WHAT ARE THE CRITICS SAYING ABOUT JOHN HARLEY WESTON?
(This page includes a list of radio stations playing JHW, press articles, TV interviews and testimonials from big names in Music)
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PAUL PITICCO (manager of one of Australia's biggest bands Powderfinger, Bernard Fanning and the Grates) says 'Congrats mate. DIY has worked great for you .....you should write a "how to" book. It has been great to watch it grow. Here's to your continued success'.
MARK HOLDEN - (Australian Idol judge, music producer and songwriter)
Hi John.....really good site you have for listening - excellent material - good onya...'
KHALIQ GLOVER (Los Angeles based Grammy award winning recording/mixing engineer for Prince, Justin Timberlake, Herbie Hancock, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Sting, Marcus Miller) says 'Wow, you sound great. Great songs and craftmanship and your singing is spot on..'
TONY BEARD (drummer/guitarist with Peter Frampton, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bee Gees, Daryl Hall, Dave Stewart, Jeff Beck, Wyclef Jean, Madonna, McCartney, Jeff beck etc). He says 'Whatever Makes You Happy' is a hit and a great metaphor'.
JOHN 'SWANEE' SWAN (Iconic Australian rock singer - Swanee co-wrote one of the songs on John Harley Weston's new album). He says, 'The album sounds great John. I loved being allowed into your life as an artist and a friend. You can hold your head up very high my friend, your a class act.'
COLIN BUDDS (Australian Film/TV Director) says 'the song 'Righteous son' makes you really take notice.....this new album sounds like it's going to be the more essential John Harley Weston'. (Righteous Son is about the Australian Van Nguyen who was hanged in Singapore for carrying drugs).
The above quotes/testimonials have all been authorised.
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MAJOR ENDORSEMENTS
John Harley Weston is endorsed by Takamine guitars and D'Addario guitar strings and Neumann Microphones
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RADIO STATION (PLAYLIST ROTATION) TO DATE FOR SONG(S) ON NEW ALBUM 'WELCOME BACK TO REALITY' (MAY 2008)
The following radio stations have already playlisted (regular airplay) John Harley Weston new album. Please contact them by clicking on links to request that they play the first single 'Whatever Makes You Happy' or anything else off the album:
Indie104 iRadio L.A. (The huge Los Angeles, USA based ‘Internet Radio Station of The Year’ at http://www.iradiola.com
Underworld Mix Radio (Fort Wayne Indiana, USA - with over 100,000 listeners in 20 countries at http://www.underworldmixradio.com
Phibble Radio (Idaho Falls, USA - John is being played on ‘Kitana’s The Music Mansion’ at http://www.musicmansion.phibble.com
Radio Crystal Blue New York USA http://radiocrystalblue.com
Radio 2RDJ 88.1FM - the voice of Sydey's inner west (presenter Barry Mac) http://www.radio2rdj.com
Beau FM Radio, Beaudesert, Queensland (presenter John Robinson) http://www.beaufm.org.au
3NRG, Sunbury, nr Melbourne, Vic http://www.3nrg.org.au
FM Eben-Ezer, Argentina http://www.radioebenezer.org
3MBR Murrayville, Vic (+61 (0)3 5095 2045)
WYN FM, Deer Park, Melbourne Vic – Ollie’s Country (+61 (0)3 9361 2827)
96.5 Inner FM, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Vic http://www.innerfm.org.au
3RPP Radio Port Philip Bay, Victoria http://www.3rpp.asn.au
Opal FM Lightning Ridge Community Station, NSW http://www.opalfm.com
3BBR West Gipsland Radio, Vic http://www.3bbrfm.org.au
Radio 97.1 Sweet Fm, Ayr, Qld (+61 (0)7 4782-8394)
Easy FM, Port Broughton, South Australia http://www.easyfm.com.au
Highland FM, Bowral, NSW http://www.highlandfm.org.au
2GLF, Liverpool, NSW http://www.893fm.com.au
1089 Collie, Western Australia
Radio Hope Island 94.1 http://www.941fm.com.au
Here's a seperate list of stations we're waiting to hear from including Bob Dylan's XM radio show and many large commercial stations. Please contact them to request they play John Harley Weston here.
