AMP

AMP
Music, Albums & Gigs Reviewed

Saturday 26 June 2010

Sequin Sings The Blues (story behind the song)


Now it seems like only yesterday like many of you I was skipping through You Tube and found an artist that stood out to me.
This has happened to many people & I never understood till I found Sequin Velvet.
I first noticed a Marc Bolan cover & played video & was hooked as the camera just loves her, the expressions and how she interpretates each song.

We soon became friends & I started helping with promotional advice, made a few videos.
Thing is one track always from that first day always stood out with me 'Jewel'.
Hearing a few various videos on You Tube of same song all with those expressions and that blues feel to the song not only in guitar style but in vocal tones stuck with me.

NOW

Not much was said about it only she once recorded an MP3 for me as a thank you of 'Jewel' which sort of came more into play much later.

See Pete Waller AKA DeafboyOne and my co-PR for him Emilia Michalska we all started this project called 'DUETS' see the idea basical was part Emilia part mine of getting new fans from various fan bases to discovery other new artists by intoducing them in a duet form.

We brought Sequin into the project at an early stage and Pete had already had a track list of his possible tracks with who so Sequin opted for 'Life's A Gas' after the first choice for her was not really her (a Bowie cover later taken by Jude Faun).
It was a real cool move as the track sounded fantastic.

Just a day after it was loaded on various website players & aired on radio (LG73 & CRMK Radio) we were saying "hey! let's do it again sometime". Little did we know that sometime be almost same week.

It was left for Sequin to pick a song title but I was buzzing so high on this first track that MP3 I mentioned earlier came into play & I just sent it to Pete saying "hey doesn't this sound blues?" and added "wouldn't it be cool recorded in blues style?".
Pete loved it said "almost Delta Blues" and we got back to Sequin saying "how about 'Jewel' for next track?"
That day she had just started a week off leave on her regular work so jumped at recording straight away this time thou not just vocals. Pete had idea of using Sequin's own timing of her own acoustic guitar. So on this track you really get that Delta Blues feel with acoustic, electric and touch of slide.
This DUETS project is really turning into something cool.

More info on the full DUETS project coming soon.

To check out Sequin's duet with DeafboyOne where she sings the main lead go to his blue site on myspace link below -
http://www.myspace.com/deafboyblues


Wednesday 23 June 2010

Baby Scream


Juan Pablo Mazzola AKA Baby Scream THE BOLAN COVERS


Now some may say what does Ace MegaRex know about Marc Bolan covers?
Well for the past 2 years I have been working on a CD album with one artist on Bolan covers, a download album with another & other various projects as a PR all around Marc Bolan’s music.

I first got to know the name firstly Baby Scream then later same day Juan Pablo Mazzola via a radio station CRMK Radio. I was sent these two very old recordings taken from an acetate of Marc Bolan ‘Reality’ and ‘Song for a Soldier’. The DJ at the time did not say why he sent them just to say it be a surprise later. To hear Marc Bolan and these very old Bob Dylan style recordings was a thrill as I had not heard them before. The guitar very rough almost scratchy for its age thou the vocals very clear. To say I could not wait till the 4pm radio show to find out the surprise is an understatement.
A few minutes into show the DJ tells us he has Baby Scream with him as a guest & for most part of the show in sections was his interview & music from Juan Pablo Mazzola AKA Baby Scream.
He left us waiting a bit till he played these two Bolan covers which really got my attention after all not long ago I just heard the originals for first time.
See many artists take on the classics and they all have various reasons for doing so but to take an unknown selection from an artist who has a massive back catalogue of known classics was really interesting to me especially hearing from Juan why.
When I heard ‘Reality’ and that acoustic guitar sounding so clear it made me wish more artists take on Marc’s unknown or unfinished songs. The arrangement all be it a simply one worked so well with Juan’s vocals and hearing him talk of his respect for Marc on the radio you could just tell this within the song to be true.
After hearing other tracks from Baby Scream from his two earlier EPs ‘Ups and Downs’ and ‘Identity Theft’ I could tell Juan had put some of himself into this track. There is still talk of adding maybe strings to the song but I feel even thou that will work and be fantastic it is the perfectionist within Juan coming out which I see in many good artists.
As for ‘A Song for a soldier’ how different can a song be? Again original by Marc guitar very scratchy & vocals even more in style of Dylan but the words very 60s anti Vietnam sounded very much the movement of the time it was recorded unlike many other Bolan that seem to never age. Then comes Baby Scream and to hear the intro of drums almost like a march then in comes electric guitars that have an almost late punk feel to them which is very fitting as Marc was known as Godfather of punk it gave a whole totally amazing new feel it really rocks.
What really got me too was the guitar rift at the end of the track starts off subtle then into a roar really reminded me of the classic Bolan was known for & to fade out with this guitar fits so well. It showed that Baby Scream is not an artist who just plays acoustic numbers he ROCKS too and since hearing this one track I have heard many such class numbers by him.
I personally feel the way Juan has recorded this track he has really brought it into our decade and given a today feel to it.
Both these songs affected me so much I had to write to Juan & since we have spoken much of his future ideas & direction in music.
Also these past weeks I introduced Baby Scream to an artist I work with DeafboyOne to record a duet ‘Working Class Hero’ which has amazing sound and through those two Bolan covers and a radio show I have met a real talented new friend.

