Category: General Music

Music Monday – Volume 41

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1) Saint Raymond – Fall at Your Feet

Really loving this at the moment. Big chorus.

2) One Direction – Spaces

Beautiful song from the boyband’s latest album. Really love the chord progression of this and the echoing effect on the vocals.

3) One Direction – 18

Stunning song written by Ed Sheeran for the boyband’s latest album.

4) Leon Bridges – Coming Home

Great song with a very old-school, retro feel.

5) Simon Webbe – Free

Simon Webbe’s ‘Sanctuary’ album is one of my favourite albums of all time. I love how uplifting and inspiring all of the songs are. This is a ballad from it and it’s a beautiful song.

6) Snow Patrol – The Finish Line

Gorgeous ballad.

7) Barbara Streisand & John Legend – What kind of fool

Stunning version of Barbara’s original duet with Barry Gibb. This version with John Legend has a gorgeous orchestra opening. Cannot get enough of this right now.

8) Seal – Love is better

A song from Seal’s unreleased ‘Togetherland’ album – an album many think should have been released. I stand with that view. Such a great album from what I’ve heard! Some tracks are available in their entirety whilst others are just samples.

(Go to 1:05 on the video)

9) Big Sleep/The 1975 – Robbers

Original emo/indie version of ‘Robbers’ before Big Sleep changed their name to The 1975 and released a poppier version on their debut album. Love both versions!

10) Gary Barlow – Jump

Inspiring, beautiful song from Gary’s ‘Since I Saw You Last’ album.

2014 in Music

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Every New Years Eve, I like to take a look back at the year in terms of music and albums. It never fails to amaze me how many songs have formed my soundtrack to the year! So without further ado, here’s my 2014 in music.

TOP 10 SONGS OF THE YEAR

I haven’t done this before and why I did this to myself I do not know, but I managed to whittle down all of my favourite songs from this year to my ten ultimate favourites! They are as follows (in no particular order):

  1. One Direcion – You & I
  2. Take That – Higher than higher
  3. Coldplay – Magic
  4. Mr Probz & Robin Schulz – Waves
  5. The 1975 – Medicine
  6. The Script – No Good in Goodbye
  7. Jake Bugg – Song about love
  8. Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL – Whitecaps
  9. Ed Sheeran – Afire Love
  10. Usher – Good Kisser

Singles of The Year

  • Take That – These Days
  • Duke Dumont – I got U
  • Mr Probz & Robin Schulz – Waves
  • One Direction – You and I, Steal My Girl, Night Changes
  • The 1975 – Medicine, Heart Out, Settle Down, Robbers
  • Coldplay – Magic, True love
  • Andy Burrows – See a girl
  • Sam Smith – Like I can, Stay with Me
  • Paolo Nutini – Iron Sky
  • The Script – No Good in Goodbye
  • Ella Henderson – Ghost
  • Rita Ora – I will never let you down
  • Taylor Swift – Shake it off
  • London Grammar – Hey now
  • Katy Perry – Birthday, This is how we do
  • Kings of Leon – Temple
  • Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake – Love never felt so good
  • Bombay Bicycle Club – Feel
  • Usher – Good Kisser
  • Disclosure & Usher – Good Kisser
  • Lana Del Ray – West Coast
  • Bipolar Sunshine – Deckchairs on the moon
  • Benediction – Hot natured
  • Jessie Ware – Tougher love
  • Chromeo – Jealous (I ain’t worth it)
  • Travi$ Scott – Drive (The 1975 Remix)
  • George Ezra – Blame it on me
  • Ten Walls – Walking with elephants
  • Alt-J – Hunger of the pine
  • Wretch 32 – 6 Words
  • Jake Bugg – A Song About Love
  • BBC Music – God only knows
  • Haim – Change your mind
  • Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud, Don’t
  • The Vamps – Somebody To You, Last Night

Albums of The Year

  • The Vamps – Meet the Vamps
  • Take That – III
  • One Direction – Four
  • Ed Sheeran – X
  • Sam Smith – In the lonely hour
  • Coldplay – Ghost Stories
  • Annie Lennox – Nostalgia
  • Taylor Swift – 1989
  • George Michael – Symphonica
  • Charlie Simpson – Long Road Home
  • Begin Again – OST

