Sunday 2 December 2012

Emeli Sande Clyde Auditorium Glasgow 6th November 2012



As her Our Version of Events has gone double platinum and the top selling album of the year in 2012, Emeli (once known as Adele) took to the Auditorium stage as if wrapped in a golden glow from her massive debut year and as if she cant’ quite believe it!  In July she sang the haunting Welsh song Abide With Me at the Olympic ceremonies London which must have been a truly daunting experience for a new singer.. as she walked out to that solo mic.  

Sande has a big smile and golden hairstyle to match her big voice and songs. Exuberant and effortless, Emeli sang of Hope, My kind of Love and Next To Me – her positive feel good messages. Emeli now has a bigger band (with three guitarists, two drummers, and backing vocalists) and started with a very good arrangement of her quality song Daddy. She sang a Nina Simone song of her biggest musical influences, How It feels to be Free

During her set she spoke of her support here in Glasgow and of those who first saw her perform at the Oran Mor, five years ago. And yes I was lucky enough to have been there!  It has been wonderful to follow her success story and to see how she has developed as an artist.  


Her Set – Daddy, Tiger, This is Where I Sleep, Breaking the Law, two new songs, My Kind of Love, Nina Simone’s How It feels to be Free, Read all About It, Wonder, Climb Mountains, Heaven, Next to Me,

Sande says ‘I love the buzz performing in front of a live audience. There really isn’t anything quite like it.’
Emeli has responded to my requests with personal messages and she comes across as genuine. She also has depth of character and integrity which comes over in her music.
Proceeds of the concert went to Nordoff Robbins music therapy.

Saturday 1 December 2012

Columbia Record's 125 Year History


Quote from Times 18.11.12
The gunshot snare drum at the start of Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone; the distinctive two-note dance that underscores Miles Davis's So What; the unearthly howl and hum of Blind Willie Johnson on Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground; the electrifying saxophone solo that lights up the middle section of Bruce Spingsteen's Born To Run....The thing that binds these varies sounds together is that they were all- for better or worse captured for posterity by Colombia Records. 
It was Dylan's success that made John Hammond a rock star of A & R. Without Hammond's discoveries, it's hard to envisage Colombia being anything like the beacon of American artistry it has become.

Today the label is mighty mix of heritage artists and unit shifting pop behemoths such as Adele and Beyonce. It has also expanded cannily into television, bringing music from programmes such as Britain's Got Talent and Glee to the listening public. 

'There's so much music out there, labels sort it out for you - they're the gatekeepers - and Colombia is still on of the biggest. They're not the only ones who do that any more, but they bring you into contact with people you should be listening to. You need that - we all need that.'  
360 Sound: The Colombia Record Story By Sean Wilentz 

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Benny Gallagher Milngavie Folk Club 17th Nov 2012


Stay young with your rock n rolling, Stay young keep you wheels in motion because the best things in life are free.'
Benny Gallagher was part of the successful 70s partnership of Scottish singer songwriters
Gallagher and Lyle (Graham Lyle). They had hit songs with Heart On My Sleeve, I Wanna Stay With You and When I’m Dead and Gone, and they went on to write chart songs for other artists.

Gallagher had relaxed friendly banter and as he sang he also made his guitar sing for us.  Many of us at this concert were old enough to remember Gallagher and Lyle on Tops of the Pops singing their hit song Heart on my Sleeve. He enjoyed having the audience as his backing singers and encouraged us to sing along.  He spoke about the work for the ‘Great Tapestry of Scotland’ which will be the biggest in the world when it is done. 
Benny spoke of Gallagher and Lyle’s hit song Stay Young. He said that he was over in Nashville he had heard that a country singer Don Williams had made their song Stay Young no 1  US Country charts and with over a million radio airplays. The song had sat on the shelf for over eight years. He spoke of dunniing song writing workshops where he has told young writers that songs are like birds you release and you can never know where they might land. He said that songs come out of the air. 

Set: How Come, Stay Young, When I’m Dead and Gone, Take A Chance, blues Talking, The Last One, What You Meant To Me, Break Away, Run Away, Heart On My Sleeve, Stay With You, That’s All Right Mamma, When I’m Dead and Gone, I Believe in You.
Gallagher has a soothing tenor vocal as he sang songs from his back catalogue. They are songs full of optimistic words and blues-toned melodies. What I admire in the Scots is our ability to never take ourselves too seriously and Gallagher was a good example of this.

Glasgow singer songwriter and bluesman Jim Byrne supported with his character deep vocal and stunning songs. They were introduced as Jim and Dinny – Dinny sang with her moving country voice and played several instruments. Jim’s latest cd is called The Innocent and is worth checking out. I particularly enjoyed  his song, The Handles Broken on my Cup.
 
Gallagher and Lyle was the Scottish duo singer songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle. Their first recognition came in 1968, when they were signed by The Beatles to write for Apple Records’ artists. By 1970, they formed the band McGuinness Flint and wrote UK chart hit ‘When I’m Dead and Gone’. They formed the duo Gallagher and Lyle in 1972 and their fifth album, Breakaway charted and included the hit songs "Heart on My Sleeve" and "I Wanna Stay with You." Don Williams took their song‘Stay Young’ No. 1 on US Country charts. The duo split in 1979.  Gallagher and Lyle have worked, jointly and individually, on records with among others - Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane, Ronnie Wood, Joan Armatrading, Ralph McTell, Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention and Jim Diamond. Artists who have released Gallagher and Lyle songs include: Bryan Ferry, Elkie Brooks, Fairport Convention, Joe Brown, and more.

Monday 26 November 2012

Wasted Love


Award winning Fringe musical for Best Lyrics – Wasted Love was written by the Kielty brothers John and Gerry. The show was performed at the Actors church Covent garden on November 25th 2012.

The Kieltys were previously known as The Martians, and they used to busk on Edinburgh High street during the festival and perform their comedy routines with Gerry distinctive high voice.  They then won the Cameron Mackintosh prize for best new musical in 2006 for the musical The Sundowe which was performed at Eden Court theatre in Inverness..


John Kielty is an actor and writer and he has performed in shows at the Lyceum theatre Edinburgh.

John Kielty

Martians Edinburgh high street