Official Catch Up + Baby News + Jakarta set + Fuck With You Official Video

Hi all. I've been away for quite sometime; been very busy with my studies and my career. Also, nothing much was happening in Sophie-world all these days, so things were quiet around here. But now we're back online. Sophie has given birth to her third child, she is working on her fifth solo record - lets hope this year goes well for her.

So before we get to the official catch-up, here are some of the significant things I have missed out on all these days.

1. The FUCK WITH YOU video - It is branded NSFW.

2. Videos from Java Soul Nation (Jakarta) - SophieHQ have been uploading one video a week, and they promise to upload the entire set over a period of time. Its a good way to keep fans occupied, really. Although, I hope she considers releasing an EP of songs that didn't make it onto Make A Scene, just so we can kill time waiting for the next album.
Here are the videos:

Dial My Number

Bittersweet

Take Me Home

Me And My Imagination

Today The Sun's On Us

What Have We Started

Catch You

Starlight

3. Have you heard the latest leak? It's called "Work It Out". The entire song isn't out yet, but a snippet of the song was recently uploaded to Soundcloud. It sounds like the old Sophie, from the Read My Lips days..

4. Sophie gave birth to her third baby boy, called Ray Holiday Jones on April 25, 2012. A couple of tweets that followed the birth of the child -

5. A couple of other interesting tweets caught my attention. There was one with Billy Reeves (yes, The Billy Reeves of theaudience. Its nice to see they're still in touch). And another with Jake Shears...possible collaboration maybe? I hope so. Jake knows his way around good hooks. And an interesting response by the dirty rapper to what Sophie said on her interview.

6. And finally, here is the official catch-up from her official website. She revealed two song-titles - Love Is A Camera and The Wrong Side Of The Sun. The latter sounds phenomenal - hopefully it will be another Today The Sun's On Us / What Have We Started / Cut Straight To The Heart.

Hi Sophie, how are you?
Not too bad thank you.

Blooming and full of child!
Haha! Yeah I am. I'm at 38 weeks now.

So it's third time lucky with going the full term.
I know. It's been phenomenal. The people at the hospital have been absolutely brilliant. I do really appreciate it.

Have they had to pay you a lot of attention because you've had the two premature babies?
Yeah, exactly. They've had to keep an eye on me in case I started to get ill again, but I didn't. It's all good.

So you've never brought a newborn baby home before?
No, this will be the first time. Kit and Sonny both came home after about four or five weeks.

How are you feeling at the moment?
Excited, really. I have moments where I feel like I don't really know what to expect, but I just want to get on with it now, really. We're as ready for this baby as we're ever going to be!

Do you have an inkling of the sex.
We don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be another boy. We had quite a big visual clue at one of the scans!

Do you have names sorted?
Of course, yeah. I always do that. I'm a bit tragic. By the time you start telling people I already know what the names are. I like to be organised.

Has your girl's name been the same all three times?
No, I've changed it actually. I think you get to different points in your life and things have different resonance. Actually, people say to me, "I bet you want a girl" but I don't really feel like families work like that. When your child is born you just think, "Well, I was always going to have that baby". I didn't really realise that there was a bit of a thing about that. I've got three sisters, two brothers, we're all very higgledy piggledy. It didn't really occur to me that I would have any preference. But the amount of people that, if I say I think it's a boy, say "Aww" as if they feel sorry for me! And I'm like, "Well, I quite like the way they turn out!" And you do go into it knowing it's 50-50!

You really do get that?
Oh totally. I had it a little bit with the second one, but I've had it tonnes this time around.

The idea that you would be disappointed with a boy because it's not a girl.
Yeah, exactly. Like, "This is a disaster! Why did nobody warn me this might happen?!"

So, once you've had the baby presumably you'll be taking a bit of time off work?
Yeah, well, I don't really know how I'll feel. I've got a couple of things in June and we'll see how it goes, really. There are a few things in the diary.

And it's nice to have that other side to your life still going.
Definitely. It's been quite a peaceful start to the year for me - which has been lovely - and I quite like seeing that I've got stuff going on. But we'll see. I'm going to try and sort the baby out with a passport quite quickly so that I can take it with me as well.

The other big news in Sophie world is that the Bob Sinclar video is out.
It is! How's that for synchronicity!

