Tag Archives: Michael Ball

Alfie Boe’s Best Live Song 2017: No. 3

Three weeks left until the 2017 Together Tour starts and excitement is almost reaching fever pitch levels. Cardiff at the end of this month sees the first tour date and it’s safe to say that fans can’t wait.

Before then, however, we have the last three songs in the Alfie Boe Best Live Song poll and number three is a song that has featured twice before, once at number one and last year at number two:

This was of course at Gary Barlow’s BBC New Year’s Eve show in 2013 and astonishingly in this digital age, was kept a complete secret until Alfie leapt onto the stage. Since then, it has been one of Alfie’s most popular live songs, as seen by it’s consistent presence in the live song polls. Why is this? Well, my theory is that as well as being totally unexpected, Alfie is so clearly having a fabulous time – it’s a joyous performance and one that you can’t listen to without smiling and dancing.

The thing is, it’s not just Alfie fans that think this about Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now – science thinks it too. In 2016, neuroscientists from the University of Missouri published data about what makes a song happy and as the answers were all about upbeat tempo, the song that was chosen as the happiest, in seventy per cent of choices, was Don’t Stop Me Now. Let’s see the song with Adam Lambert and Queen:

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Win a Signed Ball and Boe Together Again Deluxe Album!

Alfie Boe and Michael Ball’s new album debuted at the top of the album charts in the first week of release and in case you haven’t got your copy yet (what are you waiting for???) or didn’t manage to get a signed copy, here at thoughtsofjustafan we have one to give away. It’s the deluxe version which includes the DVD of the first Ball and Boe ITV special (it’s region specific to the UK, unfortunately) and was signed by the boys at HMV Oxford Street. To win, just answer the question:

Which Disney songs appear on Together Again?

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Here’s one of my favourite tracks from the album:

If you want to see some excited fans at the Oxford Street signing, click here!

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Alfie Boe’s Best Live Song 2017: No. 4

Alfie and Michael entered the UK album chart at number one! An amazing achievement for the pair and also for all of you for going out and buying it in your thousands – the most albums bought by one person (that I saw) was ten! Anyone bought more than that?

Ball and Boe’s first album, Together, also re-entered the album chart at number 36 which is perfectly timed for this week’s Alfie Boe Best Live Song which comes from that album:

You’ll Never Walk Alone at Eastnor Castle was nominated by Pauline Merrick and was the encore performance for both the 2017 summer concerts and the 2016 Together tour. The song was chosen in part as a tribute to the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster and the song was received incredibly emotionally when sung in Liverpool. Alfie and Michael also performed this at the 2016 Festival of Remembrance.

Despite it’s undoubted footballing connotations in the UK, the song is of course originally from the 1945 musical, Carousel, which Alfie appeared in earlier this year. However, Alfie’s character, Billy Bigelow doesn’t get to sing this song and it was a pleasure to hear Brenda Edwards’ Nettie sing it in the ENO production.

You’ll Never Walk Alone has been recorded many times but for us in the UK, the most famous version is that of Gerry and the Pacemakers from 1963:

Although it was the Together version that was nominated, I couldn’t resist including a video of Alfie singing this at the VE Day celebrations in 2015, as it was the first time he sang this for a long time:

Thank you again for supporting Alfie and Michael to the number one position – if you want to see an exclusive video from the boys then make sure you subscribe now!

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Ball and Boe Fans Turn Out for Together Again at HMV

When it was announced that Alfie Boe and Michael Ball would attempt a world record for the most amount of album signings in 24 hours, it’s safe to say that fans were very excited. Beginning in Blackpool before moving onto Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and finishing up in London’s Oxford Street, fans were busy sharing and tweeting #TogetherAgainToday as the duo went from city to city. Fans from as far afield as USA, Japan and Australia were able to join in the fun as well as those lucky 610 fans who got their albums signed by Alfie and Michael.

