Carmel (singer)
Encyclopedia
Carmel is a British
female singer, her eponymous band Carmel uniting bassist
Jim Parris, and drummer
Gerry Darby.
.
when two students, Carmel McCourt and Jim Parris got together with drummer Gerry Darby (Parris' cousin
). Their debut single
, "Storm" reached No. 1 in the UK independent chart and Carmel was signed immediately to London Records
. Their second album
The Drum is Everything (produced
by Mike Thorne) drew some praise. Parris and Darby conjured the effect of a full ensemble backing to McCourt's vocals
, and alternated between soulful
ballad
s, gospel
, blues
and jazz
. The resulting singles
"Bad Day" and "More, More, More" both went Top 25 in the UK Singles Chart
. The following album, The Falling (produced by Brian Eno
, Hugh Jones and David Motion) made Carmel moderately successful in France
, achieving gold disc
status, as well as charting
in Belgium
, Germany
and The Netherlands. Carmel had a hit in France with "J'oublierai ton nom", a duo with France's Johnny Hallyday. "Sally" the first single lifted from the album sold 500,000 copies in France alone. With the critical and commercial success awarded both The Falling and the next album Everybody's Got A Little Soul, record producers were keen to work with Carmel.
1989 saw the release of Set Me Free, with Brian Eno
and Pete Wingfield
adding their touches to the material. A five star review in Q
describing the album as "incendiary". 1990's 'best of' compilation
, Collected, put the band's career into perspective.
1992's Good News saw Carmel moving to East West Records
with Parris producing. In 1997 Ronnie Scotts provided the venue to record their last album, Live at Ronnie Scotts, which was a collection of their work and some previously unreleased material.
Live performance has always been central to Carmel's work and they are successful on the Europe
an touring circuit, and has sometimes found greater appreciation on the continent than it has done in the UK
. The French
christened McCourt the new Edith Piaf
, and in Italy
she won the accolade of Best Jazz vocalist at the Messina Festival.
During much of the 1990s the band members were living between Barcelona
, Paris
and Manchester
, and it was hard for them to work together, so they pursued other musical projects. Parris created the band Nzi Dada with Paris
based multi media artist Xumo Nounjio, and Carmel worked on various projects as a singer, writer
and teacher
.
The start of the millennium saw them all back in their adopted hometown of Manchester, but Darby decided he no longer wanted to continue. In 2002 Parris and McCourt undertook a tour playing the old material with a nine piece band. Later they worked on material for a new album with drummer Brice Wassy.
McCourt and Parris are currently working on new pieces, one written alongside poet
Sonia Hughes. They intend to perform them as a duo
with some sound treatments by new collaborator Jaydev Mistry, plus film
work by Adrian Ball.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
female singer, her eponymous band Carmel uniting bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Jim Parris, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Gerry Darby.
Biography of Carmel McCourt
She attended the St Bede's Catholic School on Collum Avenue in Ashby, ScunthorpeScunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
.
Biography of the band
The band formed in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
when two students, Carmel McCourt and Jim Parris got together with drummer Gerry Darby (Parris' cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
). Their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Storm" reached No. 1 in the UK independent chart and Carmel was signed immediately to London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
. Their second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
The Drum is Everything (produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Mike Thorne) drew some praise. Parris and Darby conjured the effect of a full ensemble backing to McCourt's vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
, and alternated between soulful
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. The resulting singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Bad Day" and "More, More, More" both went Top 25 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The following album, The Falling (produced by Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Hugh Jones and David Motion) made Carmel moderately successful in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, achieving gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status, as well as charting
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and The Netherlands. Carmel had a hit in France with "J'oublierai ton nom", a duo with France's Johnny Hallyday. "Sally" the first single lifted from the album sold 500,000 copies in France alone. With the critical and commercial success awarded both The Falling and the next album Everybody's Got A Little Soul, record producers were keen to work with Carmel.
1989 saw the release of Set Me Free, with Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
and Pete Wingfield
Pete Wingfield
Pete Wingfield is an English record producer, keyboard player, songwriter, singer and music journalist.-Career:...
adding their touches to the material. A five star review in Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
describing the album as "incendiary". 1990's 'best of' compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Collected, put the band's career into perspective.
1992's Good News saw Carmel moving to East West Records
East West Records
East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:...
with Parris producing. In 1997 Ronnie Scotts provided the venue to record their last album, Live at Ronnie Scotts, which was a collection of their work and some previously unreleased material.
Live performance has always been central to Carmel's work and they are successful on the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an touring circuit, and has sometimes found greater appreciation on the continent than it has done in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
christened McCourt the new Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
, and in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
she won the accolade of Best Jazz vocalist at the Messina Festival.
During much of the 1990s the band members were living between Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and it was hard for them to work together, so they pursued other musical projects. Parris created the band Nzi Dada with Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
based multi media artist Xumo Nounjio, and Carmel worked on various projects as a singer, writer
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
.
The start of the millennium saw them all back in their adopted hometown of Manchester, but Darby decided he no longer wanted to continue. In 2002 Parris and McCourt undertook a tour playing the old material with a nine piece band. Later they worked on material for a new album with drummer Brice Wassy.
McCourt and Parris are currently working on new pieces, one written alongside poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Sonia Hughes. They intend to perform them as a duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with some sound treatments by new collaborator Jaydev Mistry, plus film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
work by Adrian Ball.
Albums
- Carmel (1982, Red Flame) UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
No. 94 (6 Track mini-album) - The Drum Is Everything (1984, London Records) UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
No. 19 - The Falling (1986, London Records) UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
No. 88 - Everybody's Got a Little...Soul (1987, London Records)
- Set Me Free (1989, London Records)
- Good News (1993, East West Records)
- World's Gone Crazy (1995, East West Records)
- Live in Paris (1997, East West Records)
- Live at Ronnie Scott's (1998, East West Records)
- More More More (Live DVD) - 2004
Singles
- "Storm" (1982)
- "Bad Day" (1983) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#15 - "Willow Weep For Me" (1983)
- "More More More" (1984) - UK #23
- "I'm Not Afraid Of You" (1985)
- "Sally" (1986) - UK #60
- "Mercy" 7"EP + 12" EP (1986)
- "Sweet And Lovely" (1987)
- "It's All In The Game" (1987)
- "Every Little Bit" (1988)
- "You Can Have Him" (1989)
- "I'm Over You" (1989)
- "I Have Fallen In Love" (1989)
- "And I Take It For Granted" (1990)
- "You're All I Need" (1992)
- "You're On My Mind" (1992)
- "If You Don't Come Back" (1994)