Short film by Danny Clinch brought to my attention today - music by Eddie Vedder on uke
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Showing posts with label vedder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vedder. Show all posts
18 Jun 2012
18 Jun 2012T15:51
Uke choices of the professionals - pt1
As amateur players you probably beat yourself up enough over which ukulele to choose to play (or, like me, to play next!). I suppose it's the same for the pro's too, but have you wondered what ukuleles the professional players choose to play? Check out this first selection.
Jake Shimabukuro
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Jake Shimabukuro
Whilst Jake may have other ukes in his collection, he started playing ukulele as a child on a Kamaka uke and is said to have played them ever since. Today if you see him play he will most likely be performing on a beautiful custom built Tenor model, made specially for him.
James Hill
James is known to play many ukes, and chooses what he wants depending on the voice he needs for a particular track. If you have seen his online videos of him performing tracks like Billie Jean he is playing that on a custom uke from G String.
Eddie Vedder
I had to mention Eddie - whilst not most famous for being a ukulele player, he certainly hit the headlines and shook the uke world up last year with the release of his Ukulele Songs LP. Eddie has reported in interviews that he plays many types of uke, but on the record he is most famously associated with playing custom models from his friends at De Vine guitars.
Amanda Palmer
Another player who divides opinions, but Amanda has become completely linked to the ukulele, releasing EP's and other tracks played on it. She has been seen in city centres playing impromptu live jams on the ukulele on a range of cheap Mahalo type ukes, or playing the one above which was a gift from her father (it's a Hilo). Interestingly, whilst in her punk tradition she claims that quality and tuning don't matter too much, it would appear that Ms Palmer recognises that a bit of tuning and intonation are kinda important - playing live recently she has been spotted with a Pono model!
I hope to revisit this theme soon on Got A Ukulele with a roundup of some other famous players 'ukes of choice'.
11 Oct 2011
11 Oct 2011T13:06
The very short answer is, yes, probably, like everything, it will wane at some point, but there is no need to worry, it won't go away!
All sorts of music tastes and interests come and go in popularity, but they never die, and sure enough they will come back again at some point in the future. To understand where we are today with the ukulele, we need to go back in time to the last big upswing.
Rolling back the clock to the 1930's and 40's and the ukulele was BIG!.. HUGE!.. These were the days before tv networks and pop charts, but the ukulele was THE staple instrument for many many music hall entertainers. Cliff Edwards, Roy Smeck, George Formby are names you may have heard of, but there were countless others who, at some point in their act they would grab a Uke to sing and play. Music stores on both sides of the Atlantic were full of ukes, not guitars. A child's first instrument most likely was a cheap uke, perhaps made of Bakelite or later, plastic. Then, like today, the public were exposed to an awful lot of ukulele music on the radio, in the movies and on stage. Also like today, when a member of the public picked up an instrument they realised that it was a fairly simple instrument to get to grips with, benefited from being cheap and portable and was fun to play. Those attributes haven't changed a bit, only the style and the fashion.
You may look back on those early artists and cringe. Whilst many people still enjoy that music, the younger players today may find it old fashioned compared to the artists today who are bringing the uke into their work, like Beirut, Noah And The Whale and Eddie Vedder. You may find, when playing a uke around the older generation, that you get ribbed by them asking to 'play us some George Formby' or similar. I have a healthy respect for George, sure, but I have to admit that I don't sit listening to his music on a daily basis.
But the thing is, those guys were no different to the artists today. Those guys WERE the hit artists. Formby and Edwards were, literally, megastars and as such what they sang and played was a huge influence on the general public. It may sound old fashioned now, but then it was absolutely bang on the moment. Were you alive in those years with an interest in music, if you play the uke today I'd wager you'd have played it then and talked about it the way you do now. In fact, so big were those artists, that the uke upswing of that period was much much bigger than the one we have now.
So, what happened? Several things. TV, Rock & Roll and a significant widening in media outlets and music tastes. The old time artists became marginalised and the new younger record buying public wanted rock and roll (note, Elvis played a uke, but for the kids of the 50's, a skiffle guitar was where it was at!). We then went though a period of pop, rock, metal, dance and a million other music styles and the uke got lost in the noise. In the background though there remained a faithful contingent who continued to play.
