BEN SANDS: News

The new CD, released last month, is already on its way to all corners of the planet and is being received very well!

Many tracks, particularly the title track, are enjoying considerable airplay here in Ireland.  Great!

The easiest and fastest - and cheapest! - way to get a copy of the new album is directly from me, using Paypal at the "Buy Music" page on my website.  Drop me a mail if not registered with PayPal.

The CD is also available from  CD baby http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/BenSands 

... and individual tracks are downloadable from iTunes and other digital online stores.

The new album, "Take My Love With You" is on general release as from July 10.

If you have difficulty finding it on record shop shelves - which is very likely! - please drop me a mail ...

or buy directly from me via the "Buy Music" page on this website.

It will also be available shortly from www.cdbaby.com

I finally took the sounds and artwork for the new CD to manufacturers "Trend Digital" in Dublin. 

It was a long time in the writing, recording and mixing ... but I'm happy with it! 

I'm really looking forward to having it in my hands in a couple of weeks time ... but will probably not officially release it until after my return from Newfoundland on 12 July... watch this space!

Ben

I just came back from a great weekend in Berlin and surrounding areas - had a wonderful time with old Berlin friends Robbie and Gaby, Berndt (Midnight Court) and others as well as fellow Irish musicians and songsters Maranna McCloskey, Gerry "Fiddle" O'Connor, Noel Leneghan, Hughie Murphy and Noel Carberry.

Very enjoyable concerts in Stralsund, Eichwalde and Grossbeeren as well as the Irish Summer Festival in Spandau, near Berlin.  There was always something special about the people of the former DDR - and there still is!

Warm greetings at the start of this new year, 2010!

As the first decade of the 21st century comes to an end, I find myself finally bringing a long-awaited new CD very close to recording readiness!  As always, the making of a new album is a fascinating and soul-searching journey - especially when you self-write most or all of the material - and often brings surprises!  During the pre-production process, a couple of new songs materialised from the ether and now I have more songs than there are tracks.  So it is decision time .... let's see which songs make it to the final "team" - time is running out!  Of course I will keep you informed!

Meanwhile I wish you the best of all possible starts to the New Year and the new decade!

I very much look forward to receiving and answering your e-mails and to meeting you at concerts - your support is very much appreciated.

'til soon

Ben

Just about half-way through the year 2009, which was a "New Year" only a few minutes ago ... or so it seems to me!

Already many interesting and enjoyable people, places, tours, concerts in Ireland, UK, Germany and Denmark - and more to follow in the months ahead!

Work on a new CD is well in hand - more news soon ...

Enjoy the Summer! Maybe meet you at a Festival or concert venue soon - I hope so!

Drop me a line any time - like to hear your thoughts and ideas for the way ahead!

Ben

A big hello to one and all

The fat, the thin, the short, the tall

Who sing my songs or play my tunes

Or come along to concert rooms

In clubs and halls and folk clubs dark

In Ireland, Britain or Denmark

Or in a German winery or by the Sea of Galilee

Or listening to a tale or lay

In Canada or USA

And loyal fans who'd never fail ya

In New Zealand and Australia!

And in all the places one can get

By telephone and Internet

No matter where no matter how

throughout the year that's ending now

you kept me going all along

and made me feel like I belong

in your world too, which feels SO good

and lifts the very lowest mood

and keeps me warm by night and day

along life's music motor-way!

@ Ben Sands 2008

The last time I wrote in here March was coming to an end and I was looking forward to a very busy three months. April, May and June were indeed very hectic months but also thoroughly enjoyable.
I joined sister Anne and brothers Tommy and Colum to once again hit the road as “The Sands Family”, heading to Germany for the first concert in Langenburg on April 3 and covering many kilometres before the tour ended on April 20 in Wernigerode. These Family tours are always memorable and eagerly awaited – and this one in particular, because we hadn’t toured in Germany in 2007 : the first year without touring there for longer than any of us can remember! But it was well worth the wait! 17 concerts in 19 days tested our fitness – and that of our Road Manager and Sound Man Dave Powles. But all of us, including Dave, came through with flying colours. Many happy returns to great venues such as Zehntscheuer in Ravensburg, The Cobblers in Germering, “Harry’s Farm” in Luechow-Reddebeitz, Raetsche im Schlachthof in Geislingen and Der Club in Heiligenhaus … but also some wonderful “first-timers” including Mosesmuehle in Langenburg, Waldorfschule in Gladbeck, Klinik Kultur in Duisburg and Schloss Landestrost in Neustadt am Ruebenberge. We had particularly memorable nights in Oldenburg and Bremerhaven where some more members of the wider Sands Family arrived to our great surprise and then joined us on stage. As always we met with many great friends from the past, including Niko Markin and his wonderful circle of comrades in Oldenburg … the good folks in Oberhausen, Kiel, Holzwickede, Alsfeld, Fuerth and indeed every where we played and stayed …. just too many to mention here. Great days and great nights – well done to Siegfried Maeker for putting it all together and to Big Dave for holding it all together! We look forward to the next one!

