US Experts Belief in Guy's Talent is Off The Wall

[Prinia]

Thanks to Adelaidefan for her transcription of very important parts of yesterdays interview with Alan Jones on morning radio

QUOTE
Alan Jones: "It must be wonderful for someone like you though, when a young fellow comes along, who recreates that whole generation, and makes it listenable for a generation of his".

Steve Cropper: "It’s a thrill....You have no idea how many years we've looked to have somebody. There are so many people who love the music, that try to sing the music and all that, but it just doesn’t seem to come from within. And he has made the music his music. Its fantastic".

Alan Jones: "Say that again. This is big time. This is the man. This is the Memphis man. Steve Cropper. And you're saying our little Australian boy here has made"

Steve Cropper: "He has taken this music, and made it his own. He's given it a new place in life. We all recognise that. And everybody I've played it for back home has said the same thing".

Alan Jones: "That is the biggest wrap that you could possibly have". (Plays a bit of Dock Of The Bay.) "Now this is the 6th most played record of all time. It's been played more than 6 million times. I won't ask Steve about the royalties....... So what you're saying to us Australians here is that in the interpretation of these songs this young man is 10 out of 10".

Steve Cropper:"Absolutely. He’s got it".

.......
Alan Jones: "But sitting there. You made music history. To have a young person come along and recreate that history, its something special".

Steve Cropper: "Well I don’t know if the Australians here know who Al Bell is. But Al Bell wound up being the vice president of Stax Records. And I sent him a copy of the album a few weeks ago, And he called me back, and I still have his message in my cell phone. And he said “All I can say Cropper is Oh my God. Oh My God.”

for those who would like the full interview, including the songs AND Green Onions


http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JJGP92S6
or

http://download.yousendit.com/883CAA8F1A2F95F8



I can tell you, to HEAR Steve say those things, and HOW he said those things..... there were tears. We had been told that Steve and the Memphis people, and others, are totally blown away by Guy's talent
but to actually hear this man tell it.... he's a great orator as will be seen and heard by his interviews on youtube. So very impressive, yesterday :wub:

And of course, we'd all be lining up for a Memphis Album no. 2, after Guy's own soul album

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Also, might mention we had two interviews yesterday, one very quick. One mentioned that John Belushi was so rushed by the public after the Blues Bros. It was sheer pandemonium.

I've forgotten which of you is the huge John Belushi fan, but the interviews are well worth to listen to the great stuff re John.

I can sure picture it, when he's talking about it (Steve Cropper).

LISTEN TO ALLMEMPHISMUSIC tomorrow YOUR time.

Apparently they will be playing the album in its entirety, and there will be some stunning interviews

(Be fun if they found some great interviews with John Belushi eh?)

[Prinia]

found this podcast

http://podcasts.2gb.com/2gbvideo/2gbvideoguysteve.mp4

loving it.... - Alan Jones has a huge audience Australia wide, so it was a fab. move to have them on there

www.allmemphismusic.com
had a Guy Sebastian day today, and I believe are going to repeat it


or
just the radio interview

http://www.2gb.com/index.php?option=com_podcasting&task=view&id=9&Itemid=41

[TaylorHicksRocks]

Thanks Prinia you I do adore Guy!!!!

[Prinia]

I'm so pleased you do (LOL). So You Think You Can Dance medley

I'm disappointed in the sound, on this. ch.10 audio - even tho they are the ones with Idol shows. There are often 'lively discussions' regarding sound, when we watch idol backstage stuff. And they've done it again. I've been to Guy concert when he totally lost his voice the next 2 days, but he got it right out there, and just altered the song when he knew he wouldn't be able to hit the notes (like harmonising, instead of going for something big).

Ch. 9 audios (dock of the bay acoustic, on youtube) are almost always fabulous. They should run some singing show instead.

HOWEVER, having said that, overall its fantastic

and wait until you see "Shake a Tail Feather"!!!

btw
those dvds.. if you can't see or play them, please let me know. I may be able to alter or record in something that plays for you.
:)

[Prinia]

just dropping by. Stuff still happening........... will let you know definite things when we have definite things.

