Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as a Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he has joined the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!
Rob writes: If you have never come across the husband and wife duo Salt of the Sound then this is a great EP to introduce to you. They have a wonderful way with working with a song to make it feel like an incredibly personal experience and use ambient and atmospheric qualities to open up the soundscape beyond the room around you. This EP is a few years old and their sound has continued to develop since then, but there are still many of those qualities in this release along with some familiar tunes and the beautifully haunting vocal from Anita.
The first track is the familiar O Come, O Come Emmanuel which is a great opener because it is nice and familiar, you can compare it to other versions of the song and decide if this is something that you like. For me, I love it. It’s one of those tracks that you never really want to end! Sadly it ends all too quickly at just one minute and 37 seconds, but then we are into the original compositions. The first of these is a different look at the idea of Christ being the light of the world as Shine So Bright describes a room with no windows or doors, until Christ comes like a candle into that room pushing away the darkness, and the song concludes with us reflecting Jesus to the world around us. This is all set against a percussive background of musical twinkling and the atmospheric vocals. White Forests is an understated track which whispers in the background talking about Yule as the name for Christmas as the sense of longing for hope and peace.
The music and the effects aren’t just background in Salt of the Sounds tracks, they tell the story in their own right, even in those tracks that have lyrics the music is given space to be explored, but it comes into it’s own when there is a full instrumental track. From Afar is one of these that takes you on a journey that it yours to interpret, whatever you make of it, it’s a beautiful trip! The title track Waiting for the Dawn uses the familiar words Silent Night, Holy Night with a different harmony to open up the world waiting for the Saviour to be born. It talks about a lonely and weary world but the dawn brings a new hope to those who are waiting for the dawn. The repeated name of Emmanuel and a recap of the idea of a weary world then leads into the final track which is their own take on the chorus of O Come Let Us Adore Him but with a subtitle of The Day Has Dawned which leads us from the night of the shining star and those waiting, to a call to worship Christ as the promised hope and Saviour now that the daylight has come again!
This brings a whole reflective journey to the Christmas celebrations and I have had the pleasure of setting aside some time to listen to this for personal meditation and it really is a beautiful and ambient sound that allows for this. It sits in the back of the consciousness providing a little direction as you dwell upon Christmas. It also makes excellent background music that can just wash over your soul. For a few pounds this EP is available to add to your collection you can thank me later, once you have thoroughly chilled out, which is normally badly needed through the weeks of advent!
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as a Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he has joined the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!
Rob writes: Over the years Matt Maher has released a number of Christmas singles, but this album is his first collection of Christmas songs, this album isn’t just about Christmas itself though, it’s about the build-up, the anticipation and the message of hope that is prevalent through this time. The album itself is made up of a few familiar festive songs, and many more original songs to bring us to a total of 13 tracks in all.
The album starts off with Gabriel’s Message which is a surprisingly traditional track for this collection. It’s not a Christmas carol that I am terribly familiar with, but I have heard it sung by the traditional Anglican choirs. This sets out the beginning of the Christmas story as Gabriel brings God’s message to Mary which is as good a place to start in thinking about advent. Matt keeps a fairly traditional feel to this track with a choral emphasis on the Gloria refrain. Matt follows this up with a version of He Shall Reign Forevermore which Matt wrote with Chris Tomlin, previously featured on Tomlin’s 2015 Adore album. Both of these tracks work well with Maher’s vocals with some great emphasis put behind parts of the verses bringing these to life. These first few tracks are on the serious side of Christmas considering what the Jesus’ birth means for us and for humanity. Born On This Day is the third of these as it considers the meaning of Emmanuel as God with us and how Christmas paves the way for our forgiveness and salvation through Jesus.
Next there is a slight change as we get that song that is so full of Christmas meaning, Jingle Bells. It’s got a bit of a Jazzy feel to this version, it’s not quite Bing Crosby but it’s quite enjoyable none the less. Another well known carol is up next with the gentle track of The First Noel, this version does have an additional chorus which doesn’t really add much to the original, but it works reasonably well. The main focus for this track is the vocal, backed for the most part of the song by just a piano, Matt carries this song well. Then we are into one of the key tracks on this album which is Hope For Everyone and it expresses just that in an upbeat style. Advent is about hope, Jesus’ incarnation offers something new, from the Angel’s declaring the birth, the wise men seeing the sign in the sky and for everyone waiting for the promise of a saviour amongst men. Don’t let the chorus catch you out on this track as the first couple of lines seem to be sung in isolation with no music or other sounds between them making you wonder for a split second if something has paused the playback.
