What a brilliant performance this was.
Showing posts with label Murder On The Dancefloor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Murder On The Dancefloor. Show all posts
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sophie interviewed by Gay Mag
You can read the interview and the rest of the online mag right here - http://www.boyz.co.uk/onlineViewer/viewer.php
Boyz Mag had a little chat with Sophie. Their recent issue has a picture of Sophie on the cover of the magazine, which was already on the cover of 69 degrees. Also, the picture used in the magazine was also a cover on Oxford Life magazine.
Sophie will be performing at G-A-Y Heaven on 26th March. So if you attend, make sure you leave a review here, or link to your review on a website/blog/forum.
Here's the interview...
With a long awaited fourth album - MAKE A SCENE - out in May, a young family at home and over a decade in the business, singer, songwriter and pop Goddess Sophie Ellis-Bextor has come a long way over the past ten years. Here she speaks to Luke Till about her creative side.
So, how's life?
Really good! Last year was brilliant and this year has been really nice so far. I've been back in the studio and I've just come back from the Little World Festival, which my husband's band, The Feeling, organise in Meribel, France. It's skiing by day and gigs and DJs by night.
Did you perform out there?
Yeah, so did The Feeling and bands like Fictionplane, Ed Harcourt, Squeeze, then at night we had people like Freemasons DJing - it was really good.
It sounds fun! Tell us about your new album, MAKE A SCENE.
It's very dancey. It's probably the most genre-specific record I've ever made - normally I spread myself around and do different genres. This one I went all out with the dance stuff. The first few tracks were done with people like Freemasons and Calvin Harris, and it sounded so phenomenal and so phenomenal and so exciting that I didn't want to drift too much from that sound.
How did the Freemasons "Heartbreak" track come about
There's a songwriter called Biff Stannard who lives in Brighton who I've been working with for the past few years, and he used to keep talking about the Freemasons because they come from Brighton too and he'd worked with them on different things. I'd told him before that I'd love to work with them, and then one time he said he had a track from them if I wanted to come and work on it. That was the first one I heard, the Heartbreak backing track. Biff had just come out a very long-term relationship at the time so we ended up talking about how it feels when you're y'know, feeling a bit wounded, and that's when we wrote "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)". I suppose it's a bit like "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" - that kind of needing the music to heal you.
At the time of "Groovejet" had you already decided to begin a solo career?
No. (laughs) Before that I'd been in a band (theaudience) so "Groovejet" was a breath of fresh air - it was the antithesis of that whole indie scene. I suppose it only really occured to me when the band first left Mercury and I thought we were still a band. It was only after the next few months that it dawned on me that actually that was the end of that, so when I did "Groovejet" I think I was still coming to terms with the fact that I wasn't in a band anymore. It wasn't a decision like, "OK, I'm a solo artist now", it was more of a case of "Oh, I'm not in a band anymore, so I guess I'm on my own." There are pros and cons on both sides but I'm really grateful that I was in a band first because I think it changes the way you are as a solo artist. Every time I hae a live band around me now I really enjoy being around them.
Who influences your music, or you?
I probably take it from everywhere, definitely other artists. I'm constantly going back to things that excited me when I was young - the first few things that made me feel tingly. There was this programme in the early 80s called Minipops that I used to watch when I was little. It got banned quite early on because it was little girls dressed up with blusher and red lipstick and they'd perform pop songs that were in the charts. But it was quite inappropriate because they had full make up on singing about relationships, but they were only 8-years-old. But I did used to watch it when I was about four and think "That's what I want to do when I'm big." So anything from that to watching musicals, pop videos. But even now I love watching other pop stars and seeing who does what. And there's definitely room for everybody.
Had you always wanted to be a singer?
I always loved pop music - it was definitely always my friend. But it didn't occur to me to be a singer until I was a teenager. Performing definitely appealed but I was still a bit lost. And it just didn't occur to me as a job - 'pop star'! So I thought maybe I'd act, or I quite liked th eidea of being a lawyer. And then I thought maybe journalism, because I've always liked the written word. But when I first got on stage with the band when I was 16 I felt something click. I thought, "I don't need to look anymore - this is what I want to do."
