NEW: FULL-LENGTH VERSION AT DAVIDARCHULETA.COM!

http://www.davidarchuleta.com/news/listen-something-bout-love-now

Oh. My. Gosh. It’s here.

David has just sent out a message via Twitter and to those who get his text-message updates, that a preview of his next single can now be heard at his hotline, (801) 386-8196.

It’s hard to pass final judgment when the audio is so poor, but if first impressions are any indication, the song sounds like it can be a hit and that it will satisfy the fans. It’s got an upbeat pop vibe, it’s catchy, David’s vocals are front and center, and it has a nearly Zero Gravity-like energy. Most of all, something about David’s vocal communicates the full feeling of joy mixed with pain that love brings: “Something ’bout love just breaks your heart… woah oh oh oh….”

NEW! High-quality 30-second snippet at FMQB: 30-second clip

Give it a listen:

Here’s a link to good-quality MP3, captured by MJ’s Big Blog.

Given that this preview is only a taste of the fully-mastered studio version in all its glory, this has gotten me not only salivating but also bouncing off the walls in a frenzy.

So… WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Credits: Group photo to JohnAF and Solo pic to israeliarchie

Contents
01 Interviews & special coverage
02 Fan videos on special performance & the book signing frenzy
03 Pictures!

INTERVIEWS & SPECIAL COVERAGE

01 Special Feature News by BYUDN (HD) cr jr4djma

www.youtube.com/watch?v=065nJCGmdgU

FAN VIDEOS ON BOOK SIGNING FRENZY

02 Continuous footage from entrance to CRUSH, LOM acapella cr jessicasluckystars

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuWTnP-5P6s

03 Continuous footage from CRUSH, LOM acapella & book signing cr CrayonsAreCoolio

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7aDCSr3ajc

04 David’s entrance cr Morrisseys7thFriend

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1VFWyw3wo0

05 CRUSH (HD) cr EvelynFOJG

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQQ3KbUfA8k

06 CRUSH (close-up) cr lobenally32

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XSQv5seVM0

07 CRUSH cr Morrisseys7thFriend

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENOlYCdhGB8

08 CRUSH UPFRONT, GREAT AUDIO cr alexaslaughter

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFRHcHNB6Bs

09 CRUSH cr ilovelife

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r46ghLK7BI

10 CRUSH & Arrival cr stidwell53

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-UsRNlGtFM

11 LEAN ON ME acapella (HD) cr EvelynFOJG

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CizM502Bw7U

12 LEAN ON ME acapella (closeup) cr lobenally32

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XSQv5seVM0

13 LEAN ON ME UPFRONT, GREAT AUDIO cr alexaslaughter

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UkbjXwHXdk

14 Book signing (HD) cr ShelleyFOD

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXf0ibcN7GU

15 Book signing cr stidwell53

www.youtube.com/watch?v=69kBpCQcYjY

16 DA talking in Spanish (HD) cr ShelleyFOD

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N446qCdD8FI

PICTURES!
01 Anny’s Blog
02 Snarkies’ Orem Liveblog
02 Annie’s YFrog
03 John AF’s Twitpix
04 Carlen’s twitpic

More to come!

David, who usually expresses uncertainty when talking to fans about his upcoming music, is overcome with excitement in his latest video blog when talking about his upcoming album:

I just can’t wait for you guys to hear these songs! … I feel you guys will really get to feel me in these songs because I’m… a part of the writing, and so part of my ideas and just how I feel are in these songs.

Aside from the involuntary joy one feels while viewing a David video blog, one can’t help but feel enormous anticipation with this one as well. For David—who is a perfectionist in many things and admires the musical greats of the past—to feel a sense of accomplishment and joy in sharing his own musical production can only bode well for the quality of his second pop venture. David’s unique choices in selecting and styling his songs reveal an impeccable musical instinct.

How many frikkin songs has David written already? It seems like it’s almost every day we receive a tweet announcing a new song that David helped write. David’s first album was largely written for him, and recorded in hasty sessions at different stops over the course of the 2008 Idol Tour. David had very little time and/or experience to “find his voice” in the decision-making process regarding the larger choices for the album. Now, David’s initial forays in wielding a hand in his own destiny in both business and music will show their first fruits. David, Part Deux promises to surpass the original.

Okay, so David says that the next album will better reflect him? That we’ll “really get to feel” him in these songs? What will come from David’s self-admittedly and wonderfully “weird” and “spacey” mind? What should David’s confession of “me-ness” tell us about the musical styles and lyrics we can expect on the album?

