Tuesday, November 27, 2007

TRACEY THORN (from Everything But The Girl) solo albums and some related


"Tracy Thorn's voice is truly a voice sent from heaven."

"If there is a timeless cross-generational voice in modern English pop, folk and electronica, it is that of Tracey Thorn"







































TRACEY HORN - A Distant Shore (1982)

Genre:
Rock
Style:
Alternative Rock

Credits:
Artwork By [Drawing] - Jane Fox /Artwork By [Handwriting] - Richard Stiwell/ Guitar, Vocals - Tracey Thorn/ Recorded By - Pat Bermingham

Tracklist:

01 Small Town Girl
02 Simply Couldn't Care
03 Seascape
04 Femme Fatale
05 On My Mind
06 Night And Day
07 Dreamy
08 Plain Sailing
09 New Opened Eyes
10 Too Happy

Link to download:
http://s3.massmirror.com/e4a5637b4c8e854c1b30042377982e43.html

"Just like future partner Ben Watt's album, Tracey Thorn's own solo foray is a masterpiece in stunning simplicity. Unlike Watt, Thorn served an early apprenticeship with her friends as The Marine Girls; a band whose charms were equal parts great potential and amateurish hopelessness. 'A Distant Shore' proves that she had learned well from mistakes, built around just her fluent guitar playing and that beautiful vocal which aches with a vulnerability and sadness of someone twice her age (Thorn was not even in her twenties when this was recorded). On tracks like 'Seascape' her every intonation resonates with a haunting echo and the oft-covered 'Femme Fatale' is delivered with a respect and skill that rivals the original's supposedly unreachable greatness. All other tracks drip with melancholy and melody. The real tragedy that there's only twenty three minutes of it but not a second is wasted." -leonardslair.co.uk

"Tracey Thorn's solo album sounds pretty much like what it is—a transition from the ramshackle Marine Girls to the much more sophisticated Everything but the Girl. A Distant Shore is a low-key affair, simply played on delicate acoustic and electric guitars. The focal point, of course, is Tracey's voice and it is quite lovely as she ambles her way through eight understated originals and an apropos cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale"."

"As one who can appriciate Everything but the Girl pre-Todd Terry mix of "missing," this is a very enjoyable album. As EBTG moves to the icon status of this wonderful female voice behind Ben Watt's beats--constantly challenging the adult-contemporary audience, inspiring the dance/electronic world, as well as my girlfriend's father's (a man in his 50s) ears--it's nice to remember where they came from. Tracy and her guitar, a few vocal layers in the mixing--that's it. this album is beautiful in it's simplicity. Highpoints to enjoy while you relax or immerse in melancholia, is "new opened eyes" and her cover of lou reed's "femme fatale." you'll get this album if you love her mysterious vocals--a bit unrefined, lacking confidence, but wonderful."

"It's hard not to listen to Ms. Thorn's 1982 EP without thinking of her in Everything But The Girl. In these eight early songs, there are hints of the retro feel of some EBTG music (in her jaunty cover of the VU classic "femme fatale," and in the breezy Bacharachian feel of "Dreamy"). Since it's just Tracey singing with her own guitar as accompaniment, I was also struck by her skills as a guitar player. I already knew she could do more than just sing after seeing EBTG live a few years ago, but her guitar work on this CD is solid throughout. None of these tunes approaches the level of her best work with Ben Watt in EBTG, but some of them are still quite good."

More review:
http://micksinclair.com/sounds/thornlp.html























TIEFSCHWARZ Feat.TRACEY THORN - Damage (2006)

Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Electro, Deep House

Credits:
Vocals - Tracey Thorn /Written-By - Ali Schwarz , Basti Schwarz , Jochen Schmalbach , Tracey Thorn

Tracklist:

01 Damage (Radio Edit) (3:42)
02 Damage (Tiefschwarz Dub Mix) (8:05)
03 Damage (M.A.N.D.Y. Remix) (8:08)
04 Damage (M.A.N.D.Y. Dub Mix) (8:09)
05 Damage (MOGG Man Band Rmx) (7:12) Remix - Paul Mogg
06 Damage (The Buick Projekt Remix) (7:19) Remix - Buick Project

Link to download:
http://s4.massmirror.com/3031c04c0ac37a6a603ec20a048c48eb.html

" "Damage" provides a moment of levity, its deft fusion of disco, house and Detroit machine soul - a perfectly ethereal soundtrack for veteran vocalist Tracy Thorn."

































TRACEY THORN - Out Of The Woods (2007)

Genre:
Electronic, Pop
Style:
Folk Rock, House, Acoustic, Downtempo, Synth-pop, Ballad

Credits:
Engineer [Additional] - Al O'Connell* , Anna Tjan , Avril Mackintosh , Ben Thackeray , Cameron Jenkins , Eugene Cho /Mastered By - Miles Showell /Mixed By - Simon Gogerly/ Producer, Mixed By - Ewan Pearson

VIDEO
"It's All True"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Y5nKX5j18


Tracklist:

01 Here It Comes Again (3:06)
02 A-Z (3:41) Mixed By - Ewan Pearson , Simon Gogerly Producer, Mixed By - Tom Gandey
03 It's All True (4:13) Producer - Darshan Jesrani , Sasse Lindblad*
04 Get Around To It (6:00) Written-By - Arthur Russell
05 Hands Up To The Ceiling (2:58)
06 Easy (3:58) Producer, Mixed By - Martin Wheeler
07 Falling Off A Log (3:17)
08 Nowhere Near (3:07) Producer, Mixed By - Charles Webster
09 Grand Canyon (6:07) Producer, Mixed By - Alex Santos*
10 By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down And Wept (2:25)
11 Raise The Roof (4:02)

Link to download:
http://s4.massmirror.com/e0c4eeb4a5905f2733aa18f74582c307.html

"Out of the Woods is the first solo album from Tracey Thorn for over two decades. The British public probably know Thorn best as the voice of Everything but the Girl's "Missing," the Todd Terry mix of which hit No. 3 in 1994 and hung around in the Billboard Top 100 for over a year. That huge hit, however, is somewhat deceptive in the context of Thorne and her partner Ben Watt's 25-year career. Out of the Woods, like much Everything but the Girl before it, is a set of torch songs versed in the production techniques of clubland, but shot through with a melancholy soul more familiar to jazz or folk-rock--or, indeed, cosmic disco pioneer Arthur Russell, whose "Get Around to It" Thorne covers here, and all but makes it her own. Lyrically, events hint at a certain domesticity: "Nowhere Near" is a delicate song about motherhood sung over shimmering synths, piano, and pipes, while "Hands Up to the Ceiling" seems to be about finding sanctuary in a record collection, Thorne sneaking to an attic to spin "Siouxsie Sioux, and Edwin too/Bobby D, in '63." Those eager for Thorn to reprise "Missing," however, maybe be satisfied by "Grand Canyon" and the closing "Raise the Roof," two potential club hits in the waiting." –-Louis Pattison