Do you have a lot of input in your videos?
Yeah - definitely! With "Bittersweet" it was something quite basic - I said to the director, "I keep seeing slow motion photography, like billowing chiffon or when you drop a drop of paint into water and see it disperse." And he said "Well actually I've been doing some experiments with rose petals", so that's how the video started. Or with "Murder On The Dancefloor", I said I quite liked the idea of having a dance competition where everybody's getting knocked out gradually over the hours. And my director, who I've done most of my videos with, said how about you be the one making everyone lose the competition. I thought it'd be brilliant because at the time there was so many pop stars aound who were shiny and smiley, so I thought it would be really fun to be the antihero in your own video.
How would you say your music has changed from your first album to this fourth one?
I think I've got more fearless but I probably approach songwriting in a similar way. But I definitely don't worry about what anyone thinks anymore. I think I lost that after I had kids actually. I think I've definitely improved as a singer and a writer since then just because I've gotten more confident, and I'm better at listening to what other people are telling me as well.
Boyz Mag had a little chat with Sophie. Their recent issue has a picture of Sophie on the cover of the magazine, which was already on the cover of 69 degrees. Also, the picture used in the magazine was also a cover on Oxford Life magazine.
Sophie will be performing at G-A-Y Heaven on 26th March. So if you attend, make sure you leave a review here, or link to your review on a website/blog/forum.
Here's the interview...
With a long awaited fourth album - MAKE A SCENE - out in May, a young family at home and over a decade in the business, singer, songwriter and pop Goddess Sophie Ellis-Bextor has come a long way over the past ten years. Here she speaks to Luke Till about her creative side.
So, how's life?
Really good! Last year was brilliant and this year has been really nice so far. I've been back in the studio and I've just come back from the Little World Festival, which my husband's band, The Feeling, organise in Meribel, France. It's skiing by day and gigs and DJs by night.
Did you perform out there?
Yeah, so did The Feeling and bands like Fictionplane, Ed Harcourt, Squeeze, then at night we had people like Freemasons DJing - it was really good.
It sounds fun! Tell us about your new album, MAKE A SCENE.
It's very dancey. It's probably the most genre-specific record I've ever made - normally I spread myself around and do different genres. This one I went all out with the dance stuff. The first few tracks were done with people like Freemasons and Calvin Harris, and it sounded so phenomenal and so phenomenal and so exciting that I didn't want to drift too much from that sound.
How did the Freemasons "Heartbreak" track come about
There's a songwriter called Biff Stannard who lives in Brighton who I've been working with for the past few years, and he used to keep talking about the Freemasons because they come from Brighton too and he'd worked with them on different things. I'd told him before that I'd love to work with them, and then one time he said he had a track from them if I wanted to come and work on it. That was the first one I heard, the Heartbreak backing track. Biff had just come out a very long-term relationship at the time so we ended up talking about how it feels when you're y'know, feeling a bit wounded, and that's when we wrote "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)". I suppose it's a bit like "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" - that kind of needing the music to heal you.
At the time of "Groovejet" had you already decided to begin a solo career?
No. (laughs) Before that I'd been in a band (theaudience) so "Groovejet" was a breath of fresh air - it was the antithesis of that whole indie scene. I suppose it only really occured to me when the band first left Mercury and I thought we were still a band. It was only after the next few months that it dawned on me that actually that was the end of that, so when I did "Groovejet" I think I was still coming to terms with the fact that I wasn't in a band anymore. It wasn't a decision like, "OK, I'm a solo artist now", it was more of a case of "Oh, I'm not in a band anymore, so I guess I'm on my own." There are pros and cons on both sides but I'm really grateful that I was in a band first because I think it changes the way you are as a solo artist. Every time I hae a live band around me now I really enjoy being around them.