Please enjoy everything that is Baby Scream - Ace MegaRex




www.babyscream.com
www.youtube.com/babyscream
www.myspace.com/babyscream

Sunday 20 June 2010

FREE GARY CRITCHLEY - DB1






FREE GARY CRITCHLEY
Category: News and Politics
In the early hours of Saturday 28 June 1980, Gary Critchley, a young punk rocker who had only been in London for ten days of a two week stay, was found lying seriously injured on a pavement below his squat. He had a broken back, ankle and wrist, and was subsequently found to have suffered brain damage from a hammer blow to the front of his skull. Drug traces in his blood showed he had taken large quantities of sleeping pills as well as alcohol.
When the hospital called police to investigate the circumstances of Gary’s injuries, they found Mr McNeill dead in the squat above and the room covered in blood – most of it that of McNeill, who had been hit with a hammer 27 times, but some of it was Gary’s. Inside the flat a bloodstained hammer was found, but with no prints or any other links to Gary. Gary’s blood was also found on a car “crook lock.” Bloodstained clothing near the body included jeans which had traces of both men’s blood and a T-shirt with Gary’s blood only. Despite the fact that McNeill’s blood had been spattered all over the room, not one speck of his blood was found on Gary’s clothing
As for the hammer blow to Gary’s own head, the prosecution claimed he must have struck himself as he launched his frenzied attack on McNeill. For that to be correct, however, Gary’s injury, which caused him serious frontal lobe damage, would have been caused by the claw end of the hammer – but his injury was the same as McNeill’s, consistent with the round end of the hammer.
Prosecutors had relied on the fact that Critchley had told police he did not remember going home with McNeill, but then in a letter to friends written during his three months in hospital, he said he had taken him home and got drunk, and remembered opening the door and being struck. They said that Gary’s claims of amnesia were bogus.
The only forensic evidence linking Gary to the attack was an undone training shoe – two to three sizes too small for him – which Gary was found to be wearing on his left foot, after having fallen from the fourth storey window. On his other foot was one of his own laced-up boots which witnesses said he had been wearing that day. Footprints “exactly similar” to the print on the sole of the trainer were found in the flat, which the prosecutor argued showed Critchley was in the room after McNeill was attacked and probably killed.
But if Gary was wearing one boot and one trainer as alleged, why was there no blood on the sole of the boot and no boot print in the flat? What happened to his other boot? It was not found in the flat. The prosecution’s argument was that punks wore odd clothes like that – even if it was far too small for his foot...
Gary Critchley remains in prison...
DeafboyOne has written a song entitled "Never Mind the Bollocks Free Gary Critchley"
Offical Web Addy - simply click on this link http://www.justiceforgarycritchley.org

To hear the track written by DeafboyOne click this link below
http://www.nextunes.com.au/playerNew/?song=601&plist=a290

Wednesday 16 June 2010

FEELING T.REXLESS




All through 2009 Peter Waller AKA DeafboyOne had been recording covers of the late great Marc Bolan.
They had been getting air play on radio stations such as CRMK Radio 'The Groove Lounge' http://www.thegroover.net and also on The Ramoana Experience on LG73 http://lg73.ca
By the end of 2009 we knew we almost had an album full of tracks so my design started to what became 'Feeling T.Rexless'.

