Sophierazzi: Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer

Showing posts with label Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer. Show all posts

Monday, October 3, 2011

Jakatra, Australia, new album, Rebellion and more...

Okay, I've been very busy with work. I've been working more than 18 hours on some days. So I apologise for the lack of updates. Moving on to the important stuff.

First of all, have you all bought Rebellion (Lies)? If you haven't, buy it now. It is 4:42 minutes of pure brilliance. Its definitely up there with her best covers to date. Sophie sounds absolutely gorgeous on the track, and the "Lies, lies" bit is fabulous. Right now, the track is sitting as track #15 on Make a scene for me. I will move it into my list of Sophie b-sides and side releases after a few months. It's a very good song. So buy it. Don't download free mp3s, buy the song off iTunes. It's for a good cause. Here's a link to the album on UK iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/songs-to-save-life-in-aid/id454729655
Please buy the song.

Second. Sophie was in Jakarta, Indonesia recently. She hadn't been there since 9 years, but the crowd gathered at the Java Soul Nation festival seemed to know and like her new songs. The best part of the show was when the entire crowd sang along to Murder On The Dancefloor...not just the chorus, but the ENTIRE song. Sophie must have been over the world to hear the crowd's response to that song. She even mentioned this in her recent official catch-up, but more on that later.

You can also download the audio from the entire show right here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?vrsmqy8jqaw67ys
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UMQWDSWE
Thanks to Paul for the recording. You've done a fabulous job as usual.

Third. Sophie is in Australia promoting her new album. She had two club-shows - one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. She also had some TV appearances where she performed her new single Starlight and Murder On The Dancefloor.

Murder On The Dancefloor - http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/-/watch/26771578/sophie-ellis-bextor-performs-live/

Starlight - http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-morning-show/video/-/watch/26773107/sophie-ellis-bextor-makes-a-scene/

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/sophie-ellis-bextor-scene-and-heard/story-e6frfn09-1226154480951

IT must be murder juggling motherhood with a career filling dance floors but Sophie Ellis-Bextor makes it seem effortless. Here she tells JACQUI SWIFT about her new record that features Calvin Harris, Roisin Murphy and Metronomy.

Your new album Make a Scene is your career high. Do you agree?
When I finished it, I was so pleased. I'm always wary of reviews as you only ever remember the nasty ones but, without blowing my own trumpet, I can say it's my best album yet because of the people I worked with Calvin Harris, Roisin Murphy, Metronomy, Richard X, Cathy Dennis, Greg Kurstin, I was very spoiled.

Tell us about the big-name producers and co-writers on the record.
I had a wish list and they're all on there. They're all perennial talents who have either been around for ages, or are going from strength to strength. It was great. There will always be a core of six to eight tracks which define what the record is about and then I pick and choose from the rest, which add to the colour of the album.

So what's the process when you have so many different people to work with?
Hopefully, whatever I bring to the table when I'm writing helps give it cohesion. I'm someone who has always been quite clear about what I like. In the studio, I'm not a control freak but I know what I want. It's an arms-in-the-air dance album.

Does it take you back to your Groovejet days?
Yes, a little bit. I think it's all about the rise of the DJ again. When Groovejet came out, people knew a few of the names but then they went back to being a bit more niche and underground. Now you have people like David Guetta and Martin Solveig who are on the radio as well as in the clubs and I think that's a really good thing.

Dial My Number is about a stalker. What's the story behind it?
Someone had my number and they started text-stalking me. I've never replied to them. It was tempting to write back, but I resisted. It's funny how intimate it feels to get a text. I got one on the way to the studio, so we ended up writing that song.

So what's next for you?
I want to make something different, take myself out of my comfort zone, but then I want to do four-to-the-floor as well and I want to work with Deadmau5.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor plays Home the Venue, Darling Harbour, on October 2. Make a Scene (Shock) is out now.

