Greg Fleming "Taken"

Greg Fleming "Taken"

AlbumReleased Monday, June 21, 2010

on LucaDiscs via Rhythmethod

2xCDSet / 32 Tracks / 24 page booklet

Includes Remastered Ghosts Are White Album + 11 Bonus Tracks

“…I listened avidly to everything he did, saw him play whenever I could. Greg struck me as a literate and literary songwriter whose lyrics could capture
nail-hard images… or allude to storylines which let you fill in the details... Greg always seemed to me to be in the centre of the frame: a great singer-songwriter and part of an illustrious lineage.”
– Graham Reid (elsewhere.co.nz)

Greg Fleming is often referred to as an originator of "alt.country" in New Zealand.
With Taken he touches on that sound, to rock and to intimate piano/vocal tracks.

Largely produced by Wayne Bell (Jan Hellriegel's All Grown Up), the tracks for Taken came together from a number of studio sessions around Auckland between 1994 and 2003; from full-band sessions at York Street and the (old) Lab on Symonds Street, recorded by Chris Van de Geer and Chris Sinclair, through to stripped-down, live-to-tape piano/vocal sessions at Greg Johnson’s home studio and Helen Young with Andre Upston.

Taken’s 11 tracks feature the talents of Wayne Bell, Andrew Thorne (Calico Brothers, Bic Runga), Tony Lumsden (Hello Sailor), Mark Hughes (Greg Johnson, Jan Hellriegel ), Dom Blaazer (SJD, Don McGlashan & The Seven Sisters), Anthony Ioasa (Grace) and vocal contributions from Boh Runga, Ted Brown, Callie Blood and Kate Stalker.
The album was mastered by Dale Cotton (HDU, Dimmer).

Although the tracks on Taken were recorded between 1994-2003, it is not a “retrospective” album; for various rock’n’roll reasons it simply languished unreleased for several years.
The album serves as a reintroduction and timely reminder that Fleming remains at the forefront of song writing with a huge wealth of material.
In Greg’s own words:
“…it started to make sense, the way forward could begin by going back. Taken spans nine, never dull, sometimes difficult, years…
Although I’ve written a few notes on the album to give it context [in the CDbooklet], in the end what I say counts for little – from this vantage point I’m an unreliable witness at best.
I’m just happy it’s now free to tell its own story to whoever wants to listen.”

The companion disc to Taken contains a remastered version of Fleming’s 1993 debut Ghosts Are White with his band The Trains and includes 11 bonus tracks.
Ghosts Are White, was originally released in 1993 on Kane Massey’s Deepgrooves imprint Lost, via Festival Records.
The tracks were engineered by Matthew Heine and feature Mark Petersen (Jan Hellriegel, Straitjacket Fits), Stuart Broughton, Nick Kreisler (the Pet Rocks) and John Segovia (Shaft, The Axlegrinders,
Boxcar Guitars, Don McGlashan & The Seven Sisters).

The 24 page booklet features extensive liner notes and photos, covering the making of Taken, lyrics and song overviews, plus an extensive history of Ghosts Are White and The Trains band.

Taken will also available at amplifier.co.nz, iTunes and other on-line stores.

Greg Fleming will be Kim Hill's guest on "Playing Favourites", 10am, Saturday June 19th on National Radio.

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW: FRIDAY JULY 23rd, JUICE BAR, PARNELL, AUCKLAND

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