When The Laughter Is Over - Music

Swing Out Sister Are A British Pop Musical Group Best Known Worldwide For Their 1986 Hit Single Breakout. The Group Presently Comprises Andy Connell Born Andrew John Connell Jul 26 1961 Nottingham Keyboards And Corinne Drewery Born Sep 21 1959 Nottingham Vocals Though It Began As A Trio In The United Kingdom. The Group Was Initially Formed By Connell And Martin Jackson Drums In 1985 Who Were Later Joined By Drewery. The Group's Name Came From A 1945 Movie Called Swing Out Sister And They Reportedly Chose The Name Because There Was Only One Thing They Could Agree On They All Hated It! Both Connell And Jackson Had Been Playing In Other Bands Prior To Forming SOS While Drewery Was Actually A Fashion Designer And Model Before She Became The Band's Lead Vocalist And Lyricist. It's Better To Travel 1987 Debut Album Together With Their Producer Paul Staveley O'Duffy They Signed With Mercury Records Limited. Prior To Their First Album They Released The Single Blue Mood In The UK In November 1985. However It Did Not Chart. In Late 1986 The Single "Breakout" Was Released. It Peaked At #4 On The UK Charts And #6 In The United States. Consequently When They Released Their Debut Album It's Better To Travel On May 11 1987 It Reached #1 On The UK Album Charts. The Album Registered With Listeners For Its Mix Of Jazz And Electropop A Genre Often Also Referred To As Sophisti-Pop With A Blend Of Real Horns Synths Arranged Subtly To Sound Like Strings Drums And Xylophones Scored By Producer-Arranger Richard Niles. The Follow-Up Single To The Effervescent "Breakout" Was The Brooding Surrender Which Featured A Trumpet Solo Performed By John Thirkell. It Rose To #7 On The UK Charts In January 1987. The Next Single Was The More Serious And Jazzy Twilight World. This Song Was The Subject Of Many Remixes And Was A Dance Club Favorite Worldwide. The Final Single Fooled By A Smile Returned To The Upbeat Pop Orientation Characteristic Of "Breakout". The Group Was Subsequently Nominated For Two American Grammy Awards In 1988 Best New Artist And Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Group Or Duo For "Breakout" . In Addition To Long-Time Partner O'Duffy As Well As Thirkell Swing Out Sister Had Also Enlisted The Talents Of Saxophonist Gary Barnacle Who With Thirkell Also Comprise The Henpecked Horns Known For Their Work With Level 42 Percussionist Luis Jardim Guitarist Tim Cansfield Trumpet/fluegelhorn Master Jerry Hey And Songwriter-Arranger Jimmy Webb. Kaleidoscope World 1989 Original Member Jackson Whose Acoustic Drums Drove The "Surrender" Single Left The Group During The Making Of The Second Album Kaleidoscope World. Although The Liner Notes Give "special Thanks To Martin Jackson" And His Co-Writing Credits Appear On The Songs Tainted And Between Strangers They Also Point Out That "Swing Out Sister Are Corinne Drewery And Andy Connell." Drewery And Connell Have Since Become The Core Group On All Subsequent Albums. After Leaving Swing Out Sister Jackson Later Worked For Frank Zappa. Kaleidoscope World Was Released In May 1989 And Achieved Critical Acclaim. Their Turn Away From Contemporary Styles Towards Retro Musical Sources On This Album Would Establish The Musical Path That They Would Continue To Follow With Their Subsequent Albums. The Duo Found Inspiration In Easy Listening Music From The Likes Of Burt Bacharach As Well As Songwriter Webb Who Arranged Two Tracks Precious Words And Forever Blue The Latter "an Impeccable Example Of The Band's Craft"1 Which Was "reminiscent Of John Barry's Classic Midnight Cowboy Theme"2. The Incorporation Of An Orchestra To Their Recordings Realized Their Sound In A Richer Fuller Way Than Their Previous Effort Which Relied More Heavily On Synthesizers. Consequently This Album Featured Arrangements And A Songwriting Style That Were More Classical In Inclination. The Lead-Off Single You On My Mind Featured A More Sophisticated Blend Of Musical Components Than Their Previous Efforts While The Upbeat Tone Of "Breakout" Was Echoed In The Lead USA Single Waiting Game. Further Singles Included Where In The World And "Forever Blue". 