"For her first solo CD since 1982's "A Distant Shore," Everything But The Girl frontwoman and the guest vocalist on scores of dance tunes Tracey Thorn has come up with a collection that is firmly rooted in her past but seldom repetitive of it. Tracey serves notice on the opener "Here It Comes Again" that, in fact, the same old thing you might have expected from her is not coming again at all. This song is very simple and lovely, delicately sung with a beautiful string arrangement. She follows with "A-Z," a thematic modern day version of the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home" about escaping from "small town hell" sung with the same sort of lovely resignation the Fab Four brought to their tune. This song is also the first example on the CD of how electronica can be crafted into a very humanistic sound. This humanizing continues with the more forceful "It's All True" and the sexual come on of "Get Around To It" in which electronica meets the New Romantic poppiness of Haircut 100 which brings it heart and joy. The rest of the CD pretty much follows the same formula with the warm vocals and wise lyrics providing a unifying threads such as the low key "Falling Off A Log" in which the singer realizes they've been in love with the wrong one and the counter-intuitive "Raise The Roof" with its "Why did I wait/don't tell me it's too late) refrain. If you only want the Everything But The Girl Tracey Thorn skip right to "Grand Canyon" which talks about "the hole inside your heart no one can ever fill." In my opinion, Tracey Thorn is the anti-Annie Lennox (who I love) in that whenever given the option to go over the top with her vocal performance she chooses to be underwrought, delicate, wistful and just plain lovely - all hallmarks of quality singing we don't find often in these post-Celine Dion days. If you've been anxiously awaiting this CD for 25 years you've been richly rewarded. Except for one or two trifles it was worth the wait."

"Worth the wait ! Its great to hear a singer who doesn't need to try too hard to own her own space, and add to this the vision and talent to effortlessly switch between basic acoustic arrangements and electronic house. Listen to this a few times to realise that simple pop songs will always find a way of lodging themselves in your brain. Stand out tracks include 'Its All True', 'Easy', 'Raise the Roof', and the superb club anthem (to be) 'Grand Canyon' ....which demands a Deep Dish remix. My only request is that we dont have to wait so long for the next album !"

"Way before Everything But The Girl discovered dance music and had a hit with "Missing", Tracey Thorn was a member of a shambolic all-girl group called Marine Girls. Around the same time - 1982 - she released what was until now her only solo album, the wondrous "A Distant Shore". A mere quarter of a century later she's released her follow-up, "Out Of The Woods". Although highly similar to Everything But The Girl - understandable given that it's the voice - "Out Of The Woods" jumps to an entirely different beat. Utilising brass, bass and electronics, Tracey creates a fresh and innovative sound that can be attributed to only herself. Scanning the song titles, it's easy to have a somewhat corny feel of the record, but on listening, this changes completely. Besides having a voice that's instantaneously able to transfer you back to the 90s, one can feel Thorn's maturity on the album. Less vocals are able to mean more, as on the jazzy "Get Around It" with its extended brass solo, and she's able to show an acoustic side via the soulful "Hands Up To The Ceiling". New single "It's All True" is another big highlight, with its refreshing bassline entwined beautifully with a haunting melody and her voice. The entire album has a surprising amount of beats, best demonstrated on one of the album's focal points - "East". Combined with a range of instruments and soothing voice it makes a delight to listen to. If it's not a patch on "A Distant Shore", it's still a fertile enough set, hanging heavy with lush strings and ripe beats. "Nowhere Near" is a hazy ballad with the lyrical emphasis on being a wife and mother rather than a lovelorn teenager. It's a creative avenue she should explore further Combined with a range of instruments and soothing voice, this album makes a delight to listen to."

"Absolutely charming, brialliant, stunning. More like the transition EBTG than their recent drum 'n' bass stuff (which I also love)."

More review:
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/3875

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/m3zf/

http://www.musicomh.com/albums/tracey-thorn_0207.htm



IT'S ALL TRUE (Maxi CD) (2007)

Genre:
Electronic, Pop
Style:
House, Electro, Synth-pop

Credits:
Producer - Darshan Jesrani , Ewan Pearson , Sasse Lindblad* /Written-By - Darshan Jesrani , Ewan Pearson , Klas-Henrik Lindblad* , Tracey Thorn

Tracklist:

01 It's All True (Radio Edit) (3:33)
02 It's All True (Album Version) (4:13)
03 It's All True (Kris Menace Full Vocal Remix Edit) (3:13) Remix, Producer [Additional Production] - Kris Menace
04 It's All True (Instrumental) (3:34 )

Link to download:
http://s1.massmirror.com/1e0d408d8b5304729cf9829a6bf44f06.html

"This is just 1 single from a great album! "

"Tracey Thorn has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard. I've been a massive fan of Everything But The Girl and Ben Watt's DJ work since 'Missing' in 1995 and also Massive Attack's 'Protection', and Tracey hasn't failed me with this album. Her voice does truly sound heart-broken and she puts across every song in such a genuine and touching way - so rare these days. Everything is so manufactured, but I feel Tracey has SOUL! :)
I love listening to EBTG, and now Tracey's new album, on headphones whilst travelling and stuff..... takes me to another level.
The standout tracks for me personally are It's All True, Get Around To It and Grand Canyon. So go buy the album too! "



IT'S ALL TRUE (More Mixes) (2007)

Tracklist:

01 It's All True (Original Full Lenght Mix)
02 It's All True (Escort Extended Mix)
03 It's All True (DSE Dub)
04 It's All True (Martin Buttrich Dub)
05 It's All True (Martin Buttrich Remix)

Link to download:
http://s1.massmirror.com/b9c15217b5ac29d7895320bff39f8880.html

"Anyone who loves EBTG and Deep House music will love this song and remixes. Thorn has put out the perfect first single. It is catchy, light and timeless. This song is becoming a big hit in the UK, however I don't think it will get much airplay in the US. Too bad, because it is a great song. I think if more people were exposed to it, it would become a hit. Maybe Tracey will do some TV/ Radio/ Magazine promotion in the US? I hope so!"



RAISE THE ROOF (Mixes) (2007)

Genre:
Electronic
Style:

House,Electro, Synth-pop

Tracklist:

01 Raise The Roof (Cagedbaby Remix)
02 Raise The Roof (Cagedbaby Dub)
03 Raise The Roof (Cagedbaby Remix Edit 1)
04 Raise The Roof (Cagedbaby Remix Edit 2)
05 Raise The Roof (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation)

Link to download:
http://s1.massmirror.com/22975110a5dadf890e6315b4e6cffd71.html


GRAND CANYON (Mixes) (2007)

Genre:
Electronic
Style:
House,Electro, Synth-pop

Tracklist:

01 Grand Canyon (Ada Dub)
02 Grand Canyon (Ada Voacal)
03 Grand Canyon (Dirty South Dub)
04 Grand Canyon (Dirty South Vocal)
05 Grand Canyon (King Unique Dub)
06 Grand Canyon (King Unique Vocal)
07 Grand Canyon (Original)

Link to download:
http://s4.massmirror.com/a13aacefeee58a7161dfa22027ca6bfd.html

"If there is any justice in this world Grand Canyon will achieve or exceed the artistic/commercial/critical success that Missing* did in the nineties. From the fabulous deep, dirty, synth sounds of Dragan Roganovic's Dirty South Mix to, well, more of the same really, courtesy of the King Unique duo's Vocal (a dub is also included). My favourite remains the Ada mix, followed closely by her dub. The only thing missing here is the original album mix from Out Of The Woods, which you should already own anyway! If you don't, shame on you, although I'm sure Grand Canyon will inspire you to buy it...?
*I almost hate myself for making this comparison, and will doubtless be rightly criticised for it, as I am not after all comparing like with like, but it is the only way I, as a layman, can attempt to describe the importance of such a beautiful, intelligent piece of modern dance music."





