BenWiganUK

I'm still getting to know the songs but my top three currently looks like this: 1. Bosnia 2. Switzerland 3. Sweden First impressions are that it's a stronger year than last year, although I adored Serbia's winning entry.

I've got a dvd with all 43 countries on it. I'm loving watching it. I'm blown away by both Switzerland and Sweden and think either of them could win it. However, the song I most love at the moment is BOSNIA. It is absolutely amazing.

I can't stop playing this year's Bosnian entry: Pokusaj by Laka. It's a stunning entry.

:w00t: Yeah it was quick! I very much doubt that I will be thanked David but it's a nice thought lol. I hope it happens though. Hey, David, I'll leave it up to you whether or not you want to post this on Unity. Certain people on there won't believe a word of it but I'm happy to forward the emails on to any doubters. Although I don't see why they should be given access to Jo's email address!

I'm not exactly sure what her official title at Warner is. She is very closely connected with Enya as she gets singled out for particular thanks by Enya, Nicky and Roma in the Amarantine album booklet. I have just had an email from her in reply to my suggestion. This is what it says: Dear Ben, Thank you for your email. I will pass on your comments to Warner UK as they are the repertoire holder. Happy New Year to you too. Best wishes, JO

I have emailed Jo Carrigan at Warner with my suggestion for a 20th Anniversary edition of Watermark. Abba have been re-releasing their original studio albums to mark the 30th anniversaries, and I think Watermark is due a re-release. I told Jo that I thought the expanded, anniversary edition could include: 1. A remastered cd as the original cd is of very poor sound quality 2. An expanded booklet. The original booklet was very 'thin'. It could be expanded to include lyrics, alternative photos from the Watermark photo shoot, sleeve notes about the story and impact of Watermark. 3. Additional tracks. Three spring to mind: Morning Glory (b side to Evening Falls single), Storms in Africa Part II (a reworking of the Storms in Africa track), and As Baile (Gaelic version of the Watermark track 'Exile') 4. Any unused tracks from the Watermark sessions. I don't know if there are any but it would be wonderful to hear some alternative versions etc. 5. DVD content: containing the videos for the four Watermark singles. Plus the performances Enya did between 1988-1989 on Top of the Pops, Wogan, Val Doonican show etc. I'll let you know if she responds / replies.

Absolutely fantastic! What a find! Hilarious.

Great to see the interview although it didn't give away any clues as to what Enya's been working on lately.

Thanks Afer. I appreciate that. You may be interested to know that the moderators on Moya's forum banned me on 23rd December due to my "behaviour" in the Enya thread. Behaviour indeed. Just who do they think they are!!!! Anyway, I've caused upset there too. I was very critical of the lack of information from Aigle re: the elusive Christmas album. You can read everything I wrote in that thread too. What I'm particularly annoyed about is that they have now written 'Banned Member' on all of my posts above my profile picture. I can't delete my picture because I can't log in. They clearly believe in 'naming and shaming' and are enjoying everyone looking at me as a banned member. It strikes me as very uncharitable, unforgiving and unchristian. Quite the antithesis of what Moya's music stands for I would have thought.

The thing that finally got me banned from Unity was a message I wrote on Christmas Day 2005: "Thank you to Enya for her Christmas greeting to her fans. However does she find the time?!" It was intended as a sarcastic, light-hearted dig at Aigle but the moderators thought it was the final straw. I didn't receive any notification that I had been banned. I simply couldn't log in. I sent emails to Kerrykait (as she was known then) and to Peter Pehrson (who I think ran Unity in those days). I didn't hear anything for ages but eventually Kerry sent me a terse email saying that the decision was unanimous amongst the moderators. They never gave me the reason though. I think I had upset people throughout Autumn of 2005. I was quite critical of the Amarantine package particularly: * The album cover * The Loxian concept * The choice of first single * The Amarantine video In those days on Unity everyone was very celebratory about the new releases and they couldn't tolerate a more critical voice. The irony is, I was actually really positive about the music on the album. I thought, and still think, Amarantine was a far stronger set of 12 songs than A day without rain. I just thought there were some very unusual decisions made in the promotion and marketing of the music. Anyway, I was promptly banned and people like Jparanese and Frogprince promptly held street parties. I actually think Kerry is a decent person and I think she conducts herself with great integrity. I've a suspicion she can't stand me though! It's amazing how, two years on, certain people cannot forget my banning on Unity. Frogprince immediately refers to it when you mention me on Unity. Also, when I joined enyafans.org Jparanese immediately informed everyone there that I had been banned and warned everyone about me. He actually encouraged other forum members to conduct a search on my offensive posts!!! I am a bit outspoken and I speak my mind but I do find that the Enya fanbase is absurdly sensitive over matters surrounding Aigle and Enya. They are the most extreme apologists I've ever known in forums. I'm a member of several music forums such as The Beautiful South, Suzanne Vega, The Rankin Family etc and I've never known the sort of outrage and backlash that goes on in Enya forums. There is practically no moderation on those forums and people say what they want and people don't get upset. It's for that reason that I believe Unity is pretty juvenile and I'm glad they kicked me out.

