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Post by DazedOblivion on Jun 25, 2010 13:15:52 GMT 1
CW has written: The private gig with Aled Jones & Hayley Westenra IS a go, however. Hayley just Tweeted "Going over music for a gig this Friday with the lovely @sharon_corr & Aled Jones. We were auctioned off 4 Children In Need by @bbc_Radio_2 !" The auction was won by a gentleman in Dumfriesshire in Scotland. Would actually love to be present at this one as, despite their differing genres, they could meld together well musically, especially with Sharon's violin. Interesting if they use Sharon's band (they could do far worse); would love to hear Hayley sing "Both Sides Now" with Sharon on violin & Anto on acoustic. Bonnar ..... get us a recording !!
UPDATE: Mr Bonnar has subsequently Tweeted Hayley "u'll be glad to know I can hear @sharon_corr rehearsing in the next room, with the very talented Anto Drennan! Have fun Fri." Asked Ireland's most downtrodden husband whether Anto would be "dragged along" by Herself on Friday and received the following "oh yes. He's sounding pretty darn good too. Never ages that guy..it's wrong. Must be a hell of a portrait in his attic...." Not sure about the ageing .... perhaps he'll claim it's the beer !! Beautiful women clearly love working with him, that is for certain.What a lucky a dude. Best wishes to all of them tonight!
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Post by DazedOblivion on Jun 29, 2010 14:12:14 GMT 1
Any news of this private performance? I didn't find any.
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Post by cw on Jul 1, 2010 12:46:29 GMT 1
No reports ( it WAS a private gig) but Peter from Shaz forum has posted the following pic of Herself & long-suffering accompanist
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Post by cw on Jul 3, 2010 5:17:19 GMT 1
Shaz has sprung a very pleasant surprise on us & has posted the following clip on her YouTube channel. She provides us a snip of her rehearsal in "the smallest hotel room imagineable" plus the requisite blooper along with snips from her set. www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1GIWbZ0A_s&playnext_from=TL&videos=UnInLBeKzTw&feature=subThe numbers are: - the old Dolly Parton song "Jolene" with Hayley - Jenny's Chickens - It's Not A Dream - Women Of Ireland (the instrumental she's recorded with Jeff Beck) - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime - So Young Furry pundits thoughts: Shaz sounds great. When she doesn't stress it, her upper range can sound surprisingly good. Some of us have thought for a while that she could investigate a little country successfully & we have an answer. Shaz & Hayley. They sound good together but then again, they're pros with plenty of experience/understanding of getting female harmony right. This may not be the last/only time these two combine talents. I liked the set; EGLS is a song I can take or leave but that is just a matter of personal taste. Maybe a shame Anto didn't bring an axe along for Women Of Ireland as I feel it's certainly "down his line" & could be a "killer" duet on tour. I can see the potential for Anto clocking plenty of time on the promotional circuit both domestically & internationally with Shaz; having an accompanist with "that" level of connection can be vital in selling numbers in settings where YOU need to sell it.
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Post by DazedOblivion on Jul 3, 2010 16:28:12 GMT 1
A great summation, Wombat. You make a good point about Sharon's abilities as a singer of country music. Personally, while retaining my love of pop/rock, I have been musically exploring the kinship between Celtic and traditional country music, Bluegrass in particular. There is indeed a kinship, though some of the more bland country music today has been stripped of it's roots and sounds poppy. Dolly Parton's "Jolene" is very close to the roots of country that go back to Scots-Irish settlers of Appalachia *. Sharon's musical gift defies categorization. I see that as a big, BIG plus. It seems that, wherever her musical inclination takes her, it's always full of beauty and impact. I'll add my agreement that Sharon sounds great. She looks stunning, too, I should add!
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Post by DazedOblivion on Jul 3, 2010 16:49:39 GMT 1
Forgot to mention that the tried and true Anto is superb as usual. It must be real rough to have to share the stage with Sharon and Hayley.
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Post by cw on Jul 5, 2010 12:26:02 GMT 1
Yes, she certainly has displayed a distinctly diverse musical palate & it will be interesting to see just what the finished product brings us. It has been one of the most impressive aspects of this entire project; she has not been afraid to go stick an elegant toe in different streams whilst at all times keeping her music "accessable" to her intnded audience. Am aware of the ethnic backgrounds of the early settlers of Appalachia & the music has been a by-product. Investigating the country/country x-over market ? Will confess that this has crossed my mind, even with this project. Whilst a distinct gamble, it would be the best chance for Sharon to access the US (via a side door) as the odds on breaking the mainstream market are prohibitive at best.By what means ? It is impossible to make a full judgement given that we haven't heard the full album but I could see two potential vehicles out of the tracks we know of. EPO has a distinct Shania tinge to it. Haven't heard the full finished product so am unsure if any "remix" may be needed but it's feel could cross a number of boundaries. If they had the budget, there is the potential for a killer clip especially given Sharon's sense of humour. I could well picture Sharon wearing a certain hat (pinched from a younger sister who wore it with great style in the WCID clip taking a little revenge on certain gentlemen who's "ears are painted on". Said victims could include "the lads" & other members of her crew .... maybe even an erring husband or brother ? The other vehicle could be INAD. This IS a lovely song & it has been beautifully produced & arranged by Billy Farrell & Fiachra Trench respectively. Their "less is more" approach has kept this deeply sentimental song on the right side of good taste whereas other producers & arrangers may have submerged it in treacle & made it too sickly sweet. However, it's sentimental character may be counterproductive to it's success in many markets though a potential success somewhere like the Phillipines. I have, however, thought that it may be VERY commercial in a somewhat country setting & it would not surprise if someone picked up this song & ran with it. To that effect, I gave it a little airing with a leading Oz female country vocalist of my acquaintance in a couple of settings with very interesting results. My thoughts are that a remix could be worth investigating. I may not remove the strings completely but move them more to the background. I'm quite certain that Anto should have a Gretsch guitar somewhere because some judiciously placed licks would add that certain twang without going overboard. Personally, I feel a banjo would probably be a little "overkill" however it may work quite well in a live performance setting. Of course, those making such calls (waves hello should they ever happen to "lurk" around this thread ;D) are probably far better qualified & entitled than this furry interloper.
