| James Stewart |
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Singer, songwriter, producer, musical entrepreneur? Asked to describe himself, he
offers simply: “musician”. Could he elaborate? He suggests “Couldn’t I just hum it
instead?”
James is South African, Cape Town-born. He cut his teeth in classical music in the
70’s with the usual childhood distaste and ‘messed around with break-dancing and
synthesizers’ in his early teens. The 90’s however would see him form his own band,
abandon a law career and take a leap into the great unknown.
‘Studying Law was a great experience - it also kept me out of the Army during the
dark days of Apartheid. Practising Law was another thing altogether. I simply couldn’t
deal with anymore liquidations and divorces. I got offered a studio gig eighteen months
into my internship and never looked back!’
James became a household name in
South
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Africa in the late nineties
with his band the Usualand their
breakthrough hit The Shape That I’m in,
which synthesised pop melody with the
distinctive guitar styles that abound in
South Africa. ‘Finding a South African sound
was a non negotiable for us at a time when
we were so dictated to by International
trends, which really had no real relevance
to us as a band’. The song was a National
number 1 Hit and is still played across
radio. A record deal followed with BMG as
well as a follow up Album entitled Like a
Vision, which also shot to the Number One
spot and yielded two South African Music
Awards in 1998
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The usual recorded a third and last album called Born in a Storm, which was a creative watershed
for James, who wrote all the songs. South Africa in 1999 was on a razor’s edge. A fledgling new
Democracy had been established upon the release of Nelson Mandela. Desmond Tutu’s Truth & Reconciliation
Committee was established where oppressors and victims could testify to their losses and crimes with a
view to healing a nation on the brink of civil war. Born in a Storm marked the beginning of James’ quest
to discover his relevance as a South Africa amidst this socio-political miracle. The album was released to
critical media acclaim as ‘one of the most important pieces of work from a South African pop/rock artist’.
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The members of The Usual went their separate ways in 2000 and James set about writing and producing his
first solo project entitled A Man Like Me, which consisted of a selection of songs he felt had ‘no voice’
in the context of his old band. By this stage, James had been married for a few years and expecting his
first child. ‘This album is a compilation of unashamed love songs – a complicated simpleton's devotion,
placed with gratitude at the altar of love and understanding’.
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This album took James to New York where he met with Seymour Stein, who graciously offered to make a few
calls. A publishing deal resulted with Spirit Music Group. James has made subsequent trips to New York to
collaborate with writers such as 11-time Emmy award winning AJ Gundell and Julie Gold (who one a Grammy for
her Bette Midler Hit From a Distance. Together with these two, James wrote a song called Prayer, which has
been adopted by the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation to be marketed worldwide as a fundraising digital download.
James will perform this song in London on both the 22nd of September and on the 1st of December 2007, which
is International Aids Day.
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He was invited by Yoko Ono to perform a rendition of the John Lennon classic Imagine as the South African
offering for the Amnesty International awareness campaign called Artists for Amnesty.
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| www.jamesonline.co.za |
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| A.J. GUNDELL |
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“Hey man… You’re good!”
Jimmy Webb, after A.J. opened his show
Well, just an opinion… But it’s the opinion of one of the most recorded and
respected songwriters of all time. What’s he on to?
A.J. (“Andy”) Gundell is a musician, composer, music supervisor, and songwriter
of many talents. He has won eleven Emmy awards—including an
unprecedented three in the Outstanding Original Song
category. Six others are for his original scores as a
composer and his work as a music supervisor
in the category of Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series. He has
worked for dozens of TV shows and clients, including ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, NBA-TV, HBO,
Disney, Discovery, Marvel, A T & T and the “Cosby” sitcom, as co-composer with Cosby
himself. He has also created soundtracks for documentary films such as “Elvis: His Life and
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Times” and “Challenge America with Eric Brockovitch.” Recent credits include the Main
Title song from “Crab Orchard,” starring Ed Asner and Judge Reinhold; a Christmas song performed
by the cast of “Beauty and The Beast” for last holiday’s CD by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS;
and a recent stint as musical director and composer for the nationally acclaimed
off-Broadway production of the Iraqi war documentary “Voices in Conflict.”
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His songs have been recorded by such classic and contemporary country recording artists as Kathy
Mattea, Crystal Gayle, and Don Williams. Williams’ recording of A.J.’s “Harry and
Joe” was reviewed by country music DJ Kris Williams and called “one of the twelve best songs
recorded in Nashville” in 1998.