Fast toward to recent years and the ukulele started to pop up on certain tracks. This certainly wasn't a case, like the last upswing, of the uke dominating the charts and the music shops, but it was quietly growing, being picked up by artists of high standing. Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Amanda Palmer, Stephin Merritt and others started appearing in gigs with a uke, or including the instrument on record. Music generally also seems to have taken a turn, in recent years, to a folkier style which the ukulele naturally fits. Whilst many of the nu folk artists may not (yet!) have included ukes in their work, artists like Fleet Foxes, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons have achieved huge success with a folky, acoustic sound. The musical landscape has shifted a little. People started talking about ukes, looking for ukes and searching out anything they can on the Internet to learn more. Forums, clubs and blogs started appearing at an incredible rate, and judging by the membership numbers on the main uke forums, a massive number of people out there were wanting to play. The upswing was in full 'swing'.
In a single hour long programme on TV recently I watched selected highlights of the Cambridge Folk Festival. I saw about 6 or 7 acts and counted 5 ukuleles. Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls, a nu punk outfit with which you would never associate the ukulele, released an EP of uke songs and now regularly gigs with one. Eddie Vedder, lead singer with the rock band Pearl Jam released a whole album of uke tracks. These two releases are not examples of what started the upswing but are examples of artists taking advantage of it. Would Eddie Vedder have had success releasing a ukulele album in 1995? I think not.
So behind the world of celebrity it started to grow. For the general public the same attributes that got people hooked in the 1930's held true. Cheap to buy, easy to get started with, portable and fun. What wasn't to like?
This current upswing is different though, as we live in different times. I can't see the ukulele ever reaching the heady heights it achieved in the 30's and 40's, there is too much competition, too many music styles out there. It's likely to be an instrument you just continue to see regularly, that new bands try out and include once in a while. But that's fine by me, and it may actually serve to keeping the interest going longer or even indefinitely.
As a humble non-celeb though, does any of it matter to me? Perhaps not. At the end of the day I play because I enjoy it. If the world turned off the uke tomorrow, this player wouldn't. Once you are a player, it's not about the fashion of the day. Some established players choose to poo-poo the new "fad" they see with younger players, but that doesn't bother me either. Whatever it takes in getting people playing music (on any instrument) is ok in my book and not to be sniffed at. We should remember that those young players who start today may turn out to be the grandparent who passes on a uke to a grandchild some 50 years hence and, in turn, starts another generation on the road with the Uke!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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Ukulele Ramblings - the uke upswing
It's now absolutely clear to anyone but those with their heads inn the sand that the ukulele is now right in the thick of a huge upswing in popularity around the globe. It's quite difficult to actually go through a day watching or listening to popular culture without hearing a ukulele at some point. An increasing number of pop artists, tv advertisements and trailers are choosing the uke. How long will it last and will the bubble burst?
The very short answer is, yes, probably, like everything, it will wane at some point, but there is no need to worry, it won't go away!
All sorts of music tastes and interests come and go in popularity, but they never die, and sure enough they will come back again at some point in the future. To understand where we are today with the ukulele, we need to go back in time to the last big upswing.
Rolling back the clock to the 1930's and 40's and the ukulele was BIG!.. HUGE!.. These were the days before tv networks and pop charts, but the ukulele was THE staple instrument for many many music hall entertainers. Cliff Edwards, Roy Smeck, George Formby are names you may have heard of, but there were countless others who, at some point in their act they would grab a Uke to sing and play. Music stores on both sides of the Atlantic were full of ukes, not guitars. A child's first instrument most likely was a cheap uke, perhaps made of Bakelite or later, plastic. Then, like today, the public were exposed to an awful lot of ukulele music on the radio, in the movies and on stage. Also like today, when a member of the public picked up an instrument they realised that it was a fairly simple instrument to get to grips with, benefited from being cheap and portable and was fun to play. Those attributes haven't changed a bit, only the style and the fashion.
You may look back on those early artists and cringe. Whilst many people still enjoy that music, the younger players today may find it old fashioned compared to the artists today who are bringing the uke into their work, like Beirut, Noah And The Whale and Eddie Vedder. You may find, when playing a uke around the older generation, that you get ribbed by them asking to 'play us some George Formby' or similar. I have a healthy respect for George, sure, but I have to admit that I don't sit listening to his music on a daily basis.
But the thing is, those guys were no different to the artists today. Those guys WERE the hit artists. Formby and Edwards were, literally, megastars and as such what they sang and played was a huge influence on the general public. It may sound old fashioned now, but then it was absolutely bang on the moment. Were you alive in those years with an interest in music, if you play the uke today I'd wager you'd have played it then and talked about it the way you do now. In fact, so big were those artists, that the uke upswing of that period was much much bigger than the one we have now.
