More for the sake of editorial duty than for collector's value, which is practically non-existent, let's mention the American release of the soundtrack album of a film which is just as pointless (considering the American film critics' harsh and negative reviews) entitled Big Momma's House.
Let's leave out the story of this comedy half way between Eddy Murphy's most squalid jokes and the worst transvestite appearances of R. Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire's and briefly pause on the particularities of this soundtrack comprising tracks written only by American rappers. The second track, entitled "I've Got To Have It," composed by Jermaine Dupri Nas, featuring Monica in the refrains, contains a sample of "Sledgehammer." Using the entire introduction of Sledgehammer (wind instruments, bass rhythm and guitar), repeated to infinity, Jermaine Dupri has constructed the whole structure of the piece adding an even more accentuated rhythm and superimposing a rap narrating a particular episode of the film.
The curious thing is that Gabriel, during a recent interview by Virgin (also transmitted in direct via internet), explained that he had received, months previously, a demo from Jermaine Dupri so as to obtain the authorisation to use the sample. Gabriel's initial answer was 'no'. Disregarding this, Jermaine Dupri completed the track and then sent the final version to try once again to try and get his permission. Gabriel explained that the final result was actually so good and entertaining that he decided to go ahead and give his OK. I don't even want to try to imagine what Gabriel actually heard in the first demo seeing as I consider "I've Got To Have It" as a somewhat shoddy track, totally lacking in originality and invention. I think that Gabriel must have a particular predilection for rap: in OVO, there is also a rap interpreted by Rasco and N. Cherry (without doubt the worst track of the CD).
Sony actually decided to release the soundtrack of the film using the track "I've Got To Have It" and actually publishing it as a single, also adding an instrumental version. Message to Gabriel fans: don't waste your money!!!
What are "standards"? For jazz purists only tracks composed before the 1950s can be considered as such, like, for example, songs connected to artists such as Cole Porter, just to mention a name. For Christy Baron tracks commonly defined as "standards" are more simply songs which people listen to and appreciate also nowadays regardless to the fact that they have been composed 50 or 60 years ago. For this reason, also songs by Phil Collins, Gabriel, The Beatles, Prince can confidently be defined "new standards" if re-executed and re-interpreted in the same spirit and with the same passion, without trying to distort the original direction, but simply trying to give them a different sense of direction. Steppin', which is the second work of this American artist, covers many different styles of music including jazz, world music and electronica.
Conceived at the end of the 1990s, but concretely realised in the new millennium, Steppin' is a work which reminds us of other operations taken to completion, like, for example, Herbie Hancock, Brian Ferry, George Michael. Among the 12 tracks, only two are original, specially written by her producer and composer Didier Rachou, whilst among the other ten, you'll find songs like Mercy Street by Gabriel, "This Must Be Love" by Phil Collins, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles or "Thieves In The Temple" by Prince.
Steppin' was recorded live in March in record time (3 days!) inside an American Episcopal church, realised solely with the help of a jazz formation consisting of soloist voice, piano, cello and drums on to which were added numerous effects and sounds originating from various musical worlds in the post-production phase. The final result is rather interesting and as far as Dusk readers are concerned, the version of "Mercy Street" is not bad, enriched with oriental-sounding effects and at times more percussion. The singer's vocal timbre is beautiful and never predominates with respect to the final arrangement in this decidedly elegant and entrancing jazz-oriented version, at times extremely nocturnal, maintaining the magic of the original version. The understanding between the members of the ensemble is perfect and the deliberately discrete improvisation on piano, which follows the moment of suspension in the centre part of the cover version, is extremely effective.
This beautiful artist from Pittsburgh, who for professional reasons lives in New York, is also an accomplished actress, having appeared on Broadway, television, and in independent films which are not particularly known in Europe. Let's cite 'Pants on Fire', in which she plays an attractive university professor, caught between a powerful and severe husband and an extrovert and sensitive lover, who doesn't have a particularly bright future. Steppin' is an album which will probably not shake the American or European charts but which distinguishes itself in a positive way by its rigorous approach and with exemplary respect with regards to current tracks considered not less important than jazz classics.
For those music fans who do not live in England, the name of the programme The Jools Holland Show may not sound familiar. For the British younger generation it's a particularly important rendez-vous for discovering new groups and seeing renowned artists of the international music scene. On Sunday 28 May, this show was even more interesting than usual because of the rare appearance of Peter (accompanied by a huge band) ready to delight our ears with two tracks (Downside Up and Father and Son) obviously from the OVO CD.
Apart from Peter, the other guests included the famous DJ Moby, Eels, Billy Bragg, an African vocal group called Black Umfolosi, the English pop/soul star Gabrielle and the singer Craig David. The format of this show is simple but very effective. The bands (usually from totally different musical origins) are invited to perform live in a huge television studio which has a number of stages around which the audience sits in a totally casual atmosphere. Each band performs two or three tracks and is interviewed by Jools Holland to talk about its projects. A characteristic of the show is the so-called "Opening Groove". Before the programme is transmitted live, one of the guest bands picks a round of chords which is performed like a type of jamming session. (We discovered only after the show that for that evening the privilege of the choice had been given to Peter!)
