Last Edited 11th July 2017
UKCountryRadio Listeners
Awards - 7th Party
On
Saturday September 13, 2014 the internet country station UKCountryRadio.com, celebrated their 7th
Birthday Party since its launch. Its objective is to aim to promote the best in British country
music alongside the big established names in America and their unmissable
slogan is “Playing the hottest country
music for the UK”
The celebratory live event took place once again at the Best Western
Premier Yew Lodge Hotel at Kegworth near Derby, England DE74 2DF (just off Junction 24 of the M1).
Just four presenters formed
the UKCR team in those early days, Allan
Watkiss the station head and former BBC Radio Sheffield presenter (CMA International Broadcaster of the Year 2010),
Bob Preedy (ex BBC Radio York), Graham L.Hall and James Gordon – all of whom
are part of the present day line-up which lists 25 presenters on their website page.
UKCountryRadio.com Winners & Finalists 2014 CLICK to ENLARGE |
The newly-formed Elbow Jake
Acoustic Band welcomed guests on their arrival, before the main show was
opened in style by six-piece live band Grand Prairie.
UK Country
Artist Of The Year finalists Raintown,
Gary Quinn, performed live sets, before fellow finalist Thorne Hill filled the dance floor (?)
for a final set supported by his band Arizona Storm.
The show, broadcast live on the Internet was hosted by
UKCountryRadio.com's CEO and former 2010 CMA International Broadcaster of the
Year Allan Watkiss who said, "This
really has been our best Birthday Party yet and we are already working on plans
to make our Eighth Birthday Party in 2015 even better”
UKCountryRadio.com
Listeners' Club Song Award 2014
The Finalists originally announced in a special programme on Sunday 8th June, were:
- #1 Interactive Murcia “A Woman's Way”
- #2 Kelly Michelle “Losing You”
- #3 Lucy Zirins “The Last One”
- #4 Suzanna Shore “Sunflower Lady”
- #5 Wayne Jacobs “In Cold Blood” Tom
Manche (written by Wayne Jacobs) * WINNER *
You can read about and listen to the music of each of the finalists +
download the winning song in this Blog Post
Each party-goer who attended had the opportunity to vote for the 5 short
listed Song of the Year finalists, and their votes were added to those received
for each song in the first round of online voting held earlier in 2014.
Each
finalist performed their nominated song and then received a certificate to mark
their achievement.
Wayne Jacobs was the
winner of UKCountryRadio.com’s Listeners' Club Song Award 2014
for his song "In Cold Blood".
Wayne Jacobs Song of the Year Winner 2014 |
Jacobs previously won in 2012 and 2013 for his songs "Kentucky
Whiskey" and "I Want My Daddy".
He
is a 53-year-old civil servant and an
Erith Greater London DA8 1QE resident who lives in Riverdale Road (House prices
£227,937) Will this success lead to mansion tax stardom?
UKCountryRadio.com
Artist of the Year 2014
This brand new Award was quite simply,
for the best UK Country Artist. It was open to solo artists, duos and bands.
It was up to the
listeners to tell UKCountryRadio.com who they thought deserved
the award whom had demonstrated
an outstanding achievement over the past year. It could have been a
great album they have released, a great tour they've undertaken, a TV
appearance, a show, anything really that's made them stand out from the crowd.
Factors to consider included:
- New album releases
- Outstanding performance
- Other achievements
UKCountryRadio.com counted
up the votes for online nominations which were open to all (received between January and May 2014)
There was a tie
for the nominations so there were eleven not ten finalists
These 11
Finalists were then meant to go through to a VOTE by UKCountryRadio.com
presenters and subscribers (who were subscribed prior to the voting process
in January 2014):
Artist Finalist
#1: Annie Marks ("Coming
Home")
Artist Finalist
#2: Chris Green Project
("Little Bit of Texas")
Artist Finalist
#3: Gary Quinn ("He Don't Show
Her Anymore")
Artist Finalist
#4: Kelly Michelle ("Your Good
Girls, Gonna Go Bad")
Artist Finalist
#5: Raintown ("Picture Of
Us") * WINNER *
Artist Finalist
#6: Red Dirt Skinners ("Idaho
Blues")
Artist Finalist
#7: Redhillbillies ("Wagon
Wheel")
Artist Finalist
#8: Suzanna Shore ("Have You
Ever")
Artist Finalist
#9: Thorne Hill ("Help Me Find
The Strength")
Artist Finalist
#10: Ward Thomas
("Footnotes" (Happy Ending))
Artist Finalist
#11: Wayne Jacobs ("I Want My
Daddy")
Contemporary Country Glaswegian country music two-piece Raintown who comprise Paul Bain 35 (?) year old (Born in Kirkcaldy, Fife) and 28 year old Claire McArthur (born in Glasgow May 2, 1986)
“good friends” of UKCountryRadio.com over the years were announced the
WINNERS
of this inaugural ceremony. The
pair made their concert at Oran Mor in
Scotland on 23rd Feb 2013 a double celebration when Paul asked Claire to marry
him and she said YES. They will be wed on Wednesday 23rd Sept 2014. Independent Artists: Paul & Claire
who live in Scotland’s "YES" city have met SNP leader and First Minister Alex
Salmond in Espark in Glasgow in April 2012 and had a good chat about music!
