Unofficial blog providing news about Welsh singer Duffy. Photos, reviews and interviews are charted here. If you have any pics/vids to share please leave a comment.
Dolce & Gabbana black lace shift mini dress donated to The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign by Duffy.
Welsh singing sensation Duffy is known for her powerful voice and her style is pure old-fashioned glamour. It’s no surprise then that the Dolce & Gabbana dress that she added to the collection is alluring and elegant at the same time. Duffy wore this dress when she performed at this year’s Music Week Awards. It’s the ultimate little black dress, made of sheer luxurious black lace over a sewn-in silk slip which provides coverage. The sleeves hit just above the wrist and are slightly belled whilst the neckline is round and close fitting. An exposed silver zip runs down the back.
Click here to bid now! Hurry - bidding ends on Sunday!
More information visit the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign website.
To view a short clip of Duffy performing in this dress, click here.
To see more photos of Duffy wearing the dress, click here.
TRACK LIST: 1 My Boy 2 Too Hurt To Dance 3 Keeping My Baby 4 Well Well Well 5 Don't Forsake Me 6 Endlessly 7 Breath Away 8 Lovestruck 9 Girl 10 Hard For The Heart
I've just received news that there will not be a 7" vinyl release of Well, Well, Well in the UK.
We began to think there would be because there were vinyl releases of Duffy's previous singles, and also because pre-ordering a 7" vinyl single was mentioned in the official newsletter email a few days ago... but the link it gave now forwards to the cd at HMV and there is no vinyl available for pre-order.
It's been pointed out many times over the years that Duffy's style is reminiscent of Bridgette Bardot during the 60s. Angele, and a few others in the shoubox, said the Well Well Well shoot was directly inspired by Bardot's style in the movie Le Mepris (1963) and Viva Maria (1965).
Felipe provided the first comparison image and I did the rest. More are welcome. Just put the photo of Bardot and the photo of Duffy together on one image, upload to imageshack.us (or anywhere) and leave the link in the shoutbox.
Scroll to 2:39 and compare this with Duffy's Well, Well, Well video (thanks to DM for the link):
I was also thinking the same thing and found this picture:
How small town Wales gave Duffy a bond with Elvis Oct 25 2010 by Ciaran Jones, Western Mail (WALESONLINE)
THE musical traditions of small Welsh towns like Nefyn on the Lln Peninsula are very different to the American gospel music and rhythm and blues from which soul music emerged.
Yet award-winning singer Duffy, who was raised in the Gwynedd town, has said that the “disillusion and yearning” she grew up with helped her tap into the same emotions that inspired soul musicians from Ray Charles to Otis Redding, and Elvis Presley,
The 26-year-old star, whose debut CD Rockferry was the largest selling album in Britain in 2008, said the spirit behind the music was the most important thing.
“Soul is all about yearning, about wanting something you can’t find,” she said.
“Elvis, Patsy Cline, Otis Redding – longings for something beyond that which can be achieved in life at that time.
“I had a lovely childhood but, well – Wales. Small town in Wales. You yearn.”
Speaking about her new album, Endlessly, due for release next month, she said she often felt attracted to the unconventional when she was growing up, initially in Gwynedd and later in Pembrokeshire.
She said: “One time I do think about, a bit, is when I was about seven, and my sisters and I had been taken out with my mum. We’d left Nefyn and mum was off to play squash with Auntie Joan and we were all – Katy [the singer’s twin] and Kelly [her older sister] and me – given a fiver.
“The other two went off to the arcade while I sat in a tea shop and ordered tea and a scone. I was still there, thinking, swinging my legs, when Mum and Joan came back from squash, probably a little surprised. As I say, always that bit out of step.”
She added: “Whenever I was listening to stuff on the radio when I was young, it was so often ’50s and ’60s stuff which made me happy. It’s the offbeat.”
Duffy was catapulted to fame after her debut album sold more than six million copies.
She said it was “happenstance” that saw her take the part.
“I opened it, adored the script, read it in one,” she said. “I loved the process, loved the filming. I’ve spent years travelling and living out of suitcases, so to sit down for a few weeks – in the same place – and unpack the bags, and have all these people stay in the same place together for weeks, it felt incredibly stable.”
Duffy said while she still felt connected to the young girl in the tea shop she also thought she had moved on: “I’m still her and she’s still me, but she and I have become lifetimes apart.”
Duffy on her new album Endlessly, eating scones as a child and whether white people can do soul
The Welsh soul singer Duffy. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian
Endlessly, your second album, is out soon. Your debut, Rockferry, achieved one Grammy, three Brits, 6.5m sales, stormed America, as did you. So was there any nervousness about the notoriously difficult second album?
