{"title":"Dana Gillespie","description":"\u003cp\u003eDana Gillespie is an English actress and singer, born on 30 March 1949 in London, England, UK. With a career spanning over five decades, she has established herself as a prominent figure in the music industry. Known for her soulful voice and captivating performances, Gillespie has drawn inspiration from various genres including blues, jazz, and rock. Her unique style sets her apart from other artists of her time.Throughout her career, Gillespie has collaborated with numerous talented musicians such as *Katie Webster*, *Marcia Ball*, and *Candye Kane*. She has also shared the stage with renowned bands like *Mojo Blues Band* and *Roomful Of Blues*. Additionally, she has been a part of notable projects such as *Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings* and worked alongside esteemed artists like *Duke Robillard* and *Ruth Brown*. Gillespie's versatility shines through as she effortlessly transitions between different musical styles.Gillespie's passion for music extends beyond performing. She has released several albums that showcase her exceptional talent as both a vocalist and songwriter. Some of her notable works include collaborations with artists like *Floyd Dixon*, *The Blues Band*, and *Big Joe Turner*. Her music continues to captivate audiences worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"deep-pockets","title":"Deep Pockets","description":"\u003cp\u003eDana Gillespie’s affair with the blues shows not the slightest sign of flagging. Who could have predicted it would be in her sixth decade of music-making that she’d be creating her finest work? So far, 2021 has been a banner year for the 72-year-old personality. It began with the publication of her memoir, Weren’t Born A Man. This was followed by a successful YouTube reboot of her popular radio show, Globetrotting With Gillespie. The memoir, co-written with David Shasha, is a full account of Dana’s remarkable life, from her folk singles on Pye Records and her late 60s albums for Decca to her pivotal role in the original London cast of Jesus Christ Superstar and her memorable explosion onto the glam scene as part of the Bowie\/DeFries\/MainMan\/RCA empire, her side-sojourns in film, and her long-lasting union with Ace Records as one of the UK’s leading blues artists. \u003ci\u003eDeep Pockets\u003c\/i\u003e, the follow-up to 2019’s \u003ci\u003eUnder My Bed\u003c\/i\u003e, is a collection of 12 Gillespie originals, mostly written with long-standing lead guitarist Jake Zaitz. It is a reflective album, born of Covid lockdown: “The moment the first one happened and everyone was in a state of doom and gloom and nobody went anywhere, I was on my own and began writing lyrics.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eDeep Pockets\u003c\/i\u003e has arrived earlier than scheduled. After the first UK lockdown prompted a rush of industry from Dana and an album’s worth of songs, she and her band flew off to play the Lugano Blues Festival. With a house on Lake Maggiore at their disposal and no way of knowing when the London studios might reopen or close again, recording impromptu suddenly seemed like a good idea. Everything you hear was captured in that dazzling summer setting over just four days, in either one or two takes; that’s why the music has such a distinctive heat, zest and spontaneity. Nothing’s been overworked or unduly titivated, and Dana’s voice, unerring in its pitch and as expressive as ever, is just how it sounds in a live show.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ace","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50423595368779,"sku":"1146194","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/64679aeb-3079-4ebe-a929-c522a8b195a6_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726769912"},{"product_id":"first-love-3","title":"First Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eLegendary singer-songwriter Dana Gillespie, with over 70 albums to her credit in a career spanning six decades, adds a new chapter with the release of her stunning new album \u003ci\u003eFirst Love\u003c\/i\u003e through Fretsore Records. While \u003ci\u003eFirst Love\u003c\/i\u003e is a deeply personal album, it marks a shift for Dana who teams up with close friends Marc Almond and Tris Penna who together produced the album.Born in 1949 and raised in London in an era of unrivalled experimentation and artistic rebellion, Dana began her recording career at 15 with Pye Records. Her journey in entertainment is marked by significant milestones, including collaborations with icons such as David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Elton John.  A project of refined integrity, recordings including the first single “Spent The Day In Bed” (a Morrissey song) showcase a diversity of influences that only those who have lived the experience could so masterfully convey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fretsore Records","offers":[{"title":"Red LP","offer_id":50424338579787,"sku":"2191461","price":31.