PURPLE PROSE

Purple Prose is a bluesy band from Brussels with "older" musicians among who Dani Klein returning to the forefront after a number of years of absence.

The group was founded when musicians Thierry Plas and Marc Ysaye (both member of the symphonic rockgroup Machiavel that had a revival at the end of the nineties, the second one also drummer for Burning Plague and an influential radio-presentor on Radio 21) where jamming together with Jan Cordemans and Werner Braito (both ex-Responsibles, Jan used to play with Rick Tubbax, Werner with Vaya Con Dios). The result of this jamsession was so good, according to these gentlemen, that they started looking for a singer. They didn't have to look far to find a really good one, since the girlfriend of Mr. Plas, Dani Klein, was prepared to take the job on, as she had rested enough after the hectic times with Vaya Con Dios.

In a relaxed and domestic atmosphere (in a homestudio), they started working and recording songs for about a year and a half. The basic principle in all this was that everything had to be "spontaneous" : "We all know each other really well, we are all forty-somethings, we don't have the constant urge to prove ourselves any longer. It rather went like : we get together and we'll see what happens. We also all make a living well with activities outside of the band. There was no pressure.".
Still, the project was tackled with some "sérieux". Dani confessed in Weekend-Knack "that the choosing of the name for example has taken several meetings. It all needs to be really good, but this time I want to take success into my own hand, I want to make the choices of interviews and gigs". The resounding fame of the names in the band gave them a deal with major BMG.

On the self-titles debut CD in 1999, the bio states that the mixture of preferences in music of the different band members (old blues, Led Zeppelin, folk, Robert Wyatt, chanson) resulted in an "energetic album with daring eclecticism", although other heard a rather moody, melancholic album with a lot of life-experience and great skill. The lyrics to the songs are mostly from Dani Klein, with the help of Ian Ramsey, poet Jacques Crickillon and Suzanna Strub, in English, Spanish, French and German.

The group did get a few big gigs at the festivals in Belgium already (among which a rather out-of-place gig on the main stage at Marktrock), France and Switzerland. The principle remains the new adagio of Dani Klein : "I want to build the next phase in my career in a really quiet way. Playing from time to time, without too much pressure, and with enough room to have other activities. I don't want to pack my bags to go on a tour for three months ever again."

Band members :
- Dani Klein (vocals)
- Werner Braito (harmonica)
- Jan Cordemans (bass)
- Thierry Plas (guitar)
- Marc Ysaye (drums)

Buy CD's of this band at

Albums :
- Purple Prose (CD, BMG-Ariola, 1999)
Singles :
- Who wants to be lonely (promo only)
- Dirty Gold (CDS, BMG-Ariola, 1999)

Websites :
- the official site is not purpleprose.com, but purpleprosemusic.com.
- My review of the debut-cd.
- Purple Prose-info at the Dani Klein fansite.