Gareth's biography from fancy new Official

[Snowdrop]

I thought it was worth having a record of the biography from Gareth's fancy new site (www.garethgates.com)

It's not so much a biography as a statement about how Gareth made the new album, and it contains some really interesting information about who he has been working with. :smile:

'This is how I’d always thought you made an album…'

It has been over three years since Gareth Gates last had a single in the charts. It says something about the level of his previous success that its chart position ­ Number 4 ­ was perceived as a disappointment. It was seen as the beginning of the end for one of the most recognised faces in pop; a chart placing which kick-started a downward spiral which, within twelve months, left Gareth unsigned. From the outside, it looked like it was all over.

Away from the glare, Gareth had other ideas. He face wasn’t in the papers because he wasn’t going out ­ he was up all night in his home studio, and when he did go out it was with his beloved notebook, pages full of scrawled song ideas, lyrics, thoughts and observations. Rather than withdrawing and licking his wounds or hitting the sauce, Gareth was revelling in this new-found musical freedom. Having stepped off the annual album and arena tour treadmill, he finally found the time and the space to grow up. His management company 19 Entertainment stuck with him and the result is the astonishing new single ‘Changes’, and the album ‘Pictures On The Other Side’.

‘Pictures On The Other Side’ is an album packed with songs whose melodic spark will appeal to Gareth’s existing (and still surprisingly hardcore) fans, but these songs also carry a sonic depth and truthfulness which will catch the attention of those who might never have expected to enjoy a Gareth Gates record. ‘Pictures On The Other Side’ was produced in its entirety by Martin Terefe, the hotshot producer responsible for standout tracks from KT Tunstall and Ron Sexsmith, and whose talents were most recently showcased on the James Morrison album. (“I got him just in time,” Gareth laughs, “if I asked him now he’d probably be too busy!”) Unselfconscious and addictive, the album sounds ­ without putting too fine a point on it ­ as if Gareth has figured out what he’s doing.

Right from square one I wanted to record an album with just one producer,” Gareth says. Away from pop’s standard pick ‘n’ mix approach, with its endless procession of tracks written and produced here, there and everywhere, Gareth indeed found that one producer overseeing an album and one band playing on all the tracks lent the sessions a coherence and logic. “I wanted something that was a body of sound,” Gareth explains, and that’s exactly what he’s got, on an album taking in acoustic pop, well-honed alternative stylings and a flexible vocal range which strays happily away from the sugary tones of your average pop star.

As a comeback single titles go, ‘Changes’ might sound like your average woe-is-me, ‘I’m a serious artist now’ fare. It’s not, but it’s still a fairly bold assessment of where Gareth’s head has been in the last three years. “I’ve lost relationships and friendships with people,” he explains. “The song is about how the people I spend time with have changed me as a person, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not, and it’s about how my actions affect the people who are around me ­ again, sometimes positively and at other times negatively. Lyrically, most of the songs on the album came from ideas I had when I was in the studio, walking in the park, or driving around in my car. Any ideas, whether they seemed stupid or odd at the time, I’d just whack them down and make sense of them later. Sitting down in a studio and trying to come up with lyrics with writers doesn’t feel organic to me.”

Gareth says that the album’s title track came about as a result of all those songs you hear about how difficult it is to be famous. “I get a bit pissed off at some of the ‘ooh I’m an artist, I’m always in the papers and isn’t my life terrible’ songs that were being written,” Gareth says. “I’ve never seen myself as a victim of fame and I think there’s something odd about a musician or celebrity who blames everything that’s wrong in their life on the fact that their photograph was in the tabloids. Yes it’s not always easy but you‘ve got to get some perspective on it. Pictures On The Other Side’ uses the same lyrical references to turn those songs on their head.”

Like all of us, Gareth was finding that during his late teens and early twenties his musical tastes were shifting and developing; where once dreams of being a one-man Westlife were enough, these days Gareth is obsessed with Keane and the jazz singer Liane Carroll. Proud of his achievements and aware of how and why his earlier music sold so well, Gareth is also perceptive enough to have seen the limits of that approach to music-making. “That formula does work for about two years, but it’s a formula which by its nature isn’t built to support ideas about going off and doing your own thing,” he shrugs. “The moment anyone wants to do something a bit different, people start going, “Ooh, what’s happening here? Who’s he been speaking to?”

“In the past I’d arrive at the studio and the track was, basically, already finished. I’d come in for half an hour, do the vocal track and leave. I always thought in the back of my mind, ‘this is not the way I want to make records’. Now I’ve made the record how I always envisaged records being made, which has been an amazing process. I’ve really been involved in everything - this is how I’d always thought you made an album, before Pop Idol.” Looking at evidence from the last decade you might quite justifiably suspect that the majority of popstars who cluelessly decide they should have ‘artistic control’ are actually the last people on earth you’d trust with a record token, but Gareth’s new album comes with an effortlessness rare in such a tight change in musical direction. Throughout, Gareth’s been keen to work with some talented and varied songwriting talents, and during the sessions struck up a friendship with Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross, spending a week with his family and coming back to London with one of the album’s standout tracks ­ ‘Electric’.

Oh, and it’s very intentionally a ten-track album. Mindful of the debacle surrounding his second LP ­ a rather odd double ‘concept’ album ­ Gareth’s hellbent on an all killer, no filler approach this time around. “There’s no point in mindlessly padding out an album,” he says. “It might look like more value for money when you’re looking at the tracklisting in Woolworths, but you get it home and realise it’s half rubbish. Every song on this album is meant to be there ­ it’s not just three singles and a load of other songs to make up numbers.”

