Mike Sanchez :: England's Finest in Rhythm & Blues

November 19, 2009

Autumn/Winter 2009

Hi folks!

It seems this year, like every year, has been and gone way too quickly for most of us. By the end of 2009, I will have flown in the region of 64 flights in almost as many days, mainly across Europe. I've also grown numb from the dread of being stuck in long delays due to never-ending roadworks and the growing number of accidents plaguing England's motorways these days. What's kept me going with high spirits, though, have been the thousands of smiling faces wherever I've performed and the simple happiness our music has brought to so many of you. Back in 1981, when I was still at school wondering what I was gonna do with my life, I would never have imagined that I could have made such a fulfilling career for myself, filling me with so much gratitude!

You wonderful music-loving people are the whole reason I'm now happier and busier with each year that passes. I really can't thank you all enough for following me and my band and for supporting so many other great artists around the world who are currently flying the flag for rock 'n' roll and roots rhythm & blues music wherever it can be found. Without you to support us, there would be no rock 'n' roll... only the blues! Ha-ha!.. So, thank you all for being there because we need you now, more than ever!

So, what highlights have I seen during 2009?
Plenty! Where do I start? My shows have gone down great and my band has been a joy to work with.

Drummer Mark Morgan is into his 17th year with this band and it seems our time is gonna last longer than most marriages! [but without the sex] I couldn't wish for a better drummer & buddy!

Bassist Nick Whitfield is also an immensely talented singer/guitarist in Leicester-based rockabilly/country outfit The Drugstore Cowboys. Nick took over full time from Al Gare during 2008.
As most of you will know, Al Gare is now busy enjoying some 'superstar' payback as bassist with the wonderful Imelda May (Check up on Imelda if you have not done so already - she's recently won awards and gone Double Platinum in Ireland with sales for her last album 'Love Tattoo').

Baritone saxophonist Nick Lunt (my dear buddy from the old Big Six & Big Town Playboys line-ups) is busy these days, either with Mike Sanchez and his Band; Laura B & The Moonlighters or with Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Tenor saxophonist Martin Winning is truly one of the finest tenor players in the world of rhythm & blues today and I'm so grateful to have Mart on board. Whenever I look across the stage and see Martin & Nick riffin', honkin' and soloing, baby I know that's one of the best lil' horn sections I'm eva' gonna hear! ;-)

For the last four years, we've enjoyed the guitar work of Oliver Darling, though that has now come to an end as Oliver focuses on his own band The Dirty Robbers. There were times this year when this gave us the chance to use other guitarists, most notably Antwerp's Walter Broes from The Seatsniffers and Stockholm's Anders Lewen from Sven Zetterberg's band and his own, The Beat From Palookaville.

And, from the end of 2009, our new full-time guitarist will be the incredible BIG BOY BLOATER!!!!
So, stay tuned for future shows and catch some of the live-wire electricity generated on-stage.

With regards to recordings, thanks to everyone who bought [and raved about] last year's album 'You Better Dig It'. I am more than proud of this great rock 'n' roll record as it's really become the start of a lot of good things for Doopin Music.

Over the past year I've made several trips to be with my good buddies in Stockholm, The Beat From Palookaville, to put together the long-awaited follow-up to 2003's 'Women & Cadillacs'. This time, the album is gonna be titled 'BABES & BUICKS'. Yes, 'Babes & Buicks' will be out for January 2010 and we can't wait for all of you to hear it! ;-)

One final bit of news before I leave you be: I was invited to Koln, Germany a few months ago by my good friends Ray Collins' Hot-Club to guest in the studio for their brand new album 'Ray Collins' Hot-Club.... Goes Intercontinental' featuring myself and none other than the legend himself, rhythm & blues pioneer and 'King of the Honkers', Big Jay McNeely. I recently uploaded one of the tracks from these sessions onto my MySpace profile. Check it out!

Until you hear from me next, why not sign up to my MySpace or Facebook profiles, and please keep checking my tour schedules. It's very likely I'll be playing somewhere near you in the future!

See you soon,

Mike x

June 21 , 2009

There's some alarming information that you should all know regarding BBC Radio.

Specialist DJ and presenter Mark Lamarr currently has three award winning radio shows; Shake Rattle & Roll, his reggae show and his '60s show.
By next year, all three programmes will have been removed and replaced by pointless chat shows and regular disposable pop music.

Long gone will be rock'n'roll, rockabilly, rhythm & blues, reggae, ska, bluebeat, soul & vocal group music from BBC Radio 2, a station that for several decades has been a national institution and pretty much a haven on British national radio for the millions of people everywhere who tune in specifically to listen to obscure quality music.

What we all forget is we own the BBC. They're forever telling us it's our station, and so it is.
It's a public funded network, and we're entitled to have our say.

If this information means anything to you then you must complain to the BBC and let them know how you feel.
Fill out the BBC Trust survey at their website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust

If you are on myspace then please join the campaign at:
http://www.myspace.com/saveshakerattlenroll

Just imagine hundreds of emails every hour to Radio 2. Spread the word, and who knows where all this will end up.
It might even be time for another march, but one things for sure, they ain't getting away with it.

Thank you for your attention.

Mike Sanchez