Album Tracks of The Year

  • Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL – Whitecaps, Tic Tac Toe
  • One Direction – Stockholm Syndrome, Ready to run
  • Take That – Higher and Higher, If you want it, Let in the sun, Portrait, Freeze, Believe, Flaws
  • Ed Sheeran – Bloodstream, Tenerife Sea, Afire Love
  • Sam Smith – I’ve told you now, Leave your lover, Restart
  • Coldplay – Always in my head, 0, Oceans
  • The Vamps – Smile, Move My Way, Another world, Dangerous
  • Mary J Blige – Whole damn year, Long hard look
  • Kylie Minogue – Sexy love, Fine
  • Beck – Morning
  • The Script – Man on wire
  • Ella Henderson – Rockets

Take That ‘III’ – Album Review

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It’s safe to say 2014 has been an incredible roller-coaster for Take That. Allegations of tax avoidance scams, the loss of a band member, the release of one of the fastest selling albums of all time and Amazon’s most pre-ordered album in history; it’s safe to say it’s been up and down for Britain’s most loved man-band.

This week, it emerged latest single ‘These Days’ had become their twelfth UK Number One single and on Monday, their brand new album – their first as a three piece – ‘III’ was released. An insight into each track is provided below.

1) These Days

A piece of pop perfection, it’s easy to see why this Nile Rodgers/Chic-style track with funky guitar riffs, punchy percussion and tight harmonies has well and truly established itself as one of Take That’s finest records. It’s a song of optimism and it’s irresistibly catchy. Barlow, Donald and Owen’s voices are all audible and fused to provide rich layers of harmonies. A killer opener.

2) Let In the Sun

Take That do Calvin Harris. Except better. It begins gently with Barlow’s rich vocals drizzled with Donald’s falsetto, both melting effortlessly into a symphony of synthesiser before developing into an up-tempo dance track with elements of Take That’s signature sound. If all the synthesisers were removed and the thumping percussion, it could have slotted in perfectly on ‘The Circus’ album with its optimistic lyrics. It never quite takes the plunge into full dance-pop territory, however, there’s definitely some Mumford & Sons in there but it’s still a powerful, feel-good track, a stand-out from ‘III’.

3) If You Want It

A return to Greg Kurstin-infused-pop here and it works beautifully. It’s unmistakeably Take That – catchy, verging on entering cheesy territory and utterly irresistible. In-keeping with all tracks so far, it’s bold, buoyant and a great, great pop track. Tight harmonies too – Howard and Mark’s vocals are both crystal clear and give the track an extra dimension.

4) Lovelife

Barlow generously hands over lead-vocal duties to Mark Owen on this catchy number. Painting the image of a group of Frenchmen performing the track on street corner in Paris with an accordion, it’s a little unconventional and seemingly draws upon European dance-pop music as its foundation. It’s well written and catchy but not quite as congenial as the previous tracks and therefore the album becomes slightly off-kilter with the addition of ‘Lovelife’.

5) Portrait

Stuart Price is back, frolicking with synthesisers and computer-generated sounds again, not dissimilar to much of the material on ‘Progress’. It’s not as intense, however, the first minute or so is gentle and tentative, allowing the listener some much needed rest from the intensity of the first four tracks. Barow’s falsetto flutters over soft guitar strums and timorous synthesisers before Donald and Owen join the fold in the rousing Barber-shop-styled chorus. It is 100% in the same vein as The Circus’ ‘Hold Up A Light’ but with increased vigour. The barber shop refrain is utterly irresistible and the driving drum beat maintains the song’s momentum. Price’s production really glistens on this beautifully created and performed track. Another stand-out moment.

6) Higher Than Higher

The closest to a classic Take That ballad you’re going to get in the first half of ‘III’. Precarious percussion and jittery synthesisers open the track before it stabilizes into a steady marching beat. The song is largely carried by the effortlessly cool and rather insane R&B-styled production provided by little-known American duo Mattman & Robin. Barlow delivers perfect, tender vocals whilst Donald and Owen provide gorgeous harmonies, reverberating into the spaced-out, meticulously programmed percussion. Their repeated ‘higher, higher than higher’ harmonies in the final part of the song somewhat bizarrely but beautifully emulate an African choir. It’s one of many lovely touches which contributes to its success. It’s a song full of meaning, passion and it’s utterly beautiful. Quite possibly one of Take That’s best songs of their career.

7) I Like It

Take That go all Muse once more. It’s a return to the ‘Progress’ era and it’s absolutely bonkers. Imagine an amalgamation of ‘Shine’ and ‘Underground Machine’ and ‘I Like It’ is born. The synthesised bass, minimal instrumentation and buoyant percussion all contribute to the catchiness of the song and just when you think producer Stuart Price has exhausted all technical improvement tools, a mechanical middle-eight kicks in, in which Barlow’s vocals are lowered in pitch to create a robotic voice. A fun piece of pop.