... slowly, very slowly, Spring seems to be arriving in Ireland. Mind you it is taking its time: a couple of false starts already and no guarantee that the fresh, sunny weather of the last few days is here to stay. But then - this is Ireland, weather is never guaranteed!

For me it is a very interesting and busy time. I just got back from the former "East Germany" where I spent 10 days with my good old singer-songwriter-musician friend Manfred Wagenbreth. He is something of a "folk hero" in what was (until 1989) the German Democratic Republic and we know each other since long before the Wall came down. For many years we talked about playing some music together but because of our separate, busy careers (and, for some time, an Iron Curtain!) we could never quite manage to find enough time and space to get anything together musically - until now! After squeezing in a few Winter rehearsals in Germany and in Ireland we performed our first concert together in Leipzig on March 7 - a great success and immensely enjoyable: each in turn singing his own favourite compositions while the other chipped in with backing harmonies and instrumentation. Further successes followed in Olbernhau and Dresden leading to the likelihood of more musical adventures in this combination - probably in Autumn.
This weekend sees the third annual "Ben Sands & Friends"concert in Newry City Hall, which I look forward to immensely - proceeds to Leukaemia Research. (Our son, Michael had a miraculous deliverance from Leukaemia, in the face of all medical wisdom nearly 30 years ago - he will join me on stage as will daughters Kellie and Ryanne and wife, Barbara, who is Chair of the local Branch of Leukaemia Research.
Next week sees the getting together of The Sands Family for a major tour in Germany, armed with a new CD called "Keep On Singing" ... more about that after the weekend!

Take good care - I hope there are some signs of Spring where you are too!

Newry, Co. Down, Ireland

Commercial success!!!

Very good news is that my song “Hug” (“We all Need a Hug”) has been picked up by Cusson’s Imperial Leather, the Soap people, for use in TV and Cinema commercials here in Ireland and UK.
I didn’t expect the ad campaign to begin for another couple of weeks, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see it screened tonight on two slots during “X-Factor”, a very popular network show here with a huge viewing audience.
The song and music for the commercial is taken directly from my recent CD “Better Already” – I’ll keep you informed of any developments!
Meanwhile you can see and hear the TV Ad by clicking on this link
http://www.huggableskin.co.uk/index.php?play=1

Hello again and many greetings from Ireland, as October hunches its shoulders against the autumn chill. Just got back from ten days in Germany - some really memorable gigs and as always the great support and company of many German friends, old and new. Not sure who the oldest was but I suspect wee Leah from Tuebingen was the youngest, at just 6 months old. As always, some friends came a LONG way to see me - notably Anja, Sandra, Barney, Anne, Stefan, Katja, Gueno and Jutta, Werner and Didi, Ute, Hartmut and Rosemary, Monika, Heinz and Christian, Karin and Matthias, Andrea and Ilker, Angeline and Elmar ..... I realise more than ever just how important those folks - and too many more to mention -are to me as I ramble around Europe on my musical adventures. Thanks to Martina for putting it all together.

Before the German trip I spent a lovely week at Lago D'Orta, Italy, where my daughter Kellie was married to Colm Regan on September 14. What a wonderful country is Italy and this picturesque lakeside village with its medieval buildings and narrow streets was a delightful place to spend a few relaxing days. I wrote a song for Kellie and had great difficulty singing it - emotional situations, daughter's weddings! Maybe put the song up on MySpace, if I am able to record it without tears!
Back now for a few days in Ireland before rejoining The Sands Family for next weekend in Denmark - always good fun there - then back again for a festival in Donegal the following weekend. So, enough to keep me out of trouble for the foreseeable future.
All the very best
Ben
www.bensands.com

The passing of Tommy Makem on 1st August was a sad milestone on the road of Irish and world folk music. It would take a lot of space to document the life and achievements of the legendary Keady man who, with The Clancy Brothers, completely revolutionised how Irish people in particular viewed their rich heritage of song, poem and story and in so doing launched what became known as the “Folk Revival” on this side of the Atlantic. A marvellous interpreter of traditional songs, he was also a prolific songwriter, adding many classics such as “Four Green Fields”, “The Winds are Singing Freedom”, “Gentle Annie” etc etc to the tradition. His influence on folk singers and writers like ourselves is quite incalculable. In life irrepressible and in death irreplaceable, this true folk hero will be remembered for as long as songs are sung.

The 21st Annual Folk and Arts Festival in Rostrevor, County Down took place from July 21 to 29 and was again a roaring success. One of many highlights was the reunion of "Sweeney's Men", performing together for the first time in 40 years. Johnny Moynihan and Andy Irvine were joined by"super-sub" Paul Brady who was a last minute replacement for the third founder member, Joe Dolan. Other memorable performances came from "Flook", Steve Cooney, Laoise Kelly, Liam O'Maonlaí, Frankie Gavin's "Hibernian Rhapsody", Mickey McConnell ("Only our Rivers, "Supermarket Wine")and the legendary McPeake Family of Belfast. The Sands Family concert on the closing night was again a wonderful occasion with children and grandchildren joining us on stage for the encore. As always there were plenty of great performers playing in the afternoons, inside and outside - a feast of music and entertainment for a week and a day!