Hardly anything at all, I’m afraid.

We have even less of an idea of what music is in store this time around, precisely because David has had such heavy involvement in the process. Any look at David’s musical and thematic inclinations will show that they are wildly varied. He can command a variety of genres, best exemplified during his American Idol days. One of the sources of excitement in following a young prodigious talent like David is the constant potential for surprise and discovery.

David has provided us with no hints. We’re left with looking back at what David has written or helped write in the past, to get any idea of what might be on the menu for his next album. So, shall we?

1. “Works for Me” – Sassy, Bluesy, Attitudy David?

How many of us thought David had a song like “Works for Me” in him? The song was co-written with Daniel Bedingfield and, with its soul influences and bluesy guitar hook, calls for strutting and finger-snapping. We also hear little bluesy, soulful touches that David brings on in full glory in his covers of “Crazy” and “Waiting on the World to Change.” All that’s missing is a glimpse of the Archuneck that David whipped out while singing “Shop Around.” In one interview, David has said that his new album will show more how he thinks. Looking at the lyrics to WFM, we see a witty, confident, and humorous side of David. Perhaps we’ll get to see some of this David in the album?

2. “Somebody Out There” – David the Love Balladeer?

Surprisingly, David’s first album did not include a ballad that had strong radio potential, especially given that this genre was the box many people put David in after his singing “Imagine.” It will be interesting to see whether David and the label opt for a strong ballad as one of his singles this time around. I thought that “Somebody Out There,” co-written with Mike Krompass, may not have had the potential of becoming a pop hit, but still it was the most musically interesting and lyrically strong of the three love ballads on David’s first album (though this was only on an extended version of the album). The lyrics and music expressed a simple, earnest, generous affection, spoken as if in an intimate conversation, that one doesn’t hear in many love ballads. Perhaps we will hear David bring some new ballads on his next album. The pop world needs a fresh, sincere voice like David’s.

3. “Don’t Tell Me” – The Rhythmic Pop Supah-Dupah Star?

This is another possible route that David and his management could use to establish some early commercial success off his album. While a young teenager, David apparently wrote the melody and lyrics to “Don’t Tell Me” while another musician filled out the arrangement. With a catchy melody that progresses well from one section to the next, it is an amazingly proficient piece of pop work, especially considering it came from such a young artist. When I first heard this, I immediately thought it was influenced by Christina Aguilera’s “Stripped” album – David probably could rock some rhythmic pop if wanted to. The verses to “A Little Too Not Over You” – also co-written by David in tandem with Mike Krompass – also show his melodic creativity in this mode of music.

4. “Falling” – David the Soul Artist at the Piano?

In my opinion, this song, though it didn’t cause a sensation in the fandom (see #5), gives the clearest glimpse of the heights David can potentially reach with his music. The MUSIC (ahh, the music!), with its dramatic chord passages and his tenor voice soaring above them, show a David that is prepared to and entirely capable of bringing forth big emotion in his music. Perhaps David will bring us something spiritual and transcendental? A message of social relevance? Or something exploring the painful side of the human experience? We shall see.

5. “Zero Gravity” – David the Club King?

Ahh, “Zero Gravity.” Did any of the fans expect David to produce a song that, with the right production, would comfortably fit on the same station with Ke$ha and Lady Gaga? Like “Don’t Tell Me,” ZG’s catchy hooks and natural progressions from one section to the next make it a very strong pop song. But even more than DTM, ZG is such an earworm that it just has you singing along after a few listens – which is a key ingredient for a pop radio hit, and means that this was possibly a lost opportunity for a second successful single. With pop music becoming increasingly influenced by techno and other kinds of dance music, one can see David and his label trying to experiment with a dance track or two on the new album, at least as bonus tracks.

Given David’s wide range of musical inclinations, one wonders how he and the label will come to an agreement as to what will be on his next album. Perhaps David’s album will be eclectic? Or perhaps it will be a cohesive mission statement that declares, “This is me”?

On that, we don’t have an answer either(!). And perhaps everything I have said has been worthless drivel based on wild speculation.

But that doesn’t make speculation any less fun.

So everybody join in!! What do you think will be on the menu? And what are you craving!

-Ronaldsf

When David revealed on Twitter March 5th that “She’s Not You” was from “a while back”—and therefore wasn’t a candidate for the second album—I felt relieved.

