October 5, 20159 yr Author Hold Your Horses Hold Your Horses – @HYHManagement Tour rehearsals for the week with Will Young #live #tour First full gig for the new band on Friday.
November 4, 20159 yr Author Hope this is shown in all regions. @mattpriceITV: Heading to Birmingham later for quick chat with @will_young31 talking about his new tour and new album. ITV News Monday. Edited November 4, 20159 yr by truly talented
November 8, 20159 yr Author Thanks to Elaine. Interview in the Daily Record. Will Young on musical Cabaret and applying his acting techniques to No1 album 85% Proof 06:00, 8 NOV 2015 BY DAILYRECORD.CO.UK NOW he’s back to making his own music, Will took what he’d learned treading the boards and applied it to songwriting and the results speak for themselves. Will Young (picture of Cabaret) WILL Young is back with 85% Proof, his first album in four years, and the singer is adamant that it was his experiences performing in theatre that have made it the record it is. The former Pop Idol winner took time out of music to perform as the Emcee in the West End production of Cabaret, a run that went so well they took it on tour, with Will picking up an Olivier nomination for Best Actor along the way. Now he’s back to making his own music, Will took what he’d learned treading the boards and applied it to songwriting and the results speak for themselves. He said: “The whole experience of doing Cabaret was amazing and informed the album in a number of ways. “For one, the whole show is about society and passing comment. “When you think about it, Cabaret basically is sociopolitical commentary. “When we look at what comedy is, comedy takes on people in society and we laugh at them, or with them. “So in terms of lyrical content, my new songs like Brave Man, Gold and Like A River, they’re all a lot more sociopolitical. In terms of the tour, I’m certainly pushing the boundaries for what I do as a performer, because it’s what I love to do. I’d kind of forgotten until I started doing Cabaret and realised, ‘I love this, I love dressing up and pretending to be different characters’.” Will Young (picture) While acting in theatre and being a pop star both have similarities in terms of performing to a crowd, it was the differences that really appealed to him. Will said: “It’s very different because I’m playing a character. I can sit with the audience, shout at them, laugh with them, cry with them. Because of the character I was playing I could do all of that and wear lederhosen at the same time. “That’s the number one difference, in that it’s not me up there. “There’s a freedom within that, as there’s absolutely no concerns about how someone will be viewing me, as I’m not on stage. They might not like the character or they may not like my portrayal but that’s a different thing. “Singing is a lot more vulnerable than doing theatre is, which is something I had never realised before and that’s wonderful. “What I love about doing pop concerts is that I bring my own strengths and weaknesses to the stage and there’s something very beautiful about doing that. “We love going to see Lionel Richie singing Hello, or we like going to see Arctic Monkeys singing I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. Both are very different experiences but they’re similar in that you know what you’re getting and you know the person, so you’re going to hear those songs that remind you of experiences in your life. “Plus a pop concert is like listening to music in 3D, suddenly you don’t just hear it, you see it and you feel it.” The very experience of performing in theatre was what gave Will the biggest pleasure, but that Olivier nomination proved to be the icing on the cake, validating his choice to branch out and try something new. He said: “It was amazing to even be nominated as I was so chuffed with the production. It was right up there with getting Brit nominations and awards. It was very special and I was very proud of what I did, so it was a nice nod towards that.” Another new direction for Will that informed the album was the writing of his autobiography Funny Peculiar, which found him rediscovering his love of the written word and applying it to his songwriting. He said: “When I wrote my autobiography I remembered how much I got out of the actual action of writing, so I started working on more articles as a