Claire Hamill Weblog

summers here 2007

2007-06-13T03:29:00.000+05:00

Hi folks two months since I wrote anything...baaad! Myspace has taken over my life!

The tour is over now and I can get down to some writing.The album will be finished in time for an autumn release when I will scrap with all the big guys for a little airpay!

I absolutely loved touring.It's so different than when I did it years ago.When I was really young and just starting out I was incredibly lonely.All those hotel rooms and restaurants with travelling salesmen eyeing me up wondering what on earth I was doing there on my own!
Now it's just me ,my guitar and radio 4... heaven! I found that I got into the rythmn of motorway driving after a while and it became a pleasure to drive. Finding the venue is always interesting, a bit like treasure hunt!

I can't wait to get out there again.I'll be doing my best to book a gig near to you.

My other project is a musical I've been asked to write for my friend John Gorman.I have no idea how it'll turn out at this stage but I've already written 3 songs so that's a good start! Wish me luck!
I hope you all have a great summer.I'll be back when I have some news.
lots of love
Clairexxxxxxxxxx

The Pet has a pet!

2007-04-18T16:12:00.000+05:00

First can I say the "pet pic" has been discovered and is available to anyone who wants to see it.I won't be publishing it myself cos it looks weird to me! I mean,I don't think I look very sexy!I look too innocent! If you really want to see it then of course i will e-mail it to you but I'm in no rush!

What i wanted to tell you is that I have a new pet of my own!
Go back a few years and picture this.Myself and my friend Sarah Pay in a Landrover on our way to the south of France to collect two dogs.Sarah was bringing in 2 dachsunds to breed a litter andI was to have a puppy.At the last moment she decided that she had too much on her plate and asked if I would have one of the dogs instead.So we set off to Toulouse to collect them with our children in the backof the car(one of mine 4 of hers!)
We navigated round Paris no problem and spent a fun couple of days while the paperwork was prepared.I became the proud owner of the most beautiful dachsund I'd ever seen.We called him "Murphy" cos my daughters wanted to be the "sisters of Murphy".Sadly my dog had something wrong with him and I had to have him put to sleep.It was an awful day for me and I missed him terribly.I think it rated in my top five worst days of my life.
Sarah moved to Leicester and when I visited her I always made a fuss of her little dachsund,Finnalie.Last weekend I played a gig at "The Musician" in Leicester( and hello to anyone who was there).Sarah very kindly put me up for the night and while I was there she expained that she was selling her farmhouse and getting rid of her animals.She asked me if I would like to take Finnalie home with me! so here she is and lying at my feet as I write this.It's like re-creating a part of my past and I couldn't be happier.
love to you all
claire xxxxxxxxxx

Teeside Tunes

2007-03-13T18:34:00.000+05:00

Oh I'm so excited to be paying in Teeside again.This weekend to be exact, at "The Studio" in Hartlepool.I'm taking along some members of my family to cheer me along and we've decided to film it to see if we get anything we can use for the DVD.Yes, I know I said I'd be doing one but hey,look how long the compilation has taken!!
Mick has had technical problems.His computer went haywire and had to be sorted by a very serious person.Thank heavens he was able to save the files so the project will be moving forward again soon.
I just want to say hi to the lovely people I met at the start of my tour in Heswall and Chester and a big thank you to John Gorman and Sue his partner who looked after me so well. John is so funny ,he was the perfect foil to my sad songs....remind me to write some funny ones one day!
love
clairexxx

album-update

2007-02-16T18:44:00.000+05:00

Hello my friend thank you for dropping by.I just wanted to update you on things.The recording with Mick Greenwood is finally coming to fruition.I have re-recorded 3 songs and I'm really happy with the outcome though there is one thing that always happens with me in the studio.I usually put down a guide vocal at the start of the recording process which goes on to be saved and that's what has happened this time too.I figured out that,in future, if I sing the song but substitute the words "this is a guide vocal" somewhere in the song then perhaps the producer will let me go back in once everything has been recorded to re-do what was meant to be a just a guide vocal!
Mick has played everything and arranged the backing vocals.It has taken longer than I thought so I've had to put back the release date but I don't mind.It is very tempting to re-record more of my early songs but I want to do another album of new stuff plus I must record the songs I wrote with my sister....ah so much to do, so little time!
love
Claire
ps thanks for the help with the spam thing, I didn't realise I could do it myself! Ps I'm not angry with Mick,it's flattering to think he likes my first takes!

Penthouse Pet !