No, no, no… it’s not that I hate the song. I like it: it’s catchy, and in particular the melody and the guitar in the verses create a nice vibe. (Though the chorus is a bit too bland for my liking.) When I first heard it, I felt anxiety about the second pop album… was this the direction it was headed?

We now know that it was a track recorded for David’s first album, but still my day or two of not knowing this made it a useful reference point for thinking about where David’s studio production was at 18 months ago, and what new directions it could and should go in now.

“She’s Not You” resembled much of the first album in its level of quality, and in that it was quite conventional—it dealt with simple young boy-girl love, and fell squarely in that space between R&B and pop that characterized much of the album. This approach made sense at the time—it was perhaps the smartest thing to try first to create commercial success, and after all there was little time for David and the label to define jointly the best approach for the album. But now David and the label have the benefit of time to create an album that paints some bold strokes—bold, first in the sense of having some particularly strong, standout songs, and second, bold in expressing who David is as a person and an artist.

Because, let’s face it: we, his fans, know that David is capable of greatness. Still, we have yet to see a musical composition that summons an emotional gravitas that is commensurate to David’s ability to convey it. I am not asking that the perfect song be on David’s second album. However, it is fair to want and expect that a genuine attempt be made.

That means songs that feature David’s voice. Songs that David can connect with. Songs that can summon some of that earth-shaking emotion we know David is capable of delivering.

This doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning the pop route—in fact, if we are to speak of industry formulas, it seems to me that a pop power ballad, putting that stellar voice on a pedestal, would be the best approach. But what can I say? When it comes to what makes a song a hit, I’m not an expert. Still, as amateur fans we know enough to know that some things work for David that should be done.

In terms of arrangement and production, David’s fans are now more aware than before that, when it comes to David, it is often true that less is more. The bare instrumentation of “Contigo” put David’s voice front and center. As listeners, we honed in, not on the melody or the instruments, but on the subtleties of David’s voice. No fancy, expensive studio tricks, no synthesized hooks vying for our attention. Just us, and The Voice—a direct emotional conduit between the listener and the artist.

Another aspect of “Contigo” and of other songs (“Fields of Gold,” “Prayer of the Children,” “Imagine”) is that they were dear to David, on a theme that David could relate to. In my opinion, “Somebody Out There” was a much stronger ballad than either “To Be With You” and “You Can,” which I think comes down to the fact that David co-wrote SOT and could relate directly to what it said. “Falling” is gripping because we know these are David’s words, and that this music comes directly from his heart.

So I hope to see some movement in these directions with the second album. I am not saying that the album should be comprised entirely of soul-wrenching ballads. (Though I actually wouldn’t mind that.) In fact, I am hoping that there is some freedom given to David to express his rich musicality in a variety of musical genres.

In the first album, there was some variation in styles in the official twelve-track version, but they were a bit outside of David’s own inclinations. Unlike songs such as “Desperate” or “Running,” which because of the production were kind of hybrids of other styles, a conventional-pop melody with some stylistic dressing—some of the compositions David himself worked on, from the sassy “Works for Me,” to the club-thumping “Zero Gravity,” to the intimate “Somebody Out There,” jumped fully into the genre, spoke its language, and expressed a clear idea both lyrically and musically. Thus, a unity between words, music, and artist.

The most promising fact about the second album has been David’s extensive involvement in the writing process. This suggests that the folks at Jive/Zomba are trying a different approach and want this album to express David the Individual, whoever that may be. It is thrilling to think of what might be in store.

For now, “She’s Not You” is my new David music fix to sustain me through this long, extended Archudrought. Still, I do this with full knowledge that this isn’t the David that made me fall obsessively in love with him in the first place. Greater things await.

If this song were a person, then it would be the musical equivalent of a rebound—entertaining and pleasant enough for now, but just someone to hold me over while I’m really thinking about someone else.

“He was really nice… but he’s not you, David. I just know you’ll come back to me. I’m burning a candle in the window…”

-Ronaldsf

It is the same thing with his upcoming autobiography, Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance.

Look at that picture! Ageing becomes David (although I would have loved some warmer colors in the typography). He was this chubby-cheeked doe-eyed cutie pie in AI but towards the finale, he lost so much weight but still retained the cherubic aura.

Now, his face has lost it roundness. The last two years has given way to angles and a jaw line. But even with a more purposeful pair of lips, a deeper voice and more pronounced muscularity, his eyes – yes, his hazel-brown Spanish eyes – remain clear, yielding.

But don’t get fooled with the apprehensive, compliant-like demeanor. If people think they can put a stick in between his wheels but cannot stop his motivation, then nothing will.

