Julia Fordham - Swept

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:34
Size: 79,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. I Thought It Was You
(3:48)  2. Patches Of Happiness
(4:56)  3. Swept
(4:54)  4. Rainbow Heart
(4:13)  5. Betrayed
(4:12)  6. Talk Walk Drive
(3:55)  7. Shame
(4:35)  8. (Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways
(4:49)  9. As She Whispers
(5:58) 10. Scared Me
(3:01) 11. Tied

A jazz- and pop-influenced singer/songwriter, Britain's Julia Fordham is an eclectic artist with a loyal cult following. A native of Portsmouth, England, Fordham performed folk music in local clubs, sang with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and worked as member of Mari Wilson's backing troupe the Wilsations before embarking on her solo career. In 1988, Fordham released her eponymously titled debut, Julia Fordham, which showed off her low, smoky jazz bar, dulcet voice and contained four singles: "The Comfort of Strangers," "Woman of the 80's," her first hit "Happy Ever After," and "Where Does the Time Go."  The following year, Porcelain consolidated her presence as a leading album artist. Produced by Hugh Padgham, Grant Mitchell, and Fordham herself, standout tracks include "Lock and Key"; tonally warm, her vocal delivery was likened to Joni Mitchell's, with whom she'd be further linked in years to come). Porcelain guested Manu Katche and Pino Palladino among its high-caliber lineup. 

More bittersweet tales of hopelessness in the art of relationships were outlined in 1991's Swept, which included the excellent "I Thought It Was You" as well as "(Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways." Also featured in the film The Butcher's Wife, "(Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways" climbed to number 19, making it her biggest U.K. hit to date. Relocating to the States, Fordham released her fourth studio album, the Larry Klein-produced Falling Forward in 1994. In 1997, she returned with East West, which featured production from Canadian guitarist Michael Brook. A solid greatest-hits compilation was released in 1999 and her last contractual effort for Virgin, the aptly titled Collection, included updated versions of "Happy Ever After" and "Where Does the Time Go" as well as "Killing Me Slowly" from East West.  A new deal with Division One/Atlantic prevailed in time for the 2002 release of her sixth studio album, the Klein-produced Concrete Love. Fordham then moved to the Vanguard label for 2004's That's Life and the live CD/DVD combo, That's Live, in 2005. Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Fordham next released the EP Baby Love in 2007. The jazz-influenced China Blue, featuring a duet with Michael McDonald, followed in 2008. Two years later, she teamed with actor and pianist Paul Reiser for the album Unusual Suspects.  In 2014, Fordham released the covers album The Language of Love, which featured jazz and bossa nova reworkings of songs by Blondie, the Eurythmics, 10cc, and others. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/julia-fordham-mn0000837311/biography

Swept

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Julia Fordham - Julia Fordham

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:20
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:43)  1. Happy ever after
(4:24)  2. The comfort of strangers
(3:20)  3. Few too many
(2:49)  4. Invisible war
(3:39)  5. My lover's keeper
(3:39)  6. Cocooned
(4:27)  7. Where does the time go
(5:16)  8. Woman of the 80's
(4:14)  9. The other woman
(2:09) 10. Behind closed doors
(3:35) 11. Unconditional love

Critics were bothered by her cherry-picked appropriations of exotic musical elements (a casual nod to South Africa here, an incongruous incursion of Spanish guitar there) and the ultimately cold nature of what seemed on the surface to be lush and warm instrumental arrangements. More casual listeners probably had the hardest time getting past her voice, which was obviously pretty in a way and yet startlingly deep and dark-hued, and also her tendency to reach beyond her range, as on the unattractively screechy bridge of "Comfort of Strangers." But you get used to the voice within a few tracks and you start getting sucked into those jazzily complex and impeccably produced arrangements. If she fails to hit the high notes on "Few Too Many," it's easy to ignore that fact and pay attention to the music itself, which is lovely. 

Her chief limitation, though, is not her singing; it's her unsettling inability to sing a love song convincingly. "Invisible War" is supposed to be regretful, but it comes out sounding analytical; "My Lover's Keeper" is supposed to sound supplicating (or something), but it comes out sounding dispassionately puzzled. And as for "Woman of the '80s," please it's just a bit hard to take her seriously as an emotional casualty of feminism (nice chorus, though). Only on the nakedly sad and borderline metaphysical "Where Does the Time Go?" does she seem to let listeners into her actual feelings. Porcelain, her follow-up, was more engaging. ~ Rick Anderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/julia-fordham-mw0000603732

Julia Fordham

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Julia Fordham - Porcelain

Styles: Vocal, Pop
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:16
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. Lock & Key
(5:38)  2. Porcelain
(4:39)  3. Girlfriend
(3:53)  4. For You Only for You
(6:18)  5. Genius
(4:50)  6. Manhattan Skyline
(4:15)  7. Did I Happen to Mention?
(3:50)  8. Towerblock
(4:41)  9. Island
(4:30) 10. Your Lovely Face

