Sounding a touch like Lana Del Ray, Laurel is now signed to Turnfirst Recordings and naturally with these release my heart in a flutter. Blue Blood is a charged thematic anthem that is somewhat of a sprinkle of a twist compared to her first single Next Time which came out a year ago. The trippy-pop beats next to the lush arrangement of course draws similar comparisons to Lana Del Ray but this should not be seen as a slight in any way. Laurel wrote and produced the entire track which is an immense achievement considering its rich, mighty and huge wall of sound. Indeed a cheeky quick scan of the Born To Die reveals an almighty leviathan-like entourage of heavyweight and brilliant producers associated with Lana's absolutely amazing debut album. Not quite so Laurel. It appears Laurel has struck musical gold with this self-produced polemic second single. I cannot wait to hear more from her.
I love love love love love love love ColorKaleido. The pop they produce is all the colours of the rainbow, the tastiest vanilla custard pie and the sunshine after a beautiful but bewildering storm. In the last few winter months I've wrapped myself up with songs from their EP and such is its warmth, they better than the scarves and wholley hats combined. I had to put the music down to one side and actually say something about them.
There is something about ColorKaleido shakes all that serious nervousness which differentiates them from a lot of breaking acts these days. All of which is fine. Gosh, I love all of that sulky neon synthpop that has woven itself around London at the moment. Christine & Kim seem to be doing something different. It's somewhat like Frida Sundemo meets Paloma Faith. But that description doesn't quite describe them justly. Along with the aforementioned Sundemo, the ColorKaleido EP shimmers so brightly it has become one of the all time releases of 2013 by a new act.
With a heady mix of Maxwell and Robin Thicke, Kim is a new signing to Sony Sweden via Aristotracks and has been working with the brilliant Arnthor Birgisson (AskEmbla) who is behind such hits as Play, Say Ok, If That's Ok With You, Out From Under, I Got U, Impossible and Emilia De Poret's fab Pick Me Up. Definitely one to watch out for this year.
The first is a beautiful collaboration with Kleerup called Requiem Solution that saw its premiere during the Swedish Grammy Awards. Some have critiqued the track as exposing Andreas Kleerup as a one trick pony unable to move beyond the same tricks seen in With Every Heartbeat (with Robyn) and Longing for Lullabies (with Titiyo). Personally I love the song with its splendid string arrangements and soft electronic baseline but yes I must admit it doesn't quite include the glorious wrought crescendo reached in the previously mentioned hit singles. Still, a wonderful song! Next, Loreen not only released a video for her title track, Heal, she's put out perhaps the last single from the album In My Head one of my all time Loreen favs. Along with a slick radio edit, the release of In My Head features the Promise Land remix in radio and extended edit.
Chances
are, you have never heard of Nathalie Archangel. In the
late 1980s/early 1990s, the American singer-songwriter was putting out one gem
(“So Quiet, So Still”) after another (“Mr. Perfect For Me”) and working with
everyone from Howard Jones to future “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson. But,
perhaps because she traded labels (going from Columbia to MCA) midstream, she
never quite broke through the way, say, Cyndi Lauper did. (Could also be
because, as she suggests on her website (nathaliearchangel.com), she “never
quite fit into a mould.”). Indeed, check out this wonderful piece on her by The Isle of Deserted Pop Stars.Luckily, all these years later, she still possesses a
voice that can make your heart soar one minute and break the next! And she’s
putting those powerful pipes of hers to good use on “Next to Me,” an electropop
reworking of her waltz from “Melanie LaPatin’s Ballroom Remixed” compilation by
Ricardo Autobahn (available here). The song itself is as sweet and romantic as they come –
all but a sequel to her mini-hit “Mr. Perfect For Me.” . And, as an added bonus, it
serves as an appetizer to “Raven,” her first new album since “Owl” in 1991.
So lets get into the nitty-gritty behind the
sparkle! 2012 has been amazingly busy year for Kylie celebrating her 25thyears in the music industry. Lets start with Anti-Tour. Hearing Bittersweet
Goodbye and Disco Down live was amazing.
Anti Tour was without doubt the most fun
rehearsal period we’ve ever had. Just the freedom to try things out and
rediscover amazing album tracks and rarities and all in the Melbourne rehearsal
studio we used for Intimate And Live. I always say that a lot of her album
tracks are better than a lot of peoples singles and I think this tour proved
that. Nothing sounded like filler , it was all killer! Also working on the PWL
songs was a dream especially “Enjoy Yourself” which is pure happiness
personified. I loved how she found her new “PWL voice” too and the audience
reaction was one of the loveliest and warmest I’ve ever witnessed. It was also
really special to hear “Bittersweet Goodbye” sung live as she just sounds so
beautiful on that song.
What is the story
behind Bittersweet Goodbye?