The curse of the second album. Luckily, it never came near my door, not within 10 miles' radius of me. Boy, I felt there was still so much to say. I actually ran out of space – just 10 tracks. I wish I'd known a bit more, in hindsight, about precisely where the emotions were all from, and been able to cross-reference them to time, to when I was younger or over the last few years, but they are true.
One of the tracks on Endlessly, "Girl", is described in the blurb as a "1960s black-and-white film, possibly French new wave, set to music". What intrigues is this: you are obviously, Duffy, still just about four years old: how do you know about that kind of late-50s, sexy-cheesy feel?
Whenever I was listening to stuff on the radio when I was young, it was so often 50s and 60s stuff which made me happy. It's the offbeat. I don't want to get too technical, but do you know what the offbeat is? Everyone knows it when they hear it, but it's hard to explain – I'm very happy with the offbeat: it makes me smile, and gets me dancing. Also, I think I always looked back, when listening to music; I felt just that tiny bit out of step with everything.
One time I do think about, a bit, is when I was about seven. And my sisters and I had been taken out with my mum, we'd left Nefyn [in north Wales] and Mum was off to play squash with Auntie Joan and we were all – Katy [Duffy's twin] and Kelly [three years older] and me – given a fiver! The other two went off to the arcade while I sat in a tea shop and ordered tea and a scone. I was still there, thinking, swinging my legs, when Mum and Joan came back from squash, probably a little surprised. As I say, always that bit out of step.
There have been minor rows about whether white people can "do" soul…
Oh, I know, but it's not about race. Soul is about disillusion, and yearning, surely? One of the guys behind northern soul, Dave Godin, has talked about Manchester back then. In those days, you'd have lots of very broke people cutting records and they couldn't get them properly released or marketed. So huge bundles of records were taken down to the docks and used to prop up ships, pushed under them to balance them – vinyl's pretty strong.
And then one day, obviously, some kid grabbed one of them or a pile of them, someone started playing them. Off it went. They were dancing to the lyrics first, not to the music. Soul is all about yearning, about wanting something you can't find. Elvis, Patsy Cline, Otis Redding – longings for something beyond that which can be achieved in life at that time. I had a lovely childhood but… well: Wales. Small town in Wales. You yearn.
Are you prepared for the next onslaught of jealousy? Another successful album might have the knives out again?
But the thing is, I didn't get lucky. I don't play games. I don't see how I can be knocked down by people who didn't build me up. I worked at this! I know what I'm doing! I've seen pretty much everything, heard so much of it, and I don't know if there's anything I can't see or hear now.
The rest of it, the fame or success stuff – but whose definition? – I hope I've managed it OK. I accept the photos and the paparazzi, you sort of have to. The weirdest bit is my hammering after quality control, I suppose. You'd be quite amazed at what I… others … have to go through, just to retain control of what we're wanting to do. Not just the music. But there are people who I've known for 20 weeks who want to tell me how to live my life, as if I haven't managed that already. People I've known for 20 hours who want to tell me how to dress. "We've got this 5ft 3in poppet so we need to dress her properly." Hmm.
You recently appeared in a small film, Patagonia, having rejected some huge offers from major studios. Why?
It was just happenstance. It was the third email I'd had about films. I opened it, adored the script, read it in one. I loved the process, loved the filming. I've spent years travelling and living out of suitcases, so to sit down for a few weeks, in the same place, and unpack the bags, and have all these people stay in the same place, together, for weeks, it felt incredibly stable.
If you could talk to that young girl back swinging her feet, full of scones and tea?
I'm glad it's early in the morning, because otherwise you might have got me emotional there. Hmm. Thanks. You've made me emotional at 10 in the morning. I am still her, and she is still me, but she and I have become lifetimes apart. I think I'd like her to tell me, quite simply, "Well done." I suppose the goal now, for me, the older one, no matter what happens, is to keep and embrace not just compassion and happiness but some huge kind of light and fire. You must know people in their 40s and 50s, who are still lovely but you just know somehow that the light inside them has diminished a little, been battered down, they've lost the light of what they once believed and were. I don't want that ever.
We arrived early enough to call in one of the busy coffee houses on Coventry Street, around Leicester Square. Upon joining the "queue" of only 2 people around 6pm I was relieved to find the two people who'd earlier been cleaning around the mirrors on the venue's big wooden doors with toothbrushes (!), had now completed their punishment!
