavardac, which is near Agen. The show went well and was a very useful experience for me. The next show is this coming weekend at Eurodisney in Paris, so going to be a busy week in general.
Computer trouble holds up new EP
The new EP, 'Get The Drinks In, first mentioned in these pages a while ago, has been held up due to computer problems in the studio. This first occured literally as we were about to put the bass parts down, having done the guitars the week before. SInce then it's been no end of a job sorting out what is a simple component failure. The company who designed and manufactured the PC have been utterly useless and unprofessional, and I am now waiting for the local Computer Shop to pull it's finger out. All in all, a month's recording lost and am not too happy about it. Hopefully I can get back on track soon.
2nd Album underway:
.....that's not to say that there hasn't been any recording at all over the past month. I can now officially announce that a well-known local singer/songwriter is producing my 2nd album and that the 1st track is almost complete. And it sounds bloody fantastic. More news to follow soon.
Paul joins the Internet 'Jukebox Jury':
In addition to already joining several music upload sites, I recently stole myself to join the famous garageband website. My page on there is now up and running. Similar to mixposure, the site is review-based. But whereas mixposure invites only voluntary reviews, this site is structured so that you must review tracks in order for the same to happen to yours. More interestingly, the reviews are thrown at you so you don't have a choice of track and are unaware until later who the artist is. It's a bit like walking into a pub and playing to 20 people completely at random. So may like you, some may not.
On Mixposure most reviews are very positive, on garageband this is not necessarily so, and you are getting gut reactions from the 1st or 2nd listen. Please read my reviews for the Cold Cold Day Sing Version here. As you will see, most have been good, one or two not so good! Overall I'm very pleased as the standard of track is extremely high on there, and I've got a current rating of 3.7 out of 5. In future more tracks will be posted for the critics to pick apart!
In case you can't wait, here are a couple of tastey reviews....
I like the vocals, and the music fits with them
The song and the vocals match, witch doesn't seem like a crazy concept, but it is often foreign to artists. Great job with this song. I would enjoy this band live, I'm sure, if you make it out to LA.
really good tune. Really catchy but not comepletely predictable. The vocalist has the voice of a star. -A really nice natural rasp but not in a painful way. Bridge is cool but I was hoping the vocalist would go off a little. Love the backing vocal in the outro as well.
And with that I'll be off...
Friday, September 01, 2006
News
September is here and with it another fun-packed summer draws to a close....thank God for that! I always concentrate better when it's not so hot and the local girls are wearing slightly more, but that's another matter.
This week in my own little world:
*The new EP mentioned in the previous blog(13/8) is now really taking shape. All the guitars were recorded this week and 'Get The Drinks In' (featuring Sally Rivers) is now more or less finished.
Paul Flieshman has done the guitars parts as he did for the album and he's now off to Israel for a month of gigging and adventure. It will make a pleasant change from war-torn Manchester.
*Mixposure continues to lead the way in terms of Internet promotion for my music. I've now added five songs from the album including latest additions 'Young, Lost and Hopeful' and 'I'm Coming Out'.
The reviews and overall response to each song has been fantastic. The reviewing nature of the site encourages interraction and networking, especially as there's some really great people on there. I've had 4 songs go in the top 5 for their genre, and 'I'm Coming Out' reached #4 overall at one point. In terms of artists, for Soft Rock I currently am top artist for this week and month, and now second on the all-time list.
*Exposure on Mixposure (catchy eh?) has led to plays on radio and podcasts too. Last night I was featured on a German station Interkosmos Radio. I had 2 songs played and enjoyed the show immensely with some great interactive chat, which they very kindly did in English for my benefit! Other recent braodcasts have included DJ Dino's show on nexusradio and the Rob Favre's podcast at . The show I featured on (surfside #3) is still streamable.
Further news to follow soon.
This week in my own little world:
*The new EP mentioned in the previous blog(13/8) is now really taking shape. All the guitars were recorded this week and 'Get The Drinks In' (featuring Sally Rivers) is now more or less finished.
Paul Flieshman has done the guitars parts as he did for the album and he's now off to Israel for a month of gigging and adventure. It will make a pleasant change from war-torn Manchester.
*Mixposure continues to lead the way in terms of Internet promotion for my music. I've now added five songs from the album including latest additions 'Young, Lost and Hopeful' and 'I'm Coming Out'.
The reviews and overall response to each song has been fantastic. The reviewing nature of the site encourages interraction and networking, especially as there's some really great people on there. I've had 4 songs go in the top 5 for their genre, and 'I'm Coming Out' reached #4 overall at one point. In terms of artists, for Soft Rock I currently am top artist for this week and month, and now second on the all-time list.
*Exposure on Mixposure (catchy eh?) has led to plays on radio and podcasts too. Last night I was featured on a German station Interkosmos Radio. I had 2 songs played and enjoyed the show immensely with some great interactive chat, which they very kindly did in English for my benefit! Other recent braodcasts have included DJ Dino's show on nexusradio and the Rob Favre's podcast at . The show I featured on (surfside #3) is still streamable.
Further news to follow soon.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
New EP-details announced
So many songs, so little time.....
With a single and an album out in the last 3 months you'd think that was enough. But, no, such is the rate of productivity (or nothing better to do) that a new EP is not far off release.
EPs are a forgotten art these days. In the 60's groups used them as interim releases between records and some even included tracks which were surplus to the album. The Beatles famously released their 'Long Tall Sally' EP in 1964 containing all 4 tracks not available on 'A Hard Day's Night'. Often EPs had tracks which perhaps weren't as strong as those on the album, but hopefully this won't be the case, as it covers some interesting angles.....
There is a even a theme for the release: drink.