John's first album 'Hope Harbour' (2004) was playlisted on many of the above and the following stations - you can still make requests to hear these songs too:
Radio Vega at http://www.vega915.com.au (song title Last Days Of Summer)
Aussie Independent Radio Charts http://www.isonliveradio.com (see feature article below - we are still getting 50 plays/week)
Indie104 iRadio L.A. http://www.iradiola.com (Beautiful Day In The City)
Nashville's http://www.moozikooradio.com (Beautiful Day In The City, Last Days Of Summer & Brothers and Sisters)
Tampa Bay Indies USA http://www.bspass.com (Last Days of Summer and Brothers and Sisters)
USA's Radio Fly1 http://www.radiofly1.com (Beautiful Day In The City)
Dr Lou's Radio Show Philadelphia USAhttp://www.drloumusic.com (Beautiful day, Brothers and Sisters and Last days Of Summer)
Radio Crystal Blue New York USA http://radiocrystalblue.com (Beautiful Day, Last days Of Summer)
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6 MONTHS AT #1 ON THE AUSTRALIAN INDIE RADIO CHARTS
'Brothers and Sisters' off 2004 album 'Hope Harbour' held the #1 spot in the ILR Australian Indie Radio Charts for an entire 6 months. That's huge! Isonliveradio syndicates radio shows to over 200 radio stations worldwide and because of this we're getting heard around the world.
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PRESS ARTICLES FOR NEW ALBUM 'WELCOME BACK TO REALITY' (released May 2008)....we'll be adding more as they come in.
Gold Coast Bulletin 5th May 2008 (new album release) PDF click here
Gold Coast Bulletin 20th May 2008 (master CD lost in post) PDF click here
Gold Coast Bulletin 31st May 2008 (10 questions) PDF click here
Kilmanock Standard May 2008 (nerw album release) PDF click here
Albert & Logan News and Logan Image - June 2008 - link coming soon
APRAP 'What's Happening' (Australiasian Performing Rights Association Magazine) July 2008 - link coming soon
Phibble.com radio presenter Kitana Mahoney - John Harley Weston album review - PDF click here
Rootstime Belgium (I can't understand the language but must be a good review cause I'm getting loads of requests from Europe - PDF click here
Thanks to all publications for your support so far - we appreciate it.
Previous features/reviews have appeared in Rolling Stone owned Australian Guitar Magazine, online by major Australian music journalist Christie Eleizer at www.themusic.com, Rave Magazine, Tsunami Magazine, Gold Coast Bulletin, Australian Sunday Mail, Australian Courier Mail, Gold Coast Life magazine, Queensland Homes magazine, Tamborine Times, Albert and Logan News, APRA website, Beaudesertshire News, Scottish Evening Times, Glasgow Daily Record, Glasgow Herald and more. Scroll down to see some of these articles.
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WINNING THE PRESTIGIOUS AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SONGWRITING CONTEST 2005 (ROCK CATEGORY)
'Last Days Of Summer', the first track on
John's first independent album 'Hope Harbour' (2004), won the Australian
National Songwriting Contest 2005 - Rock category (encompassing
rock/metal/indie). This is a very prestigious Austalia-wide competition
run by the Australian Songwriters Association. John received
the award in Sydney performing at the Gala Awards night in front
of the movers and shakers of Australian Music Industry. See http://www.asai.org.au/results2005 for more info.
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TOP 20 AT NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT UNISONG INTERNATIONL SONGWRITING CONTEST 2005/6
Top 20 at the 10th annual Unisong World Songwriting Contest 2005/6 with 'Last Days Of Summer'. This is the competition that gave birth to songwriters Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Buffet, Stewart Copeland, Mick Fleetwood, Indigo Girls, Glady's Knight, Peter Frampton, Lisa Loeb, Bonnie Raitt, Don Was and well, I'm sure you get the picture. More at http://www.unisong.com/Winners.aspx
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BILLBOARD WORLD SONGWRITING CONTEST ACCOLADES
14th annual Billboard World Songwriting Contest 2006/7 - Highest Level Honourable Mention 'Believe In Yourself'. Honourable Mention 'Let Your Life Begin' (Both songs feature on John's album 'Welcome Back To Reality' 2008).
