Thirdly, it's label of the moment, Brainfeeder's offering from Teebs & Jackhigh:
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Free Music Saturday's Hobbity choices.
Thirdly, it's label of the moment, Brainfeeder's offering from Teebs & Jackhigh:
Free Music Saturday's Hobbity choices.
The second selection is from fellow Kiwi Mark de Clive-Lowe and the uber talented Tawiah:
Friday, 29 July 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Frank to Black: A Fond Farewell to Amy Winehouse By Richard Bamford
A fond look back at my chats with Amy Winehouse back in the summer of 2006.
On the 23rd July 2011 came the news that Amy Winehouse had passed away, in what police described as an 'unexplained death'.
The news made me morosely sad; as did her recent, much televised start of her European tour.
It's all too easily forgotten just how talented she was. She not only paved the way for the Adele's and Duffy's of the world but laid the tarmac and steam-rollered her way onto the scene with Frank back in 2003.
Though she was immensely talented and left us way too early, her passing, I think, was sadly inevitable. The Amy I met was sweet, fragile and slightly insecure – not the hard-faced, drug whore the majority of the ignorant naysayers would have you believe. People who are quick to condemn, generally have little knowledge of mental illness and certainly no concept of the decease that is addiction.
On the second time we met, Summer 2006, in a pub in Camden, of course, I decided to bestow her with gifts: Count Basie & Frank Sinatra live and a Special's Live at the BBC album; both of which she didn't have, but was very grateful for. She promised me, as a thank-you, to give me a pash then not beat me too embarrassingly at pool. While she did stain my cheek with her lippy, she also annihilated me at pool.
After my pool thrashing, she invited me to attend a secret gig at Proud in Camden the following Friday, for friends and family only.
This was one of my most memorable gigs. Firstly 'cos as I arrived with a friend, Amy recognized me and flung her arms around me. Secondly 'cos the gig was part acapella and the rest her singing and playing the guitar, to a very small crowd. She laughed and joked and gave a spellbinding performance. I was in awe!
It's always sad when someone looses their life to mental illness or addiction, but, I did feel an attachment to Amy, but I think that was just how the real Amy was; warm, friendly, naive and naughty. Rest In Peace, Lioness.
Read the full story at http://www.blacksheepmag.com/features/interviews/item/2732-all-about-amy :
All About Amy
On the 23rd July 2011 came the news that Amy Winehouse had passed away, in what police described as an 'unexplained death'.
The news made me morosely sad; as did her recent, much televised start of her European tour.
It's all too easily forgotten just how talented she was. She not only paved the way for the Adele's and Duffy's of the world but laid the tarmac and steam-rollered her way onto the scene with Frank back in 2003.
Though she was immensely talented and left us way too early, her passing, I think, was sadly inevitable. The Amy I met was sweet, fragile and slightly insecure – not the hard-faced, drug whore the majority of the ignorant naysayers would have you believe. People who are quick to condemn, generally have little knowledge of mental illness and certainly no concept of the decease that is addiction.
On the second time we met, Summer 2006, in a pub in Camden, of course, I decided to bestow her with gifts: Count Basie & Frank Sinatra live and a Special's Live at the BBC album; both of which she didn't have, but was very grateful for. She promised me, as a thank-you, to give me a pash then not beat me too embarrassingly at pool. While she did stain my cheek with her lippy, she also annihilated me at pool.
After my pool thrashing, she invited me to attend a secret gig at Proud in Camden the following Friday, for friends and family only.
This was one of my most memorable gigs. Firstly 'cos as I arrived with a friend, Amy recognized me and flung her arms around me. Secondly 'cos the gig was part acapella and the rest her singing and playing the guitar, to a very small crowd. She laughed and joked and gave a spellbinding performance. I was in awe!
It's always sad when someone looses their life to mental illness or addiction, but, I did feel an attachment to Amy, but I think that was just how the real Amy was; warm, friendly, naive and naughty. Rest In Peace, Lioness.
Read the full story at http://www.blacksheepmag.com/features/interviews/item/2732-all-about-amy :
All About Amy
Saturday, 23 July 2011
R.I.P Amy Winehouse
I thought I'd just share my favourite couple of interviews with Amy published in Blues & Soul and Undercover.
Feature Zone: Amy Winehouse [Words: Richard “The Hobbit” Bamford]
ALL ABOUT AMY…
“Frank was a bit wank for me. The overall tone of the first album was like me saying, ‘Fuck you. You fucked up our relationship. It’s all your fault,’” states a surprisingly fragile and demure Amy Winehouse in relation to her award-winning first album, from the dingy yet friendly corner of her local Camden drinking haunt. “The new album [Back to Black] is me realizing that though you have a bad relationship, it’s not down to fault, but more down to circumstance,” she says.
Amy’s matured demeanour certainly compliments the depth and vocal style her new album has to offer. Winehouse puts most of her previously outspoken, sassy ways down to her insecurity. “I don’t really say things for the sake of it anymore coz I don’t smoke weed no more. I’m not self-doubting anymore. I’m a drunk. I love everyone,” she jokes with a Sybil Fawlty-like cackle and a languid slurp of her drink.
Surrounded by all the things she currently loves, Ska, alcohol, men and pool, Amy certainly seems very relaxed in this environment. Twitching her white Converse All-Stars along to The Specials soundtrack playing on the Jukebox, she affectionately comments: “I love The Specials so much. I was asked once why I never do covers. I do feel like I’ve still got loads to say, but when I thought about it, it made me think how much I’d like to cover them. I’ve just recorded a cover album of their stuff with Mark Ronson. It’s gonna be the nuts.”
Amy freely admits that before recording her new album, she immersed herself in pools of old music, ranging from 60s girl groups, like the Shangri-Las, to classic Doo-Wop from The Five Royals and, of course, The Specials. These influences aren’t solely apparent in her music. Her big hair, wild and busy like a beehive drunk with honey, hangs neatly on her Fred Perry polo shirt and the red braces that hold up her cling-film-tight denims. Though she claims to have always dressed like a skin head, she’s keen to point out: “I don’t set out to do things in a way. It’s always down to what I’ve been listening to and how it rubs off on me. How deep I feel it.”