The EP is called 'Get The Drinks In' and will be billed as Paul Jeffery and Friends. Yes, you heard it here first, Paul Jeffery actually has some friends-and not all of them were paid!
Track 1 is a familiar song, 'Whiskey Coloured World'. This will be the Anglestar Remix taking the song in a more contemporary direction.
Track 2 is the acoustic 'Get The Drinks In' featuring special guest lead vocals by Sally Rivers.
Sal(as I now feel I can call her) sang harmony vocals on many of the tracks on the album and has a stunning new album out in collaboration with Alan Whittaker. 'Inside Out' is a brilliant CD and you can find out all about it here.
Track 3 will be back to my voice, for 'The Old Wishing Well'. This is one of my favourite of Sarah Thurlow's lyrics, taking a quizical look at the modern-day pub. As a keen pub-goer myself, I think it's a very accurate assesement of one particular type of watering hole. For the first time in a long time, we've got real drums, bashed out by renowned session drummer Steve Williams.
Track 4 is a song I've been wanting to record since it was written nearly 4 years ago. 'Drinking My Way Down' is a superb piece of girly angst written by Cath Goldsbrough. I've been waiting to find a suitable vocalist and now have the right one. Beth Wheatley from the famous yorkshire band Morris And The Minors will doing the song justice. Steve Williams is again on drums.
So there you have it. An EP hopefully with enough interest and variety to mean it's far more than just the reject takes from the album!
More exciting news soon!
With a single and an album out in the last 3 months you'd think that was enough. But, no, such is the rate of productivity (or nothing better to do) that a new EP is not far off release.
EPs are a forgotten art these days. In the 60's groups used them as interim releases between records and some even included tracks which were surplus to the album. The Beatles famously released their 'Long Tall Sally' EP in 1964 containing all 4 tracks not available on 'A Hard Day's Night'. Often EPs had tracks which perhaps weren't as strong as those on the album, but hopefully this won't be the case, as it covers some interesting angles.....
There is a even a theme for the release: drink.
The EP is called 'Get The Drinks In' and will be billed as Paul Jeffery and Friends. Yes, you heard it here first, Paul Jeffery actually has some friends-and not all of them were paid!
Track 1 is a familiar song, 'Whiskey Coloured World'. This will be the Anglestar Remix taking the song in a more contemporary direction.
Track 2 is the acoustic 'Get The Drinks In' featuring special guest lead vocals by Sally Rivers.
Sal(as I now feel I can call her) sang harmony vocals on many of the tracks on the album and has a stunning new album out in collaboration with Alan Whittaker. 'Inside Out' is a brilliant CD and you can find out all about it here.
Track 3 will be back to my voice, for 'The Old Wishing Well'. This is one of my favourite of Sarah Thurlow's lyrics, taking a quizical look at the modern-day pub. As a keen pub-goer myself, I think it's a very accurate assesement of one particular type of watering hole. For the first time in a long time, we've got real drums, bashed out by renowned session drummer Steve Williams.
Track 4 is a song I've been wanting to record since it was written nearly 4 years ago. 'Drinking My Way Down' is a superb piece of girly angst written by Cath Goldsbrough. I've been waiting to find a suitable vocalist and now have the right one. Beth Wheatley from the famous yorkshire band Morris And The Minors will doing the song justice. Steve Williams is again on drums.
So there you have it. An EP hopefully with enough interest and variety to mean it's far more than just the reject takes from the album!
More exciting news soon!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Mixposure Update
Well it's certainly been worthwhile joining the mixposure site. Within just over 2 weeks I've had airplay, a podcast planned, and more reviews and page 'hits' than most of the other sites put together.
Cold Cold Day has really taken hold, even thought it's not the first song listed on the page. It's been #1 for both score and plays on the weekly charts for Soft Rock and also placed as high as #6 in the overall top 100. In addition I'm ranked as number 1 artist for my genre this month.
'It Will Pass' has been added and gone very well straight away-in at #2 on it's first day.
News on the 2nd album and a bonus EP to follow.
Stay cool.
Cold Cold Day has really taken hold, even thought it's not the first song listed on the page. It's been #1 for both score and plays on the weekly charts for Soft Rock and also placed as high as #6 in the overall top 100. In addition I'm ranked as number 1 artist for my genre this month.
'It Will Pass' has been added and gone very well straight away-in at #2 on it's first day.
News on the 2nd album and a bonus EP to follow.
Stay cool.
Monday, July 17, 2006
From Canada to Elland
Mixposure is beginning to look like the best site I've come across so far. For promoting your music it outstrips rivals in terms of it's community spirit. People on there are very friendly and supportive and I for one can't fault it.
In only 10 days since registering I've had lots of plays and reviews of my 2 tracks on there. Cold Cold Day has already been number 1 in Soft Rock (as mentioned last week)and has been as high as #6 in the overall top 100. It also was broadcast on Trent Radio in Canada on the Friday evening show. My thanks to Darren and Bri-an for their support there.
CHANNEL 4 LAUNCH:
Whilst things have gone pretty well on mixposure I've finally got my page uploaded on the channel 4 website. Click here for the link.
Tomorrow night (Tues 18th) I'm playing a gig at the local Barge & Barrel in Elland. It promises to be rather hot by the looks of things!
In only 10 days since registering I've had lots of plays and reviews of my 2 tracks on there. Cold Cold Day has already been number 1 in Soft Rock (as mentioned last week)and has been as high as #6 in the overall top 100. It also was broadcast on Trent Radio in Canada on the Friday evening show. My thanks to Darren and Bri-an for their support there.
CHANNEL 4 LAUNCH:
Whilst things have gone pretty well on mixposure I've finally got my page uploaded on the channel 4 website. Click here for the link.