It's certainly quite a viewing experience.
Hahaha! Yes. There's a lot of really peachy bottoms. But hey he's French, what did you expect?

What do you think of it?
You know what, I really like it. I think it's really kitsch and cool. Bob asked me if I'd be able to do the video and I was like, "Um kind of, but only from certain angles!" So he decided to do it that way. And, actually, I think it's great. I'm happy.

And are you pleased with the song?
Yeah. I don't even think it's that rude any more - I just find it quite funny. But some people are still adjusting to it, I think!

It's incredibly catchy. You have to be careful or you find yourself singing that chorus in public places!
Well, there is an "I wanna rock with you" version. You'll be safer with that. Actually, I had to play the sweary version to my 7-year-old because I wanted him to hear it from me and noone else. I told him that in France it doesn't meant anything rude, it's only rude here. So he thought that was OK. He's obviously quite anti-swearing and he's never heard me swear either. I'm not really a very sweary person.

The song certainly makes up for that.
Haha! Exactly.

Remind us how you came to do the song?
I was sent an email from Bob and I was obviously aware of what he does, but then I saw in the subject heading of the email attachment, "Fuck With You" and I thought that was ridiculous. But then I heard it and thought, "Well this is really catchy and quite fun". And I always thought it was quite tongue in cheek. It's not just a sexy thing, it's more of a woman getting her revenge on someone. Like, I wanna mess with you. The rapper, Gilbere, is the really rude one. I wonder if he's told his parents yet!

And the timing of the song, with you about to go and have a baby is pretty good.
I just think it's hilarious. It tickles me.

So, what else have you been up to?
I've been doing a little bit of songwriting. I've been working a little bit more with Ed Harcourt. And I did a song with Cathy Dennis the other day. So, yeah, I've been keeping busy but just on a low-key, at home sort of way. And Richard and I have been doing a bit of writing as well. It's been fun.

What kind of stage are you at with an album?
I'd say I still need to knuckle down and do a few more months, really. But it's definitely taking shape. I've done some great stuff with Ed and we've found a bit of a musical direction. But I'm going to take a pause while I have the baby.

Is there a song title you can tease us with?
We did a lovely one called Love Is A Camera and we did another one called The Wrong Side Of The Sun.

Obviously we've been posting the Jakarta videos and they've gone down really well.
Yeah, that's been really good. They filmed it for TV, I think. It's quite good quality, I thought.

The crowd looks amazing.
Yeah, it was fun. We really had no idea what to expect going to a country I hadn't been to for a long time, so it was a nice surprise.

Do you have any notion of when you might start to put some new music out?
Not yet. It's a bit early to say on that front. We shall see.

And have you been filling the house with new paraphernalia for the baby?
Not really. The only thing we got was a new buggy, because the old one was looking really tired. We've gone for another Bugaboo.

What colour?
Navy. I always go for that. I know they come in really loud colours but I like it a bit more restrained. Black always seems a bit too severe, so navy is quite good. And then I got a new Moses basket because the handles on the old one were held together with string! But that's all we've done.

It's going to be so strange to have a tiny baby in the house for the first time.
I know! It's quite odd for Richard and I because we've actually been quite busy in the last few weeks, and then suddenly we're going to have this little baby in the basket and he'll actually be here. I can't imagine it at all.

Are the kids excited?
I think so. Kit wants to call the baby Rose, whether it's a boy or a girl. Before that he wanted to call it Power Ranger. He's a bit obsessed with Power Rangers. If any of my fans have got any Power Rangers that they're getting rid of, they can always donate them to Kit's Power Rangers collection. We have to know the name of all of them - and they have different names in each series. There's probably about 12 different versions of them and he likes to know each of their names. But, yes, Sonny is really looking forward to the baby, because he loves babies.

That's great.
Yeah. And I think Kit's just got his head around it in the last month or two. He's three now so he's starting to find his feet a little bit more. I think he's really warming to the idea of being a big brother. Sonny's going to be 8 on Monday, so I'm hoping he'll actually be able to give me a bit of help. I was 8 when my brother was born and I adored him and used to give him his bottle and look after him. And now he's my drummer!