journalist, alongside writing some scripts for TV and theatre. “In the studio, we never wrote the music for a song until we had the story written, which is quite often the way they do it in Nashville. “We wouldn’t play a single note until we had written all the lyrics and I think that’s in part why the songwriting process was so much quicker.” With the album giving Will yet another number one, he couldn’t be happier about how it has all worked out and that his time away from the music industry has paid such dividends. He said: “It’s my first album with Island Records, so it’s been brilliant to get back to number one, especially with a new label and management. Island have an incredible heritage, so for me to go from a talent show to them is pretty much a dream come true. “It’s been a fantastic experience, particularly as I’m getting older. “Pop, like any entertainment industry, is a tough business. It’s very do or die and I’m very aware of that so to get another number one record, and get on shows like Strictly, I’m very grateful. To be honest, it just makes me enjoy it more and more.” Now Will is ready to get back on stage, this time in his day job as fully-fledged pop star, with a full UK tour and he can’t wait to get started and, in particular, play in Scotland. He said: “First of all, I love coming to Glasgow. There’s a real cultural feel to it that I really like and the people are amazing. It should be quite a dramatic show as well as being really fun. “It’s not a theatre show, it’s a pop concert, so it’s going back to basics for me. “I love playing my new songs and I love playing the songs that people are more familiar with because they’ve lived with them for more years. I’ll be doing everything from Evergreen up. “It spans such an evolution of my whole career, which couldn’t be more different, going from Evergreen in the beginning to Brave Man now. I love all of them as they all mean different things, so I really hope the audience feel the same.” Will Young is playing the Clyde Auditorium on Friday. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment...-acting-6787401
November 26, 20159 yr Author Although a compliment tweets like this from Heart really wind me up. Everyone at the @OasisSwindon tonight, have a fabulous night watching @will_young31! Heard this is the best tour yet! #WeHeartWill
November 28, 20159 yr Author Thanks to Elaine. Will Young chats Sink the Pink: ‘I’ll be wearing see-through pink chiffon!’ Posted On 28 Nov 2015 09:00 By : Attitude Magazine Tags: entertainment, sink the pink, Will Young It’s been a busy year for Will Young, with the release of his sixth studio album 85% Proof in May – when it shot straight to number one, natch. With little over a month left in 2015, Will’s showing no signs of slowing down: He’s currently in the midst of a UK tour (see him at London’s Hammersmith Eventim Apollo this Sunday November 29), he’s releasing a new charity song for WWF – a stunning stripped back cover of Burt Bacharach’s What The World Needs Now – and, perhaps most excitingly of all, he headlines the Sink the Pink Winter Ball next Saturday December 5. Here, Sink the Pink’s own Glyn Famous chats to Will about what’s in store… Glyn: Will, we are so excited to have you headline our Ball! You’ve been coming for some time as a guest – what are your memories of Sink the Pink? Will: I am so excited! My first memory of Sink the Pink was arriving the first time at Bethnal Green and thinking, ‘This is the club night I have been searching for since I was 16 years old’. I was also in a Halloween costume which consisted of a Victorian skirt from an opera, a Victorian farmer’s shirt, bowler hat, clown face and yellow marigolds! It was amazing. Glyn: Knowing the crowd and night so well how will you be planning the show? Are there any surprises? Will: Well, I want the show to be non-stop and energetic. I’m having dancers and there is a super hero/villains theme… the only clue I can give is ‘Prince’! I want the set to be not-stop so my producer Jim Elliot [Kylie, Ellie Goulding, Rae Morris]is mixing a specific set for Sink the Pink! Glyn: Now, I know you love a dress… if there is a thrift shop middle-aged, middle class frumpy dress to be found, you’ll find it! What will you be wearing? Will: Hahaha, I LOVE frumpy middle-aged dresses! I actually think men look amazing in dresses and it is very empowering