Biography:
Tracey Thorn (born Tracey Anne Thorn on September 26, 1962, in Brookmans Park http://www.brookmans.com/index.php, Hertfordshire) is an English pop singer and songwriter. She is best known as being one half of the duo Everything but the Girl.She grew up in Hatfield, Hertfordshire and studied English at the University of Hull, where she graduated in 1984 with First Class Honours. She lives with her EBTG partner Ben Watt in North London.Thorn began her musical career in the group Marine Girls.Since 1982 she is a member of the duo Everything but the Girl.Thorn's first solo work was a mini-album entitled A Distant Shore (1982). A re-recorded version of the track "Plain Sailing" was released as a single, and was included on the Pillows & Prayers Cherry Red records compilation album.She collaborated with Massive Attack on several projects, including the soundtrack for the motion picture Batman Forever where she contributed with "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game". Their first project together was the song "Protection EP" from the album by Massive Attack of the same name. She also sings on the track "Better Things".In the 1980s, Thorn also contributed guest vocals and backing vocals for The Style Council, The Go-Betweens, Working Week, and Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Her most recent collaboration, after a lengthy singing hiatus, was on the song "Damage" by the band Tiefschwarz on the album Eat Books.In March 2007, Tracey Thorn released her second solo album Out of the Woods on Virgin Records (Worldwide) and on Astralwerks (USA). It includes contributions from Cagedbaby, Ewan Pearson, Charles Webster, Sasse, Darshan Jesrani and Martin Wheeler. Thorn's MySpace page includes several mixes of the single and the music video. The 1st single from her 2007 album, "It's All True", which was released in February 7th and the second single, "Raise the Roof" was released on June 18. The third single, "Grand Canyon" was released on October 30.In mid-October 2007, Thorn commented that she has begun to write and collaborate with producer, Ewan Pearson, for the follow-up to Out of the Woods.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracey_Thorn)

More info:
http://www.traceythorn.com/

http://www.myspace.com/traceythorn

http://www.ebtg.com/

http://www.astralwerks.com/tracey_thorn/default.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/02/24/smthorn24.xml Telegraph Magazine interview with Tracey (24/02/2007)





TRACEY THORN related:




MARINE GIRLS

Country:
UK
Genre:
Blues, Rock
Style:
Folk Rock, Modern Electric Blues


Members :
Jane Fox (bass), Gina Fox (vocals, percussion), Alice Fox (vocals, percussion), Tracey Thorn (guitar, vocals)


VIDEO
"A Place In The Sun"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X93cC4uVf4




BEACH PARTY (1981)

Credits:
Bass - Jane Fox /Vocals, Guitar - Tracey Thorn/ Vocals, Percussion - Alice Fox/Percussion - Gina Fox

Tracklist:

01 In Love
02 Fridays
03 Tonight?
04 Times We Used To Spend
05 Flying Over Russia
06 Tutti Lo Sanno
07 All Dressed Up
08 Honey
09 Holiday Song
10 He Got The Girl
11 Day/Night Dreams
12 Promises
13 Silent Red
14 Dishonesty
15 20,000 Leagues
16 Marine Girls
17 Lure Of The Rockopools

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/71297164/beach_partykbs.rar.html

"What an excellent album. Fantastic vocals and simplistic melodies coupled with lovely, teenage voices. This is an album to sing along withand practice your harminising. It is a must for all Tracey Thorn fans."

"These long-overdue North American editions of the musical baby steps made by Everything but the Girl prove that the duo have always been special talents, years before "Missing" helped them become found by the masses. Tracey Thorn's uniquely dolorous voice may now be couched in the comparatively upbeat lullabies of club land, but she sounds no more consolable than 20 years ago when she first stepped before a microphone as part of the Marine Girls. The female trio, which Thorn recently explained, "didn't know a drummer, so we had no drums," was inspired by contemporary minimalists Young Marble Giants, and throughout two albums - Beach Party (1981) and Lazy Ways (1983) - the trio strummed and little more than whispered; the embodiment of charm and desire before technical skill. Their more whimsical songs are eclipsed by downcast gems of post-adolescent romantic longing (especially Thorn's "Second Sight" and "Love To Know"). Already wielding an obvious gift, Thorn sat down in a garden shed one summer day in 1982 and recorded the eight-track A Distant Shore, a bittersweet, intensely intimate album whose songs (including a cover of "Femme Fatale") read like the contents of an unwisely kept fistful of love letters. She hadn't yet been introduced to Ben Watt, who also recorded for London's Cherry Red label, but the two were following similar strands of spare, post-punk pathos. The Summer Into Winter EP (recorded with a then-neglected Robert Wyatt) and North Marine Drive largely forego Thorn's doe-eyed reflection for full-fledged despondency, although the gorgeous "Some Things Don't Matter" and "On Box Hill" provide light relief. Months after being match made by their record company, the two Hull University students formed Everything But The Girl, and in the late '90s became dance music's melancholic heart.
http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=22&csid2=850&fid1=10180)

"The debut album by the Marine Girls is one of the most willfully amateurish releases of its era, which is not necessarily a bad thing. When it was first released on Daniel Treacy's Whaam! label in 1981, it undoubtedly sounded impossibly shoddy and nearly inept, filled with deliberately out-of-tune vocals, extremely minimal guitar and bass, and almost no percussion. However, its place as one of the pillars of the twee pop scene, along with the Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth, is now incontestable, and what once might have seemed haphazard instead sounds refreshingly artless and slyly provocative. Tracey Thorn, whose vocals would gain much more technical polish during her years in Everything But the Girl, sings with a sort of offhand grace, while Alice Fox' more tuneless yelp sounds like a precursor to Kathleen Hanna or Sleater-Kinney. The songs are monochromatic, though a few, particularly the opening "In Love," manage to marry memorable tunes to the group's deliberate minimalism. This is not an album for anyone who requires a lot of studio polish, but Beach Party is far from the grating tunelessness that some early reviewers labeled it." ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

"I bought this album back in 1983 when I was at college. It was bought as a result of the Pillows and Prayers album from Cherry Red released in 1982. This featured Tracey Thorn, Ben Watt, EBTG and the Marine Girls. I bought Tracey Thorn's solo album as a congratulation present for failing my driving test. Next was this album. Some of the singing is not the best, but tracks like Flying Over Russia are just fantastic."