Receiving the Artist of the Year award, Claire said "We're so happy to have won. To have just
been nominated in the category with all those great artists was great. To have
won, we're just delighted. And we're shocked as well".
It was highly likely that Raintown were told a few weeks earlier that they
had a very good chance of winning when invited to make the long trip down from
Scotland to perform on the night.
Currently being played every 28 minutes past the hour on UKCountryRadio.com
Allan Watkiss and his fellow presenters continue to champion Raintown!
Click HERE to listen to UKCountryRadiocom’s Raintown Artist Of The Year Sound bite
Raintown posted on Facebook:
A Picture with our award for UK Country Radio Artist of the year! Thanks again to you all!
Raintown describing themselves
stated: “fast gaining the reputation as one
of the hottest Country acts in Europe”! and “Wet Wet Wet had all agreed that Raintown were the real deal as far as
music was concerned”.
On their website Raintown have cited influences: Pink, Brad Paisley, Christina Aguilera,
Take That, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts.
How did it all begin? Claire McArthur: “We started working together and writing some songs
Gran Canaria |
Raintown originally
started out under the name
of "OMNI" as a pop act making a living at
weekends. They covered songs such as "It Takes
Two", “Suspicious Minds” and "Warwick Avenue”, their MySpage page was
deleted in 2014. Omni were in fact a Wedding Band for Hire as a male/female singing
duo that according to this Neil
Drover Agency page “established
a strong reputation for delivering high quality singing and a great night’s
entertainment. Over the past 5 years they have performed across the whole spectrum
of live entertainment venues, including, residencies both home and abroad,
hotels, holiday parks, social clubs, and bars. Their sets are always tailored
to the specific requirements of the client. With an extensive library of
backing tracks they can cover genres from the Swing era right through the
decades to the current chart”.
Wedding POP Band OMNI pre Raintown days |
Listen to tracks by OMNI:
According to their Facebook
page the Cumbernauld duo comprise vocalists Paul and Claire they do not
credit the musicians who have made them look better though they have
acknowledged them with this statement - “We could not do it without our
incredible band” . They have drafted in players to support them in both
acoustic and full band guises. Fiona
Cuthill (photo) and Stevie Lawrence are a fiddle and guitar/bouzouki
duo from Glasgow and members of Scottish based band “Rallion”. Lawrence was initially
involved in rock bands from schooldays and was active in the Glasgow pub rock
scene before turning to acoustic and roots music in the early eighties.
Raintown - Full Band Shot - Belladrum Festival2014 |
Stevie Kane who hails from Motherwell, North
Lanarkshire plays bass and Glasgow based Conor
Smith plays lead guitar (Country, Jazz, Blues, Pop) along with drummer Stevie
Patrick.
Paul Bain’s brother Scott Macpherson from Nairn an ancient fishing port and market town around 16 miles east of Inverness also steps in to help out.
Paul Bain’s brother Scott Macpherson from Nairn an ancient fishing port and market town around 16 miles east of Inverness also steps in to help out.
Allan Watkiss has written: “Raintown are just what the UK country scene
needs. They are one of the few UK artists whose music can be played seamlessly
alongside the big Nashville-produced country hits of today.” Allan also dubbed
them as the “UK’s answer to Lady
Antebellum”
The duo over the years have
been championed by UKCountryRadio.com’s Simon Large & Will Downie, Steve
Cherelle (BBC Radio Essex, BCMAward compere), Stewart Fenwick (Celtic Music
Radio), Graham Dryburgh (East Coast FM Community Radio Station in East Lothian) and Emily Saxton (Maverick Magazine).
Due to social media fan
voting a few years back they won two awards at the much criticized and now
defunct Scottish New Music Awards, including Record of the Year (Traditional Folk) and the duo have also embraced a bluegrass and “Country/Americana”
stance. In a BBC Radio Essex interview in March 2014 they were asked: Would you say you’re a country or folk act,
what would you describe yourself as Paul? Paul Bain: I think we’re proudly
a CONTEMPOARY COUNTRY act that’s what we are. We got some great advice early on
in Nashville from a record company CLEARLY mark your door who you are and stand
up and be proud about it and that’s what we’ve done from the start.
So what
exactly have Raintown achieved in the last year?
- In November 2013 the much hyped duo were winners
of the 2013
British Country Music Awards (BCMAwards) Duo of the Year at their
first attempt nominated by and voted by a self appointed “select”
panel. “I was told to look out for an amazing duo in Scotland called
Raintown. A few tracks were sent down and I was hooked on their original
sound. We have since met and I find them two of the most professional
young musicians with the right attitude that is going to give the UK their
own hit Country/Americana act in the very near future. ” said panellist
Lee Williams, CEO of CMR
Nashville (CMA International Broadcaster Award 2013)
- Raintown headlined a much advertised Grand Union
Promotions Songwriter’s
Evening on Sunday 10th November 2013 at Bush Hall in London playing to a crowd
of 160 people which also showcased 3 other British country music
singer/songwriters with their good friends Gary Quinn, Jeannine Barry and
Hannah Jane Lewis.