A jazz- and pop-influenced singer/songwriter, Britain's Julia Fordham is an eclectic artist with a loyal cult following. A native of Portsmouth, England, Fordham performed folk music in local clubs, sang with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and worked as member of Mari Wilson's backing troupe the Wilsations before embarking on her solo career. In 1988, Fordham released her eponymously titled debut, Julia Fordham, which showed off her low, smoky jazz bar, dulcet voice and contained four singles: "The Comfort of Strangers," "Woman of the 80's," her first hit "Happy Ever After," and "Where Does the Time Go." The following year, Porcelain consolidated her presence as a leading album artist. Produced by Hugh Padgham, Grant Mitchell, and Fordham herself, standout tracks include "Lock and Key"; tonally warm, her vocal delivery was likened to Joni Mitchell's, with whom she'd be further linked in years to come). Porcelain guested Manu Katche and Pino Palladino among its high-caliber lineup. More bittersweet tales of hopelessness in the art of relationships were outlined in 1991's Swept, which included the excellent "I Thought It Was You" as well as "(Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways. " Also featured in the film The Butcher's Wife, "(Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways" climbed to number 19, making it her biggest U.K. hit to date. Relocating to the States, Fordham released her fourth studio album, the Larry Klein-produced Falling Forward in 1994. In 1997, she returned with East West, which featured production from Canadian guitarist Michael Brook. A solid greatest-hits compilation was released in 1999 and her last contractual effort for Virgin, the aptly titled Collection, included updated versions of "Happy Ever After" and "Where Does the Time Go" as well as "Killing Me Slowly" from East West. A new deal with Division One/Atlantic prevailed in time for the 2002 release of her sixth studio album, the Klein-produced Concrete Love. Fordham then moved to the Vanguard label for 2004's That's Life and the live CD/DVD combo, That's Live, in 2005. Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Fordham next released the EP Baby Love in 2007. The jazz-influenced China Blue, featuring a duet with Michael McDonald, followed in 2008. Two years later, she teamed with actor and pianist Paul Reiser for the album Unusual Suspects. In 2014, Fordham released the covers album The Language of Love, which featured jazz and bossa nova reworkings of songs by Blondie, the Eurythmics, 10cc, and others. ~ Kelvin Hayes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/julia-fordham/id527087#fullText

Porcelain

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Julia Fordham - Falling Forward

Styles: Vocal, Pop
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:43
Size: 114,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:03)  1. I Can't Help Myself
(4:08)  2. Caged Bird
(5:19)  3. Falling Forward
(4:30)  4. River
(6:17)  5. Blue Sky
(4:05)  6. Different Time, Different Place
(5:02)  7. Threadbare
(4:21)  8. Love & Forgiveness
(3:34)  9. Honeymoon
(3:55) 10. Hope, Prayer & Time
(4:22) 11. Safe

On Falling Forward, Julia Fordham proves once again that her vocal deftness and range are truly formidable forces. Fordham even supplies the background vocals on all of the songs except "River," creating a polished sound with the help of co-producer Larry Klein. The album has an even-tempered ambience to it, rarely rising above or falling below the fault line which formulates a graceful fluidity throughout the 11 tracks. While the jazzy adult contemporary-type arrangements may lack ingenuity, the versatility and layers of Fordham's angelic voice are more than enough to carry the album. ~ Erik Crawford  http://www.allmusic.com/album/falling-forward-mw0000113428

Personnel: Julia Fordham (vocals); Greg Leisz (guitar, pedal steel); Steuart Smith (guitar, mandolin); Michael Landau, Dominic Miller (guitar); Perry Montague-Mason (violin); Katy Wilkinson (viola); Mark Isham (trumpet); Bill Payne (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Philip Taylor (piano); Larry Klein (keyboards, bass, percussion); Russell Ferrante (keyboards); Barry Kinder (drums, percussion); Carlos Vega (drums); Iki Levy (percussion); Arnold McCuller, David Lasley, Vonda Shepard, Brenda Russell (background vocals).

Falling Forward

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Julia Fordham - The Language Of Love

Size: 134,1 MB
Time: 57:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Call Me (3:50)
02. Who's That Girl (5:46)
03. Happy Ever After (4:55)
04. I'm Not In Love (6:18)
05. Alone Again (Naturally) (4:59)
06. Fragile (4:18)
07. Like You Used To Do (4:44)
08. Eleanor Rigby (4:33)
09. The Morning After (The Night With You) (5:07)
10. At Seventeen (4:47)
11. Sir Duke (4:19)
12. Moon River (4:00)

Call Me:
“I have always been a huge fan of Blondie and thought Debbie Harry was electrifying. We tried to infuse that same energy and drive into our swing version of their classic song.”

