Duffy
I did the Duffy "Warwick Avenue" chart by request and originally thought that it was going to be super easy. The deception is the 2/4 bars in the chorus. They are so well placed in the arrangement that I didn't even notice them in the first listen. Warwick Avenue is a very cool song in the old soul style. Have fun playing! Drummer Eg White's bio starts after the videos.
Biography He started his career in the bands Yip Yip Coyote and, with his brother David, Brother Beyond in the late 1980s, leaving the latter when they became involved with the songwriting team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman and just prior to their chart successes. In 1990 White teamed up with London model and BMX champion Alice Temple, and together they recorded the critically acclaimed pop album 24 Years of Hunger, which was released in 1991 under the name Eg and Alice. It was described by Allmusic as "one of the finest, most refined and fully realized recordings of the era, employing a much more sophisticated and romantic style than anything else out of England at the time". In spite of the critical acclaim (the album featured in many major music publications top 50 albums of 1991) and two well received singles "Indian" and "Doesn't Mean That Much to Me", the album failed to enter the UK Albums Chart. In 1992 White produced the debut, self titled album by Kinky Machine, then disappeared from the music industry until 1996 when he released his debut solo album Turn Me On, I'm a Rocket Man, again critically acclaimed, although the singles "Stay Home" (written by Andy Sturmer, originally recorded by Jellyfish) and "Made My Baby Cry" failed to chart. In 1997 White provided instrumentation for the sessions of Suggs' solo album The Three Pyramids Club, but in 1999 his career really started to take off as he became an in-demand songwriter, musician and producer. He collaborated with Alice Temple again for her solo debut album Hang Over, and with Icelandic/Italian singer Emiliana Torrini on her debut album Love In The Time Of Science. In 2002, White co-wrote the track "Say It" from the Alison Moyet album Hometime. He also co-wrote produced and provided the majority of instrumentation on Through My Eyes, the debut album from Nicole Russo, and Dive Deeper by Jade Anderson. White also worked extensively on Javine's debut album Surrender in 2003. White's song "Leave Right Now" was recorded by Will Young in 2003, and reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. In recognition, White was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2004. White also co-wrote two other tracks on Young's Fridays Child album, "Going My Way" and "Out Of My Mind". In 2004, White worked on the tracks "Legend" and "U've Only Got 1" from the Tamyra Gray album The Dreamer, and co-wrote "You Had Me", the lead single from Joss Stone's second album, Mind, Body & Soul. White continued to be in demand as a songwriter, and was largely responsible for the lead single "Shiver" from the Natalie Imbruglia album Counting Down the Days, as well as the track "Slowdown". He also worked on the albums Set the Tone by Nate James (track and second single "Universal"), Tissues and Issues by Charlotte Church (second single "Call My Name"), R3MIX by Sara Jorge (single "Dirty Business") and In The Red by Tina Dico (tracks "Use Me" and "Give In"). He has since co-written tracks for albums by Simon Webbe ("Free") and Will Young, including "Keep On", "Save Yourself" and "Think About It", as well as a White/Lucie Silvas co-write that was the Number 11 UK Hit "Who Am I". In addition to the Will Young single, he co-wrote and produced the debut Top 10 hit for James Morrison called "You Give Me Something", and the follow up single "Wonderful World". White has also collaborated with Jamelia on her track "Go" from the album Walk With Me, Take That on the track "Mancunian Way" from their comeback album Beautiful World, Beverley Knight on the track "No Man's Land" from the album Music City Soul, and James Blunt with "I'll Take Everything", on his album All The Lost Souls. He also co-wrote and produced "Just A Little Bit" for Mutya Buena and "Cosmic", a track from the Kylie Minogue album X. At the beginning of 2008, Eg White had co-writes on #1 albums by Adele and Duffy. These include the hit single "Chasing Pavements" as well as "Tired" and "Melt My Heart To Stone" on Adele's debut album 19 - all three of which he also produced - and second single "Warwick Avenue (song)" plus album tracks "Delayed Devotion" and "Hanging On Too Long" on Duffy's debut Rockferry. Also in 2008, White has had co-writes on albums by Sam Sparro ("Hot Mess" and "Waiting For Time" on the eponymous debut) and Jack McManus, (lead single "You Think I Don't Care" on "Either Side Of Midnight"). Eg White has again worked with Will Young in 2008, and has four co-writes on the singer's fourth album for 19 Recordings. White and Young co-wrote the lead single "Changes" (produced by White) and "I Won't Give Up" (co-produced by White and the Freemasons); Eg White also co-wrote and produced the title-track "Let It Go" and co-wrote a fourth album track "Tell Me The Worst". The album and "Changes" are scheduled for release in September. Other upcoming releases include co-written tracks on Brian McFadden's forthcoming album "Set In Stone", plus the debut single from SonyBMG artist Sam Beeton ("What You Look For"). Whilst Eg White is first and foremost a songwriter/producer, he has signed a recording contract with Parlophone Records and will be releasing a second album of his own material in 2008.