We were writing at Real World and in those
situations especially in a residential studio sometimes you just wake up with
an idea which is what happened here. I went into the studio and started playing
piano and then I think she came in with her lyric book and almost instantly
started singing along. As with all the really good ones it happened very
quickly and I think we had finished the demo in about 2 hours including the
middle section which is so dream like.
When Kylie came to you with those lyrics what
went through your head?
I just thought it was a beautiful way of saying
goodbye and that people would adopt the lyrics to their own situations and
hopefully love the song because of that.
I’ve always wondered whether the tracks The Good
Life, Paper Dolls, Bittersweet Goodbye and Ocean Blue belonged to a specific KM
project/album as they certainly sound like they could be a part of an acoustic
Kylie album – a sound you evoked on parts of the recent Abbey Road album. They gloriously
show off Kylie’s warm tones in her voice. Was there a moment in time when you
and Kylie were going to do an album with Paper Dolls and the like?
The thing is , when we get together to write we
just do what we feel like. We never try to pitch at an album or sound so often
we write something we love that happily sits on a b-side and that’s fine with
us. If you take something like “Harmony” for instance - the sun was shining at
Real World and we just wanted to do something really bright, warm and summery
with a lovely lyric. We knew there was no way it was going to fit on an album
but that’s not a good enough reason not to write it. Similarly with “Thats Why
They Write Love Songs” and “Flower” - we just loved writing them and knew maybe
one day they would find a place in the world - one has and one hasn’t - yet...
How on earth did you and Kylie put together the
setlist for the anti-tour?
There was a massive list and a few of us pitched
in ideas but ultimately it came down to her in the end. Of course we could have
gone on forever but we had a limited rehearsal time plus the pre production
time for me was about the same as it would have been for a world tour so we
needed around 22 core songs which is what we ended up with until she started
adding extras here and there. Obviously you can’t please everyone but the hope
was that there would be something in there which resonated with individuals one
way or another - for some it was “Tightrope” and for others it was something
like ‘You’re The One”. For me it was “Things Can Only Get Better” - I
absolutely love that song.
There was a real family feeling of the night I
went to. Felt like a bunch of mates getting a little too much drink and going
through postcards of their most memorable holiday moments. The room was one big
smile. A little cliché to say this but did Kylie and you notice the love in the
room? It was like big ball of happiness!
Absolutely and it was the same everywhere we
went. I still think it was fantastic thing for her to do and the first time
anyone like her has done something like that - so perfect for the beginning of
a year of celebration.
Given its success would you and Kylie consider
doing another set of similar concerts in ten-five years or so?
One thing at a time
Bobby.
Ha! If so, can I suggest Love Is Waiting. Kylie
sounds amazing on it! The production sounds fucking fantastic!?
Thank you - her vocal
on that is one of my favourites.
I much prefer Love is Waiting to songs like Time
Will Pass You By. Seriously shouldn’t of been a bonus track! I loved Kylie’s
vocal on it.
In honesty I do too but at the time M People were
very successful , also on deConstruction and both songs sounded similar so there
was only room for one. The vocal is extraordinary and is one that Terry Ronald
co-produced hence the full on adlibs at the end!
What I loved about Anti-Tour was the chance to
hear You’re The One. And performed live! That was an absolute joy. What was it
like revisiting it?
It was a real treat to be able to finally finish
it as we didn’t quite get there the first time around at Real World. I love the
extremes of the vocal from being so gentle to quite demonic in the middle
section. I really hope the Anti Tour version comes out one way or another.
Conversely can you remember why it shelved? It
seemed pretty perfect for Impossible Princess.
Ultimately I think people were scared by how dark
the record was so they brought the Manic’s songs into the frame to fix
that.Everything gets its chance
eventually and we were lucky enough to do that this year on tour.
Impossible Princess is now considered a lost pop
masterpiece (Q MAG). What was that like? – the creative side. When you both
finished the track Dreams for instance. Was there a tangible feeling in the
studio when it came through that “this was it!”?
It was long I tell you that! I think when we
finished “Dreams” I was just relieved as it went through about 10 versions to
get to that. Ultimately the creative process for IP really pushed everyone to
their limits which was a good thing but I’m just not sure people were ready to
hear that side of her. That album has the most incredible lyrics on it and its
just a shame a lot of people didn’t get to appreciate that but everything
happens for a reason and what followed probably wouldn’t have happened without
IP.
How do you feel about it all now looking back…What
are the most fervent memories of that period?
I don’t really have any negative memories - yes
it was hard work but I love that. We were so fortunate that the label gave us
complete creative control and that she was in an amazing place to finally get
out a lot of emotions in the songs. There was no need to do something that
sounded like what was on the radio - it was just lets see what we can do if we
push ourselves. The whole thing was an organic process which in hindsight may
have been seen as a little self indulgent especially from our part but the
challenge was to change what had gone before and push an artist to areas they
had never been to before which I think was achieved albeit not with the level
of success that was required.
