John in the news....
Modfather on crest of wave
Friday, November 28, 2008, 07:00
WHAT DO Paul Weller, Rhydian Roberts and John Barrowman have in common, apart from the fact that they are all male solo singers?
Well, they have just been announced as the latest three artists to play the Plymouth Pavilions next year.
[EXCERPT]
Singer, stage and screen actor, presenter and all round likeable cove, John Barrowman also has an album to promote when he stops off here in June 2009. The album, released this week, is simply called Music, Music, Music and also features a selection of classic pop covers including From A Distance, Uptown Girl, I Am What I Am, What About Us and Both Sides Now.
The Scot, who found fame, fortune and National treasure status by being an extremely versatile and outstanding entertainer, spent a couple of decades as leading man on Broadway and the West End, then, amongst other things, found a whole new audience on the small screen in the revival of Dr Who, then as Captain Jack Harkness in spin-off series, Torchwood.
He comes to Plymouth Pavilions on Sunday May 31. Tickets, which go on sale on Monday at 9.30am, cost £35 and £27.50. To book, contact the Pavilions box office on 0845 146 1460.
source: http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/features/Modfather-crest-wave/article-507458-detail/article.html
Barrowman's musical heroes inspire new album
Nov 24 2008 by Karen Price, Western Mail
TORCHWOOD actor John Barrowman returns to his musical roots today as he releases his new album.
And the first single to be taken from Music Music Music has been written by Gary Barlow.
The Take That star co-wrote the catchy pop track What About Us with Chris Braide.
Music Music Music, released by Epic, has been produced by Simon Franglen who has worked with Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Barbara Streisand, and Graham Stack, who produced Barrowman's last album.
The actor, who lives in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, said: "There are three distinct styles on this record: musical theatre, pop-country and western, and straightforward pop.
"I wanted to sing songs I've always loved, songs like Bette Midler's From A Distance, Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now and Dusty Springfield's You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, alongside things like Keith Urban's fantastic You'll Think Of Me."
The album also features covers of Andy Williams' Can't Take My Eyes Off You (From the musical The Jersey Boys) and Barrowman's own version of I Know Him So Well, which was a chart-topper for Elaine Page and Barbara Dickson in 1985.
He previewed the track when he headlined at Bryn Terfel's Faenol Festival during the summer.
Barrowman now hopes it will be as successful as his last album, Another Side.
He said: "Another Side did better than I ever expected so, who knows, maybe this one will do even better."
source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/news/2008/11/24/barrowman-s-musical-heroes-inspire-his-new-album-91466-22323290/
A quickie with John Barrowman
Monday, November 24 2008, 10:54 GMT
By Neil Wilkes, Editor
That John Barrowman is keeping himself busy, you know. This month he's releasing a shamefully catchy new single and accompanying album, as well as finishing work on the upcoming third series of Torchwood. Digital Spy's Nick Levine put in a call to Mr B to find out what's been happening lately in the world of Who.
Did you know David was going to step down as the Doctor?
"Yeah and I thought everybody else knew! We all knew he was going to do four specials plus the Christmas episode and then he'd be finished. I think people just didn't believe it until it came out of his mouth. It's the right progression for him. If he stayed on, he'd never do anything else because he loves it so much. He has to move on."
Have you given any thought as to who might replace him?
"I'd have no idea. I don't answer that question because if I mention a name and that person becomes associated with the role it might blow someone else's chances. But somebody mentioned Billie Piper and that is so not gonna happen!"
What qualities does the new Doctor need?
"They need to be what my niece calls 'intellectually attractive'. David is very handsome but he's not what you'd call a classically good-looking man, and my niece calls that 'intellectually attractive'. He also needs to be quirky, a good actor and blessed with a strong personality. One more thing - he needs to fill a pair of trousers really well, both front and back."
Did David fill his?
"Hahaha! That's for me to know and you to think about over and over again."
What can you tell us about the new series of Torchwood?
"It's five episodes stripped from Monday to Friday and we're moving to BBC One. The reason we're doing only five episodes is because we need to make an impact on One. If we were to do an entire series, the show might kinda float around and not really be recognised."