LAZY WAYS (1983)

Credits:
Bass - Jane Fox/ Saxophone - Timothy Charles Hall/ Vocals - Alice Fox /Vocals, Guitar - Tracey Thorn/ Producer - Stuart Moxham (from Young Marble Giants) /Recorded By - Phil Legg

Tracklist:

01 A Place In The Sun
02 Leave Me With The Boy
03 Falling Away
04 Love To Know
05 A Different Light
06 Sunshine Blue
07 Second Sight
08 Don't Come Back
09 That Fink.Jazz-Me-Blues Boy
10 Fever
11 Shell Island
12 Lazy Ways
13 Such A Thing..
14 You Must Be Mad

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/71303928/lazy_ways_192_kbs.rar.html

"The Marine Girls' second and final album -- the group had already split by the time of its release, with Tracey Thorn pursuing a solo career before forming Everything But the Girl and the Fox sisters forming the even more minimalist Grab Grab the Haddock -- is far more polished than their 1981 debut, at times almost approaching professionalism. The clangorous clatter of the debut is largely absent here. Instead, producer Stuart Moxham (formerly of Young Marble Giants, whose sole album, Colossal Youth, is perhaps the pinnacle of this type of minimal indie pop) gives the album a soft, intimate sound. Singer Alice Fox has a much more tuneful voice this time out, and songwriter and secondary singer Thorn is clearly inching toward the jazz-influenced prettiness of early Everything But the Girl, especially on the downright lovely "Love to Know." Her guitar playing and Jane Fox' bass work are also considerably more refined. Purists might miss the noisiness of Beach Party, but Lazy Ways is in every way a far better record, and one of the best U.K. indie albums of 1983." ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

"Beautiful, wispy, and minimalist melodicism. Stripped down to mostly just guitars (acoustic) and voice, this is a great double album reissue that is an interesting combination of post-punk ideas with a folkish edge. Fans of Young Marble Giants should definitely pick this one up, as they took most of their influence from this other great band"

"The marine girls were the thing that made me smile back in the days of Thatcher - Regan and depression. They are still wonderful and if you can get this an Trixie and her big red motorbike on one day somewhere you will be in paradise."

"These long-overdue North American editions of the musical baby steps made by Everything but the Girl prove that the duo have always been special talents, years before "Missing" helped them become found by the masses. Tracey Thorn's uniquely dolorous voice may now be couched in the comparatively upbeat lullabies of club land, but she sounds no more consolable than 20 years ago when she first stepped before a microphone as part of the Marine Girls. The female trio, which Thorn recently explained, "didn't know a drummer, so we had no drums," was inspired by contemporary minimalists Young Marble Giants, and throughout two albums - Beach Party (1981) and Lazy Ways (1983) - the trio strummed and little more than whispered; the embodiment of charm and desire before technical skill. Their more whimsical songs are eclipsed by downcast gems of post-adolescent romantic longing (especially Thorn's "Second Sight" and "Love To Know"). Already wielding an obvious gift, Thorn sat down in a garden shed one summer day in 1982 and recorded the eight-track A Distant Shore, a bittersweet, intensely intimate album whose songs (including a cover of "Femme Fatale") read like the contents of an unwisely kept fistful of love letters. She hadn't yet been introduced to Ben Watt, who also recorded for London's Cherry Red label, but the two were following similar strands of spare, post-punk pathos. The Summer Into Winter EP (recorded with a then-neglected Robert Wyatt) and North Marine Drive largely forego Thorn's doe-eyed reflection for full-fledged despondency, although the gorgeous "Some Things Don't Matter" and "On Box Hill" provide light relief. Months after being match made by their record company, the two Hull University students formed Everything But The Girl, and in the late '90s became dance music's melancholic heart. (Spinart)"

"2 early albums by Tracy Thorn -- recorded with the group Marine Girls in the years before her more famous work with Everything But The Girl! The albums have a whimsical feel -- still with lots of jazzy touches, and some of that wonderful intimate quality of Tracy's solo work, but also with touches of some of the freer styles of the postpunk underground. 30 tracks in all -- with titles that include "A Place In the Sun", "Sunshine Blue", "Fever", "In Love", "Friday", and "Marine Girls"."
(http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=rdyq7sq2yw&ref=upcoming.php)

"The Marine Girls have been a source of influence to me since I bought "Lazy Ways" in the late 1980's.If there are Belle and Sebastian fans out there then perhaps they should listen to these 2 albums as they have been influenced by Ms Thorn et al. If once you have listened to these albums then please consider The Jobsons from 1988 and Sicilian Messenger Boy from 1998.Enjoy"

"It's amazing that record(s) this fundamental have been 20 years without a domestic release. The Marine Girls formed when schoolchums Tracey Thorn, Gina ?, and Jane Fox formed a band (Jane's sister Alice replaced Gina early on). It was 1980, and their favorite band was Young Marble Giants. Somehow the Marine Girls became the only other band to use that stark sound, accentuated by the fact that Stuart Moxham from that group recorded "Lazy Ways", actually their second album. Where do Marine Girls diverge from YMG? There's but the faintest echo of the girl group sound in their music, a shadow outline of Phil Spector in the harmonies and arrangements, reduced to a frame around an empty picture--like folksongs by Lesley Gore and Lulu, and also quite unlike that, too. There's a lure to the near-monotone which the three (they traded off on vocals) sang with, an enticing reserve that's quite British, feminine and at a complete, relaxed peace. Their music is the equivalent to someone talking intensely in a low voice--so devastatingly intriguing, you _have_ to lean in closer. Thorn's solo album followed this in a quite similar style, and you can still hear the residue of this charismatic stateliness in her more recent work with Everything But The Girl and Massive Attack. These albums have been in print in the UK for years, but if you don't have this yet, the domestic issue is a wonderful excuse to finally get it." (http://www.othermusic.com/2001july25update.html)


PEEL SESSION 16/04/1983

LINE UP:
Tracey Thorn (Guitar, Vocals) /Jane Fox (Bass) /Alice Fox (Vocals, Percussion) /Tim Hall (Saxophone, Clarinet)

Notes:
Producer - Dale Griffin /Engineer - Ted De Bono /Studio - Maida Vale 4

Tracklist:

01 Love You More
02 Lazy Ways
03 That Day
04 Seascape

Link to download:
http://s4.massmirror.com/f63ac8d2b4ee512f5f6e51559f9a96ad.html


Biography:
Marine Girls were a music group from Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The group was formed in 1980 by two sixth form school friends: Tracey Thorn and Gina Hartman. Originally, Thorn played guitar and Gina was vocalist and percussionist. They were later joined by Jane Fox on bass and her younger sister Alice on joint vocals and percussion. The group sang minimalist songs about the sea, love and everything else.Contemporaries of acts such as Young Marble Giants and The Raincoats, the group applied the DIY ethic of the time to record a self-produced and self-released cassette called A Day By The Sea. They went on to record an album Beach Party which was initially released on In Phaze, then later released by Dan Tracey of Television Personalities label Whamm!. In 1981, Tracey Thorn moved to Hull ( if you are intersted in,chek this site for those famous musicians who are from Hull: http://beehive.thisishull.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=7646&PageID=41056) to attend university, but the group still performed together occasionally, and released a second album Lazy Ways in April 1983. Gina Hartman left the band in 1981 to pursue other musical projects.From 1982 Thorn concentrated on her studies and her growing personal and professional relationship with fellow Hull student Ben Watt. As Everything But The Girl, their first single included a re-recording the Marine Girls song On My Mind.The Marine Girls formally disbanded in 1983. Tracey Thorn achieved success with Everything But The Girl, while the Fox sisters recorded as Grab Grab the Haddock. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Girls)

""This is all a long time ago now, so I find it hard to remember exactly when things happened, even what order they happened in. But I reckon the Marine Girls first came into existence in 1980. I'd been playing electric guitar for a while in a band called Stern Bops. I was the only girl and my boyfriend was the bass player, and though they always tried to persuade me to sing I was too shy. The only way they even knew I could sing was that I once agreed to take a microphone with me into the wardrobe (we rehearsed in a bedroom) and sing David Bowie's Rebel Rebel.They said it was great and I sounded like Siouxsie Sioux (I was trying to), but I refused to sing in front of anyone so that was that. I was also writing songs, some of which we played in the band."I think I got bored with it not being my band, plus I broke up with the boyfriend, so I started talking to my schoolfriend Gina about us forming our own band. She came round to my house and with me playing guitar and her singing we worked out some songs. The first thing we recorded was for a friend's compilation tape of local bands and it was a song called Getting Away From It All. It had a very basic drum machine part, Gina singing and me playing rhythm and lead guitar. We decided to call ourselves the Marine Girls."
(http://shesbitter.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_archive.html)