Who influences your music, or you?
I probably take it from everywhere, definitely other artists. I'm constantly going back to things that excited me when I was young - the first few things that made me feel tingly. There was this programme in the early 80s called Minipops that I used to watch when I was little. It got banned quite early on because it was little girls dressed up with blusher and red lipstick and they'd perform pop songs that were in the charts. But it was quite inappropriate because they had full make up on singing about relationships, but they were only 8-years-old. But I did used to watch it when I was about four and think "That's what I want to do when I'm big." So anything from that to watching musicals, pop videos. But even now I love watching other pop stars and seeing who does what. And there's definitely room for everybody.
Had you always wanted to be a singer?
I always loved pop music - it was definitely always my friend. But it didn't occur to me to be a singer until I was a teenager. Performing definitely appealed but I was still a bit lost. And it just didn't occur to me as a job - 'pop star'! So I thought maybe I'd act, or I quite liked th eidea of being a lawyer. And then I thought maybe journalism, because I've always liked the written word. But when I first got on stage with the band when I was 16 I felt something click. I thought, "I don't need to look anymore - this is what I want to do."
Do you have a lot of input in your videos?
Yeah - definitely! With "Bittersweet" it was something quite basic - I said to the director, "I keep seeing slow motion photography, like billowing chiffon or when you drop a drop of paint into water and see it disperse." And he said "Well actually I've been doing some experiments with rose petals", so that's how the video started. Or with "Murder On The Dancefloor", I said I quite liked the idea of having a dance competition where everybody's getting knocked out gradually over the hours. And my director, who I've done most of my videos with, said how about you be the one making everyone lose the competition. I thought it'd be brilliant because at the time there was so many pop stars aound who were shiny and smiley, so I thought it would be really fun to be the antihero in your own video.
How would you say your music has changed from your first album to this fourth one?
I think I've got more fearless but I probably approach songwriting in a similar way. But I definitely don't worry about what anyone thinks anymore. I think I lost that after I had kids actually. I think I've definitely improved as a singer and a writer since then just because I've gotten more confident, and I'm better at listening to what other people are telling me as well.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sophie @ NYC, Dave Cromwell's interview and more
Sophie was at NYC with the Freemasons where she performed three of her biggest hits for the gay audience. Surprisingly, they knew the songs. Sophie should definitely perform in the US again. Also, i love how she handles the stage so well. I love her movements.
Here are the videos.
Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
Murder On The Dancefloor
Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer
Here's Dial My Number (click) live from Istanbul (better quality than the youtube video)
Dave Cromwell's exclusive interview with Sophie - Read here
(thank you Dave for doing this for all SEB fans)
And an interview at Club Arena, Vladivostok at One Year Party - http://www.twitvid.com/XWLBT
Here are the videos.
Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
Murder On The Dancefloor
Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer
Here's Dial My Number (click) live from Istanbul (better quality than the youtube video)
Dave Cromwell's exclusive interview with Sophie - Read here
(thank you Dave for doing this for all SEB fans)
And an interview at Club Arena, Vladivostok at One Year Party - http://www.twitvid.com/XWLBT
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Special with Sophie on Real Radio Scotland - the whole show + transcript
Many thanks to Paul for this. Don't know what i would do without you buddy!
Sophie was on Real Radio Scotland on Easter, for a special hour where she discussed 10 years of her career in music and played a couple of her hits, Bittersweet and some other songs by other artists who have influenced her over the years. She played A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed (i'm actually glad that she is still so loyal to that original first album), Groovejet (If This Ain't Love), Murder On The Dancefloor, Music Gets The Best Of Me, Catch You, Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer (she actually played her original version, not the Freemasons mix. So do we assume this is the version on her 4th album), Bittersweet, Take Me Home among her songs.
LISTEN TO THE WHOLE SESSION HERE
Transcript of Sophie's speech.
I'll be playing my big hits, some songs that mean a lot to me, and telling my story of ten years in music.