To break the record, previously held by Westlife, Alfie and Michael had to be physically present to sign albums in five different locations, so when the boys arrived (on bikes!) at HMV Oxford Street just before 8pm, there was already a party atmosphere in place, also helped by the presence of Strictly Come Dancing stars, Neil and Katya Jones. Fans who had queued for a long time (longest I found was three hours) all said it was worth it to get a few words with Alfie and Michael and to get their albums signed in person.

I was there with two fabulous friends (both of whom I met through Alfie), Linda and Cecelia, and together we spoke to several fans about the album and their experience of the signing (excuse the sound, it was really loud in there):

Many thanks to Ash, Abbie and Daga at Decca for editing the video to include Yvonne, Sue, Hayley, Vicky And Florence, Emily and Amy, Gina and Gaye, Tracey, Philip and Marilyn, Holly, Lesley, Joolz and Tienne and Georgie. There were also contributions from Rachael, Donna, Tricia and Sarah:

It was wonderful to be among so many like minded fellow fans and to talk about Alfie and Michael Together Again and of course any opportunity to see Alfie is always welcome!

The consensus amongst fans, including those who didn’t want to be filmed, was that the most popular songs on the album are He Lives In You and The Rose although other songs with honourable mentions were The Prayer, Bring Me Sunshine, You’re The Voice, Kismet medley, New York, New York, West Side Story medley and You’ll Be Back. In fact, there weren’t many songs that didn’t get a mention at all – next time, I’m not leaving until the entire track list gets a mention!

Now I don’t know about you, but I’m relishing the prospect of hearing You’re The Voice on the forthcoming tour – and if they don’t Bring Me Sunshine then I’ll darn well feel cheated! I’d love to hear what you would all like to hear on the tour – leave a comment below!

Alfie and Michael are thrilled and so appreciative of all our efforts, so to see an exclusive message, ensure that you’re subscribed and then check your inbox!

Together Again is available now – so buy, buy, buy!

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Alfie Boe’s Best Live Song 2017: No. 5

Half way through our hunt to find our favourite live Alfie Boe song and we come to another new entry into the top ten although Forever Young has featured quite heavily in the annual Alfie Boe Best Recorded Song poll. The live version from the US Memorial Day concert 2016 was nominated by Sheila Currie who also chose it amongst her six sensational songs.

The song was written by Bob Dylan, an Alfie favourite, for his son and the lyrics are just beautiful, working so well for remembrance events. In recent years Alfie has indeed performed this song twice at US and UK remembrance concerts so we have to go back to 2013 to hear the version that appears on Alfie’s album Trust:

Just love Alfie’s intro to this song – however many times you hear this anecdote, it’s still great!

Trust is available here:

Alfie’s new album, Together Again, with Michael Ball has just been released and is available here:

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Ball and Boe’s Together Again is a Triumph

Two days to go until Alfie Boe and Michael Ball’s second album together, titled Together Again, is released and despite some tracks being released already, anticipation amongst fans is palpable. Well, having listened several times now, I can unequivocally say that Together Again is a masterpiece and there are tracks that have been on constant replay since I first heard them.

A mix of well known favourites and newer songs, Together Again is that rare thing; the tricky second album that surpasses the giddy heights of the first. Both Alfie and Michael give tour de force performances and the song choices reflect a much more harmonious blend of their voices. Restrained when necessary, belting it out when the music requires, Alfie’s tenor and Michael’s baritone combine to showcase their contrasting styles perfectly, none better than on the opening track, a West Side Story medley. Having been done to death you would think that there is nothing new the pair can add to Maria. Wrong – Alfie and Michael sing this song as if their lives depended on it and, as a duet, manage to bring something new and refreshing to one of the most famous musical songs of all time.

Another famous and much recorded song to feature on the album is Stranger in Paradise, here mixed with This Is My Beloved, also from Kismet, the musical where Alfie and Michael first met and became friends. Although the show was an unqualified disaster, at least according to these two, it seems that perhaps enough time has now passed to allow the pair to want to sing the music again. For these reasons, this medley was one of the most hotly anticipated songs amongst fans (Alfie’s Stranger in Paradise was this week voted into our Best Live Song poll) and it doesn’t disappoint, particularly on This Is My Beloved, a song I wasn’t so familiar with.

