SIMONE WADDELL & DAMIEN COOPER featuring JAMES NAPIER release new single “CALLING YOU”
The gorgeous new single from one of Australia’s leading contemporary jazz artists; Simone Waddell. The track has been described as “a superb arrangement. The dance of vocals, harmonies, and guitar is sublime, and will send shivers up your spine.”
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A note from Simone….
In 1994 I met an AMAZING guitarist called Damien Cooper when I moved to Lismore, NSW, to begin my contemporary music degree at Southern Cross University.
I was one of the people at my High School who was devoted and dedicated to music, and when I went to university, everyone there completing the music degree was THAT person too!
I was eighteen, and I used to love hanging out at Damien’s place with his three other musician flatmates. The four guys had four milks, and four loaves of bread, and four of everything because they didn’t share…..or I think they were mad at each other if someone finished something and then they went to use it, and it was gone! Why do I remember this from 1994?!
I just remember opening the fridge saying, “why is there FOUR MILKS IN HERE?!”
Damien, originally from the picturesque countryside of Mudgee, NSW, had the respect of pretty much everyone, and had the nickname SHREDDER. Or Shred. His talent was and is extraordinary.
They were carefree days, and I am sure I learnt much more from recording, collaborating, and performing with my university friends in my degree in “D Block” than any of the lectures (!)
Damien and I performed a song together back then called, Calling You as a guitar/vocal duo. I loved it. I still have one of our live versions on cassette. I sang a LOT of riffs and runs in those years. It had no guitar shredding and was simply beautiful. He can do it all!
Fast forward to 2020. I had always wanted to record the song. It was such a special memory for me, and we had countless amazing times during those years. So, I contacted Damien, now living overseas in England, touring with Dr Hook, and playing guitar in some of the top shows in the world on the West End. I asked him to record his guitar part. Same key, and same arrangement as before. He absolutely nailed it!
In the meantime, during 2021, I recorded my 5th studio album, The Art of Collaboration, released by Ambition, featuring sixty of the biggest names in Australian jazz including Tommy Emmanuel, Rai Thistlethwayte, Paul Grabowsky, and James Morrison. The album was the highest selling Australian Jazz Album of 2022, and includes iconic Australian songs as well as my original music. It was also successfully entered into four categories in the 2023 Grammy Awards.
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In late 2022, I invited a brilliant singer and artist James Napier, who I knew loved the song, Calling You, as much as me, to sing on the track as well. I have known James since our high school days at McDonald College Performing Arts. Even longer than I’ve known Damo!
I arranged the vocal parts prior, and we recorded vocals with the incredible ARIA award winning Michael Tan who always delivers gold.
I received the final mastered track from the incomparable Grammy award winning mastering engineer William Bowden. When I receive a final, and play it over and over, I know it’s ready to sign off. So I did and a brand new BEAUTIFUL song, steeped in wonderful friendships and history is out now. We hope you enjoy this gorgeous brand new version of Calling You.
Calling You was written by Bob Telson.
Simone’s voice is fresh and impassioned and simply a joy to listen to.– Erik Zobler – Grammy Award Winning Producer & Engineer
In this crowded, noisy world of allegedly “unique” singers/performers, Simone distinguishes herself as an extraordinarily pure singer and performer. – George Massenburg – Iconic Grammy Award Winning Engineer
Simone is a gorgeous singer, her talent of Kate Ceberano proportions.– Eric Myers – The Australian Newspaper
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