And it's so nice that you've not had the stresses of the last two births.
Oh totally. I sort of want to tell people that. I know that a lot of women, if they've had two bouts of pre-eclampsia severe enough to have premature babies, they'll probably be really apprehensive at the idea of a third. I know I was. So it's really nice to know that it doesn't always happen. It's just been so lovely to be able to enjoy it this time.

Official Catch Up (2 parts) + Revolution

So a remix Revolution is released as a single in Italy. You can listen to the remix RIGHT HERE...

Here's the official Catch-up.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: www.sophieellisbextor.net

Hello Sophie, how are you?

I’m good thank you.

What are you up to?

I’m actually looking through a load of backing tracks. I’ve been sent some dance-y stuff over the last few weeks. So I’m going though them and seeing if there’s anything I want to work on.

So people just send you tracks out of the blue?

Yeah. It’s how I used to work years ago and then I stopped doing so much of that and started working in the studio with people. But then because I’d had quite a quiet January it’s been quite nice getting things sent over again. So I’ve just been pottering through them to see if there’s anything that grabs me and makes me want to write a chorus for it.

What’s usually the ratio of good stuff when you go through tracks like that?

It’s probably about 50/50, I would say. But some stuff you just get ideas for straight away, while other stuff I might like but realise it’s not quite right for me. So I would say there’s probably about 25% of it that I decide is worth working on. And the ones I’m actually disciplined enough to finish is probably about 5%.

Have you heard anything in this batch that you think could be good?

Yeah. There are two tracks which I’ve got on the go at the moment which I like.

What kind of thing?

Both quite dance-y. One is slightly Robyn-esque, I suppose. And the other one is a bit more anthemic, hands-in-the-air kind of thing.

And you receive them as instrumentals?

Yeah, that’s right.

Do they have any control over what words you choose to put on there?

Well, it will usually go back and forth a bit. That’s why working in a studio with people is much easier, because you thrash that out at the time. But I sometimes find that if I work with people I haven’t got a long working relationship with I can feel quite self-conscious trying to come up with stuff in the moment. So it can be easier to do it at home on your own. That’s actually the way that Groovejet started.

Ah, really?

Yes, that one was an instrumental that they sent to me. I used to work like that a lot. With Groovejet I went into a studio and just recorded what I’d done, which was verses, a chorus and a middle eight. I didn’t realise they’d been sending the same track to lots of people, but then they came back to me and said they liked my verses and my middle eight, but asked if I could use a Rob Davis chorus. And I was a bit confused, because I was quite earnest and this was actually the first song I’d ever written that was released. I was like, well, it doesn’t really make sense now, because the chorus and verse are talking about different things, so I had to rewrite it.

What was your original chorus then?

Well, Rob’s chorus was much more straight to the point and had a really great hook with a really good lyric. I think mine was a little bit more complicated. His was far and away better than mine! Mine was not so much a chorus with a capital C.

Do those old demo versions exist?

Probably somewhere. I haven’t really chucked much out, but I’ve got boxes and boxes of CDs, and I’m not exactly sure where it would be. I’ve still got the old demo cassettes from theaudience! I’m not sure whether I’ll ever come to actually sit down and go through them all. There’s always so many other things to be doing. I thought I’d get so much done in the first three months of the year before this baby comes, but actually I find if I’m not working then I want to be spending time with the kids. So yesterday I went to the Natural History Museum with Kit.

How was that?

It was actually really sweet. I hadn’t ever taken him there before and his big brother was at school, so we went on the tube and went to a cafe before the museum and then went around the dinosaurs. It was really nice to have that one on one time. It was a lovely day.

How was your Christmas?

Really, really lovely. I had it as a bit of a beacon before me because December was a bit full-on. I even had the offer of a gig that came in, which would’ve meant two flights there and two flights back and getting home on December 23rd. My manager phoned me and told me he wouldn’t let me do it because they were worried they might kill me! Which was good, as it meant I had Christmas week to get ready. We had 12 of us here for Christmas and it all went really well.

Apart from not receiving your full supermarket order, which you tweeted about.

Mmm. I thought that was really pathetic. I’d actually booked it for the 22nd so that I had a day to go and buy whatever they didn’t bring, in case there were any things missing. But there was just so much missing! There were no sausages, there were no carrots and there was no butter. Stuff like that. And I’d ordered it ages beforehand! I know there are bigger problems in the world, but it was rubbish.

