Rebecca Jones profile picture

Rebecca Jones

About Me


The album has now officially been launched. We broke a miniature bottle of champagne on its side and sent it floating down the Tyne. Actually we had a rather marvellous launch party at the Star and Shadow, with Richard Dawson, Nathalie Stern and Jeans Goes Pop playing support. Thanks to everyone who showed up and made it great and to all the volunteers whp helped to hang giant pink origami birds from the ceiling etc. You can buy the album from me, or online at ex libris records-just clickon the link below. People seem to like it so far so I feel very pleased like a proud parent and now I can kick back and start writing album 2.
Order Now
The album was played recently by Steve Lamacq on radio 2! Alas, I missed it and couldn't get the iplayer thing to work but was still immensely pleased, as you can imagine.
Reviews:
"To place this as a new folk standard would not be to over-praise" - The Cuckoo Press
"real potential to break into the mainstream. A deeply introspective collection of songs, her mix of baroque instrumentation, sweeping vocals and acoustic-dashed folk particularly effective on album highlights Walking In The Rain and Dragonfly." - METRO newspaper
"frightfully good" - NARC magazine
"Jones rejects the verse/chorus, guitar/voice straightjacket of most acoustic albums" - Hotpress
"Rebecca's fantastic voice is somewhere between folk singer and drama queen. Overall it's an intriguing album and enough to make her stand out in a world of female singer-songwriters" - Indie mp3 review
"anyone who can write a song entitled Byker Bridge and make it sound appealing is worth a listen in my book" -NARC magazine
Thanks, guys and gals! x
Huge thanks to all of the wonderful people who lent their talents in the form of saxophone, clarinet, cello, accordion, violin, bass, piano, cymbals, wine glasses and kitchen implements in the making of the album. Thanks too to Andrew for openning up a world of possibility and making my demanding dreams come true. Some of these wonderful musicians are now playing with me live. We're after a drummer/percussionist if you know anybody.
There' s an ep of acoustic versions of a few of my songs, called 'fairfield road recordings' available for free download from the ex libris website. They have a few more of my songs up on the website (www.exlibrisrecords.co.uk), along with an entire live recording (solo acoustic)
Anyway here's the about me bit: Sex: female, Nationality: nondescript, Star Sign: Scorpio, Religion: none (biophile) A Few of My Favourite things: birds and all living creatures, flight, mountains, red earth, dreams, eyes, dragonflies, rusted old farm machinery, people being nice when there's nothing in it for them, comfortable silences, poetry, staying up late, graffiti, eggs, the weather, the many ways that noise can be made, the alphabet, monsoons, autumn, libraries, lighthouses, natural history museums, rats, trains, berries, surrealism, single malts, red things, blue things, green things etc
People always want you to be one kind of person-it makes things much simpler all round and it's why first impressions are so important. But I feel like I've been just about everybody at one time or other, so I try to write songs from as many different perspectives as possible. I don't like the way music has become a fashion accessory for so many people. Everybody is far more complex than their image allows for, so that attitude just puts imaginary limitations on things. Music is not cool-it's better than that.
I don't like the term singer-songwriter. It's too clinical. We don't call bands 'singers-songwriters/musicians assembled'. I think we need a new word. We were talking recently and apparently Amelia Earhart used to insist on being called a 'flyer' rather than a pilot, and I decided that I'd like to be called a 'player' (at least until I get my pilot's license). Unfortunately there are certain womanising connotations that come with that word but I reckon it's far too good a word to be wasted on such a silly idea and surely we're past all that now anyway. Plus think of all the ink we'll save, and by extension, trees.
I also paint (if you use inks, is it called inking?) and I've got some of those on here under pictures, and I've put some poems I've written up as blogs.
The video shows Sarah doing her cello part for 'December's burning', which is beautiful. Some videos of me and the full band playing live are on their way.
We're in the process of organising gigs out of town and possibly country, so if you want us to play where you are, give us a shout and we'll see what we can do. x
.. .. ..
DOWNLOAD OUR MUSIC NOW! High quality, full tracks Rebecca Jones Singles Of You, Somewhere Free Love Dragonfly Requires WMP 10 or higher, available here.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 23/02/2007
Band Members: Me on guitar and vocals, cuarto, recorder and percussion

Becca Evans on saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet, glockenspiel

Andy Warmington on gold guitar and trumpet, backing vocals

Ian Leaf on bass, keyboards, backing vocals

Patrick John Lawrence on violin, percussion

Laura Hewison ..o, backing vocals

Miki Noune ..boards, backing vocals, cymbals

We change the name of the band every time we do a gig because a) we can't agree, b) there is no name that can fully do us justice and c) it's fun

Names we have had: Rebecca Jones and the last crusade, Rebecca Jones and the homewreckers (an in-joke), Rebecca Jones and the Dark Knights (in hommage to Heath), Rebecca Jones and the Terrible Braves, Rebecca Jones and Steve Albini's teeny weeny meanies...