1) A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed
theaudience - a band that I was in between the ages of about 16 and 20. theaudience was my training ground for being a singer, and what made me want to do what I do now. We were part of a big hype, that band, and we got lots of offers from record companies. We ended up signing a deal and releasing an album, but it didn't really live up to the hype. I still have very fond memories of that time but it was a good experience of success and failure and put me in good stead for what was to follow. Yes, a lot of happy memories with that song.
2) Groovejet
Which leads me onto the song which really did establish me as a singer in my own right. It's a song called Groovejet which I did with a DJ called Spiller. With it I went in a completely different direction from Indie to dance music. It really was quite significant for me because it made me realise that I didn't have to be part of one specific genre, and if I called myself a popstar I could get away with doing whatever kind I wanted to do really. It's celebrating its tenth birthday this year.
I should tell you that Spiller is the tallest person I have worked with, ever! He said he was seven foot. I can't really contradict it, I couldn't really get up high enough to measure him, but definitely over 6'10'' I would say.
3) Murder on the Dancefloor
So after I finished working with him, I was left with the prospect of being a solo artist. I began work on my first solo album, which was called "Read My Lips". The song on that album which was always my friends' favourite when I was demoing the songs and playing them was called "Murder On The Dance Floor". My memory of it, which might be a bit hazy, was that the record company thought it might be a single, but there was not any big buzz around it. It was my girlfriends who made that song significant. I remember when I did my first live gig I dedicated that song to one of my girlfriends who had just broken up with someone, in an attempt to cheer her up. I think that's what has helped to keep my relationship with this song very pure; it was always my girlfriends' favourite, so how could I ever be fatigued by doing a song that's always gone down so well with me and my mates!
4) Mickey by Toni Basil
I would now like to play for you some songs which have influenced me, and I really couldn't do that without playing this next song because it is still as it was when I was about three - my favourite song of all time. It's "Mickey" by Toni Basil - a perfect pop song.
5) West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys
6) Suburbia by Pet Shop Boys
I was born in 1979, so I grew up in the 80s, and that was my introduction to pop music. One act, Pet Shop Boys, definitely had that 80s sound, and has been a massive influence on me as well as many others. They were the first purveyors of that sophisticated, elegant, synth, dry pop. Such a British sound as well! I don't think they've been that under-rated recently because they luckily won a Brit Award for contribution to British music, which was much deserved. They've been so consistent. I want to play their very first song because I still clearly remember when I first heard it. It's West End Girls.
7) Music Gets The Best Of Me
For me, being a popstar has always been about the visual side as well, so making the videos has always been pretty significant. I was very fortunate in that the first director I ever worked with for my solo stuff was a woman called Sophie Muller. She's made incredible videos throughout her whole career, and I didn't realise how much I'd fallen on my feet until I saw the result of some videos we'd made, like “Take Me Home” and “Murder On The Dance Floor”. Actually my fondest memories are for this next song, called “Music Gets The Best Of Me”. I filmed the video first of all without her, and when I saw it back, it just didn't really work. It was a bit clunky and considered, and didn't have that kind of joie de vivre that I think you should get from watching a pop video. I spoke to Sophie and said 'I'm in a bit of a pickle, I need to make a new video.' She said, 'Well, I've got next week off so lets go to Torremolinos - just you and me and the make-up artist and two crew members. We'll just go down there and kind of have a date almost, and do all the silly things you always want to do when you're on holiday.’ That's what we did. We went on pedalos, crazy golf, we went to fair grounds, we went for a car journey, we drank cocktails, ate food. The results are the video for “Music Gets The Best Of Me”, and it's still my favourite. It's the video where I see the "me" as I see myself. I guess you any get that when you work with someone a lot, then they can see it too.