13th annual Billboard World Songwriting Contest 2005 - Highest Level Honourable Menton for 'Last Days Of Summer' and an Honourable Mention for 'Brothers and Sisters'. (Both songs featured on John's album 'Hope Harbour' 2004).
14th Annual Billboard World Songwriting Contest 2006/7 - another Honourable Mention for a song John co-wrote with old U.K. band mate BJ cunningham from the Scottish band 'Frontier'. 'Be Careful What You Wish For' was released as a single after fans demanded a new Frontier song. See http://www.myspace.com/thebandfrontier
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VOTED ONE OF THE TOP 5 BEST SINGERS IN THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC WORLD
John Harley Weston has been voted one of the top 5 best vocalists in the independent music world by Dale Kawashima a heavy-weight U.S. Music Publisher Kawashima as a music publisher has supervised and represented many of the world's top catalogs, including the songs of the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Prince, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Little Richard, Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager, and Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly. He has worked as an executive at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Irving Azoff's Giant Records, Mercury Records, and Jobete Music (the publishing division of Motown Records). Go to this link and scroll down to John Harley Weston song Last Days Of Summer http://www.singeruniverse.com/competitionwinner13.htm
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SOME ALBUM REVIEWS AND LIVE REVIEWS ('Hope Harbour' 2004)
'...well crafted rock songs with strong soulful vocals....bluesy rhythms....and a voice that strongly recalls Paul Rodgers on Free's All Right Now'. (Rave Magazine, Brisbane, Australia)
'an economical album for the masses.....late afternoon urban blues......socially aware vocal narrative.....' (Tsunami Magazine, Sunshine Coast, Australia)
‘….an album of diverse rock songs with bluesy overtones’ Robert Santos, Rolling Stone owned Australian Guitar Magazine. (Nov 2005) See PDF below.
'superb songwriting skills....mixing rock and pop and adding a pinch of country and blues his sound is original.....music is his life......John Harley Weston could quite easily have come from a mould of Van Morrison'. (Gold Coast Music Industry Association live acoustic review)
‘….Glasgow-born, Gold Coast Australia based seasoned songwriter and musician….a collection of well-crafted songs with elements of rock, pop, country and blues. Support a rising talent….’ (Queensland Homes Magazine (Summer 2004/5)
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ROLLING STONE OWNED 'AUSTRALIAN GUITAR' MAGAZINE FEATURE
ARTICLE (NOV 2005) click
here to view PDF
RECEIVING KEYS TO AUSTRALIA'S GOLD COAST CITY FROM MAYOR RON CLARKE (2005/6) - click here to view PDF (see centre of page)
GOLD COAST BULLETIN PARADISE MAGAZINE FEATURE ARTICLE (FEB 2006) - click here to view PDF
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CHRISTIE ELEIZER (one of the main voices in Australian Music journalism) reports breaking news at http://www.themusic.com.au
By Christie Eleizer 1st April 2008 'WESTON LOSES MAIL'.
'Qld singer songwriter john harley weston had the fright of his life when Australia Post lost the master disc to his new album “Welcome Back To Reality”. The disc, two years in the making, was sent Registered Post at the beginning of March to Sony (Sydney) for CD duplication along with the final artwork and all the necessary legal documents. Oz Post sent him around its labyrinth of ’we don’t know’ staff for a week. First good news, Sony had done the final master CD, so it could prepare another disc. Second good news, Oz Post recovered the first pack. The album is launched on Sat May 31 at Cancer Council Queensland's 'Relay For Life' fundraising benefit event at the Gold Coast Arts Centre lake area, Bundall, Gold Coast to an expected 2,000 people. Weston is playing for free and donating 20% of CD sales on the day to the charity'. To see article 'Weston loses mail' click here and scroll to middle
http://www.themusic.com.au/imm_display.php?s=christie&id=290&q=john%20harley%20weston
By Christie Eleizer 30 JAN 2007 'WESTON FEELS A NEUMANN'.