Any teasers on what might happen in the new episodes?
"Well, you'll find out more about Jack's dark past and a lot about Gwen too. There's going to be some deaths, some new faces, some surprises and an event that will almost destroy the world. There's also going to be a shocking event instigated by Jack that people will be totally floored by."
Are you missing Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman?
"Of course I miss them. Naoko and Burn were part of our family and the characters of Toshiko and Owen were so important to the show. The first couple of days we started filming in the hub again, it felt a bit empty so we put pictures of them up on our desks. Naoko and Burn will always be part of Torchwood because they were there at the beginning and helped to make the show what it is today."
Are they mentioned much in the new episodes?
"Oh yeah, we mention them, and Toshiko even got a mention in the last episode of Doctor Who. Plus there are plans to do more some Torchwood radio programmes because the first one was so popular - it even beat all the TV programmes on iPlayer. Who knows what they're going to be written about, but I would love to see old characters brought back because we can do different things on radio and jump around a bit more."
John Barrowman's new album Music Music Music is out today. The new series of Torchwood airs early in 2009 on BBC One.
source: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a136046/a-quickie-with-john-barrowman.html
Barrowman back on the road in '09
by CAROLINE KAY
Burton Mail, UK - Nov 28, 2008
FOLLOWING his hugely successful sell-out tour this year, John Barrowman is set to follow it up with more dates across the UK in 2009.
Better known for his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood, the all-round entertainer will embark on a 17-date UK tour kicking off on May 11 at Sheffield's City Hall and ending at the Royal Albert Hall in London on June 1.
It will feature songs from his new album, Music Music Music, including the Gary Barlow-penned track What About us, together with songs from his own multi-selling Album Another Side.
Barrowman's national tour earlier this year saw him take along his mother and father, his partner and their dog.
Barrowman said: "I had the time of my life doing it - and I can't wait to get back out there again and perform songs from my new album.
"It's going to be a great show - I'm really excited about it."
Barrowman's tour will include dates at Nottingham Royal Centre (May 12), Birmingham Symphony Hall (May 18) and Manchester's Bridgewater Hall (May 26).
Tickets are available, priced from £27.50. by calling 0871 220 0260.
More information is available by logging on to Barrowman's website at www.johnbarrowman.com
source: http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-leisure/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=369820
Review of John Barrowman's "Music Music Music"
by Locksley Hall, Contributing Writer
November 23, 2008
Almost exactly a year after the release of his first easy listening album, Another Side, openly gay Torchwood star John Barrowman has returned with a new album titled Music Music Music. Released today in the UK via Sony BMG, it has some similarities with his debut effort: again, it consists mostly of covers of classic pop and musical theater songs, with a little country added for good measure. But there's one new development that may be pleasing to his AfterElton.com fans: Barrowman has considerably upped the gay content.
The first indication of this came back in September, when the video for the album's one original song, "What About Us" hit the Web. Although artists from Christina Aguilera to t.A.T.u. have made use of same-sex kissing in their videos, "What About Us" breaks new ground with its matter-of-fact portrayal of a gay male couple living out their lives in parallel with a straight couple - particularly given that the song is sung by an openly gay artist.
The "What About Us" music video:
Gay video from AfterElton.com
It certainly makes a change from the video for Barrowman's "All Out Of Love" last year, which showed him singing directly to camera in a succession of different shirts, with no actual partner in sight.
Although the song "What About Us" is, to my ears at least, disappointingly bland, the album also sees former London West End performer Barrowman tackling two explicitly gay musical theater songs with gusto. One of them is "I Am What I Am" from La Cage aux Folles - a song originally performed by drag queen character Albin at the end of the first act. With defiant, yet tongue-in-cheek lines like "so what if I love each feather and each spangle" and "it's time to open up your closet, " the song is a perfect match with Barrowman's open, enthusiastic, and unapologetic persona.
