Black Stratman (guitars, lyrics, keyboards and song writing)
Johnny Mc Glynn (Guitars, lyrics, Vocals, Keyboards, Songwriting - and raising everybody's game just by being in the room, MUCH respect to THE Man!)
Plus a whole host of Studio7 Ireland regulars including Mr "Les" Paul Byrne.
Bands that I have been a member of as lead vocalist in the past:
Phaiton, Strange But True, The Stringwreckers, Abbey Music Artists (I sang lead vocals on D. O'Connor's "Oh!, No, Somalia" famine relief single), Crossroads, The Forgotten featuring Johnny Mc Glynn, Seamus Simon, Justin Whelan and Brendan McGee and the newly formed "Virtual Band" we call "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (concept album coming out with a bit of luck - and a bit of cash!).
I've jammed with some great bluesmen over the years, notably Carvin Jones, Damien McCabe, Pat Mc Manus and Big Daddy and Red Hot Java when they've toured Ireland, all keeping the spirit alive for us Blues lovers out there.
Influences
Norway's Eliksir www.myspace.com/eliksir is an incredible new artist I was lucky enough to come across since I signed up to MySpace - her debut album "Earthly Things" is simply the best CD I have heard in many, many years. Please have a look over at my blog for my review which has been published and is available online by following this link for the London based The Irish World
newspaper. And a scan of the printed edition version of my review as published in "The Irish World" of "Earthly Things" can be viewed in my pics here on MySpace. Eliksir's vocal prowess, use of imagery, space and stunningly beautiful arrangements throughout puts her right up there among the top female artists of today. On hearing Eliksir's voice and music for the first time, I simply felt like giving up trying to create original music, I just felt so inadequate compared to what REAL creativity can sound like. But now, however, I've changed my mind - if I can, I want to at least try and improve a little!! You can check out Eliksir's offical site at www.eliksir.org
My own music, on the other hand, was noticed on another music website by the wonderful French / Italian Artist, Sandrine www.myspace.com/sandrinemedves Sandrine composes, arranges and sings deeply heartfelt, personal, yet always uplifting songs - her beautiful voice, sometimes soaring, other times gentle and soothing is highly original and always very Sandrine. Her lyrics range from the profound as in “I Cannot Be Your Saviour” to the joyful and fun “Summer’s Day” and the keenly observed “Less Is More”. As yet unsigned, though not for long I feel, you can check out this amazingly multi-talented Artist here on MySpace at www.myspace.com/sandrinemedves
Donal O'Connor, Singer Songwriter from Boyle, Co. Roscommon, Ireland www.myspace.com/donaloconnor
Donal has a rare gift for observing the everyday about us and translating it into verse through his wonderful songs. He gave me my first "break" in this "business...." by actually letting me sing lead vocals on his debut single, "Oh!" No, Somalia".
Prince, Sting, Roger Waters, David Coverdale, Paul Rogers, John McLaughlin (famous Jazz fusion guitarist once hailed as the new Hendrix), Joni Mitchell (what can I say that hasn't been said a million times before, for me personally, a life changing artist the first time I heard "Song for Sharon"),George Michael (a superb singer/songwriter), Ritchie Blackmore (the guvnor), Mica Paris, Cara Dillon, Sheryl Crow (an exceptional talent, favourite track being the incredibly observed and deeply intuitive and melancholically wistful "Weather Channel" - "At least the hinges have stopped their creaking" - truly inspired), Elizabeth Fraser, Trevor Horn, Elton John, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, David Bowie (I really liked his heavy, "Tin Machine" period), Deep Forest, BB King, Eric Clapton (beautiful live version of "Old love" from the Mtv unplugged album), Robert Cray (fantasised), John lord (a wonderful musician with a wry sense of humor...), Ian Gillan, Ian Paice (best drummer out there, always was, always will be), Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes (Holy Man, thanks for that one alone Glenn), Stevie Wonder, The amazingly talented Dave Kilminster (Not forgetting Dave Gilmore!).