A northerner through and through, and a Tube newbie, it was worth braving "the big city" after I found myself in front of the small stage, surrounded by big wigs of the record industry, journalists from all over the world, and a few competition winners.
The Cafe De Paris is a smallish intimate club with more than a tad of luxury. The club is quite posh. It has copious amounts of velvet and leather. Typically, reviews say that the club is cheesily decorated: some may say the room is too small for the oversized crystal chandelier in the centre, the extravagant dual staircase opposite the stage area, and the pair of lavish gold balconies. That level of decor could easily be overdone, under maintained and therefore tatty, leading to a dingey result. But here it was very well done, scrupulously maintained (thanks to the guys with toothbrushes perhaps?!) and for Duffy's showcase they'd cheesed it down a little with black sheeting on the walls, so overall I think it worked well.
Upon walking into the venue through the corridor, a giant wall sized version of the new album cover greeted you. You then went down one of the staircases to the bar and stage area.
The stage was not very high and there were no barriers infront of it (maybe because they were filming the set). The small floor area in front of the stage was pretty full, despite the relatively small crowd, and I ended up at the front. During the set it was easy to see why the crowd didn't exactly "rock", as many were journalists taking notes. Not many "normal people" there as Duffy herself said afterwards... Maybe this was why Duffy didn't sing Warwick Avenue which was on the setlist, or maybe she just wasn't feeling it (but if this was the case, it didn't seem to show during the set). I got a snap of the setlist before Duffy came on stage.
THE MUSIC:
By 7:35 the string/brass section has taken their seats in the little balcony above the stage. The rest of the band appeared around 7:50, followed by Duffy a few minutes later, dressed in her costume of late (a black body with an unbuttoned long black skirt, black patent heels and a black ribbon in her hair). She sang 6 songs from the new album, followed by Mercy.
The first was the upcoming single "Well, Well, Well" (released already in the US and released 21st Nov in the UK) which got the seemingly unrockable crowd going a bit. It definitely encourages you to dance.
The next was the uptempo pop number "Keeping My Baby". It has an infectious refrain ("I'm Keeping My Baby...") and I've found myself humming it several times since hearing it. It was a surprise to me that so many of the new songs are uptempo, with a disco feel. I think this is more pop than soul.
After that, Duffy introduced herself, saying "I return. I hate the word back. I'm not back, I never went anywhere, you see. I went to make a record".
Then she followed on with the delicate, yet mature, Endlessly, the title track which was co-written by Duffy and Albert Hammond. This is an absolute classic in my opinion. It is like it's from another era - think late 50s/early 60s. It shows the beauty of Duffy's voice, but not it's full capabilities. It is sweet, slightly bluesy, and very listenable.
Next was "Too Hurt To Dance". I think the crowd were a bit starstruck at this one as they seemed a bit dead. Showcasing new songs must be difficult because people are busy parsing the style, lyrics and melody. It is a classic ballad, with more power (vocally) than Endlessly. If it wasn't for the reference to DJ in the lyrics you'd think it was a cover from the early 60s. The sentiment is also quite powerful - "If they call it heartache, if they call it heartache, why is the rest of my body aching... please Mr DJ won't you turn the music down".
"Lovestruck" was next up. I'm sure this would get a crowd of "normal people" dancing what with the thumping bass line. It sounds a bit like toned down 80s disco: not quite as fast and with real strings. Some nice accidental notes and the backing vocals make it rather Xanadu-esque in places. On this particular rendition (hope they get it right next time this song is played live) I felt Duffy's vocal was drowned out by the musical effects and so the lyrics in places were indiscernible. With a voice as good as Duffy's it's a shame if the music goes OTT.
The next song was "My Boy", which followed "Lovestruck" very easily. The song starts with a progressive, travelling beat which is a bit like "Distant Dreamer", but the arrangement sounds more 80s and again kind of Xanadu-esque, especially with the backing vocals, strings and synthesizer keyboard.
The theme of the song is unusual as it is about the love of an older woman for a younger man:
"I'm his lover, not his mother, why you staring at each other, what's your problem"
"Age's just a number ... I can't love no other"
"You're my boy, I'm keeping you inside, so they don't that see you're my boy"
"Where's the blame, where's the shame, we're just two hearts come together, what's your problem"
I'm impressed with the lyrics. It takes you by surprise and when Duffy sings "what's your problem" it sounds so vitriolic, rather than just shy and defensive.
The final song of the set was Mercy, and Duffy attempted interaction with the crowd, at this point, pointing the mic towards us to join in.