2007-02-01T05:05:00.000+05:00

I thought that would catch your eye! Hi how are you? thanks for dropping by to catch up with this absentee blogger. I've recently been in touch with an old fan who remembers an interview I did years ago with Penthouse.It was in the days when my modest fame was starting to wane, around the release of Abracadabra.Those were pretty dark days in the UK, all three day week madness.
The only press I could get at the time was an interview with Penthouse.I duly did the photo session and word came back from the magazine that they weren't going to run the piece because the pictures were too modest! Yes, this is the music business remember! So I was despatched back to a house near the Kings road to take some more raunchy pictures.This time the photographer started egging me on and the result is a little more risque(half a nipple!) but I can assure you very tame by today's standards!
Well, the furore! I believe someone was sacked at the record company,though I didn't find that out until much later. Understandably I was very upset at the time (I always took myself so seriously!) but not any more! I'd give anything to see that picture again.Does anyone out there have a copy?
love
claire ps back soon....promise... and sorry about all the spam(and the exclamation marks...love em! see!)

Gig info

2006-12-09T02:53:00.000+05:00

I just wanted to let you know that it's very easy to see where I'm playing.All you have to do is go to my home page and click in the top right hand corner where it says"Click here to hear my music"
You will be taken to my myspace site where my gig info is posted.You'll be able to read about my up and coming gigs and listen to a selection of songs.I will be changing them from time to time.
love
clairexxx

A big Thank you from Guatemala

2006-12-09T02:36:00.000+05:00

Hello my friend I hope you're well. I just wanted to let you know we had a fantastic time on November 18th at our Guatemala fund raising event.We raised a fantastic £361 which,by the time it reached Quetzeltenango had become 4780 quetzels! I have had grateful messages of thanks from our friends on the ground.They have bought one scholarship already and some gas for the house the students live in.
To say thank you to everyone who helped on the night, I arranged a little party at my house .
I'd read somewhere about December 7th being the feast day of " Burning the devil" in Guatemala .I thought it might be fun to burn a devil too! I made a head out of rolled-up newspaper and covered it in kitchen roll,you know, horns, ears, nose and drew a face on it and stuck it on a broom handle where it watched me from the corner of the kitchen while I made snacks for the guests.
When I set fire to it there was a strong wind blowing and it whipped the flames up into a fury.Unfortunately a bit of burning sellotape landed on my bare arm and now I have the mark of the devil himself... and me a good catholic girl!! pass the vitamin e someone! what a hoot!(p.s. I try to be good!) xxx

Guatemala update

2006-10-26T20:31:00.000+05:00

Hi everyone,Here's the line-up for our Guatemala evening.Dale J Weeks, Su Austin(my daughter), Adeline, Zoe Konez, Donna Terenzi, me and Step Murray(TymonDog) .It will be a singer/songwriter extravaganza!The lovely Pete Prescott, who may get up and give us a song, will compere but Phil Hudson can't be there cause he's going to Sweden or somewhere(don't tell Judith!) We're all going to let our hair down and party till they throw us out which may be anytime after 12am. Please come and support us ,those kids need it.
love
claire
ps Jonathan Claire IS going to be there after all!

lyrics for "someday we'll all be together"

2006-10-16T20:46:00.000+05:00

Here are the chords and lyrics for "someday."As you can see the chords won't go underneath the words as they're meant to, it's something to do with the way the blog has been written, never mind! It just goes round and round in a very simple pattern the way Pachebel wrote it (genius!) have fun!

Home heart warmth safe
C G Am Em
Love here peace now
F C F G
Life truth close warm
C G Am Em
love here peace now
F C F G

And each day reaching further
C G
And each day building something
Am Em
We'll make a place of safety
F C
We'll build a house of love here
F G
And when the sun goes down we'll
C G
Count all the stars above and
Am Em
We'll make a wish that someday
F C
We will all be together
F G

Home heart warmth safe
C G Am Em
Love here peace now
F C F G
Life love close warm
C G Am Em
Friends here peace now
F C F G

And each day reaching further
And each day building something
We'll make a place of safety
We'll build a house of love here
And when the sun goes down
We'll count all the stars above and
We'll make a wish that someday
We will all be together

