Showing posts with label #Circa Zero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Circa Zero. Show all posts

Friday, October 8, 2021

ANDY SUMMERS LEGENDARY GUITARIST FOR THE POLICE CHATS ABOUT NEW BOOK 'FRETTED & MOANING' AND NEW MUSIC 'HARMONICS OF THE NIGHT' A LIVE ZOOM TV EXCLUSIVE!

 


 

A N D Y

S U M M E R S

LEGENDARY GUITARIST 

formerly with 

T H E  P O L I C E

New book  OF SHORT STORIES

FRETTED AND MOANING

AND NEW MUSIC COMING SOON!

HARMONICS OF THE NIGHT

The new record will join up with 

Metal Dog and Triboluminescence 

to complete the three-strong sonic collection. 

ANDY SUMMERS

EXCLUSIVE ZOOM TV INTERVIEW

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH IN ITS ENTIRELY



Andy Summers is most known as a member of one of the most influential and acclaimed acts in musical history, The Police. 

With a catalog that has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and spawned multiple chart toppers including “Every Breath You Take,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” just to name a few, as well as four of their five studio albums making Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The Police continue to be one of the most important musical acts of all time. Summers is a five-time Grammy® winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and has spent the past five decades performing live to audiences across the globe.  Summers has released multiple solo projects in recent years as well as collaborations with John Etheridge, Robert Fripp, Fernanda Takai, Ben Verdery, and Victor Biglione.  In 2007, The Police reunited for a 14-month global tour becoming the third highest grossing tour of all time.  In recent years Summers has become a noted author including the 2006 release of his memoir, One Train Later, the inspiration for his 2012 documentary film, Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police.

 Summers has also found sanctuary behind the lens as a noted photographer who specializes in capturing a mood, an expression, or a location in striking black and white, with book releases including the stunning Desirer Walks the Streets (Nazraeli Press), I’ll Be Watching You (Taschen), and The Bones of Chuang Tzu (Steidl), while continuing to curate exhibits around the globe including Leica Gallery in Los Angeles, Paris/LA Independent Photo Show, Kunst, Licht Ggallery in Shanghai, and more. Summers is the recipient of the prestigious Chevalier De L’Ordre Des Arts et Des Lettres by the Ministry of Culture in France. For more information, visit www.andysummers.com.


Purchase Andy’s latest book 

FRETTED AND MOANING

Short Stories

Musician, composer, photographer, guitarist and… author. Andy Summers has written short stories ever since he became a member of The Police, and they are as smart, witty, and unexpected as his music and photography. Now for the first time 45 are collected in this hardback book. Andy’s stories in Fretted & Moaning reveal a cast of characters drawn from the world of music, chief among them guitarists. Every tale has at its heart music or a guitar and a person whose ambition, hopes, dreams, loves, hates, failures, and successes are revealed in uncanny, funny, and never expected ways.

Available at amazon.com


Also watch for

HARMONICS OF THE NIGHT

by Andy Summers

The new record will join up with Metal Dog and Triboluminescence to complete the three-strong sonic collection. His 15th studio solo record and the final installment in his trilogy of albums.

Expected October 15, 2021 at amazon.com


For more information 

about

ANDY SUMMERS

Visit

www.andysummersbook.com

author site

www.andysummers.com

official website

www.facebook.com/andysummersofficial

facebook

https://twitter.com/asummersmusic

twitter

www.instagram.com/andysummers_official

Instagram

www.thepolice.com

the Police official website 

ANDY SUMMERS

DISCOGRAPHY

Solo albums

XYZ (MCA, 1987)

Mysterious Barricades (Private Music, 1988)

The Golden Wire (Private, 1989)

Charming Snakes (Private, 1990)

World Gone Strange (Private, 1991)

A Windham Hill Retrospective (Windham Hill Records, 1991) (compilation)

Synaesthesia (CMP, 1995)

The Last Dance of Mr. X (BMG/RCA Victor, 1997)

Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk (BMG Classics/RCA Victor, 1999)

Peggy's Blue Skylight (BMG Classics/RCA Victor, 2000)

Earth + Sky (Golden Wire, 2003)

The X Tracks (Golden Wire, 2004) (compilation)

Metal Dog (Flickering Shadow, 2015)

Triboluminescence (Flickering Shadow, 2017)

Harmonics of the Night (Andy Summers Music/Cargo Records, October 15, 2021)

Collaborations

I Advance Masked with Robert Fripp (A&M, 1982)

