James Leeds feat. JACOB – Whenever Or Wherever

A gorgeous old-school pop song. It's got an ever-green melody that will never go out of date. The vocals are wonderful as are the harmonies and the overall production, although a mixture of 1980s and 1970s, is extremely effective. I particularly like the low-register piano and the subtle guitar. Love it!

Listen here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/7du3ge9e0EGhfa9AIXosD8?si=0PAvQHNnS263B-w5hTgvwQ

News post/review by Tom Tikka

www.tomtikka.com

Boney Maizie

The Boney M Interview

Maizie Williams from Boney M talks to Minds Behind the Music in an exclusive interview.
By the Rivers of Babylon, Daddy Cool, Brown Girl in the Ring, Mary’s Boy Child, Ma Baker. All these massive hits and more tell a tale of success that is the Boney M story. Compared with Abba, The Beatles and Bee Gees, Boney M are one of the all-time legends of pop.


My first question is, what would you most like to be remembered for? Is it the music or the meaning?
Both of course, but more the meaning.

We know most politicians were born in the fiery pit of hell as the spawn of Satan, but what’s your opinion of the politics of the world today?
It is a mess but there are some good ones who are trying to make a difference.

Can you tell us all about your past, present and future?
My past was truly blessed thank god, in more ways than I could ever have imagined.

Tell us a little about your kind of music please!
If you are asking about the Boney M music, then obviously it is a type of music that stays throughout the years. Mainly because what it represents - a very melodic music, lyrics that are easy to sing along to and enjoy, for all age groups. But if you mean what kind of music I personally like, then it would be all types of music from times way back, like blues, soul, jazz, classical and gospel.

Which decade was best for music, 70’s, 80’s or 90’s or the 00’s?
The 70’s of course!

If you were an alien visiting planet earth, what would you do? Would you turn around and go back? Or stay and try and help? Or maybe conquer?
I think it is such a mess but, if I thought that I could make a difference, then I think I would stay - but that’s a big IF!

What has been your greatest achievement so far?
That would be to have been fortunate to be a member of a world famous group - Boney M

What has been mankind’s greatest achievement?
Satellite communication.

If you had the chance to speak to every human being on earth, what would your message be?
My message would be about salvation. If we don’t have God in our life then we would have nothing.

If your life depended on it, which Soap Opera would you do a cameo in?
I hope my life wouldn’t have to depend on it – but if I was asked it would be East Enders.

If a tree falls in a forest, and nobody is around to see or hear it, does it make a sound?
Yes, it definitely makes a sound! The eye does not have to see it fall for it to make a sound.

Have you ever felt pressured by the fact that what you sing about affects society? Have you ever wondered whether you were doing the right thing?
I have always thought that I am doing the right thing and to do it well and leaving a good impression to society. For me – that’s important.

What advice would you give to musicians today? And what’s your opinion of the highly engineered and marketed music we see in the charts today?
There is some good stuff out there talent wise and music wise, but also some not too good, of course. My advice would be to follow through with your dream and do the best you can, to leave a good impression on society.

Why do you think music and words seems to work so much better than just words as a means to get a message across?
Because the music delivers what the words are saying.


What kind of movies do you watch and why?
Movies with a good story lines, and all classical ones. And a good comedy. I do love a good laugh!

What are your opinions about the power of the internet?
I personally think it is a great invention, but it also has some bad sides when viewed inappropriately.

Do you think man is created in the image of God (or Goddess) or the other way around?
God.

A recent scientific report stated that religion will eventually die out completely. What’s your opinion on that? A good thing or a bad thing?
The word of God will never die.

Is “free will” the whole of the law? Can man ever be truly free?
Free will is not the law, but to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbour as yourself. THAT is the fulfilment of the law.

Do you back Nuclear Power? If not, why not.
I do not back Nuclear power, it is a completely evil invention.

Do you believe in Ghosts? UFO’s (i.e. aliens visiting planet earth)? God?
God.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Running the marathon!

What would you still like to achieve?
That’s hard to say because there is still a lot I would like to do, not just for myself, but for others I would like to say that I have run the race.

Would you ever record a duet with Justin Bieber?
Who knows????

Do you believe in manmade global warming? Or is it natural?
It is a little of both.

So Sweet

It’s a Ballroom Blitz! Andy Scott of The Sweet Talks to Minds

Glamrocker of the 1970’s was the ultimate in fashion meets music. Painted faces and sparkling jumpsuits were the order of the day. Several big bands appeared and hit the world with their catchy rock songs. Bands such as T-Rex, Roxy Music and of course, The Sweet. With memorable songs such as Ballroom Blitz, Wig Wam Bam and Block Buster, anybody who remembers the decade will remember the songs.


