Jim Marshall dies at 88

Jim Marshall, whose guitar amplifiers were used by some of the biggest names in rock, has died aged 88.

I have been lucky enough to meet Jim Marshall, often called ‘the father of loud’, three times. He was a true gentleman and always had time for the younger, next generation of rockers. It is with great sadness that I pass on the news that he passed away today.

The company website has the following message: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved founder and leader for the past 50 years, Jim Marshall. While mourning the Guv’nor though, we also salute a legendary man who led a full and truly remarkable life.” It went on: “While the entire Marshall Amplification family mourns Jim’s passing and will miss him tremendously, we all feel richer for having known him and are happy in the knowledge that he is now in a much better place which has just got a whole lot louder.”

Jim Marshall, from London, worked as an engineer and a drummer before he started building amplifiers in his garage. He opened the first Marshall factory in 1964 and soon his amplifiers were the equipment of choice for Jimi Hendrix. His tone stood the test of time with Slash playing through the famous 4×12 cabs and heads.

You will be missed. Your tone will live on.

Please view our online magazine The TVS Singers’ Daily It’s full of news for singers, reviews and tech. Please help us to spread the word by adding the link to your blog and sharing it with your friends.

As always, if you have any questions about your singing please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk    

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.

Twitter: MipOnVocals    

Tags: #tvsuk #tvssingersdaily

Excited to tell you all that the TVS UK Facebook Store is OPEN!

Click the ‘TVS UK Online Store’ Link next to ‘Photos’ link and have a click around. Please share and tell your friends.

Search ‘#tvsuk‘ for more blogs, news and information on The Vocalist Studio UK and don’t forget to check out the new online magazine The TVS Singers’ Daily It’s full of news for singers, reviews and tech. Please help us to spread the word by adding the link to your blog and sharing it with your friends.

You can also click here to visit our new Facebook page and say hello.

As always, if you have any questions about your singing please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.

Twitter: MipOnVocals

Tags: #tvsuk #tvssingersdaily

In this short video we’ll show you what is possible when you use the TVS technique of Bridging and Connecting to bridge through your passagio. (The point at which the human voice normally breaks into falsetto.)

Click here to see the video.

To learn this technique, get your hands on a copy of The Four Pillars of Singing here.

Search ‘#tvsuk‘ for more blogs, news and information on The Vocalist Studio UK and don’t forget to check out the new online magazine The TVS Singers’ Daily It’s full of news for singers, reviews and tech. Please help us to spread the word by adding the link to your blog and sharing it with your friends.

You can also click here to visit our new Facebook page and say hello.

As always, if you have any questions about your singing please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.

Twitter: MipOnVocals

Tags: #tvsuk #tvssingersdaily

Mip Phillips Sings on Cadbury Olympic Ad

In a recent Blog on 21st February 2012, we showed you the Cadbury Team GB Olympic Ad that TVS UK’s Mip Phillips was asked to sing in. Now we have the behind the scenes footage for you…

Click here to see The Cadbury Olympic Ad behind the scenes footage.

Don’t forget to check out the new online magazine The TVS Singer’s Daily It’s full of news for singers, reviews and tech. Please help us to spread the word by adding the link to your blog and sharing it with your friends.

You can also click here to visit our new Facebook page and say hello.

As always, if you have any questions about your singing please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Keep singing
Mip Phillips, TVS.

Twitter: MipOnVocals

TVS UK delivers daily relevant content to singers

There are so many great singing stories out there and we want to share them with you. So we’ve served them up in a double bite… 

Welcome to The TVS Singer’s Daily.

We’ve created for you The TVS Singer’s Daily. It pulls together some of the best, most relevant content about singing and serves it up in a double bite; breakfast and dinner! We’re releasing it morning and evening because of the time zones covered by our TVS family – so our friends in the UK and on the other side of the world can catch up on all the latest news for singers. And it’s not just TVS news! You’ll find it full of other juicy relevant stories too! It will tweet from MipOnVocals and we’ll also put it on our Facebook page 

Check out The very first edition of The TVS Singer’s Daily now! And please help us to spread the word by adding the link to your blog and sharing it with your friends.