8) Catch You
Now I'm going to skip a few years. “Music Gets The Best of Me” was from my first album, and I've now jumped through to my third album. Although I had a happy time with my second one, it was not an easy situation. I was blonde, which I didn't think suited me so much, I was breaking up with someone who was also managing me - which I would not recommend - and it was not until I got to my third album that I felt I was in a much happier situation. I made this record after I had my first baby, Sonny, with Richard who was my bass player. He is not working for me now, but he is my husband. It worked out for the best in the end, it had a happy ending! This song "Catch You" was the first single from the third album. I'd been away for three years, so I wanted a song that sounded a bit different, an evolution from where I'd left things. Again I worked with Sophie Muller for the video. We went to Venice. It's all based on a film called "Don't Look Now", starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, and features a creepy person in red who's haunting this couple while they're in Venice. For the video I was the creepy person in red, running round Venice. So I hope I don't scare you too much!
9) Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer
My next song I'd like to play is one of my more contemporary songs. It's on my fourth album, which I've just finished making. This song's called "Heartbreak". I started writing it as potential song to accompany my Greatest Hits, but while I was making it I felt that a Greatest Hits was a bit premature, and really I wanted to continue making another album. But you know, the fruit of my labour is worthwhile. I got Heartbreak, a potential Greatest Hits song, put it onto my fourth album instead, and filmed the video ten weeks after having a baby - which I don't know if I would recommend! I was in kind of a weird bubble. The nice thing is that I can't really remember a lot of the hard work - I don't think there was any hard work involved - I think I was just having a nice time with my new-born and occasionally singing in discos and clubs around London and the rest of the UK.
10) Bittersweet
I've been playing you some of the songs from my past, and I would now like to play you my most recent song. This is my new single and it's called “Bittersweet”. The song is another collaboration with The Freemasons. The Freemasons and I did “Heartbreak” together, and I liked them so much, and I like what they do so much that I worked with them again for Bittersweet. I think that for dance DJs they have such an unusual ability to also celebrate the pop and the melody in a song as well as well as making it sound really dance-y and pompous and euphoric. I think it's quite unusual to meet DJs who can put their egos to one side to actually let the song do what it's supposed to do as well. They do it so well, that's why people keep going back to them, including me! Bittersweet is all about a love affair that's probably going to do you no good but you can't help yourself. We've all done this.
11) Fill My Little World by The Feeling
This is Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Real Radio on Easter Sunday. I hope you're enjoying some chocolate eggs. Now I really couldn't get away with not playing something by The Feeling. I am married to the bass player of The Feeling, but I promise I am not playing this song because I have that bias. When I first met Richard and the drummer, Paul, who is now in The Feeling, but who was in my band (that's how I met them), I auditioned them, decided they were definitely good enough to play in my band - and potential marriage material as well! When I was finishing, I think, my second tour with Richard, when we first started dating he said, 'Actually I'm in a band' and gave me a CD. And I thought, 'Oh no!, here we go. I really hope I like this', because it's always an awkward moment when you find someone you fancy is playing music. 'I hope this is good, otherwise I'm going to be standing at the front of a lot of awful gigs'. But fortunately I was given a CD that included songs such as "Fill My Little World", "Sewn", and "Never be Lonely" and loads of stuff on their first record which has deservedly become quite a big hit record. I was so thrilled for the guys. They’re proper talented musicians and they're now working on their third album which is going to be just as good as the others. But “Fill My Little World” is still my favourite - it just reminds me of that time we first got together and had our baby and, so I would dedicate this to Sonny and Richard.
12. Take Me Home
I'm leaving you now. Thank you so much for tuning in while I've been picking songs from my career and songs that have influenced me. I don't usually play so much of myself, but I promise you they did ask me to do that. But it's been very nice to tell you what the songs mean to me, and the stories behind them. So go off and have your Easter eggs, have a lovely rest of your Easter Weekend, and thank-you so much for joining me. You've been lovely. See you again soon.
LISTEN TO THE WHOLE SESSION HERE
Transcript of Sophie's speech.
I'll be playing my big hits, some songs that mean a lot to me, and telling my story of ten years in music.
