NEW RELEASES FOR 2010!
Ribbon of Gold 180 Gram Vinyl Release Review by Buckethead of Brains
THE BREAKAWAYS lost Sessions now on CD & LP Press Release
THE NERVES LIVE FROM PIRATES COVE LP Live Cleveland, May 26th 1977 Press Release
THE BEAT LP & CD 180-gram Vinyl available again, Release Date: November 30th 2009
Power Pop in the Twenty-First Century
Times are changing, that is for sure, but you can still hear great live music the way it used to be in the good old days, and now you can hear it in the comfort of your own home. John Wicks and Paul Collins have teamed up to bring their music to you in the Living Room House Concert format. Both John and Paul made their mark years ago in the burgeoning power pop scene of the late seventies and early eighties. On opposite sides of the pond, they created and formed bands of lasting impact and quality. John Wicks, founding member of The Records, will always be remembered for Starry Eyes, a classic among classics and Paul’s work with The Nerves and The Beat have stood the test of time with Power Pop hits like “Hanging on the Telephone”, “Rock and Roll Girl”, and “Don’t Wait Up For Me”. Both John and Paul are active performers who are regularly out there tearing it up on stages in this country and abroad. After exchanging emails from coast to coast they finally met up at one of John’s live shows in Spain. A friendship developed and now for the first time they have joined forces to make their music available to you in this intimate and informal setting. Both artists are superlative songwriters and the acoustic guitar is their instrument of choice to create with. This is not a watered down version of what you would see if they were performing with a band behind them, and they both do, this is an up close and personal look at two performers who love music and have dedicated the major part of their lives to it. These two gentlemen have seen and done a lot, as performers they love to share, so stories would abound of all their exploits over the years coupled with an evening of fantastic songs.
For additional information regarding John and Paul’s 2009 Living Room Concert Tour, please go to http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com .
If you’d like to see John Wicks and Paul Collins perform in YOUR living room, email martinitimerossi@gmail.com (Attn: Rick Rossi) with your location, date you would like to have the event, and phone number where you can be reached. Every serious inquiry will receive a response with available dates and applicable performance fees.
FIRST US TOUR OF 2009 WITH GENTLEMAN JESSE and HIS MEN
Paul Collins has joined forces with Gentleman Jesse to go out on the road for 10 shows in the South/Mid West/East Coast starting January 24th at The Earl in Atlanta Georgia! Paul met Jesse when they performed together this past summer in Atlanta at The Earl and also at the Wildweekend Power Pop Festival in Austin Texas. The two become fast friends and started their own mutual admiration society. This led to Jesse offering to not only organize a tour but also assemble the backing band for Paul,(recently relocated to NYC) using members from his own group Gentleman Jesse. Once the ball got rolling Get Hip, Paul's US label, has come on board to lend a hand in securing dates and promotion at press and radio. Gentleman Jesse will open the concerts performing songs from his releases on Douchemaster Records and Rob's House, 2 Atlanta based labels and then Paul Collins will take the stage to perform songs from his entire recorded output in support of his latest release Ribbon of Gold (Get Hip) and also the stunning new release "One Way Ticket" of his first band The Nerves (Alive Records). The tour will culminate with a live broadcast on WFMU on The Cherry Blossom Clinic with Terre T, February 7th! Once again the DIY spirit that Paul Collins helped to create back in the late Seventies is alive and well in the 21st Century! Keep on rocking!
Ribbon of Gold Press Release
PAUL COLLINS BEAT COME BACK IS OFFICIAL!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, RIBBON OF GOLD STREET DATE MARCH 24TH
Ribbon of Gold the new studio album from Paul Collins Beat is set to be released on March 24th by Spanish pop label RockIndiana. Produced by Chips Kiesby (Hellacopters, Nomads) Ribbon of Gold features 10 new songs from pop’s illegitimate son, Paul Collins.
After a 12 year recording silence, Paul Collins re-surfaced with Flying High, recorded at home with his new comrade in arms, guitar slinger Octavio Vinck and what would become the start of his new Spanish band. Flying High was a simple affair sporting songs that spanned Paul’s musical career and landscape, from the Beat-ish power chords of Rock n Roll Shoes and More Than Yesterday, to the all out melodic pop of Helen to the roots rocking Will You Be A Women the record encompasses all the facets of Paul’s writing ability, showcased with a simple and straight forward production style. “We wanted to let the songs do the talking,” says Paul, “I knew that there would be a lot of scepticism about me making a record after all this time, as Elvis Presley once said ‘Pop music changes every 6 months’ I felt that the best thing for us to do is to present the songs in a simple unassuming way, plus without any real budget or producer I knew there would be no way to make a “Big Rock” record. I was really starting from scratch again, but with the help of Octavio I knew we could do it!”
3 years later and hundreds of shows under their belt it has become a reality! The Paul Collins’ Beat has performed all over Europe and is making their second trip to SXSW this year. Old fans and new are always satisfied as they jump up and down to the old classics like Rock n Roll Girl and Don’t Wait Up For Me that sound right at home with the new songs like Afton Place and All Over Town. Make no mistake the live show delivers, from The Nerves to The Beat and now the Paul Collins’ Beat the band cranks through over 30 years worth of music, old and new, seamlessly!