1 2 Http //www.Asterion.Se/sosblog.Html Get In Touch With Yourself 1992 In May 1992 The Group's Retro Orientation Became Even More Evident In Both Their Sound And Image On Their Third Album Get In Touch With Yourself. With Strong Dance Rhythms Reverberating Throughout The Entire Album Tracks Draw Influences From 1960s And 1970s Jazz Pop Soul And Funk Including A Breezy Cover Of The Barbara Acklin Late '60s Classic Am I The Same Girl? Which Became Their Last US Hit Reaching #1 On The AC Chart . The Album's Title Track A Blend Of 1970s Soul Music And Modern Pop Gained The Duo Heavy Airplay On Smooth-Jazz Radio And Was A Crossover Hit Gaining Airtime On Adult Contemporary Stations. The Musical Influences Of Stevie Wonder The Jackson 5 And Others Would Not Only Become Evident In This Album But Continue On Through Their Later Releases. In Line With The Album Theme Drewery Also Grew Out Her Hair From Her Trademark Bob Which Had Become A Visual Signature For Their Early Years. The Living Return 1994 Numerous Changes Were Afoot By The Time Their Fourth Album The Living Return Was Released In September 1994. The Replacement Of Producer Paul O'Duffy After Initial Studio Sessions With Ray Hayden Contributed To A Looser Raw Feel To The Songs That Were Often The Results Of Studio Jam Sessions. Though Drewery And Connell Still Fronted Swing Out Sister Additional Musicians Including Former 52nd Street Bassist Derick Johnson Pa'lante Percussionist Chris Manis Drummer Myke Wilson Formerly Of The Jazz Defectors And Trumpet Player John Thirkell Increased Their Group To 10 Members That Replicate The Live Performances That Had Been Captured On The Japan-Only Release Live At The Jazz Cafe. The Album Featured The Single And Cover Song La La Means I Love You Which Was Also Included On The Four Weddings And A Funeral Soundtrack. Shapes And Patterns 1997 Few Of The Band's Releases Charted Highly On The Pop Listings In Western Countries After Their Successful Debut Album Though They Became Radio-Airplay Staples On Jazz Stations . The Band However Became Extremely Popular In Japan. Their Song Now You're Not Here From Their Fifth Album Shapes And Patterns One Of Several Released Only In Japan Was Used As The Theme To A Japanese TV Program And Received A Japanese 'Grand Prix' The Equivalent Of A Grammy For Best International Single In 1997. Shapes And Patterns Was First Released In Japan In March 1997 And Then In Europe And USA The Year After. Producer Paul O'Duffy Who Co-Wrote Half Of The Songs Was Back At The Helm. As An Orchestra Was Once Again Employed Led By Gavyn Wright The Lush Arrangements Characteristic Of Kaleidoscope World Resurfaced. The Liner Notes Written By Mary Edwards Point Out The Influences Of Bacharach Webb And Composer John Barry Which Are Perceptible In The String Arrangements And Latin Rhythms As Well As That Of Minnie Riperton Rotary Connection And The 5th Dimension. The Album Included Stoned Soul Picnic A Cover Of Laura Nyro's Original As Well As The Original Version Of Better Make It Better Which Appeared In A Different Mix On Their Previous Album. A Pervasive Longing Marks Songs Such As Now You're Not Here Somewhere In The World You Already Know And Icy Cold As Winter. This Album Would Also Mark The Beginning Of The Duo's Use