via The Herald Sun

GUY Sebastian has no problem covering Otis Redding.

The original Australian Idol, Sebastian has recorded a version of Redding's classic hit, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay.

But, like Redding, Sebastian cannot nail the song's whistle outro.

Podcast: Listen to Nui Te Koha's podcast with Guy Sebastian

"It's super high and I can't reach the note," says Sebastian with a laugh. "Otis couldn't do it either. He found a whistler."

Recording with the famous Stax label house band in Memphis, Sebastian asked for a volunteer.

"Everyone I approached couldn't hit the note either. And none of them could remember who did it for Otis," he says.

Amazingly, the musicians, including guitarist Steve Cropper, recorded the Redding original, too.

"This is the band that played on the original versions of In the Midnight Hour and Knock on Wood," says Sebastian excitedly. "This is where it all started."

Aptly, Sebastian's success on Idol had a soul glow, too. His best moments came from his savvy rhythm and blues picks.

Then, after winning, he fell into formula and followed the Idol rule book diligently.

He has enjoyed three hit albums, but the as-yet-untitled Memphis album is closest to his heart.

It is due for release in November.

"To be honest, it's a stamp," Sebastian says. "I've tried other things in the past. I almost tried to cater to what I thought I should be doing.

"So, this is me saying, 'This is what I do best', not in an arrogant way, but it's what I grew up on. I know I do this well."

The track listing is Stax label heaven. It includes Knock on Wood, Midnight Hour, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, Hard to Handle, Under the Boardwalk and I Can't Stand the Rain.

Sebastian dusted off a Sam Cooke rarity, That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On, and wrote a new song in the Stax vein.

He said recording with the Stax house band was a privilege extended to very few.

The musicians have turned down Joss Stone and every soul wannabe who makes a request.

They took Sebastian after seeing footage of his live performances.

Sebastian said they worked quickly and insisted on recording live to analogue tape. They tracked 15 songs in four days.

"It's about getting a vibe," Sebastian says. "A guitar might do something, then you follow it vocally. It's about capturing those spur-of-the-moments."

So how did Sebastian build a rapport with the ultimate soul band?

"Ribs," he says. "Ribs and barbecue sauce is the language of the South.

"All you need is ribs, beef -- a whole lot of meat -- and it breaks down all barriers of culture."

Sebastian reached out, nightly, at a Memphis diner called Texas de Brazil.

"They bring out massive racks of chicken, beef and lamb, cut it and plate it. It was all-you-can-eat," he says with a groan.

Away from the dining table, Sebastian said the Stax band helped lift his game.

"I sang the best I've ever sung in my life," he says. "They just bring it out of you. When you are amongst that calibre, you lift.

"These guys have been in the same room as Otis, Elvis -- the greatest of the greats. They were so encouraging."

Sebastian will preview only a few Memphis cuts at upcoming intimate, acoustic shows.

The set-list will lean heavily on his previous albums.

Sebastian denied reports he considered quitting show business after post-Idol abuse and taunts.

"I'm a solo male pop singer doing love songs," he says. "That's bait for ocker blokes. I cop it from 2 per cent. The other 98 per cent are cool, encouraging and sweet.

"But I'd never pack it in over a bunch of knobs."

Guy Sebastian will perform at Manchester Lane on October 24 and Palms at Crown on October 26 and 27.

To celebrate this release of Guy Sebastian's new album 'The Memphis Album' on Saturday, November 10, he has announced that he will hit the road and tour nationally in February/March 2008 with original musicians that defined soul music in the 1960s - The MGs and members of the mighty Blues Brothers band! Tix go on sale November 12 with limited Soul Lounge passes to Guy's sound check and more also available - don't miss out!

This February/March 2008, Guy Sebastian will bring you some of the best soul classics ever written performed by 1960s legends The MGs and Blues Brothers band in his "Memphis Tour".

Guy will be performing classics like 'Soul Man', 'In The Midnight Hour', 'Knock On Wood', 'Respect Yourself' and '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay' from his new album 'The Memphis Album' which hits stores this Saturday, November 10.

