Category: Music

U2 – With or Without You

(The Joshua tree, 1987)

With or Without You is the lead single from U2’s 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. It has since become highly acclaimed as one of the bands most popular songs. Released as a single in March 1987, it became the groups first American #1 hit, spending three weeks at the top.

With or Without You features sustained guitar parts played by guitarist The Edge with a prototype of the Infinite Guitar, along with vocals by lead singer Bono and a bassline by bassist Adam Clayton. The song originated from a demo recorded in late 1985 that the group continued to work on throughout The Joshua Tree sessions.

The lyrics ostensibly describe a troubled relationship between two lovers, although the lyrics have been interpreted in religious contexts. The Washington Post interpreted the song as both an acerbic love song and a tune lamenting the moral contradictions one faces with their religious faith. Toby Creswell echoed these sentiments, saying it “can be read as a song about either marital romance or spiritual need”. Bono explained that the lyrics had romantic intentions, saying, “there’s nothing more revolutionary than two people loving each other. One, ’cause it’s so uncommon these days, and two, ’cause it’s so difficult to do.” In 1987, Bono explained that “And you give yourself away” lyric refers to how he sometimes feels exposed being in U2, and that his openness, both to the public and music press, can do damage to the group. Author Niall Stokes interpreted the line as encompassing the theme of “surrendering the ego” to one’s love and spiritual faith.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed the single at number 131 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Paul Young – Everytime You Go Away (1985)

Everytime You Go Away is a song written by Daryl Hall and covered by Paul Young. The original appeared on Hall & Oates’s 1980 album, Voices, although it was not released as a single.

Young’s version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 27, 1985. It remains his only number-one hit and one of only two top 10 hits he had on the U.S. pop singles chart. It also topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart for two weeks. The song peaked at No. 4 in the UK, Young’s home country.

Ridgewalkers feat Eleanor Kenny – Find (Andy Moor Remix)

This is quite simply one of the biggest vocal anthems of all time. You have the absolutely amazing Andy Moor remixing, featuring the delightful and sublime vocal talents of Eleanor Kenny. Uplifting moments take place throughout the 9 minutes of the track only to kick in for an exciting hands-in-the-air feel that is impossible to ignore. Not only was it absolutely caned by Armin van Buuren in almost all of his live sets, even Tiësto showed his appreciation by playing it on day one of his monumental concert.

They always leave the best ’till last
Have understanding, no questions asked
You find yourself in what you see
You find yourself in me.

The day is short, the night is cool
And this night, it was made for fools
You won’t find fools like me and you
I found myself in you..

You found.. yourself..
You found.. yourself..

Sembawang Music Centre to close

CD shop chain filing for bankruptcy after succumbing to rising rents and poor business
By Shuli Sudderuddin

It has been a mainstay in the music retail industry here for more than 20 years, but Sembawang Music Centre will soon sing its swansong.

The plug is being pulled after the CD shop chain succumbed to rising rents and poor business.

Said owner and founder Dave Boo, 56: ‘We’ve liquidated the company and are filing for bankruptcy. Right now, all our energy is on clearing our stock and making as many sales as we can.’

He declined to say how much he owes creditors, adding only that it is very little.

Sembawang’s three outlets at Raffles City, Thomson Plaza and Plaza Singapura are holding sales touting 75 per cent savings.

The outlet at Plaza Singapura will be the last to close, in a few weeks’ time.

Mr Boo started the company in 1986 at age 33 as he was an avid music lover.

It was a small record store in Sembawang, patronised largely by soldiers from New Zealand who were stationed nearby.

Over time, the business grew. In 2004, Sembawang Music Centre was Singapore’s largest music retail chain, generating about $20 million in turnover.

That year, it became a listed company.

At its peak, it had 24 outlets.

Looking back, Mr Boo said: ‘We expanded too fast. In about 2005 or 2006, I bought the business back from the oil and gas company which owned it.’

The oil and gas firm had offered money for expansion and became a shareholder.

‘I started shutting down the outlets that were not doing so well,’ said Mr Boo after he regained control.

The strategy was not enough to save the chain.

‘Rents were too high. In Sembawang, I used to pay $4,000 to $6,000 for a 1,000 sq ft shop. For a 600 sq ft place in Raffles City, I now pay about $10,000 to $12,000 a month,’ he said.

And the industry is declining.

In April, The Sunday Times reported that sales at Sembawang Music Centre had shrunk by about 20 per cent every year since 2003.

Another music retailer, HMV, is moving to a smaller 12,000 sq ft store at 313@Somerset from its current 17,000 sq ft space at The Heeren.

Music giant Tower Records closed in 2006, leaving other brands like Gramophone and That CD Shop to fight for market share.

‘There are so many formats of media available now. People can just download music and movies and they don’t have to buy them any more. We couldn’t survive like that,’ Mr Boo said.

However, he credits his staff for maintaining their fighting spirit to the very end.

He said wistfully: ‘Right now, we are trying to sell all we can. I can’t think of anything beyond this, but once the last shop closes, hopefully someone will hire me as an employee.’