1) A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed
theaudience - a band that I was in between the ages of about 16 and 20. theaudience was my training ground for being a singer, and what made me want to do what I do now. We were part of a big hype, that band, and we got lots of offers from record companies. We ended up signing a deal and releasing an album, but it didn't really live up to the hype. I still have very fond memories of that time but it was a good experience of success and failure and put me in good stead for what was to follow. Yes, a lot of happy memories with that song.
2) Groovejet
Which leads me onto the song which really did establish me as a singer in my own right. It's a song called Groovejet which I did with a DJ called Spiller. With it I went in a completely different direction from Indie to dance music. It really was quite significant for me because it made me realise that I didn't have to be part of one specific genre, and if I called myself a popstar I could get away with doing whatever kind I wanted to do really. It's celebrating its tenth birthday this year.
I should tell you that Spiller is the tallest person I have worked with, ever! He said he was seven foot. I can't really contradict it, I couldn't really get up high enough to measure him, but definitely over 6'10'' I would say.
3) Murder on the Dancefloor
So after I finished working with him, I was left with the prospect of being a solo artist. I began work on my first solo album, which was called "Read My Lips". The song on that album which was always my friends' favourite when I was demoing the songs and playing them was called "Murder On The Dance Floor". My memory of it, which might be a bit hazy, was that the record company thought it might be a single, but there was not any big buzz around it. It was my girlfriends who made that song significant. I remember when I did my first live gig I dedicated that song to one of my girlfriends who had just broken up with someone, in an attempt to cheer her up. I think that's what has helped to keep my relationship with this song very pure; it was always my girlfriends' favourite, so how could I ever be fatigued by doing a song that's always gone down so well with me and my mates!
4) Mickey by Toni Basil
I would now like to play for you some songs which have influenced me, and I really couldn't do that without playing this next song because it is still as it was when I was about three - my favourite song of all time. It's "Mickey" by Toni Basil - a perfect pop song.
5) West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys
6) Suburbia by Pet Shop Boys
I was born in 1979, so I grew up in the 80s, and that was my introduction to pop music. One act, Pet Shop Boys, definitely had that 80s sound, and has been a massive influence on me as well as many others. They were the first purveyors of that sophisticated, elegant, synth, dry pop. Such a British sound as well! I don't think they've been that under-rated recently because they luckily won a Brit Award for contribution to British music, which was much deserved. They've been so consistent. I want to play their very first song because I still clearly remember when I first heard it. It's West End Girls.
7) Music Gets The Best Of Me
For me, being a popstar has always been about the visual side as well, so making the videos has always been pretty significant. I was very fortunate in that the first director I ever worked with for my solo stuff was a woman called Sophie Muller. She's made incredible videos throughout her whole career, and I didn't realise how much I'd fallen on my feet until I saw the result of some videos we'd made, like “Take Me Home” and “Murder On The Dance Floor”. Actually my fondest memories are for this next song, called “Music Gets The Best Of Me”. I filmed the video first of all without her, and when I saw it back, it just didn't really work. It was a bit clunky and considered, and didn't have that kind of joie de vivre that I think you should get from watching a pop video. I spoke to Sophie and said 'I'm in a bit of a pickle, I need to make a new video.' She said, 'Well, I've got next week off so lets go to Torremolinos - just you and me and the make-up artist and two crew members. We'll just go down there and kind of have a date almost, and do all the silly things you always want to do when you're on holiday.’ That's what we did. We went on pedalos, crazy golf, we went to fair grounds, we went for a car journey, we drank cocktails, ate food. The results are the video for “Music Gets The Best Of Me”, and it's still my favourite. It's the video where I see the "me" as I see myself. I guess you any get that when you work with someone a lot, then they can see it too.
