|
|
 |
This is the archive of the combined Barking Spider and Andy Broad Portsmouth Blues Site mailing lists.
For the latest information on what's on at The Bullfrog Blues Club click here
Barking Spider Promotions Mailing List |
|
Short notice I know, but we've just secured soul legend ANN PEEBLES to play at The Bullfrog for an extra special gig on Monday 25th April, together with THE DEBORAH BONHAM BAND! This is one of only three dates in the U.K, the other two being The Barbican & The Borderline in London! After ten years Ann Peebles is back with a new sound, a new band, and a brand new tour dubbed The Acoustic Soul Tour with a brand new retrospective collection from Track Records. This will mark her first and most extensive U.S. and European Tour in nearly a decade and promises to be an absolutely unforgettable experience - The music is a sound bed of brand new arrangements laid to many of her classics including and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" and "I Can't Stand The Rain". -all of which are custom tailored around Peebles' brilliant vocal phrasing and the sound is acoustically intimate, remarkably stunning and soulfully as real as it gets. Many of the cuts chosen for The Acoustic Soul Tour will also mark the first live performance of them since Ann Peebles recorded them during her Hi Records career from 1969 –1979, as well a few select brilliant covers. “I’m looking so forward to this tour and what the near future will bring” says Peebles. “I really need to re-connect with the fans and the music and my voice, you know, and I want this Acoustic Soul Tour to bring the vibes of some of my Hi Records sessions to the stage” says Peebles, “The pre-production sessions you know... I really need to let you in on the experience. Just me and a small band of brilliant musicians. Every note they play seems to wrap around everything I sing like a warm blanket you know. It challenges me you know, to reach down vocally deeper inside myself, more so than I have in my entire live career”. Ann heads to the UK April for two special promotional London dates. The first, at The Barbican on April 22nd, will reunite her with three of her mates from the Hi Records years ; guitarist Mabon ‘Teenie’ Hodges, bassist Leroy ‘Flick’ Hodges and pianist Archie ‘Hubby’ Turner. These are, of course, the legendary musicians who helped make up Willie Mitchell’s backing band The Hi Rhythm Section, who were responsible for most all of the Peebles' classic tracks during her career on Hi Records. The second London appearance is at the legendary Borderline Club, with her new musical soul sister and special guest Deborah Bonham, with Bonham’s band which includes Humble Pie founder member and drummer Jerry Shirley along with some surprise guests sitting in with Ann. While Ann is in the UK she and Bonham also plan on recording a brand new version of her classic hit "I Can’t Stand The Rain", together with some very special guest musicians joining the session. But as a warm up for the Borderline gig, Ann will be playing with The Deborah Bonham Band at The Bullfrog Blues Club on South Parade Pier, Southsea, on Monday 25th April. Ann says " I’m looking really forward to heating the place up with my new soul sister Deborah and her band mates too, you know”. Deborah Bonham is no stranger to The Bullfrog Blues Club - she's played there on a number of occasions to great acclaim, and also locally, when she played the Titchfield "Blues At The Abbey" festival (organised by Bullfrog Blues Club), she stole the show and the hearts of the 2,000 strong audience.. Deborah is the younger sister of the late John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, the world's greatest rock drummer. She assembled a band of hand-picked musicians and achieved a major breakthrough in the USA on her debut tour with Jason Bonham, John's son.. In 2001 Deborah performed at The Steve Marriott Memorial Concert at The Astoria, London, with a host of guests including Humble Pie (the original line up), Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher and Ian Maclagen and Kenny Jones from the original Small Faces. At the concert, Deborah performed a stunning version of Ann Peebles classic hit "I Can't Stand The Rain". Ann Peebles saw the DVD of the show and was knocked out by Deborah's version of her song. As the ultimate accolade, while Ann is in the UK, she and Bonham also plan on recording together a brand new version of "I Can’t Stand The Rain" with some very special guest musicians joining the session. This promises to be a night to remember! > This amazing not to be missed gig > will be held at South ParadePier, Southsea, Monday, April 25th. Doors open > 8 p.m. > > Tickets (£9) are available from Friday 8th April from The Wedgewood Rooms > Box Office, Albert Rd., Southsea, (online bookings to > http://www.wedgewood-rooms.co.uk) Reflex Records, Albert Rd., Southsea, (023) 9229 3571 (credit card > bookings accepted) ; Reflex Records High St., Gosport, (023) 9251 1845 > (credit card bookings accepted), South Parade Pier, General Office (023) 9273 > 2283 (credit card bookings accepted), any Thursday evening from The Bullfrog > Blues Club, South Parade Pier, Southsea or by post direct from Barking Spider, > 105, Landguard Rd., Southsea , PO4 9DR. (Cheques payable to to Barking Spider > Music and please enclose an s.a.e.) > Enquiries to spiderpromos@aol.com or ring 07970 959793 or leave a message on > the hotline (023) 9243 6267 More on Ann Peebles..... A diminutive singer with a powerful voice and an even stronger attitude, Ann Peebles > was one of the artists who defined Willie Mitchell's legendary Memphis soul > label Hi > Records, along with Al Green and, later, O.V. Wright. Easily the best female > singer in > the Hi stable, Peebles ranked among the finest deep Southern soul singers of > the > decade, notching an instant classic with her 1973 hit "I Can't Stand the > Rain." She co-> wrote a generous share of her own material with husband Don Bryant, > and while she cut plenty of love and heartbreak tunes, her persona was built > on the grit and resilient > strength she displayed on songs like "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down." > Many > of her recordings hold up among the best of their era. > > Ann Peebles debut single, "Walk Away," just missed the Top 20 on the R&B > chart; > the follow-up, "Give Me Some Credit," was also a hit. Her fourth single, > 1970's "Part > Time Love," was her first R&B Top Ten, prompting a reissue of her debut > album, > "This Is Ann Peebles". 1972's "Straight From the Heart" featured several R& > B hits in > "I Pity the Fool," "Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love," "I Feel Like > Breaking Up > Somebody's Home" (later covered by Bette Midler), and "Somebody's on Your > Case," > plus the signature album track "99 Lbs." Her hot streak continued with > 1973's "I Can't > Stand the Rain", which many critics still regard as her finest work. > "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" was a decent-sized hit, co-written by > > Peebles, Bryant, it became her biggest hit, peaking at number six R&B and > famously > becoming a favorite of John Lennon. She also charted with "(You Keep Me) > Hangin' > On" and "Do I Need You". > > In the wake of "I Can't Stand the Rain," Peebles was a star on the soul > circuit. > "Beware," "Come to Mama," and "Dr. Love Power" were all charting singles > from the > 1975 album "Tellin' It". The album "Fill This World With Love" featured guest spots> from Mavis > Staples and Shirley Brown, and during the '90s, Peebles guested on several > albums by Maria Muldaur. Meanwhile, "I Can't Stand the Rain" was covered by > numerous artists, including Tina Turner, and revived by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott > via sampling on her 1997 smash "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)." >