Glory (Let There Be Peace) could almost be sung in church at any point. Other than the references to Emmanuel and the Angel’s song it doesn’t really sound like much of a Christmas song. Of course the next track O Come, O Come Emmanuel is incredibly Christmassy and Maher has done a great job of breaking this out from the Christmas hymn that can at times be quite slow into a very upbeat and joyful song. He has even managed to insert sleigh bells into the recording which works really well. There is just one guest vocal on this album that is credited and that is found in Always Carry You. It’s by none other than Amy Grant who brings a great vocal to this track which blends really well with Maher’s voice. The issue I have with this song is that it doesn’t really make a huge amount of sense to the listener, well not to this listener anyway. Perhaps its about Mary carrying Jesus and holding these things in her heart, but I am not totally convinced! Love Came Down To Bethlehem is another co-write, this time with Jon Guerra. This track sounds like a traditional Christmas Carol and certainly seems to borrow some phrases from other places making this seem more familiar than it actually is.
Moving the style more towards a folk sound it seems that Matt has taken a page out of Rend Collective’s book for the very upbeat Hark The Herald Angels Sing which features an Irish whistle and flute along with the acoustic guitars. It is at this point that it seems Matt has allowed himself to let his hair down a little and Little Merry Christmas is much more a tongue-in-cheek look at the trappings that go with Christmas. Trees, twinkly lights and hopefully silent nights if the kids go to sleep, of course the theme is that being with the one that you love at Christmas is the best thing that can happen. The last song also fits with a different aspect of Christmas, reminding us to spend it well and remember those that are no longer here to celebrate it with us. There are memories to be made and a hope to remember as Matt wishes us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Matt has done well to incorporate many aspects of the season of advent into this album. He’s definitely kept the message of the hope that Jesus Christ is for the world through many of these tracks but also the joy of the time of year. There are some songs that don’t work as well as others, but it seems that Matt has had a lot of fun to re-imagine some of the traditional and well known songs. I love the way that he brings a swing flavour to Jingle Bells and although it’s been done before it still sounds great. I really liked the version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing as well. Of the original tracks there are a number that work well, but a couple that just didn’t quite work for me. It’s my first Christmas album for the year so I have enjoyed this selection, but there are definitely tracks that wouldn’t make it onto my Christmas playlist!
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as our Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he will soon be joining the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!
Rob writes: Those who have been immersed in the UK Independent Christian scene for a while might be familiar with the name Olwen Ringrose. In 2004 she recorded Live at the Chapel Royal, an album of the songs that she had been writing across the previous decade or more. She followed this in 2006 with an album called Daughter of the King and this release caught the attention of music lovers and critics alike and then in 2009 she released an EP called Hardly A Day. It’s been 13 years since her last release but in that time she has made time to raise her family, but also to lead worship in her local church. In 2018 she returned to writing and now she has rolled out this new recording called Parables which is a little bit different to much of what is on the market at the moment. You can find this album on streaming services and it features five tracks inspired by some of the parables of Jesus. What marks this out as properly different is that there is a version of this available through Bandcamp, which allows you to buy a version with ten tracks, the other five tracks are spoken word poems which set the scene for the song and parable that is to be visited next on the album.
The first spoken word poem opens the album, setting the scene reminding us of the oral histories of culture and how Jesus came with new original stories about the Kingdom of Heaven described as Nuggets of Wisdom. These parables are not just stories, they point us to God. It is the Kingdom of Heaven that is the subject of the first track as Olwen skips through some of these well known illustrations from Jesus about what the Kingdom is like, a mustard seed, yeast, great treasure. There is no real desire here to give any theology, but more a reminder of the parables as pictures of something we won’t ever really understand. In the middle of this we are treated to an extended musical interlude that capitalises on the folk music aspects of this release.
Coming Home is a nice introduction from the Son’s perspective in the parable known as The Prodigal Son. As the rather upbeat folk music intro starts for The Prodigal’s Return we find that the perspective has been flipped to the Father waiting and looking constantly for his Son to return. These familiar stories continue with one of the best known of all the parables, The Good Samaritan. Interestingly the spoken-word that accompanies this talks about tribes and sticking within our social, cultural or theological bubbles, and it very much sounds like our world today.
The Two Sons is a simple introduction retelling the parable of the same name. The song Actions Speak Louder uses its piano and cello backing to emphasise that we need to really turn up. In this song there is a lovely bit of saxophone which interacts with the brushed drums and cello which is a pleasure to listen to. The album then moves onto it’s final parable of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the opening poem reminds us that God is “unimpressed” with empty noise. The last song is simply entitled The Pharisee and the Tax Collector and looks at the differences in the types of prayer as Jesus outlines in the story.
After 13 years Olwen has something to say, and a lot of it is actually in the unsaid between the spoken word and the songs. As a project this is a little different, and I always like different, particularly when it is as well executed as this is here. I would say as a listener taking this project from beginning to end it was sparking thoughts about how we treat people, how we look at love and failure, as well as how we approach prayer and worship. While these parables are 2000 years old there are still fresh applications for our lives and the clever language used in both spoken word and song subconsciously brings those thoughts to the surface.
Olwen has a pleasant vocal and between her and the producer they know how to put together a moving track. Not all of these are the standard definition of folk music, there are elements of other styles sprinkled throughout. There is a brilliant smattering of different instruments through these songs, the piano leads on many of these but the addition of saxophones, cello and others into the mix really make this an album worth listening to. Olwen has come back with something new and different, we may have to make room for it in the market because it deserves some space. If you can, buy this directly from There Is Hope | Olwen Ringrose (bandcamp.com).
