RARE & PRECIOUS EARTH

Songs to Sustain and Restore the World

“These songs inspire people and wake them up to think and act…. The environmental movement is lucky to have a poet, musician, singer and storyteller such as Eric Maddern.” SATISH KUMAR

“I think he’s terrific! He’s written some wonderful stuff and I really do like this album ‘Rare and Precious Earth, Songs to Sustain and Restore the World’ – it’s a big job but he’s the man to do it!" FRANK HENNESSY

This week Eric Maddern, one of the UK’s leading eco-musicians and storytellers, launches his new CD ‘RARE AND PRECIOUS EARTH’. It brings together a wide variety of music styles and genres. The songs have strong roots in traditional folk, gospel, country and the music of the 60’s. Not surprisingly perhaps, there is a storytelling influence; more surprisingly perhaps there’s a touch of rap, a riff of rock and roll.

Over the past few years, Eric’s work has focussed increasingly on raising awareness of the major ecological issues of our time through song and story, and encouraging people to take remedial action. Speaking about the new album, Eric comments: “Our Earth is unique in the Universe. If there are other living planets they will be few and far between. They will not provide a convenient escape from an ailing Earth. This is all we have. These songs are offered as ‘love-shouts’ for our world. Some are strongly about ‘doing’, others are celebrations of ‘being’. Life on Earth is a miracle. The time has come to wake up to how extraordinary it is to be a living human being. And to find out how each of us can put our shoulder to the wheel to ensure the world is beautiful one thousand years from now.”

Eric wrote and performed all the tracks on ‘Rare and Precious Earth’. It was produced by John Lawrence (of Gorky Zygotic Mynci fame). It’s Eric’s third album, following on from the success of Full of Life, a collection of uplifting, mainly family orientated eco-songs, produced by Calum MacColl in 2003. Eric began songwriting when working as a ‘bush artist’ in the remote Aboriginal communities of Central Australia. From this came his first album, ‘Ngatijirri Songrise: Songs from the Meeting Ground between Black and White Australia’, also produced by Calum MacColl in 1984. The opening tracks on the album hit hard – ‘What will our grandchildren say,’ asks the chorus in Footprint, ‘That we stole from the future to live for today?’ There follows the cracking, rock-inspired Shop and Buy, guaranteed to have listeners tapping their feet, singing along and questioning their shopping habits. Black Bin Bag is an entertaining diatribe on rubbish – a sort of talking blues meets Irish jig! And there’s Climate Rap, a haunting, no holds barred, this-is-how-it-is rap, which declares: ‘We are the enemy of our one and only Earth. Will we sacrifice, will we pay the price, that our lovely, lonely, living planet’s worth?’

These early songs – warm, provocative and gently humorous – lyrically sketch out some of the key challenges humanity faces in these uncertain times. Then there’s a change in tone, as if the remaining tracks are responses to those challenges. Anima Mundi subtly blends science and the mythic, giving a gods’ eye view on Gaia and a feeling for how life on this ‘rare and precious Earth’ is indeed a miracle. Eagles of Eriskay, inspired by a sailing voyage in the Hebrides, is a truly ecstatic evocation of the natural world and our human place in it. Destined to be a folk classic! Beauty is, good grief, a love song! And Nain y Byd captures the essence of a ‘coming-of-age’ experience for a group of teenage lads. In the final act the songs move into the realm of vision. The folk-rock Long Time Coming manages the entire span of evolution in less than five minutes with a climax that might just make you pause for breath… and thought. Conjugatin Love jazzily explores the notion that while we’re all different (‘a thousand cultures the whole world round’), we’re all the same (‘one humanity knows the sound…’). May You Be Well veers into the realm of campfire Buddhist gospel and Merlin’s Prophecy is an extraordinary ukulele-backed rendition of ancient prophecy that speaks of ‘shining lips that dance over words, words of magic that burst into the air becoming swallows’. As one of the many talented musicians on the album commented “These are highly original, thought-provoking and contemporary eco-songs. The tunes are melodic and eminently singable. The messages chime with our times. When this album is played, the air becomes thick with swallows!”

Rare and Precious Earth was launched on 29 October. Tracks can be downloaded via www.indiestore.com/ericmaddern and on www.lastfm.com/ericmaddern.

‘Rare and Precious Earth’ CD contains 12 original tracks:

1. Footprint

2. Shop and Buy

3. Black Bin Bag

4. Climate Rap

5. Anima Mundi

6. Eagles of Eriskay

7. Beauty

8. Nain Y Byd

9. Long Time Coming

10. Conjugatin’ Love

11. May You Be Well

12. Merlin’s Prophecy

FULL OF LIFE

This unusual album creates a new genre of EarthSongs that celebrate Life Unfolding. The songs are original, fresh, lively, positive, melodic, thoughtful and upbeat. They can be funny, scary and moving. And they appeal to all ages. Children love them, but so will parents, teachers, dancers, greens and … well just about anybody!

The music blends folk, rockabilly, jazz, trance and world music. Some songs celebrate the natural world: the sun, soil, water, trees, animals, midwinter and spring. There’s a spooky song about Halloween, one on the first people, another about the worldwide web and a classic on what we all love. There is a future-looking song, inspired by the People’s Earth Summit, and the CD ends with a trance dance-like prayer, “Give Thanks”.

The CD comes in a ‘digipak’, the latest friendly-to-the-touch card packaging, with a surprise leap year front cover! It includes a 32-page full colour booklet with song lyrics, photographs and stories about the songs. It’s all exceptional value at £12.50 plus p&p.

Eric Maddern wrote and sang all the songs. An Aussie by birth he’s been a singer and storyteller with kids for many years, both Down Under and in Britain. Most songs on Full of Life arose in that context and are well tested by “the market”. Eric’s voice is warm and strong with a surprisingly wide range. Sometimes you hear the storyteller coming through in his singing.

Calum MacColl has done a stunning job on the arrangements. He brings a wealth of experience to the job, coming from the MacColl-Seeger family and currently being musical director for Ronan Keating. His song arrangements are sympathetic to their folk origins but very contemporary in their feel.

Already there has been a tremendous response to this recording. A wide range of people – adults and children - have said how much they love it. Countless kids have asked: “Have you recorded that song?” Africans and Americans want to know if it will be on international release. Other comments have included “10 out 10”, “I liked every single song on it, a rare experience”, “If only I was still a teacher I’d plan my lessons around it.”

Song Titles

1. When the Sun
2. Fly, Fly
3. Watery World
4. Precious
5. I am a Tree
6. Katy the Caterpillar
7. Umfolozi
8. The Fire Children
9. Halloween Blues
10. Midwinter
11. So Happy
12. The Web
13. Conjugatin’ Love
14. Summit
15. Give Thanks

TO OBTAIN COPIES OF “FULL OF LIFE”

This CD will make a sure–fire Christmas present to almost anybody. So get your orders in now!!!
1 copy: £12.00 plus £1.00 p&p
2 - 4 copies: £12.00 each plus £2 p&p
5 –9 copies: £12.00 each plus £3.50 p&p
10 copies and more: £12.00 each, p&p free!
For orders outside the UK please add £2 (two pounds Sterling) to the total.

Please send cheques made out to ‘Earth Music’ to:
Eric Maddern, Cae Mabon, Fachwen, Llanberis, Gwynedd LL55 3HB UK