Footsteps 2
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Footsteps 2 by Chris de Burgh Label: Ferryman Productions Ltd, Starwatch Released: October 14, 2011 See release dates by country) Chart Positions First radion single: Seven Bridges (Germany) / SOS (UK/Eire) Also available as: Limited Collector's Edition and Special Saturn Edition | ||||||||
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Songs which moved and motivated Chris de Burgh to become a better writer himself are at the core of ‘Footsteps 2’. In a variety of ways, the 10 ‘covers’ on the new album each proved influential to Chris in forging and developing his career – and one of the original versions quite literally stopped him in his tracks when he first heard it.
“I had to pull my car over to the side of the road and simply listen,” says Chris of ‘The Living Years’ by Mike & The Mechanics . “It suddenly hit me about my own relationship with my father, which was not the easiest. I couldn’t drive because I was crying. The tears were rolling down my face and this song helped me to build bridges between myself and my father.”
Whereas the songs featured on his successful 2009 album ‘Footsteps’ were selected for being inspirational personal favourites often performed by Chris, the material on ‘Footsteps 2’ was chosen for the “big effect” it has had upon him. “Music is the soundtrack to our own lives,” he says. “These songs, at particular times in my life, were cornerstones. They were the footsteps, like stepping stones across the river, that helped me on my way.”
Chris refers to the driving creative impetus of other musicians on his career in a verse of ‘Every Step Of The Way’, one of three new songs he wrote for ‘Footsteps 2’. They are joined by a reworking of a German lyric in ‘Seven Bridges’, an orchestral version of the ‘Footsteps’ theme, The Beatles tracks ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Lady Madonna’ and the Stevie Winwood song, ‘While You See A Chance’.
While his approach to several of the songs was to produce ‘faithful versions’ of the originals, Chris had an entirely different agenda with others – particularly ‘SOS’ by Abba, for which both the tempo and arrangement was altered, in part. His personal reading and interpretation of particular song lyrics was also a key focus. “With certain songs, I wanted to bring more attention to the lyric than was possibly there initially. I was really concentrating on the feeling of the song.”
As with ‘Footsteps’, arriving at the final tracks for ‘Footsteps 2’ – and their positioning in the running order of the album – was a painstaking process. “I spent a lot of time researching the tracks, going through songs, listening to songs, wondering if I could do a good job on them, whether I could add something to the original, or whether I was just going to do an ‘homage’ to the original.
“There were no definite choices, immediately, but the album began to take its own shape and, as always, it’s very important to have a dynamic attitude to the overall; you can’t just have ten really powerful songs at high tempo, you have to balance - the balance is critical.”
The result is the third new album Chris has recorded and released in as many years; a prolific output by any standards, with the two ‘Footsteps’ projects sandwiching 2010’s hit album of original material, ‘Moonfleet & Other Stories’. “I gave myself the biggest challenge of my career in writing and recording that album,” Chris estimates. “It was very difficult but great, great fun to have done that, ultimately. Meanwhile, let’s not forget that the ‘Footsteps’ albums were of songs that existed already! I didn’t have to put a lot of songwriting into them, which is what really takes the time.”
As always, Chris is set go on the road in support of his latest release, just as soon as he’s completed the final leg of the ‘Moonfleet & Other Stories’ tour. “I’m very much looking forward to going on tour in 2012 with ‘Footsteps 2’. We’ll be performing quite a few songs from it, which I’m really excited about doing.”
And what of ‘Footsteps 3’? “I have no plans to write and record another of my own albums at all at the moment because we’re still very much involved with ‘Moonfleet’ , but ‘Footsteps 3’ is definitely a possibility.
“I think the day will come, as long as I’m still in good voice and, certainly, people who have heard ‘Footsteps 2’ say it’s probably the best singing I’ve ever done. I am very pleased with it. It also comes down to public interest; whether they want to hear it. The material is out there. There are plenty of great songs to record. Maybe we’ll approach it in a slightly different way, perhaps look at a different kind of material. I’ve always been drawn, for example, to classical music and to church chorale music. Maybe an album of Christmas carols. Who knows?”