Dutch charts/ Night of the Proms February 28, 2005
Zucchero is still doing fine in the Dutch music charts this week; in the Mega Top 50 Blue has gone up to number 28, in the Top 100 it's up to number 11, in the Tip Parade for the top 40 it's gone up to number 8 while in the Yorin FM Pepsi Chart Blue has stayed at number 28. In the album charts ZU & Co is up at 28 (compared to 84 last week). Why there are so many music charts in such a small country, god knows.
The Night of the Proms tour has started in Wallony and France yesterday night. Performing together with the orchestra Il Novecento Zucchero sang Everybody's got to learn sometime, Senza una Donna (Without a woman), Il Volo, Baila (sexy thing) and Diavolo in me. For the tourdates in France check our tour section
Zucchero & Ilse DeLange/ Dutch charts/ 46664/ New album February 21, 2005
A bunch of news on the Zucchero and Ilse De Lange collaboration; last saturday was the broadcast of De TV show which featured a short interview with both artists and a (semi)live performance of Blue. Ilse De Lange's official website (www.ilsedelange.com) has a short clip of the performance in two clipsonline. Zucchero and Ilse also performed Blue on this weeks Top of the Pops which will be repeated on friday afternoon at 16:00 on Nederland 2. Last monday during the Edison Awards gala in Amsterdam Zucchero and Ilse performed Blue live, this time accompanied by jazz and blues legend Toots Thielemans. The gala will be broadcast on Nederland 2 on march 2nd and our friend Marga Zoethout got us the picture.
Blue and ZU & Co are also doing well in a bunch of different music charts in the Netherlands. In the Mega Top 50 the song is currently at number 31 (38 last week), in the Top 100 Blue's currently at 29 (last week 26) and for the top 40 the single has entered the Tip chart at number 30. Meanwhile in the Pepsi chart Blue is at nr. 28 (last week 31) and ZU & Co has re-entered the album top 100 at nr. 84.
In an interview on Dutch radioshow Stenders Vroeg Zucchero has said he will take part in this years 46664 concert in South Africa, other bands and artists that will perform include Queen & Paul Rodgers, Katie Melua and Peter Gabriel. In 2003 during the first edition of the 46664 concert in Cape Town Zucchero also performed, playing Everybody's got to learn sometime and I want it all with Queen. This years show will take place in Fancourt on march 19th. For more info check www.46664.com.
And finally; Zucchero is working on a new album but nothing is in yet on a release date and since the Night of the Proms tour (see Tour section) will start tomorrow probably no recording will take place for another few months. Zucchero has said in an interview with a couple of Dutch newspapers that he's considering making a rock 'n roll album but is concearned he won't be able to pull it off age wise (he's turning 50 ya know :) ).
Zucchero & Ilse DeLange/ Jimmy Smith (1925-2005) February 10, 2005
And some more Zucchero & Ilse news; the single Blue has been released a little earlier than planned because of the airplay it received so it should now be in all Dutch recordstores. The single includes the complete album version of the duet and a radio edit. It also seems that the Dutch version of the ZU & Co album will be released earlier than expected; either february the 11th or somewhere next week. In the same category; our friend Marga Zoethout got us these pictures made by Annette Verhaaff of the recording of the TV show:
And on a sadder note; hammond organ pioneer Jimmy Smith passed away this week in Los Angeles. Smith was the first to start using the Hammond B-3 organ and single-handedly introudced the organ sound to jazz and blues music. Zucchero and Jimmy Smith worked together in 1989 when Zucchero was in Memphis to record Oro incenso e birra; Smith is the one playing the hammond solo on Overdose (d'amore) the opening track of the album. Jimmy Smith was 79 years old.
Zucchero & Ilse DeLange February 03, 2005
Yesterday were the recordings of De TV-show which featured a short interview with Zucchero and Ilse DeLange and the two of them performing (live vocals, taped music) Blue, unfortunately fans weren't allowed to ask questions (damn you TROS!). The show will be aired in three weeks (but we'll get back to that). Zucchero and Ilse will also perform Blue during the Edison Music Awards. The show will be recorded on februari 14th in Amsterdam and there are still some tickets left, to order them go to www.aub.nl.