CONCLUSION:
I think Endlessly is my favourite song so far from what we know of the new album. I'm not alone in my ravings about it. Chatting to a few people in the crowd afterwards it came out as a clear favourite, and there have been similar reactions on forums throughout the web to Duffy's Jools Holland performance of this, the title track.
My fear is, having heard the album showcase, that the album won't be raw enough because of the emphasis on disco type production.
We've heard Duffy say in a few interviews the last time around that writing uptempo songs for the last album was difficult (I think she felt Mercy was the ultimate answer to that as it was the last song written for that album). But for me the up-tempo stompers aren't the important part. On the last album, I was most impressed with the sultry soul of Syrup & Honey, the 60s vibe of I'm Scared and the acoustic sounding B sides My Boy, Loving You and Smoke Without Fire. Acoustic, low key music fits with Duffy's smoky vocals perfectly. Anyone can sing monotone pop, but Duffy's trademark is her powerful soul voice and soul styles which make the most of it.
From the songs I've heard from the new album there doesn't seem much scope for soulful improvisation that Duffy is renowned for live. "Keeping My Baby" probably has the most soul potential. But the arrangement doesn't leave much room for it.
I am hoping that there will be another Rockferry on this album (or amongst the bonus tracks) that truly showcases Duffy's amazing vocals. But it was no secret that Bernard Butler helped considerably with the stretching of Duffy's vocal range when they wrote Rockferry, and also with the creation of the 60s Shadows-esque sound, with a soul edge, that the previous album had. Over production is always a danger if the songs aren't tailored for Duffy's amazing voice - it should be the focal point of the songs. Endlessly is low key enough on the music front to let Duffy's vocals shine through, but it is a controlled sweet song, not a power song. I'd love to hear some more powerful soul songs on the album or B sides.
I commend Duffy for following a different route and working with new people. And her lyrics are, as always, second to none. But I fear that some of the genius that helped the Rockferry album gain icon status was undoutedly coming from producer Bernard Butler. I fear that the new album will be criticised for being an unlikely collection of 50s tea-dance tracks mixed in with 80s disco. But realistically, the iconic Rockferry was always going to be a tricky album to follow, no matter what direction Duffy chose or who she chose to work with.
IN A NUTSHELL:
From what we've heard so far, the album seems more pop than soul, with hints of disco. But there's a twist of 50s ballad in the form of Endlessly. It is not an extension of Rockferry. It is a different style and should be taken not just as a "separate chapter" but more like a separate book altogether. Many of the songs get people's feet moving and for that reason I think it should do well in the pop charts.
But, now that Duffy is in colour, I hope she doesn't abandon the raw black&white feel to her songs forever.
I'll be looking forward to the rest of the album and the B sides, and seeing whether or not all the singles are released on vinyl. I'll also be interested in the live renditions of the new collection of songs and any acoustic/stripped down versions and live improvisations.
Massive thanks to Duffy's management for extending me, an unofficial fan blogger, an invitation to Duffy's new album showcase.
Duffy came across as a magnetic hybrid of Dusty Springfield and Amy Winehouse's sober Welsh cousin when she first emerged with her feisty hit "Mercy," off 2008's bestselling album in the U.K., Rockferry.
Well, fasten your beehives: The songbird, 26, is back with a stellar sophomore release, Endlessly, due in December -- plus a new boyfriend, a fellow Welshman and a hockey Star, Michael Phillips! I met up with her at NYC's London Hotel on October 14 to discuss the upcoming effort (which features the upbeat new single, "Well, Well, Well" - watch the video here), her year-plus-long romance and her divine celebrity encounters since going from waitress to chart wonder just two years ago.
UsMagazine.com: It's been how long since the last album came out, a year and a half?
Duffy: Yes, it was 2008! You know, it is is an introverted world when you make a record. It's quite lonely. It's not lonely in the kind of vulnerable sense. You choose to make yourself alone. You have to do that. You have to cut yourself away from everything, and regress, and kind of contemplate. The response I've been getting over the news has been really warm and lovely. I didn't know what to expect, but definitely warmer than I ever imagined.
US: You came out at a time where there was this wave of British women with a retro-influenced sound. There was Amy Winehouse and then Adele, Lily Allen, Estelle....and that's been gone now?
D: I think that Mark Ronson is the answer to that question. Where did he go? I think he was very responsible for the wave that came in. This group of girls from London kind of hanging out in this core pack was very much a scene, and to me, I came from a different part of the world. I almost observed that movement as much as you did. I came from a very small part of Wales and had the opportunity that they had to kind of work with that kind of fashionable movement, so I guess it was great timing for me!