Fifth. Sophie Ellis-Bextor never misses the beat

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/confidential/sophie-ellis-bextor-never-misses-the-beat/story-e6fredq3-1226156472856

A MOTHER of two and celebrating album No. 4, Sophie Ellis-Bextor whirled into town last week to reintroduce herself to her dance constituency.
It has been a decade since Ellis-Bextor fired up the charts with the inescapable hit Groovejet (If This Ain't Love), backing that up with Murder On The Dancefloor and last year's single Bittersweet.
Her new record Make A Scene features a who's who of hitmakers including Calvin Harris, Freemasons, Richard X, Armin Van Buuren and Metronomy.
"I have always been rubbish at predicting what will make the charts so I play to my strengths and do what I like," she said before her performance at Home last night.
"If you're making music to dance to, if the song doesn't finish with me standing up out of my seat and dancing around the studio, it's not going to work."
Ellis-Bextor hinted her next album, already underway, will be a departure from clubland to something more "reflective".
Rumour has it she is being courted to return to Sydney next March for Mardi Gras.

Sixth. Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Still killing it on and off the dancefloor

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2011/09/sophie-ellis-bextor-still-killing-it-on-and-off-the-dancefloor.html

Sophie Ellis-Bextor hasn't been to Australia in about nine or ten years, so she has been long overdue for a visit to our shores!

The last time Sophie was here her song "Murder on the Dancefloor" was riding high in the charts and the dance song "Groovejet" that she recorded with the Italian DJ Spiller was pumping out of clubs.

Now she is back with a new album called "Make A Scene" that features collaborations with some of the biggest DJ's in the world at the moment including Calvin Harris and Armin Van Buuren.

So today on the program we wanted to find out what Sophie had been up to in the last nine or so years.

Bernie Hobbs found out all about Sophie's family, running club nights, performing in Jakarta, growing up in the UK, and some the charity work that she has done.

It was a lovely chat and if you are are a fan of Sophie, you'll enjoy hearing the chat again below.

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://blogs.abc.net.au/files/sophie-ellis-bextor-interview.mp3

Seventh. Official Catch-up with Sophie.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=375&msg=1#comments

Hi Sophie. How are you?
Not too bad, thanks.

You're speaking from the future.
Haha! I am, it's evening here in Sydney, so it must be morning there?

That is correct. What's going to happen today?
It will be quite cold. And it will rain a little bit.

Not in London, it won't. It's gorgeous here.
Yeah, I heard. But it was actually quite good weather for wandering around Sydney, which is what I've been doing today. It's like spring weather. Nice to walk around in. I've had a lovely day pottering about on my own.

Are you literally out there on your own?
My sound guy, Duncan has here, but I haven't actually seen that much of him. He's been doing his own thing. We got here yesterday morning from Jakarta. And Kat is arriving from the UK any minute now. Then the promo really starts in earnest tomorrow.

Kat, of course, is becoming familiar to the readers of your website as the person who does the photoblogs.
I know! I'm so glad she does that, because I'm so rubbish at taking pictures. I've never really been a good documenter. But she's really good at it.

For those readers who don't know Kat, what does she do?
She works with Derek, who's my manager. She's brilliant. She's his assistant, but she's often the one that comes with me on my trips. She's a very good travel companion. Even though she's only 24, some people say we're like two old women who go off and holiday together. We always make sure we do things during the downtime, like go for a walk or a swim or something.

So, how was Jakarta?
It was actually really impressive. I hadn't been there for ten years. In fact, the last time I went to Jakarta was the same trip I last went to Sydney, around the time Read My Lips came out, when we were away for a month, going all round Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. So it tied in quite nicely to have these two club shows in Australia and a big festival show in Jakarta before that.

How did it go?
Well, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I had like 5,000 people in this arena, and they were a really brilliant crowd. It was a very satisfying gig. They really seemed to know and like a lot of my stuff.

That's nice.
It really is. I'm always a bit trepidatious about who'll remember and who'll come, but it's amazing how many do. Jakarta was great and both of the Australian shows have sold out. And on my day out today, I kept bumping into people that recognised me, which was really nice. Sydney is such a friendly city. I bought a dress and the guy was like, "I hope you're looking forward to Sunday, it's going to be really good". It was really sweet.

Do people tend to say the same kind of things when they spot you in the street?
The number one thing is "Do you know you really look like that singer?" I get that more than anything else. I think it's because when I'm on stage I've got the full glam thing done, and I don't do that when I'm walking around. I'm quite low-key. So I think people think I can't be the same person.