For me, though, the highlight of the album, both in gay and in musical terms, is Barrowman's duet of the Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson-penned song "I Know Him So Well" from the musical Chess. Released in 1985 as a single featuring the voices of Elaine Page and Barbara Dickson, the track was originally intended as a heterosexual love song performed by a chess champion's estranged wife and his mistress.
But Barrowman has enlisted the duetting talents of openly gay British musical theater performer Daniel Boys (who first came to the general public's attention when he appeared in the reality talent competition Any Dream Will Do in 2007 - where, incidentally, he provided one of the series' few "gay" moments, holding hands with fellow contestant Lewis Bradley as they went in front of judge Andrew Lloyd Webber to hear which of them had been eliminated).
The result is unlike anything I have heard on a mainstream album before, as two successful openly gay men sing in gender-specific terms about the end of an affair with their mutual flame: "Wasn't he fine?" sighs Boys, while Barrowman, with typical sexual energy, growls back "Wasn't he fine?" It's like hearing two old friends put their feet up and compare notes over a drink at their favorite gay bar. Oh, and their voices are pretty good, too.
Boys joins Barrowman and two other previous Any Dream Will Do contestants, Keith Jack and Ben James-Ellis, for a playful, jazzed-up version of Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" which is another one of the album's better tracks. Given how alive Barrowman can sound on upbeat numbers, it's just a shame that here, as on Another Side, at least half of the album is weighed down by so-so renditions of sentimental ballads. Sarah McLachlan's "Angel", Julie Gold's "From A Distance", Keith Urban's "You'll Think Of Me, " and Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting For You", all pad out the album without being anything to get excited about (Barrowman particularly seems to struggle to come up with the wistful gentleness to go with the last song).
He fares better with two other slow-paced songs, Barry Manilow's "I Made It Through The Rain" and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", both of which attractively showcase his clear, soaring voice. Perhaps it's his potential to go over-the-top with upbeat tracks that has led Sony to steer him away from them, since in "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (a song that has previously been covered by artists as diverse as Andy Williams and Lauryn Hill), he goes blaringly full-throttle, summoning up more the image of someone shouting through a megaphone than any romantic intimacy.
The one of the final tracks on the album, a high-camp version of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", complete with dramatic horns and backing vocalists wailing "ooh" and "aah, " does nothing to replace the classic rendition by Dusty Springfield - although it does, again, do something to up the album's gay factor. Overall, Music Music Music is a mixed bag, probably lending itself better to use as a CD you have on in the background than to intense and focused listening - but "I Know Him So Well" does make it stand out.
source: http://www.afterelton.com/music/2008/11/barrowmanmusic?page=0,1#comment-59679
A VERY MERRY PANTO TIME ; 'I get an amazing rush no matter what I do on stage'
Article from: Belfast Telegraph
Article date: November 28, 2008
Michael McLean (21) is from Newtownards. When not treading the boards at the Grand Opera House, he does promotion work throughout Northern Ireland. He says:
I reached the last 100 of the BBC's Any Dream Will Do. It was an amazing experience, but I completely fluffed the audition, I was totally intimidated by the judges, Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Barrowman and Denise Van Outen. I was also in the last 40 on E4's School of Performing Arts.
I used to want to be a singer- songwriter, but now I would consider myself to be more of an all-rounder, I get an amazing rush whatever I do onstage. I'm astounded that I made it into BT4. I didn't think anything would come of it when I went to the audition.
I used to be 17 stone, so now I pay a lot more attention to myself. I exercise quite a lot, and if I have a big night out then I'll be very good for a couple of days afterwards. Otherwise I don't pay much attention to my appearance, I don't have enough hair to use straighteners!
My clothes are quite urban, I don't go too formal, and tend to wear things that look a little worn. I like different things about different people. I think Josh Brogan has a fantastic voice, and James Morrison is very edgy. I love Pink's energy, she really knows how to perform on stage. My ideal roles would probably be Joseph or Seymour from the Little Shop of Horrors."
source: "A VERY MERRY PANTO TIME ; 'I get an amazing rush no matter what I do on stage'." Belfast Telegraph. Independent News & Media. 2008. HighBeam Research. 29 Nov. 2008 http://www.highbeam.com.