Bewitched with Robert Fripp (A&M, 1984)

Invisible Threads with John Etheridge (Mesa, 1993)

Strings of Desire with Victor Biglione (R.A.R.E., 1998)

Splendid Brazil with Victor Biglione (R.A.R.E., 2005)

First You Build a Cloud with Ben Verdery (R.A.R.E., 2007)

Fundamental with Fernanda Takai (2012)

Circus Hero with Rob Giles as Circa Zero (429 Records, 2014)

Film soundtracks

The Wild Life (MCA, 1984)

2010 (A&M, 1984) (contributor)

Band of the Hand (1985)

Down and Out in Beverly Hills (MCA, 1986)

The Craft (Columbia, 1996)

Singles

"Parade"/"Train" with Robert Fripp (1984)

"2010"/"To Hal and Back" (1984)

"Love is the Strangest Way"/"Nowhere" (1987)

As band member

With The Police

Outlandos d'Amour (1978)

Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)

Ghost in the Machine (1981)

Brimstone and Treacle (1982)

Synchronicity (1983)

Every Breath You Take: The Singles (1986)

Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings (1993)

Live! (1995)

The Police (2007)

Certifiable: Live in Buenos Aires (2008)

Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings (2019)

With Eric Burdon and the Animals

Love Is (1968)

With Kevin Ayers

First Show in the Appearance Business (1996)

Too Old to Die Young (1998)

Yes We Have No Mananas, So Get Your Mananas Today (EMI/Harvest, 2009)

With Kevin Coyne

Matching Head and Feet (Virgin, 1975)

Heartburn (Virgin, 1976)

In Living Black and White (Virgin, 1976)

Sign of the Times (Virgin, 1994)

On Air (Tradition & Moderne, 2008)

With Dantalian's Chariot

Chariot Rising (Wooden Hill, 1996)

With Eberhard Schoener

The Book (Ariola 1977)

Trance-Formation (Harvest/EMI Electrola 1977)

Video-Flashback (Harvest, 1979)

Video Magic (Harvest, 1978)

With Strontium 90

Police Academy (Pangaea, 1997)

With Zoot Money's Big Roll Band

It Should Have Been Me (1965)

Zoot! (Columbia, 1966)

Transition (1968)

Were You There? (Indigo, 1999)

Fully Clothed & Naked (Indigo, 2000)

 


 





ANDY SUMMERS

APPEARS WEEK OF

OCTOBER 12TH 2021

on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

with RAY SHASHO

STREAMING at  

THE CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC REPORTER

(classicrockmusicwriter.com)

Classic Rock Here And Now

Music Tried And True

Facebook LIVE

YouTube 




RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE 

ROCK STAR 

CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE


By Ray Shasho



 …Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover

 or E-book  at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

 

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES 

BOOK TRAILER

CHECK IT OUT!


BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

 

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   Gold Award Winner

 


MORE BOOKS BY RAY SHASHO


Monday, May 26, 2014

Andy Summers Exclusive: Brilliant 'New Group' & 'New Album' ...Says No More 'Police' Reunions!

By Ray Shasho

Legendary ‘Police’ guitarist Andy Summers and Rob Giles of the Los Angeles based indie/pop/ rock outfit, ‘The Rescues’ have joined forces to form an incredible new rock group called ‘Circa Zero.’ With the new band comes a brilliant new CD entitled ‘Circus Hero.’ The new release is brimming with virtuosity and rock and roll tenacity! Circa Zero’s progressive/pop debut single is entitled “Levitation” and succeeded by a music video. The musical chemistry of Rob Giles superlative vocals and Andy Summers rock guitar artistry has inaugurated a crucial new rock syndicate.

Favorite tracks on ‘Circus Hero’ are … “Levitation” -A progressive/pop/rock intro at its finest … “Underground”- An awesome psychedelic/rock tune supported by incredible wah-wah effects ... “Say Goodnight” and “Night Time Travelers”- Excellent tracks led by Bono-like vocalizations … “Gamma Ray”- is extremely innovative! … “Underwater” –A monumental rocker! …“Light the Fuse & Run”-Great title/ intricate guitar riffs … “Hot Camel” -An extreme instrumental groove!
… I gave ‘Circus Hero’ by Circa Zero (5) Stars!

 -You can purchase the brand new CD by ‘Circa Zero’ now at amazon.com.

