Post by eliar on Jan 11, 2007 16:36:38 GMT 8
January 11, 2007
Westlife – Captivating millions
Source: The Statesman Kolkata India / Nandini Dasgupta
- note: this article is not up to date and accurate but posted in today’s issue, so I thought to still publish it -
Pop music has been a very important part of music for years, earning the largest number of fans in the history of music. Many bands have continued to liven up the meaning of Pop - a number one favourite among so many teenagers, and music maniacs. People have devoted long hours to pop music, revelling themselves in so many soulful numbers. Popular names common in the mouths of teenagers are Blue, Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Girl groups like Vengaboys, Spice Girls, Abba, Mutiny etc. Westlife still continues to be one of the most famous Irish bands… outshining several others like S Club 7, Busted, Five, and many others with their soulful voices.
The band started off as a six member group called IOU. Later on, three members dropped out, and two new ones joined - and the band was born in the year 1998. It started off with the name Westside, but, since it was a very common name among many other bands, they changed the name to Westlife.
In the many years that have followed, the albums of this band have made great hits. Westlife has consistently released a single and album by the fall of any given year, almost always in October. The five heartthrobs are Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, Nicholas Byrne (popular as Nicky), Bryan McFadden, and Kian Egan. Westlife has enjoyed unprecedented success in the Irish singles chart. They have an enormous number of fans distributed all over the world. Fans can hardly recall the unpopular group that started their career in the very beginning. Over the years, they have released albums that have become a part of our hearts, and captivated millions with their passionate, soulful voices. Their title debut was ‘Westlife’ an immediate hit, followed by ‘Coast to Coast’, ‘World Of Our Own’, ‘Unbreakable: Greatest hits Volume 1’, ‘Allow Us To Be Frank’, and one of their most popular (also my favourite!): ‘Turnaround’. The hits that won them the ITV record of the year are:
1999 - “Flying Without Wings”
2000 - “My Love”
2003 - “Mandy”
2005 - “You Raise Me Up”.
Westlife holds the record of the most successful debut in the British Singles Chart: Their first 7 singles entered #1: Swear It Again, If I Let You Go, Flying Without Wings, I Have A Dream, Seasons In The Sun, Fool Again, Against All Odds, and My Love. Westlife’s debut single and music video “Swear It Again” was released in the US in summer 2000 and was a minor hit on mainstream radio and MTV, reaching number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being shown briefly on MTV’s Total Request Live. Kian is a multi-instrumentalist who has a distinctive rock voice. Shane is the group’s lead singer, using a commercial pop style, and does some songwriting. Nicky is known for his husky voice, Mark has a soulful voice, and Bryan supplies a somewhat plaintive voice.
Westlife is currently formed of 4 members: Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily, and Kian Egan. The fifth member, Brian McFadden, has left the band in 2004, in order to be with his wife. However, he later on separated with her, and changed his name from Bryan to the original Brian.
For years, Westlife has continued to rock the world with hits like Heal, Turnaround, Uptown Girl, You Raise, Home, Obvious… and it’s obvious that they’re going to rock on for a long time to come. Hopefully, they will continue to be our heartthrobs for a long time to come, for the unique sense of comfort and consolation their music gives us can be found in few musical groups, and Westlife continues to be one of a kind. Even though Bryan has forsaken the group, the band does not seem to have changed much, if you don’t count the number of people in the group, the band still continues to liven up our spirits, and live to their aim.
January 10, 2007
Westlife - Short reviews of some of the CD, CD single and DVD releases
Source: Sony Australia
Westlife - The Love Album - CD
Following their smash Platinum album 'Face To Face', Westlife return with a sensational collection of your favourite romantic tunes in their latest release 'The Love Album'. Featuring 11 tunes hand picked by the band, these classic love tunes produced by Steve Mack are packed with soaring choruses and epic string arrangements in tunes such as 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling', 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart', their brand new single 'The Rose', and the sensational duet with Aussie's own golden girl Delta Goodrem in the Air Supply track 'All Out Of Love’.
Westlife - Amazing – CD Single
Following the brilliant success of their Top Five single 'You Raise Me Up', Irish superstars Westlife return with something 'Amazing'. Taken from their double Platinum album 'Face To Face', this is a soaring tune about the hope of protecting love: "While all the others had me thinking, we could be more than just amazing". Featuring a brand new bonus track 'Miss You When I'm Dreaming' and the slick 'Amazing' video, currently on high rotation everywhere, this piece of pop perfection from these Platinum-selling princes is sure to be a firm favourite.
Westlife - You Raise Me Up – the remix – CD Single
Following on from the phenomenal success of the single comes this remix version of 'You Raise Me Up' from Irish megastars Westlife. With two exclusive remixes from Ed Said and Laurence Alexander, these infectious beats are gonna get you onto that dance floor. The single also includes two bonus acoustic tracks 'Flying Without Wings' and 'My Love'. Something for the fans and for those yet to discover the soul-sweet vocals of these pop sensations, we know you guys will love.
Westlife - Face To Face - CD
Relaxed, refreshed and bursting with energy, Westlife, the quiet superstars of the mainstream UK music scene, bounce back with their new album 'Face To Face.' It's a world that they have dominated for seven years and the album features all the hallmarks of that reign - a collection of classic songs and future standards. In brief, 'Face To Face' finds Westlife doing what they've always done best. A familiar blend of big ballads and mid-tempo tunes, balanced by the occasional up-tempo song, 'Face To Face' presents Westlife playing to their strengths - passionate vocals and memorable tunes.
Westlife - Live At Wembley – DVD
Westlife are the world's biggest vocal group right now and with their Aussie tour coming up this February these multi-Platinum artists are getting you all prepared with their incredible live DVD 'Live In Wembley'. Recorded on May 18, 2006 in London's Wembley Arena, the 19 tracks features loads of their 14 UK #1 hits including 'Amazing', 'You Raise Me Up', and 'Uptown Girl', plus tunes from their brand new release 'The Love Album'. This excellent DVD also includes excellent features such as the 'Amazing' and 'You Raise Me Up' video clips, a behind the scenes look at the photo shoot for The Love Album.
Westlife - The Number Ones Tour – DVD
Having performed to over three million fans in the last four years, Westlife have become the biggest selling arena tour act ever, and now you too can be a part of the experience! 'The Number Ones Tour' DVD is Westlife's latest DVD spectacular featuring 19 hit tracks filmed live at Sheffield Arena on March 18, 2005. With stunning pyrotechnics, costume and stage design, the DVD showcases 13 of their best #1 tunes including 'Uptown Girl' and 'If I Let You Go' plus great covers of classics such as 'Don't Stop Till You Get Enough', 'Mack The Knife', and 'Footloose'.
January 10, 2007
Peter Curistan (property developer) Mentioning Westlife and Shane
Source: Belfast Telegraph
– Interview quote –
P.C. : (About his development portfolio)
Through running Odyssey I have met a lot of the acts which have performed there ** and I am particularly friendly with Westlife. My wife and I went to Shane Filan's wedding and I am director of a company with Brian McFadden, who left the group in 2004. I have also got to know singer Ronan Keating.
** The Odyssey, developed by P. Curistan’s company