- On 13th March 2014 they headlined a London gig “Country
Collective At Canary Wharf” (East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street)
again with Hannah Jane Lewis and
Gary Quinn. In their Blurb Raintown write: Country Collective introduces its main
act, Raintown, with its strong country vocals and its hearty country
band. Paul and Claire, both
from Glasgow, are the hottest new duo to the Country/Americana scene in the UK and performed at the
inaugural Country2Country Festival in London with headliners Tim McGraw
and Carrie Underwood. NO they did not share the same stage as
superstars but played the sidelined busking/ Pop Up Stages at the O2
Complex back in March 2013
- In March for the second year running they were
invited to and played at the Country To Country (C2C) Radio 2 sponsored
Country Music Festival. As one of 30 Pop Up Stage artists Raintown played
the busking-like stages on the O2 Shop Stage, The Town Square Stage and
the much bigger Brooklyn Bowl Stage (1000 capacity) within the O2 complex to
a captive audience at the drinking and eating hole. Watch Raintown performing “Right Here With Me”
>> YouTube and a cover of the Johnny Cash hit classic >>
“Jackson” (penned by Billy Edd Wheeler and Jerry Leiber) on The Brooklyn Bowl Stage. Is this
Artist of the Year quality?
- Votes
Pour In For Raintown - They snagged the Best New Scottish Band or Solo Artist Trophy at The Scottish
Variety Awards organised by KJM Events which returned to
Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza on Saturday 22nd March 2014. "Previous winners
have all gone on to forge successful careers"
Allegedly “Celebrating the best in Scottish Variety” during an evening of
glitz and glam, the event was hosted by 105-106 Capital FM Breakfast
presenters Des & Jennie. Past
performers have included singing sensations Susan Boyle, Sandi Thom, Paolo
Nutini and Nina Nesbitt. The winner of this and the other categories in
the 2014 Scottish Variety Awards was decided by public votes online
at capitalfm.com. Once again used the
power on social media on Facebook and Twitter to encourage their 16,000+
Facebook and 5K Twitter fan base to blindly vote and they responded.
- They played at the Northern Nashville Caithness Country
Music Festival (NNCCMF) during the weekend from 18th to 20th
April 2014 at the Halkirk Riding Centre.
- Raintown
performed as a full band on Friday 7th March 2014 as part of the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival at The Black Box - Read the “Multi award winners” and
history making blurb
and event info here
- They played selective tour dates in Canada
in late June, early July including playing a July 1st Canada Day Festival.
Check out some of their Canada Stages and crowds – Image – Image (Stevie Lawrence credited
for making the tour happen)
- They
performed their signature song 'Picture of Us' and 'If This Was a Love
Song' with a >> quick interview Live on STV Glasgow's "The Riverside Show" Paul Bain:
"It's definitely a growing format and this time next year you could
see a real explosion"
- Interviews: They were interviewed by Steve
Cherelle on BBC Radio Essex on his Sunday
show (March
9, 2014) who dedicated a large chunk on his first hour inviting Claire and
Paul to join him to talk about their music, awards and goals for the
future. Steve asked: Is this your
full time work Claire, music, singing and song writing, is this ALL that
you do? Claire McArthur: We get
to play and write songs for a living. We’re touring all the time, we’re
really busy, we’re really lucky, we’re really fortunate to be travelling
around with a great band behind us as well. There are seven of us that get
out on the road and we love what we do. Trying to get a band of that size together is difficult and the
logistics of it all, so does it pay OK, are you making a living from this?
Paul Bain: What it is we view everything as an investment for the
future. So every time we do a gig and an opportunity we get to play in
front of people our country music and original country music then its
always worth doing so. Its about investment and re-investment and we just
try and keep going. With what aim,
what is the ultimate goal of this would you say? Our goal is
constantly to increase our standards and increase what we’re doing and try
and represent British Country music as the very best we can. We want to
play on the International Stage. We make no bones about it. Our goal, I’m
looking in our office here at our goal chart and the top goal is to
represent and win a CMA Award. Of
the UK? Paul Bain: CMA fest thing in Nashville Tennessee!
UKCountryRadio.com presenter Alan Perkins caught up with them in his C2C 2014 Review (March
30, 2014) he asked the question You’re
on the UP, where would you like to be in the next 5 years? Claire: Playing
on the International stage representing the UK. Paul We're always about
improving things, We want to win Country Music Association (CMA Awards).
Click HERE to listen to this very ambitious remark
Raintown signed a management deal with Peter Conway Management in August 2014 UKCountryRadio.com CEO Allan Watkiss met up with Raintown to present them with their engraved UK Artist of the Year award. After winning their many 2014 awards in Allan’s interview broadcast over the Christmas 2014 period he asked Raintown:
“You are hoping that Peter will take you where you want to go, where do you want to go”?
