| 22 August 2005 |
| Sophie posts on the forum |
Sophie posted on the forum last week:
"Hello you lovely peeps,
Hope you're all dandy and fine.
I'm sorry i've been quiet for so long. I have been writing this album for coming up to a year, can you believe it, but it just keeps getting better. I am currently Stateside writing with people here and to be honest i'm having a bit of a ball. The songs are sounding lovely and I am so looking forward to doing the sparkly stuff again and sharing it with you all.
Thanks for your constant support. It's very comforting and hopefully when the new stuff comes out you'll be rewarded for your loyalty by having a bit of a boogie to the new material.
Wish me luck on the finishing touches. It's got to be perfect, right?
I'll keep you posted but in the meantime, keep the faith!
Sx"
|
| 09 August 2005 |
| Sophie speaks for the first time |
Source: Sun Newspaper
SOUNDS like SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR’s wedding was a lot of fun.
Speaking for the first time about her wedding, Sophie said "I'm so happy. The wedding was just perfect- everything I could have wanted and more. We made traditional vows to each other but took out the word 'obey'. It was quite funny really because the minister was speaking in Italian and no one could understand him!
I sang "God only knows" to Richard as a suprise with his band "The Feeling". It's his favourite song. We also sang "Lets go fly a Kite" as I loved Mary Poppins as a kid."
Richard also got the perfect wedding present (other than Sophie, of course!) when he was told that Island Records were going to sign his band.
|
| 01 August 2005 |
| Album and forthcoming plans |
Do you mention your hubby Richard in any of the songs on the new album?
Not by name but if you listen hard enough you may hear him crop up a couple of times. Sonny’s not going to appear playing keyboards or anything!
And have you been to any gigs recently?
Richard is in a band called The Feeling and I’ve been to loads of their gigs - it’s all looking really good. I’ve been seeing lots of new bands too.
When can we expect to hear about some live dates?
I definitely will be touring. I’d like to do some unusual dates around the time the album is released – maybe some acoustic gigs. I’m sure I’ll be doing the full-on tour next spring. I’ll be heading off to Europe too.
It sounds like a really exciting time for you.
I’ve got a really good feeling about everything that’s happening - I’m very excited! People have been very patient and I’m working really hard so they feel the wait will have been worth it.
|
| 21 July 2005 |
| sophie and Richard secretly tie the knot |
Source: The Mirror
WHILE Jude Law and Sienna Miller's wedding invite has yet to drop on the doormat, we're happy to reveal Sophie Ellis-Bextor has secretly married guitarist Richard Jones.
The singer looked stunning in traditional white as the couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Italy.
To celebrate they hired out the plush Palazzo Terranova - a nine-bedroom £500-a-night country house hotel - in Umbria for their families and friends.
"They couldn't be happier," says our source.
"The ceremony was very simple and understated and it was a beautiful day."
"Sophie's dress was designed by Sarah Owen and she looked amazing."
"They managed to keep the whole thing quiet as they didn't want to cause a fuss."
After the June 25 ceremony Sophie and her guitarist husband - both 26 - headed south to honeymoon with 14-month-old son Sonny where they are still enjoying their break.
The couple had been looking forward to their big day since last November when Richard proposed, but both wanted to wait for Sonny to be old enough to enjoy the ceremony. Sophie and Richard got together in 2003 when he played in her band while she was on tour.
She had split from boyfriend of six years Andy Boyd in August that year - and got together with Richard a week later. One month later the singer discovered she was pregnant.
Sophie had an emergency caesarean in April when she was seven months pregnant after doctors discovered she was suffering from the life-threatening pre-eclampsia.
And last October, Sonny was rushed to hospital with meningitis. He made a full recovery and guests made a constant fuss of him at the wedding last month.
Richard described to 3am in February how he proposed to his love. "I fooled Sophie by telling her I wasn't into getting married," he revealed.
"I spent ages planning it. We went for a long weekend in Barcelona and had a few drinks at a quiet bar on the beach. I even got down on one knee."
Sophie said: "I was stunned. But I didn't have to think about saying yes."
When she returns later this month, Sophie will go straight into the studio to start work on her album which will be released in spring.
|
| 18 July 2005 |
| New track and Janet on Sophie |
According to the Native Management website (Matt Rowe), "New York City Lights" is a forthcoming track from Sophie.
In interview to Metro Cafe magazine, Janet talked about Sophie:
How do you deal with people saying nasty things about your daughter? (Robbie Williams said Sophie has a face like a satellite dish)
"Apart from her huge talent and vast beauty, she's bright as anything - so between us, we can disregard most of that stuff. Hopefully, we can laugh it off. If you stick yourself in front of a camera anywhere at any time, someone's going to form an opinion of you. I do as well when I watch people. The thing to remember is to ignore everything they say, whether it is good or bad."
What's it like having a pop star as a daughter?
"The nice thing is I've known her all along. I didn't open the door one day and there she was saying: 'Hi, I'm a pop star and I'm also your daughter.' I got to know her over the years (laughs). The fact she's a pop star is only right and proper because she's talented and beautiful. It makes perfect sense to me."
|
| 27 June 2005 |
| Insights into the new album |
So how many songs have you written for the album?
"I guess I've got in the region of 40 songs but most of the time you're trying things out to give you ideas for another track. It boils down to about 18 songs that are possibilities for the album. Then you produce those and see how it goes, and then cut them down again until your have 12 or 14."