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Andy’s extensive songwriting collaborations reflect the full range of his versatility. He has worked with
ASCAP Songwriter of the Year, Gary Burr, on country music… Artemis recording artist Jeffrey
Gaines on alternative rock… legendary balladeer Stephen Bishop on adult contemporary…
Aztec Two-Step co-founder Neal Shulman on folk/acoustic… and up and coming South African recording
artist James Stewart, with #1 chart records in South Africa, on pop.
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| Julie Gold |
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Julie Gold is a New York Songwriter best known for Bette Midler’s version of her song
FROM A DISTANCE which won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 1991.
That song has since received close to 4 million air plays:
It has been recited into the Congressional
Record (by Senator Barbara Boxer).
It has been recorded internationally and
translated into many languages.
It has been illustrated as a Children’s Book
and mass- produced in Music Boxes.
It has been quoted in books, calendars and
greeting cards.
It was used as the wake-up call for
astronauts in the Mir Space Station the
very first
time the Americans hooked up
with the Russians in outer space.
A wide range of recording
artists have covered it, singers from Jewel to Cliff Richard to The African Children’s
Choir to Judy Collins to The Byrds to Donna Summer--just to name a few.
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Nanci Griffith, the first to record FROM A DISTANCE, has also covered Gold’s songs HEAVEN,
SOUTHBOUND TRAIN, GOOD NIGHT NEW YORK, and MOUNTAIN OF SORROW. Other artists who have
covered Julie Gold songs include Patti LaBelle, Patti LuPone, Lea Salonga and Andrea Marcovicci.
Gold’s Emmy Nominated lyric WE’RE 4 NEW YORK is currently running on the local NBC affiliate.
Her song THANKS TO YOU was featured in the motion picture ANDRE, and her song DREAM LOUD was
featured in the motion picture UNFAITHFUL, starring Richard Gere.
DREAM LOUD is also a favorite song of The Girl Scouts of America. Gold delights in the fact
that she was paid in Girl Scout cookies for that transaction.
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| Khululeka [Freedom] – A world record |
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The story began some 5 years ago. The big plans of a geographically
challenged (he lives almost as far away from international music
capitals as you can get) and talented singer songwriter began to
galvanise. Through chance meetings, a little black book and some
dumb luck James Stewart found his way to London and New York,
where he was introduced around by President of Spirit Music Publishing
President Mark Freid. “From the instant I heard James vocal and
compelling lyrics, I absolutely knew that this was a talent that needed
to be heard and that - regardless the media’s addiction to vacant pop
celebrity - I needed to be a part of the process”.
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One of the first springtime Central Park collaborations Mark set up for
James was with 11-time Emmy Award winning And J Gundell. ‘We co wrote two
songs which were included on the A man like me Album and most importantly
I had found a kindred spirit. Out of all the talented folk I met in New York,
AJ and I managed to maintain a long distance relationship and began batting
ideas to and fro over the internet’.
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‘Being the son of a preacher man and going to a church school brought me in
constant exposure to hymns, some of which really stuck with me so I often find
myself drawn into gospel chords when at the piano. I sent AJ a chord progression
with a melody.
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| He said that it sounded like a ‘Julie Gold song’ and sent it to her for an opinion. |
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Julie's stellar song-writing has been rewarded with a Grammy for From a Distance,
which was sung by Bette Midler. With the Cape Town/ Manhattan time-difference really
working in their favour, she wrote a stunning lyric for James' music, A.J. tweaked
a few lines and added the bridge music and words--and then James recorded the collaboration
and MP3'd it back as a simple piano vocal. |
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‘We were all very pleased with the song and it was pretty cool that we’d written it
entirely by internet correspondence. Nevertheless we couldn’t quite find the right
home for the song until it had found its way to the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation’.
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With the rolling momentum of The Arch’s blessing, a production was completed - sung by
James, produced by the Legendary Joe Arthur/ Victor Masondo team who have shaped Freshly
Ground’s South African flavours and featuring The Arch himself on spoken word.
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What started as an idea to use Khululeka (Freedom) as a promotional song, turned into a
plan for release by digital download to a global audience.
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| Thank you for your participation. |
Khululeka [Freedom]
stewart/gold/gundell
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Let our love fall like rain
Drowning all our hatred
Lift us up, way up from all we’ve become
‘til our souls, like soaring birds are finally free
We’ll be finally free
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When we share unconditionally
You and me will be finally free
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Hear the voice of the world
Singing from each nation
We’re a brave choir of passionate fools
Who believe it’s still not too late
For Love
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Lift us up
Lead us back
Back to Love
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