to test the boundaries of what people think represents gender. I am going to be wearing an amazing 1930’s slightly see-through pink chiffon dress with a belt. Think the infamous picture of Princess Diana with the sun shining between her legs and you get the picture! Glyn: Let’s talk about 85% Proof – it’s been a big success and I know you recorded the whole thing in ten days! That’s a major feat, how did you do that? Will: It’s gone great and I’m super proud of what I have done both with the music and the videos and what they represent. I know it was written very quickly, but I think it was just flowing creatively and I purposefully just went with it and tried not to over-think Glyn: Can we talk about the video for Brave Man too – it’s a stunner. Who’s idea was it? Will: It was my idea and then I took it to the director, W.I.Z. It was great that Island Records were 100% behind it and I want to credit them and my video commissioner Tamara Brooks for being brave enough to stick with the idea when so many record companies wouldn’t. This is one of the reasons I love working with them. Glyn: It feels like every decision is 100% you these days; It’s all so personal and brave. It’s quite strange really, coming from where you did with Pop Idol… how do you get from there to here? Will: Ah, thanks so much, I’m really pleased you see that. I have actually had the same manager from the beginning and with her and a close team of people that I trust, we have all worked to produce stuff that isn’t soullessly manufactured and just for profit, but more about art that resonates and touches people. I couldn’t do it any other way. Glyn: I loved your 2010 Groove Armada collaboration History; would you ever do a dance album? Will: I love that tune! I was toying with the idea of doing a 90s house album and think I will come back to that. Being a vocalist, singing on dance tracks allows a type of freedom that is different to singing on pop tracks or singing in the theatre. It’s just about finding the right collaborators. Watch this space! YAAAAS KWEENS. YAAAAS KWEENS. Glyn: Okay, let’s get serious, we have some pressing issues: Are you single, and who is your perfect man? Will: Aha! I am single. Well, I don’t believe in a perfect man but what I do look for is emotional intelligence. Without that, there is no way I can be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t know themselves. My last boyfriend was wonderful at this. He’s American so perhaps they do things differently! Glyn: Do you feel comfortable out on the “Scene” It’s a strange place for most but when you’re Will Young it must be really hard. Will: I feel really comfortable. Due to the fact that my job perhaps makes a few more people recognise me than the average Joe, I feel even MORE comfortable at Sink the Pink because it’s family. They’re my family; they struggle and conquer the same things and so when I step through the doors to start the evening, I feel like I have come home Glyn: Do you have a message for everyone coming to see you at Sink the Pink? Will: Put your dancing shoes on, get your costumes on and ENJOY THE RIDE BROTHERS AND SISTERS! info: Will Young headlines Sink the Pink’s Winter Ball at the Troxy, Saturday December 5. Tickets from SinkthePink.co.uk.
December 10, 20159 yr Author Thanks to Janet. Lovely mention in The Times today-2 page article on musicals: "Be Patient Musicals take years to prepare and many die at the workshop stage. When you do have a show up and running,even if it's a success it can still reward tweaking. Kenwright produced Norris's acclaimed revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb's Weimar musical Cabaret, which first opened in 2006. Norris, enthuses Kenwright, is "punctilious, a details man, wonderful at dissecting, pulling together". Even so, it wasn't until Will Young joined the cast in 2012 that they got it 'absolutely right' "
December 25, 20159 yr Author Will's kept his promise. @willyoung thank you so much for visiting my daughter Emily at JR this morning you made her Christmas. Xx sister had a visit from Will Young at her hospital today what a throwback Edited December 25, 20159 yr by truly talented
January 2, 20169 yr Looks like Dermot O'Leary is doing a review of the live sessions on his show on radio 2 during 2015 at the moment and Will's listed as being played so I've just tuned in.
