Rising UK talent CHARLES returns with his funk-fuelled debut EP, ‘On Trend, Hungry & Broke’. With four previous singles under his belt, the North Londoner now offers a collection of two new songs, two interludes and one already released single, ‘Sundance Kid’.
The EP’s second track is its lead single, ‘Easy’. A breakaway from the up-tempo musical moments we’ve witnessed so far, ‘Easy’ sees CHARLES employ a more laid back and temperate approach, gently initiating the audience into his first complete project.
One area where CHARLES remains resolute is in his songwriting and subject matter. With a noticeable tendency towards writing about love and relationships, be they romantic or platonic, CHARLES has always been one to wear his heart on his musical sleeve and give love back to where he gets it.
With an EP dedicated to struggling through your terrible twenties, figuring it all out whilst being perpetually ‘On Trend, Hungry & Broke’, CHARLES still found it within himself to take a moment to thank the very two people who made it all possible.
“I wrote ‘Easy’ for my parents. I wanted to give them a song they could listen to and remind them to chill out. As I got older and experienced my own issues and the stresses of life, it gave me a better understanding of what my parents and most parents go through on a daily.
Raising 3 children, money issues, being an interracial couple when it wasn’t fashionable, and just frankly going through things that all adults go through. Life is hard and I wanted to give them a small bit of happiness when the world at times can feel like it has you cornered. Produced by Mathias Boman, ‘Easy’ will take you back to a time of old soul and have you looking forward to better days. ” – Charles.
Orders are now being taken for the latest couple of limited edition books from our good friends at Floydstuff.com (https://www.floydstuff.com), both of which sound like further essential items for the Floydian bookshelves. BBC RADIO 1967-1971 – English language, 240 pages in full-colour, printed on heavyweight 170gms paper (22x22cm). Published 3 June 2022. Available as a hardcover and paperback edition.
Hardcover edition is signed, numbered and limited to 400 copies only. The publishers say: “Pink Floyd’s BBC radio sessions bridge the gap between their meticulously crafted studio albums and the ferocious improvisations of their live performances. Each recording documents a band constantly evolving, dealing in turn with the collapse of their leader Syd Barrett, their unsuccessful attempts to recapture the pop charts, and their eventual self-reinvention as providers of multimedia extravaganzas. “In the crucible offered by BBC programmes like Top Gear, Pink Floyd forged a musical approach that would serve them for years to come. As high-profile advertisements for a young and hungry group, the role of these appearances in furthering the band’s career cannot be overestimated. The collaboration of an English researcher and an American composer, Pink Floyd â BBC Radio 1967-1971 combines the authors’ extensive research into the details of each session with a thoughtful analysis of its contents. Every chapter contains new additions to the historical record and sheds fresh light upon the bandâs creative process, which combined rigorous structure with spontaneous expression â and astonishing bursts of inspiration with unabashed recycling of existing work. “Inside are firsthand recollections from audience members and BBC engineers, and coverage of unpublished recordings, including one session that only survives in a private collection and is here described in detail for the first time. The authors delineate the best sources for all the recordings discussed, and provide up-to-date information on Pink Floyd’s other radio broadcasts. The text additionally speaks to the unsung heroes: home tapers and engineers who preserved Pink Floyd’s legacy when the BBC did not; DJs like John Peel who advocated ceaselessly for their music and offered them a platform from their earliest days; and even the band’s own members and collaborators, whose contributions are often under-recognised. “Pink Floyd â BBC Radio 1967-1971 covers its subject in unprecedented depth, while telling a story of triumph and loss, interspersed with wit and pathos. If you are keen to explore the early history of Pink Floyd, this is undoubtedly a book for you”. Order the hardback edition here (https://www.floydstuff.com/product/7245714/pink-floyd-bbc-radio-1967-1971-hardcover-edition), or the paperback edition here (https://www.floydstuff.com/product/7245796/pink-floyd-bbc-radio-1967-1971-paperback-edition). PINK FLOYD IN DE GOFFERT – Dutch language, 112 pages in full-colour, printed on heavyweight 170gms paper (22x22cm). Published 3 June 2022. Available as a hardcover edition, limited to 500 copies. For this book, the publishers say: “As if it was meant to be, Pink Floyd put up their tents in Nijmegen in the summer of 1989. Twenty years before that, the group is in town for the first time for a disastrously poorly attended gig at the Kolpinghuis. Things will be different now. On Monday 10 July, the immense Goffertpark will be populated by no less than sixty thousand visitors. Never before has Pink Floyd played for so many people in the Netherlands as on that night. In little more than a day, the whole circus has come over from London after the last of six concerts. There is no hint of fatigue. The group led by David Gilmour is in top form that night. “The story begins two months earlier with a concert in Werchter, first stop of the tour. It is uncertain for a long time whether there is any room for a second concert in the low countries. Competing concert promoters, a logistical nightmare and a very special encore in the Venice lagoon – broadcast worldwide thanks to Dutch television pioneers IDTV and the Cinevideogroup – are the ingredients of a memorable summer. Above all, it is the warm memories and unique, mostly never-before-used visual material of these concerts that make PINK FLOYD IN DE GOFFERT a timeless document. Although written in Dutch, the whole lay-out will certainly appeal to anyone not speaking Dutch”. You can order the hardback edition here (https://www.floydstuff.com/product/7245525/pink-floyd-pink-floyd-in-de-goffert-holland-book).
Our very best wishes, and many happy returns, to David Gilmour who is celebrating his 75th birthday today (March 6th)! Born and raised in Cambridge, David became involved with various bands in the area, principally Jokers Wild who were a popular draw when they played, before joining Pink Floyd in 1968. More recent years have seen David concentrating on his solo career, and helping out chums on their musical projects on an ad hoc basis. In 2019, some 120+ of David’s guitars were auctioned, raising $21.5 million (including some record-breaking amounts for individual instruments) which went to the environmental charity ClientEarth (https://clientearth.org). He also appeared as a guest performer at the Richard Thompson 70th Birthday Concert (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/david-gilmour-guest-appearance-at-richard-thompson-70th-birthday-co.html), playing Dimming Of The Day and Fat Old Sun, and joining the encore. Last year, on February 25th, shortly before all activity stopped around the world due to Coronavirus, David joined the stellar bill for the Mick Fleetwood Friends Celebrate The Music of Peter Green and The Early Years of Fleetwood Mac (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/mick-fleetwood-friends-concert-box-set-available-to-orde.html) concert at London's Palladium, which is being released as a 4LP, 2CD, Blu-ray and book box set on April 30th this year (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/mick-fleetwood-friends-concert-box-set-available-to-orde.html). The concert was in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity (https://teenagecancertrust.org). Finally, scheduled for the end of June (Covid restriction permitting, of course), David is joining his wife Polly Samson for three special evenings to mark the release of her new book, A Theatre For Dreamers, which will see David performing a few songs (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/polly-samson-and-david-gilmour-a-theatre-for-dreamers-book-and-music-e.html). Tickets for these three events, in Manchester, Birmingham, and London, are available now (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/polly-samson-and-david-gilmour-a-theatre-for-dreamers-book-and-music-e.html).It just remains for us to wish David a very happy day! If you want to add your thoughts and wishes, you can do so at our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/BrainDamageUK)…