Peter Gabriel & The New Blood Orchestra - Hammersmith Apollo 23/24 March 2011

What a wonderful, wonderful night. The best PG gig I've seen. Now the long wait for the 3D Blu ray that was filmed that night.

John Barry (3 November 1933 – 30 January 2011)

Composer John Barry, famous for his work on the James Bond films, Born Free and Out of Africa has died aged 77 of a heart attack.

One of the most celebrated film composers of his generation, Barry scored more than 90 movies over the course of his career.

But it is for his work on a dozen Bond films that Barry will be widely remembered. One of his best-known theme songs was Goldfinger, belted out by Shirley Bassey in 1964.

His Oscars were from other films: Born Free, which earned him two statuettes, The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves.

He was honoured with an OBE in 1999 for his services to music, and was awarded a Bafta Fellowship in 2005.

Cinema childhood

John Barry Prendergast was born in York in 1933. His father ran a chain of cinemas and his mother was a pianist.

In a Guardian interview in 1999, Barry described how he fell in love with film as a toddler.

"My father had eight theatres in the north of England. I remember him picking me up, age three and a half, and taking me through these swing doors to the back of the stalls and holding me up over the barrier at the back. And I remember seeing this mouse, this big black and white mouse."

Barry trained as a classical pianist but turned his attention to jazz. He played the trumpet in the army, and in the late 1950s formed jazz-rock group the John Barry Seven.

"I didn't love [pop] music, I wasn't passionate about it. But I did want to be a professional musician," said Barry in a 1994 interview.

"So we literally listened to all that was coming out of America at that time, whether it was Bill Haley or Freddy Bell and the Bellboys, and the first concerts we did, we just copied all their stuff and did it."

The group teamed up with singer Adam Faith, and had hits in the UK with What Do You Want? and Poor Me.

Barry worked on television series and commercials, and broke into movie work in 1960's Beat Girl.

His work brought him to the attention of producers of the first Bond movie Dr No.

"The James Bond movies came because we were successful in the pop music world, with a couple of big instrumental hits. They thought I knew how to write instrumental hit music," Barry said in an interview with The Associated Press in 1991.

His arrangement of Monty Norman's James Bond theme led to him composing scores for 11 films in the series, among them Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.

Barry's work on the Bond theme led to a court case in the late 1990s when Norman successfully asserted his authorship of the tune.

But Barry's Bond scores showcased his diverse range: big bands, guitar riffs, sweeping strings and jazz and Latin beats.

He worked with Duran Duran and A-ha during the 1980s, on Bond themes for A View To A Kill and The Living Daylights.

He also made innovative use of a synthesiser in music for On Her Majesty's Secret Service and his theme for TV's The Persuaders.


His first Oscars came in 1967 for his Born Free score and its iconic title theme.

More Academy Awards followed for the soundtracks he wrote for The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves.

Barry also won four Grammys, a Bafta for The Lion in Winter and a Golden Globe for Out of Africa.

His many other film scores included Walkabout, The Deep, Somewhere in Time, Body Heat, Jagged Edge, Peggy Sue Got Married, Chaplin and Cry, the Beloved Country. His most recent film score featured in the 2001 war thriller Enigma.

In 2002, Barry was named an Honorary Freeman of the City of York, an honour he received at a venue in the city where he once used to play trumpet in the 1950s.

Barry was divorced three times - his second wife was the actress Jane Birkin. He is survived by his wife Laurie, his four children and five grandchildren.

He once recalled, surveying his vast body of work: "When I look back on it, I think, how the hell did I do all this?"

CLASSIC JOHN BARRY SCORES

From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Zulu
Born Free
You Only Live Twice
The Lion in Winter
Midnight Cowboy
Diamonds are Forever
Out of Africa
Dances with Wolves
Chaplin

Another great passes away. R.I.P Gerry.

Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63 after suffering a long illness.

His career high came in the 1970s and included the anthemic Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle with You, recorded with his band Stealers Wheel.

Rafferty had battled a drink problem and spent time in hospital in Bournemouth with liver failure.

He was born in Paisley and began his musical career as a busker on the London Underground.

Rafferty died peacefully at home, with his daughter Martha at his bedside.

He had recorded and toured with Billy Connolly as part of the Humblebums, before forming Stealers Wheel with his friend Joe Egan in 1972.

Stuck in the Middle with You was a hit in the early 70s and also appeared on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's debut film Reservoir Dogs in 1992.

Baker Street charted in the UK and US in 1978 after Rafferty began his solo career and still achieves airplay on radio stations around the world.

It is understood his funeral will be held in Paisley later this month.

Captain Beefheart. Another Great Passes Away.

Don Van Vliet, dies aged 69

American musician and painter Don Van Vliet, best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart, has died aged 69.

Van Vliet's death in California, from complications from multiple sclerosis, was announced by the Michael Werner Gallery in New York.

Van Vliet was "one of the most original recording artists of his time", the gallery said in a statement.

He rose to fame in the 1960s with a unique style of blues-inspired rock & roll, later devoting himself to art.

Artists including Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Franz Ferdinand, Oasis, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The White Stripes are among those who have cited him as an influence.

'Experimental rock & roll'

"Don Van Vliet was a complex and influential figure in the visual and performing arts," the gallery said in a statement.

"He is perhaps best known as the incomparable Captain Beefheart who, together with his Magic Band, rose to prominence in the 1960s with a totally unique style of blues-inspired, experimental rock & roll."

"This would ultimately secure Van Vliet's place in music history as one of the most original recording artists of his time. After two decades in the spotlight as an avant-garde composer and performer, Van Vliet retired from performing to devote himself wholeheartedly to painting and drawing."