January 6, 20169 yr Author Thanks to Diz for spotting this. We've heard him speak about some of these albums before but this article again highlights Will's eclectic music taste. Probably goes a long way in explaining why he most certainly isn't your run of the mill pop star. Ian Wade @WadeyWade · 4h4 hours ago I chatted to that @willyoung approximately 100 years ago about his favourite albums for @theQuietus and here it is http://thequietus.com/articles/19497-will-...lbums-interview … Baker's Dozen Evergreen Thirteen: Will Young's Favourite Albums Ian Wade , January 6th, 2016 10:09 Following the release of his sixth album, 85% Proof, last year the singer-songwriter changes into some comfortable trousers and talks Ian Wade through his 13 all-time favourite records Will Young is very good at what he does and is a great pop star. While it may seem customary to be a bit sneery towards anyone who has gone through the ranks of the TV talent competition, to do so does quite a few amazing people a massive disservice, and, to be honest, life is far too short. Young, however, has managed to steer a course through showbiz and respectability, cultivating a career of some 15 years now, with six albums - four of which went to no. 1, the other two settling for runner-up position - a string of theatre and film credits, as well as a reputation for being a jolly decent sort. (Actually, he could probably burn churches down and eat puppies whole in his spare time, but there's no sign of those activities today). He's now back and touring after having a few years off, with last year's really very good album, 85% Proof, adding to his arsenal of crackers, such as the Richard X-produced 'Jealousy' (in fact, the whole Echoes album is banging), 'Leave Right Now', 'Your Game' and 'All Time Love'. So, as I say, Will Young is a very busy man. Within seconds of saying hello, he's changing out of the trousers of televised promotional opportunities, and into the more relaxing and casual attire of someone about to discuss their favourite records. The Beatles - Abbey Road http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/The_Beatles_1452006002_resize_460x400.jpg I came across that when we were all on a family holiday and we just played it the whole trip. I think it was around the time I was ten or 11, and we just played it constantly. It may have been around the time we had changed from tapes to CDs, and so my parents were re-buying stuff they had on vinyl. I don't remember thinking at the time that they all flowed into each other - [sings various clips] - but I know every bit of that album though, every hook and drum fill. It was so varied yet so cohesive, and I think a lot of that was down to George Martin. I'd never heard anything like it, and even at that age I was blown away by it. Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Joni_Mitchell_1452006045_resize_460x400.jpg I chose Both Sides Now because it was reworkings of some of her songs, and I only came across it after watching a documentary on the radio. It brought me to some songs I'd never heard before but then I fell in love with, such as 'A Case Of You', which is just amazing. I think it really made me revisit her lyrics. There's something about taking your songs and revisiting them and yet still being true to the songs - many others have tried to do it, but sound shit. Hers were equally as beautiful. So I chose that record as a fulcrum in my Joni Mitchell journey, as I first liked her more almost obscure albums, those that were in my parents' collection, such as Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm and Dog Eat Dog, and then I found Blue, The Hissing Of Summer Lawns and Court And Spark. But I like this album because it took me there, and as an artist, it shows the measure of her songs. Where she can make that sort of record and still make me want to hear the others, and love them too. Eva Cassidy - Songbird http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Eva_Cassidy_1452006074_resize_460x400.jpg I think Eva Cassidy falls more into the Enya category. When it first came out, I think the thing with Eva Cassidy - and I deliberately chose her - is that she was an amazing singer, and there's very few people who could sing like her. The songs on there - 'Autumn Leaves', 'Fields Of Gold' - it's an amazing covers record, and she really influenced me actually, as a singer. Her voice is so clean, and I'm quite a clean singer. I lived for that record for about two to three years. Michael Jackson - Thriller http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Michael_Jackson_1452006121_resize_460x400.jpg I remember the gatefold cover and I remember clearly the first time I heard it was summer and my parents opening up the doors and having friends round when I was younger. He was just the ultimate pop star and the music... it's weird when you heard something like 'Billie Jean' for the first time, that the combination of sounds - soul, electro, etc - then sounded so fresh. How he'd go from funk soul on one track, then into something really poppy. 