Do you ever deny it's you?
Occasionally. But only very rarely. Only if I'm feeling a bit rubbish. But usually it's really nice. Like a guy I met on the street last night was so sweet and excited that I put him on the guest list for Sunday.

So you've only been to Sydney once before?
That's right. And last time I came I spent more time in Melbourne. So today I went out for about four or five hours just wandering around. And my step-cousin Kate is working and living here at the moment, so I met up with her yesterday afternoon. It's a lovely place to hang out. And it's a really easy city to walk around in, which is my favourite kind of city.

Did you go and see all the big sights?
I guess I did, really. I went to the Sydney Opera House. And I went on the train. They have double decker trains, so I obviously went upstairs! And we walked around this area called the Rocks, which is really pretty. And today I went around Surrey Hills and down Crown Street because there's loads of vintage shops around there. Then I walked more into the commercial area for a couple of basic things I needed - so I went to where Westfield is. Although our Westfield in Shepherd's Bush is certainly a lot nicer!

Are the two gigs just club shows then?
Yeah, exactly. The band aren't here, but I'll be doing a good half hour of greatest hits. They're part of two big party nights - I'm on pretty late at both - and it's a holiday weekend here, so there should be a good atmosphere. I'm just going to try and keep people dancing.

Are they a bit like Australian versions of G-A-Y?
I think so, yes. Particularly the one in Sydney, because it's apparently the biggest club in Sydney. They should be fun.

Has the new album been released in Australia?
Yes, it's out this week, and Starlight is at radio now.

It is quite amazing to go to the other side of the world after a decade and find people still listen to your music.
Absolutely. That sort of thing never fails to impress me. Like when I was in Jakarta, even checking into my flight there the woman behind the desk was telling me I was a trending topic on Twitter there. It's crazy. I never get jaded about that sort of thing. I think it's incredible. Actually, I couldn't sleep last night because of jet lag and I was working out how many cities I travelled to in the last two months, and I've performed in 18. Everywhere from Beirut to Istanbul to Moscow to Barcelona. It's amazing.

And it does sort of show how well Polydor did in the early days to get your music out there.
Oh completely. Groovejet was successful, but it was Murder on the Dancefloor that I think made people put a face to the voice, so to speak. That song really changed things, I think. And I'm still realising that now. At the time it was all part of a snowball.

Are you stopping off anywhere on the way back from Australia?
No, only for the plane to refuel. I leave on Monday then land back on Tuesday. Then I've got a couple of shows in Moscow at the end of next week. And then hopefully after that I'm not travelling anywhere for a while! And The Feeling are playing Shepherd's Bush Empire, so I'm going to do my duet with them there. I'm looking forward to that.

Talking of flying to Russia, some of your male fans were no doubt impressed by the Aeroflot outfit you modelled on Twitter recently!
Hahaha! I think it's so cool they gave me a uniform.

How did that happen?
I went on one of their flights and they had these really cool uniforms. Really 60s in this red/orange colour with big white lapels. I think they're very stylish. So I said on Twitter that I loved them and they spotted it and asked if I'd like one. Then they met me in the hotel foyer. And not only did they give me the dress - but the heels, the hat, the gloves and a scarf! So I can use it for a multitude of things. I could perform in it at something like G-A-Y, or wear it for fancy dress. Or just wear it for a night out. And if I wear it when I'm going through an airport, I might be able to go in the fast-track lane! It's funny the things you get excited about, but I'm really chuffed about it.

And where are you at with work on your next album?
I've been doing a bit of work in the studio at home with Richard, but the plan is really to try and gig as much as I can between now and Christmas, and then maybe January, February, March and April are blocked out with songwriting. I don't want to dawdle on this one. I want to knuckle down and get the album done in the spring. Because in the past I've been so bad at letting an album go, but I really like the idea of just really getting on with it. I think that might make me make a slightly different style of record, which I feel like I need to do. I'm really excited about getting into it.