Tomorrow night (Tues 18th) I'm playing a gig at the local Barge & Barrel in Elland. It promises to be rather hot by the looks of things!
Monday, July 10, 2006
My first number 1!
It may only be of academic interest, but then again it's still a nice feeling....
Remember I told you about putting a page on mixposure, well it's been a great idea, arguably the best site I've come across so far.
In addition to receiving some fantastic reviews and comments the 2 songs I have on there have both made quite an imopression on the charts. 'Cold Cold Day' is number one in the Soft Rock genre based on 'plays' and number 4 on 'score' (points are accumulated on reviews etc..). 'Whiskey Coloured World' is at #5 on 'score' too. You can view these amazing feats here.
This translates very well in the overall 'hot 100' charts for all genres. 'Cold Cold Day' is at #23 based on plays and #53 based on score.
Of course, this is all of academic interest. The most important aspect has been the reviews the songs have received, and the networking opportunities brought about by linking in with other writers/performers.
CHANNEL 4 SITE ONLINE:
Despite only finding out by accident(!) my page on the popular channel 4 website is now viewable here.
Remember I told you about putting a page on mixposure, well it's been a great idea, arguably the best site I've come across so far.
In addition to receiving some fantastic reviews and comments the 2 songs I have on there have both made quite an imopression on the charts. 'Cold Cold Day' is number one in the Soft Rock genre based on 'plays' and number 4 on 'score' (points are accumulated on reviews etc..). 'Whiskey Coloured World' is at #5 on 'score' too. You can view these amazing feats here.
This translates very well in the overall 'hot 100' charts for all genres. 'Cold Cold Day' is at #23 based on plays and #53 based on score.
Of course, this is all of academic interest. The most important aspect has been the reviews the songs have received, and the networking opportunities brought about by linking in with other writers/performers.
CHANNEL 4 SITE ONLINE:
Despite only finding out by accident(!) my page on the popular channel 4 website is now viewable here.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Mixposure
A friend of mine recommended I join the mixposure site.
Please follow the links above to my page on there. The site differs from other upload communities in that the emphasis is placed on reviews. This means you get feedback on songs much quicker. OK, so part of the deal is that you have to review tracks in order to add more tunes, but already I get the feeling the site is more friendly for it.
At this point in time, it's always better to get feedback from people rather than the odd cd buyer here and there. Judging by people's comments, things are going the right way!
Anyway, come and join in the fun on the site, it's great!
Please follow the links above to my page on there. The site differs from other upload communities in that the emphasis is placed on reviews. This means you get feedback on songs much quicker. OK, so part of the deal is that you have to review tracks in order to add more tunes, but already I get the feeling the site is more friendly for it.
At this point in time, it's always better to get feedback from people rather than the odd cd buyer here and there. Judging by people's comments, things are going the right way!
Anyway, come and join in the fun on the site, it's great!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
gig and huddersfield examiner
The gig on Monday night went really well. It was very hot but a lot busier than expected considering the switch in nights. I was well pleased with the response to the original songs (especially Whiskey Coloured World). Cd sales are picking up too!
There was also an article in the Huddersfield paper-(the local equivalent of the New York Times) which read as follows:
JEFFREY's LONE DEBUT AT ZEPHYR
Paul Jeffery will be showcasing songs from his new album at Zephyr Bar tonight. The 12-track album, called Lost In Lovetown, is Paul's first as a solo artist and has been recorded and produced by him at his home studio at Rastrick over the past seven months.
Although this is his solo debut, 27-year-old Paul is a full-time musician and plays in several 'function' bands including local acts Morris And The Minors and One Night Stand.
He said he is looking forward to seeing the reaction of his Huddersfield fans.
He said: "It's my first outing by myself. I've had a good reaction at gigs in Leeds but I haven't been in Huddersfield for a while so I am really looking forward to it.
"The internet has been helping too, taking my music all over the world and given me a fan base."
The album can be downloaded from www.soundclick.com/pauljeffery or hard copies can be ordered from www.pauljeffery.com
So there you have it folks. Just for the record One Night Stand is no more... Thanks to Katie for the article.
There was also an article in the Huddersfield paper-(the local equivalent of the New York Times) which read as follows:
JEFFREY's LONE DEBUT AT ZEPHYR
Paul Jeffery will be showcasing songs from his new album at Zephyr Bar tonight. The 12-track album, called Lost In Lovetown, is Paul's first as a solo artist and has been recorded and produced by him at his home studio at Rastrick over the past seven months.
Although this is his solo debut, 27-year-old Paul is a full-time musician and plays in several 'function' bands including local acts Morris And The Minors and One Night Stand.
He said he is looking forward to seeing the reaction of his Huddersfield fans.
He said: "It's my first outing by myself. I've had a good reaction at gigs in Leeds but I haven't been in Huddersfield for a while so I am really looking forward to it.
"The internet has been helping too, taking my music all over the world and given me a fan base."
The album can be downloaded from www.soundclick.com/pauljeffery or hard copies can be ordered from www.pauljeffery.com
So there you have it folks. Just for the record One Night Stand is no more... Thanks to Katie for the article.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
New Album Available as Download-Part 2
As promised a few weeks ago, the rest of the new album 'Lost In Love Town' is now available to download. This means that all 12 tracks can now be obtained from the soundclick page, 4 of which are for free, the rest for just 0.75 cents each.
The full track list complete with it's relevant link to listen/download is as follows:
1.Cold Cold Day
2.Young, Lost And Hopeful
3.Hell Freezes Over
4.Whiskey Coloured World
5.Lost In Love Town
6.I Can't Believe The News
7.It Will Pass
8.Take It Back
9.Chains Around My Heart
10.Your Masquerade
11.I'm Coming Out
12.There You Are
Also still available are the 2 tracks from the single. Cold Cold Day (Catt Mix) and Life.