I'm not sure how he's fitting everything in, because they're still trying to get everything set up for the wedding which he'd hoped would be May, but the World Youth Day 08 stuff for Sydney is creating some pressure, plus recording his 5th album
giving Jules SOME time
and all the rest.........

All we CAN say atm is that July 08 is fully taken up - tour in Queensland, possibility of 1 show in Sydney in that time (although I fail to see when he could fit it in, but its been mooted) and World Youth Day 08.

And Taylorhicksrocks?

I MAY have some mp3s for you, just a couple, from the show. And I'm still working on the VCD problem.

:)

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there is a ton of stuff on youtube of course, but not always great audio. Tailfeather has put in a reappearance.

And someone found another site which had something like 767 video postings of Angels Brought Me Here, and over 1/2 mill views just on that site.

They certainly did bring him here - but he's SOOOO much more than that!

[TaylorHicksRocks]

Oh cool thanks Prinia!!!!

[Prinia]

thanks to Skyblue



A lot of people have sent us e-mails about a new CD we're playing, called "The Memphis Album", by Australian singer Guy Sebastian. Ever since the crew here at http://www.allmemphismusic.com/ first heard the CD, we have felt that Guy is something special, and obviously so have a lot of you. Guy was the first Australian Idol winner and his dream after he won, was to go to Memphis, Tennesse and record an album with the legendary Steve Cropper. Too big a dream? Steve Cropper said, "Well let me hear his voice", and when he did Steve said "every hair on my body stood up, just like hearing Otis Redding did for the first time." Well the album came out and Steve and Duck Dunn from the MG's were so impressed, that they went to Australia to be Guy's backup band on a recent tour. The reviews were spectacular and all the concerts were sold -out!

Recently All Memphis Music.com played Guys's Cd in it's entirety and due to global requests, we are repeating the special this Friday night April 25th(at 10:00 pm (Memphis Time) and Saturday morning April 26th at 10:00 am (Memphis Time)

This repeat special includes special guests from artists who played on the CD, as well as Ardent Recording Studio President John Fry and guitar hero, Steve Cropper and many others

We do hope you can listen in, as the music is fantastic and the interviews are classic! We can't wait for the USA release of "The Memphis Album"!



http://allmemphismusic.blogspot.com/2008/0...-sebastian.html (http://allmemphismusic.blogspot.com/2008/04/who-is-this-guy-sebastian.html)



and onlyi just over a week to go to our first official LIVE CD/DVD SHOW

[Prinia]

Great 'special' yesterday on Allmemphismusic.com

here is just SOME of the transcriptions from just SOME of the special interviews that were also run, in between the tracks from the album. Thanks to Adelaidefan who transcribed these interviews (which can also be heard, on the OF)

:D


Steve Cropper

Hi this is Steve Cropper, guitar player with Booker T & The Mgs. I just want to say it’s great to be here on AllMemphisMusic.com radio show. You know recently I had the pleasure of bringing in an Australian Idol winner. I brought him to Memphis. He wanted to do a Memphis tribute album, and we brought him down to Ardent Studios. Needless to say I’ve done a lot of things in my career, had a lot of fun, but we had more fun working with this young guy who just sings the rings around everything. You know there’s a lot of great singers out there today, a lot of them extremely talented. You never quite know where they learned, or where they’re coming from, or what their musical tastes are, but this kid came into Memphis, and just blew everybody’s socks off. He had the grit and the grind and the soul of Otis Redding, and he had the sweet soul of Al Green, he had the wonderful sweet church sound of Sam Cooke. He just took us by storm, and it was like every song we did, we just looked at each other and like all said we can’t believe this kid can sing this good. His name is Guy Sebastian, and we are going to be playing some of his music today. We hope you like it, and I was fortunate enough to play guitar on it, and produce the record. I brought up my good buddy Donald Duck Dunn up from Florida, and we had our drummer Steve Potts who plays with us The Blues Brothers and Booker T & The Mgs, and the one and only Lester Snell from Memphis Tennessee who played with Isaac Hayes, and played with everybody on keyboards. And we just had, just had a ball. That’s all I can say. So it’s a pleasure to be here on AllMemphisMusic radio.

