Perry Blake
Encyclopedia
Perry Blake is an Irish
singer and songwriter
from Sligo
, known for the delicate, downtempo
, melancholic style of his songs and his soft singing voice.
His 1998 self-titled debut album was very successful in the United Kingdom
and won critical praise. His first single, "The Hunchback Of San Francisco," came from this album. His second release, Still Life, contained contributions from Steve Jansen
, while his third album, California, was co-produced with Italian composer Marco Sabiu
and featured Dickon Hinchliffe of Tindersticks
.
Blake is very popular in France
, where his music was used for the soundtracks of the films Presque rien
(2000
) and Trois Petites Filles (2004
).
His musical influences include Leonard Cohen
, David Sylvian
, Scott Walker
, and Nick Drake
. He has collaborated with Françoise Hardy
and wrote 2 songs for her award winning Tant de belles choses album. He's also worked with Émilie Simon
and Nancy Danino.
Perry Blake is currently recording an electronic Pop album with a new Pop group called Grace Parks with long time collaborators Glenn Garrett & Graham Murphy, whom he has collaborated with since his first album. A single is scheduled for release early next year when Grace Parks will embark on a European tour.
Meanwhile, a Perry Blake European tour is also in pre-production for 2012 featuring a 5 piece band that recreates much of his back catalogue.
It's a bigger sound than Blake has employed recently, using multimedia & string arrangements by Graham Murphy.
A live album, Forgiveness, from this tour will be released later next year.
Live
Soundtracks
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
from Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
, known for the delicate, downtempo
Downtempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
, melancholic style of his songs and his soft singing voice.
His 1998 self-titled debut album was very successful in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and won critical praise. His first single, "The Hunchback Of San Francisco," came from this album. His second release, Still Life, contained contributions from Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen is an English drummer, percussionist, singer and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London, where he failed academically, leaving at 16....
, while his third album, California, was co-produced with Italian composer Marco Sabiu
Marco Sabiu
Marco Sabiu is an Italian born musician and composer most notable for his work with Take That, Kylie Minogue, Christopher Lee and television.- Biography:...
and featured Dickon Hinchliffe of Tindersticks
Tindersticks
Tindersticks are an Indie rock band from Nottingham, England formed in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples took on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006, but more permanently the following year...
.
Blake is very popular in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where his music was used for the soundtracks of the films Presque rien
Presque rien
Presque rien is a 2000 French film directed by Sebastien Lifshitz, set in Brittany, depicting a stormy holiday romance between two 18-year-olds and what remains of that relationship eighteen months later.- Plot :Upper-middle class Mathieu , is spending his summer...
(2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
) and Trois Petites Filles (2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
).
His musical influences include Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, David Sylvian
David Sylvian
David Sylvian is an English singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan...
, Scott Walker
Scott Walker (singer)
Scott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
, and Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
. He has collaborated with Françoise Hardy
Françoise Hardy
Françoise Madeleine Hardy is a French singer, actress and astrologer. Hardy is an iconic figure in fashion, music and style. She is married to the singer and movie actor Jacques Dutronc.-Biography:...
and wrote 2 songs for her award winning Tant de belles choses album. He's also worked with Émilie Simon
Émilie Simon
Émilie Simon is a French singer and composer of electronic music.-Émilie Simon:In May 2003, she released her debut album Émilie Simon. The electronic album was critically acclaimed and went on to become a commercial success. To promote her album, she did numerous live performances and TV...
and Nancy Danino.
Perry Blake is currently recording an electronic Pop album with a new Pop group called Grace Parks with long time collaborators Glenn Garrett & Graham Murphy, whom he has collaborated with since his first album. A single is scheduled for release early next year when Grace Parks will embark on a European tour.
Meanwhile, a Perry Blake European tour is also in pre-production for 2012 featuring a 5 piece band that recreates much of his back catalogue.
It's a bigger sound than Blake has employed recently, using multimedia & string arrangements by Graham Murphy.
A live album, Forgiveness, from this tour will be released later next year.
Discography
Studio- Perry Blake (1998) (Polydor)
- Still Life (1999) (Naive)
- California (2002) (Naive)
- Songs for Someone (2004) (Naive)
- The Crying Room (2006) (Blu Orchard/Warners France)
- Canyon Songs (2007) (Reekus Records)
- Forgiveness (2012) Orchard Media
Live
- Broken Statues (Live At Cirque Royal, Nuits Botanique, Brussels on September 29th, 2000) (2001) (Naive)
Soundtracks
- Presque rien (2000) (Naive)
External links
- Official Site
- Concert Photos (The Black Sessions) by Laurent Orseau
- Perry Blake at AKA Music
- Perry Blake on facebook
- Perry Blake at the Internet Movie Database
- Perry Blake on iTunes
- Perry Blake at Reekus Records
- Perry Blake (perryblakenews) on twitter