From: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org (believers-digest) To: believers-digest@smoe.org Subject: believers-digest V13 #16 Reply-To: believers@smoe.org Sender: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk believers-digest Wednesday, July 7 2010 Volume 13 : Number 016 In Today's believer's digest: ----------------- Tom Jones' record boss complains his new album sounds like hymns [Tim Dun] Friday in Peekskill [Sharon G ] RE: Tom Jones' record boss complains his new album sounds like hymns [Chu] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 05:57:16 -0400 From: Tim Dunleavy Subject: Tom Jones' record boss complains his new album sounds like hymns http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/7870995/Tom-Joness-record-boss-complains-his-new-album-sounds-like-hymns.html Tom Jones's record boss complains his new album sounds like hymns A senior executive at Tom Jones's record company has launched an extraordinary attack on the singer's latest album complaining that the tracks sounded like hymns. By Laura Roberts Published: 1:17PM BST 04 Jul 2010 David Sharpe, vice-president of Island Records, wrote a blistering email to colleagues demanding that they "pull back this project immediately or get my money back". Jones, 70, was signed by Island Records for #1.5 million in October last year after leaving his former label EMI. However, the spiritual tone of his new work appears to have come as a disappointment to his new bosses who were hoping for a repeat of catchy hits such as Sex Bomb and Mama Told Me. Mr Sharpe wrote the email on May 19 after hearing some of Jones's new songs being played in his company's offices - music that he initially assumed was for the Christmas market. He wrote: "Imagine my surprise when I walked into the office this morning to hear hymns coming from your office - it could have been Sunday morning. "My initial pleasure came to an abrupt halt when I realised that Tom Jones was singing the hymns! I have just listened to the album in its entirety and want to know if this is some sick joke????" It seems that Mr Sharpe does not consider Jones' recent efforts to be as marketable as his previous well-known tracks What's New Pussycat? and Delilah. He continued: "We did not invest a fortune in an established artist for him to deliver 12 tracks from the common book of prayer [sic]. Having lured him from EMI, the deal was that you would deliver a record of upbeat tracks along the lines of Sex Bomb and Mama Told Me..." Jones himself has described Praise & Blame, which returns to his roots as the son of a miner growing up in a Presbyterian Welsh village, as his "Johnny Cash album". It is made up of blues numbers and spirituals with titles such as Lord Help the Poor and Needy, If I Give My Soul and Burning Hell. Mr Sharpe, however, was less interested in his musical progression. He wrote: "As venerable and interesting as Tom's story is, this is not what was agreed and certainly not what we paid for. Who put him with a "folk" producer and who authorised that he should go off on this tangent... "Please don't give me the art over commerce argument, it's run its course...what are you thinking when he went all spiritual?" Previews of the album, which was recorded with Ethan Johns, a producer for Rufus Wainwright, at a studio in Wiltshire have divided critical opinion. Gabe Lapano, former leader singer of the Cascades, an American group, wrote on his website last week: "Tom, I'm a huge fan. I just listened to three cuts off Praise & blame. They're off the mark. You need some new material." However, Clash magazine described it as a "stunning album" showing Jones "delving into his musical heritage". The tenor's management, who were unaware of the email, described it as "direct". Mr Sharpe was meanwhile unapologetic about his comments saying he "paid for a Mercedes" and ended up with a "hearse". Jones is due to perform at Latitude Festival in Suffolk on July 15. Praise & Blame is due to be released on July 26. HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at World Cafe CDs http://worldcafecds.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 09:02:23 -0400 From: Sharon G Subject: Friday in Peekskill I had the pleasure of seeing Susan open for Mary Chapin Carpenter on Friday and it was a love fest. Some of the crowd were familiar with Susan and were surprised to see her on the bill. Others were new to Susan. The crowd listened attentively. Susan did 6-7 songs including the Our Father, Time Between Trains, Chicago, I Cant be New, May I Suggest. She then joined Mary Chapin on the encore of He Thinks He'll Keep Her. Mary Chapin was gracious and extrolled the work of Susan Werner explaining she used May I Suggest at her own wedding. I have seen numerous of these Chapin shows on this tour and she has not asked the opening act to join her on stage. Chapin asked Susan out to sing along. These are simliar song writers, smart, literate, prolific, concerned about world/national issues, similar politics. Both have the guitar chops to keep up with each other. Susan is better on Piano but Chapin has a rocking band with bass, mulitple guitars, pianos, drummers, a bus but Susan has Jane... it was great to see Susan get some new crowd love and see her get the admiration from Mary Chapin Carpenter.. its was a fun night.... Sharong - -- But now I'm grown and I speak like a woman and I see with a woman's eyes And an open door is to me now like the saddest of goodbyes It's too late for turning back, I pray for the heart and the nerve And I rely upon the moon, I rely upon the moon I rely upon the moon and Saint Christopherver mary chapin carpenter sage advisor, does weary mean wiser dar williams HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at World Cafe CDs http://worldcafecds.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 13:19:49 -0500 From: Chuck Ellingson Subject: RE: Tom Jones' record boss complains his new album sounds like hymns I wonder if the Island Records brouhaha is a way of drumming up sales for an album that they fear may undersell or if they're actually going to pull it. _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID283 26::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_5 HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at World Cafe CDs http://worldcafecds.com ------------------------------ End of believers-digest V13 #16 ******************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------- This has been a posting from the Susan Werner believers-digest To unsubscribe send mail to Majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe believers-digest" in the body of the message