What do you have planned for this evening?
I think Kat and I are going out for supper. But I've got a horribly early start tomorrow. I've got people coming to my room at 5am to start getting me ready for breakfast TV. But if last night's sleep is anything to go by I'll probably be awake then anyway! It was so crappy. I went to bed at like half 11 then woke up 3 and just couldn't get back to sleep.

Oh dear.
I know. I have had a really lovely trip, but I am looking forward to coming home. This has been the longest I've been away from the kids, so that's not been the easiest. That's why I've not been to Australia for a while. Skype has been a life saver. We've been putting it on in the morning before school. But I can't wait to get home and see them for real.

Eighth. A must listen. Stefano Mattara Extended Remix of Starlight. Its definitely better than the other two that we have heard so far.
http://soundcloud.com/mattara/sophie-ellis-bextor-starlight

SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR - STARLIGHT [STEFANO MATTARA RMX EXT] by MATTARA

Ninth. Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Live in Sydney, review by Mike from Pop Trash Addicts

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://poptrashaddicts.blogspot.com/2011/10/sophie-ellis-bextor-live-in-sydney.html

Read Mike's review on Pop Trash Addicts (link above). It sums up why we're all such ardent fans of Sophie. I'm going to post the pictures from the gig here.

Thanks for the pictures Mike.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Make a scene: Review

MAKE A SCENE (2011, EBGB RECORDS)

Three albums, four years of recording and delays, and five singles later, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has returned with one of the most anticipated albums of the year - "Make a scene"; collaborating with the cream of pop-dance producers including voted #1 DJ of the world Armin Van Buuren, chart toppers Calvin Harris and Freemasons, that incredibly talented Joe Mount of Metronomy and God himself - Richard X. Of course, there are a few regulars here - Greg Kurstin, Liam Howe of Sneaker Pimps and Dimitri Tikovoi; and a surprise collaboration with Fred Ball... So does this make the album a generic and manufactured one - NO!

The album opens with a bang (literally - "bang, bang, it’s a hold up"). Revolution, the album opener, has Sophie attempting a monotone delivery for the second time in her career (check the middle-8 from "Making Music", Shoot from the Hip). The chorus is simple, repetitive and arresting; the "army" hook is catchy. Cathy Dennis, who worked with Sophie on her last top 10 hit Catch You (which was also a Denis/Kurstin collaboration), co-wrote the song - and in fact, came up with the self-referencing line in the song (the line in the bridge - "face to face its murder on the dancefloor"). Revolution is highly energetic and frenetic, but is very short. It feels like the song is in a hurry to be done and introduce what seems to be Sophie's best album yet. (9/10)

All those cymbal crashes in Revolution lead to this big crash in the very beginning of track two. Bittersweet is a song produced by Freemasons and Biffco. The song was Sophie's second single off the album, but failed to set the charts on fire. Nonetheless, it received an overwhelmingly good response from her fan-base and went on to become the Song of the Day on PopJustice. It even kept Sophie on top of the PJ Almighty for what seemed like an eternity. Bittersweet is enthralling - with flawless production sampling bits from "Fade to Grey" by Visage and "Blue Monday" by New Order; the song even draws influences from "You Spin Me Around (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. Sophie effortlessly mews over the production. The meandering melody in the chorus, the cut-up vocals in the middle-8, the whispering bits and that incredible close to the chorus (the heavenly "oh-oh-oh-so here I am" bit) - all these make Bittersweet the ultimate pop/dance song that most solo female acts would kill for. To sum up, the song is a modern classic. (10/10)

Off And On, the planned-to be-sixth single off the album, is the first of the two songs with no lyrical contribution by La Bex. Originally written and demo-ed for Roisin Murphy's 2007 album, 'Overpowered', the song was handed over to Sophie to promote the then-planned Greatest Hits compilation. Fortunately, recording sessions proved fruitful and now we have the 4th album instead. Off And On is a commercial electro-pop number, which has been edited since its original premiere on Sophie's MySpace several years ago. Could this be the first top ten single from the album - I sincerely hope so, but only commercial radio can give this song the exposure it deserves. (9/10)

Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) was also made to promote the GH compilation. The original demo is significantly different from the final mix that was released as a mutual single by Freemasons and Sophie back in 2009. The song charted just outside the top 10, but stands as the highest charted single from the album (in the UK) and has become one of her most popular songs since Murder on the Dancefloor. Described as electro-dance monster, the song will have you moving along to the loud synths and the big beats. This song, along with Bittersweet, proves that the Bex Monster and Freemasons are a match made in pop heaven. The Freemasons have always had brilliant and glittery production on their songs; their two songs on this album are no different. Their production brings out the emotion and drama in Sophie's voice - something that is absent in your regular commercial dance songs (yes Guetta, I'm talking about you) (9.5/10)

Not Giving Up On Love, the fourth single off the album, is a trance song, with a simple piano loop, great synths, some live drums thrown in here and there and, of course, Sophie's ever-so lush vocals. Miss E.B. is no stranger to melancholic melodies - what some fans consider her forte. The song is a collaboration with Armin Van Buuren, who is the voted #1 DJ of the world. The song was a big success in several countries across Europe but had no impact on the UK Charts. Vocal trance is a new field for Sophie, and I look forward to more trance DJ-collaborations in the future. The full length club edit is so much better than the hurriedly edited radio version, but you simply cannot have a 6+ minute trance track in the middle a pop album - still, it is worth listening to. (10/10)

The next song, Can't Fight This Feeling, is a collaboration with upcoming French DJ Junior Caldera. This is his biggest success across Europe, and in fact the song got a lot of attention from Sophie's fanbase in Russia and some other countries across Europe. On my first listen, both track 5 and 6 stuck out like a sore thumb. The song isn't bad at all. It is very commercial sounding, very 2009-10. Its weird because her songs almost never sound 'current'. Its very hit or miss really. I liked the song a lot when it was released as a single before Bittersweet, but the shine has worn off now. Sophie has recently written another track with Junior Caldera. Lets hope that song sees the light of the day in some form. (7/10)

If I have to sum up the next song in one word, I would only say "heavenly". Starlight, produced by Richard X *screams* is straight out of the 80's. Starlight is released as the 5th (overall) single from the album, the 4th in the UK. You can watch the video, directed by her father, Robin Bextor, right here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDlkxDu06OU
The song has a melancholic feeling, and is slightly ethereal and lush. This is definitely one of the best songs on the album. I'd love for Sophie to work with Richard X *screams* again. Starlight is positioned in the perfect place - and feels refreshing to listen to after 6 dance songs that play back-to-back! You don't know what heaven feels like until you have heard this song. Everything from the slick production and the poetic lyrics to the lush vocals are perfect. One thing that will really grab your attention is the almost-Madonna-esque middle-8; "We are one". (10/10)

Sophie performed Under Your Touch last year on the Album Charts Show and I was really looking forward to listening to the studio version of the song. It is produced by long time collaborator Liam Howe of the Sneaker pimps. The song begins with eeire strings, which brings to mind Madonna's "Sorry". The song has a very busy production, with loads of sounds building up as the song progresses. Sophie sounds fantastic. The mechanised vocals in the song were a nice surprise. It might sound slightly filler-ish on the first listen, but after a couple of listens, the song grows on you, and you tend to put this into a long list of songs that should be singles. (8.5/10)

The title track, Make A Scene, is unlike anything that she has ever done before. The song begins with some clunky notes and a strange beat, and soon builds into this really bouncy jam. The chorus is phenomenal and has Sophie screaming "come on now" as she makes a scene. The almost spoken verses, the saxophone, the really weird drum sequence that sounds a little off-track in the first few seconds, Sophie screaming in some places - in theory this will seem like one of the worst ideas ever. But it all comes together so well - everything feels so disjoint, but at the same time, its all very 'together'. One must give sufficient credit to Joseph Mount, of Metronomy, who helped co-write and co-produce this song. You can definitely hear some 'Nights Out' influences in this song. You might even say that this song sounds like something off Roisin Murphy's 'Ruby Blue' album, crossed with production by Basement Jaxx (now that is a collaboration that should happen!). I'd love to see more Sophie-Metronomy songs in the future.(10/10)

