NEWS

29 NOVEMBER 2009: ANIMOSITY INTERNATIONAL NOW RELEASED

Out today from good digital outlets, The Very Best Of Dean Johnson, entitled Animosity International.
 
The track listing has been hand-picked by Warner Brothers veteran Stuart Batsford, and includes the Christmas cracker Mary's Song.
 
This is Dean's biggest career overview yet: 25 amazing songs — some never before released, featuring guests Wet Wet Wet, The Christians, and members of the Paul Carrack Band.

Track Listing:

ANIMOSITY INTERNATIONAL COMPILATION: ARTWORK PREVIEW

Here is a sneak preview of the cover of Dean's new career retrospective compilation Animosity International, as mentioned further down this page.

If you want to reserve a copy, email info@deanjohnsonmusic.co.uk.

DEAN COMPLETES LOST GEORGE HARRISON SONG

Merseyside singer/songwriter Dean Johnson this week found himself in the enviable position of co-writing a song with a Beatle, when he was asked to complete a fragment of a song penned by George Harrison at the height of Beatlemania.

The original ten lines which were given to biographer Hunter Davies by Harrison for inclusion in his Beatles biography published in the late sixties, were put aside and forgotten until recently. Davies had asked each Beatle to submit a sample of their handwriting and when re-examining these papers he came upon the remarkable discovery. The lyrics are of a personal nature and were first thought to be a song of unrequited love but in hindsight they seem to allude to George’s uneasy relationship with John Lennon. This is substantiated by first hand observations by Hunter Davies and by people close to Harrison.

The biography entitled ‘The Beatles’ is republished next month, containing Harrison’s lost lines with the blessing of the Harrison estate.

Last week while in conversation with BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Spencer Leigh, both Spencer and Davies speculated on how the song would have been received if it had been completed. Spencer Leigh then suggested that maybe a contemporary songwriter could attempt this and Dean Johnson was approached.

“Spencer called me out of the blue and left a message saying he had an interesting proposition for me. I called him back and when he said he would like me to work on George’s unfinished song I found it unbelievable, tremendously exciting and above all a complete honour. My brief was to follow George’s sentiment through to its conclusion. The words were both brutally honest and compassionate and Harrison was obviously writing from the heart. I just tried by my best ability to get into the mind of someone in George’s position and I am so pleased that most people who have heard it, think I achieved a credible continuity with the original lyrics.” said Dean.

The finished song entitled “Silence (Is Its Own Reply)” was performed live during an interview with Hunter Davies on Spencer Leigh’s ‘On The Beat’ programme broadcast on Saturday 3rd October on BBC Radio Merseyside.

NEW 'BEST-OF' ALBUM COMING SOON!

Some exciting news coming soon. Dean has signed to a new label, and they are planning to release a career spanning 'best-of' entitled Animosity International, with a top quality sleeve, 25 tracks of his most loved songs, plus some surprises, and also a very special new song!

If you're interested in ordering a signed copy before it's available elsewhere, just email your name and email to info@deanjohnsonmusic.co.uk.

DEAN HITS BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE THIS SUMMER

Dean will make two separate appearances on BBC Radio Merseyside in the coming weeks:-

Firstly, on Thursday 30 July, between 9pm and 10pm BST, Dean will be on Geoff Speed's Folkscene. Dean will be profiled on the programme, which will look back on the last 20 years of Dean's career in music. Dean last appeared on the show 20 years ago so a catch up is due!

Dean's other appearance will be on Saturday 1 August, between 6pm and 8pm, on Spencer Leigh's On The Beat, in a feature called The International Association For The Study of Popular Music.

Spencer describes Dean as, "The best songwriter in Liverpool today", which is some accolade!

NEW LIVE FOOTAGE OF DEAN OF WHAT COULD BE HIS FINAL LIVE SHOWS

Dean was filmed live at his show at Cox's Yard, Stratford On Avon, on 10 June. We think it's the best footage of Dean live we've seen and he's since said that these shows could well be his last live so cherish this footage.

DEAN IN THE WIRRAL GLOBE

Dean's two current tours with Albert Lee and Carolyn Hester have earned him a very nice article in the Wirral Globe. Read all about it by clicking here.

NEW EP OUT 4 MAY!

Dean's EP Cradle Of The Blues (consisting of Cradle Of The Blues, You Give What You Get, Girl From Monterey and A Previous Life), is out on Bank Holiday Monday 4 May!

You can download it now from the iTunes button on the Home page, or if you don't want to go there, just click here.

DEAN GOES ACOUSTIKA

To coincide with Dean's Spring Tour with Albert Lee, Dean's epic track Bit Parts is featured on an American compilation album called Acoustika 14 on the hip label 272 Records. It is released worldwide on 27 February.

272 Records can be found at http://www.272records.com.

"It reminds me a little of some of Phil Ochs’ more subdued songs. That’s a compliment by my standards." - Dave Marsh

"I think it's very good... and beautifully sung, and a great tune... can I stop now?" - writer David Quantick

"Pretty good... would want to hear more..." - writer John Tobler

"The song is a lean and mean trip vocally - and  instrumentally. Johnson's peaking as, pared and primed, he goes sharpshooting in a back alley of the soul. The Wirral wonder unleashes a dark, stealthy and unflinching realist North Western." - writer Gavin Martin

"Dean’s back picking his way down rock’s Desolation Row with a painter’s eye and a poet’s voice. Music has rarely been so cinematic or so wistful. A triumph!" - Tony Kenwright (writer and photographer)