Certainly, buyers like Mr Daniel Ong, 29, a research scientist, will miss Sembawang.

‘I find that it’s cheaper than the bigger chains and it also carries more Chinese and Japanese music than other stores,’ he said.

‘There are so many formats of media available now. People can just download music and movies and they don’t have to buy them any more. We couldn’t survive like that.’

MR DAVE BOO, owner and founder of Sembawang Music Centre

Lost Tribe – Gamemaster (Signum Remix)

One of the best trance songs ever, from the 1999 album, Deeper Shades of Hooj.

Embracing the Goddess energy within yourselves
Will bring all of you to a new understanding and value of life
A vision that inspires you to live and love on Planet Earth
Like a priceless jewel, buried in dark layers of soil and stone
Earth radiates her brilliant beauty, into the caverns of space and time
Perhaps you are aware of those who watch over your home
And experience it as a place to visit and play with reality
You are becoming aware of yourself
As a Gamemaster

Imagine earth restored to her real beauty
Steady trees seems to brush the deep blue sky
The clouds billow to form the majestic peaks
The songs of birds fill the air
Create a symphony on symphony
The Goddess is calling for an honouring of what she allows to be created through the form of strength and blood
Those who own our planet, are learning about love

Kirsty Hawkshaw – Sanctuary


Sanctuary by Kirsty Hawkshaw.

Lyrics:

If you need a little sanctuary
Unbroken, undistracted by the day
Baby I could hold you
Oh we are always in danger
Make you feel safe
So you can breathe like a baby

Sorrow rise behind these walls
Too make you see
Truth beyond the crowds of thieves
What I don’t know is
Is that you’ve seen every part of me
That I have no regrets
Is walking, talking, have no secret

Sometimes my mind
Is like a bad neighbour
That I don’t want to go
Into alone

And it’s so wrong, and sorry oneness
Cause the further you go, the more hate begins to swell
It is another
Can’t give us what we crave

But you don’t always have to be brave
And I can only
Give you
A little time to be
Where only broken windows remain
Baby I can treat you
When the heat is too much to bear
From the sar born with every man

Zouk's poster girl moves on

by Cara Van Miriah
The Straits Times, 12 May 2009

Zouk’s marketing manager and poster girl Tracy Phillips is leaving her job this Thursday after 10 1/2 years to pursue her interests.

The 31-year-old, who is a familiar face in the local clubbing scene, will be taking time off to take up a course in apparel merchandising at the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre in Leng Kee Road next month.

She will also be working as a freelance creative consultant in the areas of music, fashion and design.

The former business student from Nanyang Polytechnic tells Life!: ‘It has been a fruitful decade at Zouk but I feel that it’s time for a change in my lifestyle.’ She had tendered her resignation in January.

Her job involves advertising and promotions as well as coming up with ideas to make sure the club, which celebrated its 18th anniversary this month, remains vibrant.

She says: ‘People assume that when you work at a club, you party most of the time.

‘In reality, I start work at 10.30am from Mondays to Fridays, clocking between 12 and 15 hours a day.’

The former St Joseph’s Convent student joined the club in September 1998 as a marketing assistant after a year’s stint as a production assistant in a local film production company.

‘I was a regular partygoer at Zouk before I joined the club,’ she says. ‘What drew me to the job was the club’s music, people and culture.’

In 2000, the Zoukette was promoted to assistant marketing manager and marketing manager a year later.

Then 23 years old, she also took care of the nightspot’s public relations.

Although partygoers say she has been instrumental in many of the club’s events, especially the seven-year-old Flea & Easy flea market held there once every three months, she insists ‘Zouk’s success has all along been a team effort’.

Her boss and Zouk’s founder Lincoln Cheng, 61, tells Life! the management has already planned for her departure.

‘Tracy has certainly contributed immensely to the success of the club and she will be sorely missed,’ he says.

Zouk’s assistant marketing manager, Ms Mari Muramoto, 28, will lead the marketing team from Friday.

Before joining Zouk a year ago, she had worked for fashion label Diesel in Tokyo for three years.

After spending a third of her life at Zouk, will Ms Phillips miss it?

She says: ‘I will definitely miss the people whom I have worked with over the years. I practically grew up in Zouk and they are like my family.

‘But I am moving on for new challenges.’

Sudha Feat Zoe Johnston – Leche (Thomas Schwartz and Fausto Fanizza Radio Edit)

Featuring the vocals of Zoe Johnston, Sudha (the percussionist from Faithless and no stranger to dance floors the world over) has a hit on her hands! A very nice progressive house track, complemented by Thomas Schwartz and Fausto Fanizza on remix duties.

For all of eternity
I will be loving you.
Can you hear me?
If longing was power then I could set you free.

I wanna sing louder than I’ve ever done before
Oh, my joy and anger.
How can this be? You’ve taken from me.
Take freedom from somebody kind.

For all of eternity
I will be your girl.
Can you hear me?
Oh, if I could set you free.

I wanna sing louder than I’ve ever done before
Oh, my joy and anger.
How can this be? You’ve taken from me.
Take freedom from somebody kind.

From somebody I love.