As always, if you have any questions, or any questions about your singing
please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Don’t forget to click here to visit our new Facebook page and say hello.

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.
Twitter: MipOnVocals

Recording Olympics Ad with Cadbury and Team GB

Cadbury Olympic Ad is airing. Can you spot a TVS face!

The ad required a wide mix of people from across the country and a huge range of vocal; loud, quite, good and bad!

Well it’s finished and I made the cut. Can you spot me?

Check out the ad on YouTube here.

As always, if you have any questions please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Don’t forget to click here to visit our new Facebook page and say hello.

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.
Twitter: MipOnVocals

Benoit David found out he was leaving when he heard it via another band member's interview! Photo by Glenn Gottlieb

Benoit issued a statement Friday to confirm the news and shed a bit of light regarding his departure. It must be a blow for Benoit to lose a dream gig after being a Yes fan for so long. He handles it with a lot of class. Here’s the letter he wrote:

Dear YES fans,

As you all know, the final three shows of last year’s European tour were cancelled due to my ill health.  On my return to Canada, I was advised to cease touring, for the foreseeable future, in order to avoid further damage to my voice.  Following this extremely disappointing diagnosis, I had no alternative but to inform my fellow band members that I was unable to confirm my availability for, at least, the forthcoming concerts in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Although there was no alternative, I did so with a heavy heart as I felt that I was letting everyone down especially those who have supported me since I had the privilege of becoming the band’s vocalist in 2008.  The band members were all very understanding and asked if I would mind being replaced for the April shows – I immediately agreed that this would be the best way forward and gave them my blessing. I was then pleased to learn that Jon Davison would be my replacement as he is an accomplished musician with a fine voice.

I subsequently learnt, from a band member’s interview, that I had officially left Yes and that my departure was permanent.  As this is the situation, everyone should know that I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity I was given and very proud to have contributed to more than 200 concerts and to the ‘Fly From Here’ and ‘In The Present Live From Lyon’ albums.  I would also like to express my appreciation for the support I was given by each member of the band, the fantastic crew, the management and everyone else involved during my time as vocalist in the band.  Finally, to the fans who have applauded my efforts and to those I have had the pleasure of meeting – many thanks, my best wishes and please continue with your support of one of the world’s greatest bands – YES.

Although I need to take it easy for a while, I fully intend to continue with my music career.  In late summer of 2011, I added vocals to Mystery’s forthcoming album ‘The World Is A Game’ – which is at the final stages of mixing and will be available in the near future.  This is my third collaboration with Michel St-Pere, and Mystery, following 2007′s ‘Beneath the Veil of Winter’s Face’ and 2010′s ‘One Among The Living’.

So I guess I will, hopefully, see you somewhere down the road…

Blessings,

Benoit David

Bassist Chris Squire suggested that the band will work again with original vocalist Jon Anderson someday. Yes will play their first shows with new vocalist Jon Davison in April.

As always, if you have any questions please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Don’t forget to click here to visit our new Facebook page and say hello.

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.
Twitter: MipOnVocals

Ozzy could get Freedom Of The City

The Birmingham Mail says that Ozzy could be in line for a top honour soon.

Leading city councillors in Birmingham are apparently pushing forward a motion to have Ozzy receive the city’s highest honour!

The Birmingham Mail wrote that there is a belief that Ozzy deserves the Freedom Of The City Of Birmingham because “he is the ‘world’s most famous Brummie’ and a credit to the city”.

Councillor Bennett said: “I studied in Liverpool and they do know how to make the most of their music. Yes they have The Beatles but they do like to go on and on about it.” The councilor also revealed he was in a punk band during his teens.

As far as we’re concerned at TVS Towers Ozzy can have the freedom of any city! Click here to see the man himself with the legend Randy Rhoads playing ‘Crazy Train” live.

As always, if you have any questions please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Don’t forget to click here to visit our new Facebook page and say hello.

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.
Twitter: MipOnVocals

Three Dio albums to be reissued with extras next month

Here’s one for all you lovers of Ronnie James Dio’s vocal. 