Lyrically, Amy Winehouse has always told it like it is, penning exactly as her life prescribes. No change there then, as her new single, ‘Rehab’, is indeed a true depiction. “I only went coz I wanted to please people,” she explains. “I asked my management, ‘what’s gonna happen if I don’t go, still?’ They said they’d come back tomorrow,” smiles Amy with bemusement. “I get there and this feller starts asking me why I’m there and do I think I’m an alcoholic. Then [he] starts telling me about his life story. The thing is,” she continues: “People that go to rehabilitation don’t have music in their lives. I can wake up wanting to die - I just have to listen to Dinah Washington or some Ska for a bit and I’ll feel on top of the world again.”
Recently it seems more press attention has focussed on Amy’s new slender figure, than on the voluptuousness of her music. Though Amy is happy to discuss her alcoholism and the fact that she thinks she’s a manic depressive – the actual reason she went to rehabilitation - she refutably quashes any anorexia rumours, putting her weight-loss purely down to the fact that she replaced the weed in her life with rigorous gym sessions. “Gyms are great coz all the sweaty men around gear me up and get my adrenaline going,” smiles Amy cheekily.
Adamant that she’s grown up and moved on from her bad-mouthing teenage years, Amy professes that the last thing she wants to do is take herself too seriously. “Too many people do,” she claims. “I was at the MOBO after-party the other year. Everyone was there holding up the wall,” she recounts. “Keisha from the Sugababes was standing there with her arm around Natasha Bedingfield, and I said, ‘Oi, Keish, let’s go and ‘av a dance!’ She looked at me like I was on crack. Lauryn Hill’s another one,” she continues excitedly. “I went to her last gig and she kept everyone waiting for ages. When she finally came on stage, I shouted out, ‘Lauryn, people have fucking paid fifty quid to watch you fanny about!’ Then she does this bit in the middle where she starts reciting poetry, while fifteen musicians sit on the stage looking gormless. I do love Lauryn,” she elucidates. “I think it’s just coz she’s been a mummy for so long - she’s just too nervous now. She smokes [weed] too, and that just makes everything worse.” Obviously keen to get her point across she feverishly continues: “I don’t know if this is true but I heard she makes people call her Miss Hill. If people started calling me Miss Winehouse that would make me nervous. I’d be looking for the bank manager coz no one else calls me Miss Winehouse,” she jokes.
In the past, Amy has been accused of being a Jewish Princess. “I’d see myself more as a real Jewish mother. I’m definitely not a Jewish Princess coz that’s usually associated with being high maintenance.” To validate her argument further, she explains what a typical Amy day consists of: “Most normal days, I wake up with my boyfriend. He goes to work and I clean the house. Then, I have a bath, do my hair and face and go out. I tend to run about all over the place all day. I’m just a normal girl,” she sighs. “I can’t stand drama queens. I feel like saying to them, ‘Save the headache. Have a drink and shut the fuck up!’” she concludes.
Though Amy has a reputation for being quite hard-faced, she’s actually very caring. Quite often, after a night out, she will hustle everybody back to her place and cook for them. “I love looking after people,” she adds. “Some people, boys especially, just don’t eat well. My boyfriend is a chef and it’s a great challenge for me to try and make him more exotic things.”
It is obvious, after speaking to Amy Winehouse, that she’s a very passionate person, and cares deeply about people and her music; especially on stage. Amy’s live performances can be, for the unsuspecting audience, a little like losing your virginity. That’s not to say that they are brief; more that they start off a little awkward, shy even. As momentum builds, however, you’re soon swept away in a wave of awe, experiencing tingling senses that you didn’t realise you had. “In fact,” says Amy, “it’s better than sex. Sex lasts for about twenty minutes. You can be onstage for ages. I don’t tend to notice that I’m being sexual,” she claims. “I do have a habit of lifting up my dress and playing with the microphone in a certain way,” she adds coyly.
Surprisingly, she has no difficulty in excluding the influence of her education at Sylvia Young’s Drama school from playing any part in her onstage sexual exploits. In fact, as she recalls with a mischievous giggle, “I remember my ballet teacher, whose name was Nina. She used to wear these see-through yellow trousers, with no knickers. You could see her pubes through her trousers,” she laughs. “Really gross!”
Amy is just twenty-three years old. Though she’s clearly been through a heck of a lot, she fights on with an unbridled passion that displays just how tough she really is. When things are good she remains forever hopeful and optimistic about her future. “I’m on a roll now. I reckon in the next ten years I’ll’ve made another six albums. I can do it and I really wanna do it too.” A woman who has lyrically always been mature has now also moved on mentally, leaving the headline grabbing, slag-off fests to the likes of Lily Allen. “Fuck it, as long as I’ve got music in my life, I’ll be cool.”
DIRTY DOZEN: With Richard ‘The Hobbit’ Bamford
This week featuring: Amy Winehouse.
1.) Do you have a rampant rabbit?
Amy: Yeah!
2.) Where do you keep it?
Amy: I’ve got it in my little Chinese box next to my bed.
3.) Any other sex toys?
Amy: I used to have loads but when I moved I only kept my essential things and my rabbit is essential.
4.) How often do you use it?
Amy: It really varies from week to week. I did make myself cum this morning.
5.) Do you ever incorporate the rabbit in your sex-life with your boyfriend?
Amy: It’s very rare for me not to cum, but on the odd occasion I do get it out.
6.) Are boys any good with them?
Amy: A lot of boys are clumsy with it and don’t know what to do. They can be rough. You have to guide them.
7.) Do you have any tricks that are guaranteed to make you cum?
Amy: Oh god yeah. There’s this spot between your belly-button and your noony [points to vagina], if you press in there, while you’re having sex, that’s where your G-spot is. When you press there, it pushes your g-spot out and you’re more likely to cum.
8.) Do you have a favourite sexual position?
