NEW SONGS – Repertoire Expanded with New Ballads and Love Songs

A few new songs have been added to my repertoire over the last few months.  And with Xmas getting in way (oh, alright, pure laziness – OK?!) I’m only just getting round to telling you about it now.

New songs to grace my larynx this time are:

Amazed – Lonestar. [1999]

This was added back last autumn for a intimate wedding near Bridgend (Show Report COMING SOON) and - what are the chances - within a week of this booking another couple also wanted the same song performed live as their first dance too – albeit a few more miles away in Cornwall.  (See also THIS show report.)

I have played the original of this beautiful country ballad at several weddings before, but have never sung it live until now.  Learning the number was great fun, as it’s all to easy after listening to the original to try and fake a cowboy accent!  Yus siree little lady, y’all go come on back now, y’hear?  ;-p etc etc

The words are very heart-felt however, and I try to singing them with just a little bit of soul influence to juxtapose the steel string sound so synonymous with that Grand Ole Oprey style.  The lyric “I don’t know how you do what you/I’m so in love with you/It just keeps getting better” also seem to sum up how many newlyweds feel at that special moment together in embrace.

I remember it myself – although I also felt a lot of cheek-ache from all that smiling for photos all day.  I digress: again.

The song was released back in 1999 and spent 22 weeks in the UK chart – at a time when other country-infused artists like Shania Twain, LeeAnn Rimes & Sheryl Crow were popular.  Interestingly country songs also influenced the next artist I have added to my repertoire.

When You Say Nothing At All – Ronan Keating  [1999]

I was asked to learn this for a last-minute wedding this month.  Had been meaning to learn it for a while – and a high-quality backing track was already in my collection: so the weeks’ notice (normally I ask 3-4 week’s) was just enough time to get the song practised and perfect.

Hugh Grant played Hugh Grant.  Again.

This track was made popular in the UK by former Boyzone singer had a huge hit in the same year as ‘Amazed’ – taking the sweeping rearrangement of another country hit (written by Paul Overstreet & Don Schiltz) to number 1 in the UK chart.  Most people are familiar with the song from the movie Notting Hill, starring Julia Roberts and Huge Grunt (or someone.)  Although, for me, fellow Welshman Rhys Evans was the real star as crazy Spike!

(Do I really know THIS MUCH about a full-on Chick Flick?  No: that’s what wikipedia’s for.)

In the song, I particularly like the finger-picking that features in the guitar-part at the opening: the number also lends itself well to some gentle and breathy vocals.  The arrangement opens up in the second verse, but also falls back before a crescendo: so an interesting number to perform, allowing me to bring different shades to the performance. 

And yes, I am aware I’m waxing lyrical once more.  BLOG = stream of consciousness, people. Stream.  Of.  Consciousness.  ;-)

And I Love Her – The Beatles [1964]

Not all new songs in the repertoire are request from couples – this one was learned of my own volition!  (Good gawd, y’all!)  The song has another beautiful spanish-esque guitar part, with a soft shuffle accompaniment from hand-held latin percussion – possibly a cabasa?

Which one's Sue Storm again? Ah: wrong Four.

The vocal part is very high, so requires a lot of breath control.  First few rehearsals left me corpsing – but fortunately only my kids got to seem me sputter!  Several run-throughs later and I’ve got it nailed – and it always goes down well in the right setting.

The number trips along nicely, and I have found it works well alongside more classic standards such as ‘Girl From Ipanema’, as well as acting as a useful gateway to more contemporary ballads (for example, the open guitar chord of this song’s final moments leads superbly into the breathy sax that introduces Billy Joel’s ‘Just The Way You Are.’)

More new numbers in the pipeline for later in the year: as ever watch this space!

Take care…and have fun

Jon Paul.