Songwriters 2008
International artists...
Ellen Foley (USA) (website)
Ellen Foley took the worldwide spotlights as the singer of one of the biggest rock classics of all time: Meatloaf's 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light'. Although Ellen had ambition as an actress, she preferred not to star in the video clip for the song. Karla DeVito took her place there. Less then 2 years later (1979) Ellen Foley got her first worldwide number 1 hit with 'We Belong To The Night', taken from her solo-album 'Night Out'. The album was produced by Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and Mick Ronson. 'What's A Matter Baby', taken from the same album, followed the footsteps of the first single. Also in 1979 we see Ellen working as an actress in Milos Forman film version of the musical "Hair". Throughout the '80's her activities as an actress took a more important place in her life. Ellen starred in such films as Tootsie (playing ‘Jacqui'), Fatal Attraction (‘Hildy'), Cocktail (‘Eleanor'), Married To The Mob (‘Theresa') and a part in the comedy series Night Court. Ellen's second album, "Spirit Of St. Louis", was produced by her boyfriend at the time, Mick Jones of The Clash. The Clash-hit "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" was inspired on their turbulent relationship. As a guest singer Ellen worked with Joe Jackson (on his album "Body and soul"), Ian Hunter and The Clash (on the album "Sandinista!"). At the end of the 80's she worked one more time with Meat Loaf-producer Jim Steinman, as the singer for his studio project 'Pandora's Box', recording the first version of "It's All Coming Back To me Now". In 1990 Ellen married Douglas Bernstein, theatre-actor/writer with whom she has two sons. Recently she plays live with her band "Ellen Foley and The Dirty Old Men" (though not that old at all) and she wants to write songs at Song City.
Elliott Murphy (USA) (website)
Elliott Murphy grew up in New York, where he won the New York State Battle of the Bands. That led to a European "tour" whereby Elliott played the streets of a.o. Paris and Amsterdam as a busker and even got a cameo role in Federico Fellini's "Roma".
Back in the U.S. Elliott's first album, "Aquashow", was released in 1973. Since then 30 other albums followed, of which "Just A Story From America" and "Night Lights" are probably the best known ones. Other highlights were a live album with Chris Spedding (Live Hot Point) and a duo album with Iain Matthews (La Terre Commune). Elliott's most recent CD (2008) "Notes From The Underground" is again a collaboration with exceptional guitarist Olivier Durand (famous for his work with Little Bob and Luz Casal - and he will be performing alongside Elliott, just like last year, on stage during the Song City concert).
Elliott also recorded a duet with Bruce Springsteen ("Selling The Gold"). Since then he is often invited on stage during Bruce's European concerts, most recently in Bercy (Paris).
Murphy is also a published author of various collections of short stories, the most recently being CafÉ Notes (Hachette) and two novels Cold And Electric and the neo-western Poetic Justice (Hachette.)
Watch the Elliott Murphy interview at the previous Song City edition (S Televisie) : KIJK !
Bob Neuwirth (USA) (website)
Bob Neuwirth is what some people would call a living legend. He was and is active as an art painter, filmer, as well as a singer-songwriter. He went to the Boston Art School and was part of the Cambridge bluesfolk-scene where he learned firsthanded from urban blues legends such as Lightnin' Hopkins, Mississippi John Hurt and Sonny Terry (to name but a few). Later he went to California to start a career as a singer-songwriter. The Newport Folk Festival, the Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock, ... they're all events linked with the name Bob Neuwirth. In the mid 60's, Bob worked and travelled with Bob Dylan. Much of that can be seen in the films "Don't Look Back" and "Eat The Document". He moved to Nashville with the then struggling artist Kris Kristofferson. Some say that Bob was the inspiration for Kristofferson's song "Me And Bobby McGee". Certain is that Bob teached the song to his friend Janis Joplin, with whom he had already written "Mercedes Benz". In the 70's Bob Neuwirth put together the band for Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. He could also be seen in Bob Dylan's film "Renaldo And Clara". Bob toured together with a.o. Warren Zevon, John Cale en Sid Griffin. Songs of Bob Neuwirth were recorded by a.o. K D Lang, John Cale, Concrete Blonde, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Russell and many more. As a filmmaker Bob was a.o. actively involved with the making of the Monterey Pop Festival documentary and producer for "Down From The Mountain", featuring the music of a.o. Emmylou Harris, The Whites and Allison Kraus & Union Station. Recently Bob can be heard on "A Case for Case", a tribute-CD for Peter Case (in Belgium known as the composer of Blondie's "Hanging On The Telephone"). The most watched TV show of 2005, a CSI episode directed by Quentin Tarantino, features Bob's song "Lucky Too (Christmas in Las Vegas)".
Kit Hain (UK) (website)
Kit Hain knew instant worldwide success as well as a performing artist (with Marshall & Hain) and as a songwriter. She writes her songs from a personal point of view, in the line of Janis Ian or Aimee Mann, something that appeals to different artists worldwide. Kit teamed up with Julian Marshall and as Marshall & Hain knew instant success with the international top 10-hit "Dancing In The City". A second more modest success came for her as a solo artist with "Danny". Kit left England for America at the end of the 70's and settled in New York to concentrate on song writing. She wrote hits for a.o. Roger Daltrey (lead singer of The Who), Barbara Dickson and Kiki Dee. Later for Cher, Peter Cetera and Chaka Khan.