8) Give You My Love

A song that could have easily slotted in on the ‘Everything Changes’ album, Barlow’s clearly been having a whale of a time frolicking around with his keyboards. This is the one time Thatters are able to enjoy Donald on lead vocals, a bizarre move when the loss of two band members surely presents the opportunity for more equal distribution of lead vocal duties. Still, Donald succeeds on this pure and simple fun track.

9) Freeze

Ice-like imagery, proficient production, slamming percussion and Barlow’s falsetto steer this song, resulting in a powerful 80’s-esque song. Likely to be one of a handful ballads written after Orange announced his intention to depart from the band, there is a sincerity in it’s lyrics. Personal, heartfelt and emotive.

10) Into The Wild

A dramatic and explosive moment, with tribal drums, Owen’s distinctive and intense vocals and a sing-song chorus, this is a powerful addition to ‘III’. Barlow, Donald and Owen have clearly taken great pleasure in imitating other bands on this album and ‘Into The Wild’ presents the opportunity for them to be The Killers. It’s an undoubtedly powerful song glimmering with brilliance.

11) Flaws

Ah, finally. A Barlow ballad! The chance of one of these appearing looked slimmer and slimmer by the song but here we are. ‘Flaws’ is a pretty, piano-based ballad which sounds like an out-take from Barlow’s ‘Since I Saw You Last’ album. In an attempt to capture the raw effect, it appears Barlow has positioned himself rather too closely to the microphone, resulting in distortion more than anything else. It’s well-written, although previous Take That ballads are far superior.

12) Get Ready For it

Another dramatic song in the same vein as ‘Freeze’ and ‘Into The Wild’. ‘Get Ready For It’ (rumoured to be the second single) is a pop-rock stomper that closes the standard version of the album perfectly. It’s powerful, euphoric and a complete stadium anthem.

13) Believe

‘Believe’ is an enjoyable piece of pop-rock, reminiscent of the material on Owen’s solo album ‘The Art of Doing Nothing’. It’s an enjoyable song with a big chorus but the boys made the right decision to leave this off the standard edition and put it on the deluxe instead.

14) Amazing

Take That do The Beatles! This couldn’t be any more different stylistically to the rest of the album and therefore it is understandable this has been demoted to a bonus track. It’s a gorgeous song nonetheless and it’s a shame this won’t take pride as a standard edition album track on a pop-rock Take That album. The harmonies are gorgeous, the instrumentation simplistic and the lyrics slushy. It’s unmistakeably Take That and very beautiful it is too.

15) Do it all for Love

A haunting closer to the deluxe version of the album. Mark Owen wails over guitar arpeggios and unmistakable Take That piano chords before the song climaxes into a dramatic power ballad. It’s a powerful, incredibly emotive track with a killer bridge. It’s reminiscent of ‘Nobody Else’ album closer ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ which Owen also performed lead vocals on.

Barlow perhaps put it best when he described ‘III’ as an amalgamation of Take That’s material from the second time around. As an album, it jumps around stylistically, therefore it lacks the cohesion of ‘Progress’. The choice of material on ‘III’ is far superior, however. The fusion of the ‘Beautiful World’, ‘The Circus’ and ‘Progress’ albums works wonderfully, amalgamating the sincere lyrical content with electro-pop and experimental instrumentation to create an incredible, roof-raising album.

Rating: 5/5.

‘III’ is available now on Polydor.

Why Band Aid 30 just doesn’t work…

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Just a few weeks ago, the internet was buzzing with rumours that a new incarnation of Band Aid was about to occur for a 30th Anniversary version of the 1984 Charity hit ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’. On the 10th of November, Sir Bob Geldof confirmed the project and five days later a rather offbeat but exciting nonetheless group of artists and bands turned up to a sea of paparazzi and fans at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London. The project attracted much media coverage, ‘Band Aid 30’ trended on Twitter for several days and excitement and curiosity hovered as many waited with bated breath to hear the new interpretation. So why, upon its première (during the results show for The X Factor – a rather strange decision in itself) did it just fall a bit… flat? Here, I look at why.

ba84group750pFirst things first, let’s reflect on the original track. ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1983-85 famine in Ethiopia. The song was inspired by a BBC television report that Geldof witnessed and an assortment of some of the most popular musicians and acts of the era came together to form an eclectic super-group. The song became the fastest selling single in UK Singles Chart history, a record it held onto until Elton John’s 1997 version of ‘Candle In The Wind’ succeeded it. There were around forty musicians involved in the project including Phil Collins, Sting, George Michael, Boy George, Bono, members of Duran Duran, Kool & The Gang and Banarama and many, many more. The song and project was a huge success with record breaking sales, a Live Aid charity concert and many similar Charity super-groups since.