Paul Bain responded ”We want to be at the very top, we want to represent UK Country music on the International scene. We do want to be playing in Nashville at CMA Fest in LP Field, we want to be out on tours in Europe, we want to go to Australia and touring” and slightly retreating on their ambitions said “we want to be at least in consideration for CMA Awards”.
Listen here (first broadcast on UKCountryRadio.com on Dec 26, 2014):
Stourbridge based Ken Meakin who attended UKCountryRadio.com 7th Birthday posted “they got my vote”. Mr. Meakin “the UK’s answer to Scott Brochetta” (CEO Big Machine Records) is the active social media correspondent for many Brit country acts Wayne Jacobs, Janey Kirk, Emma Jane and has previously but no longer worked for Sarah Lucy Dole and Donna Wylde. He shared with BBC Radio Shropshire listeners that heuniquely discovered country music via Shania Twain and
The Dixie Chicks.
Two artists outside of America to achieve this are Canada’s Shania Twain (named the 1999 Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association) and New Zealand born Keith Urban (CMA 2005 Male Vocalist of the Year, Entertainer of the Year and International Artist of the Year)
Special
guest Justin Johnson producer/ drummer,
a native of the Pacific Northwest in America (www.jroom3.co.uk)
who just happens to be producing RAINTOWN’s new album at Parr Street Studios
(Coldplay, John Mayer) in Liverpool, was by sheer coincidence on hand to
present the award!
Allan Watkiss welcomed Thorne Hill & Arizona Storm to the stage for
the nights finale.
PHOTOS
Ken Meakin and his wife Julie (the first of the UKCR party goers to hit the dancefloor) looked pleased with Wayne Jacobs win! The Stourbridge pair celebrated their 12th wedding Anniversary this year. So a double celebration!
Click HERE to listen to this very ambitious remark
Raintown signed a management deal with Peter Conway Management in August 2014 UKCountryRadio.com CEO Allan Watkiss met up with Raintown to present them with their engraved UK Artist of the Year award. After winning their many 2014 awards in Allan’s interview broadcast over the Christmas 2014 period he asked Raintown:
“You are hoping that Peter will take you where you want to go, where do you want to go”?
Paul Bain responded ”We want to be at the very top, we want to represent UK Country music on the International scene. We do want to be playing in Nashville at CMA Fest in LP Field, we want to be out on tours in Europe, we want to go to Australia and touring” and slightly retreating on their ambitions said “we want to be at least in consideration for CMA Awards”.
Listen here (first broadcast on UKCountryRadio.com on Dec 26, 2014):
- In
May 2014 they were UC UP Country
magazine’s featured front cover artist for the month. Raintown wrote: “We are
honoured to be the first UK Duo to appear on the publication's
front Cover and would like to thank them for that” The Cover Image shows them holding a shiny National
Guitar though they haven’t ever played it OR any instrument to a live
audience in the 5 years since they were formed.
- In
July 2014 they played at the Southern
Fried Festival in Perth.
- In August 2014 they made their first trip to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival.
- They
have grown their Facebook likes to over 16,500 followers.
So were all
of the above worthy of Raintown's win for Artist of the Year?
As far as their loyal army of fans it most definitely is and they can do
no wrong drawing comments such as “Congratulation, well deserved”,
“Richly deserved”, “Awesome well done”, “well done you deserve it your both
hard working and great couple”
and “Biggest smile on my face waking up to this news”!!
Ken Meakin (centre) with Wayne Jacobs (R) |
Stourbridge based Ken Meakin who attended UKCountryRadio.com 7th Birthday posted “they got my vote”. Mr. Meakin “the UK’s answer to Scott Brochetta” (CEO Big Machine Records) is the active social media correspondent for many Brit country acts Wayne Jacobs, Janey Kirk, Emma Jane and has previously but no longer worked for Sarah Lucy Dole and Donna Wylde. He shared with BBC Radio Shropshire listeners that he
It is remarkable that UK country duo The Shires did not even figure in UKCountryRadio.com Artist
of the Year finalist top eleven even though in 2014 they were signed by Decca Records and secured a contract with American based
record label Universal Music Group Nashville thus becoming the first notable UK
country act to be signed to a major Nashville label (In the late 60s,
as Stuart Stevens, he made his first recordings for EMI Records and signed by
Cliffie Stone to the US Granite label in 1974 and Poacher the 70s UK first
single, ‘Darling’, made number 86 in the US country charts). The Shires
have also had a #1 UK iTunes country single,
2 country singles playlisted by BBC Radio 2 and played live sessions on
Wogan and Bob Harris Country, played live on ITV’s Saturday morning Aled Jones
hosed show are just to name a few of their highlights. Likewise Independent
unsigned duo Ward Thomas (who we
nominated when it looked they were being overlooked with no airplay on UKCountryRadio.com) have
also mirrored The Shires BBC Radio 2 success and more (BBC Breakfast) having
performed and made radio tour stops in America recorded a Nashville album and
charted for 5 weeks on the Official UK Top 100 chart (selling some 6,000 copies
at retail) and have been #1 or #2 for seven weeks on the Official UK Top
Country album chart. Recently they headlined the BBC Introducing Stage in Hyde
Park playing to a crowd of over 30,000. All this it seems counts for nothing
with the UKCountryRadio.com presenter panel and as a long term subscriber to
the UKCountryRadio.com newsletter I was given no means to vote for a Finalist.