'Thriller', the song, isn't actually my favourite. I prefer the rest of the album to it, funnily enough, but I think he made such a massive mark with this album. For me, that was his definitive statement. Barbra Streisand - Guilty http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Barbra_Streisand_1452006146_resize_460x400.jpg I came to it because I was very like, "I'm gay but I do not like Barbra Streisand. I don't own a Barbra Streisand album", then I went to an Oxfam gig - and it was Hot Chip actually - at their really good store in Dalston. Anyway I was a bit drunk afterwards and picked it up and thought: "That will be good for a laugh." I took it home and it didn't stop being played for about two years. It was the record that, whenever I came back with friends, would be put on, and I think I won a few people over to it. And because I bought it on vinyl second-hand, it would always have this one track where it skips and I'd always have to run and change the record. Then I downloaded it when I bought it on CD and now it doesn't skip, I really hate it! Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Tracy_Chapman_1452006170_resize_460x400.jpg I have this real image - for some reason - that it came out the summer I left prep school, and was going to public school. I was 13, and I remember playing it at a friend's house - Benjamin - and I also have this image of me sitting in the bath listening to it on the cassette machine and having to wipe my hands when I changed the tape over. I thought it was a man to begin with, when I first heard 'Fast Car' on the radio. The a capella one, 'Behind The Wall', blew my mind. There's not many records that are that concise as a piece of work, and it often happens when it's a new artist because they're not having to try so hard and they just come out with what they want. That record was a real moment, whatever that moment was. The Black Keys - Attack & Release http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/The_Black_Keys_1452006201_resize_460x400.jpg I'd loved the previous albums but then Attack & Release came out and they'd worked with Danger Mouse, who is one of my favourite producers and was doing great stuff around then with Gorillaz and Martina Topley-Bird, and he'd done The Grey Album thing too, and I think Gnarls Barkley came just after this. Quite an unusual choice of producer for them, because they'd been doing quite hard stuff before that. Not rock rock, but y'know. It was just an amazing blend. Danger Mouse has got a real swing to the stuff he does, and he'd put a surrounding swing to it, combining two quite raw musicians - and an amazing vocalist - and it's just this incredible album. I've seen them a couple of times - and I think I built my expectation of them up too much - I mean, they were amazing, but I think I was expecting it to be the pinnacle of all gigs. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Elton_John_1452006335_resize_460x400.jpg [sings] "When am you gonna come down?" That was a late entry. It was another album that my parents had. It was before I got into Elton John, because I knew of him growing up from 'I'm Still Standing'. Then I listened to this record, and I was: "Oh my god, this dude smashed America", and he was one of the biggest pop stars around, but I hadn't discovered how amazing the actual songwriting was, and on that record you really did - each track was so individual. It's also great to hear how groundbreaking it all was, and how extraordinary his music was. Again, a very varied record that you can't pin down, but it's so cohesive in its entirety. David Bowie - David Live http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/David_Bowie_1452006362_resize_460x400.jpg An odd one and another charity shop purchase actually, and another one that would be played at house parties. The musicianship on it is incredible. It's not the best recorded record, and a lot of things were redubbed apparently, and not massively well reviewed from what I can gather. The first half of the tour had been Spiders From Mars and then he came back with the artwork for Young Americans and he was moving towards things all the time. It's the tour that's featured in Cracked Actor - although I hadn't seen that when I first heard the album. I remember watching him come out across the crowd on a crane on the phone and that was amazing. He's got some amazing musicians on it too, with Michael Kamen who was the MD on it, and he's a legend, so that alone was great. And the most incredible piano parts too. Apparently the story goes that there was a mutiny backstage when the management hadn't told the musicians that they were doing a live recording and would only be paying them the standard $70 fee for a performance. And so they all said that they weren't going on, and so 20 minutes before they went on they agreed to $500 and I wonder if you can hear that incentive in the performance. For some reason I really noticed the band on that record and they really stand out. Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder - Talking Timbuktu http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Ali_Farka_Tour__with_Ry_Cooder_1452006392_resize_460x400.jpg I knew Ry Cooder's stuff, and I knew of Ali Farka Touré. I love 'world music', and I particularly love African and Moroccan-inspired music. It's my kind of go-to Sunday morning record. It calms me down. There's just something really magical about it. It was also the opening music for my first ever solo gig. Róisín Murphy - Ruby Blue http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/R_is_n_Murphy_1452006429_resize_460x400.jpg I think the production on this - who did she work with? But she used things like forks and - oh yes, it was Matthew Herbert! - and so when I first heard it I thought it was a bit mental, but it's really not mental once I had lived with it for a bit. A lot of it's really poppy and the last song is a ballad that's just heartbreaking. Talk about the radio not playing things, how could they not play this? Her style of singing really influenced mine on a track I did called 'Jealousy', and I'm basically trying to sing like her. When I listened back to the demo, I'd done a pretty good impression of Róisín Murphy! It's just her delivery, and she's really brave and I think that record was exactly the record I needed to hear. It wasn't necessarily what the record company wanted, and that's why I love it. It came out, and I don't know where it charted, but I would hear bits of it on TV over the next three years. And then five years after it came out, So You Think You Can Dance did a massive thing to it. And it warms my heart that music that is genuinely great does get to have a life beyond the chart and starts getting into the ether. D'Angelo - Brown Sugar http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/D_Angelo_1452006463_resize_460x400.jpg I like it because it's a time for me in the '90s, listening to that record. And he took four years off between that and Voodoo, and then years between that and the latest record [black Messiah], which I think is amazing by the way. I'm such a lover of '90s R&B, and what I think was cool with the neo-soul thing of Lauryn Hill, him and Angie Stone. To hear the intro of 'Brown Sugar' on like MTV or something, and oh my god, just seriously cool. All this great music from that period. He's been a real influence on me actually. That whole time, in fact, but I think I'd choose him as the example from then. Emilíana Torrini - Me And Armini http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/19497/Emil_ana_Torrini_1452006502_resize_460x400.jpg It's a record she did with Dan Carey. I love this record because I first heard Emilíana when she did 'Easy' and it's a record [Love In The Time Of Science] she did with Eg White, and I adored it. And years later I worked with Eg, and he did a song for me called 'Leave Right Now'. I've always loved her music, and then I worked with Dan Carey. They had worked together before Me And Armini, but he produced the whole thing. I went on X Factor and gave albums to people who I was mentoring. Then I went to Iceland to shoot a video and about five people came up to me and were so sweet and saying thank you so much for mentioning her. I think it's her best record, because it's so punchy in its production, and it's no surprise it's been her most far-reaching record. Interesting how Will thinks of himself as a clean singer. Not an adjective I would have chosen but know exactly what he means. Also interesting to read of the influence of Roisin Murphy's singing style on Jealousy. Edited January 6, 20169 yr by truly talented
January 6, 20169 yr Thanks for putting that article up TT, I saw it on a google alert when I just came in. I think we could have guessed some of those albums but also some surprises. His level of knowledge is phenomenal I think. Good one to keep.
January 6, 20169 yr Author Again thanks to Diz. Lovely comments and a link to photos from Will's Swindon gig. Just catching up on my posts from late last year. It wasn’t that I was really busy I think it was more about I lost confidence. Not in my photographic ability, in fact I seem to be getting more and more praise for my work. I am loosing confidence in getting my images out there and more well known to a wider audience. Photography is such a tough business. Very easy to get it wrong. Very hard to get it right. I do it because I love doing it and don’t do it for the praise or the money, but it is nice now and again when lady luck comes your way and something good happens. It isn’t all about hard work, sweat and tears. Like all good artists, people will notice more of my work when I am dead than when I am alive !!!!! Anyway, it is a new year, new things planned for this year so let us see what happens…… These images are from the Will Young and Lemar concert at the Oasis here in Swindon. I have met and photographed Lemar before in London and he is a really nice chap and I really like his music. Now Will Young was just great. I like his music anyway but I really really enjoyed his concert and I ended up staying for most of it which is unusual for me as I like to avoid the rush at the end plus I like to get the images processed and delivered quickly. So for me a really enjoyable Will Young concert.
January 7, 20169 yr Thanks for that TT. He doesn't just pay lip service to the music he actually really knows and loves what he does.
January 7, 20169 yr Author Thanks for that TT. He doesn't just pay lip service to the music he actually really knows and loves what he does. Yes as he's said many times before it's his passion as well as his work. Music has always been a huge part of his life.
January 18, 20169 yr Author German Marques Just sold my Black Porsche 944 Turbo to Will Young - which was nice! Bloody lovely bloke https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1085526458144952
January 21, 20169 yr Author Article in the Gay Times wishing Will happy birthday is lovely, especially the video clips. I really enjoyed the Mrs Henderrson Presents interview. https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/24525/ha...day-will-young/
Create an account or sign in to comment