So, what happened? Several things. TV, Rock & Roll and a significant widening in media outlets and music tastes. The old time artists became marginalised and the new younger record buying public wanted rock and roll (note, Elvis played a uke, but for the kids of the 50's, a skiffle guitar was where it was at!). We then went though a period of pop, rock, metal, dance and a million other music styles and the uke got lost in the noise. In the background though there remained a faithful contingent who continued to play.
Fast toward to recent years and the ukulele started to pop up on certain tracks. This certainly wasn't a case, like the last upswing, of the uke dominating the charts and the music shops, but it was quietly growing, being picked up by artists of high standing. Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Amanda Palmer, Stephin Merritt and others started appearing in gigs with a uke, or including the instrument on record. Music generally also seems to have taken a turn, in recent years, to a folkier style which the ukulele naturally fits. Whilst many of the nu folk artists may not (yet!) have included ukes in their work, artists like Fleet Foxes, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons have achieved huge success with a folky, acoustic sound. The musical landscape has shifted a little. People started talking about ukes, looking for ukes and searching out anything they can on the Internet to learn more. Forums, clubs and blogs started appearing at an incredible rate, and judging by the membership numbers on the main uke forums, a massive number of people out there were wanting to play. The upswing was in full 'swing'.
In a single hour long programme on TV recently I watched selected highlights of the Cambridge Folk Festival. I saw about 6 or 7 acts and counted 5 ukuleles. Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls, a nu punk outfit with which you would never associate the ukulele, released an EP of uke songs and now regularly gigs with one. Eddie Vedder, lead singer with the rock band Pearl Jam released a whole album of uke tracks. These two releases are not examples of what started the upswing but are examples of artists taking advantage of it. Would Eddie Vedder have had success releasing a ukulele album in 1995? I think not.
So behind the world of celebrity it started to grow. For the general public the same attributes that got people hooked in the 1930's held true. Cheap to buy, easy to get started with, portable and fun. What wasn't to like?
This current upswing is different though, as we live in different times. I can't see the ukulele ever reaching the heady heights it achieved in the 30's and 40's, there is too much competition, too many music styles out there. It's likely to be an instrument you just continue to see regularly, that new bands try out and include once in a while. But that's fine by me, and it may actually serve to keeping the interest going longer or even indefinitely.
As a humble non-celeb though, does any of it matter to me? Perhaps not. At the end of the day I play because I enjoy it. If the world turned off the uke tomorrow, this player wouldn't. Once you are a player, it's not about the fashion of the day. Some established players choose to poo-poo the new "fad" they see with younger players, but that doesn't bother me either. Whatever it takes in getting people playing music (on any instrument) is ok in my book and not to be sniffed at. We should remember that those young players who start today may turn out to be the grandparent who passes on a uke to a grandchild some 50 years hence and, in turn, starts another generation on the road with the Uke!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
21 Jun 2011
21 Jun 2011T20:15
Eddie Vedder performs Without You, on Ukulele
Promoting his new album, Ukulele Songs, Eddie appeared on Letterman the other night. He performed Without You on his uke, which was marked with a nice message in tribute to Clarence Clemons, who died at the weekend.
Enjoy.
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Enjoy.
16 Jun 2011
16 Jun 2011T23:01
Without further ado...
LONGING TO BELONG - LYRICS AND CHORDS PROVIDED PURELY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!
Intro:
C,F,C,F
C F
I'm falling harder than I've
C F
ever fell before
C F
I'm fallin faster, hoping
C F
I'll land in your arms
Dm A
Cause all my time is spent here
F G7
Longing to belong
C F C F
to you
REPEAT CFCF
C F
I dream of circles perfect,
C F
eyes within your face
C F
My heart's an open wound that
C F
only you replace
Dm F# G
And though the moon is rising,
Dm F# G
can't put your picture down
Dm F# G C F C F
Love can be frightening when you fall
Dm A
And when the time is right,
F G7
I hope that you'll respond
Dm A
Like when the wind gets tired
F G7
and the ocean becomes calm
Dm A
I may be dreaming but I'm
F G7 C F C F
longing to belong to you
Play out repeating
C,F,C,F
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Eddie Vedder - Longing To Belong Chords
The popularity of the new Eddie Vedder Ukulele Songs CD seems to know no bounds. My review of that album can be found HERE, and as you will see, it is highly recommended by this uke site!
