Rebecca Downes - Stripped Back

Size: 137.4 MB
Time: 58:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Take Me Higher (5:12)
02. Blues For Us (4:30)
03. Screaming Your Name (4:28)
04. Hurts (5:36)
05. Sailing On A Pool Of Tears (5:51)
06. Wave Them Goodbye (4:49)
07. More Sinner Than Saint (4:34)
08. Washing Over My Heart (3:51)
09. Believe (5:27)
10. Night Train (5:00)
11. Come With Me Baby (4:15)
12. With Me (5:17)

Following up on her critically acclaimed third studio album More Sinner Than Saint, the Black Country's Rebecca Downes announces the release of her fourth studio album, Stripped Back, on her own label, Mad Hat Records. Without the prospect of a tour to promote it, a full new studio album had to be put on hold, but Rebecca and co-writer Steve saw an opportunity to use the time to revisit and reimagine some of their most popular tracks. The result is Stripped Back, a new studio album that includes a fascinating re-working of tracks from More Sinner Than Saint and Believe. Steve and Rebecca are prolific songwriters and in the aftermath of More Sinner Than Saint they had over 20 songs that had not made the cut for that album, most because they simply did not 'fit'. The feel and mood of Stripped Back created the scope to include two of these previously unreleased tracks, which make their deserved debuts here. The end product is a laid-back, yet vibrant album that shows a range and depth to Rebecca's voice that will be a surprise to those not familiar with all her work whilst at the same time showing off the full scope of Steve's instrumental and vocal skills. All-in-all it shows that the COVID ockdown did not mean 'freeze frame' to this talented duo.

Stripped Back MP3
Stripped Back FLAC

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Rebecca Downes - BeLive

Size: 155,1 MB
Time: 67:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues Rock, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Never Gonna Learn (Live) (4:34)
02. Fever In The Night (Live) (4:46)
03. Another Piece Of My Heart (Live) (3:38)
04. Night Train (Live) (5:18)
05. Long Long Time (Live) (4:41)
06. My Sweetness (Live) (5:10)
07. Back To The Start (Live) (4:51)
08. Rather Go Blind (Live) (7:15)
09. Basement Of My Heart (Live) (4:25)
10. Sailing On A Pool Of Tears (Live) (6:48)
11. Believe (Live) (5:50)
12. 1000 Years (Live) (4:03)
13. With A Little Help (Live) (6:08)

Blues-rock singer-songwriter Rebecca Downes has been making waves in 2016. She won both “Best Female Vocalist” and “Best Emerging Artist” at the British Blues Awards, and released the excellent album “Believe” early in the year. To bring a successful year to close comes a live album recorded during the tour promoting “Believe”.

If anything, this record is an even more powerful statement on intent than “Believe”. It captures the energy of her electrifying live shows, with a setlist drawing heavily from that album, along with highlights from her début “Back to the Start”, the EP “Real Life” and a couple of well-chosen covers.

It’s a fabulously tight performance from her band, playing high energy blues-rock with a touch of funk and soul. Guitarist Steve Birkett delivers some impressive blues licks, and there’s some great piano and organ flourishes from Rick Benton. But none of them steal the spotlight from Rebecca herself, who is on superb form vocally; at times soulful, at times belting out rockier material. The variety of material is a strength here, there are twelve bar blues stompers alongside hard rockers and soulful ballads. And it’s all recorded and mixed with clear but powerful sound; this is no bootleg-quality filler release.

Highlights are many; there’s the funky “Fever in the Night” and “Night Train”, an excellent cover of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart”, the piano-driven rocker “Back to the Start”, the back to basics rock’n'roll of “Basement of My Heart” and the guitar-shredding ballad “Sailing on a Pool of Tears”. It ends with a cover of “With a Little Help From My Friends” that owes more than a little to Joe Cocker’s version. Even though Rebecca Downes only has a limited back catalogue it still has the feel of a greatest hits set. As an introduction to her music, this is as good a place as any to start. ~by Tim Hall

BeLive

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Rebecca Downes - Believe

Size: 124,6 MB
Time: 52:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Never Gonna Learn (4:14)
02. Night Train (5:10)
03. Its That Easy (3:44)
04. Sailing On A Pool Of Tears (6:08)
05. Sweetness (4:02)
06. 1000 Years (3:37)
07. Could Not Say No (4:24)
08. Long Long Time (3:12)
09. Mommas Got A Gun (3:54)
10. Salt Winds (3:56)
11. Come With Me Baby (4:44)
12. Believe (5:38)