ALBUMS
Lazy Ways LP (1981)
Beach Party LP (1983)
Lazy Ways/Beach Party CD (compilation, 1991, 2001)

More info:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=72905714

http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=106458448&MyToken=8b27c784-587d-463c-b40e-7943ea49a52d




http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=everything_but_the_girl




BONUS - Marine Girls related :


GRAB GRAB THE HADDOCK

Genre:
Rock
Style:
Acoustic, Indie Rock

Formed 1984- Disbanded 1986

Members
Alice Fox (vocals, percussion), Jane Fox (bass, celeste), Steve Galloway (guitar, piano), Lester Noel (guitar, piano, percussion from North Of Cornwallis and Beats International).




THREE SONGS BY GRAB GRAB THE HADDOCK (12") (1984)

Credits:
Bass - Jane Fox/ Congas - Lester Noel/ Guitar - Lester Noel , Steve Galloway /Percussion - Alice Fox/ Percussion [Bass Drum] - Lester Noel/ Piano - Lester Noel , Steve Galloway /Producer - Nick Patrick/ Vocals - Alice Fox

Tracklist:

01 I'm Used Now
02 Nothing You Say
03 That Day




TWO (FOUR) MORE SONGS BY GRAB GRAB THE HADDOCK (7"/12") (1985)

Credits:
Performer [Grab Grab The Haddock] - Alice* , Andrew , Jane* , Lester* , Steve* , Tim/ Producer - Nick Patrick

Tracklist:

01 Last Fond Goodbye
02 For All We Know
03 Wan But Smiling
04 That Big World But

Link to download for the 2 EP:
http://rapidshare.com/files/71286589/2__grab.rar.html


Biography:
This terminally cute London quartet with the daft name spun off from the defunct Marine Girls but, unlike former bandmate Tracey Thorn (who went on to form Everything but the Girl), Alice Fox and her crew still hawk the chaotic tunelessness that made the Marine Girls so insufferable.The first EP has a sparse, almost minimalist feel; even the use of atypical pop instrumentation (maracas, conga drum, cello) does little to alleviate the disjointed clatter. Fox's childlike caterwauling further adds to the annoyance. Four More is a slight improvement — clear melodies and a near-logical organization level enhance the tracks. Guitarist/songwriter Lester Noel takes over vocal chores on "Last Fond Goodbye," a bright pop song that provides the 12-inch's only worthwhile interlude.[Altricia Gethers] (http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=grab_grab_the_haddock)

I don't know the whereabouts of Steve Galloway and Lester Noel,but found something about Alice and Jane Fox here: http://staffcentral.brighton.ac.uk/learnhigher/LHVPprojectsFox.htm

and one more:
"Jane Fox lives and works in Brighton. She grew up in Hertfordshire at a time when there was an exciting DIY scene: clothes, haircuts, fanzines and bands all emerged from bedrooms and sheds to create a vibrant youth culture. She moved to Brighton in 1982 to do a degree in visual art and sound.

Since then Jane has developed an arts practice that embraces a wide range of mixed media and inter-connected activities including artist led projects, collaborations and solo work.

She has worked extensively to develop a practice that is driven by the need to break down barriers and access that which is to be celebrated in life. This has led her through self-taught musicianship, fish slapping festivals, celebratory cake making, midnight processions, experiments with salt and crushed coal, non-sense hymns, drawing from memory, night walks in a Finish forest and much more…

In 2003 Jane spent a year in Cornwall developing her work on the Contemporary Visual Art M.A. at Falmouth College of Arts.

Recent exhibitions include ‘Voyager’, Abbeville, France, ‘Transition 4’ at The Newlyn Gallery, Penzance, and ‘Underground’ Maze group show at the Argus Basement in Brighton. In February 2006 Jane’s moving image work ‘saltdances 1’ was selected for the ‘700is Reindeerland’ video festival and short-listed for the Alcoa prize." (www.hta.gov.uk/_db/_documents/british_journal_of_nursing.pdf )


If you have info about Steve Galloway and Lester Noel or have some photos /material of Grab Grab The Haddock and Marine Girls you wanna share,let me know please!

posted by saltyka at 8:30 AM 53 comments

Monday, November 26, 2007

CATS CAN FLY - Cats Can Fly (1986)


"WOW THESE GUYS ARE GOOD !"


Country:
Canada
Genre:
Electronic, Rock
Style:
Pop Rock, Synth-pop

Members:
David Ashley - Bass, Lead Vocals
Peter Alexandre - Keyboards, Vocals
Eddie Zeeman - Drums, Lead Vocals
Mitchell James -Guitars, Vocals, Saxophone
Mark Stelmacovich - Keyboards

VIDEO
"Flippin' To The A Side"
http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?artist=7293



Tracklist:

01 Flippin' To The 'A' Side (3:41)
02 Lies Are Gonna Get Ya (3:51)
03 Cold Hands, Warm Heart (4:54)
04 Crazy Fever (3:05)
05 Lookin' For Love (3:46)
06 I Draw The Line (3:03)
07 Heavy Load (3:29)
08 Love You Like That (3:17)
09 Save It For The Next One (3:46)
10 One Way Or The Other (4:04)
11 Flippin' To The 'A' Side (Extended Mix) (5:32)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/72035220/cats_can_fly.rar.html

"The songs are all relatively melodic and pleasant, if slightly unadventurous. However, there are a couple of good tracks which stand out. These include the impressive 'Lies Are Gonna Get Ya' which could have slotted onto the first Go West album with ease. The softer tracks such as 'Cold Hands Warm Heart' and the cruisy 'Save It For The Next One' are also worth a listen. "

"I like this record. Nice pop hitech AOR. Released on CD but very tough to find."

"One of the rarest CDs in Canada. (I heard somewhere that the lead singer doesn't even have it on CD.) I have only found 4 in over 10 years of incessant, cross-counting hunting. Poppy AOR for fans of Glass Tiger, Flip or World on Edge, "Flippin' to the A-Side" and "Lies are Gonna Get Ya" are guilty pleasures with nimble keyboards and lightweight vocalizing."

"When you look at what was going on musically in Canada at that time, this album was pretty impressive. I saw these guys live a few times....excellent musicians."

"I actually quite enjoy this one. Decent pop / high-tech AOR. If you're an 80's fanatic like me, you can't go wrong with tracks like "Flippin' To The A Side" and "Lies Are Gonna Get Ya". Decent stuff."
"With an image that looks slightly glam and slightly new romantic, you could forgive Cats Can Fly as being another Duran Duran clone. But that's where the comparisons end. They have more in common with bands like Go West, Wang Chung, Life By Night and fellow Canadian contemporaries Platinum Blonde.
(Saltyka added :by the way i wil post Platinum Blonde in the near future)


Biography:
Cats Can Fly was a Canadian synthpop band in the 1980s. They released one album in 1986.
The band formed in 1982, and consisted of vocalist-bassist David Ashley, guitarist Mitchell James, keyboardist Peter Alexandre and vocalist-drummer Eddie Zeeman. They were signed after winning a cross-Canada talent search sponsored by a cigarette company, Craven A. (The same talent search also led to a recording contract for Belinda Metz.)