Home heart warmth love......ah ah
C G Am Em

peace now peace
F G C

Sunny Somerset/Japanese Sunrise

2006-10-14T15:39:00.000+05:00

Hello my dear friends! Just thought I'd post something so you can catch up on my activities in the last week.Last weekend I went to Somerset to sing at a private party for my friends, Denise Cush and and Dave Francis.It was Dave's 50th birthday. Denise is my oldest "best" friend.We met on our first day at primary school! I consider myself extremely fortunate to have met her because she is without doubt one of the loveliest people I've ever met.Throughout my life she has always been a constant loving prescence who never judged me or deserted me and that has been such a blessing.We don't see a lot of each other and indeed there were years when we only exchanged christmas cards but it doesn't matter does it? I'm sure you all have friends like that too and aren't they wonderful?
I was anxious the day before because I'd had car trouble and had to take my PA down there.I have to admit that in March I committed a crime! I finally put too many points on my licence thru speeding that they took it away for 6 months!No,honestly,I'm not proud,my niece was run over by a car when she was 12 so I know the damage they can do (she survived with a broken leg)( I wasn't going very fast by the way in case you're worried about me!)
So the car had been playing up because it had been parked in the country for 6 months.
I made it anyway and we all had a good party.
Dave's brother Terry was DJing that night and said he knew some people who book the Truck festival in Oxford.He has since sent me details and I've sent them a cd.I've also had some interest from The studio in Hartlepool and dear John Gorman is trying to get me some gigs in Liverpool.
This week I went with my friend Sue Perry to volunteer some time to the "Step On" project which helps local kids in Hastings who're in danger of being excluded from school.I thought we could do some songwriting and music.Sue's an image consultant and will help them with presentations for interviews etc. I'll be seeing her later at John Evan's house when we watch the Bonfire Boys procession go by..it's Hastings week and tonight we celebrate the Battle of Hastings with fireworks and mayhem yey!!
This morning I received a box of cds from japan.They've been released there by Airmail Recordings and the leaflet with it said BRITISH LEGEND COLLECTION vol.33.isn't that marvellous? I'm a legend at last!
much love to you all
claire

Goodbye Mr Best

2006-10-06T15:59:00.000+05:00

Last night I said goodbye to an old friend who is re-locating to Cyprus.Martin Best was the manager of Harpers Bar here in Hastings during it's hey day in the late 90's and early part of this century! We shall all miss him but life always changes and we must embrace change as part of our journey.I learned such a lot at that little bar.It helped me to have fun with music again.Until i started to go down there and just sit in the bar and play,I was someone who was pretty"precious" about where and when I would sing.I had been used to singing in large halls around the country and found it hard to just sing for sheer pleasure.We had some great sing-songs,I remember nights when the whole roomful of people were singing together at the tops of their voices.We often had an international flavour too when Andrew (Warren)used to bring down some of his foreign students and we'd all sing old Mc Donald had an international farm!It may sound naff to you but until you've heard a chinese dog bark or a russian cow moo, well you haven't really lived have you? So Bon Voyage Martin, best of luck,don't take a pebble from the beach..so many good memories to treasure .love Claire

A Song for Guatemala

2006-10-06T15:26:00.000+05:00

Hello everyone,I just thought I'd tell you about the "Song for Guatemala" charity evening at the White Rock Hotel,Hastings on November 18th,it's a saturday.I was approached last year by an old friend from way back, who is now living and working with poor people in Guatemala.Last year they were devastated by hurricane "Stan" which has only made things more difficult for them.The charity we will be raising money for is" The Victoria Project" which supports teenagers who are training to be primary school teachers.They need money for bus fares accommodation, books etc.Then they go back to their villages and teach the little kids how to read and write and we all know that education is the only way out of poverty!Guatemala is not the only country that needs help,there are so many worthy charities in the world but every penny we raise that night will be going directly to them and they will be so grateful.

sorry!

2006-09-30T21:16:00.000+05:00

Sorry folks, I haven't been keeping up to date with my blog and after all, that's what a blog's for, so I better pull my socks up a bit, otherwise I'll lose you to some other singer and we can't have that now, can we? Like john Stewart Mill I'm a great favourite of the long sentence.! So what's my news? Well the recordings are on hold until Mick's available again.

Earlier this week I was interviewed for the Trawler.It's a local"serious" magazine with great editorial and reviews, published by members of the local literary scene and i was very pleased to do it.I'll be putting the interview on the web somewhere for you to read at a further date.I was asked to provide some quotes and cuttings for reference here's my favourite," her voice is like the sound of a lonely seabird echoing across an industrial estuary"...mmmm...interesting!
love clairexxx back soon!

Today

2006-09-06T14:24:00.000+05:00

The session with Mick last week went very well.We laid down the backing tracks of the three songs I'm recording with him.Mick has been helping me re-arrange them,putting extra choruses into the songs etc.It all sounds pretty good.This week he'll be filling out the tracks a little with percussion, bass, piano etc. and later I'll put on some backing vocals and re-do the lead vocal.

Today I'll be seeing the printer about the cover for "Stage Door Johnnies"..I hope you realise that they're bootlegs! It's true,I had to bootleg my own album! Unfortunately the masters were lost many years ago.I tried to get in touch with Ray(Davies) but he's a hard person to reach. Recently I heard him on the radio but I didn't have the heart to ring the BBC and hassle him!He'll always be a great guy no matter what. I still live in hope that they will be found languishing in some dusty lawyers office but as time goes by that seems increasingly unlikely.I'm sure Ray has no idea where they are.Never mind,the songs and the sentiments within them live on. It's Stage Door Johnnies that has the first recording of "you take my breath away".My version is different to Eva's.She must've heard the recording by Tuck and Patti which is more jazzy.
love
clairexxx
ps hello to Jeff and Brian...I'll be putting some different tracks up soon on myspace

christine's freak out!