You're welcome, David. I doubt I'll ever hear anything again from Clare now that she works for another record company. If Jo Carrigan from Warner replies to my last email then I'll let you know any information I glean from her. Then Jparanese can give a litany on why it's only something that everyone else could have worked out and other members can parade their spite from as far away as Sweden. I also expect the release of 2008 to be a Christmas album. I don't think it's been shelved and I don't think they will be ready with a new studio albuum. There are, however, other possibilities. It could be a new compilation (I hope not) or it could be a repackaged and remastered anniversary edition of Watermark with more extensive sleeve notes. Ages ago on Unity, before they banned me, I posted that it would be good to reissue the albums at anniversaries with bonus tracks such as: Watermark: Morning Glory, Storms in Africa Part II, As Baile Shepherd Moons: S'fagaim mo bhaile, Oriel Window, Book of Days (Gaelic) The Memory of Trees: I may not awaken, Willows on the water A day without rain: The Promise, Midnight Blue, Song of the Sandman as well as both Isabella and The first of Autumn Anyway....all will be revealed later in 2008.

David, I hear you posted my message on Unity. That's fine - I've no problem with that at all. I have also heard that, predictably, the more vicious members of Unity such as Jparanese and Frogprince immediately had a problem with the post. Sigh. Nothing changes there then. What makes Clare and myself laugh is the notion that she should not be telling me such information. I spoke to Clare on the phone this evening and she erupted into gales of laughter that she had revealed something so confidential. She assures me that there are no such clauses in the contracts of record company employees that forbid them from discussing when a Warner product is scheduled. She said that it must be because Enya herself is so private that her fanbase thinks release schedules are a thing of state secrecy. She ended our conversation by telling them to "Get a life!" We then moved onto more pressing matters such as the forthcoming wedding of one of our closest friends. ;)

Following on from this... ...today I met my old school mates for lunch at Pizza Express in Southport. Clare was there, who had worked at Warner, but left in December to work for Oasis. She said at one point "By the way, Ben, the Enya album is definitely coming out next year!" I asked her how she knew and she said that someone at Warner had told her. I asked her if it was a Christmas album or a normal studio album and she said "Don't know, don't care!" (She's not an Enya fan). I asked her if she knew why the album hadn't come out this year and she said "Dunno. She probably couldn't be arsed getting it finished in time!" I'll remain sceptical and I'm not going to enter into any online discussions on it throughout 2008. My New Year resolution is to give up all forums relating to Enya because I'm sick of the $h!t I seem to get into. Anyway, I thought I'd post this 'information'. If nothing else, it at least shows that Warner are expecting an album next year. I bet it's a Christmas album but I'd prefer it to be a normal studio one. Best wishes to you all for 2008. Ben

I never felt particularly close to them and when I did meet Enya and Nicky.... Nicky was off-hand and abrupt and Enya was painfully shy to the extent that she didn't say a word to any of the fans. She did, however, willingly sign albums and pose for photos. I have never ever been convinced that they care for the fan base or the people who have helped them buy castles. I think they've given very little back and this latest episode has made even more critical of their operations. It won't stop me loving their music and buying it, but I'm nowhere near as interested in fan activities any more.

I agree David. I think the message is curt and abrupt and the news is given grudgingly. Notice how it was given in the afternoon of the day that Enya was recording. Perish the thought that any Dublin fans might be allowed to pop along. No mention of the Christmas album. No apologies for the long silence, no thanks for your patience. Bloody rude.

No I won't. I'll be 39. Still, that's bad enough lol.

2010....God I'll be in my 40s. I was 17 when I first discovered Enya.