"Like his music, Van Vliet's lush paintings are the product of a truly rare and unique vision."

Van Vliet combined peculiar tones with music that drew on blues, jazz, psychedelia and a barrage of other genres.

The musician recorded under the name of Captain Beefheart with members of the Magic Band through 1982.

Captain Beefheart's first two releases with the Magic Band received positive reviews from music connoisseurs but did not connect with the wider public.

But he soon began a close creative relationship with Frank Zappa, a former high school classmate, who helped him forge his way toward redefining popular music.

In recent years, Van Vliet devoted himself to painting and drawing.

A painting by the musician was on sale at the Michael Werner Gallery earlier this month at a price of $40,000 (£26,000).

Van Vliet is survived by his wife of more than 40 years, Jan Van Vliet.

Tunes I Like Right Now....Update

Updated the "Tunes I Like Right Now" section.

Peter Gabriel - "Après Moi" from the album "Scratch My Back"

Porcupine Tree - "Blackest Eyes" from the album "In Absentia." They're one of the greatest bands that nobodies ever heard of.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela - "Orion" from the album "Rodrigo Y Gabriela"

Yello - "Tiger Dust" from the album "The Eye". You either love Yello or hate 'em.

Intruder

A little taste of Intruder. The New Blood Orchestra recorded versions of Peter's songs for a forthcoming album at Air Studios in June.



I'm really looking forward to this release. I loved the "Scratch My Back" album, but a whole record of Peter's songs re-recorded with an orchestra has me salivating.

White Wine in the Sun - Kate Miller-Heidke (by Tim Minchin)

Bill Bailey 'Part Troll' Live - Love Song

Peter Gabriel Covers “In the Neighborhood” by Tom Waits

Peter Gabriel » Tom Waits from The Voice Project on Vimeo.

Metallic Spheres

Listening to this right now......

Ohhhh this is bliss!

Peter Gabriel "Here Comes the Flood" on Guitar Center Sessions

Peter Gabriel - New Blood: Rhythm Of The Heat

Peter Gabriel Album Art.

Solved.

All the diveshare links now work. I've also updated the "Tunes I Like Right Now" section. The new tracks are....

1 - Theme from Mousehunt - Alan Silvestri - I'm a huge soundtracks collector and this album is a new addition.

2 - Windolicker - Aphex Twin - The more I listen to it the more amazing it gets.

3 - Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie - It's Bowie! What else is there to say?

4 - Sugalumps - Flight Of The Concords - Brilliant pastiche of the Black Eyed Peas track "My Humps".

The Book Of Love and Washing Of The Water

Mr G is still easily my favourite male recording artist. Long may he continue.

Yello -Touch

A new album! WooHoo!

Tunes I Like Right Now...New!

I've cleared out all the old tracks from the "Tunes I Like Right Now" player and posted some new ones.

They are.....

Films - Gary Numan (you can never get enough of the Numanoid!)

An Ending (ascent) - Brian Eno

A Duck Is One Mean Machine - Cassetteboy

I Lived On The Moon - Kwoon

In For The Kill - La Roux (the 80's are back!)

When the rock & roll nightmare comes, the devil's gonna make me eat my drums!

They came, they saw, they went to 11. Spinal Tap played their 1 date World Tour at Wembley Arena on Tuesday night and my ears are still ringing!

I was impressed they didn't do any schtick, they just played an awesome gig and relied on the fact that the songs were strong enough (and funny enough) to stand on their own. So apart from dwarfs dancing around an inflatable Stonehenge the "jokes" were kept to a minimum, with just little bits of banter between songs.

I soon realised that these guys can really play! They sounded very assured and tight, making a noise that Metallica would envy. Chris.... sorry, Nigel Tufnel's guitar solo (though overlong) was masterful. Dave St Hubbins voice has lost none of it's power over the years and Derek Smalls proffered lukewarm support on base.

A wonderful night was had by all.

But there's more. During the first few songs official looking women with clipboards were roaming the arena. It transpired that they were looking for women to go up on stage and dance with the band during the song "Big Bottom". They picked my wife!!! Luckily people took along camera phones so the moment has been recorded for posterity. Or posterior.

If you know her, she makes her first appearance around the 1:47 mark.



Stonehenge!!



And just for the hell of it, the video for The Magesty Of Rock!



Tap were supported by The Folksmen. Brilliant!

Once

It was a slow morning at work so I decided to bung my copy of "Once" into my laptop and leave it playing in the background.

I ended up watching it all the way through. I love this film.

I saw it for the first time last year. My sister-in-law had given it to me as a present and, I have to say, at the time I was a little disappointed (don't tell her that!). However, she's got excellent taste and I'd heard some great reviews, but I'd also heard the negative ones so approached it with caution.

It's a Marmite film. You will either love it or hate it.

It's, and I shudder to use the word, sweet. Really, really sweet. Not in a vomit inducing way, but a warm, fuzzy, sad, funny, uplifting kind of way. A really touching tale of two ships that pass in the night. It got labeled as a musical on it's release, it's not. The music is integral but it's not a musical in the "Chicago" sense.

The plot focuses on a busker with dreams of making it as a successful musician, he's also dealing with the breakup of a long term relationship. He meets a young Czech immigrant and together they realise that they share a love of music and are both in similar emotional situations. The actors wrote and performed the songs in the film and are so talented it makes me ill.

Give it a chance. Go on.

New songs......

I've added 3 new songs to the "Tunes I Like Right Now..." section.

In The Name Of Love by The Thompson Twins

Magic by Mick Smiley

Savin' The Day by Alessi

As you may have guessed these are all from the "Ghostbusters" soundtrack and are therefore brilliant. I'm getting all excited because the Blu Ray is out this month!



Who you gonna call?