I've returned from a short vacation and it's no surprise my inbox was stuffed with news! Here is a quick roundup as it relates to a number of exciting new albums and DVD/Blu-ray releases set for release in the coming months...
Genesis to release official career-spanning documentary 'Sum of the Parts' on January 13, 2015 on Eagle Vision
After more than 300 million album sales, the current rediscovery of the hugely successful and influential Genesis continues with the DVD and Blu-ray release of an official career-spanning documentary Sum of the Parts which will be released on January 13, 2015 on Eagle Vision.
Featuring contributions from key members past and present Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips, as well as a wealth of archive performance footage of the band’s biggest tracks and fan favorites, this first official study of the band’s history commences with their formation at Charterhouse in 1967 and reunites the band for the first time in many years.
Produced by Eagle Rock Film Productions and directed by John Edginton, the film recounts an extraordinary musical story, exploring the band’s song writing as well as emotional highs and lows, alongside previously unseen archive material and rare performance footage from across their entire career.
Sum of the Parts explores the dynamic between the band members that have enabled them to survive numerous line-up changes alongside solo careers outside of the band.
The remarkable story encompasses their visionary influence as the leading lights of progressive rock with landmark albums such as Foxtrot, Selling England By ThePound and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway; the huge crossover success of the Eighties and Nineties which saw them hit the upper reaches of the singles charts with era-defining hits such as “Turn It On Again,” “Invisible Touch,” “No Son of Mine,” and “I Can’t Dance”; and through to their 2007 Turn It On Again comeback tour which included a show in front of 500,000 people at Rome’s Circo Massimo.
Sum of the Parts contains the BBC’s Together and Apart documentary, which aired on October 4. It adds more than 30 minutes of previously unseen footage, and represents the perfect DVD and Blu-ray companion to the 3CD anthology R-Kive which was released by Warner Music Group / Rhino on September 30.
“We’re the only band, I think, that have managed the solo thing and the band thing for quite a few years side-by-side, and made it a plus rather than a problem,” says Mike Rutherford. Peter Gabriel concurs: “I think when we got it right we had something that none of us could do on our own. And there were different musical histories merging together in a powerful way.”
Tony Smith, Genesis Manager: “It’s fascinating to see the breadth, diversity and worldwide success of the songs and compositions that have come from this one group of people, in this truly unique film”
In terms of what they’ve done together, and what they’ve done apart, there’s never been a band like Genesis. It’s a captivating story, told here from the beginning for the first time.
The Brand New Heavies to release new studio album on November 24th
London-based Acid Jazz innovators and expert purveyors of funky grooves and incredibly soulful harmonies, The Brand New Heavies are releasing their new studio album Sweet Freaks on Nov. 24, 2014.
The eleven tracks featured on the quartet’s tenth studio album Sweet Freaks is full of the band’s signature irresistible grooves, well thought-out melodies and as much lively energy and enthusiasm as on any of their highly successful early outings. The band’s electrifying new vocalist, Jersey born Dawn Joseph originally debuted on 2013’sForward (sharing vocal duties with the band’s then lead singer N’Dea Davenport). Now as lead vocalist, Joseph has come into her own in a big way, as evidenced on tracks like “In the Name of Love”, “Self Portrait” or “Get On,” which showcase her self-assured, powerful and also immensely versatile voice.
The album’s title song “Sweet Freeek” makes clear what the album is all about: melodies that get stuck in your head for days. The album doesn’t lose any of the band’s trademark sound but spikes it up with fresh, crispy grooves.
“We, The Brand New Heavies, are very excited to be releasing our new album with new singer and amazing gifted Dawn Joseph who appeared out of a dream. It‘s freeeky, but Sweet - We hope you love it.”
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Track Listing
1. Sweet Freeek
2. Sledgehammer
3. In The Name Of Love
4. Bring The Rain
5. ‘95 Tonight
6. Pleased To Meet Ya
7. Get On
8. We Live For The Summer
9. Self Portrait
10. You Are The Fire
11. Don‘t Let Go
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Supertramp co-founder Roger Hodgson readies Fall Tour as "Crime of the Century" celebrates 40th Anniversary
HODGSON'S SHOWS GIVE NORTH AMERICAN AUDIENCES OPPORTUNITY TO ONCE AGAIN EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC AND SPIRIT HODGSON CREATED WITH SUPERTRAMP
Roger Hodgson, legendary vocalist and singer-songwriter from Supertramp, is heading back to North America for a series of fall dates. Following extensive tours of Europe and Brazil, Hodgson kicks off his North America tour on November 4 in Wabash, Indiana.
Hodgson, one of the most gifted composers and lyricists of our time, co-founded the progressive rock band Supertramp in 1969. Roger was the driving force behind what fans call the "golden years" of the band that made Supertramp a worldwide phenomenon with album sales in excess of 60 million. He wrote, sang, and arranged the enduring rock standards such as "Breakfast in America," "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home," "The Logical Song," "Dreamer," "It's Raining Again," "School," and "Fool's Overture."
