Publication Date: 22 January 2007 Updated: 8 February 2007
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ROCKHILL ENTERTAINMENT produce the first in a series of albums that not only gathers strong vocal and production talent but shares the profit with charitable causes.
YINKA AWOJOBI was at the launch event on December 12th 2006...
YINKA AWOJOBI was at the launch event on December 12th 2006...
NATALIE PHILLIPS - FULL FLOW
FACE IN THE CROWD...
Photos: Alakija.com
I rarely do event reviews these days.
First there's the weight of unspoken commitment: I kind of feel
obliged to offer some sort of write-up, even in situations where I'm
not attending in my 'media' capacity. Then there's the whole palaver
about trying to recreate the atmosphere of said event. Surely a brief 'it was alright/excellent/awful' would suffice in most instances...? So what if it wouldn't make a long read? If you were that interested you probably would have been there... (is that too harsh, I wonder...?)
Anyway, as far as reviews go, I kind of feel I've been there and done that, and wasn't particularly keen to hang around to buy the t shirt. Event reviews are cool, but I knew I won't be doing that many any more. I suppose this is a good time to mention I'm looking for good writers... :-)
However, the decision to attend ACOUSTIC GOSPEL wasn't that hard. The label
First there's the weight of unspoken commitment: I kind of feel
obliged to offer some sort of write-up, even in situations where I'm
not attending in my 'media' capacity. Then there's the whole palaver
about trying to recreate the atmosphere of said event. Surely a brief 'it was alright/excellent/awful' would suffice in most instances...? So what if it wouldn't make a long read? If you were that interested you probably would have been there... (is that too harsh, I wonder...?)
Anyway, as far as reviews go, I kind of feel I've been there and done that, and wasn't particularly keen to hang around to buy the t shirt. Event reviews are cool, but I knew I won't be doing that many any more. I suppose this is a good time to mention I'm looking for good writers... :-)
However, the decision to attend ACOUSTIC GOSPEL wasn't that hard. The label
behind it, ROCKHILL ENTERTAINMENT, is home to GK REAL. I've got a lot of time for them. Nuff said.
Despite the concession I still attended in 'punter' mode. I really couldn't be bothered to get into gear. It was coming to the end of the year, and I was generally quite tired as I headed out to Motion Bar at London Embankment, overlooking the River Thames.
Cool venue. The ambience certainly didn't help the faint, nagging feeling I had about trying to treat this as 'work'. It was a light and terribly relaxing, casual atmosphere. The crowd was pleasantly mixed both in terms of race (though it was no doubt still a 'Black' event), but - interestingly - also in terms of me not just seeing
the usual 'gospel' faces. ROCKHILL had certainly extended beyond the usual circles. Nice.
This had more of a 'Friday night in the city' feel than a charity (proceeds go towards
charities including SAVE THE CHILDREN and OXFAM) album launch. Not that the club vibe was necessarily a bad thing; the message of the gospel was quite tangible
in the place, in a non-threatening, accessible kind of way (though you'd probably
Cool venue. The ambience certainly didn't help the faint, nagging feeling I had about trying to treat this as 'work'. It was a light and terribly relaxing, casual atmosphere. The crowd was pleasantly mixed both in terms of race (though it was no doubt still a 'Black' event), but - interestingly - also in terms of me not just seeing
the usual 'gospel' faces. ROCKHILL had certainly extended beyond the usual circles. Nice.
This had more of a 'Friday night in the city' feel than a charity (proceeds go towards
charities including SAVE THE CHILDREN and OXFAM) album launch. Not that the club vibe was necessarily a bad thing; the message of the gospel was quite tangible
in the place, in a non-threatening, accessible kind of way (though you'd probably
have to check with any of the several guests to confirm that), with hosts MUYIWA and WAYETA, plus an absolutely sumptous finger food menu keeping most of the crowd quite at ease, thank you very much...
The press blurb about the album quoted MICA PARIS as being so impressed with the quality of the project that she wanted to be on it. With associations like that somewhere in the mix, you had a sense that ROCKHILL was playing some heavyweight cards.
And there was definitely something about
the night that suggested more than the
usual UK gospel 'thing' was on offer, and the
featured acts did not disappoint: from the
a capella stylings of MERIDIAN FLO to AYO
(she of the 'A' in GK REAL) and
ALABASTAR's full-on, crowd-pleasing
The press blurb about the album quoted MICA PARIS as being so impressed with the quality of the project that she wanted to be on it. With associations like that somewhere in the mix, you had a sense that ROCKHILL was playing some heavyweight cards.
And there was definitely something about
the night that suggested more than the
usual UK gospel 'thing' was on offer, and the
featured acts did not disappoint: from the
a capella stylings of MERIDIAN FLO to AYO
(she of the 'A' in GK REAL) and
ALABASTAR's full-on, crowd-pleasing
MERIDIAN FLO - A CAPELLA
rendition of IF ANYBODY'S
THINKING OF GIVING UP, their track from the album, the evening was the perfect antidote to my lethargy, nicely crowned by NATALIE PHILLIPS' superb set (I unashamedly admit I'm biased. I'm a huge fan of hers), which took in music from her EP - still on UKG Shop.com - and a rather lush acoustic arrangement of CECE WINANS' 'I AM' (with her husband PATRICK on guitar), one of the highlights of the night for quite a few of us, if the audience reaction was anything to go by.