*****************

I was sitting at home one day, and I was just looking through my emails, and I got an email from a publisher out in Los Angeles, a Universal publisher, a guy named Lance Reed, and he wrote me a little email, and he said, “I just talked to a friend of ours Bob Aird, who represents Universal Music down in Australia, and he says that he has this Australian Idol winner that has had a lot of success, he’s had about 3 albums, he sells a lot of records. He’s got a big following down in Australia, and he has come up with the idea that he’d like to do a, a album filled with Memphis songs, and Lance explained he said “This singer’s going to sing Memphis songs? Why don’t you bring him to Memphis, and maybe call Steve Cropper and get him involved, and maybe you can put together some of the old band members, and cut it for real in Memphis Tennessee". And that message went back, and next thing you know we’re getting a phone call. And I emailed him back and said “Yeh I’d be interested in this”. So we went back and forth, and they called and they said “Would you really be interested in coming back to Memphis, and putting some of the guys together, and cutting some of these old songs” and I said “absolutely”. If anything it sounds like fun. If it makes it or not. It isn’t really an important thing. The fact that we come to Memphis, and hang out, and go over to our old studio. You know we did a lot of work for Stax at Ardent Studios on Madison. I actually had an office over there at one time after I left Stax. So it was like a home coming week.

And we set it all up and I got Donald Duck Dunn to come in from Florida and Steve Potts who still lives in Memphis, Lester Snell, and we got those guys together. Got some of the existing Memphis horns together, and we went in there and started cutting a little Al Green, a little Wilson Pickett, and a little Sam and Dave, and a little Otis Redding. And the next thing you know we’re about 14 tracks into an album. And everybody who came by said “Who is this kid? Where did you find this guy? and I said. “Hey I didn’t find him. He found me. And he wanted to come to Memphis and make a record”. And they said “We haven’t heard anybody sing like that in years. This is awesome. Wait until we tell people about this”.

With the good help of AllMusicMusic station we’re going to get to hear some of this great music, and I tell you, I don’t know when they are going to show this, er play this back, but I just recently came back from New York and played for the executives of Sony Music. The record has been released by Sony down in Australia. Let me tell you the record at this point has gone Triple Platinum in Australia, which gets a lot of people’s attention, it’s absolutely that good, and we went out and did a little showcase last Tuesday. We played for the executives of Sony. They were totally overwhelmed. And we’re just waiting by the phone. To see when they’re going to call and say “Ok we’re going to release the record in the States”. But in the meantime you guys get an early jump on this because you’re going to get to hear the album today, and hopefully you will phone in, or get on your computer and punch it in, and say “I like that, play it some more”. That’s what we’re looking for. So we want to thank all of our new fans coming along to hear Guy Sebastian.

*****************

You know it’s pretty neat to go down to Australia. It’s always great. I’ve been down there a couple of times, and when I come home to the States I can’t brag enough about the people down there, and the fun that we had, and the food and just the whole idea of it. I know that they’ve got kangaroos that everyone knows about and all that, but they have so much more to offer. It’s just a wonderful place to go and see. And to go down there with an artist that already has a major, major fan base. He’s an American Idol, I mean Australian Idol winner. He finished 1st place about 4 years ago, and he just has this huge following, so there was a little apprehension about us going down to play behind him, because the people who were fans were there to see Guy. Well they were there to see some of the old Memphis guys as well. And that comaradarie with everybody, and hearing him singing our music, which was born and raised and produced and recorded in Memphis Tennessee. It was just something I, its hard to explain the excitement coming from being on stage and that excitement coming out of the audience. It just filled our hearts. Because they really liked us, and they really liked that good old Memphis music, and here’s one of the biggest Idols singing that music, Its just pretty much overwhelming experience that we will probably never ever get over. I hope some way we can do it again.