I seem to recall the constant challenging of the
established PWL sound by Kylie and her new label. (Through music and its
consequent promotion.) It was like the critics refused to listen
the product itself and instead scrutinized everything else…. You put an immense
amount of work into those albums and yet the music had to climb and challenge a
completely unanticipated, wall…one of history and stereotypes.I personally marveled at the
experience of watching Kylie growing as an artist – why do you think so many
quarters in the music presses avoided the development?
Its easy to pre-judge anyone based on what they’ve
done before and some people will never change which is fine. Its not everyone’s
cup of tea and that’s fair enough.
Though I distinctly remember Kylie fans becoming
very aware of promotion and marketing in relation to her identity being an
issue rather than the music itself. It was like Kylie had to defend herself all
the time and there was a refusal to let the music just speak for itself…..
My only real frustration over the years is when
people attack her vocals especially in an increasing world of people miming all
over the place. Luckily Abbey Road seems to have finally dealt with this but
there’s always someone wanting to have a pop which is just a bit sad.
Looking back at the album as a whole one thing I would say – the inclusion of the Manic
Street Preachers tracks on that album seemed obtuse considering the rest of the
work on it. For sure it made it very interesting. Though personally I would’ve
much preferred Tears, Love Takes Over Me, and Take Me With You instead. Those
certainly seem to make a more “cohesive” Impossible Princess album to my
ears.What did you make of those
two songs on the album? They’re good songs but do stick out.
I actually liked both songs but they did stick
out on an otherwise electronic album. I guess we’ll never know what would have
happened if something like “Too Far” had been the first single. deConstruction
showed incredible nerve when they chose “Confide In Me” from the first album
but I think were more influenced by other people with the second.
Beyond You’re The One, if you could finish one
unreleased song from the Impossible Princess sessions what would it be….
I would love to record “Stay
This Way” with orchestra.
Before we leave Impossible Princess, as
previously mentioned, it has been described as lost gem. What is favourite song
on the album?
Mine is “Drunk” just because when it goes to
those chords at the end I still get goosebumps - we wouldn’t be allowed to put
those chords in anything anymore in today’s climate but then it was just lush.
So back to k25! When you construct a song
with Kylie where does it start? Does that long-term friendship come into it
with you and her. It’s just not as simple as laying down vocals on a backing
track or demo. Is it a mixture of a sunny morning, a good coffee, a fantastic
melody and her lyrics and…. see what happens on that given day?
I’ll give you a for instance with “Flower” as she
has talked about this recently. That day she called to say she probably wouldn’t
be coming in as she had a cold or something but I persuaded her to anyway. I
had been working on a piano idea which had been in my head since I woke up that
day so put a rough structure down. When she got there she told me she probably
wouldn’t stay as she was just not in the mood after which I grabbed her lyric
book with all the rough ideas in it and stumbled on some rough lyrics with the
word ‘Flower’ in the title and basically said ‘we’re writing this’. I played
the piano part I had been working on , she started singing and probably the
best song we have ever written together was completed in a few hours and she
was smiling from ear to ear by the end. So no, not always coffee and sunny
mornings but as corny as it sounds if the magic is in the room then its the
best feeling in the world.
In many ways Anti-Tour was a flip-side to the
Abbey Road album. How did it come about this year in particular? Being so
different to Aphrodite too.
Anti Tour came about because of Aphrodite.
Everyone was wondering how on earth she was going to top that tour so why not
go the complete opposite and go stripped back , no dancers, no production and
predominantly no hits! Abbey Road is just something we have talked about
for a long time and thankfully the time was right to do it for K25. I still can’t
quite believe we did but couldn’t be happier with the results.
Each song and re-interpretation has a backstory
of its own. In many ways we could make this interview all about Abbey Road. I’ll
try to limit myself! So lets start with Lucky! Am I right in thinking that if
you wanted to source the origins of the album you could look at the torch
ballad version I Should Be So Lucky performed at the Crown Plaza? In this then,
album didn't just come out of the blue. It has history.....
One of the first live arrangements I did for
Kylie was “I Should Be So Lucky” on the Intimate And Live tour which was the
first time it had been treated as a ballad. I think she did a warm up gig at
Crown so maybe thats where it got its first airing but it was a centrepiece of
the tour and led into “Dancing Queen”. Over the years we have played with what
we call the ‘torch’ version of “Lucky” but its really only Kylie fans that know
it so by putting it on “Abbey Road” it opened up a whole new audience plus we
got the chance to purely do it with vocal and orchestra.
I Should Be So Lucky sounds like something Dusty
or Doris would sing. Magic. Was that the intention? To totally strip it back
and celebrate those sumptuous melodies+harmonies with just her voice and a
string arrangement?
Exactly.
How did the arrangement for Never Too Late come
about – it almost sounds like Blossom Dearie performed the cover.
