James Neill - ProfilesArchive

About Me

James Neill
1980: Born as one of twins (not identical) in Newport to Welsh mother and Norwegian fisherman father.
1980-1990: Spend most of the time throwing up over the side of a boat on the North Sea.
1991: Take up flugelhorn (self-taught).
1994: Become youngest member of Norwegian Maritime Brass Jazz Band (NMBJB).
1997-1999: Tour Indonesia with NMBJB playing 650 different islands (spend most of the time throwing up over the side of a boat). Culminate with a gig in Jakarta to 20,000 people and a further 3 million tv and radio listeners.
17th Dec. 1999: Voted Asia's Best Flugelhorn Player Of The Year in jazz magazine poll despite being Welsh born son of a Norwegian fisherman.
18th Dec. 1999: Give up flugelhorn.
2000: Return to Wales, take up bass and join 'Stormflies'.
2000-2002: Get sucked into the "music industry". Band break up after managers involved in tax evasion.
2003-2005: Join twin brother Andrew's band 'This Motion Picture' playing guitar when he can't make it. Don't think the rest of the band realise I'm not Andrew or that I ever play with them. Play melodica on 'This Motion Picture' demo.
2005: Concentrate on writing and recording after tiring of the live scene. Record two seperate albums simultaneously 'The Nightbird Died' and 'Songs For The Orien's Bride And Other Melodies', first solo albums. Leave 'This Motion Picture'.
Dec. 2005 - Jan. 2006: Record album 'the mirror and the wave', 'This Motion Picture' singer Nick Thomas guests on 'Take Me To The Cross Today'.
Mid 2006: Record album 'The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo'.
Early 2007: Start work on new album with working title 'Widow's Kiss'.
Mid 2007: Finish recording 'Widow's Kiss' album, to celebrate record a 10 song Covers album in one weekend.
Late 2007: Finally mix 'The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo'. Record 5 song EP produced by Gethin Pearson of band Tournaments in proper studio.
Early 2008: Release 'The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo' for FREE and vow to do better job of finishing projects off before starting a new one. Start to record follow up album to not yet mixed or released 'Widow's Kiss' album.
All albums are made by James Neill at home.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/19/2006
Band Members: All singing, strumming, drumming, picking, plucking, playing, arm waving, blowing and noise making by James Neill.

Guests: Nick Thomas: Backing Vocals on 'Take Me To The Cross Today' from 'the mirror and the wave'.
Influences: More a list of artists I like: Tom Waits, Neil Young, Howe Gelb/Giant Sand, Carina Round, Cat Power, Magnetic Fields, Velvet Underground, Sparklehorse, Ed Harcourt, Neko Case, John Coltrane, Brazilian Tropicalia Movement (esp. Os Mutantes), Gram Parsons, Hank Williams, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Nick Drake, Calexico, Magnolia Electric Co., Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash, Decemberists, Wilco, Whiskeytown, M Ward, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Built To Spill, Skip James, Modern Lovers, Beck, Bob Dylan, Low, Explosions In The Sky, Ron Sexsmith, Gillian Welch, My Morning Jacket etc. etc.
Sounds Like: Get a FREE Download of my album The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo at

http://cob24.sharebig.com/d/szryzsrqv/0tLjraU4820C8AD0E/Jame s%20Neill%20The%20Bird%20Who%20Suffered%20From%20Vertigo.zip .htm

If you find that the link is dead just send me a message and I'll re-upload it asap and let you know.
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Album Uploaded Again!

So......http://cob24.sharebig.com/d/szryzsrqv/0tLjraU4820C8A D0E/James%20Neill%20The%20Bird%20Who%20Suffered%20From%20Ver tigo.zip.htmThanks to those who let me know the previous link was dead.Until nex...
Posted by James Neill on Tue, 06 May 2008 02:48:00 PST

Re-upped My Album - Download For Free

HiThanks to all those that have already downloaded the ’The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo’ album but the previous link is now dead so if you’d still like a copy for FREE then g...
Posted by James Neill on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:36:00 PST

The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo Available Free!!!

Hi AllAfter much careful thought and comtemplation I have decided to make my album 'The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo' available to download for free.Please feel free to go tohttp://www.sha...
Posted by James Neill on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:27:00 PST

The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo and Other Info

Hello AllSo.....I've finally finished mixing 'The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo' and sorting out all the bits and pieces. You can see the cover art in my photos.The Tracklisting is:1. Int...
Posted by James Neill on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:50:00 PST

Been A While....News!!!!!!!

HiSo it's been a long time, I've been really busy so sorry for not checking in more often.Firstly I've been recording, at home I've almost finished a new album which is provisionally called 'Widow's K...
Posted by James Neill on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:29:00 PST

Guest Appearance

HiJust to let you know you can hear me featuring on one of my good friend Nick Thomas's songs at the moment. He came to me in summer '05 for help with a song he'd written that he ...
Posted by James Neill on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:46:00 PST

The Ballad Of The Bullet And The Knife - New Upload & Other Info

HiThanks for all the messages asking what I've been up to and when 'The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo' will be released. Well, I've been busy with writing the next album and several non-music r...
Posted by James Neill on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:53:00 PST

WANTED Window Breakers (musicians)

Wanted: Musicians for the band The Window BreakersWith 2007 fast approaching I'm looking for musicians to form a kinda backing band for my music. I'd like to start to play some full band g...
Posted by James Neill on Fri, 01 Dec 2006 03:14:00 PST

Beneath The Train - New Upload

So as promised here's another upload. This time it's a sneak preview of a "The Bird Who Suffered From Vertigo" album track. In this case it's "Beneath The Train".This songs lyrics came to ...
Posted by James Neill on Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:19:00 PST

Out Of This World - New upload

So as promised I've uploaded a new song "Out Of This World" (well new upload, the song is quite old actually).It's the last song on "the mirror and the wave" album and it's probably the most requested...
Posted by James Neill on Sat, 30 Sep 2006 08:40:00 PST