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50424338088267,"sku":"2191458","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/FR_DG_First_Love_Vinyl_SQ4_dc3d3ea9_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726777366"},{"product_id":"spent-the-day-in-bed-2","title":"Spent The Day In Bed","description":"\u003cp\u003eLegendary singer-songwriter Dana Gillespie, with over 70 albums to her credit in a career spanning six decades, adds a new chapter with the release of her stunning new album \u003ci\u003eFirst Love\u003c\/i\u003e through Fretsore Records. The album is preceded by single \"Spent The Day In Bed\", available on limited black and translucent orange 7\" vinyl with artwork by Morrissey. While \u003ci\u003eFirst Love\u003c\/i\u003e is a deeply personal album, it marks a shift for Dana who teams up with close friends Marc Almond and Tris Penna who together produced the album. Born in 1949 and raised in London in an era of unrivalled experimentation and artistic rebellion, Dana began her recording career at 15 with Pye Records. Her journey in entertainment is marked by significant milestones, including collaborations with icons such as David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Elton John.  A project of refined integrity, recordings including the first single “Spent The Day In Bed” (a Morrissey song) showcase a diversity of influences that only those who have lived the experience could so masterfully convey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fretsore Records","offers":[{"title":"Orange 7\"","offer_id":50451381420363,"sku":"2193973","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black 7\"","offer_id":50451381158219,"sku":"2193971","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/FR_DG_STDIB_7inch_CMYK_735696c7_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727124450"},{"product_id":"foolish-seasons-rsd-2022-edition","title":"Foolish Seasons RSD 2022 Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003eDana Gillespie’s first album makes its U.K. vinyl debut in this special RSD release of one of the great lost albums of 1960s British pop. Although it never came out in England, Decca kept the masters to the intended U.K. pressing which contained two previously unreleased self-penned tracks; the blue-eyed soul bop ‘Goin’ Round in Circles’ and the orchestral ‘Come To My Arms’ which could almost have been a Bond theme. Dana would eventually become known as a blues singer, but at the outset of her recording career, her sound is an excellent barometer of what was happening on the swinging-London music scene, with the breezy psych-pop of ‘You Just Gotta Know My Mind’, a Donovan composition that he himself never recorded, the Marianne Faithfull-esque chamber-folk of ‘Tears in My Eyes’ and the Françoise Hardy sounding ‘Souvenirs of Stefan’. Other highlights are the orchestral sunshine pop of ‘Life Is Short’ and ‘London Social Degree’, both penned by cult British pop\/rocker Billy Nicholls; the gothic blues of ‘Dead’, and an eccentric cover of Richard Fariña's ‘Hard Lovin' Loser’. Dana's own compositions also stand out, particularly the psych-folk title track: In the U.K. Dana was at the vanguard of the emerging female singer-songwriter scene, as the only British female artists publishing and singing their own songs at this point were fellow Decca labelmate Twinkle, Sandy Denny and Christine McVie. Arranged by Mike Vickers of Manfred Mann and produced by Wayne Bickerton, the sound of \u003ci\u003eFoolish Seasons\u003c\/i\u003e is luscious and imaginative. The songs are brought to life by an illustrious group of session musicians including Mike Vickers, and fellow Manfred Mann member Mike Hugg. Big Jim Sullivan who played on David Bowie’s first album on Deram, and Blue Mink founder Herbie Flowers on bass. These were joined by John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, who only a few years later would have their own band Led Zeppelin. All tracks have been remastered from the original tapes, and this special RSD release comes in a gatefold sleeve with notes by Dana and new artwork featuring photographs taken by legendary rock photographer Gered Mankowitz who shot the original U.S album cover. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Decca","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50480404365643,"sku":"1145732","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/54e939f9-015b-4833-81c6-de61e1666630_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727520133"},{"product_id":"what-memories-we-make-the-complete-mainman-recordings-1971-1974","title":"What Memories We Make - The Complete Mainman Recordings 1971 - 1974","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDana Gillespie\u003c\/strong\u003e first made her name as a teenage singer (and songwriter) in the 1960s, with a string of memorable singles and albums for Pye and Decca. In 1971, she teamed up with David Bowie’s management company MainMan, joining Bowie at RCA Records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt would be two years before her next record – but it was worth the wait. \u003cem\u003eWeren’t Born A Man\u003c\/em\u003e was a wonderful amalgam of pop, soul, and some wonderful songwriting from Dana. The title track, for example, wouldn’t have sounded out-of-place on Dusty In Memphis, while Dana’s twist on Bowie’s \u003cem\u003e\"Andy Warhol\"\u003c\/em\u003e (the song had actually been written for her) was unique. Both these album highlights were issued as singles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDana swiftly followed up with a second album for RCA, \u003cem\u003eAin’t Gonna Play No Second Fiddle\u003c\/em\u003e. The recordings were bluesier in places than on its predecessor but still equally impressive. The LP was promoted by a single, \u003cem\u003e\"Really Love The Man,\"\u003c\/em\u003e but thereafter Dana parted ways with MainMan before building an enviable reputation as a blues singer of some