We are lucky enough to have one of the best piano
players in the world in our band so after trying a somewhat disastrous uptempo
version of it I suggested we just take it right back and try it with piano and
vocal. I also wanted it to get really small at the end - outside of that it was
David Tench playing beautifully and Kylie singing the words with complete
conviction and honesty so they almost took on a brand new meaning. Its my
favourite track on the album.
You, Kylie and Blossom met in New York a few
years – what was that like?
It took a while to track her down but we did
eventually meet her which was a real honour. She still had her wits about her
for sure and we even talked about her playing piano on something later that
year. Sadly she passed away a few months later but she was a lovely lady and it
was one of those moments I will never forget. Also she got to hear Kylie’s
versions of “Try Your Wings” . “I’m Hip” and “You Are There” which is something
we wouldn’t have dreamed would happen when we were recording them.
I love “I’m Hip!”. Whose the particular superstar
producer that knows Kylies friend….?
I think she changed it to Pharrell Williams at the
time. It was a few years ago.
Back to Never Too Late! You’ve just let it be….Let
Davids’ music and Kylies voice just do the work. Is that right?
Its a fantastic song - yet again PWL wrote quite
sad songs which were hidden in glossy uptempo pop - its actually completely
heartbreaking.
Seeing the release of Flower proves that's the
Jazz stuff will eventually come out – just has to find the right time/context.
Is that so?
I wouldn’t call “Flower” jazz to be honest but I
see your point. I think there is plenty of time for everything so no rush to do
something like that for a while yet.
For me, Flower (and the entire album) seriously
showcases her voice
I think because of the nature of the record its
easier to push the vocal more to the front and also the way we recorded was so
effortless and with very few takes. I just let her get in the mood and deliver
the song often choosing believability over technicality which is something that
can’t be done as easily on a pop album as it needs to be stacked up with loads
of backing vocals and production. There are some of my favourite vocal
performances by her on Abbey Road and it was a joy to record.
What Kylie hits were attempted but didn't quite
get off the drawing board?
Not really. We had a 2 week rehearsal session
before we went to Abbey Road and the list we started with was the list that we
ended up with. We tried a few songs a few ways but once we decided it had to be
songs everyone had heard of and we weren’t going to do album tracks and b sides
as it would make it too much of an introspective thing then the songs really
chose themselves. It was more about lyrics than anything else too.
What was it like to be
at Abbey Road Studios?
Without doubt the best recording experience of my
entire life and one of the best overall experiences too. There was an initial
fear of being intimidated by the legend of the place even though I had worked
there before. However it couldn’t be further from the truth as it is the
warmest , most loving environment to be around and just having our band set up
in Studio 2 for two weeks with the best microphones and engineers in the world
was a dream. I loved going to work every day and would go back there in a
heartbeat.
Is it true some of the album recorded in the same
place Yoko and John had decided to live for a month?
Legend has it that they did live in the corner of
Studio 2 for a month. So many stories of that place yet when you are there you
feel its your own just for that little piece of time.
Some of the re-imagined songs (ONALT and Head)
sound like a violent James Bond theme songs? Was that the intention and how did
you and team decide on how to re-imagine the songs?
On A Night Like This was Colin’s idea to do it in
the new time signature. As soon as I heard that I immediately pushed it to go
bigger (as always) and made sense to give it a bit of Bond! Add Terry Ronald’s
immense backing vocal arrangement to it and thats what you get. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head was more tricky as I’ve
done so many versions of that song. Originally we were going to do the Live Lounge
version which is really chilled out but William Baker thought we needed
something more dramatic and he was absolutely right. I came up with the
arrangement idea the day after and that was that. Its actually a lot faster
than the original which makes it even more menacing.
In that version of Head – I love that moment when
everything pulls-in and Kylie goes “YEAH”. Its like a big shotgun! Who pulled
the trigger on that one? I mean it could’ve gone large.
She did - as always. Just knows exactly what to
do at precisely the right moment.
With Confide In Me…a song which was already “up
there” with regards to strings and drama…where could you go with it?– did you mix together some of those
earlier remixes like the Big Brother Remix? Am I wrong in that I hear that in
there?
I felt that we should go against the grain with “Confide
In Me” as it was already a massive string song so stripping it back to this
Mazzy Star kind of darker world could be really interesting. Its not often I do
‘stripped back’ but a lot of people are surprised to find out that a lot of the
music I listen to is quite stripped back. I love Rick Rubin and T Bone Burnett’s
productions and it seemed the ideal opportunity to do something like that. Of
course it gets big in the end but the idea was take one groove and just play
with dynamics. And yes there is a little vocal reference at the end from the
remix which I’ve always loved so seemed right for her to add in that bluesy
voice she also uses in the middle of “You’re The One”.
For me, that is now the definitive version of
Confide In Me. I absolutely love that that's happened. The magic you can hear
in the revisionism. I love that. It sparkles. What is intrinsic on this album
is the dynamism in her voice. You can really hear that in this new version of
Confide In Me (but also the likes of Slow too). This album really shows off
that dynamic in her voice. Was that a priority to bring to the fore for Abbey
Road?
