GEMS BILLBOARD ARTICLE

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kathy Rosario on July 8, 2011 at 9:18am

Thanks for the article James! It is a great read from a HUGE music publication that influences millions of people who read about and enjoy music. And no it isn't just you....Michael is everywhere....FINALLY after a too long lull from the publics eye I might add!!! Good luck on Saturday's adventure :)

Kathy and LAFD Bob

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by James Duckworth on July 8, 2011 at 10:08am

Too long indeed! It's just great isn't it!!

 

Thanks! Looking forward to it! Just got to write the speech!! Although that will come naturally when talking about Jen!

 

Best, as always,

 

James

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Astrid Kretschmann on July 8, 2011 at 11:42am

Hi James,

thank you for sharing this exciting article. I copied it for our friends with screen readers and hope you don't mind.

Best wishes for your wedding day.

Greetings from Germany

Astrid

 

Michael Bolton: Recording Duets Album was 'Like Giving Birth 21 Times'

 

by Gary Graff, Detroit  |   July 07, 2011 8:00 EDT

Michael Bolton says his latest album, "Gems -- The Duets Collection," was "like giving birth 21 times or something."

And it wasn't initially planned as a duets album, either.

Bolton tells Billboard.com that he was thinking duets would comprise "maybe half" of the album until he took part in one of producer/songwriter David Foster's Foster & Friends concerts, where he teamed with Seal for Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Laura Fabian on Foster and Carole Bayer Sager's "The Prayer." "That led to two duets in one evening," Bolton recalls, "so (the album) started looking like it was going to be 12 duets or 12 songs with guests joining us. The duets started revealing themselves as the artists started stepping forward.

 

"I don't remember a project evolving the way this one has. It was almost otherworldly. I'd be sitting in the studio finishing 'You Are So Beautiful' (with Chris Botti), and then the next day I'd be sitting in A.R. Rahman's studio working with him (on 'Sajna') and listening to all these tracks and sounds and textures from everywhere on Earth. It was an amazing experience."

"Gems" has become an international endeavor as well. Noting that the project "kept evolving and the momentum kept increasing to the point where it was physically impossible to include all the people I would have loved to include," Bolton has found a home for some of the collaborations on German and Asian versions of "Gems," with more editions of the album being considered for other territories. "We had people in the industry bringing artists forward, and some of them are the biggest artists in their country or region of the world," Bolton says. "We started getting calls about doing songs with artists who I never heard of, and I would have to get MP3s sent to me just so I could hear what they sounded like. And they were amazing."

Among those discoveries for Bolton was Germany's Helene Fischer, who sings on three tracks from the German version of "Gems" as well as Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" on the U.S. edition. "She's an enormous artist in Germany who should be recognized here in the States -- and hopefully is going to be after we're done introducing her," Bolton says. Hopefully she'll come over and do some shows with me, and in the meantime I'm going over to Germany to do a bunch of shows with her. So this them of introducing ourselves to each other's audiences in these different parts of the world is part of this (album), too."

Besides other duets with Rascal Flatts, Delta Goodrem and the late Eva Cassidy, "Gems" also features a rendition of "Steel Bars," a song Bolton co-wrote with Dylan and features Orianthi on guitar.

"We wrote that 20 years ago," Bolton recalls, "and I remember just feeling like a little kid sitting in the room with him and thinking for the first half-hour, 'Oh my God, I'm really talking to Bob Dylan!' And now I'm in the room with Orianthi, this amazing, staggeringly talented guitarist who is ripping and playing amazing solos and power chords. The whole album was like that. There was very little effort made to try to find a place of comfort; it was just automatically all of this excitement about being part of the project that spilled over from artist to artist."

Bolton is currently in Europe and has a couple of California shows with Kenny G lined up for late August before taking part in the Dave Koz & Friends at Sea Cruise in late September.

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by sylvie boisvert on July 8, 2011 at 1:38pm

Hi James, wow, what a terrific article, thanks for sharing it! Michael having an article in Billboard magazine, who would have thought it? I'm just so happy for all the great things happening to Michael this year, he deserves it so much! All right James, I will take the opportunity to give you my best wishes to you and your bride for a glorious day tomorrow and nothing but happiness for years to come! And to my sweet friend Astrid, thank you so very much for copying the article, I really appreciate it! God bless you both, take care. Hugs, sincerely, Sylvie from Canada

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kathy Rosario on July 8, 2011 at 5:03pm

Thanks also Astrid!!! It was the very early hours of the morning or twilight I shall say here when I read James' post. I can only imagine the quality of content if I had even tried to copy the article!!! Sylvie you would have been reading about bills and boards instead!!! LOL 

Kathy and LAFD Bob

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Astrid Kretschmann on July 8, 2011 at 11:18pm

Hi Kathy,

looks like we became a team - didn't we ? LOL. Like the snowgeese on their flights up north and back the leading goose always changes when it gets tired. And since this is a 24/7 forum we all need some sleep sometimes ....(or are not awakened enough to distinguish between bills and boards or so LOL) Me e.g. right now -so:

Good night from Germany - I am looking forward to attend a wedding tomorrow too LOL

Astrid

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nicolette on July 8, 2011 at 11:22pm

 

Goodnight Astrid!!  I hope you will have a very nice day tomorrow!! :-)

Nicolette xx

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dianna Shipman on July 9, 2011 at 12:10am

wow Thanks James a great read indeed!

Thanks so much for sharing

I have to agree I see the gemss CD alot on the internet so it's great

Bill was looking at a sports page on the net yesterday and I said wow look at that and there was an add on there for Michael's cd (on the car racing site)

He didn't notice it but I sure did :)

All the best

Dianna xxx

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by sylvia doughty on July 9, 2011 at 12:47am

Like you Astrid this is my final stop off before my head hits the pillow and I hope you enjoy your wedding tomorrow as much as I hope James enjoys his too - all the very best to you and thank you also for putting that article on here - a great read !! :)

 

Sylvia.  Your wee Scottish friend.

• ▶ Reply