While recording 'The Memphis Album' in Memphis, The MGs (who worked with the likes of Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Al Green, Wilson Pickett & Booker T) agreed to travel to Australia and go on the road with Sebastian to showcase his new album to Australian audiences.

It's sure to be an unmissable tour with Guy singing the songs he was born to sing, so grab your tickets on sale MONDAY NOVEMBER 12 when they go on sale!

ATTENTION FANS! Fans that purchase an A reserve ticket to any of Guy Sebastian's Memphis Tour shows are entitled to a Soul Lounge pass giving you the ultimate fan experience including access to Guy Sebastian's sound-check, a premiere viewing of a video highlighting Guy's visit to Memphis PLUS to an exclusive Q & A session with Guy - move fast to get yours!

The Memphis Tour Dates:

Friday 29th February - Canberra Theatre
Saturday 1st March - Melbourne Palais Theatre
Sunday 2nd March - Hobart Westpoint Entertainment Centre
Tuesday 4th March - Wollongong Regent Theatre
Thursday 6th March - Sydney The State Theatre
Wednesday 12th March - Newcastle Civic Theatre
Friday 14th March - Brisbane Concert Hall (QPAC)
Thursday 20th March - Adelaide Festival Theatre
Saturday 22nd March - Perth Concert Hall

By Sue Turpie - Arts and Entertainment

Via Bendigo Weekly

GUY Sebastian has admitted he didn’t enter the music industry in the “normal fashion”. So it isn’t at all surprising he’s taken a few interesting steps during his career.

The latest is the release of the Memphis Album, a compilation honoring the 50th anniversary of Stax Record, a label synonomous with Southern soul music.

Between recording and promoting the album, the Arias, cocktail drinks, film clips and getting up at 5am to board a plane, Guy’s sounding pretty chirpy.Although he’s “hanging for a power nap”.

“I love what I do, I enjoy every minute of it. The last six months have been non-stop.”

Guy travelled to Memphis to record the album and worked with some of soul’s greatest musicians. It was a project born from a thought that it would be an interesting project to do.

“It wasn’t something I really planned. I thought I’d put it out there,” he said. “I grew up on Memphis music. I was an isolated musical nerd, listening to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett.
“All my mates were listening to Guns ‘N Roses, New Kids on the Block. The music I was listening to was worlds apart from what was on the top 40."

“I grew up on soul, it is my primary influence. Even when I’m singing rock it’s always been soulful. Then I ended up in a gospel rock bank, played violin in an orchestra, then drums in a funk band.I love being able to be transient in genres. This album helped me define what I do best, and not stray from it. I’m a soul artist.”

So for Guy it was heaven to work with the likes of Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Steve Potts, Lester Snell, Dave Smith, Rick Steff, Jim Spake, Kirk Smothers, Scott Thompson and Howard Lamb.

“I have a huge love for Memphis music and knew it was the 50th anniversary of Stax Records. I thought I could put out an album. We made phone calls and I think they turned it down at first.
“I sent over a couple of live things, then Steve Cropper phoned back saying: ‘I really like this guys voice’.”

Steve penned incredible hits such as In the Midnight Hour and Knock on Wood, and has worked with some amazing artists so that can be taken as a major compliment.

“I was in Memphis on Elvis Week for the 30th anniversary of his death,” Guy said. “I recorded some of my favorite, favorite songs. It was an amazing experience. It was all recorded in a small room on analogue tapes which was how it was recorded in the old school. We did 14 tracks in four days."

The raw form is obvious and while there is no doubt the musicians are incredible, they remain in the background enough to let Guy’s voice make an impact.

“It was really casual. These guys would tell these stories about Elvis for two hours, then do 10 to 15 minutes of recording. They get a vibe, they’re relaxed and chill and then turn it on for 10 minutes – it was a magic 10 minutes. With "I Can’t Stand the Rain", I went in the studio and said I’d like it to start on an organ ... and said do you want to have a rehearsal. The guys just said “let’s run it and see how it goes. We did one take.”