Integrity Music recently celebrated surpassing one million subscribers on the label’s YouTube channel – putting it in the top one percent of all channels on the platform. Integrity Music’s writers and artists produce some of the most familiar worship songs sung in churches around the world today, including Way Maker and 10,000 Reasons.
Integrity Music is part of David C Cook, a nonprofit global resource provider serving the Church with life-transforming materials. Integrity Music’s President, Jonathan Brown, said: “When you look in Scriptures, milestones are always marked so we can look back in wonder at what God did. Here at Integrity Music, milestones like this are not about building our reputation or getting glory for ourselves. It’s about the fact that over 300 million worshippers have viewed the videos on this channel to worship with us, representing 237 countries around the world. That’s a huge milestone for which God gets all the glory.”
Integrity Music’s YouTube channel features engaging music videos that showcase the authentic, groundbreaking worship projects and songs written and sung by the likes of Matt Redman, Leeland, Darlene Zschech, Mitch Wong, and Citizens. Being active on YouTube is a part of Integrity’s larger desire to help people world-wide experience the manifest presence of God and resource the church with songs of substance. The Integrity Music team celebrated the milestone accomplishment by giving glory and credit to God and recorded a special video that includes several messages of thanks to their subscribers, including from Integrity artists Paul Baloche and Leeland. Watch it here.
Liverpool is set to host a Gospel Music Festival featuring The Kingdom Choir and Called Out Music. The festival, which will take place in Stanley Park, has been organised by Liverpool Lighthouse.
Anu Omideyi, Liverpool Gospel Music Festival Director and Music Director at Liverpool Lighthouse said: “As part of the wider vision to spread the power and joy of gospel music alongside the positive impact of black culture, the festival will be accompanied by a programme taking gospel music into schools. In partnership with music education hub Resonate, the schools programme will initially pilot the work with two secondary schools in June and will roll out to more schools in the next academic year, with the eventual aim of curriculum change that will see young people nationwide learning about the music genre.”
Gospel Music is an inclusive, joyful, music genre that, in addition to relating to the Christian faith, celebrates the stories, histories, cultures and achievements of black communities. Much modern mainstream music, as well as many genres of music of black origin, owe their origins and inspirations to gospel music. However, these roots often go unacknowledged and unrecognised. This will be the first ever mainstream UK gospel festival.
Liverpool is a city with a strong music and cultural heritage, well known for being the home of The Beatles, the European Capital of Culture, 2008 and recent host to The Eurovision Song Contest. It also has deep links to black history through its role as a slave trading port in the 19thcentury and the location of the International Museum of Slavery. Liverpool is also home to Liverpool Lighthouse, which is currently working to develop the National Gospel Music Centre, a hub for supporting and developing gospel music and gospel music artists in the North West.
Rebecca Ross-Williams, Creative Director of Liverpool Lighthouse said: “It is beyond exciting to announce Liverpool Gospel Music Festival this September, as it responds to a national need, as there isn’t an equivalent. It’s the right time for the festival, with a drive to make September Gospel Music Heritage Month, with Liverpool as UNESCO City of Music, having such a strong music heritage and because of Liverpool’s contribution to black history. Liverpool Lighthouse is committed to supporting the protection and development of Gospel Music and we aim to provide a much needed platform for Gospel Music artists, showcasing some of the best internationally, and bringing joy to our audiences.”
Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Liverpool Lighthouse
At just 24, Canadian singer Shawn Mendes has racked up some serious musical achievements – and a heap of awards. But he’s found his real peace in God, as Violet Wilder discovered.
Success is a peculiar thing, mainly because of the different ways it seems to affect people; either raising them up or bending and eventually breaking them. For some, like Shawn Mendes, it came with such ease, so early in the game, and so forcefully, he was almost left shivering in its wake, unsure of where to go next.
“To think I was only 15 when this whole crazy story kicked off is something that, looking back, I almost find quite terrifying,” he begins. “At the time you are swept along with the momentum, and it feels exciting and the biggest thrill you could ever imagine… and of course it is.
“However, receiving that sort of adulation at such a young age is probably unnatural… it’s not real life. And in the seven years straight I had on the road – a lot of big songs, big gigs, big experience – I think gradually I brought about a feeling of sanity to my life, but it really did take that long; and there were many things I had to lean on along the way to get to where I am now.”
Of course, Shawn Mendes won’t have been the first pop star to believe his own hype, albeit it manifested itself in a way the Canadian star didn’t expect. “I think the stress of going along with a certain version of yourself is actually the thing that terrifies you most,” he reveals. “I have always said it’s something of a monster, and I could feel it eating me from the inside, gnawing away at my self-confidence.
“The pressure gave me a fragility I had never felt before, to the point where criticism I might have brushed off a year or 18 months earlier, I was taking to heart, and it was destroying me.”