Did the supermarket in question respond to you on Twitter?

Yeah, they did. They said if I DM’d my order number to them they’d try and sort it out for me. But I didn’t want special treatment. I didn’t think that was very fair. They should know what was in demand.

But your Christmas was all good in the end?

It really was. I think I was the most chilled out I’ve ever been doing it at home, because it was the least amount of people. My mum had bought pre-peeled potatoes from the online supermarket she uses. Oh my God! What a treat!

Did you get any nice presents?

I got really great presents. Now that I’m a grown-up I sort of forget that I’m going to get presents at Christmas too. So I think everything you get as an adult is more touching in a way. Richard did very nice presents - I’ve got flowers every other Friday for the whole year. And I got a massive jar of chip shop gherkins, because I love those. So I’m happy.

And then on New Year’s Eve you went off to Phuket with Richard. How was that?

It was pretty lush actually. We were booked for a full live show, so the band came too, which was great. We had three days in the sunshine eating Thai food and being on the beach. I’d never had a warm New Year’s Eve before, and I definitely get it now. I’ve always been a one family holiday a year in the summertime sort of person. But now I’m seeing the appeal of a winter break.

How was New Year’s Eve itself?

Well, it was a private party - held by Russians - and they did celebrations and fireworks at midnight Thai time and then more at midnight Russian time, which was 3am. There were loads of performers - Kelly Rowland was there, who’s always very lovely - and there were dancers and circus performers and all sorts. And the weather was lovely, which sounds obvious, but actually there were question marks that it might be stormy. It rained pretty much continuously the next evening, in fact.

You said on Twitter recently that you were struggling to find maternity wear.

Yeah, I just think a lot of it assumes that because you’re pregnant you don’t want to look fashionable or attractive - that you just want comfort and stretch and that’s about it. I think it’s a bit of an omission really. I don’t really understand why it’s not done better.

Have you ever been offered a clothes range or anything?

Well, it is something that I’ve been thinking about for maternity. A girlfriend of mine - who’s also having her third baby - is a stylist and we were thinking we should maybe look into it. Even if it’s just a very small range of really nice things which you could wear while you’re pregnant and then also for the first few months after you’ve had the baby. Some of your features you still want to show off. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean everything has to be a smock on top and down to your ankles. I quite like the 60s look where you have it A-line but still more tailored around the top. That’s quite cute. But I’ll do some research and see what comes out of it.

Official Catch Up (Dec, 2011)

Here's the December instalment of the Official Catch Up

SOURCE: www.sophieellisbextor.net

Hi Sophie, how are you?

I’m not too bad, thanks.

What have you been up to?

Well, I’ve had some nice trips. Richard and I have done a couple of DJ gigs abroad, which has been quite fun. We went to Kiev and Moscow, which was a giggle. And we went to Abu Dhabi for the Formula 1, because I did a couple of shows around that.

How was that?

It was cool, actually. I think if Richard hadn’t come with me it would’ve all been a bit lost on me. Not that he’s particularly into Formula 1, but because we were there together and being shown around garages and stuff it made it more fun. And seeing everything up close does make it more exciting.

Did you meet any drivers?

We did, actually. We met Lewis Hamilton really briefly before the race, and he was such a sweetheart - really friendly and smiley. It was good, because it meant I was really rooting for him and then he won.

How was the show?

Well, it was at this club thing called the Amber Lounge which travels around with Formula 1 doing all the after-show parties. I sung a couple of songs there on two of the nights. It was really fun. And it was nice to get some sunshine out there too. It’s a pretty amazing place, where pretty much everything seems to be new. We went to this hotel which cost $3.5 billion and it’s actually done pretty nicely, but they’ve got fresh flowers everywhere that are flown in from 10 different countries and replaced every 6-7 hours!

Crikey. That seems a bit wasteful.

Yeah, we were like, "Where do the old ones go?!" And they said they just throw them away. We were all really dismayed about that. I’m not sure that’s the reaction they were expecting.

What else have you been doing?

Yesterday I was at St Thomas’s hospital, because I do quite a lot of work with Tommy’s, the charity. I went along to meet the scientists and consultants who work for them, to see the work they’re doing for complications in pregnancy. It was really fascinating. It makes you feel so lucky to have been born in a country where you have access to treatment. I met a girl there who’s just come back from Somalia where they’re trying to find a way to get solar-powered blood pressure monitors, because people aren’t trained to use the old-fashioned ones and batteries get stolen. You just don’t think about things like that if you live somewhere like the UK.