You may also notice that I've customised my soundclick page and become a VIP member, so now I can access the full stats and find out who's been listening. You have been warned!
The next gig is at Zephyr Bar in Huddersfield. Monday the 3rd of July. I'll be playing a full 90 min set with originals and some of my favourite covers. There will also be CDs available of the album and single.
You can also find me linked to the following pages too:
MySpace
dmusic
Pure Volume
Take care folks.
The full track list complete with it's relevant link to listen/download is as follows:
1.Cold Cold Day
2.Young, Lost And Hopeful
3.Hell Freezes Over
4.Whiskey Coloured World
5.Lost In Love Town
6.I Can't Believe The News
7.It Will Pass
8.Take It Back
9.Chains Around My Heart
10.Your Masquerade
11.I'm Coming Out
12.There You Are
Also still available are the 2 tracks from the single. Cold Cold Day (Catt Mix) and Life.
You may also notice that I've customised my soundclick page and become a VIP member, so now I can access the full stats and find out who's been listening. You have been warned!
The next gig is at Zephyr Bar in Huddersfield. Monday the 3rd of July. I'll be playing a full 90 min set with originals and some of my favourite covers. There will also be CDs available of the album and single.
You can also find me linked to the following pages too:
MySpace
dmusic
Pure Volume
Take care folks.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
New upload site, new venue and new wingmirror
The net widens as I hatch my devious plans......
In an attempt to spend even longer each day on a computer (who said msn messenger??) I've added myself to another upload site. The one in question this time is dmusic which is looking like a very tidy site. There's just 4 songs on at the moment. If you're already familiar with my soundclick and myspace pages then it's covering fairly similar ground. The main reason for going on to another site is to introduce my music to another sector of potential listeners. Everyone has their favourite music websites and so the more exposure I can get the better. Trouble is, there's hundreds...will I draw the line at a sensible number?? Of course not.
New Song!!
The one major addition on dmusic is the addition of 'I Can't Believe The News' from the album. This is the first time this track has been posted on any site. At the moment it's streaming only, but remember 4 tracks can be downloaded for nowt by going to the soundclick page.
It won't be long before all 12 songs are available in some shape or form on the net, as well as the much heralded real-life CD, which is now available for just £8.
I played at Carpe Diem in Leeds for the first time last night. It went well despite a rather thin, studentless, over-footballed crowd. I sold a few cd singles of Cold Cold Day (which is still available-just 9 vinyl-finish copies left!!) and was even given a free drink by the barman on account of what he'd heard-thanks mate! Just as well really as I suffered a dislocated wingmirror (serves me right for parking outside a pub!) and a broken key on the keyboard. All part of suffering for one's art I guess.
In an attempt to spend even longer each day on a computer (who said msn messenger??) I've added myself to another upload site. The one in question this time is dmusic which is looking like a very tidy site. There's just 4 songs on at the moment. If you're already familiar with my soundclick and myspace pages then it's covering fairly similar ground. The main reason for going on to another site is to introduce my music to another sector of potential listeners. Everyone has their favourite music websites and so the more exposure I can get the better. Trouble is, there's hundreds...will I draw the line at a sensible number?? Of course not.
New Song!!
The one major addition on dmusic is the addition of 'I Can't Believe The News' from the album. This is the first time this track has been posted on any site. At the moment it's streaming only, but remember 4 tracks can be downloaded for nowt by going to the soundclick page.
It won't be long before all 12 songs are available in some shape or form on the net, as well as the much heralded real-life CD, which is now available for just £8.
I played at Carpe Diem in Leeds for the first time last night. It went well despite a rather thin, studentless, over-footballed crowd. I sold a few cd singles of Cold Cold Day (which is still available-just 9 vinyl-finish copies left!!) and was even given a free drink by the barman on account of what he'd heard-thanks mate! Just as well really as I suffered a dislocated wingmirror (serves me right for parking outside a pub!) and a broken key on the keyboard. All part of suffering for one's art I guess.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Gig review/album progress
I was at Dr Wu's on Tuesday again, the 4th time since the 'new era' began. It was a good night as they all have been really. It looks as though they might be breaking off over the summer so I will keep you posted about other gigs, as I'll be playing at other venues very soon. (possibly this Monday, we shall see!).
The album has done very well on Soundclick in the first 10 days. I've had lots of plays and hits and favourable comment. 'I'm Coming Out' has been up to #33 under Classic Rock and is becoming the flagship song. 'It Will Pass' has had a lot of plays too.
Please don't forget that the real Cds are available including the 16-page booklet and all the artwork. I won't be offended if you want to buy one for just £8....please email me at pauljeffery212@yahoo.co.uk
I've also put together a page on the channel 4 website which will be uploaded 'within the next 14 days' as they say-so I'll let you know about that and more album promotion very soon.
The album has done very well on Soundclick in the first 10 days. I've had lots of plays and hits and favourable comment. 'I'm Coming Out' has been up to #33 under Classic Rock and is becoming the flagship song. 'It Will Pass' has had a lot of plays too.
Please don't forget that the real Cds are available including the 16-page booklet and all the artwork. I won't be offended if you want to buy one for just £8....please email me at pauljeffery212@yahoo.co.uk
I've also put together a page on the channel 4 website which will be uploaded 'within the next 14 days' as they say-so I'll let you know about that and more album promotion very soon.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Links update
The front page of my site now has the Soundclick and Myspace pages as 'Key Links' on the left hand side of the screen.
Obviously I'm promoting these pages, particularly the soundclick one, regarding the new album.