These questions were asked to the station and so far no response! Where is the transparency?
“On My Way”
to CMA Glory?
In Raintown’s two 2014 unchallenged interviews mentioned above
they crave to win CMA Awards. They have made no mention of moving to America in
order to achieve this. They were unsurprisingly NOT included in the 1st round
ballot CMA nominations this year. There is ZERO change of receiving industry
noms as an act in their own right without being on a American label, having
distribution in America, and charting on either the Billboard album, airplay
and Hot Country Songs charts. As Inde songwriters of a hit record CMA
nominations are however achievable. Staying in their
homeland of Scotland is not going to achieve ANY breakthrough..
Non Americans have however won CMA Awards.
Non Americans have however won CMA Awards.
Two artists outside of America to achieve this are Canada’s Shania Twain (named the 1999 Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association) and New Zealand born Keith Urban (CMA 2005 Male Vocalist of the Year, Entertainer of the Year and International Artist of the Year)
Shania (meaning "on my way") assembled a demo tape of her
songs and her Huntsville manager set up a showcase to present her material to
record executives. She caught the attention of a few labels, including Mercury
Nashville Records, who signed her within a few months. Her first album failed
to sell significant copies initially then she teamed up with ex hubby producer
Mutt Lange and her second studio album, The Woman in Me were stunned record
executives, it was unlike anything else in country music. Shania Twain did meet
industry opposition when her song Whose Beds Have Your Boots Been Under? was
banned by US country-music radio stations. Twain took the song on a tour of
shopping malls, drew huge crowds and sold 12 million copies.
The song became Twain's first hit at country radio, peaking at number 11
and radio stations began putting the song into high rotation after they noticed
high amounts of the album selling!
In 1991, Keith Urban released a self-titled debut album, and charted
four singles in Australia before moving to the United States in 1992.
Eventually, he found work as a session guitarist before starting a band known
as The Ranch. “He is a hard working guy, that band played everywhere and
that he deserves to be where he is” said Cyril Rawson the writer of Keith’s
last single ‘Just Some Love’ from The Ranch album before he started his solo
career.
Opportunists/ Suspicious Minds: Raintown seeing the success that >> Lady Antebellum (“Need You Now”) and Taylor
Swift were having in the UK as pop crossover acts with remixed singles they
morphed into OMNI COUNTRY (EmKay Entetainments)
It is thought that they saw
an opportunity as a “country act” naming themselves after the Deacon Blue album
titled “Raintown”. Their bio described their sound: “Fusing the infectious elements of great pop songs with the
roots based instrumentation and a conversational writing style of Contemporary
American Country music”
In November 2010 they
released their mostly pop leaning debut album HOPE IN TROUBLED TIMES. The
album was produced and all the tracks were co-written by Greg Friel of Frielance Music who has become a somewhat
invisible “third spoke” concerning Raintown.
Apart from a POP Christmas
single Raintown have released NO new music since late 2010 and have
promoted 2 singles across Europe. Their first Hotdisc single ‘Just One Kiss’ (Image) peaked at #3 on the British &
Irish Chart and # 11 on the Hotdisc Top 40 . Their second single ‘Picture Of
Us’ secured a #3 position on British & Irish Chart and #13 on the main
HOTDISC Top 40 Chart - Feb 2011 chart
In fact by us
requesting their single “Picture Of Us”
to several radio stations resulted in what may have been their first
ever local BBC radio spin by Allan Watkiss on his then BBC Radio Sheffield “Your Country” programme on 24th July 2011 when
he said: “Paul Bain and Claire McArthur they’re a great young Scottish duo, I
think they are our answer to Lady Antebellum, they’re superb”. A few weeks
later on 7 August 2011 listener Simon
Large, now a UKCountryRadio.com weekend presenter (“the walking Encyclopaedia
from Doncaster”) emailed in endorsing the comment with:“ The UK’s answer to
Lady Antebellum”. Three other local BBC country shows also played their music
in 2011/2012 and Glasgow based radio station Celtic Music Radio who surprising had never heard of them and also came on board.
To our knowledge Raintown
have had just two spins on BBC Radio
Scotland the first was on the Iain Anderson's show on Aug 10, 2010 when “Just One Kiss” was
played when they rubbed shoulders on the playlist appropriately with Lady
Antebellum's "Run To You" who they cited as an influence – See BBC Page
** BUY ** Raintown
- Hope In Troubled Times - Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #54,935 in MP3 Albums.