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Post by magnficentfan on Jul 7, 2010 17:24:56 GMT 1
I've thought about Sharon appealing to a country market, too. There's something about the tone of her voice that could work well in a country setting. And the outstanding performance of Jolene proves it, to a degree.
And, Wombat, you're right about Sharon entering the US market through a side door. If you look at the top of the Hot 100 songs & Billboard 200 albums, there are a lot of Hip-Hop & Rap & Teen acts reigning. As much as Sharon has the talent and the quality of music to succeed, I'm just not so sure the large, mainstream stations in the biggest markets (NYC over here) are going to jump.
If she plays her cards right, and gets a lot of promotional exposure, Adult Contemporary or Hot AC may be another option. The problem with stations that provide information to those charts is that they don't update their music that often, which leads to songs remaining on the charts for many, many weeks. But it could be another way for Sharon to chart here in the States.
And regarding music videos - are they even worth the time and money? As much as I'd love to see one (and I love your idea, Wombat!), is that a wise way to spend promotional monies? The videos that garner the most buzz are the ones that are completely over-the-top - witness Lady Gaga. Is that what Sharon should do or is willing to do? Somehow, I really can't picture her with glasses made of razor blades or giant lobster claws, LOL!
This has gone completely off topic - sorry about that! But at least it's conversation about Sharon!
-- Marie :-)
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Post by cw on Jul 8, 2010 5:44:46 GMT 1
Marie,
Absolutely NO reason to apologise & you certainly weren't off-topic !!! This is the kind of input & discussion we love .... and I suspect certain lurkers look for.
Steve's been on the "Country Shaz" case since Dimming of The Day & I tend to agree. Her vocal tones do lend themselves to a "country cross-over" sound. Your comment about the mainstream US charts will also run true in markets like the UK & Australia.
You are thoroughly correct about the Adult Contemporary market, especially with regards to the UK & Australian markets. She may get some further UK exposure through BBC Radio 2/regional but commercial radio both there & in OZ can be tricky as these stations can often be a mix of talk/"radio personalities" as well as music. Do agree that it is another possible sidedoor into the US, albeit another "Hail Mary".
Much may hinge on whether she can get national TV coverage in key timeslots. Her prime targets should probably be the network breakfast/morning talk shows. In the band days, they WERE fortunate to get this exposure on GMA/Today but is not a realistic proposition now. IF she can get these openings in UK & especially Oz market, she could really catch a break.
The music video was just Wombat's warped sense of humour being unleashed on the public. Do agree that it is a genre that has been murdered by big budget gargantua where the music is a total afterthought. Damned shame though .... even a little fun edit with her bloopers tapes would get some YT laughs.
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Post by magnficentfan on Jul 8, 2010 20:21:03 GMT 1
Another format for Sharon to consider here in the US is AAA - Adult Album Alternative. I have always felt that the Corrs should have targeted those stations, but they tend to be smaller and not as prestigious. I don't know if there's an equivalent in the UK or Australia, but bands and acts that fall under that umbrella tend to be more eclectic. Big acts like U2, Sheryl Crow, and the Foo Fighters can all be considered AAA as well as smaller acts like Band Of Horses, Broken Bells, and Eric Hutchinson. AAA is not acts like Britney Spears or Backstreet Boys, LOL! It tends to be a more "quality of music" based format, with acts who are a bit more cutting edge and hard to pigeonhole. In other words... The Corrs / Sharon Corr / Andrea Corr!