Considering that the 24-year-old has already spent nearly a decade of his life in the limelight, it is understandable that his celebrity status feels intricately bound to his personality. Mendes felt the first thrills of recognition way back in 2012 when, after teaching himself to play guitar using YouTube tutorials, he garnered half a billion views singing pop covers on now-defunct social media app Vine. He was one of the first in a new generation of stars whose DIY approach and self-starting ambitions give the notion that fame is one touch of a screen away. Inevitably, those six-second snippets of songs drew the attention of a management company, which led to a life-changing contract with Island Records.
A debut album, Handwritten, went to number one in his native Canada, and topped the billboard charts in America (as did his two follow-up records). His first single Stitches has over a billion views on YouTube and his song Treat You Better has double that number. Mendes has supported Taylor Swift on tour and had a high-profile relationship with Cuban-born sweetheart Camila Cabello. And these are just some of the extraordinary feats for one so young. Yet even the indefatigable Mendes wasn’t safe from the spectre of self-doubt.
“Things really came to a head a couple of months before lockdown,” admits Mendes, who looks fit, wholesome and has shifted his image away from those initial years of boyishness. “Around January I almost had something of a creative shut-out, where my body would just not allow me to sing.
“This was all brought about by severe anxiety, and that came from a place of feeling desperately out of sorts with how I was going to get my next album together. I think most people are used to fear that consumes you in the moment, but mine was a daily thing. I was totally stuck.”
From Judy Garland to Britney Spears, history has a hefty roster of young stars who became victims of the fame monster, but unusually it was Mendes and his management team who were labelled as exploitative, unethical and irresponsible by various child advocacy groups. It came after a highly dubious marketing stunt whereby fans, desperate to meet their idol, were encouraged to ‘buy all album copies’ of Handwritten, some of which hid golden access ‘meet and greet’ passes. “It was one of those where the idea was better than the execution – it happens.”
Despite this controversy, the singer has always had an untarnished air of affability. Charming, authentic, polite and always ready with that starry white grin for a selfie with a starstruck fan, he was, and still is, the perfect pop star.
Photo by Sara Jaye Weiss/Shutterstock (9705097u) Shawn Mendes iheart Radio Wango Tango Backstage Portrait Studio, Los Angeles, USA – 02 Jun 2018
Unavoidably, it is that quest for perfection that becomes the chink in one’s armour. For while he is adored by many, there are still the usual naysayers who say his music is formulaic, that he lacks personality and even those who are convinced his two-year relationship with Cabello was merely a publicity stunt.
“I’ve come to terms with the ‘formulaic’ tag,” he says. “The fact is, you cannot make music that pleases everyone – it’s just impossible.
“I think at its worst, I came close to quitting the whole thing. I lost sight of the fact I had an ability to control my place in the industry; it didn’t have to be the industry was controlling me. That was never the deal when I was 12 or 13 in my bedroom making music. It was just a love for what I was doing, and I needed to win back a bit of that mentality.”
A big part of that recovery ultimately came when Mendes turned to a higher power for healing. He admits to reading over 50 self-help books in a bid to fix his mental health. He also exercised hard; yet in the end, it was meditation and spiritual energy which really made the difference.
“I think when you tap into real spirituality, it is something that will really transform who you are,” he says. “For me that started with meditation – I just jumped on a YouTube video, cleared my mind, and found a new way through.”
Mendes went on to use an app product conceived by instructor Jeff Warren. “It was a 30-day thing, but it took me from a place of anxiety into a new sphere. It taught me compassion, temperance, and indirectly reconnected me with the power of faith.”
In 2021, along with Cabello, Mendes launched his own series for the mindfulness and meditation app Calm, titled ‘Breathe Into It’. It consists of 24 sessions which explore experiences in overcoming anxiety and building a sense of self-acceptance and gratitude. He also announced a partnership that will provide thousands of free Calm memberships to youth activists and leaders through the Movement Voter Fund and the Shawn Mendes Foundation. For Mendes, it’s an opportunity not just to destigmatise the conversation around mental health, but also to give back.
“I wanted to get as far away from the idea of this being a commercial activity as possible, because it’s totally not. We have offered free memberships because, in my mind, everything connected to health and positivity and wellbeing should be free. It’s so important these days; maybe more important than ever.”
Mendes’ soul-searching also took him on another great journey – one which realigned him to God. In fact, it was while listening to Maverick City, a contemporary worship music collective who originate from Atlanta, Georgia, that he experienced an electrifying epiphany. The 100-strong gospel group were singing about Jesus, and Mendes found himself moved to tears.
“I’ve always known that music is a real connector to our emotions, but when it came to religion it never really got me to that place. I would say that gospel was the genre that went closest, but when you are in a room with a gospel choir, when the power and the passion of faith is reverberating around you – well, it’s an incredible experience. It has opened up a lot for more.”