In 5 years they have NOT had any airplay on BBC Radio 2 despite their fans who continuously pester presenter Bob Harris on Twitter to play them. In all honesty HOPE IN TROUBLED TIMES just has the one stand-out track “Picture of Us” and a slightly celtic-flavoured “Just One Kiss” the rest of the material is fairly average and not really recognizable as what many would associate “country”.
UKCountryRadio.com, have, and continue to play these two songs to death which begs the question: Can you burn laser groves into a CD or wear out an MP3?!
Graham Rodgers (UKCR Webpage) the UKCountryRadio.com presenter for The Songwriters' Hour (fourth Tuesday of every month at
8pm) introduced the second UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Song nominee
when the likely and down to earth Northern lass Lucy Zirins playing acoustic guitar performed
song #3 “The Last One”
SUPPORT UK Country Music
Gary talks about the stories behind his songs performing tracks from his self titled successfully crowd funded Pledge Music album. The album released back in October 2013 has received critical acclaim but has had lukewarm response at the online retail websites rarely troubling the UK iTunes Top 1500 Album chart but with a massive airplay push the last month by UKCountryRadio.com playing "On Your Way Out" it has seen movement on Amazon UK with a Bestsellers Rank of #88,172 to #42,933 in MP3 Albums. Perhaps Quinn sells bucket loads at this live gigs? In his set we discover if Gary is a LEG, BUM, or BOOB man with one his cheeky tunes!
In 5 years they have NOT had any airplay on BBC Radio 2 despite their fans who continuously pester presenter Bob Harris on Twitter to play them. In all honesty HOPE IN TROUBLED TIMES just has the one stand-out track “Picture of Us” and a slightly celtic-flavoured “Just One Kiss” the rest of the material is fairly average and not really recognizable as what many would associate “country”.
UKCountryRadio.com, have, and continue to play these two songs to death which begs the question: Can you burn laser groves into a CD or wear out an MP3?!
The fact that
the overall album is not of a high enough standard and that as a duo they do
not play instruments without the help of others hardly makes them ideal Radio 2
candidates.
>> Stream/
Download <<
their 2010 single “Just One Kiss” (Radio Edit) a perfect track for Valentines!
As far as Raintown winning CMA Awards? Well this year has been something as
the year of the duo with many new young acts bursting onto the scene in America
and UK country acts The Shires, Ward
Thomas and Salisbury pop/country duo
Millers Daughter breaking through
and racing ahead of Raintown with BBC Radio 2 endorsements and “A” and “B” list
play-listing to the largest UK radio audience. In Europe The Common Linnets released easily one of the best albums in 2014
in any genre finishing runners up in Eurovision and selling large numbers at retail.
So How Have Raintown Progressed?
Phil McLoughlin bigging up
Raintown on Showcase TV on his Phil Mack International Country Show, compared
them to multi award winning CMA duo and Platinum selling artists when he said “I would put Paul and Claire, Raintown on
a par with Sugarland. They are absolutely brilliant and an absolute credit
to Scotland. They can mix it with the best; Nashville eat your heart out.”
However the nearest they
have come to the Hit PARADE is this
The pretty Claire is by
far the better singer of the two whilst Paul Bain’s vocal seem to have
improved very little to my ears in 4 years, having little appeal and are very
hard to engage with. With the addition of a full band they have certainly added
a new energy to their live show. Paul has upped his onto stage “pumping” and
“air guitar” antics as can be seen in these 2014 videos of their cover of Keith
Urban’s >> “Love
Somebody Like You” in their prestigious Country Collective headline
at the Canary Wharf Wintergarden (joined by BCMAward winners Gary Quinn, Luke
&Thomas and Hannah Jane Lewis) and performing >> “Ship of Fools” in Belfast.
I would liken Raintown to a
countrified version of late 1970s and 1980s version pop vocal duo Dollar (David
Van Day and Canadian-born Thereza Bazar) with Paul having a country twist on a Paul
Nicholas-type 80s showbiz style. Despite all the hype and endorsements
elsewhere on Radio and other UK country websites at this stage it real does
feel like cabaret / Cruise Ship entertainment quality.
Their sophomore album was to
be released in 2014 but has been put back to 2015. Perhaps they can come up
with something special after 5 years and really “Light The Fuse Up” on the
British & International scene. Better UK acts have come and gone into the
UK country ozone, maybe Raintown can prove us wrong?
To conclude I think UKCountryRadio.com and their long time subscribers
(If anyone DID get to vote?) have got this first Artist of the Year award wrong
and it is an insult to others who really have achieved something special on the
UK scene the likes of which I haven’t seen in following country music since
1993.
UKCountryRadio.com
7th Birthday Party Live Event (Review)
The team at UKCountryRadio.com said: “a big thank you to all 11 acts
that have performed this evening: The
Elbow Jake Band, Grand Prairie, Raintown, Interactive - Band in Murcia, Kelly
Michelle Country Tribute, Lucy Zirins , Suzanna Shore, Wayne Jacobs, The
Band with No Name (Allan Wattkiss & Richard Freeman), Gary Quinn, Thorne Hill and Arizona Storm.