That sounds like a worthwhile visit.

It really was. It was nice of them to give me their time, because I had loads of questions!

Sticking with charity initiatives, you read stories to a bunch of children at Ikea recently.

I did indeed. It was really sweet, actually. That was with Unicef and Save The Children. Ikea have been working with them for a while, I think. They’re trying to raise something like £12m, by giving a percentage of the money from all the books and toys they sell. So I just popped along and read a couple of stories for the kids.

Quite a few kids!

I know! When I got there, I asked how many children there would be, thinking they’d say 8 to 12, or something. And the lady was like, "Oh, maybe 50"! But they were actually very sweet. I thought I’d get kids wandering off and heckling, but they were very good. And they did that thing that kids do where they start off really spaced apart, and then gradually creep really close to you! I really enjoyed it.

Of course, you also currently have an unborn child inside you!

Haha! Yes I do.

How’s that all going?

Yeah, I’m in the good bit now - the middle section where you feel pretty happy and you’re enjoying it. The first 12 or 14 weeks were quite hard work. That was when I was doing Australia and Jakarta and Istanbul and Beirut. I just didn’t really stop. I think from the time I found I was pregnant until the point I could tell people I went to over 20 different cities. And also in the beginning bit I was feeling quite icky. It makes you feel like you’re hungover.

Oh dear.

Exactly. And, as when you’re hungover, you’re craving things like toast and baked potatoes and all the carbohydrates and comfort food. But you can’t really get toast and Marmite in Jakarta! But now I’m in the middle bit, I feel like myself again.

And it’s all going well?

Yep, at the moment. All good. I think I’m in safe hands.

So your unborn child is certainly a very well travelled baby.

It certainly is! And I’m travelling right up to New Year’s Eve, which is my last booked gig. I’m going to Thailand, which is amazing. I’m so excited about that.

You’ve had such a year of travelling to amazing places.

I know. I’ve been really lucky. Every year you start off the year wondering what it will bring, but it’s been as good now as ever.

What are you doing in Thailand?

A fully live show with my band in Phuket. I’ve got three nights there, which should be quite cool. I’ve only been to Bangkok, but I’ve looked online and Phuket looks incredibly beautiful.

You were also in Barcelona recently.

Yes, with a DJ called Brian Cross that I’ve been working with a bit. He’s lovely. I think that was my fourth show with him.

So you sing during his set?

Exactly. He does a show called Popstars - in fact he’s bringing out an album next year - and he’s recorded a song with me. So he does this big show and then halfway through I pop out and do a few songs. He’s a really nice guy.

The other big news is that you’re singing on a new song by Bob Sinclar - with the somewhat sweary title of 'Fuck With You'.

Haha! Yes. The perfect song for someone who’s about to have their third baby, I think.

How did that come about?

Well, I was obviously already aware of Bob Sinclar, and when I got sent the email about that track my first thought was that I wasn’t going to sing a song called that! But when I heard it I actually thought it was really playful and fun. So I thought, why not? And I take the view that the girl isn’t doing it in a sexy way. It’s more like, I want to mess with you, sort of thing. She’s kind of making fun of the guy. And I think the track is very upbeat and skippy. rather than a Love To Love You Baby sensual sort of song. The rap is pretty filthy, though!

And it’ll be on Bob Sinclar’s album?

Exactly. I’ve got no idea what’ll happen with it. I thought it wasn’t coming out until next summer, but then it popped up online recently. I think it’s in an Italian film, or something.

Are you making a video? That could be interesting.

Ha! There’s talk of doing it in the spring, after I’ve had my baby.

So what we need you to do Sophie is just leave your clothes there...

Haha! I won’t do anything that I don’t feel comfortable with. But I think Bob has some ideas.

But the plan is to promote it?

Yeah, I think so, although the plans are pretty vague. At the moment I’ve got January and February down for songwriting - I just want to knuckle down and try and get the album as shipshape as I can so that I can come back in the summer time and do some summer shows and bring out some new material. That’s about the shape of it.

So you’re still working on new stuff?