Their self-titled album, released on CBS Records, contained the Top 40 hits "Flipping to the A Side" and "Lies Are Gonna Get Ya". However, despite their success, CBS dumped the band in a major housecleaning that preceded its 1988 takeover by Sony Music Entertainment. The band subsequently broke up(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_Can_Fly)
Mark added:
"Mark Stelmacovich was the original keyboard player. He is now a highschool teacher in Toronto and is active in the teachers union." (http://www.tsuoecta.org/executive.php)

More info:
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/C/Cats_Can_Fly.html

http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?artist=7293 Chart positions of Cats Can Fly - Flippin' To The 'A' Side

and check the video on Youtube with comments of Cat Can Fly's members .Lot of info!!!!

...and of course ,if you have more info ,please...!:)

posted by saltyka at 8:25 AM 15 comments

Sunday, November 25, 2007

KAVINSKY


"an extremely cool dude"

Country:
France
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Electro

Real Name:
Vincent Belorgay

VIDEO
"Testarossa Autodrive"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQSHg-SJXR8






























TEDDY BOY EP (2006)

Tracklist:

01 Testarossa Autodrive (3:37)
02 Testarossa Autodrive (Mr. Oizo Autodrive T42) (3:20)
03 Transistor (1:22)
04 The Crash (1:44)
05 Testarossa Nightdrive (3:29)
06 Testarossa Autodrive (Arpanet Nightdrive Rework) (4:11)
07 Ghost Transistor (1:39)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/71311935/ted_192_kbs.rar.html

"Imagine Knight Rider on acid or a lost Giorgio Moroder and John Carpenter collaboration and you'll have a fair idea of what to expect during Kavinsky's visually stunning video for his intense electro-horror track "Tesstarosa Autodrive." The short film portrays the aftermath of his "apparent" 1986 auto wreck, in which he is hospitalized and eventually pronounced dead.Kavinsky and his damaged cherry-red Ferrari Testarossa both manage to mysteriously resurrect themselves and speed off along the pitch-black backroads. That's right. He's a zombie!!!! Awesome"
(http://walrusmusicblog.com/blog/john_carpenter_vs_giorgio_moroder/)




























1986 EP (2007)

Tracklist:

01 Wayfarer (4:31)
02 Dead Cruiser (3:35)
03 Testarossa (SebastiAn Remix) (5:00)
04 Flashback (1:29)
05 Grand Canyon (3:15)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/71306486/1986_192_kbs.rar.html

Electro banger bringer Kavinsky drops his new 1986 on Record Makers. This is the highly anticipated follow up to his Teddy Boy EP. 5 tracks of neon noise to mash down the highway too. The EP includes Sebastian’s remix of Testarossa Overdrive.

"So in celebratory spirit, announcing the arrival of spring and the breaking of winter's chains, here is a new EP from undead French playboy, Kavinsky. Raised from the dead by the current technicolor tide of French electro streaming from the Ed Banger and Kitsune camps, Kavinsky is here to bring the party 1986-style to all the potentially saddest nights out in the entire world. If reports are to be believed, Kavinsky bit it nearly twenty years ago in a gnarly wreck. Having totally destroyed his rare Ferrari, Kavinsky was nowhere to be found at the scene of the accident. Kept alive by the sheer power of the finest cocaine and a love for Giorgio Moroder, Kavinsky lived on, only to surface when the time was right. That time is now, post-trendy 80's worship be damned, 1986 is a synthtastic masterpiece.Following up last year's deft but somewhat raw Teddy Boy EP, this new five-track offering is a gift from Jan Hammer himself, a blessing from the Great Keyboard in the sky, all white ties and 80's decadence. "Dead Cruiser" is bursting with laserbeam synth work, beefing up new wave explorations until the sheer size of sound can go toe-to-toe with the like of Justice. "Grand Canyon" could have scored the crowning film achievement of Jean-Claude Van Damme, a version of Bloodsport with the emotional depth of Hamlet. It seems like Sebastian is holding all the cards right now and he checks in with a sleek remix of Teddy Boy's "Testarossa Autodrive", speeding around hairpin turns in the glitz and glammer of Monaco."
(http://audiversity.com/2007/03/new-music-zodiacs-kavinsky-der-teenage.html)

More review:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/42628-1986-ep


DEAD CRUISER (2007) Mini Lp

Tracklist:

01 The Crash
02 Testarossa Autodrive
03 Transistor
04 Grand Canyon
05 Flashback
06 Testarossa Nightdrive
07 Wayfarer
08 Ghost Transistor
09 Dead Cruiser

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/71307846/mini_192_kbs.rar.html

Biography:
Vincent Belorgey, or better known by his pseudonym Kavinsky is a French electro artist, and has released two EPs on the Record Makers label: Teddy Boy in 2006 and 1986 (named after his car accident) in 2007. He has been remixed by Mr. Oizo, Arpanet and SebastiAn. In 2007 he will tour alongside Daft Punk, The Rapture, Justice, and SebastiAn. In addition to his music career he has also appeared in several films including one directed by Mr. Oizo, entitled Steak.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavinsky)

More info:
http://www.myspace.com/kavinsky

posted by saltyka at 10:28 AM 0 comments

Friday, November 16, 2007

NEEVA - Neeva (1983)






































Country:
USA
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
New Wave, Synth-pop

Members:
James Nevius, Vanessa Wilkinson

VIDEO
"Blue Star"


Credits:
Artwork By [Art Direction And Design] - Spencer Drate
Drums, Noises [Telephone] - Andy Newmark
Primary Assistant Engineer - Arthur Payson
Guitar - James Nevius , T.J. Tindall (tracks: 03, 08, 09)
Mastered By - Howie Weinberg /Photography [Album Cover Photos] - Curtis Knapp
Producer - T.J. Tindall /Recorded By - Eddie Ciletti
Songwriter - C.P. Roth (tracks: 03, 08) , James Nevius , T.J. Tindall (tracks: 06) , Vanessa Wilkinson (tracks: 01, 02, 05)
Synthesizer [Korg Ms-20, Wasp, Micromoog, Pulse] - Vanessa Wilkinson
Synthesizer [Yamaha Cs-80, Oberhiem] - C.P. Roth
Vocals - James Nevius
Piano - Cotton Kent (track 06)/Whistling - Arthur Payson , Eddie Ciletti , James Nevius , Vanessa Wilkinson

Notes:
Recorded and Mixed at Skyline Studio, New York City, 1981.

"Will You Be Mine" is listed as two separate tracks, Part I and Part II, on the Side B disc label. However, the two parts are combined into one physical track on the vinyl, are listed on the LP cover as one track, and the side B label only gives the total time for the one "combined" track.