Grand Prairie a Country/ Rock/
Blues band who had just returned from the USA (where they performed with
Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogarty) kicked off the main event Live
event. The band consist Jenny Ormonde (Vocals, harmonica, flute and
accordion), Rob Wilson (Vocals and
bass), Howard Tibble (Drums). See more at: Grand Prairie.co.uk
Here we share the AUDIO highlights of the evening and describe each
segment as it unfolded.
Segment ONE (28:41):
Artist of the Year nominees Raintown (Paul Bain and Claire) joined
by two fellow musicians Stevie Lawrence (acoustic guitar) and Scott
Macpherson (bass) were next up to perform an acoustic set. They performed three
tracks from their “current” (2010) album along with a Keith Urban cover and a
couple of new songs put into their 2014 sets. They are still working on new
music and they promised a new album would be “available in 2015”. Some of the
patter had been heard before when describing the songs a few years ago at the
same event. The guitar playing at times was frantic, especially on Somebody
Like You, why such a fast pace?
Setlist: This One’s A Love Song, I Won’t Dance Alone, Somebody Like You (Keith Urban cover), Writing On The
Wall, Picture Of Us, Love’s Got A Hold Of You/ Jackson
Segment TWO (23:12):
UKCountryRadio.com presenter Martyn Williams (Afternoons Mon - Weds from
1pm) speaks with three of the 5 UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Song Award nominees:
a)
Lucy Zirins talks about her song
writing, her nominated song and performs a version of Brandi Carlile’s "That
Wasn't Me" from her 2012 album BEAR REEK b) Suzanna Shaw talks song writing and performs a cover of Patsy
Cline’s song from 1961 “There He Goes” c)
Wayne Jacobs talks about his
inspirations for penning songs and reveals that the BBC emailed and phoned him
when The Voice UK were looking for country singers! Wayne the UKCountryRadio.com reigning champ
for the last 2 years failed to get through to part B on the auditions out of
apparently 1000’s. Jacobs workin’ his way up the country ladder has taken voice
lessons and is getting the “American twang right now” in order to match the
lyrics and please his American friends. Wayne performs his BBC audition song "Bless
the Broken Road" is a song co-written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd and
Jeff Hanna recorded by Rascal Flatts although the best version was cut by Melodie
Crittenden. Wayne said the song brings out his “Buddy Holly range”
Put
yourself in The Voice production team chair and see why they didn’t put him
through.
Click below to listen how Wayne Jacobs would have sounded at his Voice UK audition!
Click below to listen how Wayne Jacobs would have sounded at his Voice UK audition!
Segment THREE (7:01):
Will
"Big Dawg" Downie (UKCR Webpage ) the UKCountryRadio.com
presenter on the Interactive show (Saturday 6pm for including half an hour of
Hardcore Country) introduced the first UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Song nominee
Interactive Murcia based in Southern
Spain. Geraldine Pointing (photo with her daughters) was there to
represent the band (who also comprise Ann Stevens and Colin Stevens) to perform
song #1 “A Woman's Way” using backing tracks.
Segment FOUR (3:54):
Richard Edeson (UKCR Webpage ) the UKCountryRadio.com presenter (Mon, Tues and Weds from 1pm and Weekend Showcase 12- 2pm,
Late Night Love Affair every Sunday night from 10pm) introduced the
second UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Song nominee Kelly
Michelle to perform song
#2 “Losing You” with the help of a
backing track.
Segment FIVE (6:06):
We LOVE LUCY ! x |
Segment SIX (6:13):
The “Rockin’ Rebel” Graham L.Hall (UKCR Webpage) the UKCountryRadio.com presenter for Country Spirit: Real people making Real music played
with Real feeling" (Sat 8pm and Sunday 5pm) introduced the fourth UKCountryRadio.com
Listeners' Club Song nominee Suzanna Shore to perform song #4 “Sunflower Lady” with the help of a backing track.
Segment SEVEN (5:26):
Nutty Norah (UKCR Webpage) the UKCountryRadio.com presenter Friday night late and Thursday afternoon show presenter
introduced
the fifth UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Song nominee Wayne
Jacobs to perform song #5 “In Cold Blood” which he wrote but was recorded by Tom Manche on the
single itself.
Segment EIGHT (11:51):
Rob Wilson Grand Prairie member
introduced The Band
With No Name. This evening was meant
to launch an exciting brand new acoustic trio fronted by popular UK country
music artist Paul Martin. However due to an illness in the family Paul was unable
to attend. The other members, season guitarist Richard Freemand and
UKCountryRadio.com's very own CEO Allan Watkiss on keyboards carried on. At
times it brought to mind being in the audience at Mr Boos in Scarborough and
The Little Voice film.