Kate Bush, K.D. Lang (one of the great talents of our time), Eddi Reader (an amazing live performer and another one of Scotlands major talents) Alison Moyet, Cocteau Twins (Ms Fraser is Simply the most Amazing, Amazing Vocalist I have ever heard), Irelands finest, Sinead O Connor, Don Baker (world renowned blues harmonica player, the best in the business according to Bono), The Marbles, Bonnie Raitt, All about Eve, Iarlaid O'Lianaird (almost brings tears to my eyes with his superb voice), Bono (literally bumped into him once in Blackrock, Dublin in 1998) Joe Satriani, Clannad, U2, El Presidente from Glasgow, Robert Plant and Led Zep (fav track, "Ramble On"), Daniel Lanois (the superb "Still Water"), Brian Eno, Scritti Polliti, Paul McCartney (forget the Beatles, "Coming Up" does it for me everytime) and the simply wonderful Gerry Rafferty, another one of Scotland's finest singer/songwriters; like the man said, "If you get it wrong, you'll get it right next time, next time". Wise words indeed.
And last, But by NO means least....
Johnny Mc Glynn
Johnny Mc Glynn - A dear and true friend, an outstanding musician and an incredible musical collaborator and "in the moment" creativity and "flow" capturing songwriting partner. Dante Gizzi of El Presidente once said of him, "One of the finest guitarists Ireland's got to offer" - Well, I go a step further and say that "THE WORLD" has to offer, period. A superb guitarist, musician, singer, songwriter, composer and arranger. A rare and gifted artist whose creativity knows no bounds. Photo (c) B. McGee 1999.
As for movies? The simply outstanding performance by Richard Gere in "Mr Jones", "Good Will Hunting" (a movie about a genius, starring one - the great Robbin Williams), "The Abyss", "The Acid House", "Shine" and top of my list is "Falling Down" starring the wonderful Michael Douglas - "I'm the bad guy? How did that happen?" An amazing film for all of us, probably, at one time or another, "no longer economically viable" types out there, a modern classic.
And the last word will always go to the sadly missed but forever remembered, the late Bill Hicks. Bill was one of those rare types that have what I describe as, a certain, indefinable "Shine" about them, call it inner beauty or what you will, it can't really be described verbally I guess. I've witnessed it very rarely in individuals, though they all seem to have the same amazing diversity of talent, artistic ability, progressive thinking, incredible creative intelligence and an almost palpable longing for "a better world" type of energy and self awareness about them which marks them out from the herd. The world finds it hard to understand and accept such people - most simply can not understand why they are not constantly striving to get ahead, make money, get, get, get like most, regular types, probably a little like you and I and everyone else that we know.
That was the part of Bill's genius that I most admired. He was able to translate his progressive thinking and awareness of the (absurdity mostly) of life and the world around him and bring it to the masses in the form of entertainment, a sort of "master session" if you like but with plenty of bad language thrown in! It must be something to do with being on that journey towards the ultimate reality, or, as some might say, Truth. Or, as others might say, Love.
Bill certainly was on that Journey while he was here with us, that's all he ever talked about on stage, in one guise or another, his jokes or stories were his own sort of modern parables I guess you could say. He often said that "Life was just a ride" at the end of his shows. How true. I hope, Bill, that there is no final destination out there for you, I like to imagine you ridin' around on that great big dipper in the sky, with Jimi in the seat next to you giggling away together up above the clouds. You both certainly played from your hearts' guys, two of my greatest heros and influences, two special agents of evolution......
Books? Anything that's real - Biographies, Philosophy, anything by Barry Long, Jiddu Krishnamurti and Ekchart Tolle.
Sounds Like
Cocteau Twins (or so I wish!!), Deep Purple, The Blues of course, Whitesnake, everything basically, I love all music. The vast majority of our brand of music is what some one once called "home made music, very little sampling, just guitars, voice and keyboards, no messin' about and usually recorded very quickly, many of my "lyrics" are streams of consciousness, nothing written down, I just start to sing into the mic and what you hear on some of these songs are the results....I'm sure it shows!!!! Real music, with Real live Performers recording their own thing and not relying on sound pools etc for input. Creation, Inspiration, Perspiration as the saying goes!
"Had to lose myself To find myself.
I was gone.
But not Forgotten.
It was part of My Destiny.
You See?
To deconstruct myself.
And reconstruct myself.
Maybe…
It was My Destiny….?
I’m a Destiny’s Chile....."
I simply love music, creating, mixing, collaborating and of course listening to it, it's my life's blood and always has been. The tracks on this site feature mainly myself on (all) lead vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards, with additional songwriting - lyrics, arrangements, guitars and keyboards provided by two of my dearest friends, "Black Stratman" and Johnny Mc Glynn, Johnny sings backing vocals on some tracks also (e.g. his songs, "Give Me Hope" & "Lost In Flames"). I don't pretend to be much of a musician or a guitarist, I'm just a singer who tries his hand at songwriting and then recording the results, usually very poorly - I guess it shows...!!