Yeah, although it’s been quite hard because I’ve been away so much. But I’ve got lots of lovely people lined up to work with in the new year, so I’m just going to knuckle down. Songwriting is the perfect thing to do in new year in any case, let alone if you can’t really be travelling. I think it’s going to be pretty ideal.

You’ve also done a cameo in Ricky Gervais’s new show.

Oh yes. I filmed that a while ago. It’s in the last episode of the series, I think.

Was that fun to do?

It was actually. It was very easy. I’m just playing myself, so it wasn’t too big a stretch. But it was a nice part and it’s just fun to be involved in something a bit different like that. The main guy - Warwick Davies - was really nice, so he put me at ease.

Do you have acting ambitions?

Well I think there’s always been a big crossover between performing on stage and in videos and acting. I think a lot of singers do a bit of both. So it’s not something I’m actively chasing, but I’m open-minded. If you’d asked me when I was 14 or 15, then acting was what I wanted to do. But singing is definitely my day job.

And with The Stone Roses getting back together, presumably discussions have begun for the big theaudience reunion?

Yeah, that’s very similar! Golly. No. I don’t think so.

Some day you’ll bow to the inevitable.

Hahaha! I’ll wait for the petition.

And are you all set for Christmas?

Pretty much. I think I’ve done 80% of my shopping. I’ve had to be really organised because I’m not really here in December that much. And I’ve ordered my turkey, because we’ve got everyone coming here again.

How many people are you cooking for?

I think there’ll be about 15 of us, with my mum and family, plus Richard’s folks. Actually my mum has ordered me some pre-peeled potatoes to make it a bit easier for me. I peeled about 60 last year and it really did my head in, so that was very sweet of her. But I like having it at home. I’m really looking forward to it.

Bob Sinclar feat. Pregnancy Hormones - Fuck With You

1. What you're going to hear might make you extremely happy, and at the same time really sad. You're going to be very embarrassed when the song is done, but you'll press-play again, cos lets face it, this is the catchiest thing Sophie has done since Catch You.

2. I'm going to quote dsdlovespop's post from PopJustice, "This song is a groundbreaking genre-defining MASTERPIECE." Yes. It's over the top amazing, and if it was a random somebody on this song, I'd play the shit out of it. Oh that chorus and bridge! If she used a tune like this on Make A Scene, it wouldn't have flopped like it did. But I wouldn't change a thing about her album. It's perfect the way it is.

3. Am I embarrassed because Sophie used the F word? Not at all. She's done it before in theaudience. It's actually funny because she seems sort of embarrassed to say the word, so she's using her falsetto for it.

4. She's really trying to be a big thing on the commercial scene, isn't she? Fair enough, everyone wants to make it big. The sad thing is, Sophie Ellis-Bextor just went from that classy-but-slightly-eccentric-posh-diva on Starlight to this trashy man-stealing-Ho. What really confuses me is that she was just singing about girls like this on her own album, and she's now playing that character. Explain yourself Bextor, NOW.

5. By now, you'd have reached the middle-8. Brace yourself, you might have a stroke. Surely she couldn't have been in her right senses when this decision was taken, don't you agree? Maybe, like ansintheboy said on PopJustice "she's taking the piss out of 'rent-a-rapper'", or maybe she's just FUCKING wit her fans...we know she loves to do that anyway.

6. To sum up:

• Sophie Ellis-Bextor just achieved the newest low in the world.
• Bob Sinclar took the purest thing in pop and turned it into the next Britney Spears. Shame on you man.
• I blame Sophie's pregnancy hormones for this (sorry love, I'm extremely happy for you and the baby, but clearly you weren't in the right mind when you sang this song.)
• The cover is rather lovely though.

Here's the song: Bob Sinclar feat. Pregnancy Hormones - Fuck With You. Apparently the song is going to be the soundtrack to some movie.

Fifth album, Bob Sinclar collaboration and more

So, SMEB's busy working on her fifth record. But here are the recent updates:

1. Not so long ago, Sophie mentioned that she had worked with Bob Sinclar. Well, the collaboration is included on his album "Disco Crash" which will be out in January. We still don't know what the song-title is and who the co-writers are. Let's hope it's a melancholic disco song...