In recent months, Mendes and fellow Canadian star Justin Bieber have been spotted leaving services at the Beverly Hills chapter of Churchome – the Seattle-based church led by Pastor Judah Smith which is endorsed by numerous celebrities and even has its own app. Besides sharing a home country and a wealth of talent, both Bieber and Mendes have been admirably candid about their personal struggles with fame and its repercussions on their mental health, including postponing tours in a bid to ‘ground’ themselves. In 2020 the pair even released the duet Monster which deals with the trappings of fame and perils of worshipping false idols.
Bieber has long worn his love for Jesus on his sleeve. Not only has he performed with Maverick City at a worship service – you can find his stirring rendition of the song Jireh (a duet with the group’s co-founder Chandler Moore) on YouTube – but the title of his hit 2015 album, Purpose, literally refers to his relationship with God.
For Mendes the transition appears to be a little more on the subtle side. One obvious shift is how his much his fourth studio album, Wonder, differs from his previous work. On the title song, soaring choirs and earnest soul-searching, that crescendo in the chorus where he asks: “I wonder what it’s like to be loved by you?” have replaced the palpable anxiety and despair of his 2018 masterpiece In My Blood.
Mendes is the first to recognise that his ultimate downfall was his own avarice and appetite for success. While always clean-living, his drive for success had become an addiction that, he believes, turned him away from his true self.
“I think most of us use faith and God as a way of wanting things to happen,” he says. “Praying, hoping, committing ourselves is often a way of yearning for something more in our lives, and I certainly did that for many, many years.
“I guess what I have ultimately learned is that sometimes the whole point of believing is that when you reach out it is just for consolidation, or for normality. That is ultimately so much more valuable – to be able to go back to your equilibrium.
“Everything else in life is really what you bring yourself – and if you don’t then maybe that doesn’t matter anyway; but at least be content in yourself.”
Subsequently, in his bid to find clarity and truth, Mendes has fully gone back to the basics. Reconnecting with old friends and family – his parents live in Ontario, Canada but his mother is originally from Somerset and his father is Portuguese – he now finds peace and beauty in the world around him, rather than YouTube hits and bank balances. He has also invested time into other realms of spirituality, discussing scriptures with author Jay Shetty.
“For me it is true enlightenment. I cannot be a global face without taking in those influences from around the planet – I’m just glad I’ve got to this point right now.”
Photo by Sara Jaye Weiss/Shutterstock (9705097w) Shawn Mendes iheart Radio Wango Tango Backstage Portrait Studio, Los Angeles, USA – 02 Jun 2018
Currently Mendes is in between albums, having cancelled the majority of his Wonder tour dates in order to prioritise his health and take forward even further the epiphanous lessons from 2022.
Perhaps, as well, in the time away from relentless touring, he may afford himself a deeper foray into cinema. In the recently-released film of Bernard Waber’s beloved 1965 children’s book Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Mendes voices the eponymous singing reptile who must eventually choose between a glamorous life of showbusiness and a homely one in Manhattan with the Primm family.
In the end, Mendes is, himself, much like the doleful, gentle crocodile, though it has taken him a little while longer to realise that it is faith, family and friendship, not fame, that bring you the greatest joy.
Songwriters write the songs, but they belong to the listener! This is so true when it comes to Grammy-award winning worship leader and songwriter Matt Redman, who has been writing contemporary worship songs for the global church to sing for almost thirty years!
As he unveiled his new single Son Of Suffering Redman said: “I’m only making albums because it’s about the songs. And it’s about trying to see if I can help people talk to God and see God through song.”
Recorded live at the historic ruins of the Catholic Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, California, Redman has once again demonstrated his distinctive ability to integrate the old with the new. And perhaps this is what sets him apart as a writer; his industrious attention to foundational Christian belief and his undoubtable talent for expressing God-truths into singable and likeable melodies.
Son Of Suffering co-written with Aaron Moses, David Funk and Nate Moore, is a reminder that Jesus came down to earth to walk with us and meet us in our trials, in our weeping and in our earthly terrain. This same Jesus who divinely embraced his own suffering also embraces ours. This is not a distant God but one who reaches out with love, hope and understanding.
Interestingly the Season Three finale of The Chosen, a television series that gives a picture of Jesus’ life and ministry, seen through the eyes of the people who knew him, will feature a brand new video of Son Of Suffering. Filmed in collaboration with the show, this affords an incredible opportunity for thousands to not only see the story of Jesus but also hear his heart.
Son Of Suffering is the first release from Redman’s latest album Lamb Of God. Already receiving high praise from listeners worldwide, his response is, as usual, full of humility, he said: “How can these little words and a few chords mean so much? It’s just God’s blessing of music, I guess.”
Lamb Of God will be reviewed by Sue Rinaldi in the next edition of Sorted Magazine.
Listen to Sue Rinaldi’s recent release Ethos V1 on all digital platforms. Spotify – Ethos V1
Amid the clamour of consumerism, David Essex singing It’s Only a Winter’s Tale stopped me in the middle of the supermarket. I have no idea why. I don’t know the rest of the lyrics, only the title. It’s not one of my all time favourites, but perhaps the music evoked memories of childhood Christmases from the deepest recesses of my mind. Salvation Army bands have a similar effect on me at this time of year. Is it pure nostalgia?