US: Did you feel competition at that time? You were compared to Amy a lot.
D: I felt more neck and neck with Adele because our albums had come out at exactly the same time. We were so heavily linked, so we were kind of sisters. I didn't really care about comparisons.
US: Yeah, so how does it feel to be back out now?
D: I have to be mindful of compromise. I will not budge with my vision, and I've always been the same. I can't adapt; I can't do things that don't feel right for myself. This is who I am. I'm not this desperate throwback. When I made the last record I genuinely thought that it was fresh. I didn't know I was going to be compared to Dusty Springfield. I had no idea this rush was going to fall upon me.
US: Anyone you're dying to do a duet with?
D: Smokey Robinson! He encompasses so much of music history to me. I'd wrap my arms around him, and would totally break the personal space boundary!
US: So tell me about the new album and first single "Well, Well, Well."
D: The song had this overwhelming sense of grabbing you. You know it was kind of like I could almost step back and go, 'Whoa, this would get me going in a club; this would get me off my feet and start bouncing!' And that's all I want in this journey is to make people move, to make people dance.
US: Has there been anything new in your life that has inspired the heartbreaking ballads?
D: I get let down, but I've never been heartbroken -- I've been hurt, but not broken. I go through all these different emotions and I reflect. When I’m a part of something that doesn't make me feel good, it compels me to put pen to paper and write songs.
Us: So is there any new love inspiring you for the happy stuff?
D: I have someone in my life. He's amazing, and I feel safe with him. He is a hockey player named Michael Phillips, and he plays for Wales. I don't know if you've ever seen a hockey player, but he's scary. He's like six foot three and would take you out! He came from a small town about twenty minutes from me, where I come from. We met, and had a date around eighteen months ago, and, yeah, I'm really fond of him. Maybe it'll get more serious! Hes like my treat -- I can really be myself and I can just let go and we can eat pizza and watch movies.
US: You've gotten to meet so many people. What's the greatest celebrity encounter that you've had?
D: Again, Smokey Robinson. I'm not obsessed with him or anything, honestly, but what a presence! Stevie Nicks, too. She walks into a room, and I don't know it's like a sun beam. It is like a hurricane, she was like this big light force. When I met someone like Leonard Cohen, I felt like I was really close to God. You can't explain it. I couldn't even talk.
Sorry there haven't been many updates lately. Hopefully you've been following the shoutbox as other fans have been posting useful links while I was away! Thanks for that guys!
I will be updating over the weekend - got to get my business back on track first!
Just to let you know, I did go to Duffy's gig at Cafe De Paris in London last night. It was a "short but sweet" set, showcasing 6 new songs from the album. I'll be back with a full review at the weekend.... watch this space.
If you live in the US, you can now purchase Duffy's new single Well, Well, Well. The US release seems to be only a digital release with no B sides. :-(
Here is a link to US iTunes and here is a link to US Amazon.
Those of us in the UK, who have to wait until 21st Nov for the single to be released, can take solace in this beautiful Bardot-style cover art, and also the fact that we'll get a physical release here in the UK (maybe even a vinyl option!), complete with B sides.
Audio taken from the Jools Holland show aired on 19th Oct - thanks to DM for the vid. ;-)
Endlessly I'm counting down the days When you will come my way Endlessly I fall asleep to dream And you're here again it seems Endlessly I'm looking for you everywhere that I go In all of the things I do Still I'll keep looking 'Till I find you 'Till I find you Endlessly I turn to every door And It's you I'm hoping for So endlessly I'm looking for you everywhere that I go In all of the things I do Still I'll keep looking 'Till I find you 'Till I find you 'Till I find you 'Till I find you
To celebrate the upcoming release of her new album 'Endlessly', Duffy is performing an exclusive set at Cafe De Paris in London on 21st October.
The only way to get tickets is to win them.
Click here to enter for your chance to hear Duffy perform tracks from her new album before anyone else.
Follow Duffy On Twitter
To get all the latest Duffy news, exclusives and photos make sure you're following Duffy's new Twitter account @IamDuffymusic.
Duffy and her team will be tweeting behind-the-scenes updates from the shows, the video shoots and much, much more.
Better still, there will be some Twitter exclusives for Duffy's followers - so follow Duffy right here to make sure you don't miss out!
Duffy Talks With The Telegraph
Duffy broke her long silence last week for an interview with The Telegraph.
Talking in depth about her success, Duffy revealed how life changed in the wake of her 2008 debut. "It was difficult, because people thought I was born on that day, you know? But there were a lot of trials and tribulations to get there."