Right, this is the last time I'm going to respond to the idiotic and juvenile posts that Brina/Brian is leaving because I'm just fuelling his/her little game. An old school friend of mine Clare works at Warner. She does not work in the same department, or indeed building, as the department that deal with Enya. In fact, I think she told me that she works in the other side of London! However, she does get information from time to time. I asked her in September what the Enya Christmas album was going to be called and she said she hadn't heard. When I asked her again in October she checked and said there was no record of any Enya release on the schedule. She asked around on my behalf and no one seemed to know about an Enya album this year. When she couldn't give me any further information I decided to ring up Warner myself. This is something I have done on a few occasions over the years and I'm always surprised more people don't do it. I did it in 1989 to ask for a massive Watermark poster (you weren't even born then). I did it in 1991 and got sent a whole load of Shepherd Moons stuff which we hung up in our student house at Manchester University. In 1995, before I was on the internet, one day in Autumn I phoned Warner just to see if Enya had at last completed a new album. I was told by someone on the end of the phone that yes, she had, and it was shortly going to be released entitled 'The Memory Trees'!! I actually prefer that title. On Monday 19th November I phoned Warner and was told that I needed to speak to Enya's product manager, a woman called Nadine Parker. Unfortunately, she was away for the whole week. I promised this forum that I would phone back the following week. I forgot to ring on Monday 26th but on Tuesday 27th I remembered. It took a few tries (I kept getting voice mail) but eventually I did speak to someone who works closely with Enya, though she was not Nadine Parker. The person I spoke to confirmed the album was not coming out this year but would not give the reasons why. I then posted this information on three forums that I am a member of: this one, Moya's and enyafans.org. David posted the information on Unity and there seems to have been uproar. I understand that Frogprince was extremely insulting but Kerry thankfully reminded people that it is unfair to attack me since I am not able to respond. I have no idea why this is so hard for Brina/Brian to accept. I have no idea why this member has felt it necessary to send abusive private messages. I deal with students like this in my professional life so my suspicion is that he/she has some issues which need to be worked through. All I would say to him/her is to phone Warner and see if you get the same response I did. It really isn't difficult and I don't see why people seem hesitant/reluctant/nervous to speak to record label staff. I have always found them to be perfectly obliging and friendly, and ready to help if they can. Right, Brian/Brina toddle off and finish your homework. I've no more intention of addressing you as I've wasted far too long on this nonsense.

It's a shame that a school girl is filled with so much hate isn't it? I really couldn't care less whether she believes me or not. All I would say to Brina is if she is so doubtful, why doesn't she phone Warner herself? Although she would need to get permission from whoever pays her phone bill first.

Afer, I really, really appreciate your post. Thank you very much. One thing I should add is that the person I spoke to at Warner asked me to follow up our phone conversation with an email. She asked me to put in writing my thoughts and concerns. I did this last night. I have no idea if I will get a response, but if I do, and if there is any further news to report, then I will of course post it on here. Afer, thanks again. Sincerely, Ben

I've just received this offensive private message from member Florae Arcanum: "Seriously, Ben, why in the world should anyone believe you? You've been banned from Enya's OFFICIAL Forum, insulted me and my friends several times (as I'm a member of that forum), and been warned at Moya's forum for the c**p you cause in the Enya thread (yeah, I know about that). It seems that for a professor of anything (especially one who just puts a movie in on a caprice merely to make personal phone calls...may I have the email address of your headmaster/dean/whatever? I'd like to let him know about your teaching methods!), you have a lot of time on your hands. And you fill this time by being a vagrant who gets off on causing trouble at various forums. I'll not be calling Warner because I do not believe in stalking the progress of this album. And I'll not be believing you, because, in all seriousness, your credentials suck tush. Because of your history, I am not at all inclined to believe you. I eagerly await your reply! " I just think it's a shame that people find it necessary to be so offensive. I wonder who it is from Unity that has registered on this lovely forum just to send a vicious private message. Oh well, I hope it's made them happy.

You're welcome David. I did promise last week that I would chase it up and ring Warner. Luckily my Year 11 classes were on mock exams today so I had plenty of time to phone up lol. If anyone doubts the validity of my phone conversation then I suggest they phone Warner and ask for 'marketing'. You might get someone's voice mail a couple of times, but if you persevere you get through to someone eventually. My secretary was laughing her head off, saying, "have you no work to do??!!!"

The only thing I feel I should add is that the person I spoke to did not ask me to keep anything confidential. But to be honest, she only confirmed there was no album coming this year. And I think we've probably all realised that by now anyway. David, it's probably better if you don't post this on Unity. The people on there will not receive any news like this kindly. Some of them can be quite unpleasant.

Hi David, The person who I spoke to was extremely 'guarded'. We actually had a really nice conversation but she was quite determined not to give any reasons, which is fair enough. She asked me if I was a member of the Enya forum and I explained that I had fallen foul of their rules and regulations in 2005. She had a laugh when I told her I was a teacher of Religious Education! What was really interesting was she asked me my age. I explained that I was 36 and had been a fan of Enya since 1988 when I was in sixth form. I gave her some of my opinions re: marketing, promotion and publicity and she listened intentedly. I said that although I very much liked the Amarantine songs, I had criticisms of the whole package and felt that it could have been handled better. I asked her specifically if there was a reason that the Christmas album wasn't appearing. She said there was, but was unable to tell me. I just hope it's for business reasons rather than personal ones. I'm just surprised that more people aren't ringing Warner. Their number is easily available and it's not a difficult thing to do. By the conversation I had, it seems I was the first person to do it and the person I spoke to (who was lovely and I won't name her) seemed surprised that I even knew a Christmas album had been on the cards.

I had a long telephone conversation with Warner today and the album is definitely not happening....for this year at least. I was not allowed to be told the reasons for this. I just hope Enya it's not for personal reasons.