SACD January 26, 2005
There has been some confusion over the re-release of Zucchero's old albums in SACD format in the past few months. Some websites (www.nannucci.it) already had the albums listed as 'on sale' but weren't delivering while at the same time some Italian fans were able to find them on sale at certain record stores. Things have cleared up a little with the fanclub now selling the SACD cd's online too. The cd's that have been re-released in SACD (super audio cd) format are Zucchero & The Randy Jackson band, Rispetto, Blue's, Oro incenso e birra, Zucchero, Miserere, Spirito DiVino, Bluesugar and Shake. The cd's are 14,90 each (13 euro for fanclub members) and you can order them from store.zucchero.it. The cd's won't be officially released (and shipped) till the end of february though.
Zucchero & Ilse DeLange January 25, 2005
Zucchero & Ilse DeLange's version of BLue is getting quite a lot of airplay on Dutch radio and it's a very nice version indeed! The single will go on sale on february 18, and the Dutch version of ZU & Co, with the duet included of course, will go on sale the same day. And if there are any Dutch fans interested in going to the taping of De TV-show with Zucchero and Ilse DeLange performing the song together mail us NOW on askboris@unpodizucchero.net.
Zucchero & Ilse DeLange in De TV-show January 19, 2005
Zucchero and Dutch singer Ilse DeLange will perform their duet Blue (to be released on a Dutch edition of ZU & Co) together in the TV-show, a famous Dutch... well tv-show. We've gotten an e-mail from the people making the show asking if we know any (Dutch) people who might be interested in going to the recording of the show (about 15 places appear to be available for Zucch fans). If you're Dutch and you're free on the afternoon and evening of wednesday february 2nd please send us an e-mail and we'll try to get things going! Some fans might get the chance to ask Zucchero a question (if possible in Italian, but don't worry you don't have to be fluent).
Dutch version of ZU & Co to be released January 17, 2005
A Dutch version of ZU & Co will be released on february 7 in the Netherlands. The album will contain the normal tracks but instead of the Sheryl Crow version of Blue in this version the duet will be with Dutch singer Ilse DeLange. Ilse DeLange is one of The Netherlands most succesful singers mostly doing a mix of country, blues and pop. Hits in the Netherlands have been World of Hurt, I'd Be Yours and Livin' on love. To promote the new single the two will perform the song together at several tv-shows including De TV-show. The song will also be released seperately as a single.
RAH dvd released in Canada/ Tour de France show/ Swedish version ZU & Co / 46664 nr. 2 January 10, 2005
The Royal Albert Hall dvd, which features Zucchero with guests like Eric Clapton, Brian May, Solomon Burke, Dolores O'Riordan and Tina Arena, will be released in Canada tomorrow. This is also good news for Zucchero fans in the US because Canadian dvd's, unlike European discs, can actually be played on US dvd players. You can buy the dvd online on www.amazon.ca.
It all sounds like it's in a very early stage but according to a few internet sources the start of the Tour de France in Germany this year will be celebrated with a big concert in the Messe of Karlsruhe. Artists rumoured to take part include Tina Turner, Bon Jovi, U2 and Zucchero. If this concert is indeed going to happen it will take place on july 8th. (thanks to "Dreams" from the Zombieguide.com forum!)
In Sweden a special version has been released of ZU & co. This version doesn't have the Mousse T collaboration Mama Get Real (or in Italian Il Grande Baboomba) but does include Va, Pensiero in duet with Sinead O'Connor. This song was released before on a 1999 UK version of the best of... (see discography). In Japan ZU & Co has been released now too but the tracklist isn't different from the normal Italian/English version.
And finally: no word on if Zucchero will take part but a second 46664 concert will be held in march. During the first show in november 2003 artists like Queen, Bono, Beyonce, Anastacia, Peter Gabriel and Youssou 'N Dour performed in Capetown to raise awereness and money for the fight against AIDS. Zucchero, during that show, sang Everybody's got to learn sometime (with Sharon Corr, Brian May and Roger Taylor) and I want it all with Queen. Right now Queen is the only act confirmed for this years show, if Zucch's scheduled to show up, we'll post it here!
