Thursday, March 27, 2008
Please Help Our Friend Jennifer Clarke !
Friends, I got the following Email from my musical friend (and great all around person), Jennifer Clarke....(I've edited out the personal stuff...sorry...to protect the paranoid!)...please consider an inexpensive download of a GREAT song "Closer," and help her gain the recognition she truly deserves!
Jennifer writes...
As you may know my debut album was released in Ireland last week. It is available for sale on http://www.cdbaby.com/ and shortly from my website http://www.jenniferclarkeofficial.com/.
Along with the album my third single 'Closer' was released for download only on http://www.downloadmusic.ie/. This website is linked to the Irish charts and all sales from it (99c per download) will count in tomorrow's chart at 3pm. I am currently Number 10 on the downloadmusic.ie chart but not yet on the Irish chart. I would be so grateful if you would download the single tonight. It'll only take a maximum of three or four minutes! You can either go onto http://www.downloadmusic.ie/, click on my song at Number 10 and download it using a credit or debit card (I know 99c is a small amount for a card but it would help me so much!) or for everyone who lives in Ireland you can text music 680 to 57501 and the 99c will be deducted from your call credit instead. If you choose this option you still need to go to the website to actually download the single but you'll have already paid with your phone. Everyone who downloads the single will be in a draw to win an ipod shuffle with my album uploaded for free! Hope this isn't too confusing. If you could spread the word to your family and/or friends as well it would mean a lot to me!
Thanks so much!
Jennifer
OK, friends...I have never before asked you to buy anything...but this is a great opportunity to help a musical angel. GET DOWNLOADING NOW!!!!
Zeph, out
Monday, March 10, 2008
Michael McDonald.....Soul Speak
Call it "Nearly Motown Three"... but Soul Speak is an enjoyable little CD, unpretentious and superbly (like it's predecessors) produced. The unmistakable McDonald vocals are undeniably well suited for the Motown sound. The "hit" if there is one on this disc is "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher," that he performed on the Late Show With David Letterman on CBS TV in the USA recently. If I have one gripe (and I do...), it's that the songs all end with a relatively long fade out at around the 3 to 4 minute mark, just like the old original versions. In this day and age, it's perfectly acceptable to actually end a song like you would on stage, OK? Remember that for Motown Four if there is one, Mr. McD, please!
There is a rare non-cover on this CD, but suffice it to say, if you liked his Motown album (and I did!) and his Motown Two album (and I kinda sorta did), then you will enjoy Soul Speak just about as well.
Bottom Line: 3.5/5 stars (half a star was taken away for going to the well a bit too often).
We all hope Michael McDonald can do a completely original record next go-round, and approach some of his best Doobie Brothers work in the future. I miss that version of the Doobies, but any incarnation of that band rocks me!
Zeph, out
Call it "Nearly Motown Three"... but Soul Speak is an enjoyable little CD, unpretentious and superbly (like it's predecessors) produced. The unmistakable McDonald vocals are undeniably well suited for the Motown sound. The "hit" if there is one on this disc is "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher," that he performed on the Late Show With David Letterman on CBS TV in the USA recently. If I have one gripe (and I do...), it's that the songs all end with a relatively long fade out at around the 3 to 4 minute mark, just like the old original versions. In this day and age, it's perfectly acceptable to actually end a song like you would on stage, OK? Remember that for Motown Four if there is one, Mr. McD, please!
There is a rare non-cover on this CD, but suffice it to say, if you liked his Motown album (and I did!) and his Motown Two album (and I kinda sorta did), then you will enjoy Soul Speak just about as well.
Bottom Line: 3.5/5 stars (half a star was taken away for going to the well a bit too often).
We all hope Michael McDonald can do a completely original record next go-round, and approach some of his best Doobie Brothers work in the future. I miss that version of the Doobies, but any incarnation of that band rocks me!
Zeph, out
