Corinne Bailey Rae

Corinne Bailey Rae

Corinne was born and raised in my birth town of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, to a Yorkshire Mother and a West Indian Father, being the eldest of their 3 daughters. Corinne married a sax player 4 years ago at the age of 22 and likes bands such as Magic Numbers and Bloc Party.

This 26-year old Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist released her debut album with EMI Records on 27th February 2006. Her brother-in-law demo’d up the original version of “Like A Star” in his Leeds studio some years before, as he believed Corrine, had a beautiful moving voice, which would one day make her a star.

This is her biography. Corinne started singing harmonies to traditional hymns at church on a Sunday. Her youth leader saw her potential and offered to buy her an electric guitar, which she gracefully accepted. Studying classical violin whilst still at school, Corinne listened to indie influences such as Veruca Salt and L7 and during her teens, her favourite band was Led Zeppelin, a group that she says inspired her to make her own music. This she did and Corinne started her own indie band called “Helen” at the age of 15 and began attracting fans locally in and around her hometown of Leeds. The band came to an abrupt end when the bassist fell pregnant.

So, Corrine took herself to Leeds University. Whilst studying for her English Lit. Degree, in the evening she worked in a local jazz club. Working there inspired her to start writing more soulful songs, combining her love of Jazz, sometimes getting the opportunity to sing there herself. After doing some session work for Charlotte Church and working with Mark Hill (Artful Dodger & Craig David Producer), Corinne appeared on Jools Holland twice in 2005 (the second time being on New Year’s Eve) and gained new friends such as the likes of Burt Bacharach.

Corinne image is almost like looking at someone who has been transported from another era – with her distinct way of dressing and hairstyle (50’s) combined with her soft delicate voice. It had been quoted in some of her bios that she is a modern day Billy Holliday, but I think Corinne has her own unpretentious, laid-back style. Her single “Like A Star” was released in November 2005 and featured as Record Of The Week on Radio 1 and was also championed by Radio 2, Capital Radio and 1 Xtra and her fan base began to rapidly increase. More recently, in January 2006, UK critics and broadcasters named Corinne the best new artist in the BBC News Website’s Sound Of 2006 poll, which for a Soul artist, is quite something.  She also appeared on a live BBC TV show broadcasted to viewers early December.

Signed to EMI records in the spring of last year, Corinne says the songs which are featured and written for her debut album were inspired by people such as Jill Scott, Billy Holliday, Erykah Badu and are unusually intimate, short and to the point, hoping to leave the listener wanting more. I look forward to hearing her forthcoming album and believe she is a special, unique artist, who is well worth listening to.

Corrinne Bailey Rae (2006) EMI

Like a Star

Enchantment

Put Your Records on

Till it happens to you

Trouble Sleeping

Call me when you get this

Choux Pastry Heart

Breathless

I’d like to

Butterfly

Seasons Change

Singing Style, Tone, Articulation and Intonation

Music that's about the voice and the actual song her vocal style is female vocal, acoustic soul, downtempo.

Put your record on

Put your record on with its catchy lyrics, the song brings a smile to your face this song is the third cut on Corinne Bailey Rae’s soft titled CD, and has a uplifting and jazzy happy feel. She put a lot of soulful emotion into the song. Corinne uses an Aspirate tone in this song along with some cry.  I also like how she uses a little cockney phasing in the song.

LIKE A STAR

This is the first song on her album has Corinne Bailey Rae sings to the one she loves but yet can hear a sad side.  This is a simple arrangement, she starts off in an Aspirate vocal tone uses (Cry) a vocal technique which seems to be created with ease but is requires use of her abdominal muscles to give a vulnerable, sultry, Innocent and simple vocal sound.

Her lastest Album "The Sea"

The Sea is the second album by Corinne Bailey Rae, it was released on the 20 January 2010 with EMI. recording in the wake of her husband's death.  Production for the album was conducted in Manchester, England at Limefield Studios in 2009.  This album has elements of folk,pop,Jazz and rock music.

My faviourite track on the album is "closer" a uplifting and emotional track.

This album debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart and sold 22.914 copies in its first week and seven on the US Billboard Charts. As a British Singer/Songwriter she has truely inspiring and developed as an artist.