In 1989, the song was re-recorded by a second line-up, recorded as ‘Band Aid II’. This was a Stock, Aitken, Waterman produced version and therefore was understandably a rather cheesy disco affair and a much less memorable and significant effort. Nevertheless, the song reached Number One and featured many big names: Kylie Minogue, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Lisa Stansfield and Wet Wet Wet being just some of the names.

a0005086_653113Twenty five years later, Band Aid 20 occurred. This is arguably the second most popular version and featured a diverse range of singers and bands, including Chris Martin of Coldplay, Dido, Beverley Knight, Robbie Williams, Busted and many more. There was also a rather unfitting rap by Dizzee Rascal wedged in the middle eight. This version was again, a massive success and became the biggest selling single of 2004. Whilst a still not quite as impressive as the original, it deserved its success. Many talented artists lent their vocals to the record and a great amount of money was raised for Sudan’s Dafur region. It was refreshing to see a greater amount of females on this version (the original song is noticeably lacking female vocals) and it introduced the song to a whole new generation.

Fast forward another ten years and we now have Band Aid 30. Judging by the list of participants alone, it’s relatively impressive. There are big names involved – One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith, Chris Martin and Bono again, Olly Murs and others. Then there’s some quite frankly bizarre participants. We have Sinead O’Connor (who we still don’t forgive for subjecting us to one of the most over-dramatic songs of the 90’s) who is an odd choice considering the rest of the artists are generally new to the Pop World. We also have YouTubers Joe and Zoe Sugg (an attempt to be even more ‘down with the kids’ maybe?!) and Angelique Kidjo – no, I hadn’t heard of her before this either. It’s far from an awful list of singers – there’s some very talented names in there and some popular artists to help publicise it. At the same time, it feels a bit thin on the ground. There’s just 26 artists involved – the least amount to ever participate in a Band Aid single. The worst thing is it actually shows in both the song and the video. It feels pretty empty, almost as if it was a last minute thing and these are the only artists they could get.

Then let’s look at the song itself – the production, vocal performances and these new lyrics that everybody appears to be slating. This version is produced by Paul Epworth, an established producer who has worked with the likes of Adele, Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars and many others. The instrumentation and production is perhaps most like the original which is a positive. It begins relatively low-key with just a synthesiser and vocals before a drum machine kicks in. It’s pretty trendy and more computerised than Band Aid 20’s version. It works, though. Band Aid 20 had a more live feel to it but Band Aid 30 appears to capture the same feel as the original.

PX10919162Band-Aid_3108490bThe song opens with One Direction – not perhaps the greatest of choices. I have no issue with them vocally in the slightest but it just doesn’t feel right to have a band singing in unison for that well-known opening line. It’s a one man job! They would have been better lending their vocals to another part of the song. Chris Martin would have been better opening the track as he did for Band Aid 20. I have absolutely no issue with Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora, Sam Smith, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs and Angelique Kidjo’s parts. Their voices suit the song and each deliver their line powerfully. Then everything goes a bit ‘Hey, we’re trying to be a bit Indie here’. There’s that bloke from Elbow then the frontman from Bastille. Both have alright voices but it just doesn’t quite fit in with the record. Then we come to everybody’s favourite man of the year Bono,  (hey, at least we haven’t had this record plonked into our online music collections…) ah finally – a voice that fits… but wait, what’s that?! They’ve changed the bloody line! Just as you’re preparing to scream along to ‘and tonight thank god it’s them instead of you’, we have ‘Well tonight we’re reaching out and touching you’. It does NOT work. It sounds odd and it’s a weak lyric. Then there’s Seal. I love Seal’s raspy vocals and he is one of my favourite artists but again, we have new lyrics which completely ruin the song. ‘Bring peace and joy this Christmas to West Africa’ – it sounds like an extract from a poem written by an eight year old. Then Ellie Goulding manages to absolutely murder her line in the song. I still have absolutely NO idea what she is warbling about but all I know is she completely overdoes it in every way possible. Then there’s the song’s ultimate lowpoint in which the weirdest vocal in song history is delivered by Sinead O’Connor. It’s something between a whisper and a panting creature but whatever it is she’s trying to achieve, she should never attempt it again. Ever. The famous climax works though. Then again, it’s hard to go wrong with that irresistible ‘Feed the world’ refrain when  it’s sung collectively.