Via Couriermail.com.au

MORE than a few cynics would agree that Australian Idol can suck the soul right out of you.
But when Guy Sebastian – who was the first to take the title back in 2003 – speaks of losing his soul during the process, he's not talking about an existential crisis.

With Sebastian, it's more a style thing. He grew up singing soul.

He always dreamt of earning a living singing soul, but somewhere along the process of competing in Idol he lost his soul.

"You come through Idol and you sing every genre," he explains.

"Then you have people saying, 'I loved it when you sang Farnham . . . or that rock song . . . or Beyonce'. And you come out of it and you're like, well what should I do for my fan base?

"Suddenly I was propelled into this thing where I had voices nonstop – family, friends, professionals, record company, management – everyone telling me stuff like, 'You can't do that music' or 'That doesn't sell here' or 'Radio won't play that', or 'You should go rockier, or 'Listen to what they're playing, you should take a leaf out of their book'.

"I had to fuse what I love with something else."

After three albums of originals spanning pop and R&B, Sebastian says recording his new CD – a collection of soul standards called The Memphis Album – triggered an epiphany.

"The whole experience reiterated to me that: Guy, you're a soul singer. That's what you do, that's what you do best.

"And I don't care if people don't get it."

His next album is going to be an album of original soul songs. And possibly the one after that, too.

Sebastian isn't just talking it up to sell an album, he genuinely seems like a man who's found his groove again. But then again, who wouldn't given the circumstances. He was, after all, recording with a backing band of soul luminaries including founding member of Booker-T and the MGs, Steve Cropper. Cropper co-wrote (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, In the Midnight Hour and Knock on Wood, all of which are on Sebastian's new album.

The collaboration went ahead only after Cropper – who has worked with the likes of Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett – had heard tapes of Sebastian singing live.

Once he did it was all systems go with the Idol winner flying to Memphis to record in August.

"It was a time for me to, I guess, see Memphis at it's craziest," Sebastian says, explaining he had to share the town with thousands who had flocked there for the 30th anniversary of Elvis's death on August 16.

Although he was initially intimidated, Sebastian says a few sly nods of approval from his heroes sent him soaring into new territory.

"The first song was In the Midnight Hour and as soon as I started a couple of lines, they all kind of looked up (from their instruments) and were like, 'Yeah, come on'. It was kind of their nod of approval and from then on my voice just went through the roof.

"I've never sung like that before. It just kind of gave me this stir of confidence, it was just unreal. It took me back to how I used to sing."

The way Sebastian describes it, the recording process was life-changing.

After leaving Memphis he found himself at an open mic night in a famous club in New York and did something he thought he'd never do. He got up and sang.

"I was always too scared to sing, because you're talking Beyonce's singers, all the best musos at this bar. But after Memphis I just got up and I was doing stuff I didn't even know I could do. Everyone got up and they were throwing like $20 bills. It was unbelievable."

After hitting a creative dry spell while writing his previous album, Sebastian says the Memphis Album inspired him again.

He's already written more than 10 new soul tracks for an album he plans for next year.

But first there's a tour to get through. Both Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn will be flying out to Australia next year to play alongside the young singer when he takes his soul show on the road in March next year.

Guy Sebastian's Memphis Album is out now through SonyBMG Austrailia.

The Memphis Album was recorded here at Ardent Studios with Curry Weber and Alan Burcham.

GUY Sebastian has so been there, now after the Australian Idol grand final he's going global.

The original karaoke king will perform for an audience of 300 million next month, after being invited to appear on Asian Idol.

With a mega-mix medley from his Memphis Album ready to roll, the 'Fro will go get 'em in Jakarta on December 16.

The big break could mean big business for SonyBMG, which now has plans to release the album in India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

But he'll need the angels who brought him here to stardom to be on his side again, with a packed itinerary before he takes to the stage.