I’m always about showing off her voice with whatever
we do but specifically on this album its allowed more space to shine…..
Steve!
I think a congratulations is in order – its been twenty years since you first
collaborated with Kylie! An immense achievement. How does it feel?!
To
be honest until you mentioned it I hadn’t really thought about it like that and
it certainly hasn’t felt that long but overall I would say it feels amazing.
Did
you recall doing those early remixes+initial steps in the industry…..?
I
was lucky enough to get an apprenticeship/teaboy job at DMC Studios after
creating some mixes for their subscription service. One of the perks was
getting to play with multi-tracks that came into the building which an unknown
remixer would never have had access to otherwise. This turned into me creating
two remixes a month for them and that’s really how I learned the craft I guess.
Luckily a few people saw something in that and gave me a break remixing for
labels including the ones you mentioned. Ultimately without DMC I wouldn’t have
had that springboard to show what I could do and also work around such
brilliant and talented people who I learned from all the time.
Can
you recall what was running through your head when you wrapped-up on the finer
feelings remix?
I
had actually remixed “Step Back In Time” for DMC before that as I was (and
still am) a huge Kylie fan so I remember getting that multitrack and being
blown away by her vocal on it. “Finer Feelings” came from someone at PWL loving
what we were doing with Brothers In Rhythm which up until then had been
predominantly house music so taking on a gorgeous mid tempo was quite a risk
but of course we loved the song and just embellished what was there with a
whole load of piano, strings and choir - been doing that ever since!
Would
you have told me to get my head checked if I had told you that you’d end up
doing that version of Finer Feelings once again twenty years later with an
orchestra and at Abbey Road Studios? It is been a remarkable journey.
It
has and I didn’t really think about the significance when arranging the Abbey
Road version as I had such a clear vision of how I thought it should be. The
song is so fantastic that it was perfect for that cinematic feel and her vocal
on it is extraordinary. Also it was a great excuse to put a “Lawrence Of
Arabia” kind of orchestral arrangement to it which i did as always with the
brilliant Cliff Masterson.
That
Finer Feelings remix – what did you want to do with that remix?
On
the original 1992 remix it was purely about making the rhythm section tougher
and the orchestration more lush - everyone was influenced by Massive Attack
then so that’s where we were headed but probably came off a little more
cinematic - as always.
Why
do you think the collaboration between yourself and her works so well?
I
think we just get each other - she inspires me more than anyone I’ve ever
worked with and there’s always a real thrill when I know I’ve done something
thats going to make her smile.
Do
you think “it just works” because you know the DNA of nearly every Kylie song
she’s released.... On nearly every release you just have your
head around every track every time she puts out a new album?
I
wouldn’t say every song she’s released but I’ve worked on a fair bit of it
especially this year with Anti Tour where we kept adding songs! Also the
reinvention thing is great but sometimes I love just going back to the original
versions and maybe just beefing them up a bit which is what we got to do with
“Spinning Around” in Aphrodite and now that version sits just as comfortably at
The Queens Diamond Jubilee and Proms In The Park.
Gotta ask as its Christmas time...A Kylie Christmas album! In
ten or twenty years?
Wouldn’t
that be perfect? Its amazing there hasn’t been one already. Its all about
timing as always but I’m sure when its the right time then it will happen - how
could it not...
Get tickets for the Christmas last show tomorrow here
You've got actually Christmas show coming up called Santa’s Little Belter. Whats that all
about?
Santa’s
Little Belter is an special Christmas edition of our Little Belter show at
Madame Jo Jo’s - its so much fun and of course a great excuse to do as many
great Xmas songs as possible. This year we’ve added a new arrangement I did for
“O Holy Night” as its one of my favourite Xmas songs and perfect for Elouise to
truly shine on.
Free Download of Steve's version of Grown Up Christmas List here
You’ve
also taken on the masterpiece by David Foster Grown Up Christmas List! What
inspired you to do that beautiful Christmas classic?
I
love Amy’s voice and her Xmas album is one of my favourites, especially this
song, so I jumped at the chance of including it in the show. I am a huge fan of
David Foster and was lucky enough to work with him on Kylie’s performance with
Rod Stewart on his ITV Christmas show recently.
Santa’s
Little Belter also includes a fantastic performance of The Weather Girls
glorious disco tune Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man). How did you not crack up
recording Terry Ronalds bit as the naughty elf on the track?
Terry
often records guide vocals for everything we do and they are always a scream to
listen to. However there is a serious side as its a great reference for the
actors or singers when they come to delivering it themselves.
Dynamic
is a big thing in a lot of the work you produce (in remixes, shows aswell as
productions and songwriting)…..this year saw a multitude of Steve Anderson
related “stuff”: tours, releases and musicals. Been a busy bee! What keeps you
going?!