Various other wonderful musicians featured on the album include Sarah Gill, cello, Patrick John Lawrence on violin, Jeremy Williams on accordion, Andy Warmington on guitar, Adrian Martineau on bass guitar, James Emsell on bass guitar, Alex Hall on cymbals, Joe Fowler on piano and keys, Andrew Gardiner on guitar, keys, backing vocals, kitchen implements, lamps, the cupboard under the stairs etc...

If you play something and would like to join the band, then get in touch: I won't be happy till I have a full orchestra
Influences:

My mother sang folk songs (Irish, Scottish, English and American) to us when we were growing up, so they can't help but be an influence. She's a wonderful singer with a huge repertoire. I always kind of felt that songs existed by themselves, without any need for authors, like they sprang fully-formed into our collective unconscious like Venus on a shell. It took me years to even realise that some of the songs she sang had authors. Of course others were anonymous, and evolved down the ages like chinese whispers, with different singers adding or subtracting lyrics according to heir own interpretation. I still love this about folk music, and I like the fact that the line between artist and audience is blurred. It seems more honest than the they 'they artist-god, we audience' attitude so many people have today. I'm also a biologist, and one of the things I love so much about music is that it can't be explained. It's an instinct to people, like eating, sleeping, sex, and it evolved in every human society, along with story-telling. So it must be necessary, and it belongs to everybody.

I listened to all kinds of things as a kid. Particularly I remember Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen was my favourite song when I was about two. Apparently I was at a Rolling Stones concert as a foetus.

With the musical explosion of adolescence came Radiohead (who taught me that I wanted alarms and surprises,), Nirvana, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Jimi Hendrix and (oh joy) Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Doors , and I embraced punk, hippieness, glam rock and soul at various stops along the line

If you crack open my head and look inside, you'll see lots of tiny little records playing at once, some of which would be: Del Shannon-Runaway, The Ronettes-Be My Baby, The Mamas and the Papas-California Dreamin', The Scissor Sisters-I don't feel like Dancing, The Smiths-Heaven knows I'm miserable now, Tom Waits-Tom Traubert's blues (4 sheets to the wind in Copenhagen), Sam Cooke-A Change is Gonna Come, Jerry Lee Lewis-Great Balls of Fire, Dick Dale and his Deltones-Surf Rider, Billie Holiday-Stormy Weather, Jacques Brel-Madeleine, Edith Piaf-Milord, Melanie Safka-Alexander Beetle, Blind Willie Johnson-John the Revelator, Tina Turner-River Deep, Mountain high, Shin Jin Rui-The Queen's Complaint, The Tornadoes-Telstar, The twin peaks them tune, Magnolia Electric Company-Farewell Transmission, Sid Vicious-My Way, Dexy's Midnight Runners-Geno, The Clash-The Magnificent Seven, The Beach Boys-Good Vibrations, Jefferson Airplane-Eyrie, Kate Bush-This woman's work, Rusted Root-Simeomiway, The Bugs-Yeah, I really know what you mean, Paul Simon-Gracelands, Jacques Brel-Le Plat Pays, Leonard Cohen-Famous Blue Raincoat, Jeff Buckley-Corpus Christi Carol, Jimmy Cliff-Many Rivers to Cross, Nina Simone-I got it bad and that aint good, Queen-I want to break free, Aretha Franklin-The House that Jack Built, Bob Dylan-Visions of Johanna, Prince-Kiss, Gershwin-Rhapsody in Blue, Tim Hardin-Reason to Believe, Hank Williams-I'm so Lonesome I could cry, Eddie Cochrane-something else, Big Brother and the Holding Company-a Combination of the Two, The Rolling Stones-Gimme Shelter, U2-Running to Stand Still, Holly Cole-I can see clearly now, Bruce Springsteen-Dancin in the Dark, Elton John-Tiny Dancer, Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms, Ray Charles-Georgia, Shivaree-Goodnight Moon, Ultravox-Vienna, Sister Rosetta Tharpe-Moonshine, Various-Summertime, Bob Marley-Three little birds, Antony and the Johnsons-I am a bird now, Dr John-Such a Night, Dusty Springfield-Son of a Preacherman, The Grateful Dead-Friend of the Devil, David Bowie-Sound and Vision, Christmas-God rest ye merry gentlemen, Edith Piaf-Autumn Leaves, Woody Guthrie-big rock candy mountains, Elvis Costello-Mischievous Ghost, Fats Domino-Blueberry Hill, David Bowie-Quicksand, Audrey Hepburn-Moon River, Joni Mitchell-Amelia, Guided by Voices-Gill Hives, The Small Faces-I feel much better, The Pixies-Caribou, Marilyn Monroe-Diamond's are a girl's best friend, Pink Floyd-Wish you were here, Roxy Music-Ladytron, Martha Wainright-Factory, M.I.A.-Paper Planes, Pulp-Common People, Rage against the Machine-Killing in the name of, Nirvana-lake of fire, Liza Minelli-Mein Lieber Herr, The Replacements-Unsatisfied, Patti Smith-Gloria, The Staple Singers-when will we be paid for the work we've done?, REM-I will try not to breathe, Will Oldham-I see a darkness, The Magnetic Fields-When my boy walks down the street, Arcade Fire-In the back seat, Judy Garland-Over the Rainbow, Micky 3D-L'Histoire de l'etre Humain, Grandmaster Flash-White Lines, Paul Robeson-Go down, Moses, The Band-Up on Cripple Creek, The French-The Animals, The Pogues-Fairytale of New York, Neil Young-Helpless, Buddy Holly-I guess it doesn't matter anymore, Brecht & Weil-Alabama song, The Animals-Bring it on Home, Gwen Stefani-Hollaback Girl, Meiko Kaji-Urami Bushi, The Everly Brother-Dream, Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris-Love Hurts, The Mamas and the Papas-Monday, Monday, These United Sates-Can you Picture That?, Wilson Pickett-the dark end of the street, The Shirelles-Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Otis Redding-Hard to Handle, Janis Joplin-Somebody to Love, Van Morrison-Caravan, Bobby Darin-Somewhere beyond the sea, The Doors-LA Woman, Simon and Garfunkle-the only living boy in New York, The Beatles-Long, long, long,The Gypsy Kings-Hotel California, Al Jolson-Swanee, Led Zeppelin-Going to California, Radiohead-Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong, Jimi Hendrix-Little Wing, Bessie Smith-Mistreater, Josephine Baker-J'ai deux amours, Bizet-Carmen (the whole thing), Grieg-Pier Gynt, Mozart-The Magic Flute, Tchaikovsky-Swan Lake, Beethoven-Pastoral Symphony, La Marseillaise ...