My first question is, what would you most like to be remembered for? Is it the music or the meaning?

My role in the band was taking care of the music so the answer is fairly obvious. I was the one who arranged the songs, vocal harmonies etc and in the end was the guy sitting behind the mixing desk until the early hours as producer [unpaid]. The recordings have stood the test of time.

We know most politicians were born in the fiery pit of hell as the spawn of Satan, but what’s your opinion of the politics of the world today?

In the late sixties when I was first able to vote I'm afraid I didn't, believing that my vote didn't really matter and politics was for others not musicians. However by the seventies we had become successful with money coming in and the taxman was helping himself to great big chunks of it so I certainly voted to try and change things. Now 40 years later, it seems any one of us could have made the kind of mess the politicians have made so it's back full circle for me, keeping my head down.

Can you tell us all about your past, present and future?

My past rears it's head from time to time, mostly good and I do realise that I am extremely privileged to have grown up with and also participated in the most definitive music eras ever - the 50s, 60s and 70s. I am still completely blown away by the quality of the recordings back then on such primitive equipment by today's standards - "God Only Knows" and "Sgt. Pepper" et al - we used what we had, lots of talent.

The present finds me still touring after 41 years with The Sweet, seeing and meeting all the other artists back on the road since their record royalties dried up.

I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2009 and my treatment and ongoing tests are pretty damn good but I now believe in the mantra "Take each day and live it as if it is the last" - oh and keep taking the tablets! My future? - Touring until I drop!

Tell us a little about your kind of music please!

I am on the road so much and playing on stage that I don't really listen to much these days, however we've just returned from Australia where we were on the same bill as the Doobie Brothers and naturally I have reacquainted myself with their material. Opera has become a passion and I go whenever I can, Vienna is a favourite place, but recently I saw Madame Butterfly at the Albert Hall and was completely blown away.

Is 70’s music still cool?

It must be in Europe - we're still filling the halls

If you were an alien visiting planet earth, what would you do? Would you turn around and go back? Or stay and try and help? Or maybe conquer?

Aliens? Seen too many sci-fi movies I think.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?

I haven't quite finished yet but reaching 60 is pretty good. My Ivor Novello for "Love is Like Oxygen". Meeting and getting on stage with Spinal Tap at Wembley on my 60th Birthday.

What has been mankind’s greatest achievement?

Man has made many huge strides until someone suggested Digital!

If you had the chance to speak to every human being on earth, what would your message be?

Why? Why? Why?

If your life depended on it, which Soap Opera would you do a cameo in?

Not a fan but I do have a mate in Eastenders.

If a tree falls in a forest, and nobody is around to see or hear it, does it make a sound?

Of course it does but with so many people on earth someone's bound to hear it - the real answer is "who cares?'

Have you ever felt pressured by the fact that what you sing about affects society? Have you ever wondered whether you were doing the right thing?

Some of our lyrics were decidedly dodgy in the early years, then they became rather verbose but I guess it's the profanity that is most cringe worthy. A nice boy turned into an angry young man and miraculously turned back into a nice old geezer.

What advice would you give to musicians today? And what’s your opinion of the highly engineered and marketed music we see in the charts today?

I think musicians are playing gigs again which is a start as long as governmental regulation keeps its distance. I am afraid we're in the Digital Age, which leaves me fairly cold. I like to hear a band play absolutely live not half playback with most of the vocals mimed. The Sweet are 100% live.

Why do you think music and words seems to work so much better than just words as a means to get a message across?

Poetry has its place obviously but add music and you naturally reach a wider audience. If both art forms have symmetry then that is perfection.

What kind of movies do you watch and why?

My age precludes me from so many modern films but the odd one gets through. I take my solace in the classic tour bus comedies starting with Spinal Tap.

What are your opinions about the power of the internet?

The internet is a monster that has become impossible to control. For every good site there is a hundred bad ones but life can be like that so why not cyberspace. Of course we all use it to send emails, well I do (no facebook chat for me) and use it for buying/selling, air travel check in and information etc but there is a darker side that will have to be addressed sooner than later.

Do you think man is created in the image of God (or Goddess) or the other way around?

I think that Gods were created to appease man's imagination but as we have developed as a species we can think outside the box more and more, thus making it more difficult to accept certain beliefs.