ANDY SUMMERS: First entered the music scene in the mid to late 60’s. He was briefly a member of Eric Burdon & The Animals while recording one album with the band entitled Love Is (1968). The album spotlighted a 4 minute and 15 second solo by Summers on the Traffic cover track “Coloured Rain.” Side 4 of the album included a medley of songs by the Psychedelic rock group ‘Dantalian’s Chariot’ which included Andy Summers and Zoot Money. Summers also played with progressive rock pioneers Soft Machine for a short while. Andy also recorded and performed with acclaimed artists such as Kevin Ayers, Jon Lord, Kevin Coyne, and Michael Oldfield.

THE POLICE: formed in 1977 and were comprised of …Sting (lead vocals, bass), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums). The Police were highly regarded as one of the most important, successful, and eclectic bands throughout the late 70’s and 80’s, while helping to introduce a new musical genre called new wave. The Police achieved incredible worldwide mainstream success by integrating elements of reggae, punk, jazz, and rock into their music.

Some of their biggest hits included … “Roxanne,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Message in a Bottle,” “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “Spirits In The Material World,” “Every Breath You Take,” (#1 Billboard Hot 100 Hit) “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” “Synchronicity II,” and “King of Pain.”

The Police have sold more than (75) million records worldwide, won (6) Grammy Awards, (2) Brit Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Police broke-up in 1984 but reunited for a worldwide tour in 2007.

Since The Police disbanded, Andy Summers has released (12) solo albums. His solo projects gave Andy the fortuitousness to musically explore and create freely, including discovering an instinctive ability to compose. He’s written or collaborated on many film scores including …Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Weekend At Bernie’s, 2010, and Wild Life.

Summers has also become a critically-acclaimed photographer.
In 2006, Andy Summers released his autobiography entitled ‘One Train Later.”

I had the rare opportunity to chat with Andy Summers about his exciting new band with Rob Giles called ‘Circa Zero,’ and their brand new release entitled ‘Circus Hero.