'Queensland singer songwriter John Harley Weston has scored an endorsement deal with German based Neumann Microphones. It comes just as he begins recording his April-due second album'.
To see article click here and scroll to bottom http://www.themusic.com.au/imm_display.php?s=christie&id=84
By Christie Eleizer 27th May 2005 'WESTON'S SWANN SONG'.
'Tamborine Mountain based singer/songwriter John Harley Weston was celebrating his song Last Days Of Summer scoring in the rock, metal and indie category of the Australian National Songwriting Contest, when a neighbour dropped by to say they'd just sold their house. The new buyer was blues-rock singer John Swan. Two days later he was doing a gig at the Marina Shopping Village Hope Island Food and Wine Festival and singing 'If I Were A Carpenter when a bloke came through the crowd and handed him a mobile phone. It was Swanee on the other end full of praise. Swan of course had a hit twenty years ago with that song. They palled up and discovered they were born in a similar part of Glasgow. Swan will soon be heard on his brother Jim Barnes' Duets album'.
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CHANNEL 9 TELEVISION INTERVIEW (2005)
Aired on Channel 9 Extra on 13th June 2005 - features John Harley Weston having a jam with Aussie rock/blues icon John 'Swanee' Swan and acclaimed Canadian slide guitarist Kirk Lorange. To view video on John's myspace page click here and then click on video. Here's the transcript:
'You may not realise but Australia has its own national songwriting contest, and in our midst is the winner of the rock music section. Doug Murray caught up with Mt Tamborine's John Harley Weston to see why he took out the award.
John Harley Weston's award-winning song comes from the heart. “It's a snapshot of my youth. I had a great youth,” reminisced John. Growing up in Glasgow, Johnnie played an unlikely instrument for a wannabe rock star. “I played the accordion for seven years, you know! And I finally picked up the guitar when I was in my mid-20s.” The switch launched a rock career that enjoyed international success; and later, migration down-under.
Early this month he scored the National Song Writers Award for his composition 'Last Days of Summer'. “Overnight success? It's only taken about 20 years!”
Six years ago, John featured on Extra, displaying a completely different style. His rousing tribute to Brisbane's footy heroes, the Lions, became an unofficial anthem, causing some amazement when his strong Glaswegian-talking accent miraculously disappeared in song.
In a coincidence of musical harmony, John's new neighbour on top of Mt Tamborine just happens to be another refugee from Glasgow and a musician of note - John 'Swanee' Swan. “John comes in with his guitar and he pops himself down, and before you know it five hours has gone and we've got this really beautiful song,” laughed Swanee. Could this be the start of a beautiful collaboration? “If you'd have told me that you're going to find somebody that you can write with! I came up here to write, to the mountain. I bought a place up here to write and to get away from music - and just walked into the best music scene that I've seen in years,” said Swannee. “Absolutely, we're already collaborating and you know, he feels the same way,” added John.
Listen out for some more award-winning mountain music with a slight Glaswegian accent wafting down from the rarefied atmosphere of Tamborine'.
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CHANNEL 9 TELEVISION INTERVIEW (1999)......John appeared on CH9 after writing 'Road To Victory' For the Brisbane Lions AFL team (Aussie Rules). Single was released by Festival Records.
CHANNEL 7 SPORTSCENE (1999).....John appeared live at CH7 studio in Brisbane and performed his song for Brisbane Lions AFL team 'Road To Victory'. This performance was edited along with football highlights to be shown again as a video by Channel 7 during football highlights and also shown on the big screen at The Brisbane Lions football ground 'The Gabba' several times.
CHANNEL 10 (2000).....aired 'Road To Victory' during football score round ups.
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PRIOR TO MOVING TO AUSTRALIA IN 1997
From 1989-1993 John Harley Weston had regular press/radio and some tv appearances in the UK as lead singer and co-writer with Scottish Group Frontier signed to Phonogram/Polydor/Mercury Records. (During this period John used his real name John Higgins). http://www.myspace.com/thebandfrontier
1993 - 1997 John was managed by Elliot Davis (Wet Wet Wet Manager). John performed around Glasgow, Scotland and did many press interviews.
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