It seems to me that the origins of Christmas are sometimes obscured by tinsel and trappings. Consumerism promotes a celebration of a different kind. It asks us to impress our family with expensive catering, gaze in wonder at the latest gadgets and have our best Christmas ever.
Is the Christmas story “only a winter’s tale”? It goes something like this: The King of Heaven broke into our earthly existence in Roman occupied Palestine. He arrived as a baby, to a trusting Mum and Dad. Shepherds out in the fields, familiar with the night sky, were alerted to a bright, moving star. They followed it to a stable in Bethlehem. They knelt before a new born baby. Wise men saw that same star and followed it from a far away country. The gifts they brought held clues to the baby’s royalty (Gold), his priestly calling (Frankincense) and his ultimate sacrifice (Myrrh). I doubt they came to worship in confident faith. It’s more likely they came with unspoken questions.
So as I hear the sound of David Essex singing his familiar Christmas anthem, I pray that, despite the increasing secularisation of Christmas, we might not lose sight of the reason for the season, and approach the Christmas story with honest questions, because for me it’s so much more than a winter’s tale.
David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seedshave recorded a new version of their iconic football anthem ‘Three Lions (It’s Coming Home for Christmas)’. They were so inspired when England Women won the Euros this summer that they re-recorded the track with new lyrics and an audio clip of the Lionesses triumphant press conference rendition of the song. David Baddiel said: “At last it’s between me and Mariah Carey for who really is the voice of Christmas. We just had to do it. Christmas World Cup songs are not like buses. If we’d let this opportunity pull away, it would have been a very long wait for the next one.”
Frank Skinner added. “ ‘Three Lions on a sleigh, with She-Lion’s Inspiration, Santa says let’s play, the Christmas tree formation’ is just one new verse destined to get the country up on their feet and singing for 90 minutes.” In the feel good video, Sir Geoff Hurst swaps his England kit for a Santa Suit; Lioness heroes Jess Carter and Beth England recreate their celebratory dance; while David, Frank and the Lightning Seeds decorate the tree as kids join in the festivities. Watch the video HERE.
‘Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home)’ is the only song to have ever become UK number one on four separate occasions with the same artists: twice in 1996 when it was originally released, for three straight weeks in 1998 and again in 2018 when it made chart history by moving up from number 24 to number one in one week! During the 2020 Euros, the song spent four weeks in the top ten and on the final day of that tournament had over three million Spotify streams.
Three Lions (It’s Coming Home For Christmas) is available from Sony Music in the following formats all of which fit snuggly under the Christmas tree:
7” Limited edition signed white vinyl White Cassette 7” white vinyl CD single And from all download and streaming services.
Steve Legg interviewed Mike Watson live and discovered how an ordinary lad from Sheffield ventured into show biz.
Mike Watson first arrived in Sweden in 1964 as part of the Hi-Grades, American singer Larry Finnegan’s backing group during his Sweden tour of that year. Subsequently, Watson became a member of various Swedish bands, most notably Lenne and the Lee Kings (who scored two Number Two hits in 1966 with Stop The Music and L.O.D.), and Lasse Samuelsson’s Dynamite Brass.
Mike started working as a session musician in 1969 and did his first known ABBA related session in July 1971 when he played bass on a Frida single, produced by Benny. Watson also contributed to People Need Love, the very first recording issued under the name Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid.
Although Rutger Gunnarsson was to be ABBA’s most frequently used bass player, Mike Watson played on notable tracks such as SOS, Mamma Mia, If It Wasn’t For The Nights, The Winner Takes It All, and Super Trouper. He is also the man dressed up as Napoleon on the cover of ABBA’s Waterloo album.
Mike Watson
THE INTERVIEW
Steve Legg (SL): Mike. What a career over 50 years, I believe, in the business. Are you living the dream?
Mike Watson (MW):Yeah, I started … I’ve been living the dream, yeah, that’s for sure. I’ve toured all over the world. In the last 10 years I’ve been with these Abba tributes and we’ve been … well, everywhere. China, America. This year, I’ve been in America doing five tours. So yeah, I’m pretty busy, still.
SL: Do you still enjoy traveling to gigs, driving, stopping at service stations, picking up a pork pie somewhere or the Swedish equivalent?
MW:Well, there’s a lot of waiting around. It’s waiting for the sound check and do the sound check. Then there’s waiting to do the show. But it’s the life I’ve chosen. And enjoying it.
SL: Yeah, well that’s good. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? So how did a Sheffield lad end up in Sweden in 1964? It doesn’t seem the most logical career path, perhaps.
MW:Well, I was with a group in London called The Hi-Grades and we came to Sweden to accompany on tour, an American singer, rock and roll singer. And we ended up staying here, two of the band, since 1965. Yeah, it’s been a long time.
SL: So, what made you stay? What is it about Sweden?