Tracklist:

01 Starshine (3:05)
02 Love (Gotta Hold On Me) (3:25)
03 Blue Star (3:08)
04 In Tune (3:13)
05 Seventeen (3:00)
06 Walking On Air (3:11)
06 Let Your Body Go (3:25)
07 Will You Be Mine (Part I And II) (7:15)
08 Tomorrow's On Its Way (3:20)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/70175601/neeva-neeva_1983_192_kbs.rar.html

It's strange but i found info about everybody who contributed on this album,except the most important two persons ,the members. (I found some James Nevius on the net ,one of them leading tour guides in New York,other has a famous club etc.,but none of them the guy im looking for.It was same with Vanessa Wilkinson)

Neeva's album is very rare. I hope you will like it!:)
They released only one Lp and some singles in 1983.
Anyway their most known song is "Walking On Air",which is appeared on the compilation "Miniminiminiminimal vol 4"

Where are you now dear Vanessa and James ?? I would be very happy with more info about you! I hope if you see this entry will give me a sign of life ! :)

UPDATED (oct.2008)

Good news !! i got messages from Vanessa, Jim and Eddie !!:)

VANESSA WILKINSON
works for Brooks Range Petroleum and living in Alaska

Vanessa added:
"Instead, let's start over. I am Vanessa from Neeva. You got a lot of the info correct but missed some stuff. I liked Walking on Air a lot however, Blue Star is the one that we did the video of and was on the radio for a short time.
I met Jim in Tenafly NJ. I moved from San Francisco with my band Human Benz. I started a band called Our Daughter Wedding with my then boyfriend Keith and our high school friend Layne.(LOTS of stories there) Jim had a band called Neighbors and Allies at the time. We decided to put together a band. TJ Tindal had been following N&A and really liked what Jim and I had going so offered to produce us. The cute couple of the 80's. After Neeva (10 years later!) I met up with TJ again and we got married. He produced my next record which the guys from Billy Squires band played on. I never released that one.

NEXT: Yes we played live a lot. In fact we went on a mini tour with DavidJohansson. From the NY Dolls.

I am a classical flute player. Have played flute all my life. I was attending Napa College when I was in high school and playing first chair forthe North bay wind ensemble and the San Francisco Wind ensemble. I love contemporary music and played flute in a rock band that played high school dances and military bases when I was in High school. That band was called Dusty Rose. I played keyboards because I really disliked how Jethro Tull butchered the flute in rock music so I just could not play my flute and changed to Keyboards. My second record I did play flute. I wrote almost all the music and sang lead on all songs and keyboards. Alan ST John did almost all the keyboards on that one however.

Thank you for your interest! I can talk DAYS about those days! The daystaking dance classes with Madonna, Charlie Roth..........my modeling in NY that interwinded with the music......the other videos I cameoed in (MinkDeville "I must be dreaming" for one. I was the strawberry blond)"

JIM NEVIUS
had played in the "groovy teen band" called "Gloop Nox & The Stik People"(mid 1970's), later fronted Neighbors and Allies before formed Neeva.Before and after Neeva he also played the organ (and wrote some songs too) as a guest musician on John Trubee's albums. This was between 1976 - 1991.(More on John Trubee here : http://www.empty.de/Trubee.htm and here:

Later Nevius became a pastor for Apostolic Church of Truth and Spirit and still playing music.see this (there's also a recent photo of Jim there):http://www.webacts.org/
some more pics here:
Jim is professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Jim added:
"Yes, John Trubee and I were high school buds and played together for a few years. I appear on some of his tracks. He was considered as lead guitarist for Neighbors and Allies, but Fred Reed fit in a bit better. Vanessa came to NJ with Keith Silva from California. Layne Rico followed them later and the three of them formed Our Daughter's Wedding in 1980. Meanwhile, Neighbors and Allies was the toast of the town in New York. The original lineup of Neighbors included myself, Tim McGeary, Fred Reed, Gordon Zuehlke, and Scott Simon.
Neighbors played in New Hope PA quite a bit, which is where the connection with TJ was made. As it happens, Vanessa and I began to date and decided to do that demo with Eddie, whom we had met through TJ. Keith and Vanessa had been boyfriend and girlfriend, but when she and Keith broke up, Scott replaced her in Our Daughter Wedding and Keith, Layne, and Scott went to California to record "Lawnchairs." The song had commercial success, which led to the breakup of Neighbors and Allies.
When Neighbors broke up in early 1982, I went with Neeva - Vanessa and I had a deal with MSI pending,with TJ as the agreed upon producer. From there, we went and did the record,Scott Simon, who would eventually join ODW was the keyboard player for Neighbors. Tim went with The Rescue, and Fred and Gordon continued to freelance. Neeva unofficially disbanded in the winter of 1985.
I went back to work with what would eventually become Neighbors and Allies again. We signed a development deal with Island Records, but it did not yield an album.
An interesting side note is that Vanessa, Charile, and myself were in a dance class (around 83/84) with the likes of Steve Bray, producer Madonna/ Breakfast Club drummer, C.P. Roth, Neeva/Blessed Union of Souls, and none other than Madonna, who was still a struggling artist at the time. Madonna's 'look' that she used on her first album cover was eerily similar to Vanessa's in those days.
There was one night during that period when we all enjoyed a poached salmon dinner at the dance teacher's apartment. Funny, a bit of pre-history of Pop/Rock in that room.
BTW - Madonna was the only one who could really dance. The rest of us were doing it to get in shape and to keep our balance on stage, etc.
Finally, we have located some master tapes and look to post the entire Neeva record, plus bonus tracks, on ITunes and other services. In the mean time, if you want my stuff, Neighbors and Allies has recorded the album Separate Ways, which is also available on ITunes.
We recorded Separate Ways, in part because the band never stayed together long enough to make a record. In 1981, Neighbors and Allies was the top unsigned band in NYC. An interesting side note is that the original demo the Neighbors made included Keith Silva, later singer for Our Daughter's Wedding, on guitar, and Vanessa on synth. It was a small small world for us back then.
Vanessa did work with TJ later that she may be willing to send you if you post the request on your site. We all still speak to each other from time to time, save Andy and CP. I hear from John Trubee daily. On another note, I am a guest vocalist on a new Our Daughter's Wedding single to be released shortly called "Luv Train."
My current focus musically is Neighbors and Allies (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=416787096 and http://neighborsandallies.com/), which was, by far, my favorite band that I was ever in, and, in my opinion, the best. I don't mean to say that Neighbors was better than Neeva.It was better suited to me in retrospect, largely owing to the fact that I am primarily a guitar player.David Bowie was a fan of the band, as were the members of Blondie among others. Neighbors and Allies, had it not been for the breakup, would have been a number one act in the 80's.
You will see more and more old videos of Neighbors appearing on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/NeighborsandAllies).
Regarding your query as to my conversion to ministry, I think a good deal of my music might answer that question. I was, indeed, on a spiritual journey, even through music. Blue Star is a metaphor for the earth, and the sun that might come to take those dreams away is a metaphor for the son of God. The Neighbors and Allies song "Caught in the Reign" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umv6cWYfleE&feature=related) is all about my struggle to come to terms with spirituality.Vanessa and I would like to thank you for keeping this site alive. Our record never got the attention we thought it deserved, in large part owing to the label, which was small and ill-equiped when it came to promoting a record nationally."
WE have some great unreleased stuff: "Save a Little Love","Video Kideo" and "Feel Cool".Plus "Countdown" and "Happy Again",the very first recordings Vanessa and I did."