Magic is the second of the two Richard X *screams* songs on the album. The song is, as the title suggests, magical. It begins with simple "ooh ooh"s and builds up into this 80's influenced, scratch that, 80's epic. A simple-but-massive chorus takes centre stage; the production really brings out the best in Sophie's voice. I'm a sucker for anything Richard X *screams*, but this has to be one of his best productions. Lyrically, the song is very poetic, much like Starlight. The middle-8 contains whispers again. Sophie brought whispers back in fashion - I'm not even sure if whispers went out of fashion, but I'd love to give Sophie credit for putting whispers on two (thats right, TWO) songs on the album. Well done Sophie. Well done Hannah. Richard X *screams*, I salute you! (10/10)

The next song is a historic moment in pop music (or so I think, don't burst my bubble). Sophie is probably the only popstar in the world to have used the word "politicise" in a song. And as a fan from PopJustice once said, she is also, probably, the only popstar in the world to have written an electro-pop number about a text stalker. Now THIS is your quirky pop song. The almost story-like lyrics describe Sophie's attitude toward her text stalker. One line in particular - "when you're lost at sea, I'm on land" - is like a slap-in-the-face-get-a-life type of situation. I love the general bitchy-ness about the song. Dial My Number is produced by Liam Howe and co-written with Hannah Robinson. The song, like the other Howe production, is very busy sounding, and quite loud. This was probably the most anticipated song on the album - and it could end up becoming a fan-favourite. (9/10)

Homewrecker is such an amazing-title for a pop song. You'd expect swearing and cursing on this song - but surprisingly, there's no swearing or cursing... or is there? The lyrics of the song are intentionally blunt, but also very witty. The “ho..ho..homewrecker” bit caught everyone by surprise. Its right there, she’s actually swearing, but its so wonderfully hidden beneath the apparent hook. Only Sophie Ellis-Bextor could swear and still sound so posh, take notes Ke$ha. The song is produced by Greg Kurstin, and has some similar production gimmics. The organ in the beginning of the song make this song seem almost-demented in some ways. Well done, Sophie, well done! (8.5/10)

Now is that point in the album when you're pretty much done with dancing and jumping around, and you just want to sit down and listen to some good pop music. And Sophie knows that. Synchronised, is the first of the two ballads on the album; the second song with no lyrical contribution by Sophie, and is truly immense. The song sounds very commercial - kinda like "If You Go"'s moody little sister. The song focuses on Sophie's vocal power, and that is, essentially, what makes this song a masterpiece. Sophie's vocals have never sounded this good and emotive. Here is solid proof against all those people who claim that Sophie cannot breathe life and emotion into a song - IN YOUR FACE, HATERS! (10/10)

Cut Straight To The Heart is the perfect close to a perfect album. The song features lyrical contribution by the infamous Ed Harcourt. Sophie sounds very vulnerable, and the general feeling and production of the song can be compared to one of her older songs from her second album - "I Am Not Good At Not Getting What I Want". The track has beautiful instrumentation, and also samples the drum sequence from Placebo's cover of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)", which is also, not so surprisingly, produced by Dimitri. The song might be slightly over-shadowed by the amazing-ness of its predecessor, but is no less brilliant. Sophie finishes the album in style. (10/10)

If you haven't heard this album yet, you haven't really heard what good pop music sounds like. Sophie has once again proved that she truly deserves the title "Pop Goddess". Well done.

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS:
Bittersweet
Not Giving Up On Love
Starlight
Make A Scene
Magic
Synchronised
Cut Straight To The Heart

OVERALL RATING: 9.3/10. Plus, additional 0.7 for the brilliant artwork and photographs in the album, all the effort that has gone behind getting it finally out there. A solid 10/10 effort overall!

...yes, this is exactly how I feel about the release. Its finally here, and it is flawless. Make sure you legally purchase a copy (or two) of Make a scene.