Setlist: No More Cloudy Days (Eagles/ Glenn Frey cover), Missouri (David
Nail), Longer Than (Dan Fogelberg cover), "I Don't Want to Put a Hold On
You" (A cover of Opportunity Knocks winner Berni Flint’s #3 UK Singles
Chart), Raining In My Heart (Buddy Holly cover), Bless The Broken Road (Racal
Flatts)
Segment NINE (5:35):
The presentation for UKCountryRadio.com
Listeners' Club Song Award 2014. The winner for the last 2 years Wayne Jacobs was called up to announce the award and it’s his third in
a row! He thought he’d said goodbye to said trophy when he was up on his roof
drinking coffee holding it pointing his chimney like you do.
>> Listen to the original recording on soundcloud
Segment TEN (5:35):
Allan Watkiss welcomed Northern Ireland singer songwriter and Wigan,
Lancashire based Gary Quinn a UKCountryRadio.com Artist
of the Year 2014 nominee. The “Mighty” Quinn” has
been described by Allan as “one of the hardest working UK artists” and that he is "One of the UK's Fastest
rising country stars".
SUPPORT UK Country Music
Gary talks about the stories behind his songs performing tracks from his self titled successfully crowd funded Pledge Music album. The album released back in October 2013 has received critical acclaim but has had lukewarm response at the online retail websites rarely troubling the UK iTunes Top 1500 Album chart but with a massive airplay push the last month by UKCountryRadio.com playing "On Your Way Out" it has seen movement on Amazon UK with a Bestsellers Rank of #88,172 to #42,933 in MP3 Albums. Perhaps Quinn sells bucket loads at this live gigs? In his set we discover if Gary is a LEG, BUM, or BOOB man with one his cheeky tunes!
Setlist: "I Forgot About You", "Dodge Your Bullet",
"On Your Way Out", "He Don't Show Her Anymore" (British
Country Music Awards 2013 Song Of The Year:)
Segment ELEVEN (6:24):
It’s the BIG REVEAL time who has won UKCountryRadio.com’s UK Country Artist of the
Year for 2014?
Allan Watkiss (L) & Justin Johnson announce the winner |
And the winner, to cheers,
are the mighty Glasgow duo RAINTOWN!
“It’s
about progressing, its about being persistence. Our goal is to constantly
improve (blah blah). We’re working with Peter Conway down in London. Our goal
is to continue to grow, to try and take our version of country, keep it
moving and do our very best to represent and UKCountryRadio and UK Country out
there and try and do our best” said Raintown’s Paul Bain.
Yes
there was a “massive” industry announcement on the night as Raintown have
signed a management
deal with Peter Conway
Management who been operational since the year 2000. Founded by the owner
and Managing Director Peter Conway, Peter Conway Management (158 Westcombe
Hill, Blackheath, London SE3 7DH UK; Facebook Page - peterconwaymanagement ) has gone from strength to strength over the last
decade, establishing itself as a leader in the Music Management and Promotion industry.
From the website: Peter Conway Management manages, promotes and provides
bespoke consultancy services to musicians, venues, festivals and corporate
clients alike. Based in South East London the company has a global presence
which is underpinned by an honest, reliable and sustainable approach to
business and working relationships. Its dedication to providing the very best
quality service has supported the growth of the business even during difficult
economic times.
Earlier
in the evening full time musicians Raintown who do music for a living,
revealed after IMPORTANT meetings there will be big news for early 2015 with plans
to go to travel to Australia and Canada! Could this be a big stride to winning
the CMA Awards they seek! Watch this space!
We hope Claire and Paul had a very happy Wedding Day and best wishes for
a happy life together as Mr & Mrs Bain.
Segment TWELVE (6:29):
Thorne Hill & Arizona Storm play to a packed Derby dancefloor |
In what might well be Thorne’s last performance with the band. In a bid
to go out with a bang and fill the UKCountryRadio.com party
dance floor they threw in some well
known songs by US acts and a few originals. Hill’s music received extensive
airplay by the station in the lead up to the awards night.
Setlist included: "Gone Country" (Alan Jakson), "Watching
You" (Rodney Atkins), "Chattahoochee" (Alan Jakson),
>> Listen to
ALL UKCountryRadio.com 7th Birthday Party highlights and 12 live performance segments listed using
the drop down scroll bar on
the right-hand side of the music player.
NOTE: As sound auto-starting can be annoying at times when you visit a
page, the player mutes the media by default.
PRESS the >> PLAY button and then the SOUND icon and adjust the level with the slider.
PRESS the >> PLAY button and then the SOUND icon and adjust the level with the slider.
PHOTOS
FACEBOOK Gallery UKCountryRadio.com's 7th Birthday Party!
Bain Check:
UKCountryRadiocom CEO Allan Watkiss anxiously awaits the arrival of Artist Of The Year nominees RAINTOWN and hopes their cheque has cleared at the Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel reception!
UKCountryRadiocom CEO Allan Watkiss anxiously awaits the arrival of Artist Of The Year nominees RAINTOWN and hopes their cheque has cleared at the Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel reception!
Ken Meakin and his wife Julie (the first of the UKCR party goers to hit the dancefloor) looked pleased with Wayne Jacobs win! The Stourbridge pair celebrated their 12th wedding Anniversary this year. So a double celebration!
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