Django's Castle - New Hank album

[Fenderman]

I'm not sure i'll buy Hank's new album as i'm not too keen on gypsy jazz but i may buy it eventually as i have everything else he has recorded so may buy for completists sake.

[Gary Allen]

[noelford]

Hallo Noel,

Not sure if this is what you're looking for:

http://store.payloadz.com/details/13042 ... sRves.html

Roger

Roger, you are a star. That's the one and, amazingly, it's in the same key that I play it in. It's been a while since I last looked, so don't know how long it has been available, but many thanks for tracking it down.

Cheers

Noel

[hankb56]

On the subject of Brian Goodes management, to be fair in later years Peter Gormley didn't do them many favours either!
As Bruce said re producing Cliffs Every Face Tells A Story it would have been nice to have been told he had been sacked as Cliffs producer!

Ian

[hoffers]

Brian Goode has always secured good deals and put a lot of money in their pockets and that's the bottom line. They could have found a new manager if he wasn't doing well for them. It's a numbers game.
I heard a whisper that the Cliff/Shads reunited album was done to stop EMI cashing in on the reunion shows but it's ironic that the album was issued by EMI - and it's because that label offered the best deal. Simples!!!

[hankb56]

Re the Brian Goode comments, yours and mine, I agree he did do a lot of good deals for them and yes I reckon they must have been happy enough with him after all by this time Hank, Bruce and Brian were not nieve enough to be led up the garden path by anyone although I do wonder who was responsible for the selection of tracks for albums as some left a lot to be desired, ie almost the entirety of Simply Shadows which in my personal opinion was possibly the worst Shadows album since Shades of Rock. I personally preferred albums with a mix of good covers plus some one or two vocals and the remainder of original compositions, something in the style of Stepping to the Shadows although Reflection was an excellent album.

Ian

[donna plasky]

I just wanted to say that this thread is very interesting and insightful, especially Justin's comments. Because of that, I am now looking forward to buying a copy of Hank's album when it is released. I don't know whether I will like that genre of music, but I want to demonstrate my loyalty to Hank by purchasing a copy. When I think about it, I'd say I admire Hank's approach to this topic (of changing his musical format) because I interpret it as being his way of saying to the record companies, "Take it or leave it." He hasn't given in and released another Red Strat album. He apparently wants to publish and perform the gypsy jazz music, and I admire him for sticking with it. He's been trying to do this for a few years now.

I'm also a little surprised at the record industry's reluctance to give him at least one chance to try something new. If Django's Castle does not sell, I could understand them not offering him a contract for a second jazz album. But they could at least try one album. Other famous artists have tried new genres, and sometimes it works out really well. Rod Stewart would be a good example, ie "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You." It sold.

I wish Hank much success with this endeavor.

Kind regards,
Donna

[GoldenStreet]

I personally preferred albums with a mix of good covers plus some one or two vocals and the remainder of original compositions, something in the style of Stepping to the Shadows although Reflection was an excellent album.

Ian

Indeed, very much as their first album, as well!

Brian Goode perhaps wasn't quite so much in the business of guiding their career progression, as securing what he considered were the best deals for the type of material they chose to record, if, indeed, it was their choice. I doubt if we will ever know the answer to that one!

Bill

[hoffers]

Some of you may have jumped the gun here by saying the record company were not interested in a Gypsy Jazz album.
We don't know that it was ever submitted as an idea to them, perhaps Hank just wanted to go it alone on this occasion.

Once a record company gets involved I imagine because they stump up a substantial financial advance they expect an opinion on which tracks should be on the album. Polydor apparently did market research for some if not all of The Shadows' eighties albums and look at some of the dross that dug up: 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', 'When The Going Gets Tough' . . . please fetch me my rope!!!

I'm cool with covers but put your own stamp on them rather than just replace the vocal with a guitar.

[Alan Taylor]

Confirmation of what Hoffers said about market research: by pure chance I was involved in such a session to select tracks for the Reflections album. But please - don't blame me for the results!

Alan