February 2024

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The decision to reissue, re-master, and re populate  ‘BLUE SKY’ and release ‘BLUE SKY DELUXE EDITION 2024’.  

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The old girl is smiling. A new coat of paint. A bit of a cuddle. And she’s singing like a Eurasian Wren.

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In 1973 age 22, my real journey into music as Barry Greenfield singer/songwriter began in earnest. I had tasted approval for my art in 1968 with an offer from Apple Records and John Lennon. I passed. In 1969 I worked with 10cc and together we achieved ‘The Tony Blackburn BBC Record of the Week’ with the Phillips Records release of ‘Sweet America’. This was all a dress rehearsal for 1973 RCA and ‘BLUE SKY’.

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This Barry Tale is not about 1968, 1969 or 1973. It’s to share the Story of today and the ‘BLUE SKY DELUXE EDITION REMASTERED WITH EARLY DEMOS 2024’. 

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At age 22 I went to ‘school’. My teachers were the partners I used to create my first LP, ‘BLUE SKY’. You are only as strong as you weakest link. With ‘BLUE SKY’ I had no weak links. Produced by David M. Kershenbaum. Arranged by the world renowned music arranger Jimmie Haskell.  On guitar I had Larry Carlton, (Steely Dan), Joe Osborne, Bass (The Wrecking Crew), Drums, Russ Kunkel (Carole King, Joni Mitchell & James Taylor) & Jim Gordon (Derek and The Dominoes), Keys, Larry Muhoberac (Frank Sinatra). I have had wonderful feedback throughout my Musical Career from laymen, professionals, press and friends, about the music in  ‘BLUE SKY’. It has been my baby in so many ways. ‘BLUE SKY’ was never released in 1973. Copies had filtered out over the years but mostly it was invisible.  

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Then a shift happened, out-of-the-plain-blue-sky. In December 2023, The Museum of Canadian Music honoured me by adding ‘BLUE SKY’ to it’s respected collection of Canadian Recordings. THE MUSEUM, the largest Music internet presence in Canada (opened in 1988) wrote,  ‘Barry Greenfield’s 1973 ‘BLUE SKY’, is one of the best Canadian albums ever recorded.  Barry Greenfield made an important contribution to Canadian music’. Here is a link to the Museum page  https://citizenfreak.com/titles/281480-greenfield-barry-blue-sky This induction, comment, and inclusion surprised me. As previously mentioned this moment in time came out of nowhere. Left Field! Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Barry!

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It woke me up. ‘BLUE SKY’ was 50.

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I began taking about this with my musical business partner, Steve Holbrook. Steve is a fan of the LP. Without its surprising entry into his life, we would have never connected. The Universe always has a plan. We came to two conclusions, quickly. One, lets make ‘BLUE SKY’ the focus of the April 19th concert at the Yaletown Roundhouse; two, let’s tell the world about it’s existence. 

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Paul and his old Mates, The Beatles, have created elaborate Box Sets about their Early Work. The name used was generally, ‘Deluxe Packages’. Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Graham Nash, all of ‘em have now taken this route. They remaster, repackage, and re-release their greatest, strongest, heart centred work. Steve and I thought, maybe we could, maybe we should, do that in our own small way. We began to discuss the ‘BLUE SKY DELUXE EDITION REMASTERED WITH EARLY DEMOS 2024’. 

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‘BLUE SKY’ has 11 tracks. We then added two tracks from the 1974 LP ‘SANCTUARY’. We picked, ’WE WERE LETTING IT GO’ and ‘SHE’S GOING TO LIVE WITH ME’. ’WE WERE LETTING IT GO’ is a song I wrote in 1973 about a conversation that Paul and John may have had the day the Beatles got divorced. It made the final 16 in the first AMERICAN SONGWRITER COMPETITION in 1975. 61,000 entrants. ‘SHE’S GOING TO LIVE WITH ME’, is a song with a wonderful music feel, and a fabulous string arrangement by the LA based. and # 1 in the Business in 1974, David Campbell. Also famous for being Beck’s Dad. I love the 16 member string section in the song. Produced by me and Claire Lawrence of The Collectors. So, we now have track one to track thirteen nailed down.