It never went any further till we started on a EP project named THE DUETS which the idea just came to me one day & after talking to my co-PR for DeafboyOne Emilia Michalska AKA EMI VENOM PRODUCTIONS a list of artists was drawn & presented to Pete.

On that list Pete put set tracks he wanted or felt he like to record with that artist and next to Sequin Velvet he put 'Life's A Gas'.
Much the same way as 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' was put together (mentioned in other blog) in no time we had a fantastic mix & not only did we have our first 'Duets' track in the can we completed track list for 'Feeling T.Rexless'.
I think Emi has a wonderful knack of selecting songs / running order for albums so I sent her full list which she came back with
01. 20th Century Boy
02. Cosmic Dancer
03. Girl
04. Metal Guru
05. Spaceball Richochet
06. Planet Queen
07. Children Of The Revolution
08. Mystic Lady
09. Get It On
10. She Was Born To Be My Unicorn
11. Mambo Sun
12. Deborah
13. Telegram Sam
14. Life's A Gas (Feat. Sequin Velvet)
15. The Groover
16. Hot Love

and now album is complete and soon be available on FREE download including covers if you like that type of thing.

Since I burnt the first copy of the album on CD-R I have been playing it non-stop as it rocks from start to finished.

Get your FREE downloads now here -
http://www.reverbnation.com/drummediadeafboyone

GET IT video


Don't Cry For Me Argentina (story behind the mix)





On 16th June I was sent in early hours a final mix of a classic song just been revamped.
'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' from the musical 'Evita'.

This has been cranked up a notch with a rock guitar rift but still tells the story with passion.
It features Pete Waller AKA DeafboyOne and Bre Kilpin AKA Breeze.

Now the story behind the song -
No not talking real story about Eva Peron we all know that already & if you don't watch the film with ole Mads in.
This is story behind this mix
Well a few months ago a friend of mine a Graham Collins who helps me with merchandise on my artists he was listening to DeafboyOne and said "I bet you he could do a wicked Ian Dury with 'What a waste' tell him". So I did 2 week later I played Graham this MP3 & he was right it was so cool had that cockney charm to it.
On leaving Graham turned to me & said "oh! for a laugh tell Pete I bet him he won't do a cover of 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' that will stump him".
Well I offered Pete this as a dare & Pete responded with "you know I can see something in that what will work".
Soon as I knew Pete was up for it I said "what if we brought Bre in?", see at time Bre was already getting known to Pete as she was teaming up for another duet for a featured DUETS EP out later in year. I first thought of only opening the track with her EVITA style cry of the song title.
Well Pete thought it was a great idea & I should ask Bre & within a few days Bre had recorded a few versions of title line & emailed them to Pete.
After a search for news reels for very start & hearing Bre we both decided it be so fantastic to give Bre more of the song.
So I emailed again & Bre recorded what you now hear on the finished mix.
The end was finished with a whisper & WOW!! GOOSEBUMPS

What amazes me is Pete is in Sydney Australia, I am in Worthing West Sussex UK and Bre is up in Linc UK and everything gets sent to that master of engineers Rod Willner also in Sydney as Pete says "the world is getting smaller"

I really hope you all enjoy the mix of Breeze & DeafboyOne
*NOTE look out for their duet coming soon 'All by Myself'& the DUETS EP (more info on that coming soon)

COMMENT FROM Juan Pablo Mazzola AKA Baby Scream (Argentina)

Well done!
It touched me man, great song, great concept.
I love the "Evita" play, of course, the real story is a bit different and a lot more darker...
PerĂ³n was a a close friend of my dad, weird stuff.
I will promote this.
Juan


Click here to liten to track
http://www.ilike.com/artist/deafboyone/track/Dont+Cry+for+me+Argentina