Of Japanese Musicians In Their Studio Sessions. Filth And Dreams 1999 Filth And Dreams Their Sixth Album Proved Yet Again That Swing Out Sister Were Eager To Reinvent Themselves. The Album Was Released In Japan In March 1999 And It Remains The Only Album Not Released In Any Other Country. This Album Featured Stronger Jazz Leanings Than Some Of Their Early Pop-Oriented Albums And Is Restrained In Mood. The Track Who's Been Sleeping Was Promoted As A Single And Released With Several Remixes. The Album Has A Trip-Hop Feel To It. For This Record SOS Adapted To The Growing Popularity Of Hip-Hop In The Late '90s. "Who's Been Sleeping" Kicks Off The Record With An Aggressive Beat And A Few Hip-Hop Flourishes Such As Drewery's Counting And Uttering "Yeah..." In The Background . The Rest Of The Record Incorporates Such Sounds A Bit More Subtly Through The Soaring Retro Stylings Of Closer Than The Sun And When Morning Comes The Excitable Lounge Of The Title Track Filth And Dreams To The Mid-Tempo Trip-Hop Of Invisible And Scratch-Laced Sugar Free. Traditional SOS Sounds Are Challenged Successfully With The Dark If Dreamy If I Had The Heart And Make You Stay. Background Noises From Phone Conversations To Child's Play Are Layered In To Enrich The Record And Give The Listener Much More To Cue In On. Drewery Strays Out Of The Usual Love Lyrics And Colors A Portrait Of A Darker World As The Title Indicates By Singing About More Urban Subjects Such As Drugs The Eerie Happy When You're High And Prostitution "When Morning Comes" . All Of Their Experimentation Works Surprisingly Well And The Result Is Probably The Strongest SOS Outing To Date. Ironically Filth And Dreams Was The First SOS Record Not Released In Their Native England And Is Currently The Most Difficult CD To Find. Somewhere Deep In The Night 2001 A Seventh Album Somewhere Deep In The Night Was Recorded In France And Released In May 2001 In Japan With Subsequent Release In Europe And USA . It Was Dedicated To Their Friend Kazuhiko Yanagida. While It Is Quintessential Swing Out Sister With Lush Orchestral Arrangements The Melodic Tunes Often Feature Melancholy Languid Or Introspective Atmospherics And Are More Sombre In Tone. Many Of The Tracks Are Instrumental Or Only Feature Vocalised Harmonies Sans Lyrics. One Song Even Features A Soliloquy In French. O'Duffy Who Produced The Album Also Has Co-Writing Credits On All The Songs And Provided Backing Vocals Along With Connell And Cansfield. Due To Declining Sales Their Record Label Universal Dropped Them From Their Contract In The US. Consequently They Signed On With Shanachie Records. Where Our Love Grows 2004 Undeterred The Duo Bounced Back With Their Eighth Studio Effort Where Our Love Grows. It Was Released In Japan On April 28 2004 With The UK Edition Following In July. GQ Reviewed It And Called It "indisputably Their Finest Record To Date". The Album Features A Return To A Rich Upbeat Retro Sound With Tracks Like Love Won't Let You Down When The Laughter Is Over And Let The Stars Shine That Fuses Jazz Soul R&B Latin And Easy Listening Music. Samples Of Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends And Herbie Mann Were Incorporated Also Into Some Songs. Beautiful Mess 2008 Late 2005 Saw Swing Out Sister Return To Their Studio In London To Commence Recording Of Their New Album. The Band Planned On Making A Second Tour Of The US In 2006. However Due To Recording Commitments This Had To Be Canceled. In 2006 They Composed Incidental Music For The ITV1 Drama The Outsiders. August 2007 Saw A New Single Secret Love You're Invisible . The New Album Entitled Beautiful Mess Was Released By Japanese Record Company Avex Trax On February 27 2008. The Title