www.ChrisRea.nl

Hello,
has somebody happened to listen to the latest BBC-interview, that was announced by Bart and would be so kind to sum up, what Chris said about the Fireflies? Maybe it´s too early, but do they have any concrete plans? I´m a bit curious.

Not that I´m expecting a big surprise. Stony Road was a surprise and so it was with Blue Guitars as well. Now I think it will be not that spectacular, but maybe like the way Chris played a song from Blue Guitars on a TV Show last year together with Tommy Willies and Sylvin Marc (you can still see the video on the ndr-homepage). It looked so simple - three men on the stage, two guitars, a banjo and just the Blues. But it was amazing, what they brought about with this modest equipment.

That was exactly what I want from the Fireflies now and I hope the band will be successful in any way.

Thanks for a reply!

Jutta

Jutta wrote:Hello,
has somebody happened to listen to the latest BBC-interview, that was announced by Bart and would be so kind to sum up, what Chris said about the Fireflies? Maybe it´s too early, but do they have any concrete plans? I´m a bit curious.

Not that I´m expecting a big surprise. Stony Road was a surprise and so it was with Blue Guitars as well. Now I think it will be not that spectacular, but maybe like the way Chris played a song from Blue Guitars on a TV Show last year together with Tommy Willies and Sylvin Marc (you can still see the video on the ndr-homepage). It looked so simple - three men on the stage, two guitars, a banjo and just the Blues. But it was amazing, what they brought about with this modest equipment.

That was exactly what I want from the Fireflies now and I hope the band will be successful in any way.

Thanks for a reply!

Jutta

----------

Hi Jutta,

I've listened to this interview on BBC radio (still listed on Bart's front page!) and Chris Rea assured the interviewer (and the listeners alike) that he will continue playing music, except to small audiences and not so frequently as previously. It's all because of his doctors, who advised him to cut back on performing on long lasting tours, such as the "Farewell Tour." Chris pointed out to tremendous "logistic difficulties" each time he would go on the road, sending trucks with equipment and bringing the entire band with him, to all those far away places...
He referred to, what he called "the DCC" (difficult creative conditions), which he wanted to overcome, thus: he opened his own studio as well as set his own recording company. Chris said that he always wanted to do that, so (after many years) owing to his present (sound) financial situation, he was able to carry on his plans. He didn't spend all his money, he noticed, therefore he is financially secured. He made a point about his health condition which allows him to get off the drugs (and he said laughing "not the rock and roll drugs, you know..."), but medication prescribed to him by his doctors, when he is not touring and taking a few days off.
This is exactly what the new living plans are calling for, according to Chris.
Chris Rea recalled that "doing his old pop songs (at the "Farewell" tour) in a new blues version, was certainly a lot of fun, especially since he wrote all these songs long time ago, because they sounded so differently." But, from now on, he will play just gospel blues with his new band "the Memphis Fireflies."
That's about (more or less) what Chris had said in this interview.

And finally, one personal note: I have this feeling (and I certainly hope so) that Chris will still be traveling to different places (once to Muenchen/Munich and the next time to Amsterdam, for instance) with a small group of musicians, perhaps with only a banjo/harmonica player, a bassist and a drummer, so:
"they (could still) flew them in from a Hamburg strip,
taste of Duesseldorf still on their lips.
And on the bus there would be this friend of his (with whom)
he (Chris) would sit upfront and share a cigarette.
This friend would say (to Chris): do you remember, do you recall,
and Chris would answer: yeah, I remember, I remember it all...."

Take care,
Chris

Hello Jutta, I´m now earing the BBC interview. I only say one thing whatever Chris made, will be a great surprise and a great job. This is one of the best musicians in the world.
What is the link to that video at Ndr? please tell us .

Chris also said that the live DVD and CD will be out in the Autumn and that they will be in a package with the book he is writing about a musician who doesn't want to be famous......
Kev.

blueskev wrote:Chris also said that the live DVD and CD will be out in the Autumn and that they will be in a package with the book he is writing about a musician who doesn't want to be famous......
Kev.

-----

Thank you Blueskev for supplementing my post with this important piece of information I left out.
Chris

Thanks a lot for the detailed information. I´m looking forward to get hold of the first Fireflies-CD and I wish we had not to wait sooo long for the Farewell-DVD .

The link to the ndr-video is:

http://stream.radiobremen.de/magazin/ku ... chris_rea/

You have to click on "zu Gast bei 3 nach 9"

Bye
Jutta

I cant wait fot the first Firefly release, Gospel / delta stlye suits chris best in my opinion, hope theres a drummer though. Is band simply Chris, Sylvain Marc, and Tommy Willis? has chris stopped working with Robert Ahwai??

Hi, I wish I could find the link, but on another site it said the new recordings would only be released on LP, which would be a shame. I will see if I can track it down again. To be released late 2007 if I remember right.

ace of hearts wrote:Hi, I wish I could find the link, but on another site it said the new recordings would only be released on LP, which would be a shame. I will see if I can track it down again. To be released late 2007 if I remember right.

I guess you're right. My information tells me it will be a double vinyl album released in October or November; accompanied by a book (about a Fender guitar ?!?) and some artwork, followed by a (small?!?) set of concerts in early 2008... At least that is what I have heard some times ... just my 2 cents

Hi Bart, thanks for keeping this site going, though it was obviously being abused by spammers.
Anyway here is the link to what I read:

http://www.givernyblue.co.uk/news/newspage.htm

I do hope we have something soon. Chris is usually so prolific, and even though we were spoilt by 11 cd's on Blue Guitars, I just want some more

ace of hearts wrote:...though it was obviously being abused by spammers.

Well, that was one of main reasons I didn't get the time to work on the site as I would have liked. The spammers just costs me several hours a week to be delt with. Let's hope the new forum software put (at least for some time ...) an end to all this

Well cheers, I look forward to the other matariel appearing on the site. Are you going to send an e mail to all registered users telling them of the new format. More hits the better

I read this from an interview about Blue Guitars, makes you wonder how much Chris Rea music ended up in the bin

...from an interview about Blue Guitars wrote:RQ: Originally the idea was to do a 50 CD version, is that correct?

CR: 15 CDs in a book it was, and it was going to be every single kind of blues that I’ve ever come across, not just American blues, and we got to the point where we just couldn’t close the book and in the end I had to give up three.

RQ: You had to give up on three. Now what will happen to this extra material? Will it ever come out?

CR: Well, with me just it normally goes in the river! I write all the time and what’s happened over the last 20 years is, I tend to keep what’s ever close to a release schedule other than that, unfortunately, it just goes off into space, because I write everyday. It’s what I live for, I love it.