I'll be doing Dr Wu's again this Tueday coming, as next week there's an England match. I probably will watch it, although the main reason for changing it is that it's totally abortive to want to play at the same time as a big game! I'm all for people enjoying themselves but it's often a bad atmosphere for musicians. 4 years ago, when matches were being played early morning BST and pubs were open all day, my band had a narrow escpae. Just as we were about to load in, a handful of people came out covered in blood accompanied by the shrill sound of rough women. The police were called, it looked like a war zone. Luckily, we didn't have to play otherwise who knows what would have happened. The irony was England had won!
Far be it from me to be anti-World Cup, especially at a time like this!
Obviously I'm promoting these pages, particularly the soundclick one, regarding the new album.
I'll be doing Dr Wu's again this Tueday coming, as next week there's an England match. I probably will watch it, although the main reason for changing it is that it's totally abortive to want to play at the same time as a big game! I'm all for people enjoying themselves but it's often a bad atmosphere for musicians. 4 years ago, when matches were being played early morning BST and pubs were open all day, my band had a narrow escpae. Just as we were about to load in, a handful of people came out covered in blood accompanied by the shrill sound of rough women. The police were called, it looked like a war zone. Luckily, we didn't have to play otherwise who knows what would have happened. The irony was England had won!
Far be it from me to be anti-World Cup, especially at a time like this!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Billy Preston RIP
I was saddened to hear of the death of Billy Preston this week. There aren't many true heroes for us keyboard players but he was certainly one. I enjoyed a peaceful moment yesterday evening listening to his playing on The Beatles' 'Get Back'. I think my favourite moment is his impromptu dance across the stage at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh!
For organ, rhodes and piano playing there were few better.
For organ, rhodes and piano playing there were few better.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Album Chart News
2 blogs in 2 days, he must have too much time on his hands....
Just wanted to update everyone concerning the new album songs and their charts progress. I'm using soundclick as a base site for the download side of things. Songs are given chart positions in their respective genres based on plays, ratings and downloads.
It was a fantastic day yesterday (well, if you're an anorak like me)with I'm Coming Out leading the way. It's become my first ever top 40 rating by reaching number 36 in the classic rock charts.
'It Will Pass' is also going well at #51 in rock unplugged.
I also had some lovely comments from folk which means more to me than a chart position, so thanks to everyone for that.
In general, yesterday (the 6th) was the best day in terms of page 'hits' I've had on there, so I'm very pleased with how 'phase 1' of the album promo has gone.
I was also at Dr Wu's in Leeds last night on the gig trail, performing a few songs from the album. Look out for more gig news very soon.
Just wanted to update everyone concerning the new album songs and their charts progress. I'm using soundclick as a base site for the download side of things. Songs are given chart positions in their respective genres based on plays, ratings and downloads.
It was a fantastic day yesterday (well, if you're an anorak like me)with I'm Coming Out leading the way. It's become my first ever top 40 rating by reaching number 36 in the classic rock charts.
'It Will Pass' is also going well at #51 in rock unplugged.
I also had some lovely comments from folk which means more to me than a chart position, so thanks to everyone for that.
In general, yesterday (the 6th) was the best day in terms of page 'hits' I've had on there, so I'm very pleased with how 'phase 1' of the album promo has gone.
I was also at Dr Wu's in Leeds last night on the gig trail, performing a few songs from the album. Look out for more gig news very soon.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
New Album available as download -part 1
Well finally we have it, it's official, the new album is now available.
'Lost In Love Town' has 12 tracks and also in cd-format comes with a 16 page booklet with artwork and lyrics.
Track listing, complete with links to the songs you can hear/download for FREE now!
1.Cold Cold Day
2.Young,Lost and Hopeful
3.Hell Freezes Over
4.Whiskey Coloured World
5.Lost In Love Town
6.I Can't Believe The News
7.It will Pass
8.Take It Back
9.Chains Around My Heart
10.Your Masquerade
11.I'm Coming Out
12.There You Are
Songs 4,7,8 and 11 can be downloaded for free by following the links above.
Songs 1 and 2 can be listened to for free by following the links above.
Soon the remaining tracks will be available as download too.
Of course, you may prefer to own a reallife cd (of course you would!). These are priced at £8 and at the moment can be purchased by contacting me at pauljeffery212@yahoo.co.uk
In due course the Cds will be available on sites such as cdbaby.
Album promotion begins tonight!!
I will be playing at Dr Wu's again in Leeds tonight(June 6th) starting at approx 9pm. I was there 2 weeks ago on the 23rd of May playing tracks from the album, in addition to the now obligatory request for 'Rocket Man'. Maybe one day it'll be a request for one of my songs, or maybe they think I am actually Elton himself....what are they putting in the josticks??
More exciting and complex album news to follow. I'm pushing the internet/download side of things at the moment before giving the actual CDs more attention.
'Lost In Love Town' has 12 tracks and also in cd-format comes with a 16 page booklet with artwork and lyrics.
Track listing, complete with links to the songs you can hear/download for FREE now!
1.Cold Cold Day
2.Young,Lost and Hopeful
3.Hell Freezes Over
4.Whiskey Coloured World
5.Lost In Love Town
6.I Can't Believe The News
7.It will Pass
8.Take It Back
9.Chains Around My Heart
10.Your Masquerade
11.I'm Coming Out
12.There You Are
Songs 4,7,8 and 11 can be downloaded for free by following the links above.
Songs 1 and 2 can be listened to for free by following the links above.
Soon the remaining tracks will be available as download too.
Of course, you may prefer to own a reallife cd (of course you would!). These are priced at £8 and at the moment can be purchased by contacting me at pauljeffery212@yahoo.co.uk
In due course the Cds will be available on sites such as cdbaby.