Accompanied by a four-piece band, Roger Hodgson continues to perform all his hits he wrote and later recorded with Supertramp plus other classics of his such as "Child of Vision," "Hide in Your Shell," "Sister Moonshine," and "Even in the Quietest Moments," plus favorites from his solo albums - "Only Because of You," "Lovers in the Wind," and "In Jeopardy" - many of which can be found on his current CD release, Classics Live.
Uniting generations, Hodgson is transporting baby boomers back to their youth while giving younger concertgoers a taste of why his heartfelt songs have endured. In fact, this year marks the 40th Anniversary of "Crime of the Century," released in September 1974 (see press release below). Hodgson's song, "Dreamer," became Supertramp's first international runaway hit, driving the album to the top of the charts. "School," "Hide in Your Shell," and "If Everyone Was Listening" are also fan favorites from the album that Hodgson wrote and composed and often plays in concert.
Roger's shows give North American audiences the opportunity to once again experience the magic and spirit that Hodgson created with Supertramp.
Roger Hodgson North America Tour Dates:
November 4 - Wabash, IN - Honeywell Center
November 6 - Detroit, MI - MotorCity Casino Hotel
November 7 - Niagara Falls, NY - Seneca Niagara Falls Casino and Resort
November 8 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse
November 9 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
November 11 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
November 14 & 15 - Rama, ON, Canada - Casino Rama
"Whether it's the melodic complexity of his songs, the harmonies he weaves with his band, the lyrics that sweep you away or his ability to still command the incredible upper range of his voice, 'beautiful' was what kept coming to mind over and over again during his performance. 'Breathtaking' might also apply. 'I want more' certainly would." ~ Ted Hansen - Mesa Classic Rock Music Examiner
"All these years I thought I was a Supertramp fan when actually I was and am a Roger Hodgson fan. What a show! WOW is all I can say."~ David Wild, Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone
Check out his latest release, "Classics Live." This spectacular collection of Roger's hit songs from concerts recorded around the world on his 2010 tour is available through his Store and iTunes.
Enjoy this video montage of Hodgson performing some of his timeless classics.
For more information, visit the Tour page on Hodgson's Website or Events on his Facebook page.
For additional information on Roger Hodgson, visit his Bio.
www.RogerHodgson.com
www.Facebook.com/RogerHodgson
www.Twitter.com/RogerHodgson
www.Youtube.com/RogerHodgson
www.Instagram.com/RogerHodgson
ABOUT SUPERTRAMP'S CRIME OF THE CENTURY:
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary since its release in 1974, Crime of the Century features the cream of Rick Davies' and Roger Hodgson's songwriting, and was the first of the many peaks in Supertramp's illustrious career; an album that had everything to prove and tunes that effortlessly straddled the world of pure pop and progressive rock. The significant change that happened with Supertramp on this album was that Hodgson and Davies had each found their strength as songwriters and were writing alone. With the unmistakable blend of the two songwriters – Davies' and Hodgson's work, it married the sweetness of Hodgson's Dreamer -- the band's first big hit single -- with the grit of Davies' similarly beloved Bloody Well Right. In School, Rudy, and the title track, the band – Davies, Hodgson, John Helliwell, Bob Siebenberg, and Dougie Thomson – helped define what would soon be known as Adult Oriented Rock. This was -- and is -- not just an album that showed Supertramp's increased maturity, but a timeless gem marked by the incredible melodies and thoughtful lyrics of Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies.
This 40th Anniversary edition will be released December 9 in the US and contains the classic original album, remastered by Ray Staff at Air Studios, and a second disc features the band’s 1975 Hammersmith Odeon concert, mixed from the original tapes by original on-the-night engineer Ken Scott. It captures the band on the verge of stardom, showcasing all of Crime, and also previewing tracks from the then-as-yet-unreleased follow-up, Crisis? What Crisis? The LP eventually peaked at Number 4 on the UK charts and saw the band on the US Top 40 for the first time.
Dreamer also became the band's first hit single. "I'm fortunate to have written songs that have become hits without ever trying to write one," Hodgson says. "I've never sat down and said 'OK I'm going to write a hit song.' Inspiration comes in many different ways. Usually it comes when I get out of the way losing myself in the sound of the instrument I am playing – it's almost like being in a meditative state. With Dreamer, the inspiration was born out of excitement and just erupted out of me." Hodgson continues, "Looking back, it was quite serendipitous that as a young songwriter with so many dreams I had my first hit with a song named Dreamer. It was certainly a thrill to hear it being played all over the radio. Creating our reality, I've since realised, often starts with our dreams."
If Everyone Was Listening, another of Hodgson's philosophical musings, reaches back to Shakespeare's As You Like It adage ('All the world's a stage, and all the men are merely players') for allegorical inspiration.
"It's all simply a play," says Hodgson, "The world is the stage for all of us, and the song is more about just becoming aware of what is really real in life. And it's a longing for love in a world that is falling apart." Hodgson added, "To this day it has always been my ambition as an artist to try to make the world a better place through my music ever since The Beatles inspired me by how they made such a difference in the world."