Thought I would work out some more chords for another popular song on the album - this time Longing To Belong. (check the Ukulele songs and chords page above where you will also find chords for the track Sleeping By Myself HERE)Without further ado...
LONGING TO BELONG - LYRICS AND CHORDS PROVIDED PURELY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!
Intro:
C,F,C,F
C F
I'm falling harder than I've
C F
ever fell before
C F
I'm fallin faster, hoping
C F
I'll land in your arms
Dm A
Cause all my time is spent here
F G7
Longing to belong
C F C F
to you
REPEAT CFCF
C F
I dream of circles perfect,
C F
eyes within your face
C F
My heart's an open wound that
C F
only you replace
Dm F# G
And though the moon is rising,
Dm F# G
can't put your picture down
Dm F# G C F C F
Love can be frightening when you fall
Dm A
And when the time is right,
F G7
I hope that you'll respond
Dm A
Like when the wind gets tired
F G7
and the ocean becomes calm
Dm A
I may be dreaming but I'm
F G7 C F C F
longing to belong to you
Play out repeating
C,F,C,F
2 Jun 2011
2 Jun 2011T18:28
So, why the raised eyebrows? Well, for those of you who don't know Eddie Vedder, he is best known (his day job if you will) for being the lead singer in the American rock band Pearl Jam. That is to say, rock band as in, plugged, in, rock and roll, electric guitars, long hair - you get the picture. I am not their biggest fan, but know full well that the man has a killer voice (broody baritone in style), and knew their style, so have to admit that the album also raised my own brows a notch.
Before release, the idea of this rock star putting out a set of songs in which he plays the ukulele has split Pearl Jam fans quite a bit, but I think that generally speaking the idea has intrigued more than put off. The fact is, Eddie has been a uke fan for quite some time and of late has appeared live on stage doing the occasional number on the uke, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised... but a whole album?
Ukulele songs is a collection of tracks he actually wrote some time ago but never released, including a Pearl Jam cover (Can't Keep) and one or two covers (Dream A Little Dream Of Me being the standout, but also Tonight You Belong To Me). It's spread over 16 tracks, and includes collaborations with the likes of Cat Power.
Throughout I got the same sort of bleeding heart imagery, and songs of loss, love and desparation, as you can expect with Pearl Jam, but without that rock backing, the ukulele strumming, trebly sound and relaxing backing actually gives them a whole new feel - very graceful, very laid back - very nice! Most of all, despite many critics suggesting it would be the case before release, this is NO novelty record. It has high production standards and is a lush, mature affair. Nor is this an ironic record - as Vedder has been keen to point out - this man really does ADORE the ukulele! The backing is fairly sparse, but, I presume, deliberate to allow the ukulele to shine through (and it does). (I believe he plays a custom tenor from Earnest Instruments, but happy to stand corrected)
Bang in the middle of the set, Longing to Belong is the highlight for me, but other standouts include Goodbye and the Mamas and Papas cover mentioned above.
The CD comes in a lovely book style case, with many pages and beautiful pictures with lyrics for the songs.
I am thoroughly enjoying listening to it - particularly today, on a rather long drive, windows down, blue sky and sunshine outside.
It would be too easy for me, a uke player, on a uke blog to show bias and demand it has a 5 star review just because of the ukulele link - but is it a 5 star album? Well, no - I would argue its probably got a little too much filler, particularly the second half of it, but thats a minor gripe, but a gripe for which gives it four stars for me. Still highly recommended!
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Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs - REVIEW
Well, it's about time I put my review up for the new Eddie Vedder CD, - Ukulele Songs - the album thats been raising eyebrows round the world since it was announced!
So, why the raised eyebrows? Well, for those of you who don't know Eddie Vedder, he is best known (his day job if you will) for being the lead singer in the American rock band Pearl Jam. That is to say, rock band as in, plugged, in, rock and roll, electric guitars, long hair - you get the picture. I am not their biggest fan, but know full well that the man has a killer voice (broody baritone in style), and knew their style, so have to admit that the album also raised my own brows a notch.
Before release, the idea of this rock star putting out a set of songs in which he plays the ukulele has split Pearl Jam fans quite a bit, but I think that generally speaking the idea has intrigued more than put off. The fact is, Eddie has been a uke fan for quite some time and of late has appeared live on stage doing the occasional number on the uke, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised... but a whole album?
