Tag Archives: Together Again Tour 2017

On This Day, 14 December 2017, Alfie Boe Sang…

…Bring Me Sunshine at the 02 with Michael Ball and the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Choir:

Alfie and Michael recorded a special version of Morecambe and Wise’s Bring Me Sunshine for the Rays of Sunshine charity at the end of last year and it was a special treat to see the children up on stage at the 02 arena.  Other artists included on the single are Al Murray, Angela Rippon, Aston Merrygold, Bryn Terfel, Calum Scott, Collabro, Danny O’Donoghue (The Script), Gareth Malone, Gregory Porter, Imelda May, Imelda Staunton, Jason Manford, Kelsey Grammer, Lesley Joseph, Loose Women (Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha, Stacey Solomon, Linda Robson), Mark King, Mel Giedroyc, Miranda Hart, Ore Oduba, Pauline Quirke, Rick Wakeman, Seal, Shirley Ballas (Strictly Come Dancing), and the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Choir.

Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity grants wishes for seriously ill children and teenagers across the UK. The charity was founded in 2003 and has since granted more than 6,000 wishes for brave and deserving children. Their work provides hope and creates lasting and precious memories for thousands of families across the UK. The charity receives no government funding, so proceeds will enable them to help more children who greatly need our help. Click here to find out more.  Decca donated 100% of all profits, whilst committing to a minimum donation of 50p from the sale of each permanent download to Rays of Sunshine.  Since then, Alfie has become an ambassador for the charity and the choir have again sung with him at Kenwood House in June.

Alfie and Michael’s single is still available (UK only) via download here:

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Caroline Ward’s Six Sensational Songs

Caroline Ward’s selection of songs features yet another couple of new entrants to the Six Sensational Songs list! It’s also the only selection that has nearly all Michael and Alfie songs.

Love Changes Everything is of course Michael Ball’s signature song but Alfie sang it, for one night only, at the celebration concert for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s birthday in 2018.

Incurably Romantic from Alfie and Michael’s first tour Together.

A Wonderful World / Over the Rainbow

You’ll Be Back, at Carfest South 2018.

Wham Medley.

Bring Me Sunshine – with Rays of Sunshine choir.

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Alfie Boe’s Best Live Song 2019 – Number Nine

Two weeks into our annual quest to find Alfie Boe’s Best Live Song, we come to a song that Alfie first sang on the Together Again Tour 2017 and again during the summer concerts of 2018. Featuring at number three in last year’s poll, it’s slipped a bit to number nine this time around:

One of the reasons so many of you love this song is the joy Alfie and his band members get from playing and jamming together – not only is it great to see Alfie playing guitar but to see the other band members get their moment in the sun.

Wagon Wheel has not been recorded by Alfie as of yet and currently, it’s difficult to see where it would fit, other than a radically different album to those of recent years.  Having said that, I would love to hear such an album!  Judging by these votes, I’m not alone in that.

Wagon Wheel is a song from a US country band, The Old Crow Medicine Show and is actually a hybrid of a chorus and melody from Bob Dylan (him again!):

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Carole Naden’s Six Sensational Songs

The week of Alfie Boe’s new album release has arrived and there seems no better time to look at another set of Six Sensational Songs, this time from Carole Naden.  Carole’s first choice is:

Of course, Bring Him Home, ‘the’ song that we all associate with Alfie.

Another eternally popular song, and the winner of the Best Live Song poll for the past two years, Run.

Angie, from Storyteller.  This beautiful cover of the Rolling Stones is making it’s first appearance in six sensational songs.

Dimming of the Day, first heard with Emilia Mitiku on the Storyteller tour but recorded for Trust with Shawn Colvin.

Another new song for our list of sensational songs, this is Wagon Wheel from Cardiff 2017, the first time we heard Wagon Wheel and the second time we saw Alfie play guitar.  The last time was five years on the Storyteller tour!

Carole’s sixth choice is Islands in the Stream, another song that debuted at Alfie’s summer concerts this year but I couldn’t find a video with just that, so you get a freebie this time around!

I say this every time sensational songs is published but the depth and breadth of Alfie’s repertoire is such that we have added another three new songs to the Six Sensational Songs playlist! Bring on the next tour!

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Alfie Boe’s Best Live Song 2018: No. 3

Three weeks until Alfie Boe’s Homecoming concert at Fleetwood (anyone excited yet?) and we’re at number three in the quest to find Alfie’s best live song 2018.  This song is another new entry to the chart and is the first song to feature that Alfie has not yet recorded and appeared in his solo set on the Together Again tour:

It is of course, Wagon Wheel and for me, was a highlight of the show.  Judging by the results of this poll, it was a highlight for many fans – let’s hope it doesn’t join the ranks of songs Alfie never records!

Wagon Wheel is a song from a US country band, The Old Crow Medicine Show and is actually a hybrid of a chorus and melody from Bob Dylan (he really does get around) and verses from Ketch Secor of OId Crow.  Here is the original:

Old Crow Medicine Show have just released a new album and are currently touring the US – they may just feature in a future post on exploring new music!

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Happy 4th Birthday thoughtsofjustafan!

Yes, it’s four years since thoughtsofjustafan began and it’s been another crazy, wonderful year with all of you and Alfie (and Michael).

One of my highlights from this past year is one of my favourite live songs too:

My other highlights from this year are

Interviewing Alfie in November

The Together Again tour and album

Ball and Boe TV show recording

Alfie’s new song, Wagon Wheel:

Seeing the joy brought to fans in USA, Australia and Japan with Alfie / Alfie and Michael’s shows

Interviewing Alfie’s Carousel understudy, Will Barratt – one of my favourite interviews and albums

Interviewing John Owen-Jones – just lovely, even if he did spell my name wrong on the album he signed for me!

