Worth The Wait: Showing Up Late For The States

In the United States, we often see delays in hit singles from British-based artists making it over to our part of the world, especially from brand new or newer acts. Sometimes a label tries to concentrate their artist in one part of the world and isn’t ready to break them anywhere else, but the results are often frustrating for American audiences who are ahead of what a record group intends to do. Take these two songs which were huge in the United Kingdom. One song reached the top there nearly a year ago and the other goes back even further to the fall of 2011. Gosh, someone took their sweet time in making these decisions. Well, wait no more. They’re finally here and ready to blow up:

“Feel” appeal.

RUDIMENTAL featuring JOHN NEWMAN – “Feel The Love”
Original Release Date: May 2012 (U.K.) / U.S. Release Date: June 25 (CHR radio)

Surprised about this one? I definitely was, and I’ll admit it, I didn’t exactly “get the song” when it first came out. I just thought it sounded like a messy, grimey drum and bass track, which I’m not the biggest fan of general. However, the more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. It really pumps you up and gets you energized. Both the quartet and solo singer Newman are originally from the United Kingdom, the former from London and the latter from Northern England. The song was originally released last May in the United Kingdom, debuting in the #1 spot, giving both Rudimental and John Newman their first ever #1 singles. Success was varied across the European countries, though it went top ten in a handful of countries, including down under in Australia and New Zealand. In fact, it proved so popular in Australia that it’s now been certified three-times Platinum alone there. Rudimental recently released an album Home in the U.K., featuring another top 20 single with Newman and Alex Clare, “Not Giving In”, and a #1 collaboration with Ella Eyre, “Waiting All Night”. Newman has also moved onto a solo career, launching his first single, the beautiful “Love Me Again”, next month. (You can view my profile on him here.) “Feel The Love” goes to radio on June 25 on Roadrunner Records, the same label that handles acts like Nickelback and other rock outfits. An edit has been serviced that reduces the song to just under three minutes long, which you can hear above. They’ve proven their success before on both on the Alternative and CHR surveys, but a hard-hitting dance single like this is a risk. Hopefully it works in their favor.

Dancing to his own drum.

OLLY MURS – “Dance With Me Tonight”
Original Release Date: November 2011 (U.K.) / U.S. Release Date: at CHR radio now

You can rock it and you can roll it at the hop and Olly Murs knows a thing or two about hopping from shore to shore. After “Heart Skips A Beat” failed to blow up last fall, Syco and Columbia Records managed to make a hit out of “Troublemaker”, which peaked recently. That went to #1 in the United Kingdom, as did his new single here… only this new single was originally out in 2011. That would be “Dance With Me Tonight”, which hit the top for one week in December 2011. It’s a glossy swing-inspired number that is reminiscent of some of the big hits of the era like 1961’s “Quarter To Three” by Gary U.S. Bonds and “Runaround Sue” by Dion. “Tonight” has been slightly remixed for the U.S. radio release of it, and you can hear that new version of it. If you’re familiar with the album version that was out in Europe, I’ve managed to pick out some of the main differences. In the introduction, there’s now a solid piano line underneath the announcer where there was once a guitar line. You’ll probably notice there’s also more emphasis on a new percussive line, and volume on that has been increased in several places, including the chorus and middle eight. The horns are also lowered on the chorus. Lastly, at the end, the repetition of the “Girl just close your eyes/We can dance all through the night” line has been removed and replaced with a couple of newly recorded ad libs. It was hot in Europe and it has the potential to be bigger than in 1998 when the Brian Setzer Orchestra and the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies hit it big. The new edit was serviced out earlier this week, so start perfecting your jitterbug, jive and lindy hop now.

Are you a fan of either track? Can’t wait to see Rudimental and John Newman crack the U.S. market or Olly Murs pick up another hit? Let me know! Comment below or find me on Twitter: @AdamFSoybel.

PROFILE: John Newman Looks For “Love” In The U.K. And Beyond

He’s not giving in.

He became one of last year’s breakout stars on the scene in the United Kingdom with one of the top 20 selling singles of 2012: quite the introduction to the industry from someone who was planning on being a mechanic after his schooling. Meet 23-year-old John Newman, a singer I hope is going to make 2013 shake, rattle and soul with his first release as a solo artist. It’s only a matter of time before he makes the United States fall in “love” with him.

Newman was born in the small town of Settle in the country of North Yorkshire in England and was largely into house music through his early teens, though he soon developed an affection for his mother’s record collection full of R&B music of the 70’s and 80’s. He also found a liking for singer-songwriters like Ben Harper and Damien Rice, so, he learned the guitar and built a small studio in his home in 2005. He went to the College Of Music in Leeds, then moved to London where he played live and was eventually signed by Island Records last year. It was also in 2012 that he got his big break singing on a number-one record.

Newman was approached by the British electronic quartet Rudimental to appear on two of their songs from their album released a few weeks ago, Home. They both became singles from the effort. The first, “Feel The Love”, a dubstep number with a jazzy twist, easily claimed the #1 spot on the Singles Chart in the United Kingdom for a week in May of last year. It also did well in Australia, Belgium and Netherlands. It was never released in the United States. This also occurred with the followup single, “Not Giving In”, which also featured a vocal from Alex Clare. That only rose to #14, but it did feature similar jazz and dubstep elements. Newman could’ve chosen to gone that route with his new solo deal, but he’s decided to go in a more traditional direction, and it serves him well.

With a full-length album in the pipeline and a couple of dates scheduled in July for performances in the United Kingdom, Island Records is releasing the first single from the effort, a song called “Love Me Again”. It gets a U.K. release on July 1. “Love” is one of the songs that represents a huge musical melting pot that doesn’t particularly represent one particular era or style. His voice has the grit and soul of the south in the 60’s, like James Brown or Alex Chilton of The Box Tops. The strings that come in at the end of the chorus are easily late 70’s disco, very much reminiscent of the 1979 hit for Gloria Gaynor, the classic “I Will Survive”. The keys give off an early 90’s house vibe, similar to “How To Dance” by the Bingoboys and Princessa (1991) or “What Is Love?” by Haddaway (1993). Then, there’s the drum, which I attribute to a more modern approach; listen to the 2011 single by Olly Murs and Rizzle Kicks, “Heart Skips A Beat” and you’ll recognize the percussion line.

Now, while this setup is perfect for the United Kingdom and will likely propel his single to the top of the charts, it’s more of a puzzle for our fragmented format system here in the United States. It could be serviced to the AAA format, but it might be seen as too commercial-sounding, especially with the really polished strings part. It could go to the Hot AC format, but again, it might be seen as too edgy because of the much-layered sound of it. Then, there’s the CHR format, who would probably pass on it for sounding too dated. There in lies the problem. I may not be picky when it comes to these kinds of songs, but certainly, a lot of people would skip right over it. However, it’s his most accessible single to date when it comes to worldwide potential. I loved it from the first listen. We’ll see if a U.S. release actually comes to fruition, because we’re definitely missing out on a good thing.

He has the style in his button down and jacket and he has the sound with his seamless ability to roll through the decades without missing a beat. With a video approaching 500,000 hits on YouTube and 125,000 streams on his SoundCloud account, Newman didn’t have to wait too long for the public to love him again. It’s all right there in front of him.

Watch the video for Newman’s debut solo single, “Love Me Again”. / Pre-order “Love Me Again” on iTunes (U.K. only.)

Are you already fan of Newman’s collaborations with Rudimental and looking forward to his solo material? Are you just discovering him for the first time? Let me know! Comment below or find me on Twitter: @AdamFSoybel.