Of the other tracks, highlights are The Prayer, Evermore and The Rose. The Prayer is just beautiful and is a treat for those who love to hear Alfie sing in Italian. However, both Alfie and Michael excel and it seems to be a fitting song for the troubled times we currently live in. Evermore is the newest song on the album, being from the live action Beauty and the Beast film released this year. Dan Stevens sings it for the film and the soundtrack features Josh Groban – my only quibble with this album is that maybe the boys missed a trick not getting Groban to guest. Perhaps a future collaboration might be on the cards? Having said that, Evermore as a song could have been written for the pair, especially as it is quite reminiscent of the music of Les Mis.

The best song on the album, vocally is John Farnham’s You’re The Voice:

The duo performed this to great acclaim whilst on tour in Australia recently and I can’t wait to hear this live when the Together Again tour gets underway in a few weeks – it’s a song that needs the audience to really participate. I can’t listen to this without singing along at the top of my voice, it’s going to be hairs on the back of your neck time in November / December.

Although You’re The Voice is fabulous, my favourite song and the one that sums up the appeal of Ball and Boe is Bring Me Sunshine. You can hear the joy and happiness from both Alfie and Michael and again, this will be amazing live. I’m sure Alfie and Michael will appear on Strictly Come Dancing this year and it would just make my year to see them sing Bring Me Sunshine with Susan Calman and Kevin Clifton accompanying. For those of you who don’t watch Strictly, Susan and Kevin’s quickstep to this song was a joy to behold.

To sum up, this album is an out and out triumph and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you haven’t yet ordered your copy, get down to one of these HMV stores (click here) on Friday 27th to get a signed copy or click on the image below to order:

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Alfie Boe Best Live Song 2017: No. 6

It’s the week that we’ve all been waiting for – Together Again is released on Friday! Hope to see a few of you at the Oxford Street album signing!

With this is mind, the song in at number six in our 2017 poll to find your favourite Alfie Boe Live Song is fated to be Stranger in Paradise, the song that brought Alfie and Michael together originally and is also featured on Together Again. The live version dates from Parkinson and a time when many people first heard Alfie sing:

There is also another video showing Alfie sing it live:

This is a new entry to the best live song chart and was nominated by Diane Lilga. The song of course is from the 1953 musical Kismet and was originally a lovers duet, although we mostly know it as solo song now. Pretty much anyone you can think of has recorded it but I’m showing you Vic Damone and Ann Blyth from the 1955 film:

And if you want to hear Alfie singing it as a duet, then he guested on the track on Elizabeth Marvelly’s eponymous album – I have one copy to give away so answer the question to enter!

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Janet Baldwin’s Six Sensational Songs

The latest in Alfie’s Six Sensational Songs features Janet Baldwin who first found Alfie on Classic FM. Janet says that “even then his wonderful voice stopped me dead in my tracks on my way out to work! I actually saw him for the first time on TV on the Classic Brits … and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Here are Janet’s choices:

When You Wish Upon A Star, chosen by Janet because “Alfie’s version of this song helped me back into the real world after a serious illness”,

Torna A Surriento, from Alfie’s appearance at the Michael Ball Prom, Michael gives him a rather long intro and the song starts at 1 min 25. Janet says that “Spent a happy holiday in Sorrento following in Alfie’s footsteps doing our own La Passione tour, visiting the Amalfi coast.”

Be Still My Soul. Janet says that this has always been a favourite hymn but “Alfie makes it special”.

In My Daughter’s Eyes – Janet chose this simply because she loves the song – the perfect reason!

Funiculi Funicula, with the Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir (one of my favourite videos, In always sing along, or attempt to anyway!) – Janet chose this as she used to enjoy singing this with her local operatic society.

A Thousand Years at Scarborough this summer. Janet says that this “brings back special memories of a rainy night in Scarborough! Looking forward to reuniting with my ‘Boe Buddies’ in December”.

