Period : May 21-25, 2000
In this issue : Kamagurka, K's Choice, dirk Blanchart, Da Reverend, Toots Thielemans,
Hooverphonic, The Hangovers.
May 25, 2000
THE TACTLESS TOP 30 (VOLUME 1) "Oh
Sabrina, what have you done with my moustache", "No, my dear, you're
not too fat", "The Homeless Architect" or "There's always
something hanging on your face" ... are just some of the (translated) titles
on the new release of Kamagurka "De
Tactloze Top 30".
The CD, again a coöperation between cartoonist/comedian Kama and his faithfull
musical compagnon Johan de Smet, also features two guest-appearances of the other
co-stars of the radio-show Studio Kafka that hosts the "tactless top
30" : Herr Seele (rapping on "the hygienic gigolo") and
Eddy Wally (in English, please, wow, on "Butterfly", fantastic).
There will even be a single from the album, with the tracks "O Sabrina
(wat heb je met mijn snor gedaan)"
and "De onbaatzuchtige buffel"
(the unselfish buffalo).
It could be argued that the best thing about this cd are the wacky lyrics, and
for the fans of those, there is also good news, as K plans to publish a book with
all his lyrics by September.
The album is out on KassaNova Records, distributed through Zomba &
VAR. More info : Kamagurka.com, Studio
Brussel.
FIRST K'S CHOICE GIG WITH NEW MATERIAL K's Choice, the brother-sister rock-folk-outfit
from Kappellen who had a go at world-fame with "Not an Addict", have
finished recording all the material for what will become their fourth album (to
be released in Fall). At the moment, Tchad Blake (who has worked with acts of
the stature of Pearl Jam or Crowded House before) is finishing up the last bits
& pieces of the album.
Next Wednesday, May 31, K's Choice will bring a live performance on the radio
(and it will even be captured by the test-channel of TV1) where they will be performing
some of the new songs for the first time in public. The occasion is the tenth
anniversary of the daily radio-newsshow "Voor de Dag" of Radio1.
The occasion is somewhat symbolic, as that same day, 9 years ago (during the 1st
anniversary of that same show), Sarah Beth
was given the first opportunity to perform in front of a large audience.
Also performing on the show : Novastar.
Tune in between six and nine. Alas : A.M.
May 24, 2000
dIRK BLANCHART ON THE MOVE AGAIN After
a few quiet months (which sadly included the bankrupcy of his record firm Via
Records), Dirk Blanchart is back
on track for some good things to come.
First of all, he has taken on an alter ego, named dA ReveRend. As such,
he has just released a promotional single "Mantra 21",
a reworking in four-languages and even more musical styles of a track that already
featured on his most recent cd "Schietstoel". The B-side is "Deng
Deng", an interlude on the same cd, but now a full-blown song that will
feature on the soundtrack of the British movie "Inbetweeners". As da
ReveRend, he will also release some new material in September, in a new project
called "Icon-O-Mix" which also features Vincent Pierins (bass
with RvhG ...) as dr. Nebula. The pitch
: Kruder & Dorfmeister, Air, Massive Attack, Moby.....warm thinking man's dance'n'roll. This summer, dB will be part of "the Ode Band", an outfit
of musicians (Wigbert, Kathleen Vandenhoudt,
Sabien Tiels, Philippe Robrecht, William Reven en Nico Van Calster (ex-Noordkaap,
drums) who will do new versions of songs by dead Belgians (think : "Amsterdam"
of Brel with a hip-hop beat, "Dag vreemde
man" of Ann Christy à la Neil
Young ....). In december and January, this programme will also go on a tour of
cultural centres.
More info : the dirk Blanchart-website.
A WEBSITE FOR TOOTS Not
only has he successfully coped with the presence in his lovely house of the dreaded
Ivo Niehe. We were already starting to question his mental health as he was talking
about "broodjes" (sandwich rolls) all the time when referring to his
harp, but now we can see he got his act still together : one of the most respected
of Belgian Musicians and probably worlds' bestknown harmonica-player, Jean
"Toots" Thielemans, is on the net now.
A few weeks ago, a new "Best Of" album of Toots has come out, featuring
all the more popular tunes classics that earned him his current stature. The album
"The Very Best of Toots Thielemans, Hard to say goodbye" includes
everything from the theme to the series Baantjer or the film Turks Fruit, to some
friendly bossa's or the inevitable "Bluesette" and even a cover of John
Lennon's "Imagine".
Website address : TootsThielemans.com.
May 21, 2000
HOOVERPHONIC TO KICK OFF EURO 2000
If hooligans permit and Helmut Lotti is kept at a distance, the kick-off to soccer-tournament
Euro 2000 will be held in Brussels on June 10. Alex - I talk therefore I am -
Callier has written a song especially for that occasion : a 12-minute long track
track that comes when you call it "Visions". The song will be
used in the opening ceremony from the "King Baudoin"-stadium.
Even better is the news that a first new single of what will become Hooverphonic's
third album has been released : the delightful "Mad About You"
.
The full-cd will be called "The Magnificent Three", and is planned
for release in August.
NO MORE HANGOVERS
The final cure for a hangover has finally been found : the split. The Hangovers
in question are a rockabilly band from Overpelt, or better, were a rockabilly
band from Overpelt, since the Hangovers are no more.
Last Saturday, singer Dietert Bernaerts, bass-player Jean-Marie Winters, guitar-player
Yves Teuwens & drummer Michel Elst gave their farewell show, in café
't Kanske in Houthalen. This pub-band had been busy in rock'n'roll for almost
12 years. In 1998, the band went into the studio with Mark Thijs to record "Last
Call for Rock'n'Roll", which featured the song "I would do anything
for a Gretsch"
(although the cover pic had a "Gibson" on it, the reason being "a
Gretsch sucks big time. It fweeps and feedbacks all the time. But we didn't know
that when we wrote the song") and a cover of Elvis' "Hound Dog"
("Our producer wanted a track on the album to sound very fifties. Well, this
one sounds so fifties that it's almost fourties").
AÏE, MARIEKE, MARIEKE ...
In the Flemish coasttown of Knokke-Heist, the 69-year old Marie-Louise Deschacht
has died, and was buried without much ado. This Marie was the "Marieke"
who was made famous by the song that Jacques Brel
wrote about her (and all Mariekes) "Aïe, Marieke, Marieke, je t'aimais
tant, entre les tours, de Bruges et Gand".
The identity of this "Marieke" was revealed by journalist Johan Anthierens
(who also died, earlier this year) in his book "De Passie en de Pijn".
Brel met her as a girl (she was born in 1930 in Bruges, raised in Stalhille).
The two of them spent a lot of time together, and the girl told Brel a lot of
stories she had learned from her gouvernante.
Marie-Louise Deschacht met Brel only once after he had become a celebrated singer,
after a concert he gave in Knokke. They kept in touch for some time, until they
had an argument about "Les F..", the song which heckled Flemish nationalism.
More info : Marieke in Arnold Rypens radio-series "Brel,
Mijn vlakke Land
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