MW: I got the jobs, I got the gigs. And then I started playing with different bands in the ’60s and then around ’70 I started a … became a studio musician in Stockholm playing with all the Swedish groups or recordings. And then I started with Abba in 1973, 1972, recording with them. As a studio musician. I was in the studio maybe three or four days a week when I lived in Stockholm.
SL: So, what do you love most about Sweden? Are you a meatballs, hygge, Norrlands Guld fan?
MW:Yeah, yeah, Swedish meatballs. Yeah, great. Ikea, I Love Ikea.
SL: And of course, hygge. We know all about hygge these days in the UK. It’s candles, it’s twinkly lights, it’s snuggling down and getting cosy.
MW: Yeah, well there’s a lot of snow in Sweden, so I hope we get … I live on the west coast, down between Malmö and Gothenburg and we don’t really get a lot of much snow down there, but I hope there’ll be snow for Christmas. When you got all the Christmas lights … we’re very into the Christmas with the lights around the house. Love it.
SL: And how do you celebrate Christmas? Do you celebrate on Christmas Eve? Which I know is the Scandinavian tradition, roast duck and opening all your presents.
MW:Yeah, we do that and usually my kids come and all my grandchildren, my great grandchildren. So, the house is really full around Christmas and New Year.
SL: Oh, sounds beautiful. Were you musical as a kid, Mike?
MW:Well, my mother was in show business and that’s where I started in 1958, ’59. They were working for the American forces, entertaining in Germany, France, Spain, all over Europe. And she put me in the show when I was 11, 12 years old and that’s when I started playing guitar and doing an Elvis copy. And then they took in a drummer and another guitar player. And then in the end we were a group. We were called The Hi-Grades and that’s where I started playing. We were three guitars and I was playing bass on a guitar and then I bought a bass and that’s where I started playing bass.
SL: Why did you choose the bass?
MW:Well, we were three guitars. Somebody had to play bass.
SL: Simple as that.
MW: So, I started playing bass. Yeah, it was as simple as that.
SL: So how does someone become a session musician? You’ve obviously got to be really good. And I’m assuming right place at the right time, meeting the right people?
MW: I was at the right place in the right time. There was a changeover in Sweden from like a stand-up bass to electric bass and there wasn’t a lot of electric bass players around pop. And then I learnt to read music and became a session musician. I don’t think it’s anything you train for, it’s just that you got the contacts and you just play.
SL: Mike, 1971, was a pretty key moment. You met Abba for the first time, is that right?
MW: Well, I met Björn and Benny around in the middle of the ’60s because I was in a Swedish pop band in ’66 and you’d meet them on tour, all the bands, playing a festival or something. So I met them already then, and that’s maybe why they used me later on, because I knew them.
SL: Did you have any idea they’d become global superstars back then?
MW: Never, never. I mean, you thought you were going to be a musician after, or I’ll do this for a few years and I’ll have to do something else. But I couldn’t do anything else. So I never thought it would last this long and that. I’ve been working since 1979 with different tribute bands all over the world.
SL: Wow. So you never had a plan B?
MW:Never, never. I’ve never had a real job.
SL: But I’ve got some comedian friends who do painting and decorating and all sorts of stuff when it’s quiet. But I love the fact you never had a plan B.
MW: Never also, and I’ve always had a lot of work, except for this big lockdown that came in 2020. I didn’t work for a year and a half. Everything has started up again now, so it’s back to normal, yeah. It really is. And I’m very fortunately able to still play. I mean, I’m 75 and I’m still on tour. It’s great. Love it.
SL: So I’m a huge Abba fan. What was it like sessioning with them? Are we talking an early start or getting together halfway through the day with coffee and pastries?
MW: Well, all the sessions started at ten o’clock in the morning and there would be a coffee for me because they started with the drums and getting the sound and then we’d start paying about 11 o’clock. A usual session would be Benny would sit at the piano. He’d run through the songs and we’d maybe write some chords down and we’d start messing around with the song. And we could play all day till five, six, seven o’clock in the evening just to get really the bass and the drums right, and then they’d do everything again later on.
So we never really saw the girls in the studio, Frida and Agnetha. They might come by to say hello to their husbands at that time, but we never saw them. For us, it was just working with Björn and Benny, and Björn would sit with an acoustic guitar and he would sing. Sometimes the lyrics were not really written yet. And that was a session and we might play all day and maybe the day after just to get the bass and drums right. But it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun. We were all young and enthusiastic.
SL: How would you describe the process? Collaborative, experimental, or anything else?
MW:Experimental because there was no music to read. Benny would sit at the piano and we’d play around with the songs. We might do it as a tango and there’d be another style. We’d play, try to find things, and then when the bass and drums were right, they’d say, “Okay, we’ll go from there.” And then the bass and drums were ready and then they would do all the dubbing over that.
SL: And you played bass on a number of very notable tracks, SOS, Mamma Mia, Super Trooper. Probably my favourite one, The Winner Takes it All, with a great bass line, if you don’t mind me saying so, Mike.