Here’s my recent interview with multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, photographer, and legendary guitarist with 'The Police' …ANDY SUMMERS.
Ray Shasho: Hey Andy!
Andy Summers: “Hey there Ray, how are you doing?”
Ray Shasho: ‘Circus Hero’ the new album … ‘Circa Zero’ the new band … a superb and brilliant new group loaded with rock and roll virtuosity & vigor! I think the band presents a genuine opportunity to grandstand your ingenuity as one of the finest guitar players in the world.
Andy Summers: “It was obviously great fun making this record, you can hear that in the tracks. Part of the fun for me was to be able to sort of build all of the guitar parts. I’ve got to say Rob was very cool about that because we would get a sort of basic track and try and get a decent enough drum part, you’d get a bass line, and as we’d sort of put the first thing down, I’d put down some sort of a guitar part and then Rob would leave. He’d say you know what to do … and leave me to it. So I would take the time to really get the sounds, the colors, and the guitar parts really right, including the solos. In other words, he didn’t hover over my back, so there’s nothing inhibiting me whatsoever and that’s the way I work best. I can take time and experiment until I feel the sounds are right. So that’s why I think the sound is so good on this record.”
Ray Shasho: Rob Giles has an incredible voice … I thought Rob’s vocals sounded a bit like Bono on several tracks of the new album.
Andy Summers: “I think he’s one of the best singers out there and one of the best voices I ever heard. I think there is a little bit of sound in the voice like Bono.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, I really liked The Police, but I’m so glad that this album doesn’t sound like The Police. You’ve demonstrated so many facets of guitar ingenuity on ‘Circus Hero’ that were never musically expressed while you were with The Police.
Andy Summers: “Yea, it’s more of a rock album with a different vocalist. A lot of people commented like that, saying it was really great that you cut out on this one. I’m pleased because I did. I thought I would play all the solos, go to all these textures and let it really come through …people really like it.”
Ray Shasho: I especially enjoyed the enhanced usage of the wah-wah.
Andy Summers: “It was right for the album, you get that rock and edgy tone to it with a wah-wah and it just seemed appropriate.”
Ray Shasho: My favorite track on the new album was “Underground,” kind of a psychedelic/rock tune but also very mainstream. Did you swap guitar licks somewhere on the album with Rob Giles?
Andy Summers: “No, all the guitar is me. Rob is the drummer on everything except three tracks, which we added after we finished the album. On those tracks we used Dan Epand who we thought was going to be in the band. But Rob plays bass, drums, and sings.”
Ray Shasho: Wasn’t there actually a lot of drummers considered for Circa Zero?
Andy Summers: “Oh my God, I think we’ve had nine drummers. It’s weird; I don’t know why we’ve had a hard time with drummers (All laughing). The truth is that the album is made by me and Rob and he plays drums very well, but I didn’t want him to be stuck behind a drum kit singing vocals in a rock band. At first I thought he’d play a little guitar and we’d get a bass player, but he also plays bass very well and he decided that he wanted to play bass. We had a girl from Canada for awhile and it was sort of a cool ideal to have a girl drummer, so we found her and she came to LA. Honestly, the trouble was she lived in Montreal and we could never get her to stay in LA. It just wasn’t working. Then we had this other guy that we thought was good but he was in another band. Finally we got this Danish drummer, Fredrik Bokkenheuser, who is a fantastic rock drummer and we’re going to play with him next week. He’s on the video that is on You Tube now, just a killer rock drummer!”
Ray Shasho: I also really enjoyed the track “Say Goodnight” on the new release.
Andy Summers: “That’s a very nice Pop Song. A lot of people just love that one; it will probably be our next single.”
Ray Shasho: “Light the Fuse & Run” … Wow, what a great title for a song!
Andy Summers: “Yea, that came later, as a track, it started out with that lick that I had and it kind of built up from there. So it was only lyrics and then Rob suddenly came in with this one … yea, “Light the Fuse & Run”… that’s kind of a rocker, so you find this, you find that, and you finally kind of agree on what’s really working … and we felt really good about that one.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, what is the lyrical meaning behind the song “Underwater?”
Andy Summers: “It’s all about what we’re looking at on the nightly news now …floods and fire in this country, denial of climate change and environmental related things because they want to make money, economic growth and all that, while ignoring the real problem. It’s a concerned song.”
Ray Shasho: “Hot Camel” is a really cool instrumental groove.
Andy Summers: “That was one of the last things we did. It was intended maybe for the next album and then the record company wanted more songs. So we said let’s make this an instrumental and stick this on. You can really hear the band playing and it just makes the album interesting. We felt, we’re coming out of the door with this one, so we should just make it great. Literally, value for money, there’s a lot of great music on this album. “
Ray Shasho: Will ‘Circa Zero’ be hitting the road soon to promote the new album?
Andy Summers: “Hopefully, we’re looking at some touring this summer, we’re just waiting for the phone to ring from our manager to tell us which one. We want to get out there and start playing it for real.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?
Andy Summers: “Louis Armstrong. What a great singer, just fantastic! It all came from Louis Armstrong.”
Ray Shasho: Anything else you’d like to promote?
Andy Summers: “I think the new album is the main thrust of our lives at the moment. I’m doing a bunch of photography shows and going off to China in a couple of weeks. My movie entitledCan’t Stand Losing You’ is coming out September 26th. It’s based on my autobiography called ‘One Train Later,’ and pretty much about my life as a musician, before The Police, and then throughout The Police. There’s some fantastic concert footage and a lot of my photography in it.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, do you think there will be another reunion with The Police?
Andy Summers: “It sort of seems impossible, I don’t think so, and I’m not hoping so. Sting calls me every day and I tell him not to call me again and leave me alone. But I don’t think so, unless it’s Vegas in like 2025 (All laughing). Time is changing, the world is changing, and you’ve got to cling on to whatever you’ve got. I’m hoping ‘Circus Hero’ goes through the roof.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, thank you for being on the call today, but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and continue to bring.
Andy Summers: “Thanks Ray, see you mate!”

Purchase the brilliant new CD by Circa Zero (featuring Andy Summers and Rob Giles) entitled ‘Circus Hero’ at amazon.com
Andy Summers/Circa Zero official website
The Police official website
Andy Summers/Circa Zero on Facebook
Andy Summers on Twitter
Andy Summers on Myspace
Purchase Andy Summers 'One Train Later: A Memoir' at amazon.com

Very special thanks to the amazing Kim Estlund

Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with the legendary Dan McCafferty -original lead singer for Nazareth
Coming SOON … The pioneer of ‘theatrical rock’ Arthur Brown of ‘The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’ (“I am the God of Hell Fire and I bring you …FIRE!”)
AND Susanna Hoffs the remarkable and proficient lead singer of The Bangles

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com


Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com - Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.
“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column on examiner.com. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!”stillerb47@gmail.com

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