The Tutu connection …. this needs a bit of patience! ...

Paddy Maguinness is the leading light of Concern Worldwide a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. http://www.concern.net/
Niall Mellon is a 40-year old building and business tycoon who is now as well-known for his charity work as for his wealth and success. His amazing initiative to improve the quality of housing for the disadvantaged in South Africa is chronicled at http://www.irishtownship.com/
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Archbishop Desmond Tutu! Nobel Peace Laureate in 1984 and long-time campaigner against injustice, particularly Apartheid, he is one of the chief architects of South Africa’s peaceful transition to majority rule.

On a recent trip to Cape Town, Paddy Maguinness was at the home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu when the Archbishop’s wife, Leah was asked if she ever felt jealous of her husband’s amazing popularity, at times bordering on hero-worship. After some thought she said that her husband was noted for hugging and indeed she did feel a bit jealous occasionally - especially if she thought the hugs lasted a bit too long! In his defense, the Archbishop claimed to be a “huggy” sort of person and simply used hugs to express his personality. Paddy told him about my song “Hug”, and sang him a couple of verses ....

Niall Mellon has for some time been working on the idea to institute some manner of awards system in Ireland - akin to the UK’s Honours list - as he noted that there was no system by which Irish people could be publicly honoured. On Sunday, June 24, 2007 at Niall Mellon’s estate in South Dublin, Archbishop Tutu was flown in to present the first awards.

The Archbishop Tutu Lifetime Humanitarian Award was given to Paddy Maguinness, in recognition of 37 years of service with Concern Worldwide. In return, Paddy presented the Archbishop with a printed copy of “Hug” - including a new, specially written verse dedicated to Archbishop Tutu. The verse is as follows –


Archbishop Tutu from Capetown
continues to keep our hearts warm
with his passion for freedom, justice and peace
he’s a man of great courage and charm
His words have the power of persuasion
to lead people into the light
But the best way for you to move mountains like Tutu
is to hug everybody in sight!

Wonderful how a song gets around!

The concert in Newry City Hall on Friday 13th May was not only a memorable evening but also a resounding success, raising more than 1,900 pounds for Leukaemia Research. Many thanks to Loretta & Robbie, Patricia & Stephano, Davy & Ethan, Claire, Michael & Catherine, Kellie & Colm, Ry & Gerard, Dara & Katie, mighty soundman Gerry Rooney and of course to Barbara for putting the whole thing together. Hopefully we'll do it all again some time next year!

Sad news from Germany - good friend Gerhard Jilg from Lahnau passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on November 23 after a short illness. Gerhard and Anne Jilg have come to many "Sands" concerts in the past number of years, often travelling many, many kilometres in all weathers. I was honoured to sing a song at Gerhard's funeral on December 5. He will be sorely missed and long remembered by Anne, Tobias and his many, many friends.

I passed most of September and a bit of October in Germany - played some gigs and met a lot of good folks along the way.
Special thanks and greetings to Gaby, Robbie and Steffan in Berlin, Kerstin, Jenifer and Steffan in Dessau, Katja, Jan and Lotte in Sachsen- Anhalt, Martina Kreiner and her wonderful family in Pfalz - all of whom looked after me very well ... and I need quite a bit of looking after.
I stayed four nights with a fine old lady, Frau Kretschmar, in the small village of Reichardswerben, not far from Leipzig. She has four red hens which - between them - managed to provide me with at least one egg for breakast each morning, while Katja's Gran/Oma kindly provided me with a fine lunch each day of my stay there.
Greetings and thanks also to Jutta & Gueno in Berlin, Marion and Thomas Zunkel and Katrin in Artern, the mighty Manne Wagenbreth in Leipzig, Anita, Michael and Katrin and the other Martina in Ottersheim, Roland & Mike in Mannheim, Anne & Gerhard, Anja & Sandra, Gaby & Claudia, Sabrina & Carina who travelled far .... and to Karen who cut my hair! ... hope to see you all again soon ....

Highlight of the Summer was again The Fiddlers Green Festival in Rostrevor, Co Down, which ran from July 23 to 30. www.fiddlersgreenfestival.com Wonderful performances from Eddi Reader, Eric Bogle & John Munroe, Ralph McTell, Four Men and a Dog, Jez Lowe and The Bad Pennies - to name but a few. Always great to see and hear the Dubliners' John Sheahan, who joined in many gigs and sessions during the week. Also Steve Kritzer, John Smith (Johnsmith), Laurie Ornstein, Gifford Lind, Doris Rougvie, Kimmie Rhodes, Kieran Goss. Thanks to the mighty audience who made the Sands Family's Saturday night concert a night to remember for a long time.

Summer is coming, but slowly in Ireland! Got back recently from a very enjoyable tour in Scotland and England - a lot of miles, a lot of old and new friends along the way.
Got together with Anne, Tommy and Colum for a wonderful Sands Family concert in Ballycastle, County Antrim at the Celtic Maritime Festival - first reunion since February in Denmark! Great musical support there from son Michael and his band "Divil the Bit".

Fresh, new website up and running as from today. It may take me a few days to get the hang of all this web-jargon but hopefully things will gradually improve.