renown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIssued with the full support and involvement of the artist and MainMan, \u003cem\u003eWhat Memories We Make\u003c\/em\u003e is the first proper retrospective of Dana’s recordings for MainMan \/ RCA. Many album tracks make their debut on CD and have been joined by a raft of rarities and previously unissued material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAll five tracks from the legendary \u003cem\u003eBowpromo\u003c\/em\u003e album from 1971 are included: this was an album circulated by MainMan featuring rough mixes by David Bowie on one side (made prior to him signing with RCA) and Dana Gillespie on the other. Also present is the semi-mythical, previously unheard original demo of \u003cem\u003e\"Andy Warhol\"\u003c\/em\u003e featuring backing vocals from Bowie, and the rare \u003cem\u003eLibido\u003c\/em\u003e single (issued on Mooncrest in 1973), plus sessions from late 1974 for what would have been Dana’s third album for RCA \/ MainMan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHoused in a plush Digipak with lengthy sleeve-notes by David Wells within a 24-page booklet also boasting an embarrassment of photographic riches, \u003cem\u003eWhat Memories We Make\u003c\/em\u003e is a long overdue tribute to a rare British singing \/ songwriting talent.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cherry Red","offers":[{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50507032068427,"sku":"1055282","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7bcc9015-b157-49a5-86c8-8429850a42f7_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727837389"},{"product_id":"box-of-surprises-fe","title":"Box of Surprises - RSD 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy in-store on Record Store Day (12\/04\/2025). This product is an RSD Exclusive title and is not available to pre-order. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRemaining stock available online from:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUS - 08.00 ET (13\/04\/2025)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEU - 21:00 CEST (14\/04\/2025)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUK - 20:00 BST (14\/04\/2025)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSome titles will sell out prior to online sale and some will only be available in specified regions. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDana Gillespie’s second long player and first UK album \u003cem\u003eBox of Surprises\u003c\/em\u003e is being reissued on vinyl for the first time. Dana was at the vanguard of the immerging female singer-songwriter scene and \u003cem\u003eBox of Surprises\u003c\/em\u003e is notable for being the first entirely self-penned album by a British female artist to be released in the UK on a major label. There were other distinguished British women publishing and singing their own songs at this point including fellow Decca labelmates Twinkle and Marianne Faithfull and in the wider folk \/ rock scene Sandy Denny and Christine McVie, but none of these artists had as yet released an album of entirely self-penned material. On the indie scene Bridget St John released her self penned debut ‘Ask Me No Questions’ around the same time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBox of Surprises\u003c\/em\u003e was produced by Mike Vernon, who was the leading producer of the British blues boom in the late '60s, working on discs by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, and Savoy Brown, and in fact the latter were hired to be the house band on Box of Surprises. The result could have been an out and out British blues as heard on the album’s title track, but in fact the record is just as stylistically varied as Dana’s debut \u003cem\u003eFoolish Seasons\u003c\/em\u003e, with folk, country and western and eastern influences all apparent in the albums stylistic makeup. Aside from the bluesy title track, at least two other up-tempo songs on the album, ‘Like I’m A Clown’ and ‘I Was A Book’ could have been singles, but the album also contains some excellent ballads including ‘When Darkness Fell’ which recalls The Zombies, and ‘For David, the Next Day’, a country and western tinged song written for Dana’s childhood friend David Bowie, who years later referenced the track when he named his 2013 comeback album The Next Day. Eastern influences also appear on ‘Taffy’ and ‘I Would Cry,’ foreshadowing Dana’s later explorations of Indian music, and she also revisits the acid folk of her debut LP’s title tune. Box of Surprises is one of those elusive one-off Decca diamonds that just like her debut somehow seemed to slip through the net and was seldom seen or heard, but connoisseurs of 60’s music have gradually become aware of its charms, and this new edition remastered by Andrew Batt from the master tapes and featuring an introduction by Dana herself will likely become just as collectable as the original.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Decca","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51404166398283,"sku":"R2393-8719","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/CNA5XUXHNGwAXgVAEvbqAkD3wT939uOOgU2nik351kw-1920w.jpg?v=1741344729"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/Dana_Gillespie_press_1_hi_res_7cdef68e_thumbnail_4096_480bdcc2-52e9-4a56-9891-96253be81d41.jpg?v=1726135601","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/dana-gillespie.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}