Ukulele songs is a collection of tracks he actually wrote some time ago but never released, including a Pearl Jam cover (Can't Keep) and one or two covers (Dream A Little Dream Of Me being the standout, but also Tonight You Belong To Me). It's spread over 16 tracks, and includes collaborations with the likes of Cat Power.
Throughout I got the same sort of bleeding heart imagery, and songs of loss, love and desparation, as you can expect with Pearl Jam, but without that rock backing, the ukulele strumming, trebly sound and relaxing backing actually gives them a whole new feel - very graceful, very laid back - very nice! Most of all, despite many critics suggesting it would be the case before release, this is NO novelty record. It has high production standards and is a lush, mature affair. Nor is this an ironic record - as Vedder has been keen to point out - this man really does ADORE the ukulele! The backing is fairly sparse, but, I presume, deliberate to allow the ukulele to shine through (and it does). (I believe he plays a custom tenor from Earnest Instruments, but happy to stand corrected)
Bang in the middle of the set, Longing to Belong is the highlight for me, but other standouts include Goodbye and the Mamas and Papas cover mentioned above.
The CD comes in a lovely book style case, with many pages and beautiful pictures with lyrics for the songs.
I am thoroughly enjoying listening to it - particularly today, on a rather long drive, windows down, blue sky and sunshine outside.
It would be too easy for me, a uke player, on a uke blog to show bias and demand it has a 5 star review just because of the ukulele link - but is it a 5 star album? Well, no - I would argue its probably got a little too much filler, particularly the second half of it, but thats a minor gripe, but a gripe for which gives it four stars for me. Still highly recommended!
7 Apr 2011
7 Apr 2011T09:51
Eddie Vedder - ukulele album update
More news on the Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam) Ukulele album.
STOP PRESS - before you read on - the album has since been released, and you can read my full review of it HERE!
As unlikely as it sounds for a rock hero to be doing this, Eddie has been playing the uke for many years, and the sample track and live stuff I have heard sounds really promising. (My last post with his launch single Longing To Belong is HERE )
Here is a live version of another track from the forthcoming album called Satellite
The tracklisting is rumoured to be
01 Can’t Keep
02 Sleeping by Myself
03 Without You
04 More Than You Know
05 Goodbye
06 Broken Heart
07 Satellite
08 Longing to Belong
09 Hey Fahkah
10 You’re True
11 Light Today
12 Sleepless Nights [ft. Glen Hansard]
13 Once in Awhile
14 Waving Palms
15 Tonight You Belong to Me [ft. Cat Power]
16 Dream a Little Dream
WOW! Tonight You Belong To Me with Cat Power!!
Releases on 31 May 2011.
Read More »
STOP PRESS - before you read on - the album has since been released, and you can read my full review of it HERE!
As unlikely as it sounds for a rock hero to be doing this, Eddie has been playing the uke for many years, and the sample track and live stuff I have heard sounds really promising. (My last post with his launch single Longing To Belong is HERE )
Here is a live version of another track from the forthcoming album called Satellite
The tracklisting is rumoured to be
01 Can’t Keep
02 Sleeping by Myself
03 Without You
04 More Than You Know
05 Goodbye
06 Broken Heart
07 Satellite
08 Longing to Belong
09 Hey Fahkah
10 You’re True
11 Light Today
12 Sleepless Nights [ft. Glen Hansard]
13 Once in Awhile
14 Waving Palms
15 Tonight You Belong to Me [ft. Cat Power]
16 Dream a Little Dream
WOW! Tonight You Belong To Me with Cat Power!!
Releases on 31 May 2011.
19 Mar 2011
19 Mar 2011T15:47
Recently, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder (him of the long hair and the heavy rocking style) announced that he was a complete lover of the ukulele. He then announced (to a stunned Pearl Jam fanbase) that he would be releasing an album of ukulele songs.
Have a listen to the first track made available - Longing To Belong - I think it's rather lovely!
STOP PRESS - now that the album is released, you can read my full review HERE
Read More »
Eddie Vedder plays uke - his first track is leaked
The ukulele popularity rise continues apace, and I really like it when a new track comes along that helps to change that old fashioned perception that some people still have towards the uke.
Recently, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder (him of the long hair and the heavy rocking style) announced that he was a complete lover of the ukulele. He then announced (to a stunned Pearl Jam fanbase) that he would be releasing an album of ukulele songs.
Have a listen to the first track made available - Longing To Belong - I think it's rather lovely!
STOP PRESS - now that the album is released, you can read my full review HERE
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