2006-08-30T22:29:00.000+05:00

Hello everyone,I thought I ought to mention Christine because I know some of you have had e-mails from her saying what a terrible person I am!I have tried to ignore her but I just want to put the record straight.I have constantly told Christine how grateful I was for her help these past few years but it came to the point where I wanted to have control over the website myself.Unfortunately she completely freaked out about the loss of power over that part of my life. At least, that's the only thing I can put it down to. As you can imagine I was so upset about what she did( taking down my website and posting a statement about me) and that she had the cheek to write to people in my mailing list that she didn't even know .I hope she gets back some equilibrium.I want you to know that even though she offered to do the site for free and refused any offers of money, I sent her money anyway. Rest assured,I will be taking legal advice about this and other matters incase she continues to harass me and indeed yourselves!
love
claire

chords for " you take my breath away"

2006-08-25T21:23:00.000+05:00

sometimes it amazes me
D G
how strong the power of love can be
D G

and sometimes you just take my breath away
Em A D G
I've watched our love grow like a child
D G
Sometimes gentle and sometimes wild
D G
and sometimes you just take my breath away
Em A D

And it's too good to slip by too good to lose
D A G
too good to be there just to use
A G D
I'm gonna stand up on the mountaintop and tell the news
A A Bm G
that you take my breath away
Em G D

Eva plays it in the key of "E".You can find the music in her songbook"American Tune"

Can I help you?

2006-08-25T21:13:00.000+05:00

Is there anything you want to ask me? anything you need my advice with? I'd be happy to help if i can.
love
claire
ps completely anonymous unless you leave your name of course!

Looking to the future

2006-07-27T16:42:00.000+05:00

Hello everyone,thanks for visiting my new website .I love the new format and everything about it.I'm so grateful to Benjamin Gough for working so hard on it these past few weeks.
My week has been fairly quiet,just finishing off website stuff and trying to get my e-mail problems sorted out which has taken ages! My broadband supplier doesn't like the fact that i get your e-mails thru my domain so has put a spanner in the works.
I'm still making enquiries about where to have the Victoria Project gig here in hastings sometime this autumn .I promised to do a charity performance for this worthy charity that raises money to educate poor Guatemalans.After watching "The Motorcycle Diaries" on Film 4 last night,a great film about Che Guevara, it has made me even more determined to help.
that's all for now
love
clairexxx
ps the photo was taken by Carole Farnworth years ago when I supported Wishbone Ash

My next Gig

2006-07-27T16:41:00.001+05:00

Hello dear friend, thanks for visiting.Hope you are well.I just thought I'd tell you about my next gig.

Friday September 29th Cafe Belge High Street Battle East Sussex 8pm

I met Gary Vandenbuche and his wife Janet when our kids were at the same school.Gary had his own record label for a while and used to put on gigs in South London and Kent.His father owned a very successful gastro pub near Hever Castle in Kent and asked Gary and Janet to take it over.They found they had a flair for running restaurants and opened their first one in Bexhill East Sussex in 2002.Since then they have gone from strength to strength and now have 5 all over the county!His father would be very proud to see their achievements. I'll be singing solo in Battle but hopefully will be joined by the wonderful Phil Hudson on guitar when we play for Gary at his Eastbourne restaurant on Friday. November 29th

My last Gig - Feedback

2006-07-27T16:41:00.000+05:00

My last gig was a strange one!I had a phonecall from a guy called Victor who said he was putting on a gig to support Hastings Pier.He said my friend Pete Prescott had suggested me!Well always one to do my bit, of course i said Yes.I knew Pete and our friend Phil Hudson would be there so i would have a nice time.Lovely Anita was there too but unfortunately the rotton weather had kept all but a few die hards from turning up.We soldiered on regardless and just as we finished the heavens opened again.The good news is that at last the owners of the pier have brought in a specialist company to test the strength of the structure and provide the council with the info they need.Maybe now we'll get some answers.

In the evening I played at a party for my friend Glen.I took along a couple of friends, Sandra and Emma and we all had a wonderful time... I had requests for "fields of gold" and the "first time ever i saw your face". I also played one of my new songs "bossa nova baby"thanks Glen, see ya next year!

NEW WEBLOG what do you Think?

2006-07-26T17:23:00.000+05:00

hello there anonymous person! just to let you know that i would love to come up north to play for you.My plans at the moment are to get my compilation finished and then plan a tour to promote it.It would be lovely to play in Middlesbrough again,maybe some of my old school friends would come along and I'd have somewhere to stay...at my mums! or should i say,at me mam's!!
love
claire