Thanks
Jim

EDDIE CILETTI
is most well known for his monthly column in MIX magazine - now going on its fifth year. He recently told some of his students that he'd been writing a column a month for ten years. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/recordingschool/2868017381/)

"He's moved to Minnesota, but he's still the best fixer (electronic equipment) in the biz, and he does it by mail-ordure."
More info:
Eddie's site is a useful resource for information about equipment maintenance and repair."Do you need help Recording, Mixing or Mastering your next project? I have a flexible array of interactive services to help with many aspects of the recording process, including restoration."

"A Recipe for Tape Restoration. By Eddie Ciletti. Very detailed explanations with a lot of photos. Mr. Ciletti provides detailed plans for a do it yourself tape baking system. Recommended for the highly ambitious!"

Eddie added:
"My name is Eddie Ciletti and I recorded and mixed this album! We had a great time making it. Too bad enough people didn't get to hear it.
I'm so vary glad you like NEEEVA. It was one a few a few albums I Recorded and Mixed. (Arthur Payson was the primary assistant engineer at that time. Even though he'd never admit it, Arthur was a good guitar player who at the time was changing career paths.)
I'll be happy to fill in all the gaps I can.
More than anything, I would like to set the "record" straight as far as Arthur is concerned. He was my assistant, a very capable and knowledgeable partner in the process, HOWEVER, the "sound design," aka the recording and mixing process, was all "out of my head," for better or worse. I was still learning alot then, my primary strengths are, in this order technical, musical and historical. It has taken me a long time to nurture the weaker aspects of my skill set. I have since found my niches and am very happy with my life and results I can get in the studio. Arthur did go on to do bigger projects than I did and I would attribute this to his two strengths - being more musically talented and more politically savvy. I tended to be very direct and this is not always the way to nurture a struggling artist.
It all started like this...

1975
I already knew who TJ was because he played on one of my fave Bonie Raitt albums, GIVE IT UP. I met T.J. Tindall in 1975 thanks to Jim Zubernis, who went to Penn State. I was three months away from graduating when Jim asked me to meet him at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia.. At the time TJ was playing with Duke Williams and the Extremes, in addition to all those great Gamble and Huff records, and I still have a cassette tape of the song they were working on. When I stepped into the control room and saw all of that equipment, I knew what I wanted to do with my life!
full eddie story ( not updated in over ten years)

NEEVA STORY
I can't tell you anything about Neeva history, because I only met them in the studio. I can tell you that we did the first two Neeva demos on 2-inch 16 track at Skyline Studios (the same studio we had finished the HJ project). It was also the same studio that Nile Rogers would eventually "take over." Once TJ and John Montgomery had officially established a record label, we were at skyline regularly for over a year (and several projects) between 1981 and 1983.
Jim, Vanessa and Charlie were a fun bunch to hang out with - all very talented - which made working with them a pleasure. Their music was very different from HJ and all the gamble-huff stff that TJ and Cotton were known for. TJ was stretching out, trying like many musicians to catch the "new wave" of music. Vanessa seemed so young at the time and the video does not do her justice. She was much more the girl-next-door than the costumes and make up made her out to be. Still, it was good to seem them then. I have a picture of all of us in the studio that I will scan and post."

You can see NEEVA photos -and more info- here:

!!!NEWS!!!
Jim added:
"We were going to post the old Neeva album with bonus tracks on ITunes!!"
"I've started a MySpace site with the intention of sharing some of our more obscure stuff."

Some info about the guest musicians:

Andy Newmark
SlyAnd The Family Stone's fame and a session musician worked together with George Harrison,Bryan Ferry,Carole King,David Bowie,Roger Waters etc.
Recently, Andy has performed with Bryan Ferry on his latest world tour, playing in Australia, Russia and England, to name but a few.

More info:

T.J. Tindall worked with soul/funk/disco bands since the 70s as Duke Williams And The Extremes, The Salsoul Orchestra,First Choice, Love Comittee and MFSB

Cotton Kent was the Keyboard player in The Salsoul Orchestra and also worked with The Trammps,Loleatta Holloway,Carol Williams etc.
T.J.Tindall and Cotton Kent were a member of Hurricane Jones.Detailed info here:

C.P Roth worked with John Giorno Band,Shannon,Nolan Thomas,Monet,Noel and a member of Blessid Union Of Souls
More info:
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pop_music/43110

The engineer is Arthur Payson a sound engineer and record producer who often works in tandem with Desmond Child. He has worked with such diverse acts as Cher, Clarence Clemons, Laurie Anderson, Joan Jett, Ratt, and Alice Cooper.(also with Robin Beck,Mass Production,John Waite,Secret Weapon et.)

So it's funny to see these -mainly-soul/funk musicians took part on this new wave album!:)


Marteen Andruet

"He's been a successful producer for some time. He did not play on the album, but he was with the band from the video up to our breakup. He really got his start in NYC with Neeva. I didn't know at the time, but Tim McGeary of Neighbors and Allies and The Rescue, had suggested him to me to replace Scott Simon who had left Neighbors for Our Daughter's Wedding. Tim and I disagreed about adding a keyboard player. Ultimately, all our fussing back and forth led me to form Neeva. But, Marteen and I eventually got together. Marteen eventually took over for C.P.Roth. We did some demos with him. "Countdown" and "Feel Cool" were recorded at Todd Rundgren's studio in Woodstock. Marteen was with us for that one.
John Holbrook(http://www.johnholbrook.biz/Site/Welcome.html)was the engineer and Jean-Yves Labatt was the producer.(French-born Jean Yves "M. Frog" Labat was a short-lived member of Todd Rundgren's Utopia, he only appeared on their first album before being replaced by Roger Powell,see: http://theband.hiof.no/albums/labat.html)" (Jim)








!!!NEWS!!!  2013.06.03

Good news by Jim!!

Our Daughter's Wedding:


"Some interesting news. Scott Simon, original member and lead songwriter for Our Daughter's Wedding, and I have teamed up with none other than Charles Roth, old CP to me, to do a new Our Daughter's Wedding record. There may be a European tour coming up, who knows.


 But, this is exciting because it joins Scott and Jim together to bring Jim's pop sensibility to Scott's more gritty, R&B punk sound that ODW was famous for. Charles adds that extra spark.

 The new ODW EP is out entitled "Life's a Party." Hoping new Neighbors and Allies will be out soon. Just gotta get the whole gang into it.
Saltyka's favourite song:


NEEVA:

Marteen Andruet, who toured with Neeva as our Bass key player, remastered the Neeva album which I should soon post on ITunes.
I just posted a song by Neeva, Save a Little Love, on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OmvpEDGpms&noredirect=1). Tell all your friends. It was the song we thought would get us a new deal back in 1984."




This song is just brilliant. Almost 30 years gone and still sounds as fresh as ever..

Check here the new Our Daughter's Wedding album:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lifes-a-party/id587568847


and get Neeva here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/neeva/id412793206


More info on Neeva:

posted by saltyka at 3:55 AM 24 comments

RULES OF ROCK by guitarist Robert Strain 1) All sax players look the same 2) All drummers are mad, and are always late 3) All singers are vain and precious 4) All keyboard players are slightly eccentric - 'boffins' 5) All bass players are sensible (van driving, arranging gigs, doing the accounts) 6) All guitarists are handsome and brilliant - well, I would say that ;-) Actually, all guitarists just want to play guitar (we can't be bothered with all the other nonsense). Well, that and attend to all the women the singer rejects! :)

MY OTHER PAGES