Thanks Janet for sharing your songs with us – again, such a variety of songs represented, with four of Janet’s choices not having been chosen before.

If you would like to see your Six Sensational Songs featured here, then please fill in the form:

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Ball and Boe Attempt Album Signing World Record

Fantastic news for all those Alfie Boe and Michael Ball fans who want to get their Together Again album signed in person – the pair have just released a string of album signings.

All signings are on release day, 27 October and as this is a world record attempt, timings are expected to be strict – or we’ll end up in Oxford Street at midnight! For the same reason, photos with Alfie and Michael might not be possible. As with anything, it’s better to be early!

If you want to make history with Alfie and Michael, get down to Blackpool, Manchester Arndale, Sheffield Meadowhall, Nottingham or London Oxford St on 27 October – hope to see lots of you in Oxford St!

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Alfie Boe Michael Ball Bowl Over Brisbane

The first night of the Australian Ball and Boe tour is over and before the show moves on to Melbourne, here is Margie McKay-Lowndes’ review. Many of you will know that Margie has three times flown to London from down under to see Alfie in concert, so it is all the more fitting that the first review of the first show is hers:

Right from the get-go our boys held the audience in the palm of their hand. Somewhere and Tonight kicked us off with For Once in My Life rounding off the lively beginning, the audience now clapping to the rhythm and singing along. It was very clear that Michael and Alfie were happy to be here in Brisbane in our beautiful Concert Hall, which was almost filled to capacity: the stalls were booked out, and about half the balcony.

All the renditions were powerful and moving; the first of many highlights was You’re the Voice. There was an audible collective gasp of surprise and pleasure from the audience, who sang out every word of this moving, powerful, unofficial Aussie national anthem. The Ball and Boe rendition is destined to makes waves across the nation, I’m sure. Into the Elvis medley, where the audience were standing, dancing, clapping and loving every moment. The boys were having a great time as well, with all the sound on point, (at least to my ears). The orchestra was a mix of UK and Aussie musicians with Murray there as well. The back-up singers delivered particularly melodious harmonies – a very warm sound.

During all of this fabulous feast of music the fans in the front (where I was blessed to be seated about 1.5 m from where they were singing all evening) were enjoying it hugely, having not only met the stars at the Meet and Greet, but also meeting each other. Most of the fans that I met were Michael Ball fans, who were happy to have ‘discovered’ Alfie as well, although I met one elderly fan who was Team Alfie through and through, and there were certainly several Alfie fans front and centre in the hall. The Meet and Greet was well organised with about 40 people lining up. We had an opportunity to have something signed, a professional photo taken, and were welcome to mill around until the whole thing was finished. I had intended to say welcome to Brisbane etc, but ended up telling them about a whole of other things they were probably not interested in!! It was so great to see Alfie again and I must say, both of them seemed to be in glowing good health.

The second half was even better than the first, if possible. They impressed with Stairway to Paradise, Me and My Shadow (hamming it up through the ‘dancing’), Luck be a Lady and New York, New York. Onto the Bond Medley: this one impressed my friend who had kindly purchased a ticket for me before discovering I had also purchased a ticket for myself – so she brought her husband and voila! they are now confirmed Alfie Fans. They just loved it. Keep me in your heart and surprisingly, Free Falling, a tribute to Tom Petty, was a highlight, as was Michael’s Gethsemane, which again brought the crowd to its feet. The fellow sitting next to me had his dream come true when Michael sang Love Changes Everything and of course, the Les Mis medley just blew everyone away. A Standing O brought them back for You’ll Never Walk Alone. Walking out of the hall, the conversations around me were very positive. Everyone seemed to be blown away and there was long queue for the CD, which sold out!

Off to wind down with my friend and her hubby over a glass of bubbles while we kept an eye on the Stage Door to see if they would make an appearance, but alas no. However, we couldn’t fault the whole evening – as the man on my other side (as well as Michael’s tweet) said – it just doesn’t get any better than this!!

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