[Prinia]

Our GUY is ONE busy guy heart.gif posted by Salome on another site

She might come and join us over here :)


http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/may/2...y-nambour-show/


Guy shows cancelled
Published 20 May 2008 08:59
Updated 20 May 2008 09:30

Guy Sebastian's Queensland tour dates have been cancelled for July and postponed until 2009.

His management stated in a press release that due to national and international commitments in relation to the global release of the Memphis album in 2009, Guy will be unable to perform the Queensland dates scheduled between July 4 and July 13.

Subsequently, the show scheduled for the Nambour Civic Centre on July 12 will no longer take place and Coast fans will have to wait well beyond the Midnight Hour to see the former face of Pepsi strut his soul.

On behalf of the former Australian Idol, Guy's booking agent Tony Grace Guarrera apologised for any inconvenience caused.

The news is sure to disappoint fans on the Coast, who will have make do with banjos for entertainment instead, if comments are to be believed.

Guy was in Maroochydore less than two weeks ago promoting the upcoming shows when he performed an impromptu set in the Sunshine Coast Daily newsroom.

Watch the video here.http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/may/08/guy-visits-coast/


Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. For more information, call Nambour Civic Centre on 5475 7777.

In other news, Guy Sebastian's wedding to long-time love Jules Egan 'went off with a bang' on Saturday night, Confidential reports.

The singer had booked out the $2000-a-night master suite at the Hilton hotel for his honeymoon night, but was enjoying his wedding so much that he and his new bride stayed at the reception to dance the night away.

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Thanx salome, we're abysmally disappointed - but so thrilled. There were hints that things were happening (and I suspect many more to come, this is just the start of it all) - even the fact that he had called this tour on immediately before WYD was a bit ambitious, but hey? He's the original workaholic! He's been known to fly back from countries where he's been gigging to take part in something, (last time I think there were around 4 gigs in the 24 hours) and then fly back again.

So THIS is a little special, which mod, lil mish reminded us about.

I have it on dvd, from my dear friend who shall remain nameless bleh.gif - AND I was there and heard and saw Steve Cropper...



At Wollongong’s Soul Lounge - a special pre-show Q&A for fans - Cropper tells the audience that the world needs to be re-educated on soul music and Guy Sebastian is the person to do it.

“We’ve got to educate these young kids about real music that comes from the heart and comes from the soul, not just manufactured by some computer somewhere. There’s a lot of great records, but there’s not a lot of great performances. On stage they sound awful. You take that computer away and these people can’t sing Happy Birthday.” He looks over to Guy and adds “but this man can sing anything, anywhere” while patting his back.


Steve said these or similar things so often
Luv ya steve


Oh, just adding - did you know he had a huge gig the night before the wedding? ROFL!! Guy Sebastian and His Memphis Band (no wonder the horns Ben and Matt n Carl etc looked a tad tired too)


now the big big hint is that there are many things happening for Guy, and not all of them are related to his recent wedding. Just hang in there.

[Prinia]

wouldn't want ppl think think Guy is all ballads and passion

there's a great deal of fun too

In the Midnight Hour

I like this one because it shows Steve Cropper's enthusiasm for what Guy is bringing to the table

(remember, Guy is singing a Steve Cropper song - and others include Dock of the Bay.... - all TMA)

[Prinia]

Just in from Ardent Studios, where Guy and the MGs recorded The Memphis Album in 2007, and Steve Cropper became so very enthusiastic about Guy's talent...

Curry Post subject: Guy returns to MemphisPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 12:15 pm

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:46 pm
Posts: 222
Location: Memphis

sources say that Guy will return to Memphis to cut 2 new tracks for the global release of the record!!!!! and he has requested that the same team (Cropper, Dunn, Steff, Snell and Potts) be in place for the recordings!!!! WOOT!!!!!!!!

