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Tag: 27 Gone Too Soon

  • The London Ear on RTÉ 2XM // Show 192 with Simon Napier-Bell

    The London Ear on RTÉ 2XM // Show 192 with Simon Napier-Bell

    The London Ear on RTÉ 2XM // Show 192 with Simon Napier-Bell

    Today’s interview for The London Ear was definitely one off the bucket list as I had the opportunity to chat to Simon Napier-Bell. Simon has had a rather fantastic career in the music industry, managing acts like The Yardbirds, Japan, Marc Bolan and was the man responsible for bring Wham! to China.

    Simon originally started out in the film industry and has recently returned to film making. He has directed a documentary which looks at the lives of the music artists in the infamous ’27 Club’. The film is called ’27 Gone Too Soon’ and I was delighted to get the chance to chat to Simon about it.

    You can find out more about Simon on his website, on Facebook and on Twitter.

    You can read what I thought about 27 Gone Too Soon here.

    You can buy ’27 Gone Too Soon’ on Amazon.
    Please note this is not an affiliate link.

    27GoneTooSoon

    The London Ear on RTÉ 2XM // Show 192 April 28 2018 Playlist

    Here’s the running order for this week’s episode of The London Ear:

    1. Bodega: How did this happen
    2. The Elation: Xo
    3. Baba: I, Defy
    4. Jon Hopkins: Emerald Rush
    5. whenyoung: The Collector
    6. Nirvana: Lithium
    7. Interview with Simon Napier-Bell
    8. Rolling Stones: Under My Thumb
    9. Interview with Simon Napier-Bell (Part 2)
    10. Amy Winehouse: Back to black
    11. Tracey Thorn (feat Corinne Bailey Rae): Sister
    12. Pale Rivers: Don’t Worry About Me

    Listen On Demand to The London Ear

    Thanks for listening, The London Ear broadcast on DAB radio, Saorview and outside Ireland you can listen online.You can listen to the show again on the RTE player. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1300.

    Don’t forget to check out the RTE 2XM website. You can keep up with me here.

    Check out The London Ear on Facebook and Twitter

    Photo of Simon from here

  • 27 Gone too Soon // Film Review

    27 Gone too Soon // Film Review

    27 Gone too Soon // Film Review

    Music mogul, Simon Napier-Bell, has managed an impressive list of bands in his time as a music manager. Wham!, The Yardbirds, Marc Bolan, Japan, and in more recent times, Sinead O’Connor. He co-wrote the lyrics of Dusty Springfield’s ‘You Don’t have To Say You Love Me and he has also written a number of books about his time in the music industry.

    He’s been there and done it.

    Napier-Bell has returned to the film industry, where he started his career. Following his documentaries ‘Sinatra: To Be Frank’ and the brilliant ’50 Years Legal’, he now delves into the music world’s infamous 27 club with ’27 Gone Too Soon’.

    Brian Jones (Rolling Stones), Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendricks and Jim Morrison all died at the age of 27 between 1969 and 1970. The myth and legend of the 27 club was reignited with Kurt Cobain died and then later, Amy Winehouse.

    Through archive footage and contributions from Paul Gambaccini, Lesley Ann Jones, Olly from Years and Years, Gary Numan, Tom Robinson as well as a host of record company guys of the time, Napier-Bell looks at the reasons behind the demise of the artists in question.

    While tales from the past tell us that all these artists had a dependency on substances of one sort or another, Napier-Bell asks why they had this dependency. Vulnerable people, who had a childhood trauma so the became introverted and therefore developed their talents.

    What’s interesting to note is that during the film, it was mentioned that if the 27 Club was changed to the 26-30 Club, it would have 20 members.

    At 90 minutes long, ’27 Gone Too Soon’ is a good evening’s viewing. I was lucky enough to see its premier in London and the time flew by. There is a lot of information that music lovers will already know contained within this film. What really struck a chord with this viewer, was the human element: the reaction to the death of Amy Winehouse. It’s obvious that some of the contributors knew her and broadcaster, Lesley Ann Jones, was tearful when speaking about Ms Winehouse.

    The premier was followed by a Q&A which continued questioning all the artists’ vulnerabilities and the role of the music manager and record company in looking out for their artists.

    Yes, these artists were flawed. Yes, they were vulnerable. Yes, ‘someone’ should have done more. But by God they were talented and this film does more than remind of us that.

    27 Gone Too Soon is now available to buy on DVD

    Thanks to Terry at Cannonball PR for the tickets to the Premier.