Album promotion begins tonight!!
I will be playing at Dr Wu's again in Leeds tonight(June 6th) starting at approx 9pm. I was there 2 weeks ago on the 23rd of May playing tracks from the album, in addition to the now obligatory request for 'Rocket Man'. Maybe one day it'll be a request for one of my songs, or maybe they think I am actually Elton himself....what are they putting in the josticks??
More exciting and complex album news to follow. I'm pushing the internet/download side of things at the moment before giving the actual CDs more attention.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Album news
The album inlays are well on their way, and after careful thought I can hereby announce they will be available for just £8. The standard price for a 'cottage industry' cd has been £10 for years now, this coming from a time when high-street cds were touching £16. Now that the supermarkets have lowered that average by far, I feel as a new artist it's only fair to come down a little on the price. After all, the main aim is to promote the songs, as they all say...
After weeks and months in front of a computer screen I finally managed to find my way to the piano this week and work on some new songs. Mr Over-productive will be releasing an EP or two over the coming months featuring new tracks! More details to follow.... I also found time to mix a beautiful song of Peter's called 'How Do You Sleep'. It was written way back in 1998 in the Desire days, but was never played by that band. I'm yet to decide where the song will feature, possibly on the EPs or straight out as a download only. The highlight of the track for me is the mini moog lead in the middle, what a gorgeous sound!
I'll be going back to Dr Wu's this Tuesday, where the single 'Cold Cold Day' will be available, as I work through the limited edition vinyl versions- there's still a few left! I'll also be playing some songs of course.
That's all for now, let's hope it warms up a bit this week. It was so cold last Saturday that a Danish bloke complained to me about it! True, but sad.
After weeks and months in front of a computer screen I finally managed to find my way to the piano this week and work on some new songs. Mr Over-productive will be releasing an EP or two over the coming months featuring new tracks! More details to follow.... I also found time to mix a beautiful song of Peter's called 'How Do You Sleep'. It was written way back in 1998 in the Desire days, but was never played by that band. I'm yet to decide where the song will feature, possibly on the EPs or straight out as a download only. The highlight of the track for me is the mini moog lead in the middle, what a gorgeous sound!
I'll be going back to Dr Wu's this Tuesday, where the single 'Cold Cold Day' will be available, as I work through the limited edition vinyl versions- there's still a few left! I'll also be playing some songs of course.
That's all for now, let's hope it warms up a bit this week. It was so cold last Saturday that a Danish bloke complained to me about it! True, but sad.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
The album, china and Dr Wu's
Hello,
Firstly, the long-awaited, often-delayed, first solo album is almost ready. The songs are mixed and mastered and the artwork is ready to print. The CD is called 'Lost In Love Town' feauring 12 songs. First track is Cold Cold Day in it's original mix, not the Catt Mix you can obtain as a single(see previous blogs). Most of the songs are in the singer-songwriter mould, a bit of a US vibe with influences such as Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, Jackson Browne and Crowded House.
The inlay is a 16 page booklet, with a lyric sheet and picture to go with each track. You can listen to 4 of the tracks on my soundclick page. Two are available for free download so you can ponder over purchasing the real thing.
It's been a great experience putting the album together, more news to follow on the promotion front-but I'm really happy with it.
Other news:
I played at Dr Wu's in Leeds last Tuesday, which was kind of the first gig to promote this project. Cd single sales were made, and I performed both tracks from it. Like the musical whore I am, Rocket Man was played, although I had the urge to play Lola by the Kinks very strongly... Interesting crowd they get down there!
Also just received the page statistics for this site. Fascinating to anoraks like me. So a big hello to all my fans in the United Arab Emirates and the one person in China-only another 900 000 000 or so to go....
More exciting gig reviews and album news to follow.
Firstly, the long-awaited, often-delayed, first solo album is almost ready. The songs are mixed and mastered and the artwork is ready to print. The CD is called 'Lost In Love Town' feauring 12 songs. First track is Cold Cold Day in it's original mix, not the Catt Mix you can obtain as a single(see previous blogs). Most of the songs are in the singer-songwriter mould, a bit of a US vibe with influences such as Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, Jackson Browne and Crowded House.
The inlay is a 16 page booklet, with a lyric sheet and picture to go with each track. You can listen to 4 of the tracks on my soundclick page. Two are available for free download so you can ponder over purchasing the real thing.
It's been a great experience putting the album together, more news to follow on the promotion front-but I'm really happy with it.
Other news:
I played at Dr Wu's in Leeds last Tuesday, which was kind of the first gig to promote this project. Cd single sales were made, and I performed both tracks from it. Like the musical whore I am, Rocket Man was played, although I had the urge to play Lola by the Kinks very strongly... Interesting crowd they get down there!
Also just received the page statistics for this site. Fascinating to anoraks like me. So a big hello to all my fans in the United Arab Emirates and the one person in China-only another 900 000 000 or so to go....
More exciting gig reviews and album news to follow.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Single and latest news
Hope everyone had a good mayday weekend, morris dancing and dancing around the maypole-yes it really does go on! I was too busy playing gigs to participate in these ancient customs, and I wouldn't have been much use anyway-as I overcame the shock of paying £5 for a pint of cola in a well-known Manchester City Centre hotel!! I wouldn't have minded but it was flat, black soda-water rather than an actual soft drink. I don't know, you never got those prices in a Working Men's Club....
Back in the world of original music, I'd like to thank everyone who has so far hit my soundclick page. The single 'Cold Cold Day' (Catt Mix) has been as high as #60 in the Acoustic Rock charts and seems to be maintaining a steady flow of plays. To all the mystery 'hitters' out there, I appreciate it!