I
just love my job and having the opportunity to work with incredibly talented
people. I’m not very good at saying no if I think something is going to be fun
and challenging as I’m always learning which is the best part.
2012
started with the Little Belter show tour in the UK that includes a soundtrack
that again re-imagines classics and “remixes” them for a 2012 audience. And
with Hurly Burly too – you revise contemporary classics & give them the
burlesque treatment.From your
perspective was this part of the point and logic behind the music of both
shows?
Little
Belter was about creating a show around Elouise’s amazing voice. She is a
unique mixture of Bassey/Garland and Streisand so it gives us the chance to
revisit some amazing old songs and rework some new ones to suit the way she
sings. Also just singing the songs isn’t enough so Terry Ronald’s writing and
her performance really brings the show to life and invites people into her
world for a bit plus its a lot of fun alongside some beautiful heartbreaking
moments.....Hurly
Burly is all about the fun! William Baker, Terry Ronald, Ashley Wallen and I
have loved burlesque as an art form for so long so the chance to work with
Polly Rae and her fabulous girlies has been a real labour of love and one that
has taken us on an incredible journey including three West End runs and shows
in Australia and South Africa. I firmly believe the current version of the show
is the strongest ever so I hope it continues to go from strength to strength.
Do
you think your experience arranging the music for your recent West End shows -
Hurly Burly and Little Belter - aided the musicality, but also some of the
methodology, behind The Abbey Road album? As in the re-imagining of much
beloved songs and taking them elsewhere…something you do constantly in Hurly
Burly and Little Belter.
I
actually think it good that I have ways of getting those ideas out there
especially with Hurly Burly, otherwise they might end of up on something they
shouldn’t! Everything is arranging at the end of the day which is just an
extension of remixing. I have an ability to be able to hear a song in my head
completely stripped away from its original music and re worked so its very
lucky I’ve been able to do that as a job.
Hurly
Burly saw you, William, Ashley W and Terry Ronald work with Polly Rae create a
series of burlesque postcards, backed with a modern soundtrack, that celebrated
pop and merged that together with the world of burlesque – a genre usually
housed in the home of cabaret. Was this your intention?
Yes
- it was about old fashioned Benny Hill/Carry On fun - very British and very
classic but with a contemporary twist especially in the music and song choices.
Basically if it made us all laugh out loud it went in. You would be surprised
how easily the ideas came together as its just our sense of humour.
Steve with Elouise
With
Little Belter what did you and the creative team set out to do with regards to
the music in it.
Little
Belter is like a watching an amazing boxer go 20 rounds to win a prize fight.
Elouise taking on the biggest songs in the world and knocking them down one by
one whilst taking the audience on a journey with her. Musically I was adamant
with both shows it had to sound classic so we used a lot of real instruments
especially brass as well as employing the genius talent of Francis Goodhand
when it came to something like transcribing a new arrangement based around a
scratchy mono recording of “As Long As He Needs Me” from the Judy Garland TV
Special to enable us to re orchestrate it as closely as possible.
Although
there is the central story of the singer in Little Belter, could you also make
the argument that Little Belter is in many ways also about the importance of
songs and the underpinning role of the arrangers that have provided the
canvases that allowed the likes of Judy, Dusty, Barbra and Shirley to paint
their gorgeous pictures on?
Absolutely.
There are so many different versions of classic songs and these are all down to
the arrangers who were very often uncredited.
And,
if so, I would say the same of Abbey Road. As for me it really does celebrate
the glorious melodies by Matt and Mike of PWL. Abbey Road brings to the fore
some of that excellent chord progression and as such the album celebrates that....
Yes.
The structure of the PWL songs was so classic and very much in the style of
Motown where it was all about chords and melody and so much less about being
cool and credible. That’s why the songs stand the test of time.
The Hurly Burly Girls
If
there is one moment you could take from Hurly Burly and Little Belter what
would it be? For me, it has to be the Geisha Medley. And in Little Belter it's
a toss up between Smile and No More Tears.
My
favourite thing in Hurly Burly is probably “Bad” as it just works so
brilliantly and the build up alongside Polly’s bed routine is so superb. I also
have a real soft spot for our Marie Antoinette medley as its a bunch of songs
that you would never put together but works so well. From
Little Belter my favourite is “As Long As He Needs Me” as its a real
showstopper and she absolutely nails it every time.
With
Hurly Burly wrapping up its South African stint and Little Belter setting off
to Australia what other shows do you have up your sleeve…
We
have a new show which has just opened in Miami called |Orchid which is a cross
between Moulin Rouge and Cirque Du Soleil with a strong burlesque influence.
Its William Baker, myself, Terry Ronald and Ashley Wallen again but much more
of a Broadway cast mixed with incredible circus performers. The music is very
much still modern pop but its less bawdy than Hurly Burly - it still has its
moments but there is more a narrative throughout. It also has an incredible
star in Lexy Romano who inspired the new version I arranged of “First Time Ever
I Saw Your Face” for it (Hear it here). I'm also thrilled that I am going to be working with Leona Lewis again on her UK
tour. I absolutely adore Leona and its so inspiring having a voice like hers to
arrange for.