MW: That is my favourite song as well actually. I love that song. The lyrics are great. And I loved playing when we played with Abba. It’s always, that song’s absolutely my favourite, or, I should say, Abba-solutely.
SL: I see what you did there. And it’s a poignant song as well, isn’t it?
MW: Yeah. It’s a beautiful song. The lyrics came at the right time. They were splitting up, so it always hits you, the lyric, when we play it. Great song.
SL: Could you tell that was going to be a mega hit?
MW: Not when we actually played the song in the studio, because I never heard the song when it was finished until I got the LP, they sent the LP home to me, and we just heard without any, the girls singing on the song. There was a lot of experimenting going on. I remember doing, “I do, I do, I do,” and I thought, oh, I’ll do this bass line, and that was the first thing I did. Then they said, “No, no, we’ll do something else. Do something else.” And then at four o’clock in the afternoon, well, we tried lots of things. I did the same thing that I did at the beginning, and they said, “Yeah, that’s what we want.” Yeah.
Also, when you hear a song, you just know. We’re like, “That’s what you should play.” So a lot of experimenting going on.
SL: What heady, exciting times. And you’re very modest. You’ve not mentioned your modelling career either, have you, yet?
MW: Ooh, my modelling career. Yeah, well, you want to hear about that?
SL: Of course we do.
MW: I think Björn and Benny phoned me one morning and said, “Oh, tomorrow we’re going to do a photo session and we need a little guy to stand in the background.” That’s why they called me Little Mike, anyway. And we went to this old café outside of Stockholm. We were taking photos all day long. The photos became the album cover for the Waterloo album with the Abba in the front and I’m standing in the background with my back to the camera dressed as Napoleon. That was my modelling career. Very short.
SL: So Mike, this show, 6th of January, next year at the Brighton Centre. Have you performed in Brighton before?
MW: Yes. Last time was 1973. We worked with three brothers called The Brotherly Love. They were from Liverpool. I made a short trip back to England a few months, and then I was back in Sweden. But that was the last time, 1973.
SL: And of course the ABBA were there in 1974, winning the Eurovision Song Contest, weren’t they?
MW: Yeah. We should be coming in 1974, it would’ve been exactly 50 years. Yeah.
SL: So this show, Arrival From Sweden Show, what can we expect on the 6th of January in Brighton Centre?
MW: You’re going to expect ABBA because they’ve got all the clothes, the hits. All the hits in the show. And ABBA Arrival from Sweden, they’ve been going since 1995. Not with the same people all the time, of course, but they’ve done a hundred tours in America. They’ve been all over the world. But the show is like ABBA. It’s like seeing ABBA. They’ve got the costumes and there’s great musicians. Swedish musicians are very competent, so you’re going to enjoy it.
SL: Oh, do you know what, I can’t wait. And you’ve got the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra as well.
MW: Yeah, yeah. It’s great. They’ve done a lot of concerts for all over America, everywhere with the Philharmonic, so it’s going to be an extra thing. It’s going to be very big.
SL: Wow. What an amazing night for all ages. I can’t wait Mike. It’s been fascinating chatting to you. Highlights of your career, is there one big thing that you think, “Yeah, that was it”?
MW: Oh, well, probably ABBA is the big thing because it’s worldwide. I played with Elton John, Wilson Picket, Arthur Conley. There was a lot of artists coming over to Sweden in the 70’s for the radio TV show, and I was the bass player there, so I met a lot of artists coming over from England and America in those days.
SL: It’s been a blast Mike. Thank you so much. There’s only one way I can end this, and I’m sure people say to you many times, but thank you for the music.
MW: You’re welcome.
THE SHOW
Arrival From Sweden The World’s Greatest ABBA Show With ABBA Original Musicians – Brighton Centre 6th January 2023
‘ARRIVAL From Sweden in the production The Music of ABBA’ comes to the Brighton Centre, featuring original ABBA Musicians and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The press, the audience and the ABBA-fan club all agree this is the closest you will ever come to see the real ABBA live on stage.
The 11-piece live band with ABBA original musicians including bass player Mike Watson who performed with ABBA in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and on such notable tracks such as SOS, Mamma Mia and the Winner Takes It All, to name but a few, will take you on a musical journey performed by ARRIVAL from Sweden this world-renowned group, bringing the music of ABBA to life, together with Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
ARRIVAL From Sweden is the most successful ABBA show touring the world today. To date they have performed concerts and tours in over 70 countries. With 80 SOLD OUT tours in the USA since 2005 and playing over a thousand shows in America, ARRIVAL from Sweden has also performed with almost 100 symphony orchestras which all together has given them the reputation as the world’s greatest ABBA show.
Hits like Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Does Your Mother Know, The Winner Takes It All, Gimme, Gimme and many more are delivered with such accuracy that it’s hard to believe it’s not the real ABBA on Stage.
For a limited time (midnight on 30/11) fans can get £10 off a pair of tickets with the promo code ‘SORTED’