Biography Early life Raised in Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales, with her twin sister, Katy, and older sister Kelly, Aimee Duffy's parents divorced when she was 10, and she moved to Pembrokeshire with her mother and sisters. She dropped her first name at the age of 19, calling herself Duffy professionally and personally.[1] Her early interest in singing was apparently inspired by her father John Duffy's videotape of the 1960s television rock show Ready Steady Go![2] - she says she grew up without a record collection of her own.[3] She started singing at age 6 and at that age carried around a notebook in which she scribbled lyrics. She was booted from her school choir because her voice was "too big" and she "didn't fit in".[4] Duffy was put in a safe house in 1998 when police uncovered a plot by her stepfather's ex-wife to pay a hitman £3000 to kill her stepfather, identified as Philip Smith. Her stepfather's ex-wife served a 3½ year jail term for the incident. A 1998 article in another British tabloid quotes a man identified as Philip Smith describing similar circumstances. The tabloid quoted Duffy as saying about the alleged incident: "I was so terrified. I felt so ill."[5][6][7] She cites the effects of her stepfather's ex-wife's alcoholism as the reason for her not being a user of alcohol or drugs.[8]
Early career After finishing her GCSEs in Pembrokeshire,[3] Duffy returned to Nefyn when she was 15, and started singing in various local bands. Following an unsuccessful music project in Switzerland, Duffy returned to Wales in 2003 and was invited to appear on Wawffactor, a Welsh television show on S4C which journalists unfamiliar with Wales have mistakenly compared to Pop Idol. She was expected to win, but came second to winner Lisa Pedrig.[9] She claims that she was conned into the appearance and called it "the unhappiest time in my life".[10] In her teens she wanted and expected to be a world famous pop star and let others use her "as a vehicle for their vision not mine". At age 18, thinking her dreams were not going to come true, she "became almost a quite withdrawn singer." After a re-evaluation she decided to just make music for no other purposes than her own fulfillment.[11] Duffy was elected president of the Students Union at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor in Pwllheli, North Wales before transferring to the University of Chester in England. Advised by a lecturer to "Go on the dole, love, and become a singer,"[3] she left and worked for an optician, while building up a following in Alexander's (a local jazz and blues club) performing with guitarist David Burton from the band The Invisible Wires.[12] She recorded a three-song-EP in Welsh in 2004 and also appeared on two tracks on the album See You in the Morning by Mint Royale while working as a waitress and in a fishery. Owen Powell of Catatonia and Richard Parfitt of Newport band 60ft Dolls, introduced Duffy in August 2004 to former Public Image Ltd. member turned music manager and part-owner of Rough Trade Records, Jeanette Lee.[13] Lee moved Duffy to Crouch End in London,[14] and orchestrated a meeting between her and Suede's ex-guitar player Bernard Butler. After Butler had given Duffy a soul music "education" by downloading tracks on to her iPod that she could listen to while around London or travelling back to Wales—including Al Green, Bettye Swann, Ann Peebles, Beyoncé, Doris Duke, Scott Walker, Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach[3]—the pair then co-wrote with her and helped create a new retro sound.[15]
Breakthrough Contracted to A&M Records during 2007, on 23 November 2007, together with another rising star, Adele, Duffy was the most prominent of the so-called "new Amys" (a reference to singer Amy Winehouse).[16] Under the sub-title, "The New Amys", Adam Thompson wrote in The Times on 30 December 2007 that "Duffy, Gabriella Cilmi and Adele lead the charge to be the next Winehouse. First sightings seem to indicate that they are all bright-eyed innocents with bags of talent—a familiar starting point, no?" Duffy herself disliked being referred to as "the new Dusty Springfield."[17] British hip hop singer Estelle criticized Duffy and Adele for misrepresenting genuine soul music. She partially agreed with the criticism in that she is not trying to “define” soul music but disputed the assertion that race should be an issue.[18] Singer-songwriter Alison Goldfrapp said while Duffy has a great voice she was trained to sound essentially like Amy Winehouse as part of a business plan, mistakenly believing that Duffy had attended Brit school.[19] Duffy performed on the BBC2 television show Later with Jools Holland,[20] which resulted in a second appearance on the related New Year's Eve show Hootenanny, on which, among other things, she performed with soul legend Eddie Floyd. On 22 February 2008, she appeared on Later with Jools Holland for a third time and performed "Rockferry", "Mercy" and "Stepping Stone". She also appeared on the BBC2 television programme The Culture Show on 23 February 2008 and performed "Mercy". In January 2008, she came second in the annual BBC News website poll of industry experts Sound of 2008, for acts to emerge in the coming year.[21] In Wales, she seems set to become the "pop" equivalent of mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins. A number of commentators have remarked on her unaffected personality and natural charm.[2] She reached the number 1 spot on Siart C2 with her Welsh language EP entitled simply Aimée Duffy. A review of her first major tour's stop at the respected King Tuts venue in Glasgow noted "her quiet assurance obviously stems from talent. When she let loose, her voice was awesome."[22]