Case in point: his DLTSGDOM performance. We all know what he had to put up with, on the way to the finale.

Just when you think he has given his all, he comes back stronger, more admirable and more loveable than ever.

Henceforth, it was Trust The Archulator.

For David’s strength lies not in brute or force. His strength shines through his quiet dignity, soft statement of directness, respectful perseverance and quirky sense of humor.

David seems to take a page from Yajur Veda’s philosophy.

One should always aspire for increments of strength, food and long life because each of them is dependent on the other.

David has shown us how he builds on from his early wins, slowly creating ripples of triumphs that have enormous potential of sustainability. Food? Hmmm, isn’t that a dominant item already in his twits and blogs? LOL

Kidding aside, what I find most touching is his earnest desire to share his gift for any bit of possibility that his sharing could help someone, someway. This may be the spirit behind the book. Some may question the decision to come out with a book at this stage of his career or of his young life. But for me, that doesn’t necessarily reveal a weakness in the process. On the contrary, it stresses how strong the choice is. And how consistent with David’s expressed priorities.

If nothing else, David is a true-blue millennial artist – a contemporary bilingual musician who uses a wide range of media to communicate his art and his values across genre, age and cultures.

What’s more, David takes steps to engage his audience and fans in his journey. He twits, he b/vlogs, he networks, he delivers speeches (who would have thought?!), he even consults us for his haircut And now he writes.

David leverages his art to spread a little bit of good with others. It would appear that this is almost always his bottom line. Is it any wonder that his fans’ affection and respect for him develops from strength to strength?

David at the Miami Charity Event

And rightfully so. Because David, at his young age, has displayed a keen sense of the fine art of growing in grace and truth. This is quite challenging especially in the very fickle and unforgiving world of entertainment. I am confident that he will continue to do so with the passing years, as he carries on in pursuit of his infectious love for music and humanity.

Chords of Strength, available for pre-order now from Amazon; Out May 4, 2010.

- jackryan4DA

Soliloquy (suh-lil-uh-kwee)
• Noun. A dramatic monologue that represents a series of unspoken reflections (Merriam Webster)
• A literary device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts without addressing any of the other characters (Wikipedia)

I know it’s mighty late to comment on this, but I’m kind of in love with this song right now. Just recently, I relistened to David’s performance of “A Merry Christmas to Me” with the orchestra in Ann Arbor on November 27, 2009.

I couldn’t help but think there was something different here.

Sure, it was new to hear David sing with a full orchestra. Having an orchestral backing punctuated by French horn, strings, and flutes was something sublime indeed. Its sound had an obvious popular appeal—one could easily imagine hearing this in a big Disney production, for instance.

And then there was the song itself: with no visuals to distract me, I had a distinct picture in my mind of David in a Broadway musical, in a break from the main story, standing under a spotlight, center stage. Although the lyrics speak of a happy Christmas, there is a note of melancholy. The lyrics—not an expression of hope to someone else, as in “Imagine” or “Angels”—in this case were of someone singing to himself, finding joy in Christmas when Christmas time can too often be sad. The song is intimate, inviting us to feel what he feels, to share his joy and pain—it has highs and lows, it swells.

This “dramatic” side of David, in the sense that I am trying to express it, is something that had not quite struck me as clearly as now. As for expressing the emotion of a character, David “has it.” No one can express emotion as frightfully purely as David can. On top of everything else he can do, David could soar in a musical that was properly suited for him.

I had trouble making out the lyrics, so I wondered where I could find the words to this Christmas classic. This song, with its classic jazz-pop stylings, sounds decades old. It reminded me of Christmas songs sung by Bing Crosby and Judy Garland. While listening to this song, joined as it was with David’s voice which is oh-so-suited to this kind of music, I even got the same chills and images of snow.

But, to my surprise, I did not find a single instance of this song on the internet—it is not a classic. Far from it—it has never seen the light of day with the general public. (Perhaps this was why security was so tight?)

This song needs to be released, by somebody. Why have we not heard it again? Will it be released, and if so, who will release it? Is it still waiting in the wings?

Here is the song again. According to one YouTube commenter, it was composed by Dan Rodowicz and Phillip Keveren. Many thanks to emilyluvsarchie for her considerable ninja skills:

A Merry Christmas to Me

Rooftops laced with white,
A starlit night,
Inside by the fire we’re warming:
This would surely be
A Merry Christmas to me.