The sophomore album is never easy. Following on from Back To The Start meant Rebecca and her band had to jump higher. Believe has Rebecca Downes singing the Blues and so much more this is a game changer. Rebecca and her band believe in the music they just want to play for you. This is contemporary Blues pulling in strands of jazz, soul and gentle rock weaving them into a tapestry of musical pleasure.
Rebecca’s voice scorches through the instrumentation that adds a layer of sound for her vocals to work with exploring emotional tone and textures as on the opening song Never Gonna Learn. I know that Rebecca is learning, developing her style and growing in confidence the title of the album is a reflection that Rebecca believes in her abilities and the prowess of her band. As Rebecca says “The album title represents the belief that I have needed to get this far and the belief we now have in the quality of our music and our live performances. 2015 allowed us to measure ourselves against some of the best around and we believe we made our own mark.”
With the swish of blues guitar the mood is created for Sailing On A Pool Of Tears as the tempo quietens, her voice takes on the coating of hurt and despair as she sings the lyrics we are pulled into the darker side of love. Half way through and piano and vocal duet on 1000 Years sounds fine. This combination suits her voice and has an intimacy that then opens up as the band joins the party.
The beat changes with blues harp joining in on the sultry number as her vocals curl around Long Long Time, the power is in the sustain and then letting the instrumentation pick up the beat and carry the tune forward. With lap steel and piano the mood changes the fire is tempered and we are back with the intimate Rebecca.
As we head to the last four tracks we are treated with the mischievous Mommas Gotta Gun, gravelly and low down the scale Rebecca shows another facet to the jewels in the box of Rebecca Downes’ Believe. The dance rhythm of Salt Winds has the feet tapping and the ear mesmerised with the glorious vocals on another standout track. The title track is left until last with another musical feature with a swampy southern sound bring Believe to a close a second album that will definitely get Rebecca Downes noticed for all the right reasons.
Believe the follow-up album to Back To The Start combined with the power of her stage shows proves that Rebecca is on the up carving the bluestones out of the road to stardom. Believe Written by Rebecca with co-writer Steve Birkett and the production by Mark V Stuart (Magnum etc,) has hit the right note. The album does that crossing genres and with tempos and beats that will appeal far beyond the confines of blues clubs and blues aficionados. ~Bluesdoodles

Believe

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VA - UK Blues 2Day Vol. 1: A Dave Spark Music Compilation

Size: 135,7 MB
Time: 58:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01 TBelly - Where's The Doctor (3:58)
02 Ali Clinton - The Lie 24-96 (4:45)
03 Blue Horizon - Zero Hour Contract (Uncut) (3:51)
04 FutureBlues - Layla (5:20)
05 The Della Grants - Lay My Head (4:15)
06 Mark Harrison - It's Not All Right (3:41)
07 Rev. Ferriday Blues - Red Painted Lips (3:56)
08 Mat Walklate - Cold In Hand (2:48)
09 Blues Engine - Valentine (4:28)
10 Sugarman Sam & The Voodoo Men - Virginia (4:48)
11 Rebecca Downes - Fever In The Night (4:24)
12 Trainwreckers - Got Me On The Run (4:00)
13 Kaz Hawkins Band - Shake (4:41)
14 Tanya Piche Blues Band - Blues Child Woman (3:26)

UK Blues 2Day Vol. 1

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Rebecca Downes - Back To The Start

Size: 97,2 MB
Time: 41:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Blues Rock, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Messed Up (4:21)
02. When I'm Bad (3:34)
03. Fever In The Night (4:24)
04. Round And Round (3:34)
05. Laughter From Her Room (3:49)
06. Basement Of My Heart (3:59)
07. Walking With Shadows (5:20)
08. Back To The Start (4:27)
09. Better For Knowing You (4:07)
10. Little Girl (4:10)

Rebecca Downes has been one of the regulars on the music scene since her early teens. Due to a range of musical influences from Blues and Soul to Jazz and Swing, her voice has a unique and powerful sound.

Because of Rebecca's involvement in live music from an early age she believes sincerely in what she does. Truly dedicated to delivering an edgy and passionate performance she makes sure her love for what she does shines through. Always doing her utmost to ensure the audience has the best possible experience. The audience is paramount in all of her performances.

Rebecca has worked with a number of producers and played shows at various venues including; Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, The Cavern, Barfly London, Hard Rock Cafes, various festivals and a number of radio performances, including numerous for BBC Radio.

Rebecca's musical influences range from: Etta James, Billie Holiday, Tina Turner, Maggie Bell, Elkie Brooks, Debbie Harry, Sheryl Crowe and Norah Jones. She is also influenced by male singers from Frank Sinatra through to Mick Jagger and Pete Cox.

Rebecca works with musicians from: Roy Wood's Big Band, Climax Blues Band, Steve Gibbons Band.

youtube.com/watch?v=kzvgYVJ3-mI

Back To The Start

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