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I had Demos from 1968 available. Jamie Anstey had ‘baked’ a reel-to-reel tape for me. My first ever visit to a Vancouver Recording Studio, R and D Sound, age 17, and it had 15 songs on it. I then discussed the 15 with Jamie and Steve. Together we voted for our top 4. The ones that felt right. I made the recording as a kid. My first work on tape. We picked. ‘LINCOLN SQUARE’, ‘IS PEACE REALLY HERE’, ‘BY THE FIRE’ and ‘WITH THIS NEW GIRL’. I always thought ‘BY THE FIRE’ was the first competent song I had ever written, 1967.  ‘WITH THIS NEW GIRL’, was the song that APPLE RECORDS picked as the B-SIDE for my first single. 1968. I passed on that offer. A story for another day.

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To complete the track listing I added an AUSTRALIAN for radio edit, that EMI Australian master engineer, David Hudson, has sent me as a gift, ‘FREE THE LADY’, 1968. A song about my mom, and it still has legs today. A song I have added to my April 19th set.

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Steve and I thought it smart to use the original cover art with some updating. It would be called ‘BLUE SKY DELUXE EDITION REMASTERED WITH EARLY DEMOS 2024’.  Jamie did the artwork.

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Next, I needed to get the original songs sounding rich, full, and louder. So, in steps the brilliant Mick Dalla-Vee. ‘We are chatting, as we sometimes do, and Mick says, ‘mind if I give it a shot Bazza?”. Mick made it ring like a Notre Dame Church Bell. What a talent he is!

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So, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I am about to share ‘BLUE SKY DELUXE EDITION REMASTERED WITH EARLY DEMOS 2024’.  I just wanted to tell you the story how it came to be. It will be dropped on February 25th, and it will be featured in my next gig. Hope we share the night filled with details, songs, and stories about it with you all. You are only as strong as you weakest link!

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Available for purchase, much higher quality sound, at iTunes.

Link to steaming services.     https://barrygreenfield.hearnow.com/blue-sky-deluxe-edition-remastered-2024

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The Museum of Canadian Music honoured Barry by adding BLUE SKY, the RCA
Hollywood LP, his first to the collection of Canadian Recordings. THE
MUSEUM, the largest Music internet presence in Canada (opened in 1988)
wrote, 'Barry Greenfield's 1973 'Blue Sky', is one of the best Canadian
albums ever recorded.  Barry Greenfield made an important contribution to
Canadian music. Here is a link to the songs, and Barry's page on the site
https://citizenfreak.com/titles/281480-greenfield-barry-blue-sky
Barry has recently completed 'THE GATE-My Day in AUSCHWITZ.' A film
documentary that shares the emotions, the knowledge gained, and the story,
of Barry's visit to Konzentrationslager Auschwitz, 70 years after the Camps
liberation. The opus contains 5 original songs, and is narrated by Barry.
Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, printed the lyric of THE GATE
in their commertaive book for the 75th Anniversay of The Camps Liberation.


2023

Barry released a songwriter LP, 'graceful'. One guitar, one voice, and 10
songs from the heart. 'Grace', a track from the Lp, marked the first time
that Barry and Lori have recorded together. The Duo are a staple of Barry's
Live shows. The song's video can be found on the site's Home Page

 

 

2022

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       Barry is releasing two new LP's in 2022. Both are available for purchase on iTunes/Barry Greenfield

 

A brief look at both: 

 

1. 'Barry Greenfield's My Day in AUSCHWITZ'.  This LP opens with a 33 minute song/narration about his vist to the Camp. A day spent with Lori, Macartney, Graham and their guide Bart.  Barry  uses spoken word to share his story of that day in detail. In between the narrative sits 5 original Barry songs, written about AUSCHWITZ.

 

The LP includes seperate uploads of the 5 songs. 

 

This work has been described as powerful and important by leading Global Holocaust Historians, and the lyric of one song, 'THE GATE ' was printed in a Yad Vashem commemorative book, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Camp's liberation. 

 

This work was two years in the making.

 

2. 'WATER IS THE NEW GOLD', a full catelogue of his recent work (2019-2022)  that was produced by Mick Dalla-Vee, under THE WIZARD BROTHERS umbrella. Songs as diverse as THE BEAUTIFUL BAND  (THE BEATLES),  I WISH OBAMA WAS HERE,  THE ROADIE and HANGING ON TO YOU.

 

Barry descibes his work with McWizard as his best since THE EARLY YEARS his landmark 1970's RCA album.    

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In conclusion  as Barry enters his seventh decade he still is passionate about song writing, singing, and playing. All evidenced by these two projects from the Heart of

Barry Greenfield.