8) Catch You
Now I'm going to skip a few years. “Music Gets The Best of Me” was from my first album, and I've now jumped through to my third album. Although I had a happy time with my second one, it was not an easy situation. I was blonde, which I didn't think suited me so much, I was breaking up with someone who was also managing me - which I would not recommend - and it was not until I got to my third album that I felt I was in a much happier situation. I made this record after I had my first baby, Sonny, with Richard who was my bass player. He is not working for me now, but he is my husband. It worked out for the best in the end, it had a happy ending! This song "Catch You" was the first single from the third album. I'd been away for three years, so I wanted a song that sounded a bit different, an evolution from where I'd left things. Again I worked with Sophie Muller for the video. We went to Venice. It's all based on a film called "Don't Look Now", starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, and features a creepy person in red who's haunting this couple while they're in Venice. For the video I was the creepy person in red, running round Venice. So I hope I don't scare you too much!
9) Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer
My next song I'd like to play is one of my more contemporary songs. It's on my fourth album, which I've just finished making. This song's called "Heartbreak". I started writing it as potential song to accompany my Greatest Hits, but while I was making it I felt that a Greatest Hits was a bit premature, and really I wanted to continue making another album. But you know, the fruit of my labour is worthwhile. I got Heartbreak, a potential Greatest Hits song, put it onto my fourth album instead, and filmed the video ten weeks after having a baby - which I don't know if I would recommend! I was in kind of a weird bubble. The nice thing is that I can't really remember a lot of the hard work - I don't think there was any hard work involved - I think I was just having a nice time with my new-born and occasionally singing in discos and clubs around London and the rest of the UK.
10) Bittersweet
I've been playing you some of the songs from my past, and I would now like to play you my most recent song. This is my new single and it's called “Bittersweet”. The song is another collaboration with The Freemasons. The Freemasons and I did “Heartbreak” together, and I liked them so much, and I like what they do so much that I worked with them again for Bittersweet. I think that for dance DJs they have such an unusual ability to also celebrate the pop and the melody in a song as well as well as making it sound really dance-y and pompous and euphoric. I think it's quite unusual to meet DJs who can put their egos to one side to actually let the song do what it's supposed to do as well. They do it so well, that's why people keep going back to them, including me! Bittersweet is all about a love affair that's probably going to do you no good but you can't help yourself. We've all done this.
11) Fill My Little World by The Feeling
This is Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Real Radio on Easter Sunday. I hope you're enjoying some chocolate eggs. Now I really couldn't get away with not playing something by The Feeling. I am married to the bass player of The Feeling, but I promise I am not playing this song because I have that bias. When I first met Richard and the drummer, Paul, who is now in The Feeling, but who was in my band (that's how I met them), I auditioned them, decided they were definitely good enough to play in my band - and potential marriage material as well! When I was finishing, I think, my second tour with Richard, when we first started dating he said, 'Actually I'm in a band' and gave me a CD. And I thought, 'Oh no!, here we go. I really hope I like this', because it's always an awkward moment when you find someone you fancy is playing music. 'I hope this is good, otherwise I'm going to be standing at the front of a lot of awful gigs'. But fortunately I was given a CD that included songs such as "Fill My Little World", "Sewn", and "Never be Lonely" and loads of stuff on their first record which has deservedly become quite a big hit record. I was so thrilled for the guys. They’re proper talented musicians and they're now working on their third album which is going to be just as good as the others. But “Fill My Little World” is still my favourite - it just reminds me of that time we first got together and had our baby and, so I would dedicate this to Sonny and Richard.
12. Take Me Home
I'm leaving you now. Thank you so much for tuning in while I've been picking songs from my career and songs that have influenced me. I don't usually play so much of myself, but I promise you they did ask me to do that. But it's been very nice to tell you what the songs mean to me, and the stories behind them. So go off and have your Easter eggs, have a lovely rest of your Easter Weekend, and thank-you so much for joining me. You've been lovely. See you again soon.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Starlight (LIVE!!!)
Sophie performed what seems to be her new single live at the iTunes festival. My previous post was about the same song - Starlight, produced by Richard X, co written with him and Hannah Robinson. The song sounds more epic than Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer. If this is the follow up single, then yay!!