Other influences: Ali Farke Toure, Carmen Linares, The Silver Jews, Jeff Lewis, Alan Lomax, Jean Ritchie, Ewan McColl, Ute Lemper, William Blake, Rudyard Kipling, W.B. Yeats, Keats, Coleridge, Walter de la Mare, Allen Ginsberg, birds, frogs and butterflies...

These are some of my paintings (or inkings)

snow geese

blue geisha

autumn

Record Label: Ex-Libris Records www.exlibrisrecords.co.uk
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Sabbatical

Hi,      I thought I should explain, to anyone who's interested, that I'm not currently, nor have any immediate plans to be, in Britain right now. I have granted myself 6 months leave to go off and fi...
Posted by on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:30:00 GMT

Britney Spears - an explanation

I have had questions, so I intend to answer them. Yes, I have been very much listening to Britney for the past week. I forget how it began. Suffice to say that I ended up watching the video for 'Cir...
Posted by on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:01:00 GMT

The poetry and pathos of youtube comments to 80s power ballads

I couldn't help but notice the emotional content of most of the youtube comments people had made to various 80s power ballads that I must admit I was enjoying in quite an ironic, cynical, detached, no...
Posted by on Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:56:00 GMT

Yet another review (Metro paper)

Rebecca Jones emerges with Out Of Waterby Andrew Fenwick The debut album from Dublin-born, Brussels-raised and now Newcastle-based songstress Rebecca Jones is released tomorrow. One of a growing breed...
Posted by on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:09:00 GMT

Another Review

from Indie mp3 review:By Russell BarkerJudging by the songs on Rebecca Jones' album, the Newcastle audiences of her adopted hometown have been enjoying some treats for a while now. It all starts with ...
Posted by on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:18:00 GMT

Album Review Cuckoo Press

By Debbora Hall @ the Cuckoo PressTo place this as a new folk standard would not be to over-praise; the traditional structures give a longevity to the completely non-pretentious and haunting melodies ...
Posted by on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:46:00 GMT

Review of last months gig at the End

by Chris PeetAs well as having a stunning voice and an accent that can make a man weak at the knees, Rebecca Jones' genial nonchalence and subtle, lazy-Sunday tunes - tonight enhanced by her steadfast...
Posted by on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:42:00 GMT

Review (NARC) of the album

By Craig WilsonThere's some exceptional female talent in the North East these days. Bridie Jackson, Fiona Sally Miller, Kate Young: we're not short of quirky, original musical entertainment. Of this w...
Posted by on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:27:00 GMT

Played on Radio 2 by Steve Lamacq

Hurray! I must be coming up in the world, because Steve Lamacq played 'Free Love' this evening on his show. Check out his website: steve lamacqI'm stupidly proud and will forever be filled with a warm...
Posted by on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:33:00 GMT

review

Here's the latest review of the album, from a website called 'Russel's Reviews': Rebecca Jones - Out Of Water (Ex Libris Records)By Russell BarkerJudging by the songs on Rebecca Jones' album, the Newc...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:40:00 GMT