Amy: No! I love ‘em all. Depends how submissive I’m feeling or how tired your boyfriend is.
9.) Any bondage exist in Amy Winehouse’s life?
Amy: NO! I think you have to be quite bored in a relationship to do all that.
10.) Sex or music?
Amy: Music. Definitely. Sex is a primal thing. Music is a mind stimulator.
11.) Who do you love the most in the music business?
Amy: There are people that I love but I wouldn’t necessarily rate their music. I did a chorus that Mutya [Sugababes] wants to use. Mutya’s the nuts. She don’t suffer fools. I love Terri Walker. The girl can sing too. Carleen Anderson is a really good friend of mine. Mica Paris I LOVE! I LOVE Kelly Osbourne. She’s one of my best mates. I met her in Trash in London. When I first met her and Sharon, I went up to them at the BRITS, absolutely cunted. I told them I wasn’t a tosser, just a bit of a fuck head. I then poured all my love on them. Kelly’s like me, she likes people that make her laugh.
12.) Who do you hate?
Amy: No one! I don’t bare a grudge no more. People that I hate I don’t give headspace to. It doesn’t matter to me.
Words: Richard ‘The Hobbit’ Bamford
Bye Amy; you were a great laugh to interview, even though you beat me at Pool. XX
Feature Zone: Amy Winehouse [Words: Richard “The Hobbit” Bamford]
ALL ABOUT AMY…
“Frank was a bit wank for me. The overall tone of the first album was like me saying, ‘Fuck you. You fucked up our relationship. It’s all your fault,’” states a surprisingly fragile and demure Amy Winehouse in relation to her award-winning first album, from the dingy yet friendly corner of her local Camden drinking haunt. “The new album [Back to Black] is me realizing that though you have a bad relationship, it’s not down to fault, but more down to circumstance,” she says.
Amy’s matured demeanour certainly compliments the depth and vocal style her new album has to offer. Winehouse puts most of her previously outspoken, sassy ways down to her insecurity. “I don’t really say things for the sake of it anymore coz I don’t smoke weed no more. I’m not self-doubting anymore. I’m a drunk. I love everyone,” she jokes with a Sybil Fawlty-like cackle and a languid slurp of her drink.
Surrounded by all the things she currently loves, Ska, alcohol, men and pool, Amy certainly seems very relaxed in this environment. Twitching her white Converse All-Stars along to The Specials soundtrack playing on the Jukebox, she affectionately comments: “I love The Specials so much. I was asked once why I never do covers. I do feel like I’ve still got loads to say, but when I thought about it, it made me think how much I’d like to cover them. I’ve just recorded a cover album of their stuff with Mark Ronson. It’s gonna be the nuts.”
Amy freely admits that before recording her new album, she immersed herself in pools of old music, ranging from 60s girl groups, like the Shangri-Las, to classic Doo-Wop from The Five Royals and, of course, The Specials. These influences aren’t solely apparent in her music. Her big hair, wild and busy like a beehive drunk with honey, hangs neatly on her Fred Perry polo shirt and the red braces that hold up her cling-film-tight denims. Though she claims to have always dressed like a skin head, she’s keen to point out: “I don’t set out to do things in a way. It’s always down to what I’ve been listening to and how it rubs off on me. How deep I feel it.”
Lyrically, Amy Winehouse has always told it like it is, penning exactly as her life prescribes. No change there then, as her new single, ‘Rehab’, is indeed a true depiction. “I only went coz I wanted to please people,” she explains. “I asked my management, ‘what’s gonna happen if I don’t go, still?’ They said they’d come back tomorrow,” smiles Amy with bemusement. “I get there and this feller starts asking me why I’m there and do I think I’m an alcoholic. Then [he] starts telling me about his life story. The thing is,” she continues: “People that go to rehabilitation don’t have music in their lives. I can wake up wanting to die - I just have to listen to Dinah Washington or some Ska for a bit and I’ll feel on top of the world again.”
Recently it seems more press attention has focussed on Amy’s new slender figure, than on the voluptuousness of her music. Though Amy is happy to discuss her alcoholism and the fact that she thinks she’s a manic depressive – the actual reason she went to rehabilitation - she refutably quashes any anorexia rumours, putting her weight-loss purely down to the fact that she replaced the weed in her life with rigorous gym sessions. “Gyms are great coz all the sweaty men around gear me up and get my adrenaline going,” smiles Amy cheekily.
Adamant that she’s grown up and moved on from her bad-mouthing teenage years, Amy professes that the last thing she wants to do is take herself too seriously. “Too many people do,” she claims. “I was at the MOBO after-party the other year. Everyone was there holding up the wall,” she recounts. “Keisha from the Sugababes was standing there with her arm around Natasha Bedingfield, and I said, ‘Oi, Keish, let’s go and ‘av a dance!’ She looked at me like I was on crack. Lauryn Hill’s another one,” she continues excitedly. “I went to her last gig and she kept everyone waiting for ages. When she finally came on stage, I shouted out, ‘Lauryn, people have fucking paid fifty quid to watch you fanny about!’ Then she does this bit in the middle where she starts reciting poetry, while fifteen musicians sit on the stage looking gormless. I do love Lauryn,” she elucidates. “I think it’s just coz she’s been a mummy for so long - she’s just too nervous now. She smokes [weed] too, and that just makes everything worse.” Obviously keen to get her point across she feverishly continues: “I don’t know if this is true but I heard she makes people call her Miss Hill. If people started calling me Miss Winehouse that would make me nervous. I’d be looking for the bank manager coz no one else calls me Miss Winehouse,” she jokes.
In the past, Amy has been accused of being a Jewish Princess. “I’d see myself more as a real Jewish mother. I’m definitely not a Jewish Princess coz that’s usually associated with being high maintenance.” To validate her argument further, she explains what a typical Amy day consists of: “Most normal days, I wake up with my boyfriend. He goes to work and I clean the house. Then, I have a bath, do my hair and face and go out. I tend to run about all over the place all day. I’m just a normal girl,” she sighs. “I can’t stand drama queens. I feel like saying to them, ‘Save the headache. Have a drink and shut the fuck up!’” she concludes.