Basically, it just all feels a bit of a mess and like nobody could be bothered. Some artist’s voices just don’t fit the song, and others deliver their lines in such a way, they’ve managed to create a language of their own. The new lyrics, said to be added to make the song more ‘relevant’ to the current Ebola crisis are clumsy and patronising. The editing of the video is sloppy, not like previous efforts and the song just falls completely flat on its face this time around. Even Emeli Sande, who lent her vocals to the track, has since criticised it. She suggested that it’s time for a brand new song and I can’t help but agree with her. ‘Do they know it’s Christmas’ is a fine song but there are only so many interpretations of it possible before it begins to become a far inferior version of the well loved original.

I’m all for Charity records and super-groups. I’m all for raising money towards the Ebola Crisis but I think it’s about time we now retire ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ and let the original do the talking.

band-aid-30

 

A reflection…

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F9L1_7ieCM

I was feeling all reflective and thinking about my friendship with somebody and so I decided to write this brief little reflection about this song.

It’s funny how times and feelings change. This song is incredibly personal and it means a lot to me. When I uploaded it, I received some of my best feedback for any of my songs which I am entirely grateful for. I wrote this at around Easter last year, a few months after me and a person I was really close with fell apart. As a sense of closure I wrote this song to deal with the gaping hole that person left.

Our relationship was an odd one. We weren’t a couple or anything but we were two people who were polar opposites and a bit lost for a while who found each other. Being opposite was a small part of what made us so ‘toxic’ and whilst we were in one sense a great comfort to each other, in another we messed each other up a lot. It was a weird time for both of us and despite the way things turned out at the time, I am eternally grateful for that closeness we shared.

When we fell apart I felt both optimistic and lost at the same time. I felt optimistic because as things had become more and more difficult towards the end, I knew now we could be free without each other. But then I felt lost because I’d lost someone I talked to every single day and someone who meant the world to me. In the end I think it was for the best. We needed time out and that was that. The song kinda reflects that – I think musically it’s pretty bright despite it being mid-tempo but the lyrics are darker.

I can’t actually remember the ins and outs of how I wrote this song but I believe it was one that wrote itself in my head if I can remember correctly. Lyrically, I think it’s probably one of my favourites and the song pretty much explains everything.

Earlier this year, in a bizarre turn of events, we both tracked each other down again, both realising we missed each other. Things move on in a year and lots had happened but slowly, we’ve rebuilt all of that friendship we once destructed. I don’t regret what I said through this song but I certainly look at things a different way now, especially after talking to each other about things. It makes me happy knowing things have moved on from this song.

It just goes to show how different everything can look in a year.

 

The forgotten Michael Jackson songs. A Celebration of life through unreleased and rare songs.

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Today marks the fifth anniversary of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was and remains one of my musical and artistic idols and I was gutted at his death. These days, my obsession levels with the king of pop have decreased a little but he remains one of my heroes and I am still a huge, die-hard fan.

I thought I would share a playlist as a celebration of Michael’s contribution to music and the entertainment industry. This playlist is a collection of unreleased or little known tracks that I believe are as good as Michael’s released works. The aim is for those who haven’t heard these before to fall in love with at least one of them!

18 Greatest MJ unreleased tracks

1)      For all time

An absolutely gorgeous track. This surfaced on the internet many years ago before a remastered version was stuck on the release of Thriller 25. I’m not keen on the remastered version, however. There’s very little different about it but there’s some extra instrumentation that just seems to remove some of the magic from the low quality version that still exists.  I’ve embedded my preferred version!

2)      Love never felt so good

Technically it’s now released but not in Michael’s lifetime. This is an Off The Wall-era track which is so catchy and fantastic. I’ve embedded Michael’s original demo. Do love the new versions though, including the one with Justin Timberlake!

3)      Carousel

An outtake from Thriller. I really love the melody to this. I think it’s right that it wasn’t included on the final version of Thriller as it wouldn’t have fit in with the rest of the tracks but it’s a lovely song all the same.

4)      The way you love me

Two versions of this exist. The first appeared on the definitive Michael Jackson box set – 2004’s Ultimate Collection as a demo (which sounded like a finished product). I always loved this. It then appeared on the controversial posthumous album ‘Michael’ back in 2010. I love both versions. Just such a happy, beautifully written song. I’ve embedded the original demo

5)      Best of joy

It’s sickly sweet and a little repetitive but this is a gorgeous song that was included on the first posthumous MJ album, ‘Michael’ in 2010.