2. I have already mentioned a new song title that surfaced recently. For those of you who don't remember, its "Love Is A Camera", co-written with Ed Harcourt. It seems like she has written a new song called "My Hearts Desire" with Fred Ball.

3. Also, Fred Ball mentioned Sophie on his Logbook saying. "Writing more tunes with lovely Sophie. Taking inspiration from She-Ra, Thundercats and Marshall Bravestarr. 'Speed of the puma, eyes of the hawk, ears of the wolf....'"

Here's hoping for another out-of-this-world song! (Right, picture from Fred's blog)

4. Bex is also going to perform at Abu Dhabi again. She is performing at two events this time. More details here - http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/celebrity/sophie-ellis-bextor-back-in-the-uae-1.925478

Sophie Ellis-Bextor (Baby No. 3, Album No. 5)

There's a very clear trend. Baby-Album-Baby-Album. I joke.

I'm very happy for Sophie and Richard. There's going to be another little Ellis-Bextor-Jones in the photographs next Christmas. I'm hoping it's a girl this time. Afterall, someone's gotta carry on those amazing cheekbones and those neverending legs to the next generation.

Also, Sophie had already started working on the fifth album this year, and she will continue working on the fifth album. Sophie mentioned recently that she wants to write and record an album faster this time. So lets hope she doesn't take too long...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we get a really personal album - like Shoot From The Hip.

Her tweets:
"I have something to tell you..."

"I am having another baby. Due in Spring. A little brother or sister for Sonny and Kit. Family e-b-jones are happy and excited. Xx"

"Thanks guys. It's a lovely thing. By the way, work on album 5 continues as usual. In fact, I now have a deadline! In the studio as we speak."


In other news, you can buy Starlight CD right here - http://www.self.it/ita/details.php?nb=8033712126562&tc=c

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.

Here are some videos in HD from the Java Soul Nation concert.
Dial My Number - http://www.mediafire.com/?c4qzdifsvsup5jk, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4GA6AJ10
Bittersweet - http://www.mediafire.com/?264mpwy3vg759as, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BA8YF6YQ
Take Me Home - http://www.mediafire.com/?1grpsrnig0oursk, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CLRERL2R
Me And My Imagination - http://www.mediafire.com/?zwur5f2073czbf2, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PGW4LBHX
Today The Sun's On Us - http://www.mediafire.com/?huyyqf4ef918unw, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MUGA1B42
What Have We Started - http://www.mediafire.com/?9dm69y9h44jwi76, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZK19UU6Y
Catch You - http://www.mediafire.com/?huf0e2p0otb7bzd, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OQKX4QQB
Can't Fight This Feeling - http://www.mediafire.com/?4cbzfldnryq9587, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0ATS94GR
Not Giving Up On Love - http://www.mediafire.com/?ur9re51rg9ugzs3, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q2CIHN17
Get Over You - http://www.mediafire.com/?h421azrr3dczdcr, http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HHNXIR0Q
Thanks to Paul for all the videos

Here are some audience recordings of the same show:
Get Over You/Lady/Groovejet/Sing It Back (Medley) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8n9VTAdvvLE
Heartbreak - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6BPP8ZNbjs&feature=player_embedded
Murder - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3C4Zti3QiU&feature=player_embedded
Revolution - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rcP1aCAoBw&feature=player_embedded

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/

Here are some audience recordings of her performances at the club-shows in Australia:

LIVE @ HOME NIGHTCLUB
Take Me Home - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9aO4H-LtWg&feature=player_embedded
Get Over You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGXdoJaSbfc&feature=player_embedded
Music Gets The Best Of Me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LvbLW2njZE&feature=player_embedded
Not Giving Up On Love - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Nn9ki5I_4&feature=player_embedded
Murder On The Dancefloor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJm5N2VKzoc&feature=player_embedded
Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xQwRueIwYk&feature=player_embedded

LIVE @ GH
Take Me Home - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o1M9KL_P2WQ
Get Over You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54xWiUKntok&feature=player_embedded
Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54xWiUKntok&feature=player_embedded
Not Giving Up On Love - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY1LSyBckKY&feature=player_embedded
Murder On The Dancefloor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw4vzk0uN90&feature=player_embedded
Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgdBKsYxdEg&feature=player_embedded
Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9hwvQNk7Ag&feature=player_embedded


Fourth. Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Scene and heard

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.