A recent scientific report stated that religion will eventually die out completely. What’s your opinion on that? A good thing or a bad thing?

A bit of both - let people believe what they want to as long as they don't go to war over it.

Is “free will” the whole of the law? Can man ever be truly free?

I loved "The Prisoner". "I am not a number I am a free man". I suggest compulsory viewing for all who believe in freedom.

Do you back Nuclear Power? If not, why not.

We are witnessing so many World disasters right now that for most of us the big question has to be "is it natural phenomena or man's intervention" - until we get the answer everything must be under the microscope.

Do you believe in Ghosts? UFO’s (i.e. aliens visiting planet earth)? God?

Not really but I have had some odd things happen - when we recorded the album "Level Headed" at Chateau d'Herouville in France, I stayed in the tower that Chopin occupied when he was there and on a few occasions I woke in the night to see someone writing at the desk in the corner. I put it down to late nights, good wine etc but the owners told me others had experienced this kind of vision and they believed Chopin was still there passing on his creative know-how. Mind you, I did write some good songs there.

What would you still like to achieve?

When I was 18 I knew another musician who had turned 30 which to me seemed ancient but now of course I would like to live longer and spend some time with my partner and my ever diminishing family especially granddaughter Samantha (born on my 60th birthday).

I will need to keep touring to afford the life style to which we have all become accustomed.

Would you ever record a duet with Justin Bieber?

Who is he? If you asked him he would probably say the same.

Do you believe in manmade global warming? Or is it natural?

I love to drive my cars so I'm probably biased.

And lastly please feel free to say anything at all you want to the world of readers and tell us all about what you’re upto these days, plug an album, website or car boot sale.

I said in a BBC Documentary in the seventies that The Sweet would probably be around for 10 years, well we broke the 40 year barrier last year so here's to another 40 (I wish...)
I come from an era when good manners were the norm, you had respect for your elders and if you behaved badly you got a clip round the ear, sadly missing in today's society. You didn't need ASBOS when the threat of your misdemeanors being brought to the attention of your parents was all that was necessary.

It's So Much!

Dancing Like It's Studio 54!

by Anthony Hurney (Twitter HERE)

Today I was given the pleasure of being introduced to “Studio 54” which is the 'Retro Nūvō' new dancefloor hit by a funky and upcoming new band from Italy known as SōMuch.

Studio 54 is a bright and uplifting song that pays homage to the classic sound of 70s disco but with a fresh contemporary twist!

Instantly I was presented with a beat and funky Motown inspired bassline that couldn't help but get my body moving. I was then impressed by the steady progression of the uplifting vocals, intricate guitar riffs and brass / strings sections which really gives the song the edge to stand out on the dancefloor!

I pictured being at the disco where the music just makes me want to dance and boogie all night long! This song is sure to get everybody partying and would make a fantastic edition to any playlist for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

SōMuch are made up of:

Valentina Salvi - Vocals

Andrea Giovannini - Guitar

Francesco Carli - Drums

Roby Creazzo - Vocals

Andrea Belloni - Bass

During late 2017, Roby discovered an advert on social media for one-to-one drum lessons with Ralph Rolle who is the drummer for Nile Rodgers and Chic. Roby decided this would make the perfect Christmas gift for drummer Francesco, so in the December they both flew over to Manchester to meet with Ralph.

They built up a good friendship with Ralph and a couple of years later, decided to send him a couple of demos of the band. He was thrilled with what he heard and asked SōMuch if he could fly over to Italy to produce the song.

So, in early 2020 they all entered the studio and started work on the debut EP album. Ralph's valuable input really helped the band to shape their 'Retro Nūvō' sound and the first 2 singles were completed just as the pandemic hit.

Various lockdowns later, Ralph was finally able to return to Italy to finish producing the EP, which was then sent to New York for mixing and mastering.

The band's debut single "Studio 54" was released in November and was premiered by Chris Hawkins on BBC Radio 6 and has already featured on Craig Charles' BBC Radio 2 show and several other stations around the globe. It's a dance floor filler that brings listeners back to the iconic New York nightclub.

The band's mission is simple... To make music that spreads love and happiness to the world. They are set to release a new single in early 2022, followed by the full 5-track EP in the Spring.

Studio 54 is available now on all streaming platforms.

Website www.somuchband.com
Instagram: HERE
Facebook: HERE
Twitter: HERE

Review by Anthony Hurney of The Coherent Alliance and part of the Minds Behind the Music Team.

Web: thecoherentalliance.carrd.co