Clare Maguire - The Shield & The Sword

She's going to end up dropped after one album, bless her. Given the sheer amount of money Polydor used to sign and promote her and factor in her lack of any proper success. It just goes to show that sometimes getting signed for mega bucks in a bidding war doesn't always end in a fairytale.

 

She's 2 years too late. Her style's missed the boat because she spent too long faffing around with Fraser T. Smith producing one total body of work. If she'd spent half the time making it with a pool of producers I think she'd be telling a very different story as an artist...

I've got no idea how she didn't manage to cross over. I'd have at least thought The Last Dance would've done the job...

How has she not released the title track yet. It's sublime!

She really doesn't strike me as a 'pop' artist though, in the respect that I can't see her having #1 singles.

 

And tbh the promo hasn't been great. I don't even think "Shield And Sword" has been sent to radio!

Bad single idea. Few are going to buy this :(.

I'm not a fan of the phrase, but she is clearly an 'albums artist' more than a singles act. If The Last Dance couldn't do it for her, nothing can. That song has one hell of a hook and a fantastic vocal to boot.

 

Problem is she just hasn't connected at all with the public, sadly.

Sword & Shield is pretty good but Surrender is the most commercial on the album (though even that won't be a hit :(). I agree with heartJake, she's gonna get dropped after just one album. So much hype and effort and the album misses top 5, and the single limps in at 23! She hasn't even sold too much of the album :cry: Shame, she is a brilliant artist imo, I can't fathom why she at least hasn't done well albums wise :(

At least the video for 'The Shield & The Sword' is rather blooming marvellous. But yes, it's a shame this really hasnt worked out at all for her, I think she's suffered from everything being a bit all over the place though, she hasnt got a defied image and she's suffered because of it.

 

Back to the genius of the video. There is a Swan there. AMAZING.

The album has only sold 36k in total :cry: :nocheer: Total flop :(

I hope she can at least work her way to 60k (ie. Silver) but that does seem quite unlikely :(

Clare Maguire being entered into BJSC 98 has reminded me how brilliant "The Last Dance" was. Definitely one of my favourite tracks to make the top 40 this decade.

Both The Last Dance and The Shield and the Sword are fantastic, the latter particularly! :wub:

Ooh good to see the album is back online, it wasn't for ages *.* It's still such a shame she flopped, she has a wonderful voice and the debut was well produced. The singles were all brilliant!

She had so much hype, I'm amazed her career didn't really 'happen'.

 

I did quite like her debut album but I never return to it now, it all felt a bit soulless somehow compared to some of the other big voiced pop girls doing well at the time, like Florence/Adele et al...

 

Also not her fault I know but I always thought that her name sounds like a Casualty actress launching a singing career in the late 90s or something, there just doesn't seem to be much star power or mystique to the name Clare Maguire :lol: Maybe a stage name would have served her better.

 

I do like that remix of Elizabeth Taylor though, perhaps she should continue down the dance route for a comeback.

Edited September 2, 20177 yr by gooddelta

Also not her fault I know but I always thought that her name sounds like a Casualty actress launching a singing career in the late 90s or something, there just doesn't seem to be much star power or mystique to the name Clare Maguire :lol: Maybe a stage name would have served her better.

Omg yes, it gives me Claire Sweeney teas, it's just so plain :lol:

I was a big Clare Maguire fan when she first came out. Unfortunately she had some issues with addiction which probably didn't help as she was just launching, she talked about it in interviews on the way to launching her comeback last year.

 

She released a new song, Shoot You Down, to youtube a bit earlier this year or maybe at the end of last year, not quite sure. Agree though, dance suits her. Her last album was quite acoustic, not so pop.