I can't wrap this up without a brief mention about the album
itself: the term 'acoustic' is something of a misnomer in this
context, as most of the tracks on the album do much more
than just deliver stripped-down voice and organic music
compositions.
Stand outs include 'UNTIL THAT DAY COMES' by FOLA (my
THINKING OF GIVING UP, their track from the album, the evening was the perfect antidote to my lethargy, nicely crowned by NATALIE PHILLIPS' superb set (I unashamedly admit I'm biased. I'm a huge fan of hers), which took in music from her EP - still on UKG Shop.com - and a rather lush acoustic arrangement of CECE WINANS' 'I AM' (with her husband PATRICK on guitar), one of the highlights of the night for quite a few of us, if the audience reaction was anything to go by.
I can't wrap this up without a brief mention about the album
itself: the term 'acoustic' is something of a misnomer in this
context, as most of the tracks on the album do much more
than just deliver stripped-down voice and organic music
compositions.
Stand outs include 'UNTIL THAT DAY COMES' by FOLA (my
ROCKHILL CEO AKIN OGBOYE
and MUYIWA (Left)
and MUYIWA (Left)
immediate favourite by a mile), MERCY's lovely 'G.O.D AND ME'
(another scorcher with an irresistable, nagging groove) and NEIL WILSON's 'EVERY NIGHT', which sits quite nicely in CCM territory, rounding out the genre offering.
It's also one of the first UK gospel CDs I've come across that uses the new-format 'super jewel box' CD case, and that, coupled with the picture of the young White boy
on the cover (a departure from the usual fare) make for an interesting package.
Plans for Volume 2 are already afoot with submissions being accepted soon, so if you feel you've got what it takes, that'll be your chance, then...
And the answer to that basic, most essential of questions:
> 'Is the album actually any good?...'
I have THREE FREE COPIES TO GIVE AWAY TO THREE PEOPLE so you can make up
(another scorcher with an irresistable, nagging groove) and NEIL WILSON's 'EVERY NIGHT', which sits quite nicely in CCM territory, rounding out the genre offering.
It's also one of the first UK gospel CDs I've come across that uses the new-format 'super jewel box' CD case, and that, coupled with the picture of the young White boy
on the cover (a departure from the usual fare) make for an interesting package.
Plans for Volume 2 are already afoot with submissions being accepted soon, so if you feel you've got what it takes, that'll be your chance, then...
And the answer to that basic, most essential of questions:
> 'Is the album actually any good?...'
I have THREE FREE COPIES TO GIVE AWAY TO THREE PEOPLE so you can make up
your own mind.
And it gets even better: ain't no hoops to jump through, no special questions to answer. Three random names out of my imaginary hat get a copy each. Simple.
Just email info@ukgospel.com with 'FREE ACOUSTIC GOSPEL CD ENTRY' in the subject line, and that's all there is to it. Your closing date is 4th February 2007.
Don't forget to add your postal address. You'd be surprised at the number of entries
that lost out last time I did this because the entries had nowhere for me to send the prize...
And for the rest of you that won't enter the comp, but may still be curious about how it sounds: it's a decent project for a decent cause. Much of the production comes from GK REAL's EMMANUEL EDWARDS and GOZIE (yes, the 'E' and 'G' respectively), and just in case you don't know: that's REALLY saying something.
And it gets even better: ain't no hoops to jump through, no special questions to answer. Three random names out of my imaginary hat get a copy each. Simple.
Just email info@ukgospel.com with 'FREE ACOUSTIC GOSPEL CD ENTRY' in the subject line, and that's all there is to it. Your closing date is 4th February 2007.
Don't forget to add your postal address. You'd be surprised at the number of entries
that lost out last time I did this because the entries had nowhere for me to send the prize...
And for the rest of you that won't enter the comp, but may still be curious about how it sounds: it's a decent project for a decent cause. Much of the production comes from GK REAL's EMMANUEL EDWARDS and GOZIE (yes, the 'E' and 'G' respectively), and just in case you don't know: that's REALLY saying something.
Put another way, if you're a fan of the GK REAL sound, then check this, complete with the additional dimension that a 'various artists' compilation brings to the table:
Cop one if you can. You'll like it..
Cop one if you can. You'll like it..
LINKS
WINNERS
CONGRATULATIONS: Bernard Achampong, Anthony Braithwaite and Carl (who didn't leave his surname, but I'll let him off). You guys have all got one copy of the album coming out to you in the next few days...
COMMISERATIONS: to the very first person that entered and probably would have won something (who - to save their embarrassment - I shall leave unnamed ): you missed out because you didn't leave your address...
What can I say..? Always read the instructions carefully..
COMMISERATIONS: to the very first person that entered and probably would have won something (who - to save their embarrassment - I shall leave unnamed ): you missed out because you didn't leave your address...
What can I say..? Always read the instructions carefully..
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