-- Marie :-)
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Post by DazedOblivion on Jul 10, 2010 17:43:37 GMT 1
To be honest, I am rather certain that I don't have my finger on the pulse of current music scene enough to figure out how to get Sharon's music a foot in the door, and I'm burned out trying to figure out the thought processes of the record industry. While in an ideal climate, Sharon could viably use Country music as a way to unlock doors, the problem is that Nashville suffers from the same maladies as Los Angeles. Maybe I'm just getting old, but when I see what is charting these days, it doesn't mean as much to me as it used to. The cream of music used to rise to the top of the Billboard charts. I don't feel that it does now. Pick any date from about 1965 to 1985, and look at the chart and you'll see real classic songs. It always makes me chuckle to think about what a convalescent home singalong will be like in sixty years, with a bunch of silver-haired women reminiscently singing Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous"! No doubt, in large part it's a generational thing, but I also think that there's another factor coming into play: the corporatization of music. I'm not Mr. Anti-Corporation but, where pop music is concerned, corporations have created a mess. I know I've ranted about this before. Music used to be more free to rise and fall on its own merits. That has changed. With the explosion of alternative forms of entertainment that vie with radio for the interest of young people, independent radio stations and local DJ's were faced with declining listenership and therefore declining revenue. They couldn't stay in business. So, these stations were ultimately bought out by corporations such as Clear Channel Communications. (It's sort of the same thing as when family farms are bought out by a massive agribusiness corporations.) As a cost-saving practice, a "McDonald's-like" business model was implemented within the industry of commercial radio - one model to fit the whole nation. Playlists shrunk and radio stations began to be cookie-cutter replicas of each other dotted about the nation. Then, a new and even more insidious practice was developed: the attempted manipulation of musical tastes and the effort to integrate music with the sales of other goods such as shoes, jewelry, and baggy pants. Hence, we saw a massive (and, I feel, coordinated) campaign to instill hop-hop and gangsta culture into the rising generation of suburban mall rats. This was the beginning of a general, though not complete, decline in the quality of music. Fortunately, good music still has a way of rising in spite of the stupidity and greed - we have seen this relief come in the form of artists who are saying "screw you!" to the record companies and to radio and appealing directly to the public with their art, through alternative means such as the internet. An interesting video (though all views expressed are not necessarily my own!): As our member Groucho has observed, "There's been a backlash against the pre-fab cookie-cutter TV-promoted batch of young pop stars lately, by a growing number of people in their teens & 20's who long for the days of their parents when bands & singers earned their fame instead of buying it or having it manufactured for them by the Disney Channel & American Idol." Another component of this backlash is the growing movement of roots music in the U.S. promoted at sites like MusicFog. My hope is that those of us who support Sharon and her music also do so with our money when the album comes out. Then hopefully we can spread the word. CW is right that this loyal international fan base alone won't be enough, but it is a start, along with an aggressive effort against theft of Sharon's work. The people that need to be stopped are these guys who essentially make it easy to steal music and undermine the ability of artists to earn a living with their art: www.google.com/#hl=en&q=corrs+rapidshare+torrent
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Post by cw on Jul 12, 2010 12:46:15 GMT 1
Amen brother, concur totally as the US model you describe has been exported worldwide, especially in those English speaking markets where the big US labels command the market. Likewise with the Disney/Idol/soap star "production line" .... although the UK was probably the birthplace via Stock Aitken Waterman.
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Post by Mathias on Jul 17, 2010 14:52:54 GMT 1
I agree that if Sharon is really commited to crack the US, she should do it the "country way". But like it was the case with the Corrs, it would mean a lot of change. She would have to move to the US for a period and preferably to Nashville. I don't know if Warner has a country music label (Universal and I believve Sony do), that would be the way to go either.
At this point, from what we've seen so far, it all started being a *fun* project, it's getting more serious now, but as it was the case with Andrea (or The Corrs for that matter), there's a lot less pressure to have mega succes. It's still a project that comes from the heart, which makes it even more magical in my opinion. With all that is needed to get noticed in the US, I don't know if that's a viable option for the moment. Maybe if she's done promoting and touring in Europe, or maybe if another artist asks her to be the support act. And don't even mention how far you can get with the support of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres or even Perez Hilton.
I reckon it would be amazing if Sharon would team up with David Foster (again). More than a decade ago, he was basically the one that started it all. Nowadays everything he touches still turns into gold....and the music he makes is still pure quality.
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Post by DazedOblivion on Jul 17, 2010 16:17:58 GMT 1
Well-said, Mathias. I think you're right. And I'd like to welcome you and Leslie to the forum. My feeling would be that many of the honchos in Nashville would tell her to lose tracks like "Cooley's Reel" and "Jenny's Chickens". I wouldn't want Sharon to go along with that - to lose part of what makes her who she is. Although, I do love the fact that, among some of the most important musicians centered around Nashville - guys like Jerry Douglas - there is a great appreciation for traditional music from Ireland and Scotland. You never know what could happen. Like you say, one fortunate break could cause a huge breakthrough.
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Post by magnficentfan on Jul 18, 2010 1:53:34 GMT 1
I agree that if Sharon is really commited to crack the US, she should do it the "country way". But like it was the case with the Corrs, it would mean a lot of change. She would have to move to the US for a period and preferably to Nashville. I don't know if Warner has a country music label (Universal and I believve Sony do), that would be the way to go either. Yes, Warner has signed country acts - on different imprints, I think. Faith Hill is on Warner Bros. But, you're right Mathias. Becoming huge in the States would probably require living here for a while. I haven't a clue what Sharon's & her family's plans are, but living in the US for 6 months to a year may not be much of an option. Then again, you never know! -- Marie :-)
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