Rockferry Butler and his musical partner David McAlmont, and a number of other musicians have formed the backbone of Duffy's band for her debut album entitled Rockferry, which was released on Polydor on 3 March 2008.[23]. According to Duffy "The album took nearly four years to make. We had to hire cheap, tiny studios and sometimes there would be three-week periods between writing and recording." The producer for the album was Bernard Butler who was not initially paid .[24] After releasing a debut limited edition single, "Rockferry" in November 2007, she then released a followup single, "Mercy", which went straight to number one on download sales on 17 February 2008. Duffy is the first Welsh female to achieve a number one pop single in the past 25 years, and the only female from the Llŷn Peninsula to ever top the UK music singles charts. "Mercy" spent a second week at number one on 24 February 2008, and set its full physical release on 25 February 2008. She has revealed that "Rockferry" is written about the place Rock Ferry on The Wirral, where her father is from.[citation needed] She also has revealed that both "Mercy" and "Stepping Stone" are autobiographical. "Mercy" is about "sexual liberty" and "not doing something somebody else wants you to do" and "Stepping Stone" is about not expressing her feelings to a person she fell in love with.[25][26] On 21 April 2008, Duffy was at the top of the Pan-European Album chart for Rockferry and the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles chart for "Mercy".[27] The second single from the album Warwick Avenue was at the number 3 position on the U.K. singles charts on June 1.[28] The video for the song was filmed at Warwick Avenue underground station and Merrick Square, London. In North America Duffy is seen as the latest in a recent wave of British singers or "British invaders" consisting of females with a unique take on writing and performing songs. This has been compared to the original "wave" led by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.[29][30][31] By May "Mercy" was a staple on VH1 and a hot Adult Contemporary radio hit,[32] and had been featured in television shows ER, Smallville and the season finale of Grey's Anatomy[33] as well as the soundtrack album for Sex and the City: The Movie.[34] On May 10, Duffy released a remix of "Mercy", featuring rap artist The Game.[35] On 13 May Rockferry was released in the United States to positive reviews.[36][37][38] and debuted at number 4.[39] In addition a billboard of her has been displayed in Times Square.[40][41][42][43] By the week of 22 May, "Mercy" was at at the number 27 position on the Billboard Top 100 propelled by digital downloads.[44] Duffy won the 2008 Song of the Year MOJO Award for "Mercy".[45] She was also nominated for Album of the Year and Breakthrough Act. The three nominations were the largest amount of nominations for any one act.[46] By the end of May Rockferry had sold more than 700,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[11] In France, Rockferry had sold 159,583 copies between March 3 (release date) and the end of June. As of 9 June the album was at the number 2 position and had been on the charts for 14 weeks.[47] On 12 June the album topped the European albums charts with Mercy at number 2 on the European singles chart.[48] As of 7 July the album was set to become the first album of 2008 to sell one million copies.[49] Duffy was the fifth best selling artist worldwide in the first half of 2008 selling 2.25 million copies.[50] As of 9 July 2008, Rockferry has become the best selling album in 2008 in the UK so far. The Official UK Charts Company has confirmed it has already sold over 1 million copies.[51] By 21 August Rockferry had reached number one in 11 markets.[52] By early September the album had sold over 3 million copies worldwide causing Duffy to be "gobsmacked". Because of its cheap production values the album is reaping Duffy substantial financial benefits. [24] Duffy has received 2008 Q Awards nominations in the categories of Breakthrough Act and Best Track for Mercy.[53]
Touring March 2008 saw her first American performances at the SXSW conference[54] and in New York City.[26] The Coachella Festival was her first festival gig. The performance started off with sound problems but she "delighted the crowd with 'Rockferry', 'Serious', 'Warwick Avenue' and 'Mercy'."[55] On 10 May she performed a selection of songs from Rockferry at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Mote Park, Maidstone.[citation needed] To coincide with the release of Rockferry Duffy performed at New York's historic Apollo Theater[56] and made a number of television appearances.[57][58] She has played a number of festivals in Europe, including the Vieilles Charrues Festival in France,[59] the Hove Festival in Norway the Accelerator Festival in Sweden, Glastonbury and Evolution Festival's in England, the Electric Picnic festival in Ireland[60],Connect Festival in Scotland on Sunday 31st August,[61] Wakestock in her native Wales, the V Festival on the 16 August[62] and the Roskilde Festival in Denmark.[63] She also performed at Rock Werchter in Belgium.[citation needed] In North America she has performed at Lollapalooza on 1 August in Chicago[64] and the All Points West Music and Arts Festival at Liberty State Park, on the 8 August.[65] She played the Virgin Mobile Festival at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on 10 August.[66] On 3 September Duffy played an intimate club gig and then answered questions at New York's China Club.[67] Duffy is expected to start a 14 city North American tour in October, 2008, opening for Coldplay on 6 of the dates.[68] In November and December she will tour the United Kingdom.[69]
Future projects As of July 2008 Duffy has been constantly writing material for a second album, compiling "loads of books" of song ideas. She said that she will not constantly reinvent herself for each album.[70] Fellow Welsh singer Tom Jones has expressed an interest in singing with her.[71] Duffy with several other artists are working on the soundtrack to an upcoming Independent film about the British Northern Soul scene of the early 1970s entitled Souled Out.[72]
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