Each band performs and casually "hands over" the tune to the next band until it becomes a sort of musical chain, reminding us a bit of the concept of the One World One Voice project. At the end of this enormous jamming session, the BBC links in with the show even if the TV viewers at home only get to hear the last few seconds. The conductor then suddenly appears in front of the camera and with a theatrical gesture invites the bands to close their session with a final chord. The show then kicks off. Gabriel appears, calm and smiling, on piano and on synth. The accompanying band is made up of Electra strings, led by the composer Jocelyn Pook, the mythical Tony Levin on bass, Dominic Greensmith of Reef on drums, David Rhodes on guitar, Richard Evans on the 12-chord electric guitar and the whole of Black Dyke Band, all dressed up in their traditional uniforms, on wind instruments, directed by James Watson. Beside the piano stood the great Elisabeth Fraser and Paul Buchanan and finally there is Charlie May on keyboard.
The performance of Downside Up is impeccable. Peter is in full vocal shape: his timbre is confident and clear and the same goes for Elisabeth Fraser who in the first part has some difficulties linked to the complex task of the studio technicians to blend her soft and delicate timbre with the sound of all the musicians of the band. In the next phase of the show everything falls into place with a splendid performance of "Father Son." The sound is perfect, clear and bright and his vocal intensity is so strong that it sends shivers down your spine. Tony Levin's instrumental contribution of is of top calibre and the entire section of the Black Dyke Band conveys intense moments of emotion. Absolutely amazing!
Nothing particularly new however with regard to the brief interview of Peter regarding the show and the CD. The usual trite debates about the costs for building the Dome are not particularly interesting and even less so the explanations on the choice of the musicians involved in the OVO project. Jools Holland amusingly plays on the words OVO and OMO, the famous detergent (according to the legend wives used to place OMO at their window as an "all-clear" sign for their lovers: OMO "Old Man Out"). In conclusion, it was a thoroughly interesting show presenting Peter at top-level, giving us high hopes for the Up project and above all allowing us to set aside the doubts that Peter was going through a serious crisis from the vocal point of view.
For those few Dusk readers who do not subscribe to the official Real World Notes newsletter, let's mention that, in issue number 10, you can find an unedited solely instrumental version of Gabriel's Downside-up. As you may have had the chance to hear on some national radio networks, Virgin has used Downside-up to promote the album (at least for the Italian territory). This instrumental version demonstrates even more evidently its splendid musical texture: all the vocal parts of Gabriel, Paul Buchanan and of Elizabeth Frazer having been removed, we have the chance to discover a richness of arrangements and a decidedly surprising instrumental choice.
Downside-up has the value to evolve in a varied manner with an exceptional richness of sound alternated to moments of intense essentiality, all amalgamated in a fluid and homogeneous manner. We hope that OVO will give us the chance, in the next issues of Real World Notes, to discover different versions or, better still, unedited recordings which haven't been used in the album. We must also mention the presence of the video Making OVO amongst the interactive tracks of the CD. It can't really be considered as totally unedited, as already some weeks ago, it was possible to see it on the Zivago web-site in collaboration with Virgin Italy (as well as, of course, on the Real World site). This excellent 18-minute long video retraces the story of the musical realisation of OVO and of the show and revolves mainly around a long interview of Gabriel, as well as Paul Buchanan, Elizabeth Frazer, Richard Chappel, to cite but a few, well mixed with highly suggestive images of the show, much better than those (short and concise) on the OVO CD.
0-11 July 1999: 80'000 spectators take part in the first Solidays festival at the Longchamp racing tracks in Paris in favour of the fight against AIDS. A live musical marathon in which a great number of singers, musicians and rock stars take part. The success is beyond all expectations and convinces the association Solidarité Sida to prepare a new event for the following year. 8-9 July 2000: after the follow-up festival which attracted an even larger audience and an even more impressive line-up of artists, the association decides to release a CD so as to raise funds for Solidarité Sida and AIDS sufferers in Africa.
Once again, the (mainly French) artists' response is immediate. Amongst the most well-known artists such as Johnny Halliday, Patrick Bruel, Axelle Red, Ophelie Winter, Ute Lemper, Anggun, Zucchero, Youssou N'Dour, Peter Gabriel surprisingly stands out. 11 studio-registered tracks and 3 live tracks giving a total of 14 tracks sub-divided between songs composed especially for this project alternated to cover versions of "Sympathy For The Devil" by the Rolling Stones, "Twist And Shout" by the Beatles, "Proud Mary" by CCR, "Streets Of Philadelphia" by Springsteen. Peter takes part in only one of the tracks of the album: "Qui Sait?", written by Erick Benzi (the producer of Anggun). It's the leading track of the whole project and it's sung predominantly in French with a brief part in English (sung by Peter) and in Italian (sung by Zucchero). Peter bestows his precious voice also in other moments of the track actually singing in French with an almost perfect pronunciation. His vocal presence is however scarce and you have to listen to the track very carefully to manage to detect all his contributions. "Qui Sait?" has a voluntarily simple musical structure made up essentially by an single refrain repeated continuously, lasting over 4 minutes, on which alternate the voices of Anggun, Patrick Bruel, Stephan Eicher, Faudel, Gabriel, Lamm, Youssou N'Dour, Nourith, Axelle Red and Zucchero. Each artist sings a very short part until all the single voices superimpose forming an almost choral and epic song. The object of this project is excellent and deserves all our respect and solidarity even if from a musical point of view we cannot consider this CD absolutely exceptional. Solidays was released exclusively for the French market and in a few months it will probably be an out-of-catalogue CD making it therefore difficult to find. For the time being, Gabriel collectors can easily buy it on the site of the famous French chain FNAC: http://www.fnac.com/