Mr Hudson
(formerly Mr Hudson & The Library) is a band based in London, England, UK whose members hail from both that city and Birmingham. This duality was the inspiration for the title of their debut album A Tale of Two Cities
, which was released on 5 March 2007. [1] They are signed to music producer Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label & Mercury Records.
On May 13, 2009, Mr Hudson confirmed their second studio album, "Straight No Chaser," would be released October 5, 2009, with preceding single "Supernova" receiving a world exclusive play on Zane Lowe's show later that day.
The band have listed various influences, most notably Chet Baker, David Bowie, The Police, Andre 3000, Marvin Gaye, The Specials, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzee Rascal. [2] They are known for their energetic live performances which include steelpan and a piano. They were nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the 2007 UK Festival Awards.
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MR HUDSON TICKETS
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Members
The band is led by Ben Hudson (guitar and vocals), who is a singer, songwriter and record producer who has worked with acts such as
Kanye West and
Dizzee Rascal and whose vocal performances have been compared to
Sting.
[3] He is accompanied by
Joy Joseph (vocals and steel drum),
Rob Barron (electric keyboard),
Raphael Mann (bass guitar) and
Wilkie Wilkinson (electric drums).
History
One of his first appearances was on JUMPOFF producer battles in 2005.
Mr Hudson first came to prominence after featuring on
Later with Jools Holland
on
8 December 2006.
[4]. The band's
debut LP titled -
A Tale of Two Cities
, was released in 2007 to strong reviews and received national airplay on
Jo Whiley and
Zane Lowe's
BBC Radio 1 shows.
In 2007, Mr Hudson and his band The Library embarked on a tour through 12 British libraries as part of the 'Get It Loud' initiative, and also supported
Amy Winehouse on her tour, along with
Paulo Nutini,
Mika and
Groove Armada.
During the Summer of 2007 they appeared at several UK festivals, such as
Glastonbury,
T in the Park,
The Big Chill,
V Festival,
Godiva Festival, and
Bestival. In October 2007, the band played at the
Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in support of
The Police. They also supported
Kanye West on his Europe leg of his
Glow in the Dark Tour, performing in
Dublin and other European cities.
On 11 November 2008, "There Will Be Tears" was given its first UK radio airplay on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show as 'The Hottest Record in the World Right Now'. Mr Hudson's new album - given a working title of
Straight No Chaser
[5] is set for release in mid-2009 with
Kanye West acting as co-producer. As announced in December 2008, Mr Hudson will tour the UK to preview material from his forthcoming album visiting cities such as London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Newcastle.
[6]
Mr. Hudson featured on "Paranoid" on Kanye West's fourth album,
808s & Heartbreak
. He also co-produced "Street Lights" as well as supplied additional vocals on "Say You Will" and "Amazing". Kanye West has stated:
"I believe Mr Hudson has the potential to be bigger than me, to be one of the most important artists of his generation".
[7]
In the autumn of 2009 Mr Hudson will support
Calvin Harris on his U.K tour.
July 5 2009, Mr Hudson played at
Wireless Festival in
Hyde Park, London, appearing alongside two other of
Kanye West's
808s & Heartbreak album contributing artists,
Kid Cudi and
Young Jeezy. Kanye West himself headlined the festival.
July 12 2009, Ben Hudson appeared alongside Kanye West on the
Channel 4 chat show
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
.
August 8 2009, he appeared on
Dermot O'Leary's
BBC Radio 2 live music sessions show.
August 15, 2009, he sang his newly released song 'Supernova' at Rock In The Park.
A Tale of Two Cities
The production on the band's debut album uses
acoustic guitar interspersed with classically informed
piano, soulful, Motown-inspired backing vocals and bass guitar,
steelpan,
electric drums & unusual rhythm patterns to create an expansive sound. Two of the tracks from
A Tale of Two Cities
are covers; "
On The Street Where You Live", is a cover of a number from the
musical My Fair Lady
[8] and "
Everything Happens to Me" is a well known Great American Songbook classic as popularised by the likes of
Frank Sinatra and
Chet Baker. The album was greeted with warm reviews from the music press.
Straight No Chaser
On October 19 2009, Mr Hudson is set to release a new album,
Straight No Chaser
(via
G.O.O.D. Music and
Mercury Records), executive produced by
Kanye West.
"I wanted to make a mainstream record, not structured or ornate," he explains. "The first album feels like an
Escher drawing, all these layers and you don't know where you're going at any point. The way the songs are written and produced on this one is much more direct. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel. It's straight, no chaser."
Discography
Singles
| Year
| Song
| Peak chart positions
| Album
|
| UK
| UK
R&B
| IRE
| EU
| U.S. Hot 100
| U.S.
Main
|
| 2007
| "Too Late Too Late"
| 41
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| A Tale of Two Cities
|
| 2009
| "Supernova" (featuring Kanye West)
| 2
| 2
| 2
| 9
| 112
| —
| Straight No Chaser
|
Featured Singles
| Year
| Song
| Peak chart positions
| Album
|
| UK
| U.S.
| Pop 100
| CHR
|
| 2009
| "Paranoid" (Kanye West featuring Mr Hudson)
| —
| 118
| 61
| 34
| 808s & Heartbreak
|
Guest Appearances
| Year
| Song
| Artist(s)
| Album
|
| 2007
| "Every Man (For Himself)"
| Sway
| One For The Journey
|
| 2008
| "Paranoid"
| Kanye West
| 808s & Heartbreak
|
| 2009
| "Young Forever"
| Jay-Z
| The Blueprint 3
|
Other Interests
Mr Hudson also took part in the MyPenguin project launched by the
publisher Penguin to encourage the public to design their own covers to
classic paperbacks. Mr Hudson collaborated with London
graffiti artist
Mighty Mo of London Frontline, to create a cover for
Animal Farm
by
George Orwell.
References
- The Guardian, Mr Hudson & The Library
- BBC.co.uk, Interview with the band
- Wessex Scene Online, Interview with Mr Hudson and the Library
- BBC.co.uk, Later with Jools Holland
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrhudson/3294497243/sizes/l/
- http://www.myspace.com/mrhudson
- Kanye West says Mr Hudson 'Could be bigger than me'
- Mr Hudson & The Library Biography