_________________
how long after we're declared overdue can we expect a rescue?
Curry Weber
www.myspace.com/curryweber
cweber@ardentrecords.com


Curry Weber is the sound engineer who worked on the album, and of course who will work on the remaining songs. We're hoping that there are more than three of Guy's songs on the new Memphis Album (global release one) and REALLY hoping for a full new soul album from Guy for Australia. You can't say we aren't trying.. :talker:


And from the forum, Adelaide says


Was just thinking. How many Aussie musicians could request "Cropper, Dunn, Steff, Snell and Potts" and think they might have a chance of getting them.

Only one. Guy

[Prinia]

for those of us who saw The Memphis Tour (and those unlucky enough NOT to see it)

this is a wonderful tribute to STAX records and Otis, and many many others
BUT ALSO

HERE on the link underneath are so many of the people who are just overwhelmed with Guy's talent!

Al Bell,(vice president of STAX) for instance, who messaged Steve Cropper after hearing The Memphis Album and Guy,
"All I can say Crop is OMG! OMG!"

YouTube - GP | Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story | PBS


these are legends

[Prinia]

Found the original of the Steve Cropper interview in the Relix mag. which has been altered somewhat online now, (good onyer Adelaidefan)
and here's the relevant parts :p
==========

You recorded very few albums under your own name. Why?

I never had the interest to do it. My whole goal, from almost day one, was basically to be a rhythm guy who loved to be a band member and back other people and knew his limitations and knew he wasn’t a very good singer. I could sing, I can carry a pitch, but I don’t have any range—I have physical restrictions. I don’t think vocal coaching and lessons would really help much. But there again, there were always people out there singing for a living that couldn’t carry a tune, couldn’t sing “Happy Birthday” in key [laughs] and always sorta bothered me. How can you call yourself a professional when you don’t have good pitch?

And then what happened in the late ‘90s—here we go, we have all these kids with pitch controllers and they have to use them onstage and in the studio, it’s like… holy mackerel. You know in and amongst all that success and merchandising there are some great singers out there that are just born with it, and incredible, they’re as good as anybody.

I’ve been very fortunate recently to work with one of those artists, out of Australia, Guy Sebastian. , he’s just phenomenal. He’s one of the best singer/guitar players I’ve ever worked with.

That’s a big statement.

I’ll throw him in there with one of the best singer/guitar players I’ve ever worked with. Guy has perfect pitch, perfect harmony and can play rings around most of the world’s guitar players. A lot people don’t know that, and they go, “Oh yeah, the Hispanic guy who plays flamenco, da da da da.” No. He can play it all. He can go onstage with Jeff Beck or anybody, he just doesn’t do it, it’s not his forte and it’s not what he’s known for, but he could do it. He’s just phenomenal.

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:GDSBA...;client=firefox

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and Joes checked her soul lounge video
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I just replayed the Brissie soul lounge and someone asked a question about how many instruments Guy plays.

He said that he played the violin for 7 years and could take it up again if he wanted to, so my guess is that given his natural flair and ability for pitch, music etc he would be pretty good at violin.

He also said he played drums for many years in bands and I remember a story that was told at a youth for christ event about how he used to want to sing in the band but that he was such a good drummer that they needed to keep him on drums as they had other singers but no drummer (2 years, I remember).

So again his beat, rhythm and natural musical abilities would make him damn good drummer too I would say.

Then he said he plays the piano and bass too and Gary said he plays just about everything really well except the trumpet.

Guy played it down that he could play all these instruments well and then went on to say that he can play mouth trumpet and that Carl can play a really good bum trumpet biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif

I think Gary said somewhere else that Guy is modest about how well he can play these instruments.

I think Guy is a musical freak bordering on genius, and he is just growing and getting better all the time
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Still remember the time when at a sound check / rehearsal which us fans could witness and new song, and he got on the instruments and demonstrated what he wanted - in amongst taking time and signing autographs as people paddled out to the floating stage.