Don't neglect the B-side 'Life' either which is posted in the Acoustic General charts.
Finally got the hardware printed copies complete with the artwork ready to go. These will be available for £2 and on sale at upcoming gigs, soon to be announced here.....
The album is almost ready, and after a brief test-period will be ready to run very shortly. Other happenings in the pipe-line include another single and themed Eps, all featuring new tracks. Well I warned you I wrote a lot of songs and, by 'eck, I want everyone to hear them!
TTFN
Paul
Back in the world of original music, I'd like to thank everyone who has so far hit my soundclick page. The single 'Cold Cold Day' (Catt Mix) has been as high as #60 in the Acoustic Rock charts and seems to be maintaining a steady flow of plays. To all the mystery 'hitters' out there, I appreciate it!
Don't neglect the B-side 'Life' either which is posted in the Acoustic General charts.
Finally got the hardware printed copies complete with the artwork ready to go. These will be available for £2 and on sale at upcoming gigs, soon to be announced here.....
The album is almost ready, and after a brief test-period will be ready to run very shortly. Other happenings in the pipe-line include another single and themed Eps, all featuring new tracks. Well I warned you I wrote a lot of songs and, by 'eck, I want everyone to hear them!
TTFN
Paul
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
New Single Out Now!!
Hello everybody, if you are English hope you enjoyed the St Georges Day weekend, drinking Bombardier and slaying dragons...
Okay so Monday was a little optimistic but........THE NEW SINGLE IS OUT!!!
For full details see the previous blog below.
The two tracks are 'Cold Cold Day' (Catt Mix) and 'Life'. At the moment both are available on my soundclick site.
They can be downloaded (seperately or together) for just 75 cents via paypal. So if you are into e-bay you'll know all about paypal. Hard copies featuring the artwork and limited-edition vinyl cd cost £2. Please contact me for details. You can of course merely enjoy the songs at your leisure by playing them on the soundclick page. Don't forget to rate them though! Anyone purchasing a copy can have a day off work on Monday :)
As mentioned free copies are also available. The first ten people to purchase the download can have a copy with the artwork free AND a free cd of the new album 'Lost In Love Town' which is nearly ready. I mixed the title track last week which is sounding superb, more on that later.....
I've also set up a myspace page, amongst the umpteen-thousand others! The address is
Don't go to .../pauljeffery as you will find an Australian teenager's page there!
Had some more plays on cygnusradio recently, I will be mailing out a full schedule as they have offered to help promote the single.
That's all for now folks.
Okay so Monday was a little optimistic but........THE NEW SINGLE IS OUT!!!
For full details see the previous blog below.
The two tracks are 'Cold Cold Day' (Catt Mix) and 'Life'. At the moment both are available on my soundclick site.
They can be downloaded (seperately or together) for just 75 cents via paypal. So if you are into e-bay you'll know all about paypal. Hard copies featuring the artwork and limited-edition vinyl cd cost £2. Please contact me for details. You can of course merely enjoy the songs at your leisure by playing them on the soundclick page. Don't forget to rate them though! Anyone purchasing a copy can have a day off work on Monday :)
As mentioned free copies are also available. The first ten people to purchase the download can have a copy with the artwork free AND a free cd of the new album 'Lost In Love Town' which is nearly ready. I mixed the title track last week which is sounding superb, more on that later.....
I've also set up a myspace page, amongst the umpteen-thousand others! The address is
Don't go to .../pauljeffery as you will find an Australian teenager's page there!
Had some more plays on cygnusradio recently, I will be mailing out a full schedule as they have offered to help promote the single.
That's all for now folks.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
New Single Release Preview
Hope everyone had a good Easter!
I had a good time, think it's the first time in years I didn't play any gigs at all over the long weekend. This left time to indulge another of my passions:getting covered in shale watching Stock Cars!! I won't bore you with all that though as you'll think I'm quite sad.....or am I too late?
*The new single is ready to go anyday now:I'll be brave and say this Monday the 24th-watch this space! It features a new version of 'Cold Cold Day' and the b-side 'Life'. 'Cold, Cold Day' has been remixed by Ian Catt, producer and bassist for Saint Etienne amongst many more things. Please visit his website at http://freespace.virgin.net/ian.catt/
The B-side is an acoustic song, musically a dedication to the late Tim Rose. Tim was an extremely influential songwriter/performer born in America but perhaps more recognised in Europe. His most famous work was his arrangement of 'Hey Joe' which was later recorded by Jimi Hendrix. I was lucky enough to see Tim perform live in Leeds only 5 months before his death in 2002. He played the whole set on a 12-string acoustic guitar and his delivery of 'Hey Joe' will always live with me. www.timrose.net/
I've tried to capture some of that atmosphere in the track. Paul Flieshman played the guitar part with all strings detuned a semitone(in case you were wondering!) and I think, being a Hendrix fan, he got the vibe spot-on. You may also hear a quick flash of 'Hey Joe' in the song somewhere! Thanks also to Cath Goldsbrough for providing a moving, evocative lyric.
There's even some fantastic artwork to go with the record.
This is Encaustic Art by Anna Moore. I know absolutely nothing about art but I think this type of work is beautiful. It basically involves the use of wax melted by an iron. However it is done this pic is perfect for the song and so much better than a photo of me I'm sure you'll agree!
The single will be available in a number of guises:-
'Cold, Cold Day' is taken from the forthcoming album (as they say!). It will feature 12 tracks and is nearly ready.
That's all for now, I'm off to wash the remaining shale out of my ears :)
I had a good time, think it's the first time in years I didn't play any gigs at all over the long weekend. This left time to indulge another of my passions:getting covered in shale watching Stock Cars!! I won't bore you with all that though as you'll think I'm quite sad.....or am I too late?