My first love will always be The Blues however, I've walked THAT particular road, a hard road, the one I sing about in "Destiny's Chile..." and "Divine Beauty", I know it better than most. Didn't stop off at the crossroads however, and I grew up on a strict diet of Deep Purple (when I heard Ian Gillan singing Black Night, that was it, I was gone..), Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore, AC DC, Prince, U2 and the wonderful "Long Distance Runner" album by Cork's very own Mr Freddie White.
I also am a big fan of Robert Cray though my favourite blues track of all time has to be a live version on the Allman Brothers Fillmore concerts album of "Stormy Monday", it still gives me shivers up and down my spine to this day all these years since I first found it on a blues compilation cassette on the Kilburn Highroad all those years ago.
As for Joni Mitchell.....Wow! Her beautiful voice and guitar playing are unsurpassed and as for her lyrics and overall songwriting? Well, what can I say, she's top of the pile. Her melancholic "road album" Hejira and the track "Song for Sharon" in particular, are just.......incredible, incredible, I've never heard anything like it, before or since and I'm pretty sure I never will. I have often said that Joni probably would not get a record deal as a 16 year old today, think about it - thank God for the sixties, seventies and back catalogues.... Sheryl Crow and Mica Paris are two more of my favourite female artists (Mica's version of "You Put A Move On My Heart" is, for me, the best Blues / Soul / Gospel vocal I have EVER heard - Period.), along with the amazing Elizabeth Fraser, Eddi Reader, K.d. Lang and of course, Kate Bush. The great female artists just take me away to another place with their beautiful voices, melodies, their lyrics / stories and their ability to convey such emotion with their music, far, far beyond the ability of any male artist I have as yet heard.
My other hero, and someone who I've been lucky to catch live 3 times when he has performed here in Ireland, is Prince, the ultimate performer, songwriter, guitarist, singer, dancer, you name it, a truly gifted musician, the only artist worthy of the title "superstar" still around if you ask me.
Another genius of course is Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, an amazing wordsmith and composer, his insights are incredibly well observed and woven into his songs - his intuitiveness is not something you can learn at music or art college either... His solo album "Amused to Death" featuring Jeff Beck on simply incredible guitar duties must be heard to be believed or rather experienced, it is so rich and with such depth that I hear something new with every play.
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And last but by no means least, a special mention for the late, great James Brown - what would music be like today if he hadn't have come along when he did? I shudder to think. Rest In Peace Brother.
The world is by far the richer because of artists such as those I have mentioned above.
To hear some old live material, recorded and unearthed from the vaults by Mr "Eno" himself, Brendan McGee (take a bow!) - recorded locally here in Boyle in the late 80's / early 90's featuring myself on vocals in a number of bands with various friends and local musicians, more early demos, photos / slideshows and a special page dedicated to Scotland's El Presidente featuring Johnny Mc Glynn on Lead Guitar, please go along to:
Hello,Gerry,<br />Hope You're Rockin Your Brains Out Still,Ha Ha !<br />Drop By and Check Out The New Band if Ya get a chance !<br />We're Rockin for The Lord !<br />Peace,Love and Blessings,<br />Kenny (Noah K.)
Hi!
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<br /> ..Keep goin on with your passion - it's graet you have one !
<br />Walk straight to find the best way to express your soul !...
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<br />..Thank you..
Drop by my page my friend. I posted a video and MP3 of me doing one of the hottest versions of “Voodoo Child” that you’ll ever hear.....guaranteed to make you smile! …..and you can download the MP3 for free!
Thank you very much for your beautiful words and for your sincere friendship! I am also enjoying your music and especially "I never told you"! Hope you're doing well! I wish you a wonderful week!!
G'day Gerry, Thanks for that, Jack Bruce Hey? very flattered, I hope all is well out west, and I assume all the cowboys have left and moved to leinster house!!!!!
Hello studio7ireland!! Just droppin a line to say thanks for the comment and also to wish you a happy hogmany (Happy new year). All the best for 2009 to you and yours. Rock on! Pegasus.
I realise i may be a little early with the new year wishes, but i just wanted to wish you a truly beautiful new year that brings to you and all your loved ones a fantastic and magical time. I also hope it is filled with lots of new and wonderful opportunities for you to experience love and happiness now and always. Sending you big friendship hugs...Ralphy