It’s been an absolute pleasure meeting so many readers and fellow Alfie fans who took the time in the last year to come and tell me how much you enjoy thoughtsofjustafan. Thank you, the support is much appreciated.

As always, there’s a few people I’d like to thank:
Linda A, Linda W, Cecelia, Margie, Carole, Sue, Pat, Jan, Roberta, Annie and Sally – thanks for being fantastic friends and always having my back

Roberta, Linda, Cecelia, Annie and Margie for standing outside numerous stage doors to get competition prizes signed for me!

Linda W – thanks for the amazing photos and videos

Deb – thanks for believing in me

Andrea and Emily at Vector – couldn’t do it without you, thanks for everything

Alfie – thank you for the inspiration and the continued support – it’s a pleasure and privilege to look after your fans!

Nominate Alfie Boe’s Best Live Song 2018

Alfie Boe fans around the world are counting down to the summer concerts in the UK and something that’s become an annual event before a string of concerts is a poll to find out which of Alfie Boe’s live songs is the fan favourite.  Will any of the new songs we saw from Alfie on the Together Again tour make it into the top ten or will the out and out favourite of the last two years, Run, come out on top again?  Whatever happens, it’s up to you to nominate and vote, so let’s do it!

These are the songs already nominated from previous years:

 

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and an exclusive interview too!

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Celebrating Meeting and Greeting with Alfie Boe

Coming to the end of January and we can start to look forward to a new Alfie year with some new shows and new music scheduled for this year.  Those going to the Japanese concerts won’t have to wait very long to see Alfie but before you know it, June will be upon us and Fleetwood, London, Scarborough and Llangollen will be blessed with many Alfie’s Arrows descending upon them. For those of you not in the know, Alfie’s Arrows was a term chosen by Alfie fans several years ago; Alfie liked it and the merchandise of the time produced Alfie’s Arrows badges.  Give me a shout if you’ve got one!

All fans would probably love to meet Alfie, even if they became somewhat tongue tied when speaking to him! If this is you, you are not alone!  One of the most exciting things for fans is to enjoy a meet and greet experience with Alfie and over the years, these have changed format, from the very informal to the ‘sign and pose’ opportunity of recent years.  Having said that, a meet and greet experience is still very special and seeing that Alfie smile just for you really does make your day, or even, dare I say, your year?!

Needless to say, apart from the actual “hello, how are you” and signing part of a meet and greet, the moment captured in a photo is the icing on the cake and a lasting memento of the day.  Here are a few fans who sent me their photos, as well as a few taken at stage doors etc:

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Thank you to everyone who sent me their photo, I just love seeing the happy faces!  If your photo is featured here, please click here to send me your meet and greet story and it might feature in a future post!

If this has whetted your appetite for your own meet and greet this year, click here to see availability at Fleetwood, Kenwood House and Scarborough.

If you would like to see your photo and story included then please fill in the form below:

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And the Winners Are…

At the beginning of the month, indeed in my very first 2018 post, I offered fans the chance to win one of four Alfie Boe and Michael Ball Together Again goodie bags, featuring a signed programme as well as other exciting things.

The question I asked was:

Which countries did Alfie and Michael perform in, in 2017?

The answer was UK, USA and Australia (or three countries total, although those who gave England, Scotland and Wales separately were included in the correct entries).

Without further ado, the winners are:

Kathryn Richards

Ann Wickens

Valerie Fish

Elaine Roberts

Please click here to send me your postal address.

To celebrate, let’s have a look at the updated gallery (click on the image) – many thanks to Linda Wellington:

Leeds 2017

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Alfie Boe Quiz 2018 – The Answers!

How did you get on with our quiz on all things Alfie Boe in 2018?  Answers coming up:

  • How many Classic Quadrophenia shows did Alfie sing with in 2017 and where were they?

A: 5: Tanglewood, Metropolitan Opera House x 2, Rosemont Theatre, Chicago and Greek Theatre, LA

  • How many solo shows for 2018 did Alfie announce at the end of 2017?

A: 4 (Fleetwood, Kenwood House, Scarborough OAT and Llangollen)

  • Which guest artists featured on Ball and Boe: Back Together for ITV?

A: Imelda May and Jason Manford

  • Name Alfie’s understudy for Carousel.

A: Will Barratt – click here to read my interview with him

  • In which building was Alfie’s blue plaque unveiled and what did it commemorate?

A: Marine Hall, Fleetwood – commemorated Alfie’s first live performance

  • Which song was voted Alfie’s Best Live Song in 2017?

A: Run...of course!

  • Which of Alfie’s albums topped the classical chart in 2017?

A: Love Was A Dream

  • How many HMV stores did Alfie and Michael visit to sign copies of Together Again?

A: 7 (Blackpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Oxford St for the world record and then Birmingham and      Liverpool a few days later)

  • Which TV talent show did Alfie make a guest appearance on earlier this year?

A: Britain’s Got Talent, singing ‘with’ Dame Vera Lynn

  • Which song did Alfie play on guitar during the Together Again tour?

A: Wagon Wheel, a song we all know a great deal better than we did before the tour!

How did you get on?

9 and over – you’re an Alfie genius

5+ – need to listen to more Alfie.  I recommend becoming a subscriber here so you don’t miss anything next year!

3+ – Are you sure you’re in the right place? Become a subscriber and you’ll find out everything you ever wanted to know!

Hope you all enjoyed – I wonder what Alfie will bring us this year?

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