Re-Formed Eurythmics To Begin World Tour In October
All proceeds from outing in support of Peace,
synth-pop duo's first LP in a decade, to
benefit Greenpeace, Amnesty International.
Senior Writer Gil Kaufman reports:
The re-formed Eurythmics have announced a world tour
beginning in October with all proceeds benefiting the
environmental group Greenpeace and the human-rights
organization Amnesty International.
One of the most successful groups of the 1980s, the
synth-pop duo 霠singer Annie Lennox and
producer/guitarist Dave Stewart 霠also announced the
name and release date of their first studio album in a
decade. The 11-track Peace is due Oct. 19.
The group performed its first show in support of the new LP
on July 5 from the deck of the Greenpeace ship "Rainbow
Warrior" in London.
"As we look to the millennium and beyond, more and more
people are questioning what the 21st century will hold for
them," the duo wrote in a message on the tour's official website
(www.peacetour.net).
Lennox and Stewart explained they are donating the outing's
proceeds to the two charities 霠an extremely rare show of largess 霊because, "Many of us are looking for a positive way where
we can act and join together, to create a more peaceful future.
A future where we strive to work more in harmony with
each other and the planet ... not in opposition.
"To achieve this, for the first time we have brought together
two of the world's most globally influential organizations 霊Greenpeace and Amnesty International, defenders of the
environment and human rights, who offer solutions for the
future. Together they embrace the needs of mankind and
the environment."
Greenpeace has received support from rock artists in the
past, including a 1993 benefit album, Alternative NRG,
which featured R.E.M., U2 and Annie Lennox. The group
has also received donations of a portion of an album or
tour's proceeds. However, a spokesperson for the
organization said the donation of all profits from the
Eurythmics' Peace tour is an unexpected boon.
"We've done lots of collaborations like this, but I'm not
aware of one that was quite this generous," Craig Culp,
media coordinator for Greenpeace U.S.A., said.
Culp said the proceeds, which he expected would be
"substantial," will aid the organization's work against
genetically modified foods as well as its efforts to fight the
effects of global warming. The link between the band and
the environmental organization came earlier this year,
when Stewart asked a UK Greenpeace recruiter how he
could get a Greenpeace jacket, leading Stewart to inquire
further into the organization's activities, Culp said.
Meanwhile, Lennox and Stewart have been busy preparing
the groundwork for Peace. They directed the video for the
single "17 Again," which precedes the release of the LP in
the U.S.
They also are slated to direct the first video for their
European single, the swaying, string-laden ballad "I Saved
the World Today."
The new album 霠the first studio effort from the Eurythmics
since 1989's We Two Are One 霠was written by Lennox
and Stewart and recorded between February and May in
London at the Church studio, the site of many of their '80s
sessions.
"I Saved the World Today" features Lennox's signature
upper-register vocals. Over a symphonic background, she
sings "Hey, hey I saved the world today/ And everybody's
happy now the bad thing's gone away/ And everybody's
happy now the good thing's here to stay."
Aside from a performance on the Sept. 26 "Saturday Night
Live" 25th anniversary show, the only U.S. dates currently
slated for the band are a Nov. 4 show at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles and a Nov. 9 gig at Madison Square
Garden in New York, according to a source at the band's
19 Management who requested anonymity. The group will
perform the midtempo "17 Again" on the "SNL" special.
Lennox and Stewart first announced plans to work together
again at the Brit Awards (England's equivalent of the
Grammys) on Feb. 16. They were honored that night for
their "Outstanding Contribution to British Music." It was
their 11th Brit award, the most ever won by a group.
Formed out of the ashes of Lennox and Stewart's late-'70s
post-punk band, the Tourists, the classically trained
musicians and onetime lovers burst onto the world scene
in 1983 with their second album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made
of This).
The album's title track (RealAudio excerpt) 霠along with
an arresting video in which Lennox blurred gender lines in a
man's suit and a bright orange buzz cut 霠became a
worldwide hit and catapulted the pair beyond the ranks of
their synth-pop counterparts.
Following the 1989 release of We Too Are One, the group
went on hiatus and Lennox released a 1992
double-platinum solo album, Diva. Meanwhile, Stewart
sporadically released solo albums and continued producing
a variety of acts, from rocker Tom Petty to Australian pop
sensation Natalie Imbruglia.
The full track listing for Peace is: "17 Again," "I Saved the
World Today," "Power to the Meek," "Beautiful Child,"
"Anything but Strong," "Peace Is Just a Word," "I've Tried
Everything," "I Want It All," "My True Love," "Forever" and
"Lifted."
--
gender is just an excuse, relationship shouldn't just be an excuse,
love is often an excuse, although sometimes these excuses are all
we have to hold onto,
death is the reason and living is the celebration
- Beth Orton
--
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