Though Amy has a reputation for being quite hard-faced, she’s actually very caring. Quite often, after a night out, she will hustle everybody back to her place and cook for them. “I love looking after people,” she adds. “Some people, boys especially, just don’t eat well. My boyfriend is a chef and it’s a great challenge for me to try and make him more exotic things.”
It is obvious, after speaking to Amy Winehouse, that she’s a very passionate person, and cares deeply about people and her music; especially on stage. Amy’s live performances can be, for the unsuspecting audience, a little like losing your virginity. That’s not to say that they are brief; more that they start off a little awkward, shy even. As momentum builds, however, you’re soon swept away in a wave of awe, experiencing tingling senses that you didn’t realise you had. “In fact,” says Amy, “it’s better than sex. Sex lasts for about twenty minutes. You can be onstage for ages. I don’t tend to notice that I’m being sexual,” she claims. “I do have a habit of lifting up my dress and playing with the microphone in a certain way,” she adds coyly.
Surprisingly, she has no difficulty in excluding the influence of her education at Sylvia Young’s Drama school from playing any part in her onstage sexual exploits. In fact, as she recalls with a mischievous giggle, “I remember my ballet teacher, whose name was Nina. She used to wear these see-through yellow trousers, with no knickers. You could see her pubes through her trousers,” she laughs. “Really gross!”
Amy is just twenty-three years old. Though she’s clearly been through a heck of a lot, she fights on with an unbridled passion that displays just how tough she really is. When things are good she remains forever hopeful and optimistic about her future. “I’m on a roll now. I reckon in the next ten years I’ll’ve made another six albums. I can do it and I really wanna do it too.” A woman who has lyrically always been mature has now also moved on mentally, leaving the headline grabbing, slag-off fests to the likes of Lily Allen. “Fuck it, as long as I’ve got music in my life, I’ll be cool.”
DIRTY DOZEN: With Richard ‘The Hobbit’ Bamford
This week featuring: Amy Winehouse.
1.) Do you have a rampant rabbit?
Amy: Yeah!
2.) Where do you keep it?
Amy: I’ve got it in my little Chinese box next to my bed.
3.) Any other sex toys?
Amy: I used to have loads but when I moved I only kept my essential things and my rabbit is essential.
4.) How often do you use it?
Amy: It really varies from week to week. I did make myself cum this morning.
5.) Do you ever incorporate the rabbit in your sex-life with your boyfriend?
Amy: It’s very rare for me not to cum, but on the odd occasion I do get it out.
6.) Are boys any good with them?
Amy: A lot of boys are clumsy with it and don’t know what to do. They can be rough. You have to guide them.
7.) Do you have any tricks that are guaranteed to make you cum?
Amy: Oh god yeah. There’s this spot between your belly-button and your noony [points to vagina], if you press in there, while you’re having sex, that’s where your G-spot is. When you press there, it pushes your g-spot out and you’re more likely to cum.
8.) Do you have a favourite sexual position?
Amy: No! I love ‘em all. Depends how submissive I’m feeling or how tired your boyfriend is.
9.) Any bondage exist in Amy Winehouse’s life?
Amy: NO! I think you have to be quite bored in a relationship to do all that.
10.) Sex or music?
Amy: Music. Definitely. Sex is a primal thing. Music is a mind stimulator.
11.) Who do you love the most in the music business?
Amy: There are people that I love but I wouldn’t necessarily rate their music. I did a chorus that Mutya [Sugababes] wants to use. Mutya’s the nuts. She don’t suffer fools. I love Terri Walker. The girl can sing too. Carleen Anderson is a really good friend of mine. Mica Paris I LOVE! I LOVE Kelly Osbourne. She’s one of my best mates. I met her in Trash in London. When I first met her and Sharon, I went up to them at the BRITS, absolutely cunted. I told them I wasn’t a tosser, just a bit of a fuck head. I then poured all my love on them. Kelly’s like me, she likes people that make her laugh.
12.) Who do you hate?
Amy: No one! I don’t bare a grudge no more. People that I hate I don’t give headspace to. It doesn’t matter to me.
Words: Richard ‘The Hobbit’ Bamford
Bye Amy; you were a great laugh to interview, even though you beat me at Pool. XX
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Trin-i-tee 5:7
TRIN-I-TEE 5:7
Angel and Chanelle
GRAMMY® Award nominated, Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award and Stellar Award winner Trin-itee 5:7 has been the Best Selling Female Gospel Trio in music history. After more than a decade on the music scene, the New Orleans natives and original group members, Chanelle Haynes and Angel Taylor have transitioned Trin-i-tee 5:7 from a trio to a duo. They will debut their new sound in a new project titled Angel and Chanelle, scheduled for release May 31, 2011 on Mathew Knowles’ Music World Gospel.
The Angel and Chanelle CD marks their seventh recording to date.
This CD is about accepting and embracing each other’s differences, and many of the songs speak to those issues, said Angel and Chanelle. “Our message is that God will bring you to a place of acceptance and love, and there is so much power and freedom in that,” said Chanelle. “Throughout our career we were always trying to please everyone, we wanted people to like us and accept what we were trying to do,” added Angel. “We have gone through so much and fought so hard to get to the place where we love who we are and know that God made us who we are. We are no longer trying to conform to someone else’s idea about who we should be. We believe that is reflected in the music on our new CD.”
The CD will be released in two versions—a 12 song standard version and a deluxe version with five additional tracks. “Over and Over,” the first single from the CD, is a soul-stirring, mid-tempo song, produced by GRAMMY® Award, Dove Award and Stellar Award winner P.J. Morton (India.Arie, Men of Standard, DeWayne Wood). Angel and Chanelle believe fans will fall in love with this song because each time they hear it they will be reminded of how God continues to bless us in our lives. “Heaven Hear My Heart,” is the second single from the CD. With its driving drum beat, contemporary feel and infectious chorus of “Je vous aime,” which means “I love you” in French, the single has landed on top of the Urban Adult Contemporary radio charts. The song speaks to how people seek acceptance from others, when all they really need is acceptance from God about who they are and what they are doing.