Thanks to Dazzle on the PopJustice forums
Here's the link - watch the video for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYt6uomVQOw
She looks amazing as ever, and sounds brilliant. I can imagine how good the track will sound in the CD!!
Sophie's set list for the event was:
1. Take Me Home
2. Catch You
3. Starlight - brand new song from the 4th album
4. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
5. Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)
6. Murder On The Dancefloor
EDIT - after watching the performance over 17 times on my computer, i've made up my mind. The song has an amazing chorus!! I'm in love with the middle 8. It sounds very Madonna-esque. And the song is almost 4 minutes! Fulfilling!!! Kudos to Richard X. It sounds like an upbeat ballad, but then again, most of Sophie's songs do. I think she's saying "we beloooooooooong to the starlight starlight starlight". The sound on the recording isn't very clear. I can't wait for an actual HQ recording. It should be aired on the telly soon (maybe tonight), keep your eyes peeled.
EDIT 2 - after watching it again, i think its going to be the New York City Lights of the 4th album. Can't think of a better comparison. Extremely radio friendly, quenches your thirst, gives you everything that you were looking for in the song....
Thanks to Dazzle on the PopJustice forums
Here's the link - watch the video for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYt6uomVQOw
She looks amazing as ever, and sounds brilliant. I can imagine how good the track will sound in the CD!!
Sophie's set list for the event was:1. Take Me Home
2. Catch You
3. Starlight - brand new song from the 4th album
4. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
5. Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)
6. Murder On The Dancefloor
EDIT - after watching the performance over 17 times on my computer, i've made up my mind. The song has an amazing chorus!! I'm in love with the middle 8. It sounds very Madonna-esque. And the song is almost 4 minutes! Fulfilling!!! Kudos to Richard X. It sounds like an upbeat ballad, but then again, most of Sophie's songs do. I think she's saying "we beloooooooooong to the starlight starlight starlight". The sound on the recording isn't very clear. I can't wait for an actual HQ recording. It should be aired on the telly soon (maybe tonight), keep your eyes peeled.
EDIT 2 - after watching it again, i think its going to be the New York City Lights of the 4th album. Can't think of a better comparison. Extremely radio friendly, quenches your thirst, gives you everything that you were looking for in the song....
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Freemasons Launch Party Gig: Sophie horribly out of tune
At the Freemasons album launch party Sophie performed "Heartbreak" promoting the single again. But this time she was completely out of tune and the song sounds horrible. But thankfully, the crowd seemed to enjoy her presence on the stage. Hell, they even sang along with her. Could this be her 2nd Murder On The Dancefloor, in terms of popularity?! Maybe!Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnFrgmIRxkY
Oh and i nicked this pic of Sophie from Isabella's site - Sophie Online. Wonderful place with an amazing gallery. You should stop by sometime.
Sophie just doesn't seem like the Sophie we know in this pic. She looks so wild. And her nose looks different. I love it. I think this is how the 4th album shoot should be. Stripped down to the basics. Sophie in a white/light grey background...all skin and make up - close up pictures. I keep saying this, and i'm going to keep saying this. Rimmel did a lot of good for Sophie. She is a whole lot wilder than she was before. Oh, and would anyone agree with me if i said Sophie doesn't look like she has aged in 10 years!? She still looks like a 20 year old, forget being a mom of 2! Richard is one lucky guy!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sophie performed at the last ever G-A-Y
Sophie was one of the performers at the last ever G-A-Y saturday night. Sophie has been performing at G-A-Y ever since her first single came out, and it was her favourite stage. Anyway, Sophie performed her new song Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer (which might suggest that its the new single from the 4th album. Click here and here to watch snippets of the video) and Murder On The Dancefloor (of course, like she would miss this one out. Click here to watch the full video). She also did a duet with The Feeling - Video Killed The Radio Star (Click here to watch the full video).
Except for that tacky outfit, Sophie seemed to perform well on stage and the crowd loved her as usual. Looking forward to more duets with The Feeling...
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