“My expectations are realistic,” Gareth says. “I know some people might just hear my name and throw the CD out of the nearest window, but I also know that this is a strong album I’m completely proud of. I am anticipating a lot of preconceptions about me from the public, and I just hope this album manages to establish me as a more credible artist in people’s minds, not just someone who was a 5 minute wonder. ” And while he says he still hasn’t lost his hunger to sell records, or for people to hear his music, Gareth is content with the album he always wanted to make. These aren't songs which need to be Number One to justify their existence.

[Khelda]

Thanks Snowdrop, its lovely to read here too. So pleased Gareth could do an album he always dreamt of. And its a great new site.

[Val4Gareth]

Thanks for putting that on here Snowdrop. I've read it a couple of times on the new site, but it wasn't easy for me to read (eyesight not being what it was). Lots of points stood out much better for me reading it here.

I'm really looking forward to hearing `Electric'. It sounds a very dynamic track.

Gareth's approach now is so very different to what it was five years ago. He's showing a very mature and realistic side to him. Far and away from the boyish kidology we got used to seeing from him. Its ONLY been three years since we last saw any public appearances, but reading Gareth's comments I believe he has grown up 10 years in that time.

The new site is fantastic, I agree with you Khelda and what I like and what shows how much faith 19 have in Gareth is the fact they are prepared to ask for opinions regarding the structure of the site from those thousands of fans who have waited and also kept faith in him for so long. They know they are on to a winner with Gareth.

[Snowdrop]

I'm really looking forward to hearing `Electric'. It sounds a very dynamic track.

Me too. I've followed Deacon Blue for years, and Ricky Ross has written some great songs. His own vocal style is very different to Gareth's (he's got a very gravelly voice), so it's going to be interesting to hear his influences. They've always had strong melodies, and interesting lyrics. I love that Gareth works with these people and they become his friends. I know Ricky Ross has done quite a bit of writing for other artists, but I can't imagine they all get invited to stay with his family. :heart: I bet they had a blast! :hyper:

The KT Tunstall album was one of my favourites of the last couple of years, so it's all sounding good to me. Gareth has a very wise head on those still quite young shoulders.

[Val4Gareth]

KT Tunstall's album is still one of my favourites. In fact she is the one female singer who I would love to see Gareth do a duet with.

[Snowdrop]

One of the tracks Martin worked on with KT is the first track on her album, called "Otherside of the World". You should be able to listen to a clip, or download it using this iTunes link.

[Heather]

Thank you for taking the trouble to post the biography, which I thought was put together very well. Yes, Gareth has certainly matured, and I believe he did all the right things during his time off, being prepared to learn from people like Ricky Ross. He really took his music seriously, and obviously Ricky and the others, forgotten their names, sorry, could see his talent, otherwise they wouldn't have taken the time to work with him.

Gareth has the faith and backing of 19, and all of us fans. We know he is a star. and it shouldn't take much for the british public to follow suit. They loved him before, and they will again, I'm sure. The only thing I would say is I hope he is doing more appearances than has been mentioned. Pop world and GMTV are fine, but what about Chat shows, Richard and Judy, Loose Women etc! He needs lots of promotion. What about singing on Dancing on Ice like Take That did? :hyper:

[lindajan]

Thanks very much Snowdrop for posting Gareth's 'biography' from the official site, as its much easier to read here. However when I copied it to a text document yesterday morning, I found that there was a bit more that doesn't show up on the screen.

'or for people to hear his music, Gareth is content' is followed by:

with the album he always wanted to make. These aren't songs which need to be Number One to justify their existence.

I hope you don't mind me pointing this out - I thought that others would want to know.

I'm really excited about Gareth's return and I love the new material that I've heard so far. Looking forward to next Sunday and the video for 'Changes'.

Love Linda

[Floz]

Thanks for the last sentence. I couldn't get that off the official site and thought it finished a bit abruptly :tongue:

I have added it onto the first post. Thanks again

[Guest]

Thanks Linda, I couldn't see that either.

I'm pleased they have that view re the songs, and don't expect high placings. Makes me less worried re his future, with that statement.

[Yorksheather]

Thanks for posting Gareth's biography from the Official site , it is great to read , and I can't see the whole thing on the site either .

[eternal]

Thanks for posting Snowdrop. It certainly deserves a thread of it's own because of it's important statement.

“My expectations are realistic,” Gareth says. “I know some people might just hear my name and throw the CD out of the nearest window, but I also know that this is a strong album I’m completely proud of. I am anticipating a lot of preconceptions about me from the public, and I just hope this album manages to establish me as a more credible artist in people’s minds, not just someone who was a 5 minute wonder. ”And while he says he still hasn’t lost his hunger to sell records, or for people to hear his music, Gareth is content with the album he always wanted to make. These aren't songs which need to be Number One to justify their existence.

Gareth certainly seems to still have the hunger and the pride in his music. This paragraph from the biog seems, from one very contended person. Thanks goodness he took the time away to realise exactly where he wants to be- making music he is proud of.

[walkatir]

I loved reading this it was much more interesting than a actual bio. I look forward to hearing this album even more knowing that he is so proud of it.

[Maggiemags]

Totally agree with all that's been said - it's a really nice piece about him. VERY pleased to see an acknowledgement of his "(surprisingly hardcore) fans". So glad they know we're here and rooting for him

[Guest pepper]

Totally agree with all that's been said - it's a really nice piece about him. VERY pleased to see an acknowledgement of his "(surprisingly hardcore) fans". So glad they know we're here and rooting for him

thank you that was fantastic,

love pepper