The album also features “God’s Grace Remix,” which is a fresh take on a timeless message. Produced by Surefire Music Group (Ne-Yo), the recording is a remake of “God’s Grace.” Written and originally
produced by R. Kelly, it was a hit song from their debut CD, Trin-i-tee 5:7, which is named one of the 30 Best Selling Gospel Albums of All Time by Billboard magazine. The production team of Surefire Music Group produced other titles including “Let It Go.” Both the message and the “in your face” energy of this song compel the listener to let go and let God. The group also wrote “I Need You Now,” a hopeful expression of our need for God’s help to make our lives what they should be. The hand-clapping, upbeat “I Don’t Need A Reason,” is Surefire Music Group’s third contribution to the CD project. This fun song hearkens back to the chants and rhymes of our childhood and reinforced the message that the best way to love God is the way children love their parents—with whole and happy hearts. Award-winning producer Stan Jones (Marvin Sapp, Brian Courtney Wilson, The William Brothers) produced two tracks, including “I’m Still Holding On,” a song with a more traditional gospel feel, and “I Worship Your Name,” a simple but powerful worship song that congregations will find memorable and will love to sing.
GRAMMY® award-winning super producer Rockwilder penned “Blessing Me,” a feel good song with an urban contemporary beat and vibe that makes you want to start singing as soon as you hear the first notes. He also produced “Just Remember,” which Chanelle and Angel co-wrote with Mathew Knowles.
The finger-snapping pop beat and the message that we should love each other and not judge each other, will certainly make this a song to remember.
The standard CD also includes “Some Kind of Amazing,” a love-song to God that is likely to be as at home on the pop charts as on the gospel charts, which was produced by Andrew “Druski” Scott. “Bring Your Praise,” rounds out the dozen tracks on the CD. Produced by Fred “Uncle Freddie” Jerkins III and Imani “IZy” Pressley, this song will get the praise party going with its urban contemporary beats, hip-hop vibe and hard hitting message about praising God.
The five additional tracks on the deluxe CD include some not-to-be-missed songs. Acclaimed producer Tito Ali contributed “New Day.” The first song they recorded for this album, it is an anthem celebrating their evolution to where they are today and all that God has done for them. “The Cross,” which was produced by the Surefire Music Group, was written and originally recorded by Prince and has the funky rock vibe that we would expect from that musical icon. Also produced by the Surefire team is “I am Not Alone,” which features a pop style and tight harmonies. The hauntingly beautiful melody of “Psalm 139,” produced by David Mullen, provides a showcase for the power and range of the voices of Angel and Chanelle. Finally, the intimate combination of keyboard and voices focuses the listener’s attention on the compelling lyrics of “Drops of Rain,” which remind us that even in our toughest times and darkest days, God’s mercy will sooth us like drops of rain. The song was also produced by David Mullen.
“We want listeners to know that there is nothing you can do that would change God’s love for you,” said Chanelle. “We want them to be encouraged to live life to the fullest because they know that God’s got their back, no matter what.” It’s a message, said Angel, which they especially want to share with young people. “We want them to realize that God created each of us in a unique way. We are all different and we don’t need to conform to what everyone else is saying and doing or to what others expect of us. We need to please God and to own our decisions—both our mistakes and our victories.”
In many ways, the new CD takes Angel and Chanelle back to where their relationship began. It was a shared love of music that brought these two together in their freshman year in High School. “From the moment we met, all we wanted to do was get together and listen to music,” said Angel. “We would sit in the gym at school and Chanelle would share her gospel music with me and I would share my R&B with her. That was the beginning of our friendship.”
The two budding singers supported each other as they each pursued their love of music, but eventually they went head to head in a high school talent show. Chanelle came in first place and Angel second, but they both felt like winners. “It never felt like a competition,” said Angel. “Competition is something that you see within groups all the time. The cool thing about us is that there’s never been that competitive spirit in our group. That’s one thing I’m really proud of.” Trin-i-tee 5:7 was born when Chanelle was told by her manager that a leading gospel label was looking to sign a female gospel group. He asked Chanelle if she knew anyone who could sing with her and she immediately thought of Angel. “We met at my house and sang ‘Amazing Grace’ together,” said Chanelle.
“It was magic. There were sparks and everybody in the room just looked at each other because we knew it was a special moment. And we’re still together, making beautiful music that we believe in and that we are passionate about.”
Angel and Chanelle each started singing in church as a young girl. Chanelle, the daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, sang in her father’s church, where she later directed the youth choir. From the time she was six years old she was singing at events around the city. At 12, she was one of seven children selected out of 1,2oo who auditioned to participate in a pilot for a television program produced by Quincy Jones, which featured talented kids in New Orleans. The pilot was not picked up, but Jones later recommended Chanelle for Star Search, and at 15 she was selected to participate on the show.
Angel had her first singing experience at the Baptist church her family attended in New Orleans. As a child, she sang at weddings, church programs and talent shows. One of the highlights of her teenage years was when she performed in the WILD (98 FM) Radio talent show. “I was pretty excited. It was a city-wide event and one of the biggest productions in the city,” she said. She came in second place but says that her family was so supportive that she still felt like a winner.
Family is very important to both Chanelle and Angel. Chanelle has five siblings—there are three boys and three girls. Angel has three brothers. She’s the oldest, but says her brothers don’t treat her like she is. Chanelle and Angel are close to their families but consider themselves family too. Both women have left New Orleans. Chanelle lives in Santa Monica, California and Angel recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia. They see much of each other when they are recording and touring, but say that even when they are apart, they talk to each other every day. Their closeness is evident whether they are discussing their music or their homes, or their families. They often finish each other’s sentences. “When we are together, I don’t even know when work ends and when it begins,” says Angel. “After a studio session we might go back to one of our rooms and watch TV and eat apple pie and ice cream. It feels like we’re in high school again.”