With
the Australian stretch of Little Belter how will it differ from the UK version
of the show?
We
are literally just getting started on it now but the idea is to be bigger more
spectacular than ever before - it has to be done especially in Melbourne which
I regard as my second home anyway plus I have so many great memories of Crown
Casino. Its such a fabulous venue so I can’t wait to put the show in there.
Talking
of taking things to new territories – lets talk about Christophe Willem. You
must be delighted to see his English album finally coming out!?(see below for the DSTP review)
Finally
is the word. Christophe and I had the original idea to record the album in both
languages at the same time which was hard work for him but he loves a
challenge. Also most of the songs were originally written in English and then
adapted to French for the Prismophonic album. So yes I am thrilled its coming
out as I am so proud of what we did alongside such an incredible team of
contributors including Freemasons , Biff Stannard, Richard X , Karen Poole,
Sarah deCourcy , Jamie Hartman and Hannah Robinson. Hopefully it will be on
iTunes early next year.
I loved his London show this month and would love to see him do a few more dates
here.....
Me
too - its one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to so I hope he gets to do more.
You
were of course the executive producer for his album….that included so many
brilliant pop talents….would you ever be up for producing Kylies next album?
Thanks
- who knows whats to come but I’m so happy I got to produce The Abbey Road
Sessions and Prismophonic as I think they show both sides of what I do equally
well.
I’d love Christophe to release an acoustic version of the album.In London, he did some wonderful
stripped back version....
Me
too - he did the most beautiful stripped down version of “When You Dance With
Me” with Sarah at that show which you could tell really affected people. I
think it would be great if he did a more acoustic album , maybe some of his
songs and some covers. His voice is incredible and the tone so superb - with
the right arrangements and production I think an album like that could be so
very special.
And..for
Kylie? Musically…If we get a 12th studio album next year…what would you
like it to sound like?
I
would like it to sound like Kylie being in the best place in the world doing
what she loves.
Is it true there’s going to be a
Denise Van Outen project hitting the west end soon?
Yes.
Terry Ronald and Denise have written a fabulous one woman show which is
hopefully opening early next year. As Denise has an incredible voice there are
plenty of opportunities for a few songs and I’ve reworked some classics in a
very different style - can’t say too much at the moment but we couldn’t be more
excited! I love Denise - she’s got the most wicked sense of humour and is a
much bigger talent than people probably know - hopefully this show will be able
to show this. I’d love to say more but I don’t want the Basildon mafia turning
up!
Its been a momentous year. What has stood out for you – if you had to
pick one?
If
I could only pick one I would say Kylie’s Proms In The Park was my highlight.
It was the realisation of so many years of planning and I honestly could not
have been more proud of her.
Last year saw Willem put out one of my all time favourite pop album. Prismophonic by
Christophe Willem. Combining the electronic strands of Kylie Minogue’s
Aphrodite with the bolds of neon fragility of Robyn’s Body Talk,
Christophe Willem delivered a collection of songs that go to the
core of why I love pop music. Written and recorded mostly in London with mostly British songwriters it very much seemed like a love letter to the British pop music scene so a release an English version of Willem's Prismophonic (re-titled Love Shot Me Down) this December (via Sony) seemed very natural indeed. So, on the eve Willem previews his first ever English album in London (tickets) it seems right to revisit the fabulous album.....
Starlight 11/10
(Richard Stannard - James Wiltshire - Russell Small - Amanda Wilson - Tom Kent - Hawk Wolinski)
Poppers-o-clock
alert! Where the hell did I put that glowstick! This includes a sample
of Ain’t Nobody by Chaka. And it totally works. Starlight features the
production lines of Freemasons (twitter) + Biff (twitter) and you can feel their magic sparkle over
the anthem in the waiting. Christophe doesn’t mess with a club classic
in the way Cher Lloyd abused Buffalo Stance. Rather, this is one mighty
tribute to the genre of sound that courses through the album like a
river that has broke its banks. Pure electro heaven. Put this song on, pass the poppers, let the muscles expand, get onto the podium, take
centre stage and dance!!!
Best Lyric/Bit: "What your giving me is starlight! Starlight!"
Check those credits people! Its Isabel Guzman! Its Tortuga (twitter)! Though the explosive pop anthem hails from Sweden, it is made for the dancefloors of London.
Madonna would start a killing spree to have on her album. This so
bombastic, it catapults itself into a place of pop brilliance and
consumes the aural passages with delirious dancetastic pleasure.
Automatic Love also includes one of the finest middle eight of the last
twelve months so much so that the inner organs have found their dancing
boots and are on the guestlist of Fabric by the time the song is over.
Pure pop perfection.