Co-writing songs is nothing new for Kit. She co-wrote songs with a.o. Ann and Nancy Wilson of the Canadian band Heart, with colleague-songwriters Cheryl Beatty and Caroline Henderson. American-Mexican singer Selena, tragically killed, recorded one of Kit's songs the week prior to her being shot death. In the Benelux Kit delivered songs for a.o. Wendy Van Wanten and Trijntje Oosterhuis. At Song City last year Kit wrote the songs "The Ride" (newest single for Milow) and "Poison" (a top 10-hit for Stan Van Samang).
Local (belgian) artists...
Sioen (website)
After having recorded a very successful demo album, Sioen appears on several rock rally's: Debuutrock (winner), Oost-Vlaams Rock Concours (2nd place), Demopoll Studio Brussel (winner). In his first 3 years as a performing artist Sioen plays 120 shows mostly in Belgium & The Netherlands but also in New York, USA (CBGB's) & in Toronto, Canada (North by Northeast Festival). In 2003 Sioen's debut Album 'See You Naked' is released in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Suisse & South-Korea. Sioen gets the Zamu Award for 'Best Newcoming Artist' and the hitsingle 'Cruisin'' was nominated for 'Best Song of The Year' (3th place). He also writes the score for the Belgian movie 'Team Spirit II' for which he is nominated 'Best Composer' on the Joseph Plateau Awards. In two years Sioen plays more then 200 concerts in clubs and festivals as South by Southwest Festival in Texas (USA), Rock Werchter (BE), Francofolies Spa (BE), Haldern Pop (GER), Werfpop (NL), Dranouter Festival (BE) with guest appearence of Toots Thielemans, Lokerse Feesten (BE) Marktrock Leuven (BE), Popkomm Berlin (GER), Crossingborder (NL), Eurosonic (NL), Gentse Feesten (BE), Dour Festival (BE), Francofolies Spa (BE), Paradiso in Amsterdam (NL), ... In 2005 Sioen recieves a golden record for 'See You Naked' (more then 25.000 copies sold in Belgium). 'Ease Your Mind' (his 2nd full-album) is released in several counties in spring 2005. A huge event 'Ceci n'est pas un film' presented the new album. A theatre show in Ghent was live transmitted to 22 movie theatres in 5 different countries. 6.000 people watched the show and living legend Toots Thielemans features on the record. Sioen plays a second time at Rock Werchter (BE). He's touring Belgium, Germany & The Netherlands to promote his 2nd album & plays over 120 concerts that year. In 2006 Sioen recieves a golden record for 'Ease Your Mind' (more then 25.000 copies sold in Belgium). 'Ceci n'est pas un film' is released in China (june 2006)
Sioen is support act for the American band 'Live' in Munich & Berlin, Germany. The animation music video of the single 'At A Glance' was selected for the international 'One Dot Zero Festival', a festival showcasing the best of new digital film and animation. Sioen plays at Meet in Beijing Festival (CHINA), Blue Note Festival (BE) (support of Dr. John & Randy Newman).
Eva De Roovere (website)
Not yet available (sorry)
Udo (website)
For Udo Mechels, the past years have been like a rollercoaster. The man from Nossegem, Belgium that still couldn't see his music as anything other than a hobby was propelled by fate in another direction. Encouraged by people that believed that that powerful voice should be heard, Udo, with few expectations, took part in the Belgian edition of X Factor. The triumph in the music contest was only the starting point for the development of the artist, Udo. The man who was still somewhat camera shy on television put pen to paper, and wrote a handful of the songs on his debut album and began to win his spurs performing live as well. Unassuming at first, and then more evidently living the dream to allow himself be inspired by real musicians.
That debut album was called 'U-Turn' and it became a hit with singles like 'Isn't it time' and 'Winter in July'. Another song, Tu me manques à mourir, the French version of Will Tura's Ik mis je zo (I miss you so) still needed another springboard to launch the next step in Udo's career. The Belgian TV Show, 'Zo is er maar één' (contest to find the best Dutch language song), provided that springboard when Udo won the show with his version of Ik mis je zo. The result: over 10,000 singles sold and a better awareness of what music can mean to others. Everywhere he went, the singer was approached by people who could see a reflection of their own stories in his moving version of the classic Tura number.
"This is a fantastic learning experience", Udo explained when he introduced his debut album. Two years later, he has proven his worth; as a singer, he has excelled himself, as a live artist, he has now found his niche amidst a multi-faceted group that have to work hard to keep up with this powerful voice, and as a songwriter, he is no longer content to take a backseat.
Born Crain (website)
With his debut album Fools Rush In having sold over 50 000 units in Japan - alongside close to 20 000 copies in Belgium - 27-year old pianist and singer Born Meirlaen is now poised to take on the rest of the world with his second recording and this renamed as BORN CRAIN. "It's more of the same but better," he says. "First and foremost it's all about the songs. I'm very systematic and disciplined in my approach to composition and I push myself hard in search of perfection. That first LP has given me a benchmark against which I judge everything I do and now I have a fantastic band behind me that I really don't want to lose, so the music has to be top notch. And I'm delighted to say that the recording is going really well." Three years ago Born's musical career started to take off when his participation in Idol 2004 confirmed the fact that he has an exceptional voice. After Idol, Born took time out to write, play, compose and rework his songs. In 2005 Born signed a deal with ARS (Universal). In January 2006 he released the single 'Fools Rush In', which made the top 10 of the official Ultratop 50 chart. Because there was already a Dutch artist named 'Born', the Ghent singer-songwriter decided to change his name to 'ReBorn'. At the same time, the single 'Good Times' was released. October 2006 saw the release of 'Fools Rush In', ReBorn's debut full length CD. Alongside success with 'Fools Rush In' and 'Good Times', the third single 'Don't Ever Go' also did particularly well. The ballad went on to become the theme song of the VTM series 'Aspe'.