In their new project, Angel and Chanelle are doing what they have always done—singing songs that they feel passionate about. “We feel passionate about God and we feel passionate about the life He has given us,” said Chanelle. “If it’s called gospel, that’s great. If it’s called inspiration, that’s great. We try not to box ourselves into a particular genre. We believe that if God isn’t in a box then His children shouldn’t be in a box either. I think we should express His love through our music the way he gives it to us.”
In 2010, Trin-i-tee 5:7 received the Gospel Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in London.
Despite the fast-track successes of the award-winning group, Chanelle and Angel remain grounded in God. “Awards don’t determine or define those timeless things like friendship, your relationship with God and the impact that your music has on people’s lives,” said Chanelle. “So we stay focused on that because that’s what keeps us going.”
http://musicworldent.com/artists/trinitee57?page=trinitee57
GRAMMY® Award nominated, Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award and Stellar Award winner Trin-itee 5:7 has been the Best Selling Female Gospel Trio in music history. After more than a decade on the music scene, the New Orleans natives and original group members, Chanelle Haynes and Angel Taylor have transitioned Trin-i-tee 5:7 from a trio to a duo. They will debut their new sound in a new project titled Angel and Chanelle, scheduled for release May 31, 2011 on Mathew Knowles’ Music World Gospel.
The Angel and Chanelle CD marks their seventh recording to date.
This CD is about accepting and embracing each other’s differences, and many of the songs speak to those issues, said Angel and Chanelle. “Our message is that God will bring you to a place of acceptance and love, and there is so much power and freedom in that,” said Chanelle. “Throughout our career we were always trying to please everyone, we wanted people to like us and accept what we were trying to do,” added Angel. “We have gone through so much and fought so hard to get to the place where we love who we are and know that God made us who we are. We are no longer trying to conform to someone else’s idea about who we should be. We believe that is reflected in the music on our new CD.”
The CD will be released in two versions—a 12 song standard version and a deluxe version with five additional tracks. “Over and Over,” the first single from the CD, is a soul-stirring, mid-tempo song, produced by GRAMMY® Award, Dove Award and Stellar Award winner P.J. Morton (India.Arie, Men of Standard, DeWayne Wood). Angel and Chanelle believe fans will fall in love with this song because each time they hear it they will be reminded of how God continues to bless us in our lives. “Heaven Hear My Heart,” is the second single from the CD. With its driving drum beat, contemporary feel and infectious chorus of “Je vous aime,” which means “I love you” in French, the single has landed on top of the Urban Adult Contemporary radio charts. The song speaks to how people seek acceptance from others, when all they really need is acceptance from God about who they are and what they are doing.
The album also features “God’s Grace Remix,” which is a fresh take on a timeless message. Produced by Surefire Music Group (Ne-Yo), the recording is a remake of “God’s Grace.” Written and originally
produced by R. Kelly, it was a hit song from their debut CD, Trin-i-tee 5:7, which is named one of the 30 Best Selling Gospel Albums of All Time by Billboard magazine. The production team of Surefire Music Group produced other titles including “Let It Go.” Both the message and the “in your face” energy of this song compel the listener to let go and let God. The group also wrote “I Need You Now,” a hopeful expression of our need for God’s help to make our lives what they should be. The hand-clapping, upbeat “I Don’t Need A Reason,” is Surefire Music Group’s third contribution to the CD project. This fun song hearkens back to the chants and rhymes of our childhood and reinforced the message that the best way to love God is the way children love their parents—with whole and happy hearts. Award-winning producer Stan Jones (Marvin Sapp, Brian Courtney Wilson, The William Brothers) produced two tracks, including “I’m Still Holding On,” a song with a more traditional gospel feel, and “I Worship Your Name,” a simple but powerful worship song that congregations will find memorable and will love to sing.
GRAMMY® award-winning super producer Rockwilder penned “Blessing Me,” a feel good song with an urban contemporary beat and vibe that makes you want to start singing as soon as you hear the first notes. He also produced “Just Remember,” which Chanelle and Angel co-wrote with Mathew Knowles.
The finger-snapping pop beat and the message that we should love each other and not judge each other, will certainly make this a song to remember.
The standard CD also includes “Some Kind of Amazing,” a love-song to God that is likely to be as at home on the pop charts as on the gospel charts, which was produced by Andrew “Druski” Scott. “Bring Your Praise,” rounds out the dozen tracks on the CD. Produced by Fred “Uncle Freddie” Jerkins III and Imani “IZy” Pressley, this song will get the praise party going with its urban contemporary beats, hip-hop vibe and hard hitting message about praising God.
The five additional tracks on the deluxe CD include some not-to-be-missed songs. Acclaimed producer Tito Ali contributed “New Day.” The first song they recorded for this album, it is an anthem celebrating their evolution to where they are today and all that God has done for them. “The Cross,” which was produced by the Surefire Music Group, was written and originally recorded by Prince and has the funky rock vibe that we would expect from that musical icon. Also produced by the Surefire team is “I am Not Alone,” which features a pop style and tight harmonies. The hauntingly beautiful melody of “Psalm 139,” produced by David Mullen, provides a showcase for the power and range of the voices of Angel and Chanelle. Finally, the intimate combination of keyboard and voices focuses the listener’s attention on the compelling lyrics of “Drops of Rain,” which remind us that even in our toughest times and darkest days, God’s mercy will sooth us like drops of rain. The song was also produced by David Mullen.
“We want listeners to know that there is nothing you can do that would change God’s love for you,” said Chanelle. “We want them to be encouraged to live life to the fullest because they know that God’s got their back, no matter what.” It’s a message, said Angel, which they especially want to share with young people. “We want them to realize that God created each of us in a unique way. We are all different and we don’t need to conform to what everyone else is saying and doing or to what others expect of us. We need to please God and to own our decisions—both our mistakes and our victories.”