But what I long to see won’t be under my tree,
Though my wish is most sincere:
If the spirit of Christmas could fill every one of us
And light each day of the year,
This would surely be the most Merry Christmas to me.
This would surely be the most Merry Christmas to me.

Gabriel’s Message, by Sting.

[audio:http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/gabrielsmessage1.mp3]

LYRICS
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, His eyes as flame.
“All hail,” said he. “thou lowly maiden Mary.”
Most highly favoured lady. Gloria! Glor-

“For known a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee,
Thy Son shall be Emanuel, By seers foretold.”
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria! Glor-

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head.
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.”
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria! Glor-

Gabriel’s Message is from Sting’s holiday album, “If On A Winter’s Night.”  This album has songs that celebrate the winter season – not so much the chirpy mood of sliding down the hill on a sled, but more the cold, bleak winter of bare tree branches etched against the snow with a distant gray sky. This perhaps is a holiday album to celebrate the solstice, that turning of the planets from the darkest day of the year into the beginning of the light.  Many of these songs have an earthy richness that evokes the stark beauty of a crisp, bitter-cold day where you see your breath, and all you hear are your footsteps crunching in the snow.

Gabriel’s Message is a stand-out on the album. This song tells the story of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.  Even though this event is part of the sacred Christian story, this song is far from the style of other traditional Christmas carols like Joy to the World or O Come All Ye Faithful. The words of the song tell a traditional Christmas story, but the minor melody and the simple, spare arrangement evoke a sense of humility and awe in the face of the grand and mysterious patterns of nature.

It is interesting to analyze what it is about this song that makes it so sophisticated and mesmerizing.  Certainly the instrumentation is key here.  A flugelhorn, with its warm, dark, bluesy timbre, opens the song with a languorous melody over a rhythmic guitar accompaniment and subtle claves.  The voice enters in a minor key with the lovely surprise of uneven phrase lengths.  The piece is basically in a 4/4 meter, the most common type of meter, but switches into a meter of three occasionally to great effect.  The beginning words: “The angel Gabriel from hea…” are in four, and then the words “…ven came” are in three.  This combination of four plus three creates a phrase length of seven beats, instead of the usual eight.  This unexpected metric complexity surprises and delights.  On “Gloria” two female voices are added in close harmonies that subtly evoke early music harmony with open fourth and fifth intervals.  The second “Glor-” doesn’t resolve, that is, it doesn’t come to a musical resting place, as Sting’s voice continues with the second verse.  This lack of resolution adds to a sense of uncertainty and mystery.

In the break, one and then two flugelhorns dance around each other in intertwining melodies that delicately rise in pitch to a harmonic resolution.  Succeeding verses add interest by adding more vocal harmonies and a touch of flugelhorn.  The last drawn out “Glor-” at last resolves to a musical resting place, and creates an ending to a thoroughly satisfying aesthetic experience.

David – are you listening?  This song tells a sacred Christmas story and acknowledges the dark and mysterious nature of that story.  The arrangement is sophisticated and subtle. Sting’s rough-hewn voice does this song great justice, but with your smooth, velvet voice the song would be a masterpiece.

~ davidfanLIZ

Janet Jackson is on my mind of late, having tuned in to her interview on November 18 with Robin Roberts and also having recently purchased her retrospective album, Number Ones. Talk about taking a trip down memory lane!  I’ve been doing a “happy dance,” literally, since I bought it. Jamming to haven’t-heard-in-decades tracks like “Diamonds” and “Rhythm Nation” (her best album bar none), and singing at the top of my lungs to “Love Will Never Do Without You.”

See, I came of age when Janet Jackson came out with her third album, Control, which placed her on the world map of pop music and which was the first of her collaboration with the Minneapolis team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. I was in junior high in the Bronx, a young black girl learning to write poetry and other creative stuff.  I was dealing with my changing body, and here comes Janet Jackson taking “control” over her own body and her own mind.

“When I was 17, I did what people told me/ did what my father said and let my mother mold me/ But now I’m all grown up.”

From learning how to mouth off to the “Nasty” boys on the streets and in school to getting affirmation that I could say to that special guy, “Let’s wait awhile.” But perhaps the more salient message came from when I actually tried to reenact her choreography from her “The Pleasure Principle” music video and twisted my ankle trying to do that move with the chair thing.

Lesson learned: “Do not try this at home.”