*The new single is ready to go anyday now:I'll be brave and say this Monday the 24th-watch this space! It features a new version of 'Cold Cold Day' and the b-side 'Life'. 'Cold, Cold Day' has been remixed by Ian Catt, producer and bassist for Saint Etienne amongst many more things. Please visit his website at http://freespace.virgin.net/ian.catt/
The B-side is an acoustic song, musically a dedication to the late Tim Rose. Tim was an extremely influential songwriter/performer born in America but perhaps more recognised in Europe. His most famous work was his arrangement of 'Hey Joe' which was later recorded by Jimi Hendrix. I was lucky enough to see Tim perform live in Leeds only 5 months before his death in 2002. He played the whole set on a 12-string acoustic guitar and his delivery of 'Hey Joe' will always live with me. www.timrose.net/
I've tried to capture some of that atmosphere in the track. Paul Flieshman played the guitar part with all strings detuned a semitone(in case you were wondering!) and I think, being a Hendrix fan, he got the vibe spot-on. You may also hear a quick flash of 'Hey Joe' in the song somewhere! Thanks also to Cath Goldsbrough for providing a moving, evocative lyric.
There's even some fantastic artwork to go with the record.
This is Encaustic Art by Anna Moore. I know absolutely nothing about art but I think this type of work is beautiful. It basically involves the use of wax melted by an iron. However it is done this pic is perfect for the song and so much better than a photo of me I'm sure you'll agree!The single will be available in a number of guises:-
- As limited edition CD, featuring all the artwork and nifty vinyl-finish cds! Copies obtainable by contacting me and a number of web-based distributors (details to follow shortly).
- As mp3 download. You will be able to purchase both tracks individually from www.soundclick.com/pauljeffery and also other similar music community sites to be announced.
- For free! I will be giving away some copies, further info to follow!
'Cold, Cold Day' is taken from the forthcoming album (as they say!). It will feature 12 tracks and is nearly ready.
That's all for now, I'm off to wash the remaining shale out of my ears :)
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Paul Jeffery The Internet Cult
....or at least I think that's what they said.
In addition to all the recent activity mentioned in the 1st blog, I've posted a page on Soundclick, one of the world's largest music community pages. I'm on there as an artist in my own rite and the page is www.soundclick.com/pauljeffery
There's 4 new songs on there, one you can download for free. This little collection of songs is from my forthcoming singer/songwriter album. You can post comments on the message board, already had some nice feedback, and rate the songs ('hot' of course!!). You can also post in the forums (I come under Acoustic), and become a rock journalist instantaneously.
The site is similar to myspace.com in that it's a great way of networking and getting material some exposure. I was always quite cynical of this approach, but have to admit I'm now totally sold on the DIY method of music promotion.... and it's totally free to register and join in! I've already noticed 2 fellow artists who've joined since I first set my page up, so it looks like we're all onto a good thing!
That's all for now, more news to follow on the singer/songwriter project very soon.
In addition to all the recent activity mentioned in the 1st blog, I've posted a page on Soundclick, one of the world's largest music community pages. I'm on there as an artist in my own rite and the page is www.soundclick.com/pauljeffery
There's 4 new songs on there, one you can download for free. This little collection of songs is from my forthcoming singer/songwriter album. You can post comments on the message board, already had some nice feedback, and rate the songs ('hot' of course!!). You can also post in the forums (I come under Acoustic), and become a rock journalist instantaneously.
The site is similar to myspace.com in that it's a great way of networking and getting material some exposure. I was always quite cynical of this approach, but have to admit I'm now totally sold on the DIY method of music promotion.... and it's totally free to register and join in! I've already noticed 2 fellow artists who've joined since I first set my page up, so it looks like we're all onto a good thing!
- Also had my first broadcast on Internet Radio today. This has come about directly from the above page. You can tune into http://www.cygnusradio.com/index.php which is a US station. I've been featured on Carol Lowery's Sister Moon Radio show (see schedule for details of broadcast times). There is a live chatroom where the DJs can interact with listeners.
That's all for now, more news to follow on the singer/songwriter project very soon.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Paul Jeffery Launches Blog on 9 April, 2006
_______________________________________________________
Paul Jeffery's Latest News...Brand New track "All I Want From Love" is posted on Paul's website. Click to hear!
Paul has recently formed a Dance Music top-line and songwriting company with lyricist Chris Breen and dance record producer Decibelle/Sharon Sullivan. The company is called Sundance Songs and we specialise in extremely radio-friendly, accessible dance music, writing songs for artists to re-record as covers or, alternatively, using session vocalists and offering tracks as masters for licensing.
The first track to come out of Sundance Songs, Summer Love, has already gained a huge amount of interest with several offers coming in. Paul, Chris and Sharon have now agreed to proceed with a licensing deal for the track... watch this space!
Click here to hear the track!
If you are a Dance Producer, Record label or Recording Artist/Singer working in the field of dance and need top-quality songs and/or top-line melodies & lyrics writing for you, then Paul, Chris and Sharon would like to hear from you now via Sundance Contacts. We are keen to find ambitious - and reliable! - producers in the dance field to work with, so if you really want to give you material that commercial cutting edge, then please get in touch. Also, do check out the website!
Paul is working on a variety of top-line writing projects with lyricist Chris Breen. This versatile writing partnership has recently penned a variety of tracks including...
- A mid-tempo Jazz track Little Lost with Saint Etienne bassist, Ian Catt
- A couple of really commercial RnB tracks with writer/producer Andy McNeil
Check out Lyricist Chris Breen's website, www.lyrico.co.uk, to hear a variety of material the team are able to work on.
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