Sandi Thom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sandi Thom | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Alexandria Thom | |
| Born | August 11, 1981 (age 25) | |
| Origin | Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | |
| Genre(s) | Pop | |
| Years active | 2005- present | |
| Label(s) | RCA Records | |
| Website | http://www.sandithom.com/ | |
Alexandria "Sandi" Thom [1] (born August 11, 1981) is a Scottish singer-songwriter from Macduff in Aberdeenshire. She released her first single in 2005 and received a great deal of publicity for webcasting her gigs from a basement in Tooting in 2006.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
For three of her teenage years, she was in a covers band, The Residents, where she sang and played keyboards. She attended the school Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen.
At the age of 18, she attended the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. While at Liverpool Institute, she sang in a gospel choir, and also joined an unnamed 7-member band. The band entered a BBC Talent urban music competition, which was produced in association with BBC Radio 1, and made it to the semi-finals. After leaving the Institute in 2003, she returned to Scotland, recording demos and working as a session singer (she voiced an advert for the Brut body-spray).
[edit] Career
Thom's career was launched when she was spotted in Glasgow by an Orkney-based "multi-millionaire who had recently sold his fishing business and was looking to set up a label".[2] This was to be Viking Legacy. Companies House identifies the owner of Legacy as Scottish shipping magnate Angus Sinclair. He reportedly signed Thom on the spot.
She also signed on with Windswept Pacific Music, an independent music publishing company with artists on its roster such as Alice Cooper, The Futureheads and Nick Cave. Thom signed with UK arm, P&P Songs, whose stable of songwriters includes Craig David and hit-maker John McLaughlin, a collaborator with Thom. Thom writes that she had "been given the chance to work with a host of musicians and famous writers, in many places I didn't know existed".
"I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" (songwriting credited to Thom/Tom Gilbert), was released as a CD single on Viking Legacy records on October 3, 2005. EMI Music Publishing identifies Tom Gilbert as Ian Brown, Thom's manager. The song saw airplay during this time, including on BBC Radio 2, which was described as "championing" her. [3] The single, released as two different CD versions (catalog numbers VIKINGS03 and VIKINGS04) charted at #55, and dropped in subsequent weeks. CD1 featured "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" backed with "Little Remedy", and CD2 offered the song backed with "Something In The Air", "No More Heroes", and the video.
An article in The Times in October 2005 noted that Johnnie Walker had played her song on Radio 2 in July 2005, and that "hundreds e-mailed in to demand that it be played again". Viking Legacy Records released the single ahead of schedule, and an album Rockabyeberry was reportedly planned for release in late October. [4]
[edit] Re-release and success
"I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" was re-released on May 22, 2006. The song had been gaining in airplay exposure (see "21 Nights From Tooting" for additional details), and based on download sales from the previous week, and it achieved #15 on this basis in the general charts (and #7 in the download-only chart). The physical release had three formats: two CD versions (one featuring the radio mix and "A Light As Bright As Ours", another featuring the radio mix, the album mix, a further remix, "May You Never" and the video), and also as a 7" vinyl record backed with "No More Heroes". The song has been playlisted on BBC Radio 2, and Virgin Radio, Capital Radio.
In the week of May 22, the song reached #2 in both charts, kept off the top slots by continued strong sales of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy.
She performed on Top of the Pops on May 28. On June 4, the song overtook Gnarls Barkley to reach #1 in the singles chart. In the Republic of Ireland, "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" entered the singles chart at #10 (week ending May 25, 2006), and rising to #2 in the following week (ending June 1), and then to #1 the week after. It remained for a week, but was knocked off the top spot by Shakira's smash hit "Hips Don't Lie". It was suggested sales had fallen due to an outcry by punk and hippy fans alike who objected to being mistaken for each other.
Her album was released in the United Kingdom on Monday June 5, 2006. It went to straight to number one, in the chart dated June 11.
[edit] 21 Nights from Tooting
21 Nights from Tooting was a "tour" consisting of 21 performances from the basement of her Tooting flat, from February 24 to March 16. These were recorded and then webcast by professional hosting company Streaming Tank. [5] Tickets were sold, but the venue had a capacity of "six people" ("10 including the band"). [6]
The MySpace post announcing the gigs was posted in the early hours of February 22. Thom's website states that "the idea [...] popped into her head" after her car broke down travelling from a gig in York (on the 22nd) to one in Wales (on the 23rd). [6] [7]
Thom states that she was familiar with webcasting, having had a show at the Edinburgh Left Bank webcasted in October.[8]
Prompted by a contact from Thom's manager, news services noted Thom's promotion efforts. In a story first published on March 5, 2006, the Sunday Times ran a piece, [9] This was quickly reported on by other news sources. [10]. The audience for the first day was reportedly around 60 or 70, increasing to 70,000 (later quoted as 48,000) by the middle of the run, with viewers from Russia, the United States and Pakistan. [11].