The day before he'll pack in three Sydney performances - for Dolly magazine, Carols in the Domain and the Mix FM/Australian Radio Network Christmas party - before hopping on a midnight flight to Indonesia.

So Says The Memphis Flyer:
Fans of this website know that on weekends and holidays, we tend to get, um, less "news" directed.

Check it out. (And yes, we know we'll get a zillion website hits from Australia. Hey, it's Thanksgiving. Traffic is traffic, you turkeys.)

In the December 22nd Sunday Herald Sun.

Music critic's top 10 for 2007:

1. Guy Sebastian - The Memphis Album
Local boy triumphs with a band of soul greats.

2. Simone Dinneerstein - Bach Goldberg Variations.
Blazing interpretation of a classical masterpiece.

3. Joni Mitchell - Sine
The '60s poet returns to bludgeon the corporte world.

4. Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set - The Moon Looked On
Clever left of field local pop with a swaggger.

5. Alicia Keys - As I Am
Edgier fare from a compelling songstress.

6. New York Voices - A Day Like This
Two boys and two girls make soulful whitebread music.

7. Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full
Not his best, but still has some fine moments.

8. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Dazzling work from the rasping problem child.

9. silverchair - Young Modern
Happy evolution of one of Australia's greatest bands.

10. Omara Portuondo - Duets
Sumptuous samba from Cuba's grand old lady of song.

via undercoverHD

Australian R&B star Guy Sebastian has proposed to his long-time girlfriend Jules Egan.

Gossip magazine New Idea reports that 26 year old Guy proposed to 28 year old Jules over the holiday break during a walk on the beach in Queensland.

The couple have been together for 8 years and met 13 years ago at the Assemblies of God Paradise Community Church in Adelaide. New Idea reports that they became a couple after singing together at a friends wedding.

The marriage proposal tops a great year for Sebastian who found himself musically with his 'The Memphis Album'.

The album was recorded with music legends Steve Cropper and Donald 'Duck' Dunn, of Booker T. & The MG's and Blues Brothers fame.

Sebastian, the first of the Australian Idols, broke away from the cookie-cutter format of the show to produce a credible album away from the pop genre. He discover his true talent is based on classic Rhythm & Blues.

'The Memphis Album' features covers from the historic Stax label, the 50 year old Memphis label where the talent genius sounds of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett were originally captured.

'The Memphis Album' has sold 99,999 physical CD units in Australia since entering the charts 8 weeks ago.

From Curry's blog:

What a day it has been!!! I think that the jet lag is still an issue even 3 days since we landed. We met up with the rest of the crew this morning at the Melbourne airport and after waiting what seemed like forever, finally got a couple of van's to drive to the hotel. It's a fairly large team, Steve Potts on drums, Lester Snell on organ and keyboards, Steve Cropper on lead guitar, Duck Dunn on bass, Carl Dimataga on rythym guitar, Matt Ottignon on sax, Ben Gurton on trumpet, Guy and also 3 background singers!!! Laura and I got to ride with Guy, Gary Pinto (background vocals) and Ben on the way to the hotel. It was a fun ride and we got some insight into how Guy really feels about David Jones department stores, the way Gary can tell a real motorcyclist from an amateur and why Ben thinks we need to try a "pie floater". A very fun way to save us a 50 dollar cab ride from the airport. We had a fine time getting to the Soul Lounge just in time tonite. After losing track of time (since neither Laura or I remembered to bring a watch with us), me forgetting the paper with the address to the venue on it AND 2 CAB DRIVERS NOT KNOWING WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT!....we arrived to see lines going around both sides of the theater. That was pretty freakin cool. Tonite we thought Steve Cropper was going to do the session with us but he was unable to attend, Titus assures us he will be joining in on the Sydney show. Guy had a surprise for everyone though, he had his little brother Chris come out and sing a song while he sat at the piano. Then if that wasn't cool enough, when Gary sang his tune, Guy sat in on the drums!!!! What a pleasure it is to be surrounded by so much talent. It's makes the whole experience that much sweeter...I can't wait for the Sydney show......talk to ya soon.