Carmel The Drum Is Everything Rare

Country of origin:

England

Type of music generally:

Jazz, pop, soul

Status:

Most recent release, Strictly Piaf (2011)

See also:

Wikipedia's Carmel page

Comparisons:

Apparently the French have christened her 'the new Edith Piaf'

Covers/own material:

Own and covers

General comments:

I first heard Carmel on the She's Having a Baby soundtrack. I was quite intrigued and purchased the only album I've seen by her, The Drum is Everything when I saw it. The album is quite good, much more percussive than I expected (as the title suggests), and also very jazzy. Her voice is unique, but she doesn't have a real great range. (jjhanson@att.net)

I have four Carmel albums (The Drum Is Everything, Everybody's Got a Little...Soul, Set Me Free, and World's Gone Crazy). The Drum Is Everything is her rawest of these and mostinterersting: her work has grown increasingly MOR, in my opinion, though her lyrics are still great. I think of her, Anna Domino, and Danielle Dax as three different manifestations of the same personality, each through a different musical filter. (lissener@wwa.com)

Recommended first album:

The Drum Is Everything or Set Me Free

Recordings:

• Carmel (ep, 1982)
• The Drum Is Everything (1984)
• The Falling (1986)
• Everybody's Got a Little...Soul (1987)
• Set Me Free (1989)
• Good News (1993)
• World's Gone Crazy (1995)
• Live in Paris (live, 1997)
• Live at Ronnie Scott's (live, 1998)
• More More More Carmel! (compilation, 2010)
• Strictly Piaf (2011)

The Falling

Release info:

1986

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Carmel McCourt—vocals

Guest artists:

Jim Paris
Gerry Darby
Johnny Folarin
Ugo Delmirani
Paul Baylis

Comments:

A rare find in the used bins. Don't know much about Carmel. First heard of her on the She's Having a Baby soundtrack—which I think is still her only US release. I picked up her album The Drum is Everything a while back, and stayed at a friend's in New York a couple of months ago who had a greatest hits album on vinyl. So I knew she had other albums out, but was quite surprised to find this album. The CD was produced in Germany, on Metronome records, but I can't find a date on it anywhere. She's got a great loud voice and a funky band—kind of Dusty Springfield meets Aretha Franklin, but a little more modern sounding. Definitely worth checking out if you can ever find her stuff. (jjhanson@att.net)

Set Me Free

Release info:

1989

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Carmel McCourt—vocals

Guest artists:

Pete Wingfield—keyboards, backing vocals

Produced by:

Brian Eno (tracks: 5, 6), Jim Parris (tracks: 1, 2 to 4, 11, 12), Mike Thorne (tracks: 2, 3), Pete Wingfield (tracks: 4, 10)

Comments:

found this Japanese import album used, and almost didn't buy it, as I already have two other albums by her (The Drum is Everything and The Falling) and rarely listen to those. However I'm glad I bought it anyway. This is by ar the best album of hers I've heard, perhaps because of the influence of producer Brian Eno. Carmel slows things down here, letting her voice shine and the emotion through. A cross between a torch singer and a Motown girls group, Carmel's voice raises above the lush, but well-done arrangements. Well worth tracking down. (jjhanson@att.net)