Is Taken From One Of The Tracks On The Album Beautiful Mess. Prior To Its Release In Late December 2007 Two Other Tracks Were Made Available For Download Butterfly And Something Every Day. In The First Months After Its Japan Launch A Limited Number Of Specially-Packaged Copies Of The CD Autographed By Connell And Drewery Were Put On Sale Online To Promote The Album And Were Quickly Sold Out. Beautiful Mess Was Eventually Released In The UK On September 8th 2008. Beautiful Mess Was Finally Released In The US May 19 2009 With Two Bonus Tracks Added In. 2008 Asian Tour
In 2008 Swing Out Sister Went On A Successful Promotional Tour Shortly After The Release Of Beautiful Mess Performing At Several Venues In Japan Including Osaka Mar 27 Nagoya Mar 28 Tokyo Mar 30 And Fukuoka Apr 1 In The Philippines Filling Up Manila's Araneta Coliseum Apr 7 And Rounding Up At Indonesia's Jakarta Convention Center Apr 10 . 2009 Asian Tour
In 2009 Swing Out Sister Once Again Packed Their Bags For A Tour Of The Far East Performing In A Series Of Concerts Organized By Billboard Live Of Japan. The Concerts Billed As "An Intimate Evening With Swing Out Sister" Included Stops In The Major Japanese Cities Tokyo Fukuoka And Osaka In Several Of Billboard Live's Own Music Clubs · Billboard Live Tokyo - Feb 26 27 And 28
· Billboard Live Fukuoka - Mar 2 And 3
· Billboard Live Osaka - Mar 5 And 6 The Duo Rounded Off The Tour With Their Final Stop In Indonesia At The Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival Mar 6-8 Where They Performed On The Final Evening In The Company Of Artists Like Dianne Reeves Jason Mraz Brian McKnight Laura Fygi And Matt Bianco. In Dec 2009 Swing Out Sister Headed East Once Again This Time Making Their First-Ever Concert Stops In Singapore - Where They Staged Their Outdoor Breakout Concert By The Beach On Dec 16 - And Bangkok For The Bangkok Decembery Concert On The Grounds Of Sanam Suepa On Dec 19. Miscellaneous
The Song O Pesadelo Dos Autores From The Album The Living Return 1994 Features A Medley Of Cover Versions Of "Brazilian Rhyme" "Celebration Suite" "Come With Me" "My Cherie Amour" "The Smiling Hour" And "Butterfly". In July 2000 Swing Out Sister Performed As The Opening Act In A Concert Tribute Held To Honor The Songwriting Duo Of Burt Bacharach And Hal David At London’s Royal Albert Hall. In 2002 Drewery And Female Japanese Singer Akiko Recorded Waters Of March An English Cover Version Of Celebrated Brazilian Singer-Songwriter Antônio Carlos Jobim's Aguas De Marco. Albums
It's Better To Travel 1987 UK #1 US #40
Kaleidoscope World 1989 UK #9
Another Non-Stop Sister 1989 Get In Touch With Yourself 1992 UK #27
Swing Out Singles 1992 Live At The Jazz Cafe 1993 The Living Return 1994 The Big Elsewhere 1996 Now You're Not Here 1996 Shapes And Patterns 1997 Swing 3 / Swing Swing Swing 1997 The Best Of Swing Out Sister 1997 Filth And Dreams 1999 Somewhere Deep In The Night 2001 Breakout 2001 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection The Best Of Swing Out Sister 2001 Cafe Orange Swing Out Sister Cafe Best 2002 Where Our Love Grows 2004 The Ultimate Collection 2-CD Asian Edition 2004 The Ultimate Collection Disc 1 2004 The Ultimate Collection Disc 2 2004 The Ultimate Collection Disc 3 2004 Live / Live In Tokyo 2005 Beautiful Mess 2008 Swing Out Sister Are Currently Corinne Drewery - Lead Vocals
Andy Connell - Keys Gina Foster - Backing Vocals
Tim Cansfield - Guitar
Jody Linscott - Percussion
Dan Swana - Double Bass Official Website Http //www.Swingoutsister.Com See Also Swing Out Sister's Official Facebook Page
Swing Out Sister's Official MySpace Page
Swinghistory - A Compleat Chronicle Of The Dashing Duo By Björn Wahlberg read less