Link to online sites where you can buy the album:
iTunes UK
Amazon
7Digital

Buy the CD from here:
Amazon
HMV
Play
Tesco

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Koko Pop: Interview + performances of Starlight and Heartbreak

HEARTBREAK (MAKE ME A DANCER) (Live at Koko Pop)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N9SB9GW3

INTERVIEW (Sophie talks about her upcoming album and the new single, Starlight)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XJJI044K

STARLIGHT (Live at Koko Pop)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GV71N4YA

thanks Paul for the links

thanks to Renzo for the YouTube uploads

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.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Sophie on Alan Titchmarsh (performance) + Miracle (new song HQ DL)

Sophie was on Alan Titchmarsh yesterday when she performed Heartbreak. And what a wonderful performance it was! (i kept wondering why Alan Titchmarsh was such a familiar name, and then i realised my grandmother has a book written by him, Rosie - it's a sweet little book.)

Here is a recording of the performance - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1D1N70IJ

AND (the moment you've all been waiting for), here is MIRACLE in high quality. There are two separate links. One is for MP3 which is the original that was uploaded on youtube and soundcloud. The other is a slightly more polished AAC file, the volume has been adjusted and the unwanted silence at the beginning and end have been edited out. The AAC file is also tagged with a little artwork that i made for the leak.

Here are the files:
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/?ge8vd3tlhhe0z5w
AAC: http://www.mediafire.com/?qp469xn8hbvjshx

(you will find the lyrics to Miracle in my previous post)

Special thanks to Alex for the MP3 and Paul for the recording.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Pandemonium Tour, Day One

The set list at the Pandemonium Tour:

Dial My Number
Bittersweet
Murder On The Dancefloor
Take Me Home
Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
Get Over You
Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNayVBE-oUM&feature=player_embedded
(snippets from the show)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Acoustica

I know it's going to be a while before Not Giving Up is released. So i decided to compile a couple of Sophie's best acoustic performances. Everytime i listen to these acoustic versions of her songs, i keep wishing she'd make a fan-edition of Straight To The Heart with just acoustic versions of all the songs and a few of her singles. I don't know if that will ever happen, but if there are any Soph fans out there who want something like this too, here's a compilation just for your iTunes.

ACOUSTICA
1. Not Giving Up (Live Acoustic)
2. Bittersweet (Live Acoustic)
3. Getting Away With It (Live Acoustic)
4. Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer (Live Acoustic)

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/file/gm2gzljy00nngzy/SEB_Acoustica.zip

There are a couple of other songs that she has performed live with an acoustic setting - Today The Sun's On Us, Groovejet, Murder On The Dancefloor, If You Go etc., Look up these songs on youtube. They are equally brilliant. If you want mp3's for the same, leave a request and i'll have them uploaded for you.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

the campaign is a little messed up

I'm not very happy with how Fascination are handling Sophie right now. Someone on PopJustice once posted that there was going to be a strange release strategy for the new album. Back then nothing was revealed. First Fascination decided to include the Freemasons single on the album. Next they made Not Giving Up an Armin Vs. Sophie track. They will also release the Junior Caldera track in UK. Lets add two and two

1st single - Freemasons feat. Sophie - Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer

2nd single - Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Bittersweet

3rd single - Armin Van Buuren Vs. Sophie - Not Giving Up

4th single - Junior Caldera feat. Sophie - Can't Fight This Feeling

album released after this

No wonder they didn't let Roger Sanchez use the Sophie/Nervo track which he made for his album. Fans would be confused if it's a Sophie release for her album or if it's just a Roger Sanchez release.

If it goes this way, we can all say bye-bye to b-sides. I don't think any DJ would want to release a Sophie-only song produced by someone else on their single as a b-side. We'll just get some more boring remixes.

The whole campaign seems like a desperate act to save Sophie's career after Bittersweet's flop. Banking on the DJ's goodwill to release a single so they can get an easy hit. I mean, if all this is just to score hits, why not make a collaboration with David Guetta (as much as i hate the idea myself), cos anything with his name is a hit somewhere in the world. They should also let Roger use the track for his album and stick it at the end of Sophie's album as a bonus track or whatever. Roger is huge. Why aren't they using his name!?

If both Not Giving Up and Can't Fight This Feeling end up in the top 10 and top 20 respectively, then maybe we'll have a Sophie-only single after the album release. Maybe Starlight or Revolution or Off And On.

What are your thoughts about this?