In many ways, the new CD takes Angel and Chanelle back to where their relationship began. It was a shared love of music that brought these two together in their freshman year in High School. “From the moment we met, all we wanted to do was get together and listen to music,” said Angel. “We would sit in the gym at school and Chanelle would share her gospel music with me and I would share my R&B with her. That was the beginning of our friendship.”
The two budding singers supported each other as they each pursued their love of music, but eventually they went head to head in a high school talent show. Chanelle came in first place and Angel second, but they both felt like winners. “It never felt like a competition,” said Angel. “Competition is something that you see within groups all the time. The cool thing about us is that there’s never been that competitive spirit in our group. That’s one thing I’m really proud of.” Trin-i-tee 5:7 was born when Chanelle was told by her manager that a leading gospel label was looking to sign a female gospel group. He asked Chanelle if she knew anyone who could sing with her and she immediately thought of Angel. “We met at my house and sang ‘Amazing Grace’ together,” said Chanelle.
“It was magic. There were sparks and everybody in the room just looked at each other because we knew it was a special moment. And we’re still together, making beautiful music that we believe in and that we are passionate about.”
Angel and Chanelle each started singing in church as a young girl. Chanelle, the daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, sang in her father’s church, where she later directed the youth choir. From the time she was six years old she was singing at events around the city. At 12, she was one of seven children selected out of 1,2oo who auditioned to participate in a pilot for a television program produced by Quincy Jones, which featured talented kids in New Orleans. The pilot was not picked up, but Jones later recommended Chanelle for Star Search, and at 15 she was selected to participate on the show.
Angel had her first singing experience at the Baptist church her family attended in New Orleans. As a child, she sang at weddings, church programs and talent shows. One of the highlights of her teenage years was when she performed in the WILD (98 FM) Radio talent show. “I was pretty excited. It was a city-wide event and one of the biggest productions in the city,” she said. She came in second place but says that her family was so supportive that she still felt like a winner.
Family is very important to both Chanelle and Angel. Chanelle has five siblings—there are three boys and three girls. Angel has three brothers. She’s the oldest, but says her brothers don’t treat her like she is. Chanelle and Angel are close to their families but consider themselves family too. Both women have left New Orleans. Chanelle lives in Santa Monica, California and Angel recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia. They see much of each other when they are recording and touring, but say that even when they are apart, they talk to each other every day. Their closeness is evident whether they are discussing their music or their homes, or their families. They often finish each other’s sentences. “When we are together, I don’t even know when work ends and when it begins,” says Angel. “After a studio session we might go back to one of our rooms and watch TV and eat apple pie and ice cream. It feels like we’re in high school again.”
In their new project, Angel and Chanelle are doing what they have always done—singing songs that they feel passionate about. “We feel passionate about God and we feel passionate about the life He has given us,” said Chanelle. “If it’s called gospel, that’s great. If it’s called inspiration, that’s great. We try not to box ourselves into a particular genre. We believe that if God isn’t in a box then His children shouldn’t be in a box either. I think we should express His love through our music the way he gives it to us.”
In 2010, Trin-i-tee 5:7 received the Gospel Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in London.
Despite the fast-track successes of the award-winning group, Chanelle and Angel remain grounded in God. “Awards don’t determine or define those timeless things like friendship, your relationship with God and the impact that your music has on people’s lives,” said Chanelle. “So we stay focused on that because that’s what keeps us going.”
http://musicworldent.com/artists/trinitee57?page=trinitee57
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
J.E.M RECOMMENDS
Cherri Prince has been captivating audiences with her natural charisma and powerful stage presence. Her vocals have been heard at venues such as Sadlers Wells, The Spitz and Vibe Bar and tonight she will be performing at Back in April Cherri was our featured J.E.M ONE TO WATCH ARTIST, and this is a performance that should certainly not be missed.
Doors open:
Location: Ronnie Scotts Bar upstairs,
Monday, 11 July 2011
Zippo
Zippo markets in more than 160 countries and is one of the most recognized brands in the world. Based in Bradford, PA, Zippo has produced over 475 million windproof lighters, each backed by an unparalleled lifetime guarantee. Zippo’s diverse product line includes lighter accessories; butane candle lighters; watches, fragrance, and lifestyle accessories for men; and a robust line of heat and flame products for outdoor enthusiasts. Zippo also owns W.R. Case and Sons Cutlery Company, Bradford, PA, and Zippo Fashion Italia, Vicenza, Italy. Zippo will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2012.
Zippo at T4 on the Beach 2011
Weston-Super-Mare, 11th July, 2011: Zippo hung out this weekend at T4 on the Beach 2011 in sunny Weston-Super-Mare. Backstage at the sold-out event headlined by N*Dubz and Tinchy Stryder, well-known faces such as McFly, Alexis Jordan and Russell Kane were all delighted to have the chance to get their hands on their own personalised Zippo Windproof Lighters at the gifting suite.The cast of Geordie Shore also made an appearance with Sophie, Greg and James requesting their very own lighters emblazoned with ‘Geordie Shore Bosh!’. With mentions of Geordie Shore in Australia, we look forward to the next series!
Zippo has been at many of this Summer’s premier music events with plenty more to come! Zippo’s online music platform Zippo Encore (uk.zippoencore.com) gives fans the chance to listen to up and coming bands and to learn more about the events that Zippo has been attending. You can follow Zippo on Facebook and Twitter (@ZippoUK) to be kept up-to-date with the latest news, exclusive offers and other exciting announcements.
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Saturday, 9 July 2011
The Just Elemental Music Radio Show
Features include: Dead Spread; three tracks from a musical genius currently resting in peace.
Live/exclusive interviews: This week, JEM's own Toots caught up with J Cole at the Wireless Festival; peep the full interview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPxVTOAOir8&feature=share
This week's album feature and competition comes care-of those lovely peeps at Jus Like Music and their Untold Music series Vol 1.
Tune in on www.spaceinvaderradio.com and let us know what you think on the blog, twitter (#justelementalmu) or on the JEM facebook page.