Do you know which will be the singles yet?
"There are about 4 or 5 songs that might be singles but you never know what could turn up in the next few months either. It's an ever-evolving thing and until it's in a box with a cover on it's subject to change!"
Any interesting collaborations you can tell us about?
"I've been doing some work with a couple of people from the B52s which has been quite exciting as I'm a big fan of theirs. Most of the other names are people I've already worked with. I've become good friends with them and they've become an important part of the journey up until now."
|
| 11 June 2005 |
| Another song title |
A couple of months ago, Sophie informed us two song titles of her upcoming album, but on last Wednesday, Popjustice published the following:
"Sophie Ellis Bextor, in many ways the original Girl Aloud, has a collaboration with him out of The B-52s on her new album; another song, ‘Me & My Imagination’, gets the Popjustice thumbs up."
|
| 05 June 2005 |
| Janet in Hello |
Janet is in Hello Magazine this week. She reflects on her career, family life and the birth of little Sonny.
Janet, unfortunately, can not say much about Sophie's wedding: "I've been sworn to secrecy" she said. "I'd be lynched if I gave any details away! It's going to be a private family do."
Janet does ,however, let a few family secrets out.
Firstly, she knew Richard was going to pop the question to Sophie! She, her husband and Martha were on holiday in Barcelona with Sophie and Richard at the time.
"Richard told me he was going to propose to Sophie - he asked our permission, actually" she says. "We were just over the moon. I thought ' How lovely, fantastic news. No doubt about it- the right person. What shall I wear?!'"
Once back in the UK the whole family got together for a celebration meal in London.
It seems that Sophie is also following in her mum's footsteps by marrying abroad.
Janet married her husband John in the south of France.
On Sonny she says, " I love 100% being a grandma. Sonny is such a delicious,happy,smiley,gorgeous boy- I adore him so much!"
Janet says she loves her new TV gardening show which she says is her ideal job.
But it's going to be the wedding that will mean more to her.
"It's going to be enormous fun. I won't be able to hold back the tears. I'll have a handbag stuffed with tissues."
"Like anyone with a family I live through them. Through John,Martha and Jack, through Sonny, and of course, through Sophie and Richard. The wedding...that's just the icing on the cake."
Source: Micky (Forum)
|
| 22 May 2005 |
| Sophie interview, part 1 |
This week, we have the first part of our latest catch-up interview with Sophie.
Read on to find out what she had to say about her third album…
Is the bulk of the album finished now?
Yes, I could
probably stop now and focus on recording but that’s a lengthy process too. It
takes a good couple of months and I’m trying out different production ideas so
it may take a bit longer.
How you do decide which producers to work
with?
I get to suggest which producers to collaborate with which is
great. They’re mainly people associated with albums I’ve loved, but others are
people I’m not so familiar with who’ve sent me a showreel of their work.
After that, I’ll meet up with them to find out whether they’re people I
wouldn’t mind being shut in a confined space with. It’s real trial and error as
there are some people you admire but don’t get the right sound for you in the
end.
Is there any particular theme to the album?Every
album is a progression of sorts but I wouldn’t say it’s got a specific theme. It
is a happy album though.
|
| 16 May 2005 |
| Patrizzio Buanne to sing at Sophie's wedding? |
Daily Mirror published on Saturday that Patrizio Buanne is being lined up to sing at Sophie Ellis-Bextor's wedding.
The opera singer, whose debut
album, The Italian, is at number 12 in the charts, is set to perform at the reception after Sophie ties the knot with fellow musician Richard Jones in Italy in June.
Nevertheless, Sophie is back and denied this and confirmed she was in NY:
"I have never heard of that singer and he is not booked for my wedding.
However, all the real plans for
the big day are coming on a treat.
I've just returned from an exciting New York writing trip and think i may be fast approaching the recording stage for the third album.
hurrah.
Sx"
|
| 10 May 2005 |
| Working together with... |
This comes from the Moderator of the B52's forum:
"Fred Schnieder of the B-52's (love Shack/Rock Lobster/Private Idaho among many, many other
hits spanning over 25 years) has written 4 songs for Sophie Ellis Bextor. She just recorded the
demos in NYC. This is very exciting because they are so different in style. SO my guess is to
expect the unexpected!
Fred has also told me that Sophie is truly a beautiful person inside and out and she was a
real pleasure to work with."
|
| 04 May 2005 |
| Next album differs from other two |
In the latest installment of our exclusive catch-up with Sophie,
she reveals how her forthcoming album differs from the first two.
Sophie told us that she didn’t set out experiment with new sounds on the album.
She says: ‘It’s all about creating the melodies that you think feel good. You often think
that maybe you haven’t really done a ballad, so you start writing a melody and a chorus.
Before you know it you feel that it could sound good with a little beat behind it.’
Is she excited at coming back after a long break? ‘I will be more conscious of how people
are going to accept me, but I kind of know what suits me and what doesn’t and hopefully
I’ve got something of my own sound that I can continue with. I think I’m actually more relaxed,
in that I don’t have to really prove myself.’
|
| More old news:
01 ~ 02 ~ 03 ~ 04 ~ 05
~ 06 ~ 07 ~ 08 ~ 09 ~ 10
|