6)      Beautiful Girl

A smooth, soulful track that appeared on The Ultimate Collection back in 2004.

7)      Scared of the moon

Another beautiful song that appeared on The Ultimate Collection. Many fans aren’t as keen on this but I think it’s truly beautiful. It’s apparently an outtake from Bad.

8)      Trouble

An outtake from Thriller, this was eventually recorded by Musical Youth. SO catchy. It wouldn’t have fit in on Thriller, however.

Michael’s version:

Musical Youth’s version:

9)      Elizabeth I love you

Michael wrote this song and performed it for his friend Elizabeth Taylor at her 65th Birthday Gala in 1997. This was the only time we heard the song as a studio version isn’t known to exist. Beautiful, cleverly written song.

10)   I am a loser

A demo of this appeared around a year after Michael’s death. You can tell it’s not finished as it has very little instrumentation. Beautiful song, however.

11)   Xscape (Original version)

This appeared on the internet back in 2002. The version that appears on the latest posthumous MJ album is far inferior and an awful interpretation. Check out the original version. It’s funky, catchy and an MJ classic.

12)   What more can I give

A planned charity single written by Michael Jackson before Sony refused to release and promote it. It therefore never fully saw light of day. Plenty of stars on this – Nsync, Beyonce, Usher, Celine Dion, Michael himself amongst others. A truly beautiful song that should have been released.

13)   Joy

Gorgeous song co-written by Michael with his Dangerous album producer Teddy Riley. Michael wrote the melody and backgrounds before deciding he wasn’t happy with it. He gave permission for Teddy Riley to finish the song lyrically and record it with his band BlackStreet for their debut album in 1994.

Here’s the eventual version by Blackstreet:

And a snippet of Michael’s original idea:

14)   To Satisfy You

Another fantastic song co-written by Michael with Bryan Loren. Again, Michael wasn’t happy with this so he gave it to his co-writer who released it as a solo effort. Love how soulful this is and the use of the strings. The version on the net is sung by Bryan Loren with Michael singing the chorus.

15)   Mind is the magic

Written by Michael and Dangerous era collaborator Bryan Loren. Catchy as hell. It was written in 1989 before being re-written for German illusionists Siegfried and Roy for one of their stage shows.

16)   Someone put your hand out

A smooth and beautiful song written by Michael with Dangerous producer Teddy Riley for the Dangerous album. Found its way around thorough its inclusion on rare MJ releases.

17)   On the line

Gorgeous ballad which should have been released. Recorded for a Spike Lee movie but wasn’t featured on the soundtrack album. Written by Babyface (Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, Beyonce and many more).

18)   We’ve had enough

Powerful song which found it’s way onto 2004’s Ultimate Collection. Dramatic and an awesome song.

 

Boybands and drugs

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This morning, many of us awoke to – in the Daily Mail’s words – ‘SHOCKING’ news Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik had been captured on video smoking a joint. It was plastered as the main headline on the Mail Online website and many ‘comedic’ trends appeared on Twitter thereafter. As a lover of the entertainment industry, I thought I’d take the time to blog about it and my opinions. If I am honest, I see this situation from both perspectives and I will explain why below.

Marijuana is a massively popular drug. It’s been referred to as the most commonly used drug in the world, particularly in America. Compared to most drugs, marijuana often sparks some debate over the use of it. Many-a-time has there been calls to make it legal and it very much appears to be a drug that is more socially acceptable than others.

The entertainment industry is no different with their attitudes towards marijuana. Countless celebrities have smoked/continue to smoke marijuana and we can guarantee there are many others who haven’t been caught or haven’t admitted to doing so. My point here is that Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik are just two people out of many, many famous people who take the drug. They are young men, excessively rich and as sickly as it sounds, they are on a journey to finding themselves as we all are at that age. The difference is, they are doing it in the public eye where there are certain expectations. It’s funny really. For many members of bands, drug usage is almost the norm. From members of The Beatles to Matt Healy from The 1975, members of The Rolling Stones to Tom Chalin from Keane – drug usage has almost been considered ‘okay’ because they’re all rock/alternative/indie bands. There’s no fuss caused over them doing drugs yet as Louis and Zayn are in a boyband, it’s forbidden.

On the other hand I do see why it is an issue. I am not completely defending them at all. Personally, I am against drugs. I have never taken them in any form and I don’t ever plan to. Life has it’s ups and downs but I don’t feel the need to turn to them. Having said that, I have friends who will turn to marijuana occasionally and whilst that’s not a decision I agree with, I respect their decision because it’s not my life. We are all entitled to make our own choices in life.