Who’s That Girl:
“It was so inspiring to rediscover the incredible talent and amazing voice of Annie Lennox when considering the perfect Eurythmics track to cover. We felt a bossa nova rendition of this great song would make an intriguing choice.”

Happy Ever After:
“So much has changed in the world since the first recording of this song and we wanted to reflect this with a World Music vibe infused into the groove. Originally it was simply a love song about ‘being happy ever after.’ Seeing a piece on TV about apartheid in South Africa and Nelson Mandela, the lyric took on a different dimension for me. In the new middle section, we reflect upon the current humanitarian crises and suffering affecting people in northern Africa and Syria.”

I’m Not In Love:
“When I was a teenager, my parents reluctantly agreed to let me go to a disco. Just as well they did, because when the ‘slow song’ came on, it was this timeless gem from 10cc. I was mesmerized by the production, arrangement and sheer beauty of the melody and clever lyric, and was influenced by every component of it for years to come.”

Alone Again (Naturally):
“While researching each song we ultimately selected for the album, I was so surprised to read that Gilbert O’Sullivan had made the whole thing up. His vocals and delivery were so convincing on the original, I felt sure he had been personally stood up at the altar, his father had died and his mother cried. I tried to apply the same effortless conviction to my delivery of his moving and compelling tale.”

Fragile:
“An outstanding song from one of my favorite artists. Sting is such an exceptional all-rounder. His voice, songs and standard of musicianship are inspirational. Dominic Miller, the guitarist on my Porcelain album, has worked with Sting for 20 years. We were honored to have Latin Jazz guitarist extraordinaire Ramon Stagnaro play the signature theme when we recorded this live in the studio.”

Like You Used To Do:
“I had this brand new song that had a jazz feel and we felt it went well with our other selections. Along with the sensational singer songwriter Judith Owen, the fabulous Sista Jean McClain, who was featured on “Hope, Prayer & Time” (a song on my 4th album Falling Forward), added sizzling background vocals to this track and 3 others.

Eleanor Rigby:
“Every Beatles song is a perfect classic. We considered many options, but the combination of such moving words and melody made this our final pick.”

The Morning After (The Night With You):
“We really did have the dream team for this album, including a killer rhythm section, Herman Matthews on drums and David Piltch on upright bass. They had just returned the day before from a world tour with Hugh Laurie and were on fire. We also had the brilliant guitarist Ramon Stagnaro, who has played with Andrea Bocelli, and Latin Jazz groove-master, Ray Yslas, who has played with Santana, on percussion. It was a real thrill to have the guys add their magic to my new song.”

At Seventeen:
“Janis Ian. Wow. She is one of the leading ladies of the singer-songwriter genre. I remember being moved to tears when I first heard this song and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. This is yet another illustration of her winning and spot-on combination of exquisite melody and lyrics.”

Sir Duke:
“Incredibly, our phenomenal trumpet player, Harry Kim, was in the original live band that toured the Songs In The Key of Life album with Stevie Wonder. In the studio, he shared an incredible story about his audition. While in a room alongside eight other trumpet players, Stevie played the iconic theme of ‘Sir Duke’ and challenged the hopefuls. The first musician to play it back perfectly would get the job. Harry was that man. Now, all these years later, he has performed it again on our version. We felt this coincidence was a real blessing on our project.”

Moon River:
“When I was a kid getting ready for school, this is the tune my dad would sing on a loop while shaving in the shower. I am so happy he is still alive to hear my version and that he loved it. We also wanted to capture something for the album that was reminiscent of our live set and this track features our stellar guitarist, Colin Ryan, weaving a subtle dance around Grant’s beautiful piano.”

The Language Of Love

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Julia Fordham - Under the Rainbow

Styles: Jazz Pop
Label: Right Track Distribution
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:00
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Skipping Under the Rainbow
(4:33)  2. Porcelain
(4:26)  3. Happy Ever After
(3:47)  4. Where Does the Time Go?
(3:23)  5. Lock and Key
(3:54)  6. More Than I Can Bear
(3:43)  7. Manhattan Skyline
(4:52)  8. Girlfriend
(3:52)  9. Towerblock
(4:49) 10. I Thought It Was You
(3:08) 11. Concrete Love
(2:42) 12. Behind Closed Doors
(3:11) 13. Invisible War

Having sold millions of records around the world, critically acclaimed singer songwriter Julia Fordham returns with a brand new album Under The Rainbow. Recorded with long time collaborator, producer and pianist Grant Mitchell, Julia revisits hits and fan favourites with stripped down arrangements for piano and voice. Featuring the brand new song Skipping Under The Rainbow, the album will be released to coincide with Julia's first UK tour in twenty years. After living in Los Angeles for many years, Julia is thrilled to be coming home to sing her songs again around the country.~(http://www.amazon.co.uk/UNDER-THE-RAINBOW-Julia-Fordham/dp/B00DCQ2D90).

Under the Rainbow

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