Friday, July 2, 2010

Next Mag write up about Sophie's first performance in America

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://nextmagazine.com/nexus/scene-heard-dance-pier-sophie-ellis-bextor-says-without-gays-there-would-be-no-disco-um-duh

As the Gay Pride March wound down in the West Village, 14th Street filled with gorgeous men making their way to Pier 54 for the Dance On The Pier, the semi-official closing ceremonies of New York Pride. The marathon dance party featured sets by the Freemasons as well as "surprise" performances by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Ultra Natè. “This is my first ever bit singing in the States,” said a nervous Ellis-Bextor backstage. “I’m very fortunate that I have a lot of gay fans. I owe my career to them, really." Does that mean we get a cut of the royalties? (Kidding!)

The British singer couldn't have been happier to have her New York debut during Pride. “I suppose it’s just a celebration of all the positive sides of humanity, which is a brilliant thing to be proud of," she told us. "The gay community has been responsible for so much, particularly in the arts. I’d say I’m most proud, in terms of what I do, of their contribution to the disco movement. Disco wouldn’t exist without the gay community. And without disco you wouldn’t have contemporary dance music. That’s pretty substantial!” Good thing disco isn't dead, Sophie, or we'd all lose our gay cards!

But Ellis-Bextor, who wowed the waterfront crowd with "Murder on the Dancefloor" and "Bittersweet," isn't the only one happy to have the gays around. “I think the turnout and the attitude is something to be proud of this year." said James Wiltshire of the Freemasons, the dance's official DJs. (Wiltshire and partner-in-crime Russell Small produced Ellis-Bextor tracks "Heartbreak" and "Bittersweet.") "I got got trapped in the West Village today by the parade and it’s been an amazing atmosphere. It seems that the Pride event here goes across the entire cross-section of New York. It still seemed to have an element of the original standpoint as well, which is really good. It is a semi-politic celebration...The idea of standing up against ignorance and against bigotry seemed intact."

When asked what they hoped for their Pier Dance premier, Small said it was all about smiles. “Happy faces is the goal at the end of the day,” he uttered with a grin. “People coming out smiling, having enjoyed the evening, is what we hope for.”

With a packed dance floor, Wiltshire and Small in the booth, Ellis-Bextor and Natè singings their hits, and fireworks overhead, happy faces were in no short supply.

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

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.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Finally, a little info about that Scottish Style Awards

Pop princess Sophie Ellis-Bextor presented the lavish event, held at Glasgow's Old Fruitmarket, setting the tone by wearing five different outfits over the course of the evening and giving an energetic performance of her hit Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer.

SOURCE: http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/scotland/Glasgow-Fashion-Week-is-all.5784413.jp

Pop star and model Sophie Ellis Bextor fought her nerves to dazzle on the red carpet as this year's host. Sophie, 30, opened the show with a surprise live performance of her smash hit Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer, before showcasing no less than five designer outfits throughout the night.
She said: "I'm thrilled to present. These awards are my first ever compering gig and Halloween is the perfect night for me to be scared! It's an important event in the fashion calendar and it's an honour to be asked."

SOURCE: http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/11/01/scottish-style-awards-crown-actress-louise-linton-as-our-most-stylish-woman-78057-21789396/

Scots fashion designer Deryck Walker has been honoured for his contribution to the industry for a second year in a row.
Walker was crowned top designer at Scottish Style Awards hosted by pop star Sophie Ellis Bextor in Glasgow. The artist, who is from the city, was the favourite of the judging panel which included musician Tricky, stylist Judy Blame and jeweller Stephen Webster.

SOURCE: http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/scottish-news/2009/11/01/deryck-walker-crowned-top-designer-87085-25064437/

Well, the good thing is, Heartbreak might end up becoming her 2nd Murder On The Dancefloor in terms of popularity. I'm so happy that song is still alive and people still enjoy it! Fingers crossed the fourth album goes multi-platinum.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

2 more unofficial mixes of Heartbreak D/L mp3

Two more unofficial mixes of Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer. I haven't heard them yet, so i don't now what they sound like. I'm downloading them right now. Here you go

Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer (DJ Nejtrino & DJ Baur Remix)
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/55265618/file.html

Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer (Dmc Vityok Citi FM Especial Mix)
http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/25012064/file.html