While performing at the Road To Ruins Festival in Rome, the band met up with producer Chips Kiesby, most known for his work with Swedish rock bands The Nomads and The Hellacopters. As Paul tells it, “Juancho, my manager and bass player, and I were hanging out backstage after the show when we saw this guy with bright red hair! I asked Juancho, “Who the hell is he?” Juancho said, “That guy is one of the best producers around!” I walked up to him and said, “Hi I’m Paul Collins wanna produce our next record?” And he said “Yeah!” Several months later the band was in Gutenberg, Sweden recording Ribbon of Gold. “Now I knew it was time to make the Big Rock Record!” Says Paul about the recording, “I knew this was my chance to make a record with a big production, but I wanted it to be a record that we could play live, that kept it honest for me, Chips was the perfect producer, he knew the band, he was a fan of my early work and he knew how to bring my sound to tape!” The results are clear, one listen to Ribbon of Gold and it’s obvious that Collins is as good as he ever was, the songs bristle with excitement, they rock, they roll and they showcase what is undeniably one of America’s foremost talents. From his humble DIY beginnings with The Nerves, to his Major Label years at Columbia Records and the subsequent Indy years Paul Collins proves without a shadow of a doubt that he is here to stay! As Collins will always tell you….
“Keep on Rocking!”
Ribbon of Gold track listing
- Hey DJ
- Ribbon of Gold
- I Still Want You
- Without You
- Big Pop Song
- Falling In Love with Her
- She Doesn’t Want To Hang Around with You
- Parlez Vous Français?
- Smile Boy
- Flown Away
Paul Collins' Beat Releases First New Studio Album in Twelve Years
Flying High, Paul Collins’ 11th album since The Beat, marks an end to a nearly 12-year musical quest and the start of a creative period that will generate several more releases, including more full-length studio albums, a live album, a concert DVD and a surprise that is sure to thrill fans of Collins’ entire body of work. The new 12-track album was recorded in Madrid, Spain over the course of four days.
Flying High is a return to the basics for Collins. The album successfully fuses Collins' undeniable songwriting talents with his unparalleled musicianship. In fact, the bulk of the album was recorded live, with many songs largely completed in the first take. The album’s 12 songs showcase Paul Collins' Beat’s undeniable skill and musical versatility.
Flying High is a mix of up-tempo guitar driven Collins instant classics such as “More Than Yesterday” and “Helen” and more introspective darker tracks such as “Bobby,” “I’m On Fire” and “Flying High.” One of the many highlights is a track entitled, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Shoes,” which Paul describes as “the daughter” of The Beat’s classic anthem “Rock ‘n’ Roll Girl.”
But Flying High would not have flown if not for the knowledge and wisdom Paul gained from his friendships with such legendary rockers as Dee Dee Ramone. He formed an admiration for Dee Dee during his early days touring with The Nerves and soon the two became friends. “Dee Dee and I would often hang out after shows and discuss songwriting and music in general,” enthused Collins. “I was always impressed with his attitude toward writing, stressing the importance of having sincere emotions at the core of every song. That really stuck with me and I was acutely aware of it throughout the many years of writing the songs for Flying High.”
Collins also formed a valuable friendship with rock icon Eddie Money during his days in The Nerves, the quintessential rock band in which Jack Lee and Peter Case joined Collins to create some of the most influential rock and roll music of the genre.
“Eddie took me under his wing when I was just starting out,” explained Collins. “He taught me a lot about the showbiz industry, songwriting, and performing. His advice has been invaluable to everything I have done since.”
“While I was working on Flying High I drew heavily from the knowledge I gained in knowing such professionals,” Collins added. “Jack Lee and Peter Case also had an enormous impact on me as an artist. They are all such great musicians. I think their influence is evident throughout all of my music.”
The years of writing for “Flying High” in secrecy began to near a decade and rumors began swirling. Nobody quite knew what to expect from this long period of creative gestation.
Collins deliberately took his time. “I wanted to give the songs the time they needed to grow and take on a life of their own,” said Collins, who insisted the actual recording sessions for the album be done as quickly as possible in order to maintain each song’s identity. “I didn’t want us to start second guessing the songs. After twelve years, they had progressed to a point where over-producing them would have destroyed their integrity. We just wanted to capture them in their most honest form. I think it was worth the wait. The music speaks for itself and I’m really proud of what we did.”
The results are evident throughout. The songs are sonically robust, the instrumentation and shimmering vocals first rate and the chemistry between Paul and his band apparent. The album has an organic feel reminiscent of Paul's early solo releases, and some of The Beat’s later recordings.
“The album is a story,” added Collins. “Musically, the songs represent the spectrum of emotions we all face in day to day life, so it is really your story as much as it is mine.”
“The songs aren’t overblown or exaggerated. It’s a rock band playing music together with no gimmicks between us and the listener,” concludes Collins. “We wanted to make a great album that was true to us as a band. I think that’s exactly what we did.”
Paul Collins' Beat continues to tour and perform around the world. Paul Collins’ two previous bands The Beat and The Nerves helped inspire what would become the sound of today’s foremost artists from Green Day to Everclear.
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Full
Track Listing
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Shoes - 2:39
- Afton Place - 3:25
- Will You Be A Woman - 2:10
- FDR - 2:45
- Helen - 3:13
- All Over Town - 2:44
- Bobby - 3:27
- I’m On Fire - 3:29
- More Than Yesterday - 2:53
- Silly Love - 4:01
- Paco And Juan - 4:40
- Flying High - 3:05 Total Running Time: 38:34