Bossa  Down Abbey Road

Bossa nova music is as popular as ever. The music industry is going through a difficult time but not as far as bossa is concerned. In fact, local buyers seem to have gone into the collecting mode and are buying every new bossa album they see on display. In response, the enterprising Pinoy musician has also fallen heavily for the Latin trend. Because of the huge market demand, the past year has seen the transformation of almost all sorts of tunes into something bossa nova.

The latest to join the list of bossa nova albums is Bossa Down Abbey Road. That means stepping to the bossa beat down Abbey Road, which is the name of a place near London and the same name that The Beatles gave the recording studio they built.

 To bossa down Abbey Road then is to do the bossa nova to the music of The Beatles, which I am sure everybody agrees is still so enchanting despite being over 40 years old.

While it is no surprise that Beatles music has also fallen under the spell of the bossa nova, what makes Bossa Down Abbey Road truly interesting are the performers and the people behind them. Producers are the L.A.-based veterans Christian de Walden and Ralf Stemman, who tour the world working with top caliber artists and are known sticklers for quality production.

De Walden has put together concerts for Pink Floyd and Andrea Bocelli, published No. 1 hits and recorded big name artists from everywhere like Martha Sanchez from Spain and Paulina Rubio of Mexico. Pianist, arranger, composer, conductor and musical director Stemman has worked with Ricky Martin, Thalia, Paulina Rubio, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cusco, The Three Degrees, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London and many others. He is the guy who gave those Beatles songs the bossa beat as arranger and performer.

Featured singers are Dennis “DJ” Clark, Brandy Jones, Bambi Jones, Rick Palombi and Warren Ham. Their names may not ring a bell but they are some of the most talented singers in the US today. They work inside the studio as singers, producers, songwriters, instrumentalists, etc. etc. or they may be found on stage, where they help big name stars sound better than they really do. Together they decided to call themselves the BNB for Bossa Down Abbey Road.

Their being together as stars of one album reminds me of the Starland Vocal Band of the big hit Afternoon Delight. That was a group made up of background singers and producers who decided to make a record and came out with a No. 1 seller. The idea is not at all far-fetched for this batch. The singing here is excellent, and I am sure you will agree once you hear Bossa Down Abbey Road. Bambi’s sweet tones saying “Listen” from Do You Want to Know a Secret sets the mood. From there it is one sexy, soulful adventure after another as the familiar songs get into the rhythm of the bossa.

The structure of Beatles songs is really quite simple. In fact, when pared down to basics, the melodies are almost like nursery rhymes. The lyrics though cover a wide range of sentiments. Think simple to absurd. These can be sweetly innocent like I Saw Her Standing There, sad like Eleanor Rigby, romantic like Here, There and Everywhere and so many other things besides. Composed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, these songs continue to touch the hearts of people all over the world. Check them out now in their new, exciting bossa nova duds in Bossa Down Abbey Road. I am sure you will again agree that they are more beautiful than ever.

Songs included are And I Love Her, I Saw Her Standing There, All My Loving, Can’t Buy Me Love, I Should Have Known Better, Michelle, Do You Want to Know a Secret, I Feel Fine, Eleanor Rigby, Here Comes the Sun, Here, There and Everywhere, Yesterday, Ticket to Ride and From Me to You.

Beatles sale

If you are a fan of The Beatles, you might be interested in what Tom Jimenez has up for sale. He is offering for sale the following items: Several Beatles Collectors’ Books including  titles The Beatles Unseen Archives; The Beatles London; The Beatles Memories and Memorabilia; The Beatles Forever; The Beatles Album 30 Years of Music and Memorabilia; The Beatles In the Beginning; The Beatles Recording Sessions; and The Beatles Anthology. The package also includes collectors’ editions of magazines and news clippings. Asking price is P7,000. Text 0919-6552744 if interested.