Happy listening!Richard 'The Hobbit' Bamford and the JEM team
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Untold Songs: Volume One curated by Belle by Jus Like Music Records
More JEM audio justice once more. This time, care of those Uber trendy, Gilles and Benji friendly mob at Just Like Music Records:
Monday, 4 July 2011
THE REAL DEAL ROUND UP
As this week marks J.E.M's first lady's transition into the next tick box and exciting chapter, in the words of Jigga "Allow me to re-introduce myself..." So I bring to you THE REAL DEAL ROUND UP, which for those of you who remember me from my Soulm8 days and my column 'The Real Deal', will know it was my news and up close and personal interview pages.
It's been a big musical extravaganza of a weekend with Kills front man Jamie Hince taking super model and original Primrose Hill princess Kate Moss up the aisle is what has been dubbed as "Moss stock”.2011’s WIRELESS festival epic line up including Example, Black Eyed Peas, Chase & Status, Chemical Brothers, Pulp and even a hula hooping Grace Jones - rocked London’s Hyde Park for three days straight.
It also maked the start if the iTunes festival, London 2011 at Camden's iconic round house with performances from the legendary Paul Simon and Manic Street Preachers over the weekend to open the month long series of concerts.
To wrap it all up in a silky sensual bow, audiences at The Royal Albert Hall got 'Up Close and Personal' with pop royalty in the form of Janet Jackson for three nights only after a 13 year absence from performing in the UK and 27 years since she last appeared at The Royal Albert Hall.
Is it any wonder here at Just Elemental Music Towers we're in need of seriously pressing the recharge button on the party batteries? Our invite to the Moss – Hince nuptials may have got lost in the post, and as OutKast would say "Sorry Ms Jackson" as we missed out on this occasion, although our Hobbit undercover got 'Up Close and Personal' for real with the lady herself in his recent interview for Black Sheep Magazine: http://www.blacksheepmag.com/features/interviews/item/2582-still-in-control
What we can bring you, is all the action from Hyde Park in our 'Access All Areas at Wireless' series where you'll be getting the full festival experience with reviews from the headline acts, backstage video interviews (courtesy of J.E.M's collaboration with our friends at One-life Media and Kix Magazine and our little J.E.M Thuli Mali-Dabengwa) from the likes of home grown talent such as Labrinth, Maverick Sabre and Yasmin, to US supergroup Far East Movement and hip hop hottie and standout MC J.Cole. We'll even be giving you a snap at festival fashion - the good, the bad and the simply fabulous!
A huge thank you to Remington’s Marketing Director Nikki McReynolds(pictured), Lisa of Essensuals (Billericay) and the lovely ladies at the Remington ‘How the world gets ready’ Wireless Remington Style Bar, for getting me interview ready for my backstage chats with the stars.
Speaking of festival's we're off to LoveBox next on the Just Elemental Music summer festival tour. Checkout our LoveBox Summer of Love preview for full details and how to get your hands on what's looking like the last remaining tickets.
We've got a real J.E.M of a summer in store for you, including one of our biggest Tooty’s Booty competitions to date coming real soon... Speaking of which, if you haven't yet entered our Ice Cube and Naughty by Nature competition, get on it immediately as today's the closing date - Good luck! Toots & the J.E.M family x
Photography (c) One-life Media, Andrew Whitton and Thuliswa Mali - Dabengwa
Sunday, 3 July 2011
RETURN OF THE ROOTS
Voted one of the twenty greatest live acts in the world by Rolling Stone
MEAN FIDDLER PRESENT:
THE ROOTS
FRIDAY 19th AUGUST 2011
HMV HAMMERSMITH APOLLO, LONDON
The Roots make a welcome return to London for their first headline show in 2 years. On the cusp of celebrating 25 years of shape shifting Hip Hop creativity, Philadelphia's favourite politically motivated hip hop/funk/jazz collective will be taking the stage at London’s most iconic entertainment venue, the HMV Hammersmith Apollo.
The Roots roll into London town, hard on the heels of curating and performing at Philadelphia’s 4th of July Jam and organising their fourth annual Roots Picnic in Philly - an event that boasted a typically radical line up of Nas, Esperanza Spalding, Wiz Khalifa, Yelawolf, Mac Miller, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Little Dragon, Dismemberment Plan and ?uestlove’s little sister, Donn T.
The Roots said “London holds a very special place in our hearts. It was our home base from the summer of 1994 until the summer of 1995 and has proven to be a consistent source of inspiration both musically and socially across the years. We've missed the town profoundly and we're really looking forward to what we think of as a homecoming”
The Roots are unique and a serious, hard working band, anyone who has witnessed their live sets will concur that the accolades heaped upon them in the Hip Hop world are most apt. The Roots at the Hammersmith will undoubtedly deliver what they do best: powerful, musical and thought provoking live performance which embraces a host of eclectic influences but remains steeped in two decades of Hip Hop innovation and ingenuity.
Doors: 7pm
HMV Hammersmith Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9QH
Tickets: £35.00 - £50.00
J.E.M'S FESTIVALS SPECIAL - SUMMER OF LOVE
The festival season is well and truly in full swing, and with Glasto and Wireless down; we are all gearing up for LOVEBOX here at Just Elemental Music and with tickets fast selling out, apparently so is everyone else.
In its eighth year, LOVEBOX has become a must do urban event on the summer social calendar. London’s oldest public park, Victoria Park, Hackney is set to open its gates to thousands of revellers for three days (Friday 15 – Sunday 17 July 2011) of what is set to be the mother of all line ups.
Headline acts such as The Wombat, Example (Friday), Snoop Dogg, Jessie J and Katy B (Saturday), Scissor Sisters, Blondie, Robyn and Kelis (Sunday).
As if partying in the park was not enough, it is set to continue with the official After Parties being hosted at Cargo (Friday) and Ministry of Sound (Saturday). The road block event is almost completely sold out, further proving LOVEBOX is certainly set to kick off a sizzling summer of musical love.
For tickets: http://www.lovebox.net/tickets/ and further information: http://www.lovebox.net/
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