Tag Archives: Dimming of the Day

On This Day, 22 March 2013, Alfie Boe Sang…

Dimming of the Day with Emilia Mitiku on the first date of the Storyteller tour.  This was the first time we had heard Alfie and Emilia sing together and what a collaboration!  An inspired choice  for both their voices and ensured we were totally familiar with the song when we heard it  on the 2013 album, Trust (albeit with Shawn Colvin).  Lots of you like this song as you voted it into the top 5 of the Alfie Boe Best Duet poll!

Emilia is a Swedish singer songwriter who I had never heard of until the Storyteller tour although when I first heard her I immediately bought her album, I Belong To You. Emilia, daughter of renowned Ethiopian singer Teshome Mitiku, grew up listening to the smoky tones of Etta, Ella, Eartha and Billie but her first brush with musical fame came via the pop world.  In 1999, Emilia Rydberg as she was then known, had a world wide smash hit with Big Big World.  That sound is light years away from the largely self written I Belong To You.  Click here to buy her album.

Here are Alfie and Emilia in Birmingham where we also see Alfie’s unintentional joke at Emilia’s expense ! – thanks to Linda:

Dimming of the Day remains my favourite song from the Storyteller tour and I have since listened to the many other versions recorded since it was written by Richard Thompson and recorded with Linda Thompson in 1975.  The Tom Jones version on his 2012 album Spirit in the Room is magical – click here for that album.

Alfie’s 2013 album Trust is available here:

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Alfie Boe’s Guide to Romance

Or rather, Alfie Boe’s Guide to Romance envisaged by thoughtsofjustafan!  Seriously though, as Alfie’s new album, Serenata, is marketed as his “most romantic album yet”, this is the perfect opportunity to check out Alfie Boe’s most romantic songs to date.

When polled, most fans were happy to go with My Heart is Yours as the most romantic song Alfie has yet recorded but what about before Serenata?  A good proportion of Alfie’s songs can be categorised as romantic and the songs nominated included:

  • I can’t help falling in love
  • Dimming of the Day
  • If I go away
  • First time ever I saw your face
  • When I fall in love
  • You are my heart’s delight

Now, in the name of extensive research, I listened to all of these (it’s a hard job but someone’s gotta do it) and I do have my favourite.  That favourite is I Can’t Help Falling in Love, just to die for.  However, if I had to choose a whole album being the most romantic, I would choose Love Was A Dream.  Not only does it ooze romance but the sound of Alfie’s soaring vocals, recorded right in the middle of the orchestra, has rarely been bettered.

The song chosen by you the fans as being Alfie’s most romantic is When I Fall in Love, from the Alfie album.  This is not a song we have heard Alfie sing often but he did perform this in Seoul earlier this year:

In his autobiography, Alfie mentions that just before he recorded this, he found out he was to be a Dad again so a perfect choice for his most romantic song.

If you need a bit of romance before Serenata is released, click here for thoughtsofjustafan’s very own Romance with Alfie Boe playlist on Spotify – and maybe we’ll revisit this subject for Valentine’s Day next year!  If you think I’ve missed anything out – please tell me via the comments box below!

Alfie and Love Was a Dream are available from Amazon:

Alfie (alfie) album

 

love was a dream

 

 

 

 

 

Serenata can now be pre-ordered – order the deluxe MP3 version and download Luna Malincolia and Addio Sogni now!

and then go to amazon UK and post your 5 star review of Alfie Boe’s Serenata!

serenata

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Alfie Boe Favourite Duet: Short List: Emilia Mitiku

Emilia Mitiku is a Swedish singer songwriter that I first heard of through, you guessed it, Alfie Boe!  To be specific, I first heard her name when she was announced as the support act for Alfie’s 2013 Storyteller tour.  I found her on YouTube and immediately bought her album, I Belong To You, falling in love with the melodious jazz / pop tones of the songs.  It was an absolute pleasure to watch her perform both as Alfie’s support act and duetting with him on Dimming of the Day and Angel from Montgomery.  Anyone who missed her show missed out on a treat.  Click here to buy Emilia’s album on Amazon.

Emilia, daughter of renowned Ethiopian singer Teshome Mitiku, grew up listening to the smoky tones of Etta, Ella, Eartha and Billie but her first brush with musical fame came via the pop world.  In 1999, Emilia Rydberg as she was then known, had a world wide smash hit with Big Big World.  That sound is light years away from the largely self written I Belong To You.  Of this musical journey, Emilia says “These melodies were probably always there, they just took their time getting out”.

Enjoy Emilia and Alfie at the Royal Albert Hall, April 2013:

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Duets with Alfie Boe – Choose Your Favourite

Alfie Boe has duetted with many people in the course of his career, in both his classical and more recent repertoire.  I have my favourites in both genres and I’m willing to bet a fair amount that all of you have your own favourites too.  So, let’s put it to the vote and choose our favourite artist to duet with Alfie so far.

Just let me know on the contact form below, which artists you like best and which song (if they have sung more than one).  Reasons for liking them might be good too!  And, if you really can’t choose, there’s no restriction on the number of artists or songs you can nominate – the more the merrier.

So, if you’re a classical fan or prefer Alfie’s more recent offerings, let me know!  Your choices can be anything you like, live in concert (or in kitchens!) or recorded, as long as they are a duet.

One of my favourites (I have many) is Dimming of the Day with Emilia Mitiku.  The video I have chosen is from Blackpool – thanks Annie x

 

 

Alfie Boe – Trust: Best Ever Album Due for US Release

Alfie Boe’s latest album, Trust, hit UK stores in November 2013 and quickly went gold. For US fans, their chance to own Trust comes towards the end of April when Capitol releases the album in America.
So, what do I think of the album? Having listened to Trust a lot since the release date, I can honestly say that I think this is Alfie’s best album to date. Long term fans will know that Alfie has been heading in this musical direction for a while now. The last three tracks of the previous album, Storyteller, are imbued with a blues, country and gospel sound that leads straight into Trust, particularly the glorious Glory, Glory Hallelujah and Rosie. My favourite songs are Keep Me In Your Heart and Glory Glory although there is a special place in my heart for Trust, the first song on any album to written especially for Alfie. Fans have long voiced the opinion that original material would be wonderful and it is definitely worth the wait.
There are a few songs on the album that are completely new to me but I love having my musical knowledge challenged and broadened by Alfie and have enjoying getting to know Forever Young and God Give Me Strength. Dimming of the Day is beautifully sung by Shawn Colvin, an artist I am enjoying getting to know but I have to confess a sneaking wish for the lovely tones of Emilia Mitiku, who sang with Alfie on his 2013 tour.
To give you a taste of the tracks, the video below was taken by Linda Wellington at the Huwawei Winter Concert at the Royal Festival Hall on 1 December 2013:

Since I first heard the first snippets from Alfie Boe’s latest album “Trust” two tracks stood out for me: Rosie and Glory, Glory. I defy anyone to sit still and not dance to Glory, Glory, in particular.  From talking to other fans, it was obvious that I was not alone in the opinion that those were the two tracks we wanted to hear live, above all others.  Well, it seems that good things happen to those who wait (in this case, we didn’t have to wait very long) as Alfie treated us to Rosie and Glory, Glory.  Playing the entire second act, Alfie and his extremely talented band (Murray Gould, Matt White, Richard Causon et al) burst into Rosie first off before moving easily into the album title song.  Rosie was everything we had hoped it would be, a fabulously foot tapping gospel infused number.  On this evidence, Rosie will remain a favourite for the live shows for some time.