Yep, those were the days. I had gone from my crush on her big brother, Michael, to finding the perfect role model, and I seemed to grow up right along with her.  By the time of her Superbowl scandal, when I was tripping over certain faux pas on the job, and feeling my alienation at times as a professional black woman, Justin Timberlake’s disrobing of her felt like a metaphorical disrobing of sorts. I was too angry at the world, and I was hurt by the persecution of my childhood hero.  But like Janet, I too survived and strived.

So, I bring up Janet Jackson here because one of my regulars on Soul David (might have been Desertrat or BrooklynDawn) expressed desire to see David follow in the trajectory of Janet instead of Michael Jackson. In particular, looking forward to David producing a Control-like album.

“When I was 17, I did what people told me…”

Whatever aspects of David that we think already exerts this control, there is still a persistent image  out there that he’s not (in control, that is).  And at some point, I imagine David will, like Janet, like Michael, find that magical pairing with the right producer or producing team, who will take those particular “David sounds” and take them to the next level.  Beyond the sound is the image of “maturing,” and wondering how best he will project that maturity.  Yes, declaring control and independence will definitely come with the package.  And while female empowerment looks very different from a man declaring his power, I look forward to how David will make this same statement.

Obviously, from what he has revealed about pop album #2, David is already moving in that direction.  But I’ll still be waiting for the magic to occur when the stars align him with the perfect production pairing.

- Hello Gorgeous

Joy Williams, one of the co-writers of Waiting For Yesterday, a bonus track on the iTunes version of David Archuleta, began her musical career in Christian Music. She first signed with Reunion Records in 2001 and released three albums under the label and received numerous awards for her song Hide. Later she was under contract to Warner but soon ended that relationship and in 2008 she and her husband Nate started sensibility music, a recording, marketing management and licensing firm.

Under  this new company, Joy has released a four-song EP, One of Those Days, which featured Charmed Life, a song that appeared in the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=irE_sgXnioM

Apparently a favorite of the producers of Grey’s Anatomy, Joy’s songs, Sunny Day, and Speaking a Dead Language are also featured on two other episodes.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0SZhu-b_yQ

From Joy Williams Blog,June 2009:

Sometimes nestling myself in the cocoon of the studio helps me take a deep breath from the freeway speeds of life. It helps me regain perspective…lets me take a bird’s eye view and a chance to snap a musical Polaroid of it all. I’ve been thankful for the time I’ve had at a friend’s home-studio lately to record some songs that I have written.

Reading Joy’s blog, one gets the impression of a sensitive and introspective woman who also exhibits an eclectic musical taste who cites her influences as Bach, Billie Holliday, Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Cyndi Lauper, and Feist.

She recently went on tour with The Civil Wars, where she joins forces with singer and guitarist John Paul White.  The Civil Wars’ song, “Poison & Wine” joined the group of her songs that were featured on Grey’s Anatomy.  This song was on episode 609. It features a simple melody, repeated tenderly and almost hypnotically.  Williams and White’s voices blend together in perfect angst.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfzRlcnq_c0

Official Joy Williams website

~ marlie7

We know the name Daniel Bedingfield from an earlier collaboration, Works for Me. Although this song was only released as a limited bonus track, it has become one of the fan favorites, perhaps partly because it includes some of David’s own story, and has a style that seems one step above the usual pop material.  David performed Works for Me for the first time live at the Sacramento Jingle Show and the excitement was palpable. This song seemed to fit David – his voice, his personality and his sense of humor.  We can only happily speculate what this team will come up with for a second offering.

Daniel Bedingfield was born in New Zealand and was raised by social worker parents in London.  He showed musical talent at an early age: writing songs at age six, rapping at age nine, composing on the keyboard at age sixteen.  He got his first major break at age eighteen with the hit, Gotta Get Thru This.

Watch the video here: Gotta Get Thru This

The song starts in an intimate style and showcases an impressive expressive range.  It then shifts dramatically into a more rhythmic, hip hop style.

Career plans were put on hold after a 2004 accident where Daniel was literally cut from the wreckage of his jeep near Auckland, New Zealand.   The accident  broke his neck and he had a metal frame bolted into his skull for three months.  Thankfully he has recovered and was able to resume his performing and writing career.  He says of his work, “I love putting out really vulnerable music that could just bite me on the ass.  There is stuff in my music that I’d literally never tell my closest friend, and yet somehow it just feels right to put it into a song and tell the entire planet.  It takes something that is ugly within yourself, some base instinct, or a pain that is really deep, and then it permits all that to enter the public consciousness.  For me it’s almost a spiritual experience.”

Daniel Bedingfield’s official site is here.

~ davidfanLIZ