The March 7 Reuters story mentioned that "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" was being rereleased the following week, with the album following in April. However, the publicity surrounding the tour led to major label interest, with music label representatives attending the gigs in question.[12]
Thom subsequently accepted an offer by Sony. This led to the single re-release being delayed until May, when it was released on Sony's RCA label. The news of this broke on April 3, 2006, the official signing itself being webcast. The single was placed on Music Week Daily's playlist that day.[13] [14] [15] She was the first artist signed the RCA label since its reorganisation. [16]
[edit] Controversy
Some observers have questioned how she was able to sustain production of the webcasts; critics suggest that she "could not have supported such a large audience on her webcast if she really was a starving artist". Others question the veracity of claims made about viewership. There are also questions as to the level of involvement of PR agency Quite Great. [17] Her manager, Ian Brown, in an interview with the Guardian, asserted that the idea did indeed come from her, whilst her management and publicist claim to have conducted a large publicity campaign, including a million "virtual flyers" [18] [19]
In an interview with the Sun, Thom stated that Streaming Tank were "friends of my managers and did it for free", agreeing that she could not have afforded commercial rates for this.[20] Some critics accused Sony of orchestrating the campaign. Craig Logan, the managing director of RCA, denied these accusations, claiming that the label was "drawn to" Thom after hearing of the webcasting. [16]
The Guardian's review said that it was "ironic" that she had "harnessed new technology to draw attention to the kind of pop made by her foremothers" - the single being a lament to the spirits of '69 and '77. [21]
In response to the controversy, Sandi Thom told the Daily Record.[22]: "I'm not a fake. And look at my band - they're not fakes." Studio musicians and not Thom's band perform on her album.
[edit] Additional live performances
Thom made an appearance at the Northsound Radio Free at the Dee festival in Aberdeen on September 4, 2005. [23] The Daily Record stated that she "impressed with [her] powerful vocals". She headlined a charity gig in Edinburgh later in September 2005, and was described as "hotly-tipped" by the Daily Record.[24] However, in addition, Sandi "has been labeled a fraud" according to the Daily Record.[25]
Thom also supported The Proclaimers on their UK tour in December 2005. She and her band continued to tour, playing the Pocklington Arts Centre near York on February 22, 2006, supported by Edwina Hayes, and the Queen's Hall in Narberth in Wales on February 23, 2006.
Thom also performed on Ireland's Late Late Show before the album release.
She also played the Main Stage at T in the Park after moving from last billed on the Futures Stage (the lowest billed stage) to the biggest.
On November 6, 2006, she had arranged to play a secret show in Melbourne, Australia, however the show was cancelled when only 25 people showed up.[26]
From the 25th of November to the 2nd of December, 2006, she came to Australia for a promotional tour, performing private functions across the country for sponsors and attenting interviews.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Smile... It Confuses People #1 UK, #1 IRE, #5 NZ, #11 AUS (released 5 June 2006)
[edit] Singles
| Release date | Song | UK Singles Chart | UK Download Chart | Irish Singles Chart | Irish Download Chart | New Zealand | Australia | Germany | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006, May 22 | "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (re-release) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | Smile... It Confuses People |
| 2006, August 28 | "What If I'm Right" | 22 | 8 | 32 | - | 35 | 36 | - | Smile... It Confuses People |
| 2006, December 4 | "Lonely Girl" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Smile... It Confuses People |
Thom has a new single, Sunset Borderline due to be released in the summer of 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ Sandi Thom's myspace profile. Retrieved on 2006-06-07.
- ^ "Punk Chic Rocker.", The Irish Post, November 2, 2005.
- ^ "Singles Reviews", Daily Record, October 7, 2005.
- ^ "Culture: Hippie chick strikes a perfect punk chord.", The Times., October 2, 2005.
- ^ Channel 4 News. Sandi Thom Interview. April 4, 2006
- ^ a b 21 Nights From Tooting Tour. Sandi Thom's myspace blog (February 22, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-06-07.
- ^ Sandi Thom. sandithom.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-07.
- ^ "Laughing all the way to the bank", The Daily Record, June 2, 2006.
- ^ "Sandi, singer in the basement, plays the World.", Sunday Times, March 5, 2006.
- ^ "Singer tours world from basement", BBC News, March 8, 2006.
- ^ Scottish singer's Webcam concerts attracting crowds. Reuters/ZDNet News. March 7, 2006
- ^ "On the record", June 2, 2006.
- ^ Music Week Daily e-mail. April 3, 2006
- ^ "'World tour' webcaster is signed", BBC News, April 3, 2006.
- ^ "Webcast woman scores deal", BBC 6Music News, April 4, 2006.
- ^ a b "Viewpoint: Correcting the myths which surround RCA's Sandi Thom", Music Week, June 10, 2006, p. 15.
- ^ "Was Sandi Thom's effortless rise just too good to be true?", The Independent, May 30, 2006.
- ^ "An internet superstar - or just another rock'n'roll swindle?", The Guardian, May 31, 2006.
- ^ "Singer denies rise to fame was result of internet scam.", The Times, May 31, 2006.
- ^ "Sandi in flat 'con' denial", The Sun, June 5, 2006.
- ^ "Sandi Thom, Smile - It Confuses People", The Guardian, June 2, 2006.
- ^ "Anarchy OK But It's Family First For This Punk Rocker", Daily Record, July 8, 2006.
- ^ "Simply Dee-Lightful", Daily Record, September 5, 2005.
- ^ "Right Note For Charity", Daily Record, September 20, 2005.
- ^ "Anarchy OK But It's Family First For This Punk Rocker", Daily Record, July 8, 2006.
- ^ "Very modern artist longs for age of innocence", The Age, December 1, 2006.