Best Lyric/Bit: "I gotta reload (Oh!). Trigger my soul (oh!). Oh! (oh!)"
Cool 5/10
(Franck Deweare / Jean-Pierre Pilot - William Rousseau - Olivier Schultheis)
I originally despised this song. Especially after
the sublime high of Starlite, Cool appears like an unsightly stain on
diamond encrusted disco hotpants. Moreover, when placed next to the
other pop anthems that follow Cool screams everything but its title
suggests. However, in English it sounds vastly better.
Best Lyric/Bit: "Someone stop me cuz i'm going crazy! Crazy! Crazy! Cra-cra-crazy!"
Timeless 11/10
(Steve Anderson - Karen Poole)
I loved the French version of this but my heart has enlarged on listening to the English. It was always absolutely
stunning. But, the re-issue of the album is worth it for Timeless alone. The album suddenly emerges as a
love letter to London’s club world and its sparkling nightlife. Herein,
the throbbing baselines wrap around a breathtaking classical string
arrangement. Delicious. This is an opus.
Best Lyric/bit: "So before they bring the curtain down, lets stay locked inside the moment now to remind us....that we're timeless."
Safe And Sound 10/10
(Steve Anderson - Karen Poole)
There are two brilliant dance-pop albums of the last ten years that I hold close to my heart. One
being Light Years by Kylie Minogue and the other is Robyn’s self-titled
album that contained the hits Be Mine and With every heartbeat. Both
Kylie & Robyn also included ballads in amongst the pop-club epics.
The stunning Bittersweet Goodbye and chilling Eclipse. Safe And Sound is now a member of that club. Breathtaking.
Best Lyric/Bit: "Hold Me, lay my head down until I'm Safe and sound"
Lasers & Sparklers 11/10
(Christophe Willem / Steve Anderson – Jamie Hartman – Tina Harris)
WOW.
This is like putting on a really nice moisturizer and then feeling the
softness of the skin the day afterwards. Or that breezy feeling when
jetlag has lifted and you're at your destination. And the sun rises
above the clouds. Body clock tells ya, you're still in the mess of
London, but the warmth on the skin tells you you're miles away. Watching
the sun rise over the sea with the closest of friends. You've left the
streets of London and now your feet are in between the warm sands of
some far away place as the hot sea lashes the shore. One of the finest
pop songs of the year. By the way, love the organ in the middle eight. Altogether absolutely amazing.
Best Lyric/Bit: "I saw beautiful vistas, moonscapes, pauses and pictures"
Tears Will Dry 10/10
(Kylie Minogue - Richard Stannard - Ash Howes - Carl Ryden - Seton Daunt)
Steve Anderson (twitter), the albums exec producer, and Christophe invite the one and only pop legend Kylie
Minogue! With
touches of Fever, Give It To Me & Aphrodite, Tears Will Dry is the
icing on the cake if the cake was a drug called pop. Yummy.
Best lyric/bit: "I wanna show all I know. And give it time to glow"
When You Dance With Me 10/10
(Steve Anderson - Lisa Greene)
I love Lisa Greene. I can’t wait for her album. Lisa and Steve have
wrote some of my favourite songs for popstars together (Breathe On Me
by Britney for example). The collaboration of the two with Christophe
repeats the wonderment first realized in songs like Breathe On Me,
Dentro Me, Hypnotic, Roll Over and State Of Grace. At first, When You Dance with Me starts of small but by the end it comes out of its closet and
sparkles like a firework. Its only a return visit to the song that it
emerges as a throb that emerges into one permanent climax perpetually
erupting into pop deliverance. Constantly stunning.
Best lyric/bit: "I only dance like I dance when you dance with me"
Love Shot Me Down 11/10
(Richard X - Hannah Robinson)
Written
by legendary Richard X (twitter) and pop pioneer Hannah Robinson (twitter), Love Shot Me Down slides
in-between the dark nightclubs of Berlin and the neon-lit corridors of
East London. Here we have a type of song that Jake Shears would pant
for. This is the lovechild of George Michael’s Fastlove and Star People
layered with the spunky dna of trance hits by Infernal such as From
Paris To Berlin. Glorious
Best lyric/Bit: "Love shot me down thru the heart again"
Falling 11/10
(Sarah deCourcy - Steve Reed)
Absolutely
fucking speechless. If it was ever possible to capture the beauty of a
falling snowflake via sound without it ever melting away Falling does
so. Written by Sarah DeCourcy (twitter) and Steve Reed (twitter), Falling underscores why,
for me, Prismophonic was one of the pop albums of 2011. Yes, Coldplay are amazing
writers and Fix You is a brilliant song but Falling runs circles around
Fix You and still manages to feel so at home on an album that also
contains songs written by the likes of Kylie Minogue, Isabel Guzman and
Richard X. It simply seals the deal. Punctures through the need for
classification, alienation and correlation. Epic. Best lyric/bit: Impossible to pick.