Three classic Dio albums are getting reissued.
With some rare live performances pressed
to disc too. Here at TVS Towers we can’t wait to hear it.

Seminal 1983 hallmark ‘Holy Diver’ (Hailed by many critics as Dio’s best work so be sure to check it out), 84’s ‘The Last In Line’ and 85’s ‘Sacred Heart’ will all be getting repackaged with some rare bonus tracks and live numbers.

Here’s the overall tracklisting for all three albums; Holy Diver, The Last in Line and Sacred Heart.

Holy Diver

Disc one

Stand Up And Shout
Holy Diver
Gypsy
Caught In The Middle
Don’t Talk To Strangers
Straight Through The Heart
Invisible
Rainbow In The Dark
Shame On The Night

Disc two

Evil Eyes – Studio recording, originally appeared on B-Side to Holy Diver single
Stand Up And Shout – Live B-Side, from the Rainbow in the Dark single
Straight Through The Heart – Live B-Side, from the Rainbow in the Dark single
Stand Up And Shout – Live, King Biscuit Flower Hour, Oct 30, 1983
Shame On The Night – Live, King Biscuit Flower Hour, Oct 30, 1983
Children Of The Sea – Live, King Biscuit Flower Hour, Oct 30, 1983
Holy Diver – Live, King Biscuit Flower Hour, Oct 30, 1983
Rainbow In The Dark – Live, King Biscuit Flower Hour, Oct 30, 1983
Man On The Silver Mountain – Live, King Biscuit Flower Hour, Oct 30, 1983

The Last In Line

Disc one

We Rock
The Last In Line
Breathless
I Speed at Night
One Night In The City
Evil Eyes
Mystery
Eat Your Heart Out
Egypt (The Chains Are On)

Disc two

Stand Up And Shout – Live – B-Side Last In Line
Straight Through The Heart – Live – B-Side Last In Line
Eat Your Heart Out – Live – Mystery
Don’t Talk To Strangers – Live – Mystery
Holy Diver – Live – B-Side We Rock
Rainbow In The Dark – Live – B-Side We Rock
One Night In The City – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
We Rock – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Holy Diver – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Stargazer – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Heaven And Hell – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Rainbow In The Dark – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Man On The Silver Mountain – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Don’t Talk To Strangers – Pinkpop Festival, Geleen

Sacred Heart

Disc one
King Of Rock N Roll
Sacred Heart
Another Lie
Rock N Roll Children
Hungry For Heaven
Like the Beat Of A Heart
Just Another Day
Fallen Angels
Shoot Shoot

Disc two

Hide In The Rainbow – Dio EP
We Rock – Live – B-Side Rock N Roll Children
Last In Line – Live – B-Side Rock N Roll Children
Like the Beat Of A Heart – Live – B-Side Hungry For Heaven
King Of Rock N Roll – Intermission
Rainbow In The Dark – Intermission
Sacred Heart – Intermission
Time To Burn – Intermission
Rock N Roll Children – Intermission
Long Live Rock N Roll – Intermission
Man On The Silver Mountain – Intermission
We Rock – Intermission

They’ll all be out next month. We’ve got our order in. What about you?
As always, if you have any questions please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.
Twitter: MipOnVocals

Come and Poke us!

Things are moving fast here at TVS Towers in the United Kingdom. We’ve loved chatting to you and we’d like to make it even easier for you to chat to us…

…so we’ve created a Facebook page where we can all hang out and chat about music, vocal, songs, cool videos and all things musical!

Come and say hello and share your stories, or just have a read of ours.

Our Facebook page is hot off the upload button, so bear with us, as we’ll be sharing stories as the weeks go by. Please feel free to add your own comments, pics and videos – singing, music, your favourite bands, karaoke etc etc. We’d love to see the page grow into a great fun community and we hope you can help to make it happen.

Click here to visit The Vocalist Studio United Kingdom on Facebook and say hi. We’ve put a couple of stories up there to some fun started!
As always, if you have any questions please drop me an email to mip@TheVocalistStudio.co.uk

Keep singing

Mip Phillips, TVS.
Twitter: MipOnVocals