Zayn & Louis are role models. There are millions of young Directioners all over the world – many Primary School-aged or in their early teens. They are expected to be role models to these millions of young fans and I guess in such a profession, that is part of the job. There’s no negotiation, it’s an unwritten rule. In the 21st century, the pressures on them to be positive influences is even more important. A Twitter & Tumblr culture means there are many, many young people who seem to get led astray far too easily. They go to extreme, often concerning lengths to protect and defend their idols. The issue this event will cause is that now many young people will think that it’s ‘okay’ and ‘cool’ to do drugs and they will defend their heroes. As I said, it’s people’s own decision if they wish to do drugs. But that doesn’t mean that drug usage should be advertised as acceptable and cool to young people by those in the public eye. If these boys are to smoke marijuana, do it in private! Don’t get caught and don’t become a walking advertisement. We don’t want future generations to think that this is the way forward for them or we will create a culture in which drug usage will increase, as will illness and dependency on the health service. We don’t want future generations to be even more damaged than our current one.

download (4)Do I think this will blow over? Yes. The boys will more than likely release a statement apologising for their actions, admitting how ‘foolish’ they’ve been and we know damn well they won’t regret their actions in the slightest. They’ll just regret getting caught. They are foolish, I think most of us will agree but this will all be left in the past sooner or later.

Let’s face it, these boys aren’t the first and they certainly won’t be the last band members to be caught or accused of such events. Robbie Williams is a noteworthy example in addition to Brian Harvey from East 17 who declared “It’s cool to take drugs”. We have always had and always will have boyband members ‘tarnishing their squeaky clean image’. The important thing now is for the boys to apologise, get a slap on the wrists from their management and not get caught again. They’re human. Let them make their mistakes and move on.

Post Brits Blog

MarcyB0yLeave a comment

Wednesday saw the 34th Brit Award Ceremony take place at the 02 arena and broadcast live across the world for the first time. Here’s my take on the events of the evening.

The Brits 2014 saw a massive drop in ratings – 2 million less people than last year. Yet, in my opinion, the 2014 Brits were a million times better than last year’s rather dull affair. Bizarre acceptance speeches, electric performances, dodgy jokes and self promotion riddled this years ceremony but in a way that made fantastic entertainment. The Brits has a reputation for generating and attracting controversy but that’s part of what makes it so endearing.

James Corden & Prince's infamous selfie

James Corden did a wonderful job of presenting once again, moving the show along nicely aided by a few funny gags and some spontaneous quips (a selfie with Prince and a pinch of a member of the Arctic Monkeys’ bum were particular highlights). Whilst not everyone was equally pleased with some of his remarks, I think James was awesome once again and I will greatly miss him hosting The Brits. He’s not overly controversial, a great guy, loves his music and funny with it. I hope whoever is lined up to present next year’s Brits will be able to bring something original to the table.

Katy Perry

Performance-wise, whilst this year’s list of performers perhaps looked a little dull on paper, there were some great performances. Katy Perry delivered a theatrical Egyptian-themed performance of new track ‘Dark Horse’, which, despite the song not being her strongest release, managed to entertain. Bruno Mars took to the stage to sing the fantastically catchy ‘Treasure’ in which, whilst being an amazing performance, one must question whether this was a performance by Bruno or by The Bruno Mars band. There was very little solo by Mr Mars himself, instead, he was joined by an assemble of men to the point it rather looked and sounded like a Boyz II Men super-group on-stage. Beyonce appeared in a stunning, sparkly green gown to perform powerful new single ‘XO’. Disclosure managed to significantly improve incredibly scary Lorde’s ‘Royals’ by transforming it into a house track and Pharrell Williams gave a great rendition of ‘Happy’ with a little help from funk royalty Nile Rodgers.

Beyonce BritsAs for the awards themselves, there were no major surprises. Daft Punk inevitably collected ‘International Group’ award after an amazingly successful year. Rudimental took home a gong for club-crazy ‘Waiting all night’ for Best British Single. One Direction won an award for a seemingly tailored-just-for-them ‘Brits Global Success Award’ in addition to ‘Best British Video’. Whilst many ridicule them, the lads certainly deserved these awards, particularly the latter, although there wasn’t any strong competition as the other Video nominations were incredibly weak and unoriginal. At least ‘Best Song Ever’ was unique, comedic and well-written/directed. Arctic Monkeys also took home two awards for Best British Group and Best British Album whilst Best British Breakthrough Act went to Bastille. Lorde appeared rather creepily onstage again to collect International Female Solo Artist whilst Bruno Mars received the male equivalent. Best British Female artist was won by Ellie Goulding whilst Best British Male was deservedly won by David Bowie.

1392895173_nick-grimshaw-james-corden-brit-awards-2014-brits-kiss-lips-homepageWhat was perhaps most interesting this year were the presenters of the awards and the acceptance speeches. Pop royalty Prince appeared with new band 3RDEYEGIRL which was really awesome, Katy Perry returned onstage to present an award, Tinie Tempah was rather oddly paired with Fearne Cotton, Emeli Sande couldn’t keep away from The Brits, Pharell and Kylie, Jimmy Carr, glamour model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lily Allen,  Cesc Fabregas and Nicole Scherzinger, Grimmy (who passionately snogged James Corden on live telly) and Noel Gallagher. We were subjected to excessive plugs of new releases and dresses and suits for the ceremony. A confused Lily Allen struggled to comprehend her role whilst Jimmy Carr attempted three feeble jokes after which the silence was deafening. Katy Perry asked the audience if they would be attending her tour later this year to which she received a wall of silence. Kate Moss accepted David Bowie’s award on behalf of the man himself, reading a witty speech he had written in which he managed to somewhat randomly incorporate his political views (‘Stay with us Scotland.’) A rather drunk and/or stoned Alex Taylor slurred through an egocentric rant on ‘Rock n roll’, looking as if he wished to be anywhere but there.

The issue is, whilst this was all great in the name of entertainment, it just reinforced the view of many. That The Brits is less about the music and more about self-promotion and entertainment. Few of the acceptance speeches were genuinely thankful, many highly successful artists were overlooked in nominations and quite frankly, some of the song nominations were bizarre.

There is no denying that it was an entertaining show, however and a drastic improvement on last year’s bore. So, another year, another Brits over. I already look forward to next year’s!

Pre-Brits Blog

MarcyB0yLeave a comment

I love The Brit Awards. It’s one evening I spend every year where I sit down and do nothing else but relax and enjoy the ceremony. Sure, many of my favourite acts are often not nominated. There’s artists that prompt me to think “Who the hell is that?!” Some of the artists performing I can’t stand. But it’s pure entertainment.

I believe The Grammys are superior – after all, the performances are usually a great deal more interesting and I’ve usually heard of 90% of the nominees. It’s a lot more sophisticated and prestigious. But I also can’t help but love The Brits because it’s usually a couple of hours of madness. Presenters and nominees swearing pre-watershed, wardrobe malfunctions, lengthy and drunken speeches and things going wrong. It doesn’t happen every year (last year ran relatively smoothly compared to The Brits’ usual reputation) but when it does, it’s brilliant. And if nothing controversial happens, it’s still fun to watch.

It’s safe to say I’m pretty disappointed that some of my favourite and, in my opinion, some of the most talented musicians in the UK have been completely overlooked this year. Gary Barlow returned from a 14 year solo-career hiatus to deliver a fantastic album which was ignored. The 1975 launched from nowhere, gaining a Top 20 single and a Number One album. Lawson are yet to be recognised despite enormous success in the UK. Robbie Williams achieved massive sales with a fantastic album. Kodaline released a beautiful album and Matt Cardle wrote an awesome album. You may think I’m biased because many of these are my favourite artists but it’s not just that. These artists all write their own songs and have worked hard to be in the position they’re in. They’ve achieved massive success in the last year and haven’t relied on talent shows to get to where they are. I just think it’s a shame they’ve been overlooked.

On the positive side, it’s great to see Laura Mvula nominated – her album ‘Sing to the moon’ is stunning and original. Likewise, Disclosure, David Bowie, Tom Odell and London Grammar are all more than worthy of nominations.

I will be blogging after the event itself but I thought I would publish a playlist of my favourite songs by this year’s nominees and performers. This isn’t a full list of my favourite songs by them as I’ve limited them to songs by the artists in the last year or so. For example there’s no ‘Teenage Dream’ or ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry because I’m featuring songs from her latest album Prism.

Here’s my favourite London Grammar track (I have no idea why it’s not available on Spotify)

Toxic

MarcyB0yLeave a comment

I wrote this around a year ago but only got round to making a demo for it a few days ago. It’s not a reflection of current emotions but it’s still a personal track to me.

It also samples a well known pop track somewhere – just thought it fitted well despite it being a very different song!

